JORDAN UNIVERSITY OF SCINCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

Geotechnical
engineering laboratory

Sieve Analysis

Name : Saif Mohannad Zaid Al-Omari

ID : 20130023221
Section : 4
Experiment : 2
To : Audai Theinat
Abstract:
This experiment will be about classification of soil
and grain size distribution, by using sieves, shaker,
and balance, we will apply this on 500g of soil, we
will explain how to did we have Sandy well graded
soil by using ASTM.

Introduction and objectives :

In the following experiment we will analyze a 500g

of soil, drawing the size distribution, and finally
classifying the soil sample.

Test Specimens :

We will use a sample of soil with 500 g weight for

this experiment.

( Soil Sample )
Equipment:

(Sieves ,pan, and cover) (Balance)

(Sieve Shaker)
Procedure:

Soil sample in the sieves

Bring a sample of soil and weight it using balance, take 500g.

Put the soil sample in the sieves

Shaking soil sample

Put the sieves in sieve shaker

Run the shaker about 10-15 minutes

Stop the shaker and remove the sieves

Weights of the sample

Weight the amount of soil retained in each sieve

Take the reading of each sieve

Results:

Sieve Sieve Weight Percent Cumulative Percent

No. Opening Retained of weight retained finer
retained

4 4.75 83.15 16.63 83.15 83.3

10 2.00 147.18 29.44 230.33 53.8
20 0.85 141.5 28.3 371.83 25.5
40 0.425 73.4 14.68 445.23 10.8
60 0.25 27.19 5.438 472.42 5.3
140 0.106 23.5 4.7 495.92 0.63
200 0.075 2.24 0.448 498.16 0.18
pan 0.91 0.182 499.07 0
-

Grain size distribution curve

90
80
70
Percent finer

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
5 4 3 2 1 0
Grain size (mm)
Soil classification:
Gravel = 16.63%
Sand = 83%
Fine soil = 0.182 %

D10 = 0.38mm
D30 = 0.98mm
D60 = 2.4mm

Uniformity coefficient (Cu):

Cu = 6.3

Coefficient of curvature (Cc):

Cc = 1.05
Discussion:
In this experiment the soil is Sandy Well-Grade,
because more than 50% of coarse pass #4, and
uniformity coefficient and coefficient of graduation are
6.3 and 1.05 respectively, according to ASTM its a
Sandy Well- Grade.

Take care when using balance to weight the soil

sample, which we may fall in error by weight the
container and take the reading with weight of soil
(container + soil)

While we using balance , I saw that the balance

affected by the students who's putting their hands at
the table that carry the balance, it will make errors in
weights readings and calculations if you don't give
attention.

There were a loose of soil weight, we take 500g, but

after finishing shaking , the final weight were 499.07g,
there was a 0.03g loose, which mean 0.186%, and its
acceptable according to ASTM ( <2%)

In previous point, the reason of this loose may be That

,when we shacked the sieves, according to ASTM, we
have to put each sieve in cup then weight it, but we
didnt use the ASTM, we balance the sieves, however
the amount of loose is very small, maybe it was a dust .
 If we shack the sample less time than ASTM, it will give
errors in readings.

Conclusions:
We have a Sandy Well-Graded Soil for this
experiment by using ASTM properly .

Sample calculation:
Cu = (2.4)/(0.38) = 6.3

CC = Cc = (0.98)2/ (2.4*0.38) = 1.05

Appendix:
Percentage of weight retained :
((weight retained)/ (sample weight))*100%

Percent finer :
(Sample weight cumulative retained)/ (sample
weight)

Soil classifying:
Gravel (percent of retained sieve #4)
Sand (percent of passing #4 and retained #200)
Fine (percent of passing #200)
 Cu = (D60/D10)

Cc = (D 30)2/ (D 60 * D10)

References:
ASTM (American Standard for Testing Materials).

Soil mechanics laboratory manual (4th edition)