TO DETERMINE IN-SITU DRY DENSITY BY SAND REPLACEMENT

METHOD
Theory:
A hole of specified dimensions is excavated in the ground. The mass of the
excavated soil is determined.
The volume of the hole is determined by filling it with clean, uniform sand
whose dry density (

) is determined separately by calibration. The volume

of the hole is equal to the mass of the sand filled in the hole divided by its
dry density.
The dry density of the excavated soil is determined as

Where M= mass of the excavated soil, V= volume of the hole and w= water
content.
Equipment:
1. Sand pouring cylinder
2. Calibrating container, 100mm diameter and 150mm height
3. Soil cutting and excavating tools, such as scrapper tool, bent spoon
4. Glass plate, 450mm square, 9mm thick
5. Metal container to collect excavated soil
6. Metal tray, 300mm square and 40mm deep with a hole of 100mm in
diameter at the centre
7. Weighing balance
8. Moisture content cans

9. Oven
10. Desiccator
Clean, uniform sand passing 1mm IS sieve and retained on 600micron IS
sieve in sufficient quantity.
Part-I: Calibration
Procedure:
1. Determine the internal volume of the calibrating container by filling it with
water and determining the mass of water required. The mass of water in
grams is approximately equal to the volume in mililitres. The volume may
also be determined from the measured dimensions of the container.
2. Fill the sand-pouring cylinder with sand, within about 10mm of its top.
Determine the mass of the cylinder (M1) to the nearest gram.
3. Place the sand-pouring cylinder vertically on the calibrating container.
Open the shutter to allow the sand run out from the cylinder. When there is
no further movement of the sand in the cylinder, close the shutter.
4. Lift the pouring cylinder from the calibrating container and weigh it to the
nearest gram (M3).
5. Again fill the pouring cylinder with sand, within 10mm of its top.
6. Open the shutter and allow the sand to run out of the cylinder. When the
volume of the sand let out is equal to the volume of the calibrating container,
close the shutter.
7. Place the cylinder over a plane surface, such as a glass plate. Open the
shutter. The sand fills the cone of the cylinder. Close the shutter when no
further movement of sand takes place.
8. Remove the cylinder. Collect the sand left on the glass plate. Determine
the mass of sand (M2) that had filled the cone by weighing the collected
sand.

9. Determine the dry density of sand, as shown in the data sheet, part-I.
Part-II: Dry density
Procedure:
1. Expose an area of about 450mm square on the surface of the soil mass.
Trim the surface down to a level surface using a scrapper tool.
2. Place the metal tray on the leveled surface.
3. Excavate the soil though the central hole of the tray, using the hole in the
tray as a pattern. The depth of the excavated hole should be about 150mm.
4. Collect all the excavated soil in a metal container, and determine the mass
of the soil (M).
5. Remove the metal tray from the excavated hole.
6. Fill the sand pouring cylinder within 10mm of its top. Determine its mass
(M1).
7. Place the cylinder directly over the excavated hole. Allow the sand to run
out the cylinder by opening the shutter. Close the shutter when the hole is
completely filled and no further movement of sand is observed.
8. Remove the cylinder from the filled hole. Determine the mass of the
cylinder (M4).
9. Take a representative sample of the excavated soil. Determine its water
content.
Determine the dry density of soil as shown in the data sheet, Part-II.
Data Sheet for Sand Replacement Method
Part-I: Calibration for Dry Density of Sand
Sl.
Observations an Calculations
No.
Observation

Determination No.
2

Volume of calibrating cone VC

Mass of pouring cylinder (M1), filled

with sand
Mass of pouring cylinder after pouring
3
sand into the calibrating container and
cone (M3)
4
Mass of sand in the cone (M3)
Calculations
Mass of sand in the calibrating
5
container
MC=(2) (3) (4)
Dry density of sand
6
=MC/VC
2

Part-II: Dry Density of Soil

Sl.
Observations an
No. Calculations
Observation
1

Mass of excavated soil (M)

Mass of pouring cylinder (M1), filled
2
with sand
Mass of pouring cylinder after pouring
3
into the hole and cone (M4)
Calculations
Mass of sand in the hole
4
MS=M1 M4 M2
Volume of sand in the hole
5
V=Ms/
6

Bulk density

Water content

Dry density using formula

=M/V

Result:
Dry density=_______g/ml.

10

Determination No.
2

SHARES

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