INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI

Department of Civil Engineering

CVP222 Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory

MEMORANDUM

To: CVP222 Students Date: April 1, 2025

From: Sumeet Kumar Sinha

Subject: Proctor compaction test

Purpose: This laboratory experiment aims to determine the maximum dry density and optimum
moisture content of a given soil sample using the Proctor Compaction method.

ASTM and IS Standard Methods:

▪ IS 2720 (PART VII) – Method of Test for Soils- Determination of Water Content-Dry Density
Relation Using Light Compaction.
▪ IS 2720 (PART VIII) – Method of Test for Soils- Determination of Water Content-Dry
Density Relation Using Heavy Compaction.
▪ ASTM D698 – Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil
Using Standard Effort.
▪ ASTM D1557-07 – Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil
Using Modified Effort.

Equipment:

1. Sample Preparation
▪ Oven-dried soil
▪ 4.75 mm sieve
▪ Distilled water
▪ Measuring cylinder
▪ Large mixing pan
▪ Spatula
▪ Scraper
2. Compaction mould assembly
▪ Cylindrical mould
▪ Detachable base plate
▪ Removable collar
3. Standard proctor hammer
4. Oven
5. Balance
6. Water content tins
7. Balance
Procedure:

Sample Preparation

1. Take a representative 3 kg sample of oven-dried fine soil. Ensure that the sample contains an
even mix of the soil sample passing through a 20 mm sieve.
2. Add water to the soil sample to achieve a moisture content of approximately 10% of the weight
of the soil sample.
3. Thoroughly and uniformly mix the water and soil until a consistent moisture content is
achieved with minimal lumps as shown in Figure 1.
4. Now perform the compaction testing

Figure 1. Mixing soil sample with water in the large mixing pan.

Compaction Testing

1. Clean, dry, and lightly grease the compaction mould assembly shown in Figure 2.
2. Fill the mould with the soil from the large pan up to 1/3rd the height of the complete height
including collar.
3. A hammer is allowed to freely fall from a specified height to the mould, delivering 25 evenly
distributed blows to each layer. There are two types of hammer (a) Standard proctor hammer
(b) Modified proctor hammer, as shown in Figure 3. After delivering 25 no of blows to each
layer, pour the next batch of soil and prepare the layer for compaction.
4. After compacting the final layer, unscrew the fasteners of the collar. Gently twist the collar to
break the bond with the compacted soil. Now, lift the collar slowly and take it off from the
assembly.
5. Trim off the excess soil, and level the top of the mould. Also, clean the outside of the mould
and the base plate.
6. Weigh the mould with the compacted soil and the base plate and record in Table 1.
7. Remove the soil from the mould and obtain representative soil samples from the bottom,
middle, and top of the compacted soil. Weigh the soil samples and place them in a drying oven
at a temperature of 105°C to 110°C for 24 hours for water content determination.
8. Repeat the entire procedure outlined above for soil samples with incremental moisture contents
of 3% each time till a dip in the total weight is observed.

Figure 2. Components of the compaction mould assembly. Fall Height

Fall Height

Standard Proctor Modified Proctor

Hammer Hammer
(Weight = 2.6 Kg) (Weight = 4.89 Kg)
(Fall Height = 31 cm) (Fall Height = 45 cm)

Figure 3. Hammer used in proctor compaction tests.

Formula and Calculations:

1. Compute the water content (w)

𝑚𝑤
𝑤 = (1)
𝑚𝑠

where:
𝑤 = water content
𝑚𝑤 = mass of water (gm)
𝑚𝑠 = mass of dried soil (gm)

2. Compute the total density (𝝆𝒕 )

𝑚𝑡
𝜌𝑡 = 𝑘𝑔/𝑐𝑐 (2)
𝑉𝑡
𝑚𝑡
𝜌𝑡 = × 9.81 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3 (3)
𝑉𝑡
where,
𝜌𝑡 = total density (kN/m3)
𝑚𝑡 = total mass (kg)
𝑉𝑡 = total volume (cc)

3. Compute the dry density (𝝆𝒅 )

𝜌𝑡
𝜌𝑑 = (4)
1 + 𝑤

where,
𝜌𝑑 = dry density (kN/m3)
𝜌𝑡 = total density (kN/m3)
𝑤 = water content.

4. Compute the dry density (𝝆𝒅 ) for specific saturation level (S) and water content (w)

𝜌𝑤 · 𝑆
𝜌𝑑 = (5)
𝑆
𝑤 +𝐺
𝑠

For a fully saturated condition (S=1), 𝜌𝑑 represents the dry density of soil having zero air voids
𝜌𝑤
𝜌𝑑 = (6)
1
𝑤 +𝐺
𝑠
where,
𝜌𝑤 = water density = 10 kN/m3
𝑆 = saturation level (%)
𝑤 = water content
𝐺𝑠 = specific gravity of soil particles (2.65 is a reasonable assumption)
5. Compute the void ratio (e) knowing the saturation level and water content as

𝑆 · 𝑒 = 𝐺𝑠 · 𝑤 (7)

where,
𝑒 = void ratio
𝑆 = saturation (%)
𝑤 = water content (%)

Action in the laboratory

1. Measure the diameter (D), length (L), and weight (W) of the empty mould with the base plate
and fill in Tables 1 and 2.
2. Mix the soil with the predefined volume of water and compact it with the specified hammer
3. Measure the weight of the compacted soil sample including the mould and base plate after
scraping and leveling.
4. Take a representative sample of compacted soil and put it in the oven to measure the precise
moisture content.
5. Repeat the test with increasing water content until a dip in the total weight is observed.
6. Record the maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) for each
moisture level tested. These parameters are essential for compaction control in construction
and engineering projects.

Deliverables:

The discussion in the submitted report should cover the following points. You are required to
strictly follow the template provided as the sample report shared on Canvas.

• Discuss the field application of compaction test.

• Discuss what is meant by the dry side and wet side of optimum. Why does the dry density
first increase, attains a maximum and then decrease with water content?.
• Discuss the significance of zero air void line and the line of optimum.
• Discuss which proctor test will give a higher maximum density and why?

The attachment in the report must include the following tables and figures:
• Table 1. Summary of standard proctor test observations.
• Table 2. Water Content Determinations
• The compaction curve plotted between dry density and water content (as shown in Figure 4
and 5) clearly depicting the following
- Maximum dry density (𝛾𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑥) and corresponding optimum moisture content (OMC).
- Zero air void line (Determined using equation (6))
- Line of optimum.
- Comparison of coampaction curve between the standard and modified proctor test.
Figure 4. Illustration of typical compaction curve.

Figure 5. Compaction curve for standard and modified proctor test.

Observation Tables:

Table 1. Summary of the compaction test.

Test Specification
Soil Name
Soil Classification
Diameter of the mould (cm)
Height of the mould (cm)
Volume of soil inside the mould (cm3 )
Blows/Layer
No of Layers
Observation during the Compaction Test

Sample Number 1 2 3 4 5
Target Water Content (%)
Mass of Water Added (gm)
Mass of Mold + Base Plate (gm)
Mass of Mold + Base Plate + Wet Soil (gm)
Wet density (gm/cc)
Dry Density (gm/cc)
Void Ratio
Saturation (%)

Table 2. Water content determination.

Sample Number 1 2 3 4 5
Moisture Can Number
Mass of Moisture Can (g)
Mass of Wet Soil + Moisture Can (g)
Mass of Dry Soil + Moisture Can (g)
Mass of Water (g)
Mass of Soil Solids (g)
Water Content (%)