State the step by step procedure for determination of OMC and MDD using standard proctor test and explain compaction curve. 

1 Answer

Answer :

Procedure:

1. Take about 5 Kg. of de-aired soil passing through sieve 20mm in tray.

2. Add about 4% water (approximately 120ml) to the soil and mixed thoroughly with trowel and cover it with moist cloth for 24 hrs to ensure thorough mixing of water with soil.

3. Note the dimension of proctor mould, collar and base plate.

4. Take the empty weight of the mould (without collar and base plate)

5. Apply a thin film of grease on inside of the mould.

6. Fix the mould with base plate with the help of wing nuts, place collar on the mould.

7. To determine the proctor density till the soil in mould in three equal layers and give 25 blows to each layer using standard hammer. Scrap the top surface of compacted layer before placing the next layer of a soil. Ensure that after compaction of the third layer, the level of compacted soil slightly above the top of the mould.

8. Remove the collar trim the soil with a straight edge, disconnect the mould from base plate and weigh it.

9. Extract the compacted soil from the mould.

10. Collect sample from middle of the mould for water content determination.

11. Repeat step 5 to 10 taking fresh sample of same soil with addition of 3 to 4% more water than previously added water. Repeat these steps for no. of times till a decrease in the weight of a soil is observed for at least two successive reading.

12. Calculate bulk density of compacted soil for each test.

13. Determine the maximum dry density and Optimum moisture content corresponding to the standard proctor compaction by plotting graph water content v/s dry density. 

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Compaction Curve:
image 
Compaction curve is plotted between the water content as abscissa and the corresponding dry density as ordinate as shown in figure. It is observed that the dry density initially increases with an increase in water content since the soil particles gets lubricated and slips over each other and moved into densely packed position and dry density is increased, till the maximum density is attained. With further increase in water content the dry density decreases. Since there is formation of double layer of water around soil particles in the same volume.  

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