Annamarie M.

San Diego CE 162 MVW

2013-47287

Sieve Analysis
For coarse-grained soils (greater than 0.075 mm diameter), sieve analysis is performed to determine
the grain-size distribution of a soil sample. The following are the equations used:

= 100

= 100% %
US Particle Mass of Mass of Mass of Soil % Cumulative %
Sieve # Diameter Sieve (g) Sieve + Soil Retained (g) Retained % Retained Passing
(mm) (g)
4 4.760 499.60 509.60 10.00 2.00 2.00 98.00
8 2.360 475.90 491.00 15.10 3.03 5.03 94.97
10 2.000 481.50 495.00 13.50 2.71 7.74 92.26
16 1.180 435.40 515.80 80.40 16.12 23.86 76.14
20 0.850 405.80 454.80 49.00 9.82 33.68 66.32
40 0.425 386.40 502.50 116.10 23.28 56.96 43.04
50 0.300 370.60 436.31 65.71 13.17 70.13 29.87
60 0.250 372.40 396.70 24.30 4.87 75.00 25.00
100 0.150 349.30 399.18 49.88 10.00 85.00 15.00
200 0.075 304.20 324.15 19.95 4.00 89.00 11.00
Pan 183.46 238.33 54.87 11.00 100.00 0.00
TOTAL 4264.56 4763.37 498.81

Values of D10, D30, and D60 (particle diameter at corresponding value of percent passing) were
calculated using the TREND() function of MS Excel. The formulas for the grading coefficients are as
follows:
60
, =
10
(30 )2
, =
60 10
= 10
D10 0.056
D30 0.301
D60 0.735
Uniformity Coefficient 13.061
Gradation Coefficient 2.196
Hydrometer Analysis
Particle-size distribution of fine-grained soils is determined through a hydrometer test. Parameters
used for the experiment are tabulated below.

Specific Gravity 2.65

Temperature 20 C
K 0.01365
Correction Factor 1
Mass of dry soil 54.87
retained in the pan

Elapsed Actual Corrected Effective Particle % Finer Modified

Time (min) Hydrometer Hydrometer Depth, L (cm) Diameter, D % Finer
Reading, R Reading, RCP (mm)
0
0.5 48 45 8.4 0.056 82.012 9.021
1 47 44 8.6 0.040 80.190 8.821
1.5 44 41 9.1 0.034 74.722 8.219
2 42 39 9.4 0.030 71.077 7.818
5 36 33 10.4 0.020 60.142 6.616
15 30 27 11.4 0.012 49.207 5.413
30 26 23 12.0 0.009 41.917 4.611
60 23 20 12.5 0.006 36.450 4.009
1138 19 16 13.2 0.001 29.160 3.208

Calculation:
1. Calculate the corrected hydrometer reading for determination of effective length, RCL = R + Fm
where Fm is the meniscus correction. Since there is no given value for this correction, RCL = R.
2. Determine the effective depth L using the equation L = 16.29 0.164R for hydrometer 152H.
3. Determine the particle diameter D using the equation: D (mm) = K L (cm.) / t (min.) The
value of K for SG=2.65 and temperature 20C is 0.01365.
4. Calculate the corrected hydrometer reading for determination of percent finer, RCP = R + Ft +
Fz where Ft is the temperature correction (equal to zero for this problem) and Fz is the zero
correction. The zero reading in the hydrometer (in the control cylinder) is above the water
meniscus by a reading of 3, therefore 3 is subtracted from the actual hydrometer reading R.
5. Percent finer is calculated using formula: % finer = (A*RCP*100)/Ws where A is the correction
factor for specific gravity, RCP is the corrected hydrometer reading, and WS is the mass of dry
soil used for the analysis. A=1 since the soil has SG of 2.65 (hydrometer is calibrated to SG of
2.65). Ws is the mass of the soil passing through sieve #200 and retained in the pan (54.87
g).
6. The modified percent finer is calculated by multiplying the % finer obtained using hydrometer
analysis and the % passing sieve #200 (11%).
Combined Grain-Size Distribution Curve:

Grain-Size Distribution Curve

120.00

100.00

80.00
Percent Passing

60.00

40.00

20.00

0.00
10.000 1.000 0.100 0.010 0.001
Particle Diameter (mm) - log scale

Sieve Analysis
Hydrometer Analysis

Using the parameters obtained in sieve analysis, the soil sample was classified according to the Unified
Soil Classification System. Since the percent passing sieve #4 is greater than 50%, the soil is
comprised mostly of sand. From the value of Cu and Cc, the sample is a well-graded sand. The percent
of fines is 11% (in between 5% and 12%) therefore the classification will require dual symbols. Soil
K.A. is therefore under soil group SW-SM or SW-SC (well-graded sand with fines).
In coarse-grained soils, grain-size distribution is more important in classification, whereas for fine-
grained soils, Atterberg limits are more important.