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INSTRUCTION MANUAL
UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC APPARATUS
Manufactured by:
ROORKEE EQUIPMENT & MODELS PVT LTD
Factory : C-18 Ram Nagar Industrial Area, Ram Nagar
Roorkee Distt-Haridwar,
Roorkee-247 667.
Email: rempvtltd@[Link] , remtender007@[Link]
Website: [Link]
ROORKEE EQUIPMENT & MODELS, ROORKEE
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OBJ ECTIVE: To determine moisture content and dry density relationship using heavy
and light compaction or modified compaction
Specification
Universal automatic compactor with mould
Electrical operated motor single phase
Mould diameter 100 mm & 150 mm
Rammer –circular face diameter 50 mmm with weight 2.6 kg & 4.9 kg
Drop -310 mm or 450 mm
Metal mould (volume = 1000 cm3)
Balance (capacity = 10 kg, least count = 1g)
Oven (105 to 1100C)
Sieve (19 mm)
Metal rammer (weight = 4.9 kg)
Theory : The Proctor compaction test is a laboratory method of experimentally
determining the optimal moisture content at which a given soil type will become most
dense and achieve its maximum dry density.
Test Procedure
1. Dry the soil sample by exposing it to air or sun light.
2. Sieve the air dried soil through 19 mm sieve.
3. Add suitable amount of water with the soil and mix it thoroughly. For sandy and
gravelly soil add 3% to 5% of water. For cohesive soil the amount of water to be
added should be 12% to 16% below the plastic limit.
4. Weigh the mould with base plate attached to the nearest 1g. Record this weight as
‘W1’.
5. Attach the extension collar with the mould.
6. Compact the moist soil into the mould in five layers of approximately equal mass,
each layer being given 25 blows, with the help of 4.9 kg rammer, dropped from a
height of 450 mm above the soil. The blows must be distributed uniformly over the
surface of each layer.
ROORKEE EQUIPMENT & MODELS, ROORKEE
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7. After completion of the compaction operation, remove the extension collar and
level carefully the top of the mould by means of straightedge.
8. Weigh the mould with the compacted soil to the nearest 1 g. Record this weight as
‘W2’.
9. After weighing remove the compacted soil from the mould and place it on the
mixing tray. Determine the water content of a representative sample of the
specimen. Record the moisture content as ‘M’.
10. Broken up the remainder of the specimen and repeat step 5 to step 9 by adding
suitable increment of water to the soil. For sandy and gravelly soils the
increment in general is 1% to 2%. For cohesive soils the increment in general
is 2% to 4%.
11. The total no. of determinations made shall be at least five, and the moisture
contents should be such that the optimum moisture content, at which the maximum
dry density occurs, is within that range
Calculation
Bulk density, γb in g/cm3 of each compacted specimen is calculated from the following
equation.
γb = (W2-W1)/Vm
where,
W1 = Weight in g of mould + base plate
W2 = Weight in g of mould + base plate + soil
Vm = Volume of mould i.e. 1000 cm3.
ROORKEE EQUIPMENT & MODELS, ROORKEE