Review of Relative Density

Principles
Relative Density principles apply to
compaction of relatively clean, coarsegrained soils.
Relatively clean usually taken to be less 12
% or less finer than the #200 sieve.
Important for compaction study of filters

Objectives

Explain basic principles

of compacting clean
sands and gravels
Understand basic tests to
obtain reference
densities.
Use 1 point compaction
test in design and quality
control

Summarize minimum
and maximum index
density tests
Detail the importance
of water content in
compacting clean
sands and gravels

Review of Compaction Principles

Compaction Tests are not commonly
performed on soils with 12 % or fewer fines
Small percentage of fines means soils
cannot easily hold water to examine range
of water and effect on dry density

Review of Compaction Principles

Compaction tests performed on clean sands
may have this appearance

Dr density

w%

Compacting Clean Sands

Clean sands are compacted most easily at
either very dry or very wet water contents
At intermediate water contents, capillary
stresses in voids resist compaction
Bulking is term for this phenomenon

Compacting Clean Sands

Vibration most effective energy for sands
Use smooth-wheeled vibratory roller

Relative Density
Alternative to traditional compaction test is
relative density tests
Minimum Index Density
Maximum Index Density
Relative Density

Minimum Index Density

Minimum index
density of clean
sand is that
resulting from
very loosely
filling a steel
mold. ASTM
Method D4254

Sand
dropped no
more than
1

Minimum Index Density

After filling the

mold, excess soil is
carefully screed
off. The volume of
this mold is 0.1 ft3.
Knowing the
weight of soil in
the mold, the dry
density is easily
computed

Maximum Index Density

Example Minimum dry density = 96 pcf
Maximum index density of clean sand
results from vibration at high amplitude on
vibratory table for 10 minutes.
ASTM D4253
Example Maximum dry density = 117.5 pcf

Maximum Index Density

Weight on
sample
inside sleeve

Vibratory
table

Maximum Index Density

Weight on
sample
inside sleeve

Vibratory
table

Maximum Index Density

Sample
densified by
vibration

Measure
height to
determine
new d
Plate on which weight
sits during vibration

Void Ratio and Dry Density

The void Ratio is calculated for each state of

denseness of sample.
Maximum void ratio occurs at minimum index
density - For Example Min.d = 96.0 pcf
Minimum void ratio occurs at maximum index
density For Example Maximum d = 110.0 pcf

Gs water
e
1
dry

Minimum and Maximum Void Ratios

First Calculate void ratio at Minimum d

emax

emin

Gs water
2.65 62.4

1
1 0.7225
dry
96.0

Next Calculate void ratio at Maximum d

Gs water
2.65 62.4

1
1 0.5033
dry
110 .0

Relative Density Equation

emax emeasured
Rd (%)
x100
emax emin
Diagram below illustrates a
relative density of about 40 %

emin
dmax

emeasured
d measured

emax
d min

increasing density

Calculate Void Ratio of Compacted Sand

Now, assume that the density of this

sand was measured in a compacted fill

and it was 102.5 pcf. Calculate a value
for relative density of the fill. First,
calculate the void ratio of the fill:
Gs water
2.65 62.4
e
1
1 0.6133
dry
102.5

Compute Relative Density

Now, use the values of void ratio in the

relative density equation:

emax emeasured
Rd (%)
x100
emax emin

0.7225 0.6133
Rd (%)
x100 49.9 %
0.7223 0.5033

Compute Relative Density

Relative Density Equation

(rewritten in dry density terms)

Solve for Example:
d max d d min
Rd (%)
100
d d max d min
110 .0102.5 96.0
Rd (%)
100 49.8 %
102.5110 .0 96.0

Fort Worth Relative Density Study

NRCS lab in Fort Worth studied 28 filter
sands and used some published data
Minimum and Maximum Index Densities
were performed on each sample
A 1 point dry Standard Proctor energy mold
was also prepared for each sample.
Values of 50% and 70% relative density were
plotted against the 1 point Proctor value

70 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor

130
125

70 % Relative Density

120
115
110
Best fit correlation

105
100

70 %RD = 1 Point line

95
90
90

95

100

105

110

115

120

Field 1 Point Proctor Test Dry Density, pcf

125

130

70 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor

Conclusion is that the field 1 point

Proctor dry test is about equal to

70 % relative density

50 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor

125
120

best fit line

50 % Rd

115
110
105
100
95 % of 1
point

95
90
90

95

100

105

110

115

Field 1 pointdry density

120

125

130

50 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor

Conclusion is that the 95 % of the

field 1 point Proctor dry test is

about equal to 50 % relative
density

Relative Density Estimates from FW

SML Study

70

50

= 1.075 x d 1pt -9.61,

for RD70 and d 1pt in lb/ft3
= 1.07 x d 1pt - 12.5,
for RD50 and d 1pt in lb/ft3

Relative Density Estimates from FW

SML Study
Example Relative Density Estimates

Given: 1 Point Proctor Test

d = 105.5 pcf
Estimate 70 % and 50% Relative Density
Given that measured d is 98.7, evaluate
state of compaction of sand.

Review of Relative Density

Class Problem - Relative Density

A soils minimum index density is 96.5 pcf

and its maximum index density is 111.5 pcf.
The Gs value is 2.65
Calculate the emin and emax
Compute the void ratio and dry density
corresponding to a relative density value of
70 %

Class Problem Solution

Given: Minimum index density is 96.5 pcf
Maximum index density is 111.5 pcf.

emax

Gs water
2.65 62.4

1
1 0.7136
min_dry
96.5

emin

Gs water
2.65 62.4

1
1 0.4831
max_dry
111 .5

Class Problem Solution

Now, substitue a value for RD of 70(%) in

the relative density equation

emax emeasured
Rd (%)
x100
emax emin
0.7136 emeasured
70
x100
0.7136 0.4831

Class Problem Solution

Solving and Rearranging the equation:

0.7136 emeasured
70
x100
0.7136 0.4831

0.7136 emeasured
70

100
.2305

0.16135 0.7136 emeasured

emeasured 0.7136 0.16135 0.5225

Class Problem Solution

Now, calculate a value for dry density at this void ratio:

Gs water
e
1
dry
2.65 62.4
1.55225
dry

2.65 62.4
0.55225
1
dry

dry

165.36

106.5 lb 3
ft
1.55225

Summary - The dry density corresponding to 70(%)

relative density for this sample is 106.5 pcf

Other information on Relative Density

140

130

Dry Density, pcf

Gravelly sand
120
sand and silty
sand

110

100

90

Reference - Donovan, N.C. and Sukhmander Singh, "Liquefaction Criteria

for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline." Liquefaction Problems in Geotechnical
Engineering, ASCE Specialty Session, Philadelphia, PA, 1976.

80
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Relative Density, %

70

80

90

100

Other information on Relative Density

45

Chart is for silty

sands (SM)

Saturated Water Content, %

40
35
30

Average

25
20
15

Reference Donovan, N.C. and Sukhmander Singh,

"Liquefaction Criteria for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline." Liquefaction
Problems in Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE Specialty Session,
Philadelphia, PA, 1976.

10
5
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Relative Density, %

70

80

90

100

Class Problem
Given that the water content of a silty

sand that was obtained from a saturated

zone of a channel bank measured 24.5
percent
What is the estimated relative density
of the sand?

Class Problem Solution

Reading from the chart, the

estimated Rd value is about 42

percent.