Students Performing Unconsolidated Undrained Triaxial Test

The Geotechnical Laboratory is used in the required basic undergraduate course of Soil Mechanics. This Laboratory shares a surface area of 1,840 square feet with the Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory. It  is equipped with modern laboratory equipment including the following:

• Six table top consolidation apparatuses

• Direct/residual shear apparatus with 650 lb and 1000 lb proving rings

• Two California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test machines with 6000 lb and 11200 lb proving rings

• Triaxial test set for testing to confining pressure of up to 145 psi

• 10,000 lbf maximum capacity load frame fitted for unconfined compression test set with digital readout unit and 500 lb capacity load cell

• Standard laboratory equipment for carrying out variety of tests for determination of soil physical properties, permeability, compaction and strength characteristics.

In addition, the soil laboratory is provided with the state of the art data acquisition unit and testing software for more advanced testing. The School of Engineering has its own precision machine shop for the repair and modification of soil testing equipment. It also has support facilities that can help in data acquisition and result visualization to suit various industry and research needs.

Students conducting hydrometer test

Student performing Soil Consolidation Test

Following is the complete list of laboratory and field tests that can be carried in the Geotechnical Laboratory.

SOIL SAMPLING

Stainless steel hand auger with regular, mud and sand type augers and a split core sampler for collecting undisturbed samples to a depth of 15 feet

SOIL IDENTIFICATION AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Mechanical Analysis (ASTM D422)         

• Sieve Analysis

• Hydrometer Analysis

Percent Passing No. 200 Sieve (ASTM D1140)
Specific Gravity (ASTM D854)
Natural Water Content (ASTM D2216)
Atterberg Limits

• Liquid Limit (ASTM D4318)

• Plastic Limit (ASTM D4318)

• Shrinkage Factor (ASTM D427)

In-situ Moisture Content – Speedy Moisture Tester (ASTM D4944)
Organic Content (ASTM D2974)
Aggregate Unit Weight Determination (ASTM C29)
Sand Equivalent Test (ASTM D2419)
Soil Classification USCS (ASTM D2487)
Visual Identification and Description of Soil (ASTM D2488)

SOIL PERMEABILITY
Constant Head Permeability (ASTM D2434)
Falling Head Permeability

SOIL COMPACTION
California Bearing Ration (CBR) Test (ASTM D1883)
Standard Proctor Test (ASTM D698)
Modified Proctor Test (ASTM D1557)
Field Unit Weight of Compaction

• Sand Density Cone Method (ASTM D1556)

• Rubber Balloon Method (ASTM D2167)

SOIL STRENGTH
Hand-held Torvane Test
Pocket Penetrometer
Unconfined Compression Test for Cohesive Soil (ASTM D2166)
Direct Shear Test (ASTM D3080)
Triaxial Test.

• Unconsolidated-Undrained (ASTM D2850)

• Consolidated Drained (ASTM D4767)

Unconfined Compression Test for Rock (ASTM D2938)

SOIL COMPRESSIBILITY
Consilidation Test (ASTM D2435)
Swell Test (ASTM D4546)