Determination of water content (Calcium Carbide method, Radiation method, Torsional Balance Method )

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Methods of determining water content

1. Oven drying Method
2. Sand Bath Method
3. Alcohol Method

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgrKaUgohHw&index=4&list=PLjNHcF09jOW0y3RNIZyvha_IDmIxpCDVB

4. Pycnometer Method

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCyfa8vawmw&list=PLjNHcF09jOW0y3RNIZyvha_IDmIxpCDVB&index=5

5. Calcium Carbide Method
6. Radiation Method
7. Torsional Balance Method

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1. SOIL MECHANICS
Determination of
Water Content

2. For full course visit our website,…
This is the excerptfrom
Lecture 04
of
Soil Mechanics
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3. 5. Calcium Carbide Method
L. 04 Determination of Water Content
Procedure :
•One of the quickest method 5-7 minutes.
•Also known as rapid moisture method.
4-6gmofmoistsampleisplacedinmoisturemeter
CaC
2+H
2O =
C
2H
2+Ca(OH)
2
????????????
2????????????
2
Moist Sample
+
Ca????????????
2
Moisture meter
Dial gauge
addedwithcalciumcarbide(Ca????????????
????????????)
that exert the pressure over the calibrated gaugegiven
moisture content of soil in terms of total weight of soil (w).
which react with water present in sample resulting in the
formation of acetylene gas (????????????
????????????????????????
????????????)

4. 6. Radiation Method
L. 04 Determination of Water Content
•In this method two steel casing are lowered in the ground where the moisture content is to be determined.
•One of the casing consist of radio active material ( C-60 ) and other consist of detector.
•When radioactive material is activated it emits neutron
•These neutron strike with hydrogen atom present in the water molecule resulting in loss in energy of the
neutron, that is being detected by detector and is further calibrated to give the water content of soil.
Radioactive material
Detector
Steel casing
????????????
2OC60
Neutron

5. 7. Torsional Method
L. 04 Determination of Water Content
Procedure :
•In this method infrared radiation are use for drying of the moist sample.
•Inthismethodweighinganddryingisbeingcarriedoutsimultaneouslyhenceisusedforsoil
thatquicklyreabsorbthemoisturefromatmosphere.
Infrared radiation
250W
220-230V
50 Hz
Moist
soil
sample