Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Department of Infrastructure & Geomatic Engineering

Subject: Geotechnics I (BFC 21702)

Tutorial: CHAPTER 4 & 5 (Permeability and stress in soil)

1. The results of a standard Proctor test are given below. The volume of Proctor mould is 943 cm3
Weight of wet soil in the Moisture content (%)
mold
14.5 8
18.46 10
20.77 12
17.88 15
16.15 17

a) Determine the maximum dry unit weight and optimum moisture content.
b) Plot the zero air void line (ZAV) and 5% air void line.
c) If the required relative compaction (R) in the field is 90%, determine the bulk unit
weight and dry unit weight if the moisture content in the field is 15%?
Gs= 2.7
2. The in situ moist unit weight of a soil is 17.3 kN/m3 and the moisture content is 16%. The
specific gravity of soil solids is 2.72. This soil is to be excavated and transported to a
construction site for use in a compacted fill. If the specification call for the soil to be
compacted to a minimum dry unit weight of 18.1 kN/m3 at the same moisture content 16%,
a. How many cubic meters of soil from the excavation site are needed to produce 2000m3
of compacted fill?
b. How many 20 ton truckloads are needed to transport the excavated soil?

3. The relative compaction of a sand in the field is 88%. The maximum and minimum dry unit
weights of the sand are 18.5 kN/m3 and 15.5 kN/m3 respectively. Determine
a. Dry unit weight in the field
b. Relative density of compaction
c. Moist unit weight at a moisture content of 13%

UTHM | MOHD FAIRUS YUSOF 1

4. Following are the results of a field unit weight determination test performed by means of the
sand cone method:
Calibrated dry density of Ottawa sand 1731 kg/m3
Mass of Ottawa sand to fill the cone 0.118 kg
Mass of jar + cone + sand (before use) 6.08 kg
Mass of jar + cone + sand (after use) 2.86 kg
Mass of moist soil from hole 3.34 kg
Moisture content of moist soil 12.5%

a. Determine the dry density of compaction in the field.

b. Calculate the maximum dry density from standard Proctor if the relative compaction
is 90%.

UTHM | MOHD FAIRUS YUSOF 2