PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY Faculty of Engineering Civil Engineering Department Soil Laboratory Student Name : jameel ishaq amer Student

ID : 201020117 Experiment Name : hydrometer Experiment No : 4 Eng. Rajaa Date:19/11/ 2013

Introduction:
The hydrometer test is used to determine the grain size distribution of fine grained soils ( silt & clay ). Silts have particle sizes between 0.075mm and 0.002mm .Clay have particle sizes less than 0.002mm.

Objective:
To present a general method of obtaining the approximate particle size distribution of soil particles passing No. 200 sieve. So, this experiment is very important to classify the soil then to draw the distribution of the size grain in a given soil mass by Hydrometer. Theory: the lower limit of the particle size determinate by the procedure is about ( 0.001 mm )

Equipments:
1. Sedimentation Cylinder (1000 mL cylinder), also termed a hydrometer jar. 2. Graduated 1000 mL cylinder for control jar. 3. Hydrometer (calibrated). 4. Soil-dispersion device (malt mixer or air-jet dispersion). 5. Thermometer ( with reading to nearest 1C ). 6. Dispersion agent (sodium hexametaphsphate NAPO3, trade name calgon, or sodium silicate , also called water glass, is usually used). 7. Timer. 8. Two graduated cylinder of 6.35cm diameter and 1 letter capacity.

9. Hydrometer jar bath (optional for controlling temp.0 and Wash bottle, with distilled water. 10. Dry oven, at 110 5C.

Procedures:
1. The sample we have which passing the No. 200 and by washing we will take them as a fine soil. We put the sample in 250 ml glass and with 125 ml of the sodium hexametphsphate solution, stir until the soil is thoroughly wetted, then cover the beaker and allow it to set overnight. 2. By electric mixer we disperse the sample at the end of the time, and quickly, we move the slurry to a hydrometer bottle partly filled with approximately 100ml of distilled water, then we add a distilled water to get the water up to 1000 ml. 3. We close the graduated cylinder by hand and shake or turn it up side down carefully to make sure that there is nothing of particles in the same place then we put the bottle on a flat surface and be ready to take the reading of the hydrometer. 4. We put the hydrometer carefully in the solution, this should be done with both hands to prevent the hydrometer from spinning and prevent it from resting against the side of the bottle. 5. Take the hydrometer reading after several times we decide. 6. We leave the hydrometer in the solution for first 2min reading, then remove the hydrometer and take it to a second hydrometer bottle filled only with distilled water at the same temperature for soil- water suspension, and we take the temperature of the soil water suspension following each hydrometer reading to the nearest 1o C. 7. At first pour the suspension into a large, clean, pre-weighed evaporate the solution in the dry oven at 1105 C, care must be taken to avoid losing any soil, then we determine the dry weight of the soil used in the test to the nearest 0.01g and record as (WS).

Data & Result:

Time (min) 0.25 0.5 1 2 4 8 15 30 60 120 240 480 1440 2880 Hydrometer reading (R) 48 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 37 35 31 29 27 24 Rcp Percent finer Rcl L (min) A D(mm)

Calculation:

Discussion & Conclusions:

The pan is always placed beneath the bottom sieve to catch the fine. The hydrometer : we calculate the size of grain (fine) passing sieve # 200 by hydrometer device. Particle size is one of the suitability criteria of soils for road, airfield, levee, dam, and other embankment construction. Information obtained from particle size analysis can be used to predict soil-water movement. The series of sieves ranging in aperture size from the largest at the top to the smallest.

- Errors:
1. In taking the readings. 2. In doing calculation. 3. Inherent error in the use in an air dry sample because the distribution of hygroscopic water depends in particle size. 4. We didnt clean the sieves enough and there is more than errors happened in our practice in the lab. 5. We didnt take the temperature effect on our calculation. 6. Inherent error from replacing the random soil particle shapes by (spheres) of some diameter.

- Improvement:
1. We have to take the temperature in our mind to ignore some error will happen in calculations. 2. We need cover the dish we use in the hydrometer part of G.S.D to minimize the evaporation and that will also happen with a small evaporation dish. 3. The susceptibility to frost action is soil, an extremely important consideration in colder climates, can be predicted from the particle-size analysis and with the hydrometer analysis.