Soils Laboratory

Overview/Purpose
The Soils Laboratory was established to train students to carry out experiments on soil samples to classify the soils in terms of their engineering properties and their suitability for construction and civil engineering purposes. Soils tested include those used in foundation bases for buildings, highways, airports, earth dams, and other construction projects. All equipment and apparatus in the lab is calibrated and used according to ASTM Standards and all tests are performed according to ASTM Test Specifications.

Types of Test:

• Field Classification of Soils
• Moisture Content Test
• Specific Gravity Test
• Atterberg Limits
  • Plastic Limit Test
  • Liquid Limit Test
  • Shrinkage Limit Test
• Grain Size Analysis
  • Sieve Analysis Test
  • Hydrometer Analysis Test
• Classification of Soils
  • According to USCS
  • According to AASHTO
  • According to USDA
• Determination of Moisture/ Density Relationship Test
• In-Place Density Testing
  • Sand-Cone Method
  • Rubber Balloon Method
  • Nuclear Density Gage Method
• Permeability Test
• Consolidation Test
• Unconfined Compression Test
• Triaxial Testing
  • Unconsolidated/ Undrained Test
  • Consolidated/ Undrained Test
  • Consolidated/ Drained Test
• Hydraulic Conductivity Test
• Methods of Field Sampling for Soils

• CEMT 120 Construction Systems and Materials
• CEMT 231 Soils Testing
• CEMT 430 Soils and Foundations
• CEMT 330 Construction Field Operations
• High School Lab Experience Sessions (Session #11)

• Ohaus Explorer 4000g Capacity Electronic Balances
• Nold De-Aerator Water System
• 250ml, 500ml, and 1000ml Specific Gravity Glass Pycnometers
• Gilson SP-2.5 Soil Sample Splitter ¼ cu. ft. capacity
• Plastic Limit Sets, Liquid Limit Sets with Drop Cup Apparatus
• Soil Dispersion Mixers with Baffled Cups
• 8" Sieves ranging from 1-1/2" to #200 sieve sizes
• Forney 8" Sieve Shaker Machine
• 151-H and 152-H Hydrometers, 1000ml glass cylinders
• Constant Temperature Bath for Hydrometer Cylinders
• 4" and 6" Proctor Molds with Standard and Modified Drop Hammers
• CBR Molds with Swell Plates, Indicator Tripods, and Surcharge Weights
• SoilTest Soil Compaction Machine CN 4235
• Sand Cone Density Apparatus with Base Plates
• Troxler 3440 Nuclear Density Gage
• Constant/Falling Head Permeameters with manometer tube
• 4" Metal Compaction Permeameters
• Lever Loading Oedometers for Consolidation Testing, 2" and 2.5" specimen sizes
• Soil Penetrometers, pocket type and kits
• Torvane Shear Tester Set
• Humboldt Flexpanel II Triaxial Testing Control Panel
• Humboldt TriScan50 Digital Triaxial Load Machine
• Humboldt Triaxial Cells with Pressure Transducers and accessories
• MasterLogger-200 with WinShear data acquisition software
• GeoSystem axial & direct shear testing software