Relative Density or Density Index Test of Sand Purpose: This lab is performed to determine the relative density of cohesionless, free-draining soils using a vibrating table. The relative density of a soil is the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the difference between the maximum index void ratio and the field void ratio of a … Read more
Density Test of Soil Purpose: This lab is performed to determine the in-place density of undisturbed soil obtained by pushing or drilling a thin-walled cylinder. The bulk density is the ratio of mass of moist soil to the volume of the soil sample, and the dry density is the ratio of the mass of the … Read more
How to Classify Soil Visually on site? Purpose: Visually classify the soils. Standard Reference: ASTM D 2488 – Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual – Manual Procedure) Significance: The first step in any geotechnical engineering project is to identify and describe the subsoil condition. For example, as soon as a ground is … Read more
Unconfined Compressive Strength Test of Soil Purpose The primary purpose of this test is to determine the unconfined compressive strength, which is then used to calculate the unconsolidated undrained shear strength of the clay under unconfined conditions. According to the ASTM standard, the unconfined compressive strength (qu) is defined as the compressive stress at which … Read more
Standard Penetration Test (SPT) Procedure Aim To perform standard penetration to obtain the penetration resistance (N-value) along the depth at a given site. Equipment & Apparatus Tripod (to give a clear height of about 4 m; one of the legs of the tripod should have ladder to facilitate a person to reach tripod head.) Tripod … Read more
Constant Head Permeability Test of Sandy Soil Purpose: The purpose of this test is to determine the permeability (hydraulic conductivity) of a sandy soil by the constant head test method. There are two general types of permeability test methods that are routinely performed in the laboratory: The constant head test method, and (2) the falling … Read more
Supervision of Brick Work Construction The following points should be kept in mind during supervision of brick work. Before using the bricks in construction it should be checked for its physical properties (such as strength, dimension, water absorption etc). Bricks must conform to the designer’s specification. Prior to use bricks in construction, it should be … Read more
Deciding the right depth of foundation for a building structure is an important step in the process of building design. Information given in this post will help you decide the proper depth of foundation for a building. After reading this post you will be able to answer the following questions. What is a foundation? What … Read more
PLT (Plate Load Test) Plate load test is a field test which is commonly adopted to determine the bearing capacity and settlement of soil under a given condition of loading. In this test a square or circular rigid plate of standard dimension (generally 300 mm2 for square or 300 mm dia for circular) is placed … Read more
Economy in Formwork Construction The total cost of concrete construction work includes the cost of formwork also. Construction of formwork involves considerable expenditure in terms of cost of material, cost of labour for fabrication, erection and removal of formwork and time element. In case of buildings, the cost of formwork may range between 30 to … Read more
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