How is the moisture/density relationship of soil obtained?
The two standard methods available for determining the moisture/density relationship differ mainly in the amount of energy used to compact the soil sample. The standard Proctor Test is defined in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D 698, “Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort.” Proctor Tests are conducted by compacting a soil sample into a mold of know volume. The compactive energy for a standard Proctor Test is provided by a 2.5-kg (5.5-lb) hammer falling 305-mm (12-in). For the modified Proctor Test, a 4.5-kg (10-lb) hammer falling 457-mm (18-in) is used. Compaction of the sample occurs in three lifts and 25 blows of the hammer are applied to each lift. The volume of the mold is known. In each test procedure the mold is 102-mm or 152-mm (4-in or 6-in) in diameter. The initial soil sample is dried and separated into four parts. Water is added to each part to create soil-water mixtures at different moisture contents. Soil from one mixture is
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