Experiment No.

1
WATER CONTENT IN SOIL

Scope

This method of test is intended for determining the hygroscopic water content of soils by oven
drying to constant weight.

Apparatus

1. Container (e.g., tin or aluminum with lids)

2. Balance, sensitive to 0.1 gram
3. Oven with temperature control
4. Dessicator
5. Tongs or suitable holder for moving and handling hot containers
6. Sieve No. 10, No. 4, 3/8 sieve

Test Specimen

The minimum mass of moist material selected to be representative of the total sample shall be
in accordance with the following:

Maximum Particle Size Standard Recommended Minimum Mass of

(100% passing) Sieve Size Moist Test Specimen for Water
Content Reported to +0.1 %
2 mm or less No. 10 20 g *
4.75 mm No. 4 20 g *
9.5 mm 3
/8-in. 50 g
19.0 mm -in. 250 g
37.5 mm 1 -in. 1 kg
75.0 mm 3-in. 5 kg
Note * To be representative not less than 20 g shall be used.

Procedure

1. Weigh the clean and dry specimen container (and its lid, if used) and record as Wc.
2. Select a representative sample of the soil, place in the container and cover immediately.
Weigh and record as W1.
3. Open the container and dry in the oven to constant weight at a temperature of 110 + 5 oC.
The drying time will depend on the kind of soil and size of sample. A 25-gram sandy
material can be dried at about 2 hours, while the same weight of a plastic, fine-grained soil
will require at least 4 hours to dry at constant weight.
4. Remove the container from the oven and cool to room temperature. Weigh and record as
W2.

A sample may be cooled at room humidity within an hour after it has been removed from the
oven. If it cannot be weighed within this period, it should be placed in a dessicator to cool to
room temperature. This is especially significant if the soil is very plastic and the room
humidity is high. Weighing hot container is not advisable as it affects the accuracy of results.

Calculation

Equation:

W1 Wc W2 Wc
w 100%
W2 Wc
where:
w water content of soil (expressed as a percentage)
W1 weight of container plus moist soil (grams)
W2 weight of container plus oven-dry soil (grams)
Wc weight of container (grams)

Questions
1. Is the moisture content of soil expressed as a percentage of the weight or as a percentage of
the volume of the soil?
2. What are the six categories of soil types identified in the ASTM classification system?
3. For which soil type is surface forces important? Why?
4. Can you remove the adsorbed water by oven drying at 105C? Explain.
5. When a soil sample is dried in an oven during the moisture content determination test, what
standard is used to determine that the sample is completely dry?
6. Why is it not recommended to leave an oven-dried sample in the open air for a long time
before measuring its dry weight?
7. Excluding oven drying, are there other methods to determine the water content of soils?
8. Soil must be baked in an oven to drive off the moisture during a moisture content
determination test. Is there an approved ASTM method for using a microwave oven for this
test?
9. Is it possible to measure the water content of sands?
10. Why do we use a fixed temperature range to dry soils? What is the effect on soils of
microwave drying?
11. What is the function of the container lid and dessicator when determining the water
content of soil?
 PRELIMINARY DATA SHEET

Name: ___________________________________ Group No._____________________

Course/Section: ____________________________ Date: _________________________

Experiment No. 1
WATER CONTENT IN SOIL

Sieve No. #4 # 10
Trial No. 1 2 1 2
Weight of wet soil + container (grams)
Weight of oven-dry soil + container (grams)
Weight of wet soil (grams)
Weight of oven-dry soil (grams)
Weight of container (grams)
Moisture loss (grams)
Water content, w (%)
Average water content (%)
Average water content (%)

___________________________ ___________________________
Students Signature Instructors Signature
 FINAL DATA SHEET

Name: ___________________________________ Group No._____________________

Course/Section: ___________________________ Date: _________________________

Experiment No. 1
WATER CONTENT IN SOIL

Sieve No. #4 # 10
Trial No. 1 2 1 2
Weight of wet soil + container (grams)
Weight of oven-dry soil + container (grams)
Weight of wet soil (grams)
Weight of oven-dry soil (grams)
Weight of container (grams)
Moisture loss (grams)
Water content, w (%)
Average water content (%)
Average water content (%)

___________________________
Students Signature