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Soil Moisture Content Test Guide

The document outlines a procedure to determine the natural moisture content of a soil sample in 3 steps. First, a soil sample is weighed in its natural wet state and then dried in an oven. The dried sample is weighed and the moisture content is calculated as a percentage of the weight lost during drying. Knowing the natural moisture content is important for soil mechanics studies like bearing capacity and settlement. The objective is to determine the moisture content of a given soil sample.

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112 views3 pages

Soil Moisture Content Test Guide

The document outlines a procedure to determine the natural moisture content of a soil sample in 3 steps. First, a soil sample is weighed in its natural wet state and then dried in an oven. The dried sample is weighed and the moisture content is calculated as a percentage of the weight lost during drying. Knowing the natural moisture content is important for soil mechanics studies like bearing capacity and settlement. The objective is to determine the moisture content of a given soil sample.

Uploaded by

WaqarSaleemCh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2/25/2018 EXPERIMENT 1

DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE CONTENT

OBJECTIVE

Determine the natural content of the given soil sample.

NEED AND SCOPE OF THE EXPERIMENT


In almost all soil tests natural moisture content of the soil is to be determined. The knowledge of the natural moisture content is essential in all studies
of soil mechanics. To sight a few, natural moisture content is used in determining the bearing capacity and settlement. The natural moisture content
will give an idea of the state of soil in the field.

DEFINITION
The natural water content also called the natural moisture content is the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of the solids in a given mass of soil.
This ratio is usually expressed as percentage.

APPARATUS REQUIRED

1. Non-corrodible air-tight container.


2. Electric oven, maintain the temperature between 1050 C to 1100 C.
3. Desiccator.
4. Balance of sufficient sensitivity.

PROCEDURE

1. Clean the container with lid dry it and weigh it (W1).


2. Take a specimen of the sample in the container and weigh with lid (W2).
3. Keep the container in the oven with lid removed. Dry the specimen to constant weight maintaining the temperature between 1050 C to 1100 C for a
period varying with the type of soil but usually 16 to 24 hours.
4. Record the final constant weight (W3) of the container with dried soil sample. Peat and other organic soils are to be dried at lower temperature (say
600 ) possibly for a longer period.

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2/25/2018 EXPERIMENT 1

Certain soils contain gypsum which on heating loses its water if crystallization. If itb is suspected that gypsum is present in the soil sample used for
moisture content determination it shall be dried at not more than 800 C and possibly for a longer time.

OBSERVATIONS AND RECORDING

Data and observation sheet for water content determination

S.No. Sample No. 1 2 3


1 Weight of container with lid W1 gm

2 Weight of container with lid +wet


soil W2 gm
3 Weight of container with lid +dry
soil W3 gm
4 Water/Moisture content

W = [(W2-W3)/(W3-W1)]�100

INTERPRETATION AND REPORTING

RESULT

The natural moisture content of the soil sample is ________

GENERAL REMARKS

1. A container with out lid can be used, when moist sample is weighed immediately after placing the container and oven dried sample is weighed
immediately after cooling in desiccator.

2. As dry soil absorbs moisture from wet soil, dried samples should be removed before placing wet samples in the oven.

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2/25/2018 EXPERIMENT 1

Back to Index

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