SILT CONTENT TEST

AIM

To determine quantity of silt in fine aggregates in the field

APPARATUS
1. Measuring cylinder of 250 ml capacity
2. Salt Solution
THEORY
There are two types of harmful substances preset in fine aggregates i.e. organic matter produced by
decay of vegetable matter and/or clay and silt, which form coating thus preventing a good bond between
cement and the aggregates. If present in large quantities, result in the increase water-cement ratio and finally
affecting the strength of concrete.
The silt is a very fine particle which is less than the size of 150 Microns. Silt content is shrinking and
expand due to the weather condition so it will affect the strength of the structure.

IMPACTS OF SILT
 Crack shall be formed on concrete. (You may see some cracks in the wall)
 Silt content contains evaporated matters and salts. (You may see mortar shall be peeled while
plastering)
 It absorbs more water. (Expand & shrink due to the weather condition.
 It will affect bonding between cement and aggregates.

Allowable silt content is 6% or 7%

PROCEDURE
1. Fill the measuring cylinder with 1% solution of salt and water up to 50 ml.

2. Add sand to it until the level reaches 100 ml. Then fill the solution up to 150 ml level.

3. Cover the cylinder and shake it well (as shown in video)

4. After 2 hours, the silt content settled down over the sand layer

5. Now note down the silt layer alone volume as V1 ml (settled over the sand)

6. Then note down the sand volume (below the silt) as V2 ml

7. Repeat the procedure two more times to get the average

 The permissible Silt content in sand percentage is only 6%

RECORDING OF OBSERVATION AND CALCULATION

Sample Numbers
S. No Description
Sample-1 Sample-2 Sample-2

1 Volume of sample, V1 (ml)

Volume of silt after 3

2
hours, V2(ml)

3 % silt by volume = (V1/ V2) *100

NOTE
If the average value of silt content exceeds 6% by volume, the aggregate requires washing before use.