Laboratory Testing ~ tests for identifying and classifying soils with
regard to moisture content, liquid limit, plastic limit, particle size
distribution and bulk density are given in BS 1377.Bulk Density ~ this is the mass per unit volume which includes mass
of air or water in the voids and is essential information required
for the design of retaining structures where the weight of the
retained earth is an important factor.Shear Strength ~ this soil property can be used to establish its
bearing capacity and also the pressure being exerted on the
supports in an excavation. The most popular method to establish
the shear strength of cohesive soils is the Triaxial Compression
Test. In principle this test consists of subjecting a cylindrical
sample of undisturbed soil (75 mm long¾38 mm diameter) to a
lateral hydraulic pressure in addition to a vertical load. Three
tests are carried out on three samples (all cut from the same large
sample) each being subjected to a higher hydraulic pressure before
axial loading is applied. The results are plotted in the form of
Mohr's circles.Soil Assessment and Testing