Writing Procedure for soil compaction Lab Report

Writing Procedure for soil compaction - Lab Report Example This helps in reducing void ratio. The main purpose of soil compaction is to reduce settlement under working loads, increase the soil shear strength, and prevent accumulation of large water pressures that may result in soil liquefaction during earth tremors. The following equipment will be necessary in order to achieve a proper soil compaction: 5 small tin containers; compact mould; metallic mixing pan and a plastic water bottle; weighing balance of up to 10kg for determining the weight of soil mass; a sieve; straight edged steel to smoothen soil sample ends; and a compaction hammer of about 5.5 lbs (Fang 262). The whole process begins by preparing the soil sample to be used during compaction. To begin with, a soil mass is taken and passed through a sieve so as to ensure that the right quantity and type of soil is obtained. The soil sample is passed through the sieve until 3-4 lbs of the sample is obtained. The sample soil is then wetted with the right quantity of water and missed thoroughly. Once this has been done, the wetted soil sample is carefully put into a plastic bag and left overnight (Fang 268). This is done to ensure that water in the soil sample is thoroughly absorbed so as to obtain homogeneous water content as shown in figure 1. However, before beginning compaction, it is important to set up equipments properly. As such, the compaction mold with the base plate is measured is weighed using the weighing balance and the measurement recorded (Fang 268). It is worth noting that the compact mold should be greased to prevent soil sample from sticking in the mold. After preparing the sample, the next procedure involves testing the compaction. The first step is to lock the mold, base and the collar plate together. The soil is added to the mold and filled until over half the mold is filled with loose soil. Then, using the compaction