2.

2 Determination of Particle Sizes of Soils

Sub-topic contents
2.2.1 Engineering Vs Index Properties of soils
2.2.2 Particle Size of Coarse-Grained Soils
2.2.3 Particle Size of Fine-Grained Soils
2.2.4 Characterization of Soils Based on Particle Size

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2.2.1 Engineering Vs Index Properties of soils
• Engineering Properties : are permeability, compressibility and shear
strength
• Index Properties : Rough assessment about the properties of soils without
performing elaborate testing
• The index properties of soils can be studied in a general way under two
classes. They are:
1. Soil grain properties:
• The principal soil grain properties are the size and shape of grains and
the mineralogical character of the finer fractions (applied to clay soils).
2. Soil aggregate properties:
• The most significant aggregate property of cohesionless soils is the
relative density, whereas that of cohesive soils is the consistency.
• Strength and compressibility are functions of relative density in case of
cohesionless soils and are functions of the consistency in case of
cohesive soils

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2.2.1 Particle Size of Coarse-Grained Soils (Sieve
Analysis)
• The distribution of particle size or average grain diameter
of coarse-grained soils (gravels and sands) is obtained by
screening a known weight of the soil through a stack of
sieves of progressively finer mesh size

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Short Summary for sieve analysis test
• A known weight of dry soil is placed on the largest
sieve (the top sieve) and the nest of sieves is then
placed on a vibrator, called a sieve shaker, and shaken
for about 10 min. The nest of sieves is dismantled, one
sieve at a time. The soil retained on each sieve is
weighed and the percentage of soil retained on each
sieve is calculated.

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Data analysis for sieve analysis
Calculation of soil Retained on each sieves
• Let W i be the weight of the soil retained on the ith
sieve from the top of the nest of sieves and W be the
total soil weight. The percent weight retained is:
Wi
% Retained on i th seive   100
W
Calculation of Percent finer
i
% Finer than ith seive  100   (% Retainedon ith seive)
i 1

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Particle Size Distribution Curve
• Also called gradation curve, is a graph of percent of
particles finer than a given sieve (not the percent
retained) as the ordinate versus the logarithm of the
particle sizes

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 Total Mass Taken
Example: 1 =
1845 g

Sieve Mass of Mass of soil Percentage of Cumulative

Mass of Cumulative percent
size sieve+soil retained on each mass retained on Percent Remark
sieve(g) retained
(mm) (g) sieve(g) each sieve finer
All size are below 37.5
37.5 715 715 0 0.0 0.0 100.0
mm
25 710.6 710.6 0 0.0 0.0 100.0 All size are below 25 mm
19 697.6 700.5 2.9 0.2 0.2 99.8 Some of them passed
12.5 655.2 712.3 57.1 3.1 3.3 96.7 Some of them passed
9.5 679.5 701.2 21.7 1.2 4.4 95.6 Some of them passed
4.75 722 900.1 178.1 9.7 14.1 85.9 Some of them passed
2.00 320.0 629.1 309.1 16.8 30.9 69.1 Some of them passed
0.425 377.0 790.1 413.1 22.4 53.3 46.7 Some of them passed
0.075 372.0 629.2 257.2 14.0 67.3 32.7 Some of them passed
pan 365.5 968.4 602.9 32.7 100.0 0.0 No passing
Total = 1842.1
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 Plot the particle size distribution for above.
100

80
Percent Finer (%)

60

40

20

0
100 10 1 0.1 0.01

Particle Diameter (mm)

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 100

80
Percent of Retained (%)

60

40

20

0
100 10 1 0.1 0.01

Particle Diameter (mm)

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 2.2.3 Particle Size of Fine-Grained Soils
(Hydrometer Analysis)
• The screening process can not be used for fine-grained
soils – silts and clays – because of their extremely
small size.
• The common laboratory method to determine the size
distribution of fine-grained soils is the hydrometer test
• This method depends upon variations in the density of
a soil suspension contained in a 1000 mL graduated
cylinder.
• The density of the suspension is measured with a
hydrometer at determined time intervals; then the
coarsest diameter of particles in suspension at a given
time and the percentage of particles finer than that
coarsest (suspended) diameter are computed.
• These computations are based on Stokes‘ formula
which is described below. 11
• If a single sphere is allowed to fall through a liquid of indefinite extent,
the terminal velocity, v can be expressed as,

Stokes' Law

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• Substitution of V=L/t and solving for D yields:

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 �
D=�∗ , where D is equivalent size of particle in mm
�

L is effective length in cm, which will be find from

table 8 by using corrected hydrometer reading
t is reading time in minutes

Where P is percentage of finer for hydrometer

Gs is specific gravity of soil
GT is specific gravity of water at test temperature
R is Corrected Hydrometer reading from H151
W is mass of soil taken in gm ( 50gm)
§ Adjusted percent fines is as follows: (Based on Sieve & Hydrometer)

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Where K is a function of temperature T, specific gravity Gs of particles and
viscosity of water.

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Summary for Hydrometer analysis test
• Take about 50 g of dry fine soil passing #200 sieve
• Add 125 mL of the dispersing agent (sodium
hexametaphosphate (40 g/L)) solution. Stir the mixture
until the soil is thoroughly wet. Let the soil soak for at
least ten minutes.
• Transfer the soil slurry into a mixer by adding more
distilled water, if necessary, until mixing cup is at least
half full. Then mix the solution for a period of two
minutes.

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• Immediately transfer the soil slurry into the empty
sedimentation cylinder. Add distilled water up to the mark.
• Cover the open end of the cylinder with a stopper and
secure it with the palm of your hand. Then turn the cylinder
upside down and back upright for a period of one minute.
(The cylinder should be inverted approximately 30 times
during the minute.)
• Set the cylinder down and record the time. Remove the
stopper from the cylinder.
• Take hydrometer readings after elapsed time of 2 and 5, 8,
15, 30, 60 minutes and 24 hours

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Data analysis for Hydrometer test
• Apply three corrections
a) Meniscus correction
b) Temperature correction and
c) Correction of Dispersing agent
• After applying these corrections, then find the
corrected hydrometer reading (R)

• From Table, obtain the effective hydrometer depth L in

cm (for meniscus corrected reading).

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 Grain size analysis of previous example

Based on Sieve Analysis

100

80
Percent Finer (%)

60

40

20

0
100 10 1 0.1 0.01

Particle Diameter (mm)

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 Example: Calculate percent fines for the previous example
Test type: Hydrometer Analysis
Gs= 2.85 Sample type: Disturbed (Oven dried)
Mtotal sample = 1842.1gm Test Temperature = 20oc
W = 50gm (for hydrometer) K = 0.0129 (for Gs=2.85 & 20oc) from table
F200 (%) =32.7 GT = 0.9982 (fot 20oc)

Elapsed time, (min) R L (effective depth) D (mm) P =CPFH (%) PA = CPFG (%)
0.25 1.0301 8.33 0.07445 98.19 32.11
0.5 1.0295 8.49 0.07314 96.34 31.50
1 1.0294 8.51 0.03764 96.04 31.40
2 1.029 8.62 0.02761 94.81 31.00
4 1.0285 8.75 0.01967 93.27 30.50
8 1.028 8.88 0.01402 91.73 29.99
15 1.0277 8.96 0.01028 90.80 29.69
30 1.0269 9.18 0.00736 88.34 28.89
60 1.0262 9.36 0.00525 86.19 28.18
120 1.0254 9.57 0.00376 83.72 27.38
240 1.0251 9.65 0.00267 82.80 27.08
480 1.0249 9.71 0.00189 82.18 26.87
1440 1.0248 9.73 0.00109 81.88 26.77
2880 1.0247 9.76 0.00077 81.57 26.6726
4320 1.0247 9.76 0.00063 81.57 26.67
Percent Finer (%) Based on Hydrometer analysis

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0
0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001

Particle Diameter (mm)

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Combined Gradation Curve
Particle size (mm) Cumulative Percent finer (%)
37.5 100.00
25 100.00
19 99.84
12.5 96.74
9.5 95.56
4.75 85.90
2.00 69.12
0.425 46.69
0.075 32.73
0.07445 32.11
0.07314 31.50
0.03764 31.40
0.02761 31.00
0.01967 30.50
0.01402 29.99
0.01028 29.69
0.00736 28.89
0.00525 28.18
0.00376 27.38
0.00267 27.08
0.00189 26.87
0.00109 26.77
0.00077 26.67
0.00063 26.67 28
 Combined gradation curve
100

80
Percent Finer (%)

60

40

20

0
100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001

Particle Diameter (mm) 29

Characterization of Soils Based on Particle Size
• Grading: is the distribution of particles of different
sizes in a soil mass
• Based on grading soils are classified as:
• Uniformly graded or poorly graded,
• Well graded,
• Gap graded
• Uniformly graded soils are represented by nearly
vertical lines as shown by curve ΙΙ. This represents
type of soil in which most of the soil grains are of the
same size Such soils will easily be displaced under
load and have less supporting power

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• A well-graded soil, represented by curve Ι, possesses a
wide range of particles sizes ranging from gravel to
clay size particles.
• Such soil is relatively stable, resistant to
erosion, can readily be compacted to a very
dense condition, and will develop high shearing
resistance and bearing capacity.
• A gap-graded soil, as shown by curve ΙΙΙ has some of
the sizes of particles missing. On this curve the soil
particles falling the range XY are missing.

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Coefficient of uniformity and curvature
• uniformity coefficient, Cu, defined as:

• Where D60 is the diameter of the soil particles for

which 60% of the particles are finer, and D10 is the
diameter of the soil particles for which 10% of the
particles are finer.

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• The other coefficient is the coefficient of curvature, CC
(other terms used are the coefficient of gradation and
the coefficient of concavity), defined as:

• Where D30 is the diameter of the soil particles for

which 30% of the particles are finer.
• If 1< CC <3 : well-graded soils
• CC outside of the range 1 to 3 : Gap graded
• The diameter D10 is called the effective size
• The diameter D50 is called the average size

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 100

80
Percent Finer (%)

60

40

20

0
100 10 D75 = 1 0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001
2.9 mm
Particle Diameter (mm)

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Example:
a) Calculate Cc and Cu for the soil considered in the previous example
determine the grading of the soil?
b) Determine the effective and the average sizes of the soil sample?
c) Determine the percentage of cobble, gravel, sand, silt and clay soil if
the size of Cobble > 80 mm,
Gravel > 4.75 mm,
Sand > 0.075 mm,
Silt > 0.002 mm
Clay < 0.002 mm

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