Exercise 5.

1
Discuss the effects of not dropping the hammer in a standard Proctor test from a height of
305 mm. Plot a graph of energy versus hammer height from 250 mm to 400 mm in steps
of 50 mm to discuss the effects. Assume the mold, hammer mass, number of layers (3)
and blows (25) are all constants.

Solution 5.1

Compaction energy (E);

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

#blows/layer 25
#layers 3
weight of hammer 24.4 N 0.0244 kN
Volume 944 cm3 0.000944 m3

H (mm) H (m) E (kN.m/m3)

250 0.25 484.6
300 0.3 581.6
350 0.35 678.5
400 0.4 775.4

800

750
Compaction Energy (kN.m/m3)

700

650

600

550

500

450

400
200 250 300 350 400 450

Height of drops (mm)

Exercise 5.2
a) Plot the theoretical dry unit weight versus water content using the following data.
Water content (%) 4 5 8 10 12
Degree of saturation, S (%) 20 30 60 70 75
(b) Determine the maximum dry unit weight and optimum water content.

Solution 5.2

( )

Gs 2.7
w 9.81 kN/m3

w (%) S (%) d (kN/m3)

4 20 17.2
5 30 18.3
8 60 19.5
10 70 19.1
12 75 18.5

20.0

19.5
Dry unit weight (kN/m3)

19.0

18.5

18.0

17.5

17.0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
water content (%)


dmax = 19.5 kN/m3
wopt (%) = 8.2
Exercise 5.3
A soil at a mining site is classified according to USCS as GW-GM.
(a) Would this soil be suitable for the base course of a road?
(b) What type of field compaction equipment would you recommend?
(c) How would you check that the desired compaction is achieved in the field?
(d) Would you specify compaction dry or wet of optimum? Why?

Solution 5.3

(a) GW is an excellent material for the base course of a road.

(b) Generally, drum type rollers are used to compact coarse-grained materials
(c) There are three methods used in the field to check the compaction quality;
 The sand cone test
 The balloon test
 Nuclear density meters
(d) Dry of optimum. Volume change in GW-GM is extremely small, so compaction
dry of optimum is preferred. The dry unit weight generally decreases rapidly after
optimum water content is achieved in coarse-grained soils.
Exercise 5.4

The water content in one of five standard Proctor test samples is 15.2%. The corresponding
degree of saturation is 85%. Calculate the dry unit weight if Gs = 2.67.

Solution 5.4

( )

( )
Exercise 5.5
The data from a standard Proctor test are shown in the table below.
(a) Determine the maximum dry unit weight and the optimum water content.
(b) Plot the zero air voids line.
(c) Determine the degree of saturation at the maximum dry unit weight.

Diameter of mold, D= 101.4 mm

Height of mold, h = 116.7 mm
Mass of mold, Mm = 4196.5 grams
Specific gravity, Gs = 2.69
9.42E-04
3
Volume of mold = m

Solution 5.5

Mass of Mass of Mass of d at

Mass of Water Mass of Bulk Dry
wet soil can and can and zero
can content wet soil unit unit
and mold wet soil dry soil air
(grams) (%) (grams) weight weight
(g) (grams) (grams) voids
Mwm Mw Md Mc Mw kN/m3 kN/m3 kN/m3
5906 108.12 105.1 42.1 4.8 1709.5 17.80 17.0 23.4
6013 98.57 94.9 40.9 6.8 1816.5 18.91 17.7 22.3
6135 121.9 114.7 42.7 10.0 1938.5 20.18 18.3 20.8
6156 118.39 110.5 42.5 11.6 1959.5 20.40 18.3 20.1
6103 138.02 126.8 41.8 13.2 1906.5 19.85 17.5 19.5

24.0

23.0 Zero voids line

22.0
Dry unit weight (kN/m3)

21.0

20.0

19.0

18.0

17.0

16.0

15.0
4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0
Water Content (%)
Maximum dry unit weight = 18.8 kN/m3

The optimum water content = 10.8%

Degree of saturation at the maximum dry unit weight;

( )

( )
Exercise 5.6

A fine-grained soil has 60% clay with LL = 220%, PL = 45%, and a natural water content of 6%.
A standard Proctor test was carried out in the laboratory and the following data were recorded.
Diameter of mold, D= 101.4 mm
Height of mold, h = 116.7 mm
Mass of mold, Mm = 4196.5 grams
Specific gravity, Gs = 2.69
9.42E-04
3
Volume of mold = m
Unit weight determination Water content determination
Mass of wet soil Mass of can and wet Mass of can and dry Mass of can
and mold (g) soil (grams) soil (grams) (grams)
Mwm Mw Md Mc
6257 105.05 103.1 42.1
6356 100.69 97.9 40.9
6400 114.71 110.7 42.7
6421 134.26 128.5 42.5
6400 109.34 104.9 41.8

(a) Determine the maximum dry unit weight and optimum water content.

(b) If the desired compaction in the field is 95% of the standard Proctor test results, what values
of dry unit weight and water content would you specify? Explain why you select these values.

(c) What field equipment would you specify to compact the soil in the field, and why?

(d) How would you check that the specified dry unit weight and water content are achieved in
the field?

Solution 5.6

Mass of Mass of Mass d at

Mass of Water Bulk Dry
Mass of wet soil can and can and of wet zero
can content unit unit
and mold (g) wet soil dry soil soil air
(grams) (%) weight weight
(grams) (grams) (grams) voids
3 3 3
Mwm Mw Md Mc Mw kN/m kN/m kN/m
6257 105.05 103.1 42.1 3.2 2060.5 21.45 20.8 24.3
6356 100.69 97.9 40.9 4.9 2159.5 22.48 21.4 23.3
6400 114.71 110.7 42.7 5.9 2203.5 22.94 21.7 22.8
6421 134.26 128.5 42.5 6.7 2224.5 23.16 21.7 22.4
6400 109.34 104.9 41.8 7.0 2203.5 22.94 21.4 22.2
 25.0

24.5

24.0
Dry unit weight (kN/m3)

23.5

23.0

22.5

22.0

21.5

21.0

95% Proctor dry unit weight

20.5

20.0
3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5
Water Content (%)

Maximum dry unit weight = 21.7 kN/m3

Optimum water content = 6.5%

b) You cannot obtain the 95% Proctor dry unit weight from these test results. For a fine-grained
soil, the optimum water content appears to be low. The test should be repeated starting at a lower
water content.

c)

Sheepsfoot roller is used for the fine-grained soils

d)

One of the following field apparatuses can be used; i) sand cone, ii) balloon iii) nuclear density
meter.
Exercise 5.7

Standard Proctor compaction test results on a sandy clay (35% sand, 55% clay, and 10% silt),
taken from a borrow pit, are given in the following table.
Water content (%) 4.2 5.1 7.8 9.2 12
d (kN/m3) 16.9 18.1 19.6 19.5 18.5

The sandy clay in the borrow pit has a porosity of 65% and a water content of 5.2%. A highway
embankment is to be constructed using this soil.
(a) Specify the compaction (dry unit weight and water content) to be achieved in the field. Justify
your specification.
(b) How many cubic meters of borrow pit soil are needed for 1 cubic meter of highway fill?
(c) How much water per unit volume is required to meet the specification?
(d) How many truckloads of soil will be required for a 100,000 m3 highway embankment? Each
truck has a load capacity of 22.5 m3 and regulations require a maximum load capacity of 90%.
(e) Determine the cost for 100,000 m3 of compacted soil based on the following:
Purchase and load borrow pit material at site, haul 2 km round-trip, and spread with 200 HP
dozer = $15/m3; extra mileage charge for each km = $0.5/m3; round-trip distance = 10 km;
compaction = $1.02/m3.
Solution 5.7
Determine the maximum dry unit weight and optimum water content
20.0

19.5
Dry unit weight (kN/m3)

19.0

18.5

18.0

17.5

17.0

16.5
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
water content (%)
b)
Find weight of the soil particles, Ws for 1 m3 compacted soil;

Find the void ratio, e, for the borrow pit soil;

Find dry unit weight of the borrow pit soil;

Find volume of soil needed for 19.7 kN borrow pit soil;

c)
Find the weight of water for compacted highway fill for w = 0.084, V = 1m3;

Find the weight of borrow pit soil for w = 0.052%, V = 2.13 m3;

For 1m3 compacted fill, 1.65 -1.02 = 0.63 kN water is needed.

d)
For 100,000 m3 compacted soil, 100,000 × 2.13 =213,000 m3 borrow pit soil needed.
Load capacity of one truck is; 22.5 × 0.9 = 20.25 m3 therefore;

e)
Use the formula below to find the extra mileage charge/m3. “x” is the distance between the pit
and start of the embankment

∑[( ) ]
Assume pit is located 5 km away from start of the embankment;

∑[( ) ] ∑[( ) ]

Estimated cost for the 10 km long compacted embankment using 213,000 m3 borrow pit soil at 5
km distance between the embankment and the borrow pit is

(10 + 190 × 0.5 + 1.05) × 213,000 = $22,588,650

Exercise 5.8

A sand cone test was conducted for quality control during the compaction of sandy clay. The
data are as follows.

Calibration to find dry unit weight of standard sand

Mass or Weight of Proctor mold 4178 grams
Mass or Weight of Proctor mold + sand 5609 grams
Volume of mold 0.00095 m3
Calibration of sand cone
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus + jar filled with sand 5466 grams
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus with remaining sand in jar 3755 grams
Sand cone test results
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus + jar filled with sand 7387 grams
Mass or Weight of excavated soil 2206 grams
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus with remaining sand in jar 3919 grams
Water content of excavated soil 9.2 %

(a) Determine the dry unit weight.

(b) The standard Proctor maximum dry unit weight of the sandy clay is 17.8 kN/m3 at an
optimum water content of 10%. The specification requires 95% Proctor dry unit weight at
acceptable water contents ranging from 9% to 10.8%. Is the specification met? Justify your
answer.

Solution 5.8

Calibration to find dry unit weight of standard sand

Mass or Weight of Proctor mold, M1 4178 grams
Mass or Weight of Proctor mold + sand, M2 5609 grams
Volume of mold,V1 0.00095 m3
Dry unit weight of sand cone,
(check Eq 1) 14.8 kN/m3
Calibration of sand cone
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus + jar filled with
sand, Wa 5466 grams
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus with remaining
sand in jar, Wb 3755 grams
Mass or Weight of sand to fill cone, W2
1711 grams
Sand cone test results
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus + jar filled with
sand, W1 7387 grams
Mass or Weight of excavated soil, W3 2206 grams
Mass or Weight of sand cone apparatus with remaining
sand in jar, W4 3919 grams
Mass or Weight of sand to fill hole, Ws = W1 -(W2 + W4) 1757 grams
Volume of hole, V = Ws x 9.8 x 10-6/d 0.00116642 m3
Water content of excavated soil, w 9.2 %
Mass or Weight of dry soil, Wd = W3/(1 + w) 2020 grams

( ) ( )
(Eq 1)

(Eq 2)

( ) ( ) (Eq 3)

Volume of hole;

(Eq. 4)

Weight of dry soil;

(Eq 5)

Dry unit weight;

b)

0.95 x 17.8 = 16.9 kN/m3

Dry unit weight of the soil is between the required dry unit weight limits;

16.9 kN/m3 < 17 kN/m3 < 17.8 kN/m3

Also the water content of the soil is between the acceptable water content range.