UNIVERSITY OF VOCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY
SAND CONE TEST
Name of Instructor: - Mr. K.K.W. Premathilaka.
Group Members: -
G.K. Najith Dhamsara
M.S.M. Karunathilaka Name: - G.K. Najith Dhamsara
P.H.C.K.Wajirarathna Course: - City & Guilds Graduate
H.D.U. Indrajith Diploma in Civil Engineering
G.G.G.N. Silva Index No.: - 501556
J.K.C.R. Jayakodi Date of Performance: - 20/03/2016
A.M.C.N.D. Wijesooriya Date of submitting: - 25/01/2018
SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
COURS WORK FEED BACK FORM
Allocated Marks Instructor's
Item Description
Marks Obtained comment/Remarks
1 Cover Page 5
2 Diaram 15
3 Procedure 10
4 Calculaton,Table & Graph 30
5 Result & Conclution 10
6 Discussion & Reference 20
7 Overall neatness & Orderness 5
8 On Time Submission 5
100
Total Sumission
Final Result Pass/Fail
Laboratory Stamps
G.K. Najith Dhamsara 2 of 11
SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
DIAGRAM FOR THE APPERATURES
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SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
OBJECTIVES
To compute in-situ moisture content, bulk density and dry density.
APPARATUS
1. Sand pouring apparatus.
2. Standard sand.
3. Soil tray with central hole.
4. Balance (sensitivity 1.0g)
5. Balance (sensitivity 0.001g))
6. Containers to determine moisture content.
7. Digging tool.
8. Calibration container.
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SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
THEORY
To determine the insity density of material (soil),
Then to determine the dry density of excavated material (Soil),
Then,
Weight of the sand in the container + cone = w1 - w3
Weight of sand in the cone = w2
Weight of the sand in the container = w1 - w3 - w2
Volume of the container (V1) =
Bulk density of sand ( ) =
Volume of the excavated hole (V) =
In-situ bulk density of the soil ( ) =
Moisture content of the soil (w) = 100%
In-situ Dry density of the soil ( ) =
Compaction ratio in this test = 100
W1 = Weight of cylinder + sand filled up to mm from top edge.
W3 = Weight of cylinder with balance sand after pouring into calibration container
and cone.
W2 = Weight of sand in the cone.
W4 = Weight of cylinder + Sand after pouring into excavated hole and cone.
W5 = Weight of moisture can.
W6 = Weight of moisture can + Wet excavated soil.
W7 = Weight of moisture can + dry excavated soil.
W = weight of excavated soil.
G.K. Najith Dhamsara 5 of 11
SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
PROCEDURE
1. Removed the top cap of sand pouring cylinder and closed the shutter and filled it with dry test
sand. Up to about 10 mm from the top and replaced the cap.
2. Weighed the cylinder with the sand and recorded it nearest to 1g (W1).
3. Placed the sand pouring cylinder on a plane surface and opened the shutter till the sand filled up
the cone fully.
4. When there is a no visible movement of sand, closed the shutter and collected the sand which
occupy the cone carefully from plate and weighted (W2).
5. Refilled the sand pouring cylinder up to about 10mm from the top and replaced the cap (W1).
6. Placed the cylinder centrally on the top of the calibration container and opened the shutter.
7. Closed the shutter when the sand filled up the calibration container and cone completely and
weighted the remaining sand with the cylinder (W3).
8. Repeated the step 3 to 7 at least 3 times to obtain a average values for W2 and W3.
9. Measured the Internal diameter and the height of the calibration container.
10. Cleaned and levelled off the 45 cm2 of the site where density determination is to be made.
11. Placed the metal tray with central hole on the prepared surface and excavated the test hole up
to desired depth.
12. Carefully collected the excavated material in to the metal container and weighted it (W).
13. Again, re-filled the sand pouring cylinder up to about 10mm from the top and replaced the cap
(W1).
14. Removed the metal tray with central hole and placed the sand pouring cylinder centrally on the
test hole with cone and opened the shutter.
15. Closed the shutter after there is no movement of sand and weighted the cylinder again with
balance sand (W4).
16. Taken the 3 samples to determine the water content of the excavated soil.
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SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
OBSERVATION
Weight of cylinder + sand filled up to 10mm from top edge (W1) = 9500.00 g
Internal diameter of calibration container (D) = 16.69 cm
Internal height of the calibration container (H) = 18.21 cm
Weight of the excavated soil (W) = 2879.5 g
Weight of cylinder + sand after pouring into excavated hole
And cone (W4) = 5962.5g
MDD value = 1.840
Test No.
1 2 3
Weight of sand in the cone (W2) 1413.5
Weight of cylinder with balance
sand after pouring into
2513.0
calibration container and cone
(W3)
Test No.
1 2 3
Weigh of moisture can (W5) 10.5 10.5
Weight of moisture can + Wet
124.0 112.0
excavated soil (W6)
Weight of moisture can + dry
115.0 104.0
excavated soil (W7)
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SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
CALCULATIONS
Weight of the sand in the container + cane = w1 - w3
= 9500.00 – 2513.00
= 6987.00 g
Weight of the sand in the cone (W2) = 1413.50 g
Weight of the cylinder with balance sand after
pouring into calibration container and cone (W3) =2513.00 g
Weight of the sand in the container = w1 - w3 - w2
= 9500.0 – 2513.0 – 1413.5
= 5573.5 g
Volume of container (V1) =
.
= 18.21
= 3983.94 cm3
Bulk density of sand ( ) =
.
=
.
= 1.399 gcm-3
Volume of the excavated hole (V) =
. . .
=
.
= 1518.23 cm3
In-situ bulk density of the soil ( ) =
.
=
.
= 1361.27 gcm-3
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SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
Determining the water content of the excavated soil,
Consider sample 01,
Wsample1 = 100%
. .
= 100%
. .
= 8.61%
Consider Sample 2,
. .
Wsample2 = . .
100%
= 8.56%
. .
Average water content =
= 8.59%
In-situ dry density of the soil ( ) =
.
= .
= 1248.87 gcm-3
Compaction ratio in this test = 100
.
= .
100
= 67873.39
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SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
CONCLUSION
Insitu bulk density of the soil = 1361.27 gcm-3
Water content of the soil = 8.59%
In-situ dry density of the soil = 1248.87 gcm-3
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SAND CONE TEST
City and Guilds, Graduate Programs
University of Vocational Technology
DISCUSSION
There is some errors are possible in this experiment.
1. There may be an error can occur in weighting the soil mass and sand mass.
by using high sensitivity balance, we can avoid it.
2. There may be can error can occur in measuring the depth and diameter to calculate the volume
of calibration container.
Then, by falling the distilled water in the calibration container and can get the wanted
water volume. Then it is equal to the volume of calibration container.
3. There may be an error if when we met a rubble pieces when we are digging the hole then we
have to neglect it.
It will give a wrong mass soil according to the volume.
There are several methods for the determination of field density of soils.
1. Core cutter method,
In this method, we used a core to get a soil sample from ground by applying or
hammering the pressure on the core to get undisturbed soil sample to determine the
bulk density, water content and dry density.
2. Rubber balloon method,
In this, we use a apparatus which connected a rubber balloon by the pressure variation.
We can determine the of the soil this method mainly use for soft soils.
In this experiment which we used method is called “sand replacement method”.
In this method we can determine the field density of a soil easily in minimum time.
References.
1. Soil mechanic and engineering geology lecture note.
2. Practical guide sheet
3. Internet.
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