Abstract:
Sand Cone method is widely used to determine the density of
compacted soils in the cons~ruction of earth embankments, road
fills and structure backfills. This method can also be used to
determine in place density of soil deposits, aggregates, soil
mixtures or other similar materials.
In our country Ottowa sand is used for determining in-situ soil
density using Sand Cone Method. Ottowa sand is very expensive and
it is always imported from abroad. Usually it requires much time
to import this item. Instead of Ottowa sand local sand could be
used as an alternative material for determining in place soil
density by Sand Cone Method. In Bangladesh, local sand is
available in abundance and compared with Ottowa sand it is also
much cheaper in price. Since local sand is readily available and
much less expensive for large scale testing of determining in
place density, use of local sand would be less costly. Moreover
it will not be required to recollect the local sand after the
test is done.
In this research the quality and suitability of local sand,
collected from different places of Bangladesh are assessed for
determining in-situ density using Sand Cone Method. Each of the
sample is characterized by determining its index properties.
Grain size distribution, specific gravity and density are
determined for each sample. These properties are compared with
those recommended by ASTM for selecting a suitable sand in Sand
Cone Method. Finally those satisfy the properties, recommended by
ASTM are suggested for alternative use of Ottowa sand.
