TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING BUCHAREST

SOIL MECHANICS AND FOUNDATIONS DEPARTMENT

2013 - 2014

STUDENTS BOOK FOR GEOTECHNICAL TESTS

STUDENT: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
FACULTY: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
YEAR: _ _ _ _ _ GROUP: _ _ _ _ _

Page 1 din 21

Contents
1

Week 2: Determination of the particle size distribution. Screening method ................................. 3

1.1
Graphical representations: histogram, frequency curve, particle size distribution curve ...... 4
2
Week 3: Determination of the particle size distribution. Hydrometer method .............................. 5
2.1
Particle size distribution curve ............................................................................................... 6
2.2
Ternary diagram representation ............................................................................................. 7
3
Week 4: Geotechnical indices ........................................................................................................ 8
3.1
Obtaining the density of the solid skeleton ............................................................................ 8
3.2
Obtaining the soil density using the mould method............................................................... 8
3.3
Obtaining the density ratio of the sand .................................................................................. 9
4
Week 5: Plasticity Limits ............................................................................................................. 10
5
Week 6: Determination of the permeability coefficient .............................................................. 11
5.1
Constant head method .......................................................................................................... 11
5.2
Falling head method ............................................................................................................. 11
6
Week 8: Oedometer test. Performing the test .............................................................................. 12
7
Week 9: Oedometer test. Results interpretation .......................................................................... 13
7.1
Compression settlement diagram ...................................................................................... 13
7.2
Compression porosity diagram ......................................................................................... 14
7.3
Consolidation diagram ......................................................................................................... 15
8
Week 10: Direct shear test ........................................................................................................... 16
8.1
Test results ........................................................................................................................... 16
8.2
Failure line ........................................................................................................................... 17
8.3
Mobilization curve ............................................................................................................... 18
9
Week 11: Triaxial test. Performing an u.u. (unconsolidated undrained) test .............................. 19
10 Week 12: Triaxial test. Results interpretation.............................................................................. 20
10.1 Failure line using Mohrs circle ........................................................................................... 20
10.2 Representation of the stress paths in MIT coordinates (s-t) ................................................ 21

Page 2 din 21

Week 2: Determination of the particle size distribution. Screening method

mi [g]

d [mm]

ai [%]

mp [%]

20
10
8
6.3
5
4
2
1.4
1
0.85
0.63
0.5
0.315
0.25
0.18
0.125
0.09
0.063

rest:
Total:

m- the mass of dry soil after washing

m1

a1=m1/m*100

mp1=100%-a1

m2

a2=m2/m*100

mp2=100%-(a1 + a2)=mp1-a2

m3

a3=m3/m*100

mp3=mp2-a3

mi

ai=mi/m*100

mpi=mp(i-1)-ai

mj

aj=mj/m*100

mpj=mp(j-1)-aj

Page 3 din 21

1.1

Graphical representations: histogram, frequency curve, particle size distribution curve

Page 4 din 21

Week 3: Determination of the particle size distribution. Hydrometer method

R 1.4

material mass: m= 50g

specific gravity of the soil: s=2.72g/cm3
water density: w=1g/cm3
the hydrometer rod length: Lt=16.5cm
hydrometer division: div=1mm
the distance between the last reading and the bulb: Lsb=1.2cm
bulb volume: Vb=100cm3
cross section area of the cylinder: dc=30cm2
bulb height: hb=16.8cm
Vs=100 cm3

Time

reading
R

Ct 9 10-5 T3 9 104 T2 0.1118 T 2.5443

R cortemp R cor Ct

s
100
mp

R cortemp
s w m

18 0.01005
Hr
d 10

s w
t 1000

Time
t
(s)

R cor R R

meniscus
correction
R

15''

15

1.4

30''

30

1.4

1'

60

1.4

2'

120

1.4

4'

240

1.4

8'

480

1.4

15'

900

1.4

30'

1800

1.4

1h

3600

1.4

2h

7200

1.4

4h

14400

1.4

8h

36000

1.4

24h

86400

1.4

Corrected
meniscus
reading
Rcor

temperature
correction
Ct

1 cortemp 10
1000

div
R
H L t 2 cortemp
1
10

corrected
reading
Rcortemp

Page 5 din 21

(kN/m3)

H
(cm)

Hr
(cm)

V
H r H 0.5 h b s
dc

d
(mm)

mp
(%)

Temperature
T
(C)

2.1

Particle size distribution curve

Page 6 din 21

2.2

Ternary diagram representation

100

90

10

85

Sa
80

20

70

50

gr.si.Sa
gr.cl.Sa
sa.Si
sa.cl.Si
sa.si.Cl
sa.Cl

30

60

gr.sa.si.S
gr.sa.cl.S
gr.sa.Si
gr.sa.Cl

sa.gr.si.S
sa.gr.cl.S

sa.gr.Si
sa.gr.Cl

20

Si
cl.Si
si.Cl
Cl

)
mm

Nis
ip
(

3
..6

0.0
63

gr.Sa

50

40

10

40

(2.

si.Sa
cl.Sa

60

tris

...2

Pi e

mm
)

30

sa.Gr
70

sa.si.Gr
sa.cl.Gr

80

gr.Si
gr.cl.Si
gr.si.Cl
gr.Cl

si.Gr
cl.Gr

Gr

90

0
100

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

15

10

40

30

20

15

10

Argila si Praf
(<0.063mm)
100

90

80

70

60

50

Si

Si
10

cl.Si

20

si.Cl

Argila(<0.002mm)

30

40

50

Cl
60

70

80

90

100

Legenda:
Si - Silt - Praf
Cl - Clay - Argila
Cl
S - Soil - Pamant
Sa - Sand - Nisip
Gr - Gravel - Pietris
cl.Si - clayey Silt - Praf argilos
si.Sa - silty Sand - Nisip prafos
si.Cl - silty Clay - Argila prafoasa
cl.Sa - clayey Sand - Nisip argilos
si.Gr - silty Gravel - Pietris prafos
sa.Gr - sandy Gravel - Pietris nisipos
gr.Sa - gravely Sand - Nisip cu pietris
cl.Gr - clayey Gravel - Pietris argilos
gr.Si - gravely Silt - Praf cu pietris
gr.Cl - gravely Clay - Argila cu pietris
sa.si.Gr - sandy silty Gravel - Pietris prafos cu nisip
sa.cl.Gr - sandy clayey Gravel - Pietris argilos cu nisip
gr.si.Sa - silty Sand with gravel - Nisip prafos cu pietris
gr.cl.Sa - clayey Sand with gravel - Nisip argilos cu pietris
sa.cl.Si - silty Clay with sand - argila prafoasa cu nisip
gr.sa.Si - sandy Silt with gravel - Praf nisipos cu pietris
gr.sa.Cl - sandy Clay with gravel - Argila nisipoasa cu pietris
gr.sa.si.S - gravely sandy silty Soil - Pamant prafos nisipos cu pietris
gr.sa.cl.S - gravely sandy clay Soil - Pamant argilos nisipos cu pietris
sa.gr.si.S - sandy gravely silty Soil - Pamant prafos cu pietris si nisip
sa.gr.cl.S - sandy gravely clayey Soil - Pamant argilos cu pietris si nisip
sa.gr.si.S - sandy gravely silty Soil - Pamant prafos cu pietris si nisip
sa.gr.cl.S - sandy gravely clayey Soil - Pamant argilos cu pietris si nisip
sa.gr.Si - gravely Silt with sand - Praf cu pietris si nisip
sa.gr.Cl - gravely Clay with sand - Argila cu pietris si nisip
gr.cl.Si -clayey Silt with gravel - Praf argilos cu pietris
gr.si.Cl - silty Clay with gravel - Argila prafoasa cu pietris
sa.Si - sandy Silt - Praf nisipos
sa.Cl - sandy Clay - Argila nisipoasa
sa.cl.Si - clayey Silt with sand - Praf argilos cu nisip
sa.si.Cl - silty Clay with sand - Argila prafoasa cu nisip

Page 7 din 21

3
3.1

Week 4: Geotechnical indices

Obtaining the density of the solid skeleton

Measurement
Unit
g

COMPUTATION DATA
Mass of the picnometer + the material
Mass of the picnometer

m0

Mass of the material

m1

Mass of the picnometer + the liquid

m2

Mass of the picnometer + the liquid +

the material

m3

TEMPERATURE

Picnometer No.
1
2
3

LIQUID DENSITY

Lt

g/cm3

CORRECTION FACTOR

g/cm3

AVERAGE

g/cm3

s=9.81s

kN/m3

3.2

Obtaining the soil density using the mould method

Measurement
Unit

COMPUTATION DATA
Mass of the ring

m2

Mass of the ring + the soil sample

m1

Interior volume of the ring (soil sample's

volume)

V0

cm3

g/cm3
Average density

av

g/cm3

Volumic weight

=9.81

kN/cm3

Page 8 din 21

Sample No.
2
3

Obtaining the density ratio of the sand

Measurement

3.3

COMPUTATION DATA

Natural state Loosest state Most dense state

Unit
Mould no.
Volume of the mould
Mass of the mould

V
m

cm3
g

Mass of the dry sample and the mould m1 g

m1-m

g
%

Average n

n=

nmax=

nmin=

e=

emax=

emin=

Page 9 din 21

4
Units
Sample number
Weight of the wet sample A
Weight of the dry sample B
W%

g
g
%

W%average

Week 5: Plasticity Limits

Natural Moisture Content W [%]

1

Plastic Limit Wp [%]

1

Liquid Limit WL [%]

3

Obs:

Penetration Cone method [mm]

40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0

20.0
15.0
10.0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80

W[%]
_ _ _ _ _ _ [%]

______
Page 10 din 21

Week 6: Determination of the permeability coefficient

5.1

Time

Head

Sample
length

[s]

[cm]

[cm]

Sample
crosssection
A

Constant head method

i
2

[cm ]

Permeability
coefficient for
temperature t
[o C]
kt

[-]

[cm/s]

Hydraulic
Total
Correction
gradient discharge coefficient
V
3

[-]

[cm ]

Permeability
coefficient for
20o C
k
[cm/s]

Average:

5.2

Falling head method

c=_____

Time

1/T

T
[s]

[1/s]

Initial
head

Final
head

h1

h2

[cm]

[cm]

h1/h2

log(h1/h2)

Permeability
coefficient for 20o C
k

[-]

[-]

Average:

Page 11 din 21

[cm/s]

6
dring=cm

LOESS
CLAY

Aring=cm

[kPa]

[mm]

h0=cm

[%]

12.5
25
50
100
200
300
500
12.5
12.5
25
50
100
200
300
300 i

SAND

Sample

Week 8: Oedometer test. Performing the test

10''
20''
30''
40''
1'
2'
4'
8'
15'
30'
1h
2h
4h
8h
15h
24h

200

Page 12 din 21

[kPa]

[kPa-1]

Week 9: Oedometer test. Results interpretation

7.1

Compression settlement diagram

-2

[%]

10

12

14

10

100
Page 13 din 21

[kPa]

1000

7.2

Compression porosity diagram

e [-]

e0=

10

100

1000

[kPa]
Page 14 din 21

av

[kPa]
12.5
25
50
100
200
300
500

[%]

[kPa-1]

7.3

Consolidation diagram

[%]

Cv= _ _ _ _ _ _ _ cm2/s

time

Page 15 din 21

Week 10: Direct shear test

Sample 1

n - horizontal force
- horizontal displacement

Sample 3
300

fmax=

- tangential stress = T/A

=
c=

100

Sample
2
200

(kPa)
(kPa)

(kPa)

Shear Box Cross-Section

60 mm

60 mm

8.1

Test results

Input data for the direct shear box

T
(kN)

Sample 1

(mm)
(kPa)

T
(div)

Sample 2

(mm)

Page 16 din 21

(kPa)

T
(div)

Sample 3

(mm)

(kPa)

8.2

Failure line

200
180
160
140

[kPa]

120
100
80
60
40
20
0

50

100

150

200

[kPa]

Page 17 din 21

250

300

350

400

8.3

Mobilization curve

200
180

160
140

[kPa]

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0

[cm]

Page 18 din 21

10

12

14

Week 11: Triaxial test. Performing an u.u. (unconsolidated undrained) test

Sample
1
100
3 =
75

Sample Sample
2
3
kPa - radial stress
200
300
110

150

1=3+

c=

kPa

kPa - deviator stress

kPa - vertical stress

Page 19 din 21

10 Week 12: Triaxial test. Results interpretation

10.1 Failure line using Mohrs circle

400

350

300

[kPa]

250

200

150

100

50

0
0

50

100

150

200

[kPa]

Page 20 din 21

250

300

350

400

10.2 Representation of the stress paths in MIT coordinates (s-t)

Sample Sample
Sample 3
1
2

13
2

t= 12 3

s=

kPa
kPa

s=
t=

d=

kPa

500
450
400
350

t [kPa]

300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0

50

100

150

200

250

s [kPa]

Page 21 din 21

300

350

400

450

500