Experiment (3) : Hydrometer analysis

Introduction
In geotechnical engineering, hydrometer analysis is primarily used
to know the grain size distribution of a fine-grained soil, The
particle size distribution of soil containing a significant number of
finer particles (silt and clay) cannot be performed by sieve analysis,
the hydrometer analysis is a widely used method of obtaining an
estimate of the distribution of soil particle sizes from the #200
(0.075 mm) sieve to 0.001 mm.
In hydrometer analysis, a soil specimen is dispersed in water, in a
dispersed state in the water, the soil particles will settle
individually, it is assumed that the soil particles are spheres, then
hydrometer analysis is based on Stokes law. According to this law,
the velocity at which grains settle out of suspension, all other
factors being equal, is dependent upon the shape, weight, and size
of the grain, and In the case of soil, it is assumed that the soil
particles are spherical and have the same specific gravity, therefore
we can say that in a soil-water suspension the coarser particles will
settle more quickly than the finer ones.

Objectives
1) To measure the specific gravity of soil water suspension at depth
L at given time .
2) To determine the particle size distribution of fine-grained soil
(pass from sieve #200), using a hydrometer.

Abstract
Hydrometer analysis is essential for obtaining the complete particle
size distribution of such soils, and the particle size distribution
obtained from sieve analysis may be combined with the data from a
hydrometer analysis to produce a complete gradation curve, so it is
possible to approximate the percentage of silt and clay particles
present in the finer portion from the hydrometer analysis.
In case of fine grained soil, sieve analysis test does not give reliable
test result, this because a fine grained soil consist of different sizes
of particles starting from 0.075 mm and it is not practicable to
design sieve having so smaller screen size, also there is a chance of
lost of sample during sieve, so therefore hydrometer analysis is
done for grain size analysis of fine grained soils.
Some important formulas we used for calculations in this test …
1) Rcp = R + FT –FZ
2) α = [Gs (1.65)]/ ((Gs-1)×2.65)
3) FT = - 4.85 + 0.25 T
4) Percent Finer(%) = (α*Rcp/50)*100
5) RcL = R + Fm
6) D (mm) = A *(L/Time)0.5

Materials and Equipment

1. ASTM 152-Hydrometer.
2. Mixer.
3. Two l000-cc graduated cylinders.
4. Thermometer.
5. Constant temperature bath.
6. Deflocculating agent.
7. Spatula.
8. Beaker and Balance.
9. Plastic squeeze bottle.
10. Distilled water.
11. No. 12 rubber stopper.

Procedure
1. Take 50 g of oven-dry, well-pulverized soil in a beaker.
2. Prepare a deflocculating agent. Usually a 4% solution of sodium
hexametaphosphate (Calgon) is used.
3. Take 125 cc of the mixture prepared in Step 2 and add it to the
soil taken in Step 1.
4. Take a IOOO-cc graduated cylinder and add 875 cc of distilled
water plus 125 cc of deflocculating agent in it. Mix the solution well.
5. Put the cylinder (from Step 4) in a constant temperature bath.
Record the temperature of the bath, T (in 0c).
6. Put the hydrometer in the cylinder (Step 5). Record the reading.
7. Using a spatula, thoroughly mix the soil prepared in Step 3. pour
it into the mixer cup.
8. Add distilled water to the cup to make it about two-thirds full.
Mix it for about two minutes using the mixer.
9. Pour the mix into the second graduated 1000-cc cylinder. Make
sure that all of the soil solids are washed out of the mixer cup. Fill
the graduated cylinder with distilled water to bring the water level
up to the 1000-cc mark.
10. Secure a No. 12 rubber stopper on the top of the cylinder (Step
9). Mix the soil-water well by turning the soil cylinder upside down
several ,times.
11. Put the cylinder into the constant temperature bath next to the
cylinder described in Step 5. Record the time immediately.
12. Take hydrometer readings at cumulative times t = 0.25 min., 0.5
min., 1 min., and 2 min. Always read the upper level of the
meniscus.
13. Take the hydrometer out after two minutes an<l put it into the
cylinder next to it (Step5).
14. Hydrometer readings are to be taken at time t = 4 min., 8 min.,
15 min., 30 min., 1hr., 2 hr., 4 hr., 8 hr., 24 hr. and 48 hr. For each
reading, insert the hydrometer into the cylinder containing the soil-
water suspension about 30 seconds before the reading is due. After
the reading is taken, remove the hydrometer and put it back into
the cylinder next to it (Step 5).

Results and Calculation

Temp = 18 CO Weight = 50.05 g α = 0.9784

Gs Fm FZ FT
2.75 +1 7 -0.35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Hydromete
Time Percent
r Rcp Rcl L (cm) A D (mm)
(min) Finer
Reading,R
42.65 83.457 0.0382
1 50 51 7.9 0.0136
2
39.65 77.587 0.0278
2 47 48 8.4 0.0136
7
36.65 71.716 0.0202
4 44 45 8.9 0.0136
8
33.65 65.846 0.0147
8 41 42 9.4 0.0136
4
29.65 58.019 0.0108
16 37 38 10.1 0.0136
0
28.65 56.062 0.0079
30 36 37 10.2 0.0136
3
6.65 13.012 0.0013
1440 14 15 13.8 0.0136
3
 90

80

70

60
Percent finer

50

40

30

20

10

0
0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001
Grain size D(mm)

Sample Calculation
 α = [Gs (1.65)]/ ((Gs-1)×2.65) = 0.9784
 FT = - 4.85 + 0.25 T = - 0.35

Discussions
In our experiment, the particle size distribution of soil with fine
particles of diameter smaller than 0.075 mm was determined using
a hydrometer, where we initially used a sample of 50.05 g of soil
and prepared 4% of calcium as a discharging agent and measured
the temperature where it was equal to 18 degrees Celsius, and we
recorded the values of the correction coefficients where they were
Fz = 7 and the value of Fm = 1, and also after calculating the value
of the temperature correction factor (FT) it was equal to -0.35, And
the correction value of the specific gravity at a specific gravity of
2.75 equals 0.9784 and the value of Variation of A at a temperature
of 18 Celsius equals (0.0136) and then we find the percentage of
passing through each reading of the hydrometer, and we find the
graph between this percentage and the grain size every time, and
we note that the exact percentage calculated from the sieve
analysis for a specific grain size does not match that calculated from
the hydrometer analysis and the grain sizes obtained from the sieve
analysis are the least soil grain sizes, and the grain sizes obtained
from Hydrometers are the diameters of the equivalent fields of soil
grains.
Errors in this experiment can be caused by:
1) The cylinder may not be full and some water may come off.
2) You did not take the reading exactly on time.
3) You did not take the L&A values from the tables accurately.

Conclusion
1) A hydrometer analysis gives results from which the percent of soil finer
than 0.002 mm in Diameter can be estimated.
It is generally accepted that the percent finer than 0.002 mm in
Size is clay or clay-size fractions.

2) Most clay particles are smaller than 0.001 mm, and 0.002 mm is the upper
limit, the presence of clay in a soil contributes to its plasticity.

3) We show that the diameter of grain size is decreasing with time.

4) The degree of the clay grain settle is depending on:
- Viscosity of water.
- Diameter of particle.
- The temperature during the experiment.
5) The value of R, Rcp, percent finer, Rcl, D , decreases with time but the
value of L increases with time.
6) We show that the reading of the hydrometer is decreased with time.
7) This experiment to classify the soil that has a particle size less than
0.001mm.