1. Select a representative soil sample of about 25 kg. The material used for the test must be finer than 20 mm sieve. Air-dry sample.
2. Add sufficient water to the sample (about 7 % for sandy soils and 10 % for clay soils), which will be less than the estimated optimum moisture content. Mix the soil thoroughly and keep this in an airtight container for a period of 20hours.
3. Fix the mould to the base plate after cleaning its inside surface. Find the mass of the mould with the base plate (M1).
4. Attach the extension collar to the mould.
5.Take about 2.5 kg of soil in an air tight container and compact it in the mould in three equal layers each layer is compacted by giving 25 blows by the hammer weighing 2.6 kg and dropping from a height of 310 mm. The compaction must be uniform over the whole area, and a spatula scratches each layer before adding another layer. The filling must be such that the last layer projects into the collar by about 5 mm. After the completion of compaction, remove the collar and remove the excess soil with the help of a straight edge. Find the mass of the mould with the base plate and the soil (M2). Remove the soil from the mould by making use of an ejector and take a representative sample for water content determination.
6. Carry out the tests 3 to 4 times by repeating the steps from (e) onwards. Each time use a fresh soil sample.