EFFECT OF EGG SHELL POWDER ON

GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

Project report submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of

Master of Technology
In

Geotechnical Engineering
By
Harpreet Singh (1312121)
Under the supervision of

Dr. Kulbir Singh Gill

Department of Civil Engineering Guru Nanak Dev. Engineering

College, Gill Road, Gill Park, Ludhiana, Punjab 141006

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project entitled EFFECT OF EGG SHELL

POW DER ON G EOTECHN ICAL PRO PERTIES OF SOIL submitted by Mr.
Harpreet Singh (Roll No. 1312121) in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of
Master of Technology Degree in Geotechnical Engineering at GURU NANAK DEV
ENGINEERING COLLEGE is an authentic work carried out by them under my supervision
and guidance.

Date:
Place: Ludhiana

Dr. Kulbir Singh Gill

Associate Professor,
Department of Civil Engineering,
Guru Nanak Dev. Engineering College Ludhiana.

ACKNOWLEDGMET

I would like to take this opportunity to thank G.N.D.E.C for providing me with such a
vibrant and learning atmosphere.
First and foremost, I want to convey my most sincere gratitude to Dr. K.S GILL,
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, G.N.D.E.C for taking out time from
the hectic schedule and guiding me - all so in the most warm and friendly manner.
I would also like to extend my thankfulness to all the professors of the Department of
Civil Engineering for the collective knowledge imparted to me, making me capable enough to
see through the entire process.
I am grateful to the staff and members of the Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory for
their relentless service and cooperation with me.
Last but not the least, I appreciate all my friends just for being there and extending the
moral support.

HARPREET SINGH

ABSTRACT
Nowadays, considerable attention has been paid to the utilization of alternative materials,
which bear higher engineering quality than traditional materials and are financially affordable.
Soil is one of the most important materials used in a variety of construction projects including
earth canals and earth dams. The fact that soil may provide all the resistance characteristics
necessary for a project illustrates the importance of various methods used to improve soil
quality. Clay soil is widely used in most of the construction projects. Clay soils, particularly
soft clay soils, have good plastic properties so that increased moisture results in their decreased
shear strength, compressive strength and volume changes. These damages typically take an
irreparable toll on structures, which further clarifies the importance of soil improvement.
Considering millions of tons of waste produced annually across the country, which not only
poses the problem of disposal but also adds to environmental contamination and health risks,
utilization of such refuse and industrial wastes and their subsidiary products as alternatives to
construction materials may effectively contribute to environmental preservation and
minimization of their adverse effects on the Environment. In the present study, eggshell powder
was used as a waste to combine with soil so that index properties compaction and shear
strength properties of clay soil were investigated at different mixture proportions. Then the
shear strength of soils already measured, were compared with those of the experimental
specimens mixed with eggshell powder at different proportions.

Contents

Page no.

List of Figures
List of Tables
Abstract
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1

Soil Stabilization
2.2.1 Definition
2.1.2 Needs and Advantages
2.1.3 Method

2.2

Applications of Agricultural and Domestic Wastes in Geotechnical Applications.

2.2.1 Agricultural wastes
2.2.2 Domestic Waste
2.3
Soil Properties
2.3.1 Atterberg Limits
2.3.2 Specific Gravity
2.3.3 Shear Strength
Chapter 3
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION
3.1
Scope of work
3.2
Material Used
3.3
Brief steps involved in experiments
3.3.1 Specific Gravity of Soil
3.3.2 Liquid Limit
3.3.3 Plastic Limit
3.3.4 Proctor Compaction Test
3.3.5 Unconfined Compression Strength Test
Chapter 4
RESULTS AND DISSCUSSIONS
4.1
Specific gravity
4.2
Index Properties
4.2.1 Liquid Limit
4.2.2 Plastic Limit
4.4.3 Plasticity Index
4.4
Standard Proctor Compaction Test
4.4
Unconfined Compression Test
4.5
Discussion
4.5.1 Inferences from UCS Test
CONCLUSIONS
References

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE

PAGE NO.

2.1

CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

For any land-based structure, the foundation is very important and has to be strong to
support the entire structure. In order for the foundation to be strong, the soil around it plays a
very critical role. So, to work with soils, we need to have proper knowledge about their
properties and factors which affect their behavior. The process of soil stabilization helps to
achieve the required properties in a soil needed for the construction work.
From the beginning of construction work, the necessity of enhancing soil properties has
come to the light. Ancient civilizations of the Chinese, Romans and Incas utilized various
methods to improve soil strength etc., some of these methods were so effective that their
buildings and roads still exist.
In India, the modern era of soil stabilization began in early 1970s, with a general
shortage of petroleum and aggregates, it became necessary for the engineers to look at means to
improve soil other than replacing the poor soil at the building site. Soil stabilization was used
but due to the use of obsolete methods and also due to the absence of proper technique, soil
stabilization lost favor. In recent times, with the increase in the demand for infrastructure, raw
materials and fuel, soil stabilization has started to take a new shape. With the availability of
better research, materials and equipment, it is emerging as a popular and cost-effective method
for soil improvement.
Here, in this project, soil stabilization has been done with the help of cement and egg
shell powder. Egg shells are obtain as waste after the use of eggs. The improvement in the shear
strength parameters has been stressed upon and comparative studies have been carried out
using unconfined compression test.

Soil modification or stabilization is usually carried out to achieve the

following goals:

Increasing soil strength, geotechnical properties and bearing capacity

Preventing structure subsidence

Reducing adhesion in highly adhesive soils

Increasing adhesion in soils with low adhesion (sands)

Increasing safety factor against slope, levees and earth dam sliding

Reducing soil plasticity index.

CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1
2.1.1

Soil Stabilization
Definition
4

Soil stabilization is the process of altering some soil properties by different methods,
mechanical or chemical in order to produce an improved soil material which has all the desired
engineering properties.
Soils are generally stabilized to increase their strength and durability or to prevent
erosion and dust formation in soils. The main aim is the creation of a soil material or system
that will hold under the design use conditions and for the designed life of the engineering
project. The properties of soil vary a great deal at different places or in certain cases even at one
place; the success of soil stabilization depends on soil testing. Various methods are employed to
stabilize soil and the method should be verified in the lab with the soil material before applying
it on the field.
Principles of Soil Stabilization:

Evaluating the soil properties of the area under consideration.

Deciding the property of soil which needs to be altered to get the design value and
choose the effective and economical method for stabilization.

Designing the Stabilized soil mix sample and testing it in the lab for intended stability
and durability values.

2.1.2

Needs & Advantages

Soil properties vary a great deal and construction of structures depends a lot on the

bearing capacity of the soil, hence, we need to stabilize the soil which makes it easier to predict
the load bearing capacity of the soil and even improve the load bearing capacity. The gradation
of the soil is also a very important property to keep in mind while working with soils. The soils
may be well-graded which is desirable as it has less number of voids or uniformly graded
which though sounds stable but has more voids. Thus, it is better to mix different types of soils
together to improve the soil strength properties. It is very expensive to replace the inferior soil
entirely soil and hence, soil stabilization is the thing to look for in these cases.

It improves the strength of the soil, thus, increasing the soil bearing capacity.
5

It is more economical both in terms of cost and energy to increase the bearing
capacity of the soil rather than going for deep foundation or raft foundation.

It is also used to provide more stability to the soil in slopes or other such places.

Sometimes soil stabilization is also used to prevent soil erosion or formation of dust,
which is very useful especially in dry and arid weather.

Stabilization is also done for soil water-proofing; this prevents water from entering
into the soil and hence helps the soil from losing its strength.

It helps in reducing the soil volume change due to change in temperature or

moisture content.

2.1.3

Stabilization improves the workability and the durability of the soil.

Methods

A. Mechanical method of Stabilization

In this procedure, soils of different gradations are mixed together to obtain the
desired property in the soil. This may be done at the site or at some other place from
where it can be transported easily. The final mixture is then compacted by the usual
methods to get the required density.

B. Additive method of stabilization

It refers to the addition of manufactured products into the soil, which in proper
quantities enhances the quality of the soil. Materials such as cement, lime, bitumen,
fly ash etc. are used as chemical additives. Sometimes different fibers are also used
as reinforcements in the soil.

C. Agriculture and Domestic waste method of stabilization

It is important to mention here that recent trends on soil stabilization have evolved
innovative techniques of utilizing local available environmental and industrial waste material
for the modification and stabilization of deficient soil. In the process of soil stabilization and
6

modification emphasis is given for maximum utilization of local material so that cost of
construction may be minimized to the minimum extent. At the same time safe disposal of
agricultural and domestic wastes become challenging task for engineers. Hence an attempt has
been made by researchers to use agricultural and domestic wastes as soil stabilizers. The
beneficial effects of certain agricultural and domestic wastes are discussed below.

2.2.1 Agricultural wastes

1)

Rice husk ash

Rice husk ash is a major agricultural product obtained from paddy. For every 40 kN of

rice 10kN of husk is produced. The husk is disposed off either by dumping it in an open heap
near the mill site or on the road side to be burnt later. Burning the rice husk generated about 1520% of its weighing as ash. The ash being very light is easily carried by wind and water
contributing to air and water pollution. The huge quantity of ash generated requires large areas
for disposal. The high percentage of siliceous material present in rice husk ash indicated that it
has pozzolanic properties. The normal method of conversion of husk to ash is by incineration.
Musa Alhassan investigated soil-RHA with respect to compaction characteristics, California
bearing ratio (CBR) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. The results obtained,
indicates a general decrease in the Maximum Dry Density (MDD) and increase in Optimum
Moisture Content (OMC) with increase in RHA content. There was also slight improvement in
the CBR and UCS with increase in the RHA content. Hence Rice husk ash can be used as
stabilizer to solve many problems associated with its accumulation.

2)

Sugarcane bagasse ash

The Bagasse Ash is the fibrous waste produced after the extraction of the sugar juice

from cane. This material usually poses a disposal problem in sugar factories particularly in
tropical countries. In many tropical countries there are substantial quantities of Bagasse (the
fibrous residue from the crushing the sugar cane) and husks from rice both are rich in
7

amorphous silica, which react with lime. Mohammed Abdullahi investigated and reported that
The Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) increased while Maximum Dry Density (MDD)
decreased with increasing bagasse and cement content when added with lateritic soil. The
cohesion decreases while the angle of internal friction increases. This may be due to reduction
of clay - size fraction. The liquid limit reduced while the plastic limit increased and
consequently the plasticity index reduced with increase in bagasse ash content. The reduction in
plasticity was due to a reduction in liquid limit. Hence sugarcane bagasse ash can be effectively
used as a soil stabilizer.
3)

Groundnut shell ash

Groundnut shell is an agricultural waste obtained from milling of groundnut. The ash

from groundnut shell has been categorized under pozzolana, with about 8.66% Calcium Oxide
(CaO), 1.93% Iron Oxide (Fe2O3), 6.12% Magnesium Oxide (MgO), 15.92% Silicon Oxide
(SiO2), and 6.73% Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3). The utilization of this pozzolana as a
replacement for traditional stabilizers will go a long way in actualizing the dreams of most
developing countries of scouting for cheap and readily available construction materials.
Groundnut shell ash has been used in concrete as a partial replacement material for cement.
Oriola, Folagbade et al conducted a series of laboratory tests such as unconfined compressive
Strength and California Bearing Ratio tests on highly expansive soil with ground nut shell ash
and observed improvement of UCC and CBR values. Hence ground nut shell ash in soil
stabilization gives greater benefits to the environment than simply disposing it in the
environment.

4)

Burnt olive waste

Olive waste is the byproduct obtained from extracting the olive oil from olives. The

quantity of the by-product olive cake residue generated in most parts of the Mediterranean
8

countries continues to increase and expected to be double in amount within 1015 years. This
increase intensifies the problems associated with the disposal of this by-product. Olive cake
residue has a potential for use as a soil stabilizer and large volumes can be beneficially used.
This study is directed towards determining if olive cake residue can be utilized to increase the
strength and stability of expansive soils which constitute a costly natural hazard to lightweight
structures on shallow foundations. Mousa F. Attom et al proposes a partial solution to the
problems associated with the increase of olive waste in Jordan. Chemical analysis was
performed to identify the constituents of the olive waste after burning at 550C. A laboratory
study consists of the following tests on samples treated with burnt olive waste: Atterberg
Limits, Unconfined Compressive Strength, Standard Proctor Density, and Swelling Pressure
tests. It was found that the addition of 2.5% by weight of the burnt olive waste will increase the
unconfined compressive strength and the maximum dry density, while the addition of 7.5% of
the olive ash by weight minimizes the swelling pressure of the soil. The test results show
promise for this material to be used as stabilizer and to solve many of the problems associated
with its accumulation.

2.2.2 Domestic wastes

Domestic waste materials comprise waste generated in the form of post-consumer
commercial and household waste. Domestic waste materials include paper waste, plastics,
Scrap tires, glass/ceramics, and carpet waste.

1)

Waste papers
Waste paper refers to discarded forms of newspaper, magazines, office paper and other

paper products of various grades and fibers. According to Tchobanoglousb et al. (1993) waste
paper constitutes the largest component of municipal solid waste by weight. The types of paper
that are recyclable include newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, and mixed
paper. The process of waste paper recycling begins at the community level where it is sorted
9

and left for collection. After collection it is sorted further at the waste collection facility and
finally baled or shredded. Although the vast majority of this waste paper is recycled to produce
other paper products, its use has been extremely limited in highway applications, mainly in
aesthetic applications.

2)

Plastics
Plastics are much more varied in terms of origin and properties. Trash bags, plastic

pipes, milk jugs, battery casings, plastic cups/plates, and plastic soda bottles all are potential
sources for waste plastic. These sources are composed of various types of polymers among
them Poly Ethylene Terephthalate (PETE) in soda bottles, High- Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
in milk bottles, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in piping, Low-Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE) in
thin film packaging, Polypropylene(PP) in crates, and polystyrene (PS) in cups/plates. The
properties of the recycled plastic rest mainly on the type of resin or polymer used in the
product, as are recycling options and processing. For example, reclaimed HDPE and PETE
bottles are granulated into small flakes and separated by floatation. The flakes are then melted
and turned into pellets or formed into plastic lumber.

3)

Waste glass
The majority of recycled glass is used as feed stock for the production of other glass

containers, but it is also used in engineering applications. As a product of super cooling, it is

composed primarily of silicon dioxide (sand) and sodium carbonate. Crushed waste glass
typically exhibits angular particles. Further crushing can cause a decrease in the angularity and
produce a material similar in properties to natural sand. Waste glass was investigated for use in
asphalt pavement, base, and embankment applications.

4)

Carpet waste

10

Carpet waste, also referred to as carpet fibers, consists of waste from industrial
production and discarded consumer carpet. The carpet waste generated each year and
accumulated in landfills represents an abundance of useful resources, as it may be converted
into various useful products. The rate of carpet disposal is about 2-3 million tons per year in the
U.S. and about 4-6 million tons per year worldwide. A carpet typically consists of two layers of
backing (usually fabrics from polypropylene tape yarns), joined by CaCO3 filled styrenebutadiene latex rubber (SBR), and face fibers (majority being nylon 6 and nylon 66 textured
yarns) tufted into the primary backing. To use post-consumer carpet as concrete or soil
reinforcement, the carpet is shredded to recover fibers. It is generally not necessary to
disassemble yarns in the carpet into individual fibers. Youjiang Wang studied the use of
Recycled carpet waste fibers as reinforcement in concrete and soil to improve their properties.
Besides performance enhancement, the use of recycled fibers for concrete and soil
reinforcement offers additional benefits such as low cost raw materials, resource utilization and
reduced need for land filling.

5)

Scrap tires
Scrap tires perhaps rank among the most extensively researched and implemented

recycled materials in recent years. Potentially usable forms include whole tires, sliced tires, tire
chips, tires herds, and smaller, soil-like particles referred to collectively as crumb rubber. A
typical whole scrap automobile tire weighs about 91N, while a typical truck tire weighs about
182N. However not all of the rubber is recoverable. The size of the tire chips is a function the
shredding machine itself. To produce a smaller sized chip, it is often necessary to employ more
than one processing machine. Slit tires are basically whole tires spit in half or have the sidewall
separated from the tread. Shredded or chipped tires undergo two stages of shredding. Primary
shredding produces strips 30 to 45cm in length. Secondary shredding produces lengths of 10 to
15cm. Ground rubber is produced as regularly shaped and cubical particles as large as of an
11

cm. Crumb rubber exhibits fine particles ranging in size from passing No.4 to No.200 sieves.
Composed primarily of various types of rubber, recycled tire shreds also contain carbon black,
polymers, and fabrics as well as steel wire or belt materials. Craig H. Benson after his
investigation reported that Shredded tires can be used as lightweight fill, backfill behind the
retaining walls, construction of high strength embankments, drainage material, daily cover at a
landfill, thermal insulation to protect landfill lining systems from freezing and also used in
leachate collecting systems because scrap tires can adsorb toxic organic chemicals normally
found in leachate.

6)

Eggshell powder
Eggshell Powder (ESP) has not being in use as a stabilizing material and it could be a

good replacement for industrial lime, since its chemical composition is similar to that of lime.
Chicken eggshell is a waste material from domestic sources such as poultries, hatcheries,
homes and fast food centers. This amounts to environmental pollution. Eggshell waste falls
within the category of waste food, they are materials from the preparation of foods and drinks,
if subjected to adequate scrutiny, and they could be suitable for soil stabilization. The use of
lime for stabilization is becoming expensive requiring an economical replacement.
Literature has shown that eggshell primarily contains lime, calcium, and protein. It has
being in use as a source of lime in agriculture, which confirms that lime is present in
considerable amount in eggshell. Subsequent findings revealed that ESP was used for
stabilization of a cohesion less soil in Japan. This study is thus directed towards identifying
eggshell powder as an effective stabilizing agent by replacing a certain percentage of lime in
the stabilized soil with ESP. Since the quantity of eggshell that may be required for
stabilization of a large area may not be met, it is suggested that the ESP be used as a
supplement in lime stabilization. O.O. Amu et al studied the effect of eggshell powder on the
Stabilizing Potential of Lime on an Expansive Clay Soil. He conducted series of tests to
12

determine the optimal quantity of lime and the optimal percentage of lime-ESP combination.
The optimal quantity of lime was gradually replaced with suitable amount of eggshell powder.
Results of the Maximum Dry Density (MDD), California Bearing Ratio (CBR), Unconfined
compression test and Untrained triaxial shear strength test all indicated that lime stabilization at
7% is better than the combination of 4% ESP + 3% lime.

2.3

Soil properties

2.3.1

Atterberg Limits
13

1) Shrinkage Limit:
This limit is achieved when further loss of water from the soil does not reduce the
volume of the soil. It can be more accurately defined as the lowest water content at
which the soil can still be completely saturated. It is denoted by wS.
2) Plastic Limit:
This limit lies between the plastic and semi-solid state of the soil. It is determined by
rolling out a thread of the soil on a flat surface which is non-porous. It is the minimum
water content at which the soil just begins to crumble while rolling into a thread of
approximately 3mm diameter. Plastic limit is denoted by wP.
3) Liquid Limit:
It is the water content of the soil between the liquid state and plastic state of the soil. It
can be defined as the minimum water content at which the soil, though in liquid state,
shows small shearing strength against flowing. It is measured by the Casagrandes
apparatus and is denoted by wL.

2.3.2

Specific gravity
Specific gravity of a substance denotes the number of times that substance is heavier

than water. In simpler words we can define it as the ratio between the mass of any substance of
14

a definite volume divided by mass of equal volume of water. In case of soils, specific gravity is
the number of times the soil solids are heavier than equal volume of water. Different types of
soil have different specific gravities, general range for specific gravity of soils:

Sand

2.63-2.67

Silt

2.65-2.7

Clay and silty clay

2.67-2.9

Organic soil

<2.0

Table-2.1

2.3.3

Shear strength
Shearing stresses are induced in a loaded soil and when these stresses reach their

limiting value, deformation starts in the soil which leads to failure of the soil mass. The shear
strength of a soil is its resistance to the deformation caused by the shear stresses acting on the
15

loaded soil. The shear strength of a soil is one of the most important characteristics. There are
several experiments which are used to determine shear strength such as DST or UCS etc. The
shear resistance offered is made up of three parts:
i) The structural resistance to the soil displacement caused due to the soil particles
getting interlocked,
ii) The frictional resistance at the contact point of various particles, and
iii) Cohesion or adhesion between the surface of the particles.
In case of cohesion less soils, the shear strength is entirely dependent upon the frictional
resistance, while in others it comes from the internal friction as well as the cohesion.
Methods for measuring shear strength:
a) Direct Shear Test (DST)
This is the most common test used to determine the shear strength of the soil. In this
experiment the soil is put inside a shear box closed from all sides and force is applied from one
side until the soil fails. The shear stress is calculated by dividing this force with the area of the
soil mass. This test can be performed in three conditions- undrained, drained and consolidated
undrained depending upon the setup of the experiment.
b) Unconfined Compression Test (UCS test)
This test is a specific case of triaxial test where the horizontal forces acting are zero.
There is no confining pressure in this test and the soil sample tested is subjected to vertical
loading only. The specimen used is cylindrical and is loaded till it fails due to shear.

16

CHAPTER-3
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS

17

3.1

Scope of work

The experimental work consists of the following steps:

1.

Specific gravity of soil

2.

Determination of soil index properties (Atterberg Limits)

3.

i)

Liquid limit by Casagrandes apparatus

ii)

Plastic limit

Determination of the maximum dry density (MDD) and the corresponding optimum
moisture content (OMC) of the soil by Proctor compaction test

4.

Determination of the shear strength by:

i)

3.2

Unconfined compression test (UCS)

MATERIALS USED
18

1)

Soil
The soil used in this study was collected from village sahnewal District Ludhiana. The

sample was thoroughly oven dried, weighted and stored in sacks at room temperature. The
general properties of the soil was thoroughly studied in the laboratory. The soil was tested for
liquid limit, optimum moisture content, maximum dry density and unconfined compression
strength.

2)

Egg Shell Powder (ESP)

Eggshell powder (ESP) has not being used as stabilizing material and it could be good

replacement for industrial lime, since its chemical composition is similar to that of lime.
Chicken eggshell is a waste material from domestic sources such as fast food joints and homes.
Literature has shown that eggshell powder primarily contains CaO (99.83%) and the remaining
consists of Al2O3, SiO2, Cl, Cr2O3, MnO and CuO. The eggshell waste was washed and dried
before grinding. The eggshell powder was sieved using IS Sieve No.200 (75), and the powder
passing the sieve was used. This sieve was chosen in order to achieve a uniform powdery.

3.3

Brief steps involved in experiments

19

3.3.1

Specific gravity of the soil

The specific gravity of soil under investigation was determined as per standard density

bottle method and with usual test method prescribed in I.S. 2720 (Part 3) 1980.
The pycnometer was dried thoroughly and weighted with cap tightly screwed on. The
cap and pycnometer was made with a vertical line parallel to the axis of the pycnometer so that
each time the cap was screwed the same amount. The cap was unscrewed and about 200gm of
oven dried soil passing 4.75mm I.S. Sieve was put in and weighted again. Sufficient water was
add to cover the soil about half full and cap was screwed on. It was then shaken well and
connected to vacuum pump to remove entrapped air. Air was allowed to evacuate for at least 20
minutes. Pycnometer was shaken occasionally to assist in the air evacuation. After the
entrapped air had been largely removed, the pump was disconnected and pycnometer was filled
with water about three fourth full. Vacuum was reapplied for at least 5 minutes. Evacuation was
continued until very few bubbles appear on the top of the water. After the air had been
eliminated, pycnometer was filled with water completely up to the mark. The pycnometer was
dried from the outside and weighted. Then pycnometer was filled with water up to its top and
screwed. The pycnometer was weighted after drying it on the outside thoroughly. The test was
repeated twice more.
Specific Gravity =

( w 2w 1)
( w 4w1 )(w 3w 2)

W1 = Weight of bottle in gram.

W2 = Weight of bottle + Dry soil in gram
W3 = Weight of bottle +Soil + water
W4 + Weight of bottle + Water

3.3.2

Liquid limit
20

The Liquid limit of the soil under analysis was determined according to the standard
procedure prescribed in I.S.270 (Part V) 1970.
About 120 gm. of oven dry soil was sieved through 425 micron I.S. sieve after that soil
mixed with known quantity of water in a dish for obtain uniform past. After required time of
maturing of soil to ensure that water will penetrate into the pores of soil, a small amount of soil
of this paste is placed in the cup of the liquid limit device, and the surface is smoothened and
levelled with a spatula to a maximum depth of 1 cm. By using casagrande tool width 2mm at
bottom, 11 mm at top and 8mm deep a groove is cut through the sample along the symmetrical
axis of the cup in one stoke.
After cut by groveling tool, the handle of casagrande tool is turned until the two parts
of the soil sample come in to contact the bottom of the groove along a distance of 12mm at a
rate of 2 revolutions per second and number of blows were recorded ranging between 25 and 40
at incensing percentage of water. Moisture content at recorded number of bows as per the
standard procedure and flow curve is prepared.

3.3.3

Plastic limit
For determination of the plastic limit of a soil I.S. 2720 (Part 5)-1970 was followed.

Soil is air-dried and sieved through a 425

IS sieve. About 30gm of soil is taken in

evaporating dish. It is mixed thoroughly with distilled water till it becomes plastic and can be
easily molded with fingers.
About 10gm of the plastic soil mass is taken in one hand and ball is formed. The ball is
rolled on a glass plate to form a soil thread of uniform diameter. The rate of rolling is kept
about 80 to 90 strokes per minute. The process is repeated till the thread crumbles. The water
content at which the soil starts crumble just about 3mm diameter is determine by standard
procedure.

21

Ip = WL - WP
WL- Liquid limit
WP- Plastic limit

Liquid Limit, wL

Fig.-3.1

3.3.4

Standard Procter Test

22

This test was performed as per standard procedure laid down in I.S. 2720 (Part 7) 1965.
It consists of mound 1000 ml capacity with an internal diameter of 100 mm and internal
effective height is 127.3 mm. The hammer has a mass of 2.6 kg and the free fall o hammer is
310mm.
About 2.5 Kg of oven dry and cooled soil was taken. The soil was sieved through I.S
sieve of 4.75mm. This soil was mixed thoroughly by adding 10% of water by weight. The
sample was covered with wet cloth and allowed to mature. The mould was cleaned, dried and
greased lightly. The empty mould attached to base plate was weighted without collar. The collar
was then attached to the mould. The mixed soil sample then placed n mould to about one-third
of its height and each layer was compacted by 25 free falls of standard hammer. The soil
surface of compacted soil was screeched with spatula before the second layer was placed.
Utmost care was taken that blows were equally distributed over the surface of each layer. After
three layers were laid, collar
was removed and excess of the soil was trimmed of to make it level with mould. Mould and
soil together was weighed. Its dry density was determined as per the standard procedure.

Wet density =

weight of soilmould (gms)

volume of mould (cc )

Moisture content % =

Weight of water (gms)

100
Weight of dry soil (gms)

Wet density
moisture content
Dry density (gm. /cc) =
1+
100

23

3.3.5

Unconfined Compression Strength Test

This test was conducted as per I.S 2720 (Part 10) - 1973

a) Preparation of Sample
Required quantity of oven dried soil was sieved through I.S sieve 475 and then soil
sample was prepared by taking into consideration of weight of the soil calculated from the
volume of mould and maximum dry density. Tap water was used and mixed at O.M.C. A
homogeneous sample was prepared by mixing thoroughly the soil and water in an open bowl.
Mould used was split type and it was properly greased with oil from inside and soil mixture
prepared was put in layers and compacted. The sample was removed by splitting the mould into
two parts.
a) Testing of soil sample
The specimen was placed on the bottom plate of the unconfined compression machine
(proving ring type) then raised gradually to make its contact with the upper plate. The dial
gauge and proving ring were set to zero. The compression load was applied to the specimen by

turning the handle to produce an axial strain of

1
2

to 2% per minute. The shearing was

continued till the specimen failed. The compression force was determined from the proving
ring reading and axial strain was counted from the dial gauge reading. Three samples were
tested in this way and the average reading was considered by taking least count of proving ring
as 0.5kg/ division and by dividing it with the X-sectional area at the center of bulge.

qu = Load /corrected area( A' )

qu = Compressive stress
A= Cross- sectional area / (1-
24

CHAPTER- 4
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS

25

S.No

Observation and calculations

Determination No.
1

Mass of empty pycnometer (M1)

624g

624g

Mass of pycnometer and dry soil (M2)

833g

830g

Mass of pycnometer soil, filled with water (M3)

1598g

1595g

Mass of pycnometer filled with water only (M4)

1466g

1464g

Calculations

4.1

(M2-M1) gm.

209g

206g

(M3-M4 ) gm.

132g

131g

G=

2.71

2.74

(5)
( 5 )(6)

Specific Gravity

Table- 4.1
Result. Specific gravity of solids = 2.72
26

27

4.2

Index Properties

4.2.1

Liquid Limit
Determination No.

S.No

Observation and calculations

1

No. Blows (N)

40

33

30

20

Moisture Content Container No.

Mass of empty container (M1)gm.

31

32

32

31

Mass of container + wet soil (M2)gm.

46

47

46

45

Mass of container + dry soil (M3)gm.

42

42.8

41.7

40.3

Calculations
6

Mass of water = (M2-M3 ) gm.

4.2

4.3

4.7

Mass of dry soil = (M3-M1 )gm.

11

10.8

9.7

9.3

Water content, w =

38%

42%

44%

50%

(6)
(7)

100 %

Table-4.2

60

50.53
50

44.32
42

40

38

Water content (%) 30

20
10
0
10

100

Number of blows (N)

Fig.-4.1
Liquid limit as obtained from graph = 45
(Corresponding to 25 blows)
28

4.2.2

Plastic Limit
Determination No.

S.No

Observation and calculations

1

32gm

32gm

Moisture Content Container No.

Mass of empty container (M1) gm.

Mass of container + wet soil (M2) ) gm.

38.16gm

38.50gm

Mass of container + dry soil (M3) ) gm.

36.96gm

37.23gm

1.2gm

1.27gm

4.96

5.23gm

24.19%

24.28%

Calculations
5

Mass of water = (M2-M3 ) gm.

Mass of dry soil = (M3-M1 ) gm.

Water content, w =

(5)
(6)

100 %

Table- 4.3
29

Result. Plastic Limit 24.23%

Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit Plastic Limit
= 45-24.33 = 20.67
From Liquid Limit chart soil was CI type

By similar method liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index is determined at various
percentage of ESP and results of experiment shown in

4.2.3

Influence ESP on Atterbergs limits

ESP %

L.L %

P.L %

P.I %

45

24.33

20.67

42.2

23.72

18.48

40.6

22.68

17.52

36.5

21

15.5

10

34

22

12

15

33.7

22.8

10.9

20

33.9

23.8

10.1

Table- 4.4

30

45
40
35
30
Polynomial (PI)
25
% WATER CONTENT 20
PI

PL

Polynomial (PL)

15
10
Polynomial
(LL)
5

LL

10

15

20

25

ESP %

Fig.-4.2
Fig show that up to 15 of ESP is added, there is a considerable decrese in PI, and after that
value seems to be almost constant.

5.3

Standard Proctor Test

Diameter of mould = 100mm
Height of mould = 127.3
(10)2 127.3 = 1000 ml
Volume of mould, V = /4
Specific Gravity of Solids, G = 2.72

S.No

Determination No.

Observation and calculations

Mass of empty mould + base plate

5400g

5400g

5400g

5400g

Mass of mould + base plate + compacted soil

6873g

7100g

7048g

7042g

1468g

1695g

1648g

1642g

1.46g/ml

1.69g/ml

1.648g/ml

1.642g/ml

9%

16%

19.6%

21%

Calculations
3
4

Mass of compacted soil, M= (2-1)

Bulk density,

M
V

Water content, w

31

Dry density,

Void ratio, e =

1.34

1.45

1.38

1.35

.84

.93

.97

2.15g/ml

1.87g/ml

1.77g/ml

1.71g/ml

24 %

50 %

54 %

57%

G w
1
d

Dry Density at 100 % saturation

(

1+ w

d =

d theomax =

G w
1+ wG
wG
e

Degree of Saturation, S =

100

Table-4.5
1.76

1.74

1.74
1.72
1.7

1.68

1.68

Dry Density ,

1.66

1.65

1.64
1.62
1.6
1.58
12

14

16

18

water content, w (%)

Fig.-4.3

5.3.1

Influence of ESP on OMC and Dry Density

% ESP

OMC (%)

MDD(g/cc)

16.2

1.45

16.3

1.42

17

1.40

17.85

1.395

32

20

22

10

18.9

1.39

15

19

1.375

20

19

1.34

Table-4.6

OMC (%)

20

40

% ESP

It can be inferred from

Figure 4 that there is increase in OMC with increase ESP. The increase is due to the addition of
ESP, which decreases the

Fig.-4.4

quantity of free silt and clay

fraction

and

coarser

materials with larger surface

areas were formed. This implies also that more water is needed in order to compact the soilESP mixture.

33

1.5
1.45
1.4

Maximum Dry Density (gm/cc)

1.35
1.3
1.25

10

20

30

% OMC

The MDD decreases by

increase the content of ESP. The MDD decreases in MDD can be attributed to replacement of
soil by the ESP which has relatively low specific gravity

Fig.-4.5

5.4

Unconfined Compression Test

1. Unreinforced
Dial gauge
reading

Strain(
)

Proving ring
reading

corrected
area

load
(kg)

Axial
Stress
(kg/cm2)

50

0.00641

15

19.75

7.5

.37

100

0.012

35

19.86

17.5

.88

150

.0192

62

20.01

31

1.54

200

.0256

77

20.14

38.5

1.91

250

.0320

90

20.27

45

2.22

34

300

.030

98

20.40

49

2.40

350

.044

93

20.53

46.5

2.26

400

.0312

85

20.68

42.5

2.05

3
2.5
2

Axial Stress
kg/cm2

1.5
1
0.5
0
0

0.01

0.02

0.03

Strain

Table-4.7

Fig.-4.6
As obtained from graph,
USC = 2.37 kg/cm2
35

0.04

0.05

0.06

36