STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC

(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & BUILT ENVIRONMENT

I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.

Student Signature

Name :. SALMAN BIN CHE HUSSEIN…..

DF 180143
Matric No. : ………………… ………………………

Date : …JU…
NE 202
………
 GEOTECHNICS LAB

GROUP REPORT
Code of Subject BFC 31901
Code of Experiment
Title of Experiment DETERMINATION OF
FIELD DENSITY B
CORE CUTTER
Date of Experiment
Session/ Group No. SECTION 9 GROUP 3
Name of Group Leader SALMAN BIN CHE HUSSEIN (DF180143)
Members of Group 1. MOHAMAD HELMI FIRDAUS BIN MD YAZID (DF180162)
2. SALMAN BIN CHE HUSSEIN (DF180143)
3. MIMI ATIKAH HANIM BINTI ANUAR (DF180062)
4. NOR SYAHIDAH BINTI CHE MANAF (DF180178)
5. NUR HADIRAH AFIQAH BINTI ABDUL RAZAK (DF180065)
Lecturer/Instructor/Tutor IR. MUSTAFA KAMAL BIN SHAMSHUDDIN
Date of Submission WEEK 14
Criteria 1 2 3 4 5 SCR WT TSCR (%)

 Report is not  Report is lacks  Good representation  Accurate  Accurate

well precision of the report using representation of the representation of the
represented tables and/or graphs report using tables report using tables
 Precision of report is and/or graphs and/or graphs
acceptable  Report is fairly  Graphs and tables are
Report precise labeled and titled
 Report is precise
6

 Trends/  Trends/ patterns  Trends/patterns are  Trends/ patterns are  Trends/ patterns are
patterns are not are not analyzed logically analyzed logically analyzed logically analyzed
analyzed  Answers to for the most part  Questions are  Questions are
 Questions are questions are  Questions are answered in answered thoroughly
Analysis not answered incomplete answered in complete sentences and in complete
 Analysis is not  Analysis is complete sentences  Analysis is sentences 6
relevant inconsistent  Analysis is general thoughtful  Analysis is insightful

 No discussion  A discussion  A discussion  Accurate discussion  Accurate discussion

and conclusion statement and statement and statement and statement and
were included conclusion of conclusion of the conclusion of the conclusion of the
or showed little the results is results of the results of the results of the
effort and incomplete with experiment indicates experiment indicates experiment indicates
reflection on little reflection whether results whether results whether results
Discussion & the experiment on the support the support the support the hypothesis
Conclusion experiment hypothesis hypothesis  Possible sources of 8
 Possible sources of error identified and
error identified lesson learnt from the
experiment was
discussed and
concluded

Name of Accessor: Signature: Date: Total Score

/100

Comment by Assessor Acknowledgement of Receive

FIELD DENSITY OF SOILS BY CORE CUTTER METHOD

1.0 INTRODUCTION
In-situ density of soil is an important parameter for soil engineers. This is needed for
determination of bearing capacity of soils, stability analysis, and natural slopes and for determining
degree of compaction of fills.

Density is used in calculating the stress in the stress in the soil due to its overburden
pressure. It is needed in estimating the bearing capacity of soil foundation system, settlement of
footings, earth pressures behind the retaining walls, dams, embankments. Stability of natural
slopes, dams, embankments and cutis checked with the help of deity of these soils. It is the density
of controls the field of soils. Permeability of soils depends upon its density. Relative density of
cohesion less soils is determined by knowing by knowing the dry density of that soil in natural,
loosest and densest states. Void ratio, porosity and degree of saturation need the help of density of
soils.

This method consists of driving a core cutter of known volume into the soil after placing
it on a cleaned surface. The cutter filled with soil is removed and excess soil trimmed off. The
cutter with soil is weighed which is divided by volume of cutter and hence the in-situ unit weight
is determined. The core cutter is dug out, trimmed and the soil inside, weighed and dried for
moisture and density determination.

2.0 OBJECTIVE
To determine in-situ density of fine-Grained natural or compacted soils free form
aggregate using a core cutter.

3.0 THEORY
Core cutter method is used for finding field density of cohesive/clayey soils placed as fill.
It is rapid method conducted on field. It cannot be applied to coarse grained soil as the penetration
of core cutter becomes difficult due to increased resistance at the tip of core cutter leading to
damage to core cutter.
 A cylindrical core cutter is a seamless steel tube. For determination of the dry density of
the soil, the cutter is pressed into the soil mass so that it is filled with the soil. The cutter filled with
the soil is lifted up. The mass of the soil in the cutter is determined. The dry density is obtained as

Where M = mass of the wet soil in the cutter

V = internal volume of the cutter
w = water content.

Core cutter method in particular, is suitable for soft to medium cohesive soils, in which the
cutter can be driven. It is not possible to drive the cutter into hard, boulder or marrowy soils. In
such case other methods are adopted.

4.0 EQUIPMENTS
i) Cylindrical core cutter seamless steep tube, 130mm long 10cm internal diameter with
wall thickness of 3mm, bevelled at one end; giving a volume of 1000cm3.
ii) Steel dolly, 2.5cm high and 10cm internal diameter with wall tickness of 7.5mm with a
lip to enable it to be fitted on top the core-cutter.
iii) Steel rammer with solid mild steel foot 14cm diameter and 7.5cm height with a
concentrically screwed 2.5cm diameter solid mild steel staff
iv) Balance.
v) Palette knife having balde approx. 20cm long and 3cm wide
vi) Steel rule.
vii) Container for determination of water content.
viii) Soil sample = Fine grained soil where 90% of soil passes through 4.75mm I.S Sieve
5.0 PROCEDURE
1) The internal volume of core cutter is calculated.
2) The weight of the empty core cutter is recorded
3) The oil is applied on inner surface of core cutter
4) The core is placed on a freshly prepared plain ground with dolly on it; and gently
hammer it so that the cutter will get pushed in the soil completely
5) The side material is removed and taken out from the field of core cutter gently
and properly trim the top and bottom surface and weight it
6) The soil core will be removed from the cutter and a representative sample will be
placed in an air tight container to determine water content

Figure 8 - Soil core in cutter Figure 9 - Sample for core cutter

6.0 RESULT

a) Determination of bulk and dry density of soil.

Group 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Mass of empty core-cutter (M1) kg 0.90 0.92 0.93 0.84 0.91 0.85
Mass of core – cutter + wet soil
2 kg 2.42 2.76 2.85 2.64 2.59 2.50
(M2)
Mass of wet soil
3 kg 1.52 1.84 1.92 1.8 1.68 1.65
(M2 - M1)
11 4 Volume of core-cutter (V) m3 1 1 1 1 1

M 2  M1
5 Bulk density  b = kg/m3 1.52 1.84 1.92 1.8 1.68 1.65
V

6 Dry density of soil  d  kg/m3 1.03 1.43 1.52 1.29 1.27 1.40
1 w

b) Determination of water content of soil

Group No 1 2 3 4 5 6
Mass of empty container with lid g 30.16 33.91 9.60 9.93 29.72 38.00
(M1)
Mass of container with lid and g 118.95 69.37 78.32 41.30 96.21 58.00
wet soil (M2)
Mass of container with lid and dry g 90.36 61.49 64.17 32.37 80.08 55.00
soil (M3)
Water content,
M M  M3 % 47.49 28.57 25.93 39.80 32.03 17.65
w w  2 x100
M d M 3  M1
7.0 DATA ANALYSIS

a) Determination of bulk and dry density of soil.

i. Mass of empty core-cutter (M1) = 0.90kg

ii. Mass of core - cutter + wet soil (M2) = 2.42kg

iii. Mass of wet soil (M2-M1) = 2911 - 930 = 1.52kg

iv. Bulk density ρb = = 2.42 –0. 90

1
= 1.520 kg/m3

v. Dry density of soil ρd = = 1.52 .

1 + (47.49/100)
= 1.03

b) Determination of water content of soil

i. Mass of empty container with lid (M1)= 30.16g

ii. Mass of container with lid and wet (M2) = 118.95g

iii. Mass of container with lid and dry soil (M3) = 90.36g

iv. Water content, w = = x100 = 118.95g – 90.36g

90.36g – 30.16g
= 47.49 %
8.0 DISCUSSION
Core cutter method is used for finding field density of cohesive or clayey soils placed as fill.
The result of this experiment, that bulk density, dry density and water content it is shown that the
soils is cohesive and clayey soils. From the experiment, the result that we got are shown in the table
of result.
The data is acceptable because the density value between the core cutter method and sand
replacement method have small different. The different exist come from error balance reading and
the hole for the test core cutter and sand replacement method were make far from each other. Type
of error factors affect soil permeability it is from when doing the test is environmental error,
systematic or equipment error and parallax error.

9.0 CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the relationship between compaction effort and the density of soil are the
compaction is a process of increasing soil density and removing air. The size of the individual soil
particles does not change, neither is water removed. There is usually no change in water content. The
degree of compaction is measured by dry unit weight and depends on the water content and
compactive effort. The factors will effect the compaction and density are nature and type of soil such
as sand, clay, grading or plasticity; water content at the time of compaction, site conditions include
with weather, type of site, layer thickness; and compactive effort.

The other two methods that can be used are sand replacement method and water displacement
method. Each method is selected based on the type of soil to be tested, as well as the limitation or
restriction that may be present in the soil sample to be tested.

10.0 REFERENCES
i. Holtz, Robert D. (1981), “An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering”,Prentice Hall,
United States of America.
ii. John N. Cernica (1995), “Geotechnical Engineering Soil Mechanics”, John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.