Experiment #6

Standard Test Method for Shrinkage

Factors of Soils by the Mercury Method
[ASTM D 427]



I. Apparatus and Supplies

1) Drying Oven, thermostatically-controlled and capable of maintaining a uniform of
temperature throughout the drying chamber
2) Electronic or Digital Balance, with readability or accuracy of 0.01 g
3) Container handling apparatus: gloves, tongs, or suitable holder for moving and
handling hot containers after drying
4) Miscellaneous: evaporating dish/ shallow pan, shrinkage dish/ metal container, glass
plate with three prongs, spatula, graduated cylinder, glass cup, rubber/flexible cup
5) Source of water like faucet and squeeze bottle containing enough water for the
experiments
6) Soil: Kaolin clay
7) Mercury
8) Petroleum Jelly or any lubricant
9) Protective gears: pair of sterilized gloves, N95 mask
II. Procedure

1) First and foremost, wear a pair of sterilized gloves and N95 mask for health safety.
2) Determine and record the mass of the clean, dry and empty graduated cylinder and
the metal container. Also take note, the original mass of the bottle of mercury.
3) Place the metal container or the shrinkage dish in a shallow pan in order to catch any
mercury overflow. Fill the shrinkage dish to overflowing with mercury. Remove the
excess mercury by pressing the glass plate firmly over the top of the shrinkage dish.
Then, carefully remove the three prongs for the excess mercury to be removed.
4) Determine the volume of mercury held in the metal container by means of the glass
graduate and by dividing the measure mass of mercury by the mass density of
mercury. Get the average volume of the wet soil pat and record it.
5) Place the soil in the rubber cup and thoroughly mix with water. The amount of water
added should produce a soil of the consistency somewhat above the liquid limit based
on visual inspection. In physical terms, this is a consistency that is not slurry but one
that will flow sufficiently to expel air bubbles when using gentle tapping action.


6) Place an amount of the wetted soil portion by portion into the metal container. Tap
the container first before adding another soil mixture. Repeat till the container is filled
with the wetted soil fully. Immediately after it is filled and struck off, determine and
record the mass in grams of the container and wet soil.
7) Allow the soil pat to dry. Then, place the container with moist material in the drying
oven. Maintain the drying oven at 1005C. The time required to be used is a
minimum of 24 hours to obtain constant mass.
8) After the material has dried, remove the container from the oven. Allow the material
and the container to cool to room temperature or until the container can be handled
comfortably with bare hands and the operation of the balance will not be affected by
convection currents or its being heated.
9) Determine the mass of the container and oven-dried material using the same balance.
Record this value.
10) Place the glass cup in a shallow pan in order to catch any mercury overflow. Fill the
shrinkage dish to overflowing with mercury. Remove the excess mercury by pressing
the glass plate firmly over the top of the shrinkage dish. Then, carefully remove the
three prongs for the excess mercury to be removed. Carefully lift the glass cup and
remove the excess mercury from the evaporating dish (shallow pan). Then place the
glass cup again in the shallow pan.
11) Place the soil pat on the surface of the mercury. Using the glass plate with three
prongs, gently press the pat under the mercury and press the plate firmly over the top
of the volume dish to expel the any excess mercury.
12) Determine the volume of mercury displaced into the evaporating dish by means of the
glass graduate and by dividing the measure mass of mercury by the mass density of
mercury. Get the average volume of the dry soil and record it.