State the procedure for the determination of water content by oven-drying method.

1 Answer

Answer :

i) This is commonly adopted and simplest method for determination of water content of a soil sample in the laboratory.

ii) The method basically consists of drying a weighed moist sample of soil in an oven at a controlled temperature for a period of twenty four hours after which the dry weight of the sample is taken.

iii) The drying of soil is recommended at a temperature of 105-110o C as temperature higher than 110o Cmay break the crystalline structure of crystallization thus giving wrong results

iv) A lower temperature of 60o C is recommended for highly organic soils at 110o C oxidation of organic matter may take place.

v) Sand and gravels require less time to dry, i.e. 4 to 6 hours but routine laboratory procedure is for drying for twenty four hours at 105-110o C.

vi) A clean non-corrodible container is weighed within 0.001 gm accuracy.

vii) About 30-40 gm of moist soil sample is placed in it and weighed accurately.

viii) It is then placed in the oven for drying at 1100 C for 24 hours.

ix) After 24 hours, it is taken out allowed to cool and weighed again

The water content is then calculated as shown below:

Let W1 = Weight of container

 W2 = Weight of container with moist sample

 W3 = Weight of container with dried sample

Weight of water Ww = W2 - W3

Weight of solids Ws = W1 W1

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The above table gives the minimum quantity of soil sample to be taken for test.

 

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