STANDARD PROCTOR

COMPACTION TEST
Objectives
To determine the optimal water content at which the soil sample can reach its maximum dry density.

To discuss the relevance of the results of the experiment in Civil Engineering practices.

Introduction
Soil Compaction is the process in which stress is applied to a soil which causes densification as the
voids are filled with solids. This plays a vital part in construction for soils which are mainly used as
supports for a lot of infrastructures. For construction of highways, airports, and other structures, it is
often necessary to compact soil to improve its strength. R.R. Proctor (1933) developed a laboratory
compaction test procedure to determine the maximum dry unit weight of compaction of soils, which
can be used for specification of field compaction. This test is referred to as the Standard Proctor
Compaction Test and is usually test using ASTM D698. It is based on compaction of soil fraction
passing No. 4 US sieve.
Compaction is greatly affected by the parameter mentioned below,
Soil type
Moisture content
Compaction effort
Apparatus
1. Compaction mold

2. No. 4 US. sieve

3. Standard Proctor hammer (5.5 lb)

4. Balance sensitive up to 0.01g

5. Balance sensitive up to 0.1g

6. Large flat pan

7. Jack

8. Steel straight edge

9. Moisture cans

10. Drying oven

11. Plastic squeeze bottle with water

Procedure
1. An amount of air dry soil is obtained and broken the soil lumps.
2. The soil is sieved through No. 04 sieve and soil passed through the No.04 sieve is collected to a
large pan.
3. 150 ml of water is added to the large pan which contains the soil and mixed thoroughly.
4. The weight of (proctor mold + base plate) is measured.
5. Extension is attached to the top of the mold.
6. The moist soil is poured in three equal layers. Each time when a layer is poured the soil is
compacted 25 times uniformly using standard proctor hammer. At the end of the three-layer
compaction, the soil should extend slightly above the top of the rim of the compaction mold.
7. The extension is removed.
8. Excess of soil is trimmed using a straight edge.
9. The weight of (proctor mold + base plate + compacted moist soil) is measured.
10. The base plate is removed from the mold and extruded the compacted moist soil cylinder using
a jack.
11. The mass of the soil is measured in a moisture can.
12. From the moist soil extruded in step 10, a moist sample is collected in a moisture can (step 11)
and determined the mass of moist (soil + can).
13. The moisture can with soil is placed in an oven to dry to a constant weight
14. The rest of the soil cylinder is broken by hand a mixed with leftover moist soil. Again 150ml of
water is added and mixed.
15. The steps from 6-12 is repeated 5 times.
16. The next day mass of the (moisture cans + soil sample) were measured. (From step 13)