Student Name: Shahd Hattar

Student ID: 20162205045

Course Name: Geotechnical Engineering Lab

Section Number: 2
Report Number: 1
Submission Date: 4/3/2019

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Experiment 1: Methods of Distance Measurements
Objective
The objective was to determine the amount of moisture content in a specimen of soil.

Introduction
Moisture content is an indicator of the amount of the water present in soil. The method is based
on removing soil moisture by oven-drying a soil sample until the weight remains constant. The
moisture content (%) is calculated from the sample weight before and after drying.

Apparatus and Material

 Three moisture cans.
 Oven with temperature control.
 Balance.
Procedure
1. Determine the mass W1 in grams of three empty cans separately using the
balance.
2. Place a sample of the moist soil in each of the three cans.
3. Measure the new combined mass W2 of the moist soil placed in each can in
grams using the balance.
4. Put the cans in the oven for 24 hours to dry the soil to a constant weight.
5. Measure the combined mass W3 of each can which now contains dry soil in
grams.
6. Calculate the moisture content using the rule:

w %  
Mw Mw
100 Moisture
which is the same as
but not Content % =
Ms W2-W3/W3-W1 *M 100T

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Conclusion (based on results taken during the lab)
The average moisture content, W=16.038 %
Using Table 2 in the lab manual, 16% shows that the soil is DENSE UNIFORM
SAND.
Discussion and Conclusion
In conclusion, the determination of soil water content is to show gravimetric
measurement of soil water content is based on removal of water from the sample.
Sample water is removed by evaporation, leaching or chemical reaction. Once
sample water is removed, the amount of water removed from the sample is
determined and used to calculate soil moisture content. Oven drying is the most
widely used of all gravimetric methods. The oven dry method is the standard for
the calibration of all other soil moisture determination techniques.
Most natural soils, which are sandy and gravelly in nature, may have water content
of about 15-20%. For fine-grained soils, water contents up to about 50-80% can be
found. However, peat and highly organic soils with water contents up to about 500%
are not uncommon.
Systematic and human errors that occurred:
1. Specimen removed from oven before obtaining constant oven-dry weight.
2. Weighing oven-dry specimen while still hot.
3. Air currents may have caused the balance to fluctuate.
4. The balance may have not been properly calibrated.

Recommendation
 Check to see if a large specimen (larger than 100g of material) is dry. This is
done by placing a small strip of torn paper on top of the material while it is
still in the oven, if the paper strip curls the material is not dry.
 A desiccator cabinet or jar containing silica gel or anhydrous calcium sulfate
should be used.

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References
 Lab manual
 https://www.coursehero.com/file/p3lq5gi/Conclusion-In-conclusion-the-
determination-of-soil-water-content-is-to-show/
 http://www.rhd.gov.bd/Documents/ContractDocuments/StandardTestProce
dures/Determination%20of%20Moisture%20Content.pdf