Water Content in Soil

O: 1/X/-2/GTK/11

Objective:
This test is intended to determine the water content of soil samples which is the ratio of heavy water contained in the soil with the soil dry weight.

Equipments:

1. Tin Box
2. Weighing Balance
3. Oven
4. Desicator

Preparation of Sample:
The soil specimen should be representative of the soil mass. The quantity of the specimen taken would depend upon the gradation and the maximum size of particles  ( 1000 gram )

Procedure to determine Water Content In Soil By Oven Drying Method

1. Pray before starting practice.
2. Clean the Tin Box, dry it and weigh it (Weight ‘W1‘). 
3. Take the required quantity of the wet soil specimen in theTin Box and weigh it  (Weight ‘W2‘).
4. Place the Tin Box and wet soil , in the oven till its weight becomes constant. sample-preparation-oven-dry-method.  (Normally for 24 hours. 105 C)
5. When the soil has dried, remove the Tin Box from the oven, using desicator.
6. Find the weight ‘W3‘ of the Tin Box and the dry soil sample.
7. Pray after completion. 

Pictures:

 

 

Reporting of The Results

The water content:
w = [W2-W3] / [W3 -W1]*100%
An average of three determinations should be taken.
A sample calculation is shown above

Maintenance:

1. Clean waterproof tin box immediately after the experiment is finished.
2. Drying of silica gel which is in desicator periodically to eliminate absorbed water.