E n g i n e e r i n g N e w s - R ecoku , May 7, 1936

Practical Soil Mechanics at Muskingum— IV

By Theodore T. Knappen and Robert R. Philippe
C/fief, E n g in e e r in g D iv is io n , an d D irector, S o ils M e c h a n ic s La b o ra to ry ,
U. S . E n g in e e r Office, Zanesville. O hio

Selection and Control o f Embankment Materials

HE P R E V IO U S ART IC LES in an analysis of the cost of the laboratory

T this series ( E N R , March 26, p.

453; April 9, p. 532; April 23,
p. 595) have discussed: (1) the meth­
work.
One of the most important items in
the design of earth dams is the selection
and use of embankment materials. Econ­
ods of investigation and classification, in
omy dictates that all materials from
producing a picture of the problem in­
required excavations should be used in
volved in the design of the Muskingum
the embankment, that no materials from
dams: (2) the methods used to study
excavations should be wasted unneces­
the permeability and seepage charac­
sarily, and only such materials should
teristics of the proposed structure on
be obtained from borrowpits as are
its foundations: and (3) the methods
necessary to complete the construction.
used to analyze the structural charac­
Where excavation materials can all be
teristics of the foundation from the
used in the construction of the embank­
viewpoints of consolidation, strength
ment, it is frequently possible to use
and stress intensity and distribution.
verv large spillway excavations with
This final article in the series will dis­
great economy. The seepage model test
cuss the selection and control of
previously described was extensively
embankment materials and will present
F IG . 19— U N D IS T U R B E D E M B A N K M E N T SAM PLES, from which degree of con­
solidation and the weight of embankment are determined, are secured by the simple
hand tools illustrated here.

F IG . 20— D E V IC E simulating action of

sheepsfoot roller, used to prepare samples
to determine moisture content for optimum
consolidation.

used in working out practicable designs

which would utilize for various pur­
poses materials that were available at
the different sites.
Generally speaking, almost any ma­
terial can be used somewhere in the
embankment if it can be properly placed,
providing that it will not dissolve in
water. It is important to know, how­
ever, the characteristics of the various
materials. For example, when rolling
with sheepsfoot rollers, we must deter­
mine at what moisture content optimum
consolidation will occur. Obviously, a
deficiency in moisture content can be
met by the addition of water before
placing or spreading. However, if the
material has an excess of water, it must
either be wasted or dried out before it
can be used in the embankment. This
last requirement frequently determines
the depth to which excavations may be
made in borrowpits and the depths of
required excavations that can be
utilized. Where large amounts of
necessary excavations must be wasted,
a change ill the design may result in
saving.

Embankment consolidation

in the last few years methods of em­

bankment consolidation have received

L A B O R A T O R Y S E C T IO N
r~
Z I
TESTING
SUB-SECTION No. 1
Ass’t. Eng’r.
COMPUTING CLASSIFYING
—
SECTION SECTION
Computor Inspector
Ass’t. Computor Inspector
Draftsman
Draftsman
I
SIEVE
ANALYSIS
UnderScientific Aid
Untier Scientific Aid
HYDROM ETER
TESTS
Junior Scientific Aid
Junior Scientific Aid
F IG . 21— A SIM PLE W O R K IN G O R G A N IZ A T IO N is sufficient to handle many
varieties of tests at the M uskingum laboratory.
critical attention from the engineering
profession. It has been generally
recognized that the proper consolidation
of embankments during construction is
highly desirable. Proctor, in a series of
articles in Engineering News-Record,
established certain rules and methods for
obtaining embankments of highest pos­
sible density. His methods establish what
relations exist between the moisture con­
tent, the weight of sheepsfoot rollers and
the number of trips of the rollers, which
determines the degree of consolidation
to be obtained for any particular
material.
As a general rule, we have aimed to
place materials in the embankment to
such a degree of consolidation that the
embankment will take no shrinkage
after construction. This degree of con­
solidation can be determined by molding
a sample of borrowpit material and then
consolidating it in the consolidation de­
vice under various increments of load.
The dry weight of the material per
cubic foot may then be determined for
any height of superimposed embank­
ment. By correcting for the water con­
tent, the minimum permissible embank­
ment weight may be determined. This
weight is furnished to the inspectors in
the field to check the embankment
weights by taking undisturbed cylinder
samples in the field with equipment
illustrated in Fig. 19. Generally speak­
ing, very little difficulty is met in
getting the weights in excess of the
minimum required.
The sampling device consists of a
piece of stiff seamless tubing with one
end beveled, exactly 1/10 cu.ft. in
volume. A steelyard is used to weigh
E n g i n e e r i n g N e w s - R e c o r d , May 7, 1936
types, the optimum water content is
ASS OC. ENG’R. just slightly less than the water content
at Atterberg’s plastic limit. For the
type of equipment used— that is, sheeps­
O F F IC E ASS’T.
foot rollers— this gives a quick method
inspector of checking the condition of the ma­
P o rte r terial in the field. Practice has indicated
P o rter
that by varying the limiting dimension
of the test for plastic limit suitable con­
trol of water content will result.
Where uniform materials of silt and
clay type are used, the weight of the
TESTING
SUB-SECTION No.2 material in the embankment usually
Ass’t. Eng'r. varies from 118 to 125 lb. per cu.ft.
Where well-graded material running
.J from rock fragments or gravels on down
through clay size is obtainable, weights
varying from 125 to 145 lb. will result,
with a few reading as high as 156 lb.
, per cu.ft. Materials running high in
PHOTO-ELASTIC
’.».silt sizes and running more than 25
PERMEABILITY SHEAR AMO COtlSOUDATIOM
TESTS TESTS TESTS per cent in the clay sizes are difficult
Junior Scientffic Aid Jiunior Scientific Aid Scientific Aid to handle and should be avoided. Be­
JuniorScientific Aid Jiunior Scientific A id Scientific Aid cause of the wide variation of the ma­
terials obtained from the excavations
and borrowpits in this locality, it was
MODEL not found practicable to add water in
TESTS the borrowpits, and further, it is not
Asst. Scientific Aid feasible to add any specified amount of
Asst; Scientific Aid
water in the embankment.
Water is added to the surface of the
previous layer immediately prior to
dumping and spreading. Layers are
spread about 6 in. thick before rolling.
the sample in the field. The samples
An inspector supervises the addition of
are obtained by forcing the beveled edge
water to bring the material to the water
of the cylinder down into the ground
content, which gives the maximum con­
and digging away around it as the
solidation. After a certain amount of
cylinder is lowered. As a check against
experience, inspectors become adept at
this method and for cases where too
determining the amount of moistening
many pebbles, gravel or rock fragments
needed. They check their results by
are present, the sample is taken by
weighing frequent samples of embank­
levelling off a space on the embankment,
ment material. They are guided by the
carefully cutting out a sample, weighing
Atterberg plastic limit test and by the
it and measuring the volume by pouring
way the material acts under the rollers
into the excavation dry sand of known
and hauling equipment-. •, It must be
weight per unit volume. Generally
added that weathered shales nave proved
speaking, the two methods check very
to be very satisfactory impervious em­
closely.
bankment materials when so treated.
Determining moisture content
f l G . 22— P R O C T O R C U R V E , showing the
compaction characteristic of a soil under
To determine the proper moisture a given load and a specified treatment.
content at which optimum consolidation
may be obtained, a device was developed
in the laboratory for tamping the ma­
terial so as to simulate the action of the
sheepsfoot roller. Fig. 20 shows this
machine. The material of uniform and
known water content is placed in 3-in.
layers, and each layer is tamped three
times with a tamper foot. The top
collar is then removed from the cylinder,
the material shaved off to the exact
dimension of the cylinder, and the
sample weighed. When the known
weight of the cylinder is deducted,
knowing the water content, the dry
weight may be obtained from the total
weight of the sample. This process is
run through for a number of water con­
tents, and a curve illustrated in Fig. 22
is prepared, which shows the degree of
consolidation obtained by the method of
test for each water content. It may be
noted that for materials of clay or silt
 E n g i n e e r i n g N e w s - R e c o r d , May 7, 1936
T A B L E O F IN IT IA L COST TO SET U P A SO ILS L A B O R A T O R Y Arthur, Jr., district engineer, with one
-Zanesville Laboratory- Laboratory for Single D am of the authors, Theodore T. Knappen,
U n it Total Unit Total in charge of the engineering division as
E quipm ent No. Cost Costs No. Cost Costs
$230.96 $95. 00
senior engineer. The soils mechanics
F u rn itu re .. . . ........
Scales and weights.. $66.44 132.88 $ 66.44 6 6 . 44 laboratory of the engineering division is
Glassware................ 166.80 80. 00
Miscellaneous......... 26.62 15. 00 under the direction of the other author,
Sieve A nalysis Robert R. Philippe, associate engineer.
R o ta p ....................................................... 2 237. 10 474.20 237.10 237. 10 Dr. Glennon Gilboy, association profes­
Sieves (29 sieves, top and pan)........... 3 sets 83.45 250.35 set 83.45 83. 45
Furniture: sinks ana ovens.................. 273.47 130. 00 sor of soil mechanics at the Massa­
Balances and weights............................ sets 22.24 44.48 set 22.24 2 2 . 24
Miscellaneous..........................................
2
46.77 25. 50 chusetts Institute of Technology, was
H y d ro m e te r A nalysis consulting engineer on the design and
Furniture: sinks and ovens.................. 498.16 217. 35 construction of the laboratory and has
Glassware hydrometers........................ 505.24 155. 20
Balances» weights and watches............ 225.87 10 0 . 00 advised in the development of much of
P e rm e a b ility Tests the technique. Associate professor Fred
Furniture: sinks, e tc ............................ 226.06 2 0 0 . 00
Glass and rubber tubing, etc............... 202.53 10 0 . 00 L. Plummer, of the Case School of
2 0 . 00
Lumber.................................................... 56.84
74.25 30. 00
Applied Science, assisted in the de­
Miscellaneous.........................................
M o d e l T an k s velopment of the photo-elastic method
Steel tank (40x7x3 f t .) ..........................
Glass tank (14x2ft.x j in.) by contact..
1,850.00
216.19 216. 19
of foundation analyses.
Wooden flume (piping)......................... 75.00 Fig. 23 is a plan of the laboratory,
C o n s o lid a tio n Tests
117.14 468.16 117.14 234,.08
showing the distribution of the equip­
Consolidation machines........................
Glassware, tools, etc.............................. 53.02 26..00 ment and the floor-space requirements
S h e a r Tests for the different items. The total cost
Shear machine........................................ 343.45 343.45 343,.45
Glassware, tools, etc.............................. 38.90 2 0 ,. 00 of all equipment in the laboratory, in­
Polarimeter and E q u ip m e nt................ 127.50 127.50 cluding the cost of erection and con­
H u m id R o o m
26..05
struction, was approximately $9,000.
Hum idifier............................................... 26.05 26.05 26.05
Lumber, paint and hardware............... 102.03 102.03 102.03 1 0 2 . 03 The accompanying table lists the major
Electrical w ork...................................... 228.60 150 .00 classifications of equipment giving their
P lu m bing ................................................ 250.00 150 .00
Office furniture...................................... 313.50 175 .00 costs. The total operating and con­
$7,595.88 $3,020.08 struction cost of the laboratory to the
end of the design period was $32,000.
The optimum moisture content varies large coefficient of expansion when so It should be noted that this laboratory
for the materials in these embankments placed, serious results may ensue. Ma­ was designed to handle the design and
under the methods of rolling specified terials containing a high percentage of construction of fourteen reservoirs esti­
(six trips of a water-ballasted sheeps- clay fall in this class. Unless adequate mated to cost $40,000,000. Core borings,
foot roller), from 10 per cent for sandy rock or gravel shells are provided, ex­ auger borings and test pits cost $225,000
material to 35 per cent for materials treme caution should be exercised in for the project. The $32,000 plus
running around 25 per cent clay sizes. consolidating such materials. These $12,000 for geological studies represents
The discussion of methods controlling materials are highly impervious even the cost of reducing the data obtained
embankment consolidation applies to with very light rolling, so there is little from these explorations for application
materials that are relatively impervious need for their thorough consolidation in to the design of the project. For
such as well-graded materials, or ma­ dams of proper design. projects with less volume of work,
terials high in silt or clay content. For laboratory installation and operating
the proper consolidation of sandy and Laboratory plan and costs costs would be much less. The mini­
gravelly material used in the shells of mum installation cost for a laboratory
the embankment, a liberal use of water The organization of the laboratory is to handle one or two dams would be
and plain rollers will serve. For rock illustrated by the chart, Fig. 21. The about $4,500, details of material costs
fills the practice is to dump in 5-ft. lifts investigation, design and construction being given in the accompanying table.
working over the lifts with the hauling of the project are under the direction of In carrying out the design of the
equipment. The use of a good stream the U. S. Engineer Department, Major Muskingum project, the laboratory has
of water is helpful in insuring a dense General E. .M. Markham, chief of en­ been considered and used as an integral
fill. gineers, and Col. Roger Powell, division part of the design organization. It was
It should be pointed out that where engineer. The Zanesville Engineer designed and built to meet the needs of
material is over-consolidated there is a district, which handled the work, is this project, which presented widely
tendency to rebound, which may take under the direction of Major J. D. varying problems. Even so, certain
the form of lateral expansion. With ma­ phases of soil mechanics work had little
terials that can be considered to have a F IG . 23— P L A N of soils laboratory for application in our set-up. The liquid
M uskingum Valley dams.

~T

Bluep rin t supplies '■Hydrometer -fables'

139-/?-
 E n g i n e e r i n g N e w s - R e c o r d , M a y 7, 1936

limit and shrinkage limits tests exten­
sively used in highway work did not
concern us. As there were no
hydraulic-fill dams in this project, no
special equipment was developed for
their control, although it is felt that
most of what is needed is on hand. Our
experience has brought home to us the
fact that there is an answer that can
be worked out in the laboratory to every
problem in soil mechanics, and that the
laboratory solution of these problems
pays many times over in the proper de­
sign and construction of earthworks. By
the intelligent use of the laboratory,
guesswork may be pushed out of its
dominating position in earth engineer­
ing, and the solution of such problems
can be put on the same rational basis
as the more advanced branches of en­
gineering design.