Soil testing is a process that is required for the construction of roads, and buildings. It helps in determining the type of soil and the soil’s properties.
The purpose of soil testing is to determine the type of soil and its properties. There are various types of tests that can be conducted in order to achieve this goal such as:
- Moisture Content
- The specific gravity of soil
- Particle Size Distribution
- Proctor test
- California Bearing Ratio Test
Moisture Content
All soil tests usually need to know natural moisture content. The knowledge of it is necessary for any study of soil mechanics, as it is in determining bearing capacity, slope stability, and other important formulas. The natural moisture content will tell you the state of soil where it is measured.
Read more: Field Density Test of Soil by Sand Replacement Method
Specific Gravity of Soil
The knowledge of specific gravity is required for calculating soil properties like void ratio and degree, which are essential to know how well the ground holds water. Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of soil in the air at a certain volume and weight in the air at an equal volume.
Particle Size Distribution
Particle size distribution, or gradation, refers to the proportions of a soil’s dry mass distributed over specified particle-size ranges. Gradation is used to classify soils for engineering and agricultural purposes since particle size influences how fast or slow water or other fluid moves through the soil.
Proctor Test
This soil compaction test also called as Proctor test is used the determination the mass of dry soil per cubical meter when the soil is compacted over a range of moisture contents, giving the outside dry viscosity at optimum humidity content. Therefore this test provides the compaction characteristics of different soils with changes in humidity content.
This is achieved by densification of soil by reducing the air voids. The degree of is measured in terms of the dry viscosity of the soil. The dry viscosity is maximum at the optimum water content.
California Bearing Ratio Test
California Bearing rate test is conducted in the laboratory. This test provides the weight penetration resistance of the soil. CBR value is attained by measuring the relationship between force and penetration when a spherical plunger is made to access the soil at a standard rate.
The CBR test is used for the evaluation of the subgrade strength of roads and pavements. The CBR value attained by this test is used with the empirical angles to determine the consistency of pavement and its element layers.
This is the most extensively habituated system for the design of flexible pavement.
Engineers Blog 