19-04-2014, 01:08 PM
DETERMINATION OF SHRINKAGE LIMIT OF SOILS
AIM
To determine shrinkage limit of the soil
APPARATUS
Shrinkage dish
Porcelain evaporated dish
Mercury
Balance
PROCEDURE
1. About 30 gms of soil passing through 425 micron sieve is taken with distilled water.
2. The shrinkage dish is coated with a thin layer of Vaseline .The soil sample is placed in the
dish by giving gentle taps. The top surface is surfaced with a straight edge.
3. The shrinkage dish with wet soil is weighed. The dish is dried first in air and then in oven.
4. The shrinkage dish is weighed with dry soil. After cleaning the shrinkage dish its empty
weight is taken.
5. An empty porcelain dish which will be useful for weighing mercury is weighed.
6. The shrinkage dish is kept inside a large porcelain dish it is filled with mercury and the excess
is removed by pressing the plain glass plate firmly over the top of the dish. The contents of
the shrinkage dish are transferred to the mercury weighing dish and weighed.
7. The glass cup is kept in a large dish, filled it with over flowing mercury, the excess is removed
by pressing the glass plate with three prongs firmly over the top of the cup.
8. It is placed in another large dish. The dry soil is placed on the surface of the mercury and
submerge it under the mercury by pressing with the glass plate with prongs.
9. The mercury displaced by the dry soil pat is transferred to the mercury weighing dish and
weighed.
RESULT
1. Shrinkage limit =
2. Shrinkage ratio =
3. Volumetric shrinkage =