DETERMINATION OF WATER CONTENT

Name of Student: Gonzaga, Alejandro

Course No.: CEIT-16
Name of Instructor: Engr. Edgardo Dultra
Group Co-Members:
Gonzaga, Alejandro
Dionisio, Rhandell Aram
Deomampo, Renz Karl Ivan
Galvez, Franjie Fran Juliet
Jumagdao, Filgerald
Martinez, John Matthew
Navarro, Nelson
Rivera, Vincent
Torres, Sugar Rey
Tubio, Von Louis
Zabuco, Renzo
Date of Lab. Work: 05 September 2015
Date of Submission of Course: 12 September 2015

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Worksheet for Soil Mechanics Lab.

Laboratory Experiment No. 2

Project: Determination of Water Content

Kind of Material: Disturbed Soil
Sampled at: Dalipit, East, Cuenca, Batangas Qty. Rep.: No. 40 material-25g.
Original Source: Cuenca, Batangas

No. 10 material-50g.

Sampled by: Team Bugoy

No. 4 material-100g.

Tested by: Gonzaga, Alejandro

Introduction:
In almost all soil tests natural moisture content of the soil is to be determined.
The knowledge of the natural moisture content is essential in all studies of soil
mechanics. To sight a few, natural moisture content is used in determining the
bearing capacity and settlement. The natural moisture content will give an idea of
the state of soil in the field.
The water content is the most frequently determined soil characteristic.It is
defined as the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of the dry soil grains in a
soil mass. The water content is a good indication of the strength of clay soils.
The standard method of determining the moisture content is by over-drying at
105-110 degrees but several other methods are available as rapid alternatives
more suitable to site conditions. In this experiment it is required to compare these
tests for a clay and granular soil.

Work Procedure
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Getting the Sample

1. Obtain a sample by filtering it in 3 different sieves, (No. 40), (No. 10), and
(No. 4).
2. Place it in the container to be ready to be used.

Laboratory Works
1. Weigh the container, with cover, and record as Wc.
2. Take a representative sample of the soil, place in the container and cover
immediately. Weigh and record as W1.
3. Open the container and dry in the oven to constant weight at a temperature of
105 to 110 C. The drying time will depend on the kind of soil and size of sample.
A 25 gm sandy material can be dried in about 2 hours, while the same weight of
a plastic, fine-grained soil will require at least 4 hours to dry to constant weight.
4. Remove the container from the oven and cool to room temperature. Weigh
and record as W2.

Results and Interpretation

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The natural moisture content of the soil sample is ________.

Calculations

Conclusion
Generally, the water content of the soil sample is obtained by using the OvenDrying Method. The variance could be a result of the moisture in the air affecting
the dry soil samples. If the dry soil is not weighed immediately after being
removed from the oven, moisture from the air can quickly affect the soil. And the
soil sample should not be weighed while in a heated state, because it can affect
the accuracy of measurement of its mass.

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