questionable proctor results
questionable proctor results
(OP)
I have a soil with a LL=181 PL=136 PI=45
some type of volcanic ash... we are running a proctor and getting some unexpected results.
pt1 max den=29.5pcf m%=146
pt2 max den=35.5pcf m%=128
pt3 max den=32.5pcf m%=118
the field moisture was 180%+ so we have been drying it running the tests along the way.
so according to this the max dry dens is around 35.9pcf and m% 131.5
is that reasonable? im gonna keep drying it out and see what happens.
some type of volcanic ash... we are running a proctor and getting some unexpected results.
pt1 max den=29.5pcf m%=146
pt2 max den=35.5pcf m%=128
pt3 max den=32.5pcf m%=118
the field moisture was 180%+ so we have been drying it running the tests along the way.
so according to this the max dry dens is around 35.9pcf and m% 131.5
is that reasonable? im gonna keep drying it out and see what happens.





RE: questionable proctor results
Are you actually going to compact this material? And if so, what is the application. I would bet that the material is highly unstable.
RE: questionable proctor results
RE: questionable proctor results
RE: questionable proctor results
RE: questionable proctor results
RE: questionable proctor results
I'm not sure that's how I'd look at it. I'd more likley say, "Talk about some low specific gravity!"
f-d
¡papá gordo ain't no madre flaca!
RE: questionable proctor results
He is only a couple pounds off the zero air voids curve, with a SpG of 2.6, at pt2.
I was more referring to the LL=181 PL=136 PI=45. This stuff can take on water.
RE: questionable proctor results
¡papá gordo ain't no madre flaca!
RE: questionable proctor results
Any idea about the mineralogy? Shrink and swell? Seems like MH is always weird, and this is well below the A line.
Keep us posted as you find out more about it.
DRG
RE: questionable proctor results
I don't have the exact numbers in front of me but... The max dry den laity kept going up as it got drier. Last I saw was around 55% moisture with a max dy den if around 60ish. Still not great material but now as bad as initial readings.
Th odd part is that it compacts well at those high moistures (100+) so the lab guys didn't see anything wrong.
The specific gravity does seem low as well.
I'm gonna keep drying it out.
RE: questionable proctor results
I was looking at the break you have in the curve points, and comparing to the PL, as dgillette did, so things looked like they were making sense. Do you have a gradation on the material as well? Curious to see that.
f-d, how did you get Gs from that info?
RE: questionable proctor results
For any given dry density there is a saturation moisture content. This is dependent on specific gravity of the soil grains. It wouldn't surprise me if the saturation moisture content (when you are in the 125% range) is close to 100. So, you can calculate the specific gravity required to get that density (i.e., cause you claimed saturation).
You can do this for 90 or 95 percent saturation too. Typically the optimum moisture content is 90 to 95 percent saturation. Greater as you slide down wet side of the moisture-density relationship.
I'm in Virginia, but never seen dry densities below 85 pcf. In Panama, I had a project where the maximum dry density was about 60 pcf - volcanic in origin.
f-d
¡papá gordo ain't no madre flaca!
RE: questionable proctor results
RE: questionable proctor results
RE: questionable proctor results
RE: questionable proctor results
m% Dryden
76.6 38.3
53.2 44.4
40.1 50.2
32.3 52.2
giving specific gravity around 1.1 and still no max dry den. but at least we are back into a more "normal" range. like i said earlier the soil compacts well at very high moisture and was not muddy or mushy at all. just by looking at it you cant tell it is half water.
the lab did do a cbr at the high moisture because they thought they knew the max dry den... and "letrab" you may be right... they couldnt "jack" the sample out of the cbr after soak. there is a "limitless" supply of this stuff on the big island of hawaii.
RE: questionable proctor results
f-d
¡papá gordo ain't no madre flaca!