Intoducing my self to the class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intoducing my self to the class - Essay Example We arrived with the impression that we would be brainstorming about getting industrial hemp more widely used as a renewable resource. Even the government knew that it doesn't make people high, it doesn't have enough THC in it.1 But faced with the reality that the major powers that be are against renewable resources in this way, from a lawyer who was supposed to be working on our side, was like a slap in the face. I thought about all of the hours I'd devoted to the cause of renewable resources, seeing the need, the desperate need of our planet for our help. I thought of all the times I had enjoyed the splendor of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the sheer force of Nature with a tenuous balance that is being tipped out of kilter. I have fought for what I have thought is right; but what do I know, I'm just another 20 year old! And now, here is Lance, needing his diaper changed as I think about this meeting gone wrong and what it could implicate. I reach for a fresh cloth diaper, feeling its softness in my hands as I look at my little son. His eyes meet mine and I wonder what he will be like when he is my age.

Membership and retention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Membership and retention - Essay Example The study revealed that there is a disparity between knowledge about basic rights under these union-based laws and that most employees do not understand their legal rights or their rights on termination and dismissal (Omar, Chan & Joned, 2009). At industries in which union membership is already present, this could have much to do with why unions are voted out and why union membership continues to decline. In order to strengthen union membership, in-house literature should be produced by union leadership that defines these rights, in a language that is easily understood by a wide variety of educated and non-educated demographics. By providing this information, those currently in unions would understand how the union actually represents their interests and be less apt to demand union exit from the industrial environment. â€Å"Once unionization occurs, the union’s ability to foster commitment from members and to remain as their bargaining agent depends on how well the union succeeds in providing services that its members want† (Mathis & Jackson, 2005, p.544). It is also possible to improve union membership by auditing the current collective bargaining representatives that handle negotiations for employees. The complex dynamics of collective bargaining requires individuals with psychological knowledge, management training, legal understanding, and conflict resolution skills. If the union is not being represented by competent and qualified individuals, the employees’ needs will likely not be addressed competently and therefore union membership will decline due to bargaining inadequacy. These audits can be conducted by the unions themselves, the corporate management teams, employee assessment teams, or even paid independent auditing contactors specializing in union knowledge and bargaining norms. By illustrating that there is a measurement system in place to gauge competency, and promoting these efforts effectively, more union membership

The Interplay Of Structural Social Work Essay

The Interplay Of Structural Social Work Essay Social work practice seeks to promote human well-being and to redress human suffering and injusticeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Such practice maintains a particular concern for those who are most excluded from social, economic or cultural processes and structuresà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Consequently, social work practice is a political activity and tensions between rights to care and control and self-determination are very much a professional concern(OConnor et al, 2006, p.1) The Brown family case study will be referred to throughout the essay in an attempt to explore and discuss the lived experiences of service users. With such an array of difficulties faced by the family, in order to be able to provide analysis and critique, many of these difficulties and their correlation within social work practice will not be explored. The essay will begin with examining the political background from Margaret Thatcher to the current Coalition government and emphasize their continued functionalist ideologies. It will also discuss sociological constructions of the family, poverty, power, and managerialism. The prolific cases of the deaths of Victoria Climbià © and Baby P led to such media scrutiny and a downward turn in public perception of social workers. As a result, this has led to changes in social work practice with children and families. Due to the current austerity measures, social workers gatekeeping of resources and having to meet stringent thresholds often result in limitations being put on families and creating what à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..describes as a revolving door syndrome. The Brown case study refers to there being intermittent involvement from social services over several years, which supports the suggestion of a revolving door syndrome. Although the case study is not explicit, I think it would be safe to assume that issues faced by the Brown family may have suggested that they meet the section 47 threshold set out in the Children Act which would have triggered social work involvement with the family. However, if the involvement has been intermittent, this would suggest that once significant risk had diminished the involvement with the family was stopped which suggest risk led practice was employed rather than a needs led (Axford, 2010). Munros recent review of child protection (2011) included 15 recommendations. There is not scope to discuss each recommendation but she urges the government to accept that there will inevitably be an element of uncertainty, to allow professionals to have a greater freedom to use their professional judgement and expertise, and to reduce bureaucracy. The response from government is to accept 9 out of the 15 recommendations (DfE, 2011) Poverty The case study highlights that the Brown family are dependent on welfare benefits and that they find it difficult to manage their finances. Therefore, they are essentially living in poverty. Poverty can be described as a complex occurrence that can be caused by a range of issues which can result in inadequate resources. It impacts on childhoods, life chances and imposes costs on society Child poverty costs the UK at least  £25 billion a year, (equivalent to 2% of GDP) including  £17 billion that could accrue to the Exchequer if child poverty were eradicated. Public spending to deal with the fallout of child poverty is about  £12 billion a year, about 60% of which goes on personal social services, school education and police and criminal justice. (Hirsch, 2008: Joseph Rowntree Foundation,p.5) Cross national studies have suggested that child poverty is not a natural occurrence. Moreover it is a political occurrence, the product of decisions and actions made by the government and society. Attention concerning a dependency culture has filtered through different political parties and have been utilised with renewed enthusiasm since the formation of the coalition government in 2010. These assertions of dependency create propaganda about the attitudes of the workless and they give the wrong impression of the previous efforts of the Labour government to tackle child poverty who focus was to direct increased welfare payments towards those people who are working in low paid jobs. The coalition is currently reducing benefit payments to families in work. As a result of these cuts, many children will evidently be thrust back into child poverty (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). A possible contention is that the coalition government argue that they seek to treat the symptoms of poverty, rather than the causes. However, their analyses of the causes are at best partial or incomplete. While in-work poverty is acknowledged, it is often buried beneath the rhetoric of welfare dependency (ESRC, 2011). The suggestion that previous methods to tackle child poverty have inevitably robbed people of their own responsibility and therefore led them to become dependent on the welfare state that simply hands out cash is absurd (Minujin Nandy, 2012). Work is frequently referred to as the favoured route out of poverty. Although the government have introduced numerous policies to make work pay there are countless families that still do not earn enough money to attempt to lift their family out of poverty (Barnardos, 2009). More than half of all children currently living in poverty have a parent in paid work (DWP, 2009). The Brown family have both parents out of work, with Anne having never been in paid work and Craig struggling to find regular employment since leaving the Army 8 years ago. Both parents have literacy difficulties and so require a complex package of support to enable them to improve their life chances of gaining employment that pays above the minimum wage in order for their family to no longer be living in poverty. According to the code of practice (HCPC, 2012) social workers are required toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As mentioned previously, successive Neo Liberal governments uphold a functionalist ideology that frequently locates poverty in terms of personal responsibility and deficits. Managerialism As mentioned previously, services have changes over the past 20 years and this can be explained by the emergence of a managerial approach to how services are being delivered. Intrinsically, managerialism is a basic set of ideas that transpired from the New Right criticisms of welfare and is founded on the notion that public services need to be managed in the same way as profit-making organisations (Harris Unwin, 2009). In the UK there has been a rise in managerialism which can often lead to weakening the role and autonomy of social work practice. In the pursuit of becoming accountable and impartial, managers are attempting to control or prescribe practice in increasing detail which inexorably leads to reducing the opportunity for practitioners to implement individual reasoning. As a result, this leads to policies that represent rules that can often be described as inept and insensitive for the service user. Therefore, the tussle between the managerial and the professional control in social work practice is often a contested issue (Munro, 2008). As managerialism takes more control, then a shift towards defensive practice develops which results in procedures that are insensitive to the needs of families. In essence, the professional role of a social worker can be progressively reduced to a bureaucrat with no possibility for expertise or personalised responses In addition, a managerial approach causes conflict, as it emphasises the need for targets that will assess performance and the delivery of services (Brotherton et al, 20120). Furthermore, there is a correlation with an apparent distrust or autonomy of professionals. This has led to an upsurge in scrutiny by a variety of inspection bodies such as Ofsted and this has been extremely significant in the area of child protection following the high-profile cases of the deaths of Victoria Climbià © and Peter Connolly.

Lolita :: essays research papers

IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE AMUSING THE WAY THAT SO MANY PEOPLE GET SO BENT OUT OF SHAPE ABOUT A MOVIE NOT FOLLOWING A BOOK EXACTLY. THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF PROSE, AND THE WONDER OF CINEMA. WHY SHOULD THERE BE A WORD FOR WORD VISUALIZATION OF SOMETHING THAT ALREADY EXISTS QUITE HAPPILY? LOLITA IS A COMPELLING NOVEL, A FASCINATION READ; IS IT WRONG FOR AN ARTIST SUCH AS KUBRICK, OR ANYONE ELSE TO SUCCEED IN CREATING THAT AWESOME WORLD OF HUMBERT AND THE HAYES LADIES? IS IT IMMORAL FOR YET ANOTHER ARTIST TO COME ALONG AND WANT TO DO IT AGAIN, HIS WAY? OF COURSE NOT. AND IF, FOR INSTANCE, A STUDENT LONGED TO ADAPT LOLITA TO A THESIS, WOULD HE BE CRITICIZED? WELL, IN THE LAST INSTANCE, PROBABLY, BECAUSE THERE ISN’T ENOUGH FAITH TO GO AROUND FOR ALL STUDENTS TO TAKE ON A PROJECT SUCH AS THAT. BUT THAT’S JUST THE POINT, ISN’T IT? WHY SHOULDN’T THAT STUDENT GO ON WITH HIS IDEAS AND MAKE THE FILM HE WANTS TO? WHO HAS THE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY TO SAY THAT HE WON’T BE ABLE TO PULL IT OFF, OR THAT IT’S NOT SOMETHING HE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW? IT’S A RECOGNIZED STORY THAT WILL GUARANTEE AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF ATTENTION. THERE ARE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES IN ART. CINEMA, PAINTING, WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY, THEY YIELD SUCH AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF FOCUS, AND TALENT, AND DECISION; NONE REPEATS ITSELF. WHEN INTERPRETATIONS ARE BRAINSTORMED, AND FINALLY REALIZED, THAT IS SOMEBODY’S ACHIEVEMENT, HOWEVER PERFECT OR IMPERFECT IN RELATION TO THE ORIGINAL. THERE ARE CRITICS WHO BELIEVE THAT MASTERPIECES ARE MEANT TO BE WHAT THEY ARE, AND THAT REMAKES ARE NOT WORTHY OF THEIR TITLES. BUT HOW CAN THIS BE, WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS NEW, AND SO MANY IDEAS STILL UNPRODUCED? TIME, ERAS, OUR PERSONAL EVOLUTION, GIVE US SO MUCH TO LOOK BACK ON, TO PONDER AND QUESTION. YOUNG ADULTS TODAY WILL READ LOLITA, AND WATCH THE FIRST MOVIE, AND THEN THE SECOND, AND THEY WILL BE MOST APT TO HONESTLY ENJOY THE LATEST RELEASE OVER KUBRICKS VERSION. THIS IS BECAUSE OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, OF COURSE. IF A VHS COPY OF LOLITA WITH JEREMY IRONS ON THE SLEEVE WAS SCREENED IN A GERIATRIC HOSPITAL, THE CONCLUSION WOULD BE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN IT WOULD BE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS. REPRODUCTIONS GIVE US WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES. LOLITA IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF THIS.

Book Review: Black Feminist Thought (Patricia Hill Collins)

Alexandra Bobet HIST 3119 Spring 2013 Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (review) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Ed. By Patricia Hill Collins. (New York: Routledge, 2000. ii, 336 pp. Cloth, $128. 28, ISBN 0-415-92483-9. Paper, $26. 21, 0-415-92484-7. ) Patricia Hill Collins’s work, Black Feminist Thought seeks to center Black Women into intersectionalist thought, addressing the power struggles that face them not only due to their race but also to the gender.Masculine rhetoric and powerful male leaders such as Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver have overshadowed Black Women’s stories, both in and out of the Civil Right Rights/Black Power Era. It is an analysis that defines Black Feminist Thought, instead of recycling former White Feminist philosophies and providing interpretations of them. However, she does integrate consciousness raising into the body of work, drawing in from her personal experiences while analyzing the texts of women such as Alice Walker and bell hooks.The second edition of Black Feminist Thought differs from the first in both the complexity and the depth of oppression and empowerment, spanning into a transnational level. Collins breaks down her novel into three parts. Part I: The Social Construction of Feminist Thought, Part II: Core Themes in Black Feminist Thought, and Part III: Black Feminism, Knowledge, and Power. Bobet 2 Part I: The Social Construction of Feminist Thought covers the history of oppression of black women from various sectors.White feminism has failed women which use of essentialist philosophy, which Collins uses in the relationship between Rebecca Felton and Ida B Wells, the former praised by White feminists even though she was an advocate of lynching. Collins touches upon Black leadership and how it has addressed gender, in particular the case of Elaine Brown and the Black Panther Party of Oakland. Among Afric an-American female scholars there has been a concern in the masculinist bias of Black political and social thought.With these mediums of oppression, her first theory, referred to as the Matrix of Domination is brought up. Previous models of oppression were considered additive, or hierarchal, meaning that they must be ranked. Collins uses the experiences of black women to explain that all these modes of oppression, gender, race and class are interlocking and equally important when viewing domination. This bleeds mores into Part II, but the essentials are discussed in this section. While there is validity in this matrix, Collins’s approach is from a group level, and it does not cover how the individual may use the matrix.While it is true that all these modes of oppression are at play, it would be more beneficial for the individual to place a value on these modes. For one individual, race may be more of a factor than gender, for another individual it may differ, and so on. Anoth er critique of the matrix of oppression is how it does not address, sexual orientation, ableism, and ethnicity, among others. Part II: Core Themes in Black Feminist Thought tackles five themes: 1) a legacy of struggle, 2) treatment of the interlocking nature of race, class, and gender, 3) Bobet 3 eplacement of stereotyped images of black womanhood with those that are self defined, 4) black women’s activism, and 5) sensitivity to black sexual politics. The first three themes correlate to black motherhood and living in a binary environment, one in which black people are the oppressed and white people are the oppressors. Images of black womanhood have been terribly distorted to show stereotypes such as the unwed teenage mother and the welfare mother.Black women’s activism, one of the last core themes of the text, has been more of a desire for group survival and cohesion than any political motives, as seen with the story of Sara Brooks and her job as a domestic worker. Her job speaks larger volumes to political activism and the nature of oppression than many political texts, according to Collins. This outlook parallels many of bell hooks’s essays, especially â€Å"Theory As A Liberatory Practice. † This essay addresses the powers of the Sara Brookses of the world and how their actions complement the discourse that is being forged.Part III: Black Feminism, Knowledge, and Power comprises of the edits not found in the first edition. Drawing from experiences from Senegalese, American, and British Black feminists, the matrix of race, gender, and class oppressions are still relevant to all nations, despite diversity. Angela Davis is frequently cited as a champion of this transnational empowerment She encourages Black Women of privilege to not â€Å"ignore the straits of our sisters who are acquainted with the immediacy of oppression in a way many of us are not,† fueling Collins’s core theme of a type of feminism rooted in sister hood and familial ties.Analysis of oppression from a nationalistic point of view is represented, drawing further from her original gender/race/class matrix. Bobet 4 To conclude, Black Feminist Thought is thorough and crucial text because of how vigilantly it attempts (and successfully so) to not be another spin on White feminism. Using the methodological approach of historical materialism, it addresses the concerns that Black women have on the heels of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.Concerns with the narrative are that while it does explain the roots of consciousness raising and feminist thought in Black Power movements, the overwhelming amount of text is based on the interpretations of writers such as Alice Walker, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde, much less on intellectuals. Collins touches upon the efforts of Elaine Brown, Angela Davis, and also provides a personal account of Francis Beale and her experience with racism in SNCC. Beale’s experiences with sexism, for example influenced her essay, â€Å"Black Women’s Manifesto; Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and A Woman. I found Collins’s assertion of what is a feminist to be inclusionary and not in any way rejecting masculinity, but more how the masculine rhetoric that has oppressed women should be rejected. Black feminist rhetoric created in backlash has centered on community awareness, and a sense of identity through a group. While Collins alludes to capitalism as also being a contributing factor in the oppression of Black women, there was not as much concrete evidence to support that as much as there was racism and sexism. Patricia Hill Collins forms a text that finally draws a map into the complexity of oppression and empowerment.

Geomechanics Lab Report

Aim The main intention of this investigation was to determine the various stages of the Atterberg Limits. These included the liquid limit test (LL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (PI) and linear shrinkage (LS) of a soil sample provided by the administration. This was then followed by a sieve analysis to determine the particle size distribution of another soil sample so that a suitable classification in both situations could be made in accordance with the Australian Standards AS1726 – 1993. Procedure (Sample preperation)On commencement of the experiment, each group was provided with two parts of 500grams of soil retrieved from the field and then oven dried by the experiment supervisor. One part of the soil sample was coarse grain gravel for the particle size distribution chart and sieve analysis, whilst the remaining 500 grams of soil was of fine grained fraction. * Preparation of Coarse Grained Fraction During this procedure the mass of 500grams of soil was recor ded and soaked in water for duration of 24 hours. This was then followed by placing the soil sample into a 0. 75mm mesh sieve and the entire fine particle was washed away using running tap water and a small spray bottle until the water had started running clear. The sieved sample was then transferred in a tray which was again put into the oven at 100 degrees for 24 hours. * Preparation of Fine Grained Fraction The remainder of the 500 grams of the sample was then sieved through a 0. 425 mm mesh sieve and the contents collected. This procedure was done until approximately 150 to 200grams of material was successfully passing sieve. Procedure (Sieve Analysis)This procedure involved the sieve analysis of the coarse fraction. This involved weighing the mass of the oven dried coarse grained fraction so that we are able to determine the particle size distribution. For this experiment the mass of coarse fraction used was 312. 10 grams. This was then followed by arranging the sieves from top to bottom in order from larger gapped mesh in the sieve to the smaller one (i. e. 37. 5mm to 0. 075mm) and then pouring the sample in the top sieve whilst shaking it for approximately 10 minutes.This provided mechanical energy to the soil allowing for it to pass all the sieve layers. The next procedure involved recording the soil mass that had accumulated on each sieve and the bottom pan. Furthermore the percentage of original mass retained and cumulative passing % vs. particle size plot has been constructed as shown in Appendix A. As shown in the plot it can be noted that the results obtained were not accurate enough for the effective size values of D_10 and D_30 to be calculated. Yet the effective size D_60 was able to be found and was shown to be 1. mm as shown in the particle size vs percentage passing table in appendix A. Due to the fact that all effective size values have not been able to be attained from the graph, the uniformity coefficient C_u and the coefficient of curvat ure C_c were not able to be calculated. Yet if they could be then they would be calculated using these equations: Cu=D60D10 Cc=D102D10*D60 where CU=Coefficient of Curvature Cc=Coefficient of Curvature All values recorded have been further discussed in the results section of this report. Procedure (Atterberg Limits determination) * Liquid Limit (LL)The liquid limit test west performed on the fine Sandy soil over the course of two sessions to determine the water content (percentage) at the point when the soil started to behave with liquid qualities. This test procedure involved gradually adding water to a round well created in two thirds of the soil sample on a glass plate. Then using two spatulas the sample was mixed until a smooth paste was formed. This was then followed by placing a small amount of the sample into the liquid limit device and leveling it horizontally using the spatula to create a smooth surface.Using the grooving tool the sample in the cup was divided in half. To de termine the number of blows the handle of the mechanism was rotated at a speed of two blows per second and the number of blows recorded until the soil closed the groove to a length of 1 cm. It was expected that the number of blows be as close to 25+ or – 3 as possible. The group was successful in our fourth attempt where 28 blows were recorded. Once the sample was successful it was removed from the liquid limit cup and placed within a tin and the mass weighed. This was determined to calculate the moisture content percentage.The mixture in the liquid limit range was placed in a 0. 25 meter length mould with a internal diameter of 0. 025 meters and left on top of the oven so that the linear shrinkage could be determined. All values obtained are discussed in the results. * Plastic Limit (PL) To determine the plastic limit (as a percentage), after which the soil could no longer be deformed; water was added to the remaining one third of the dry soil on a separate glass plate and m olded by hand. Small amounts of the soil were rolled on the flat glass plate until they formed into a diameter of 3 mm and then started to break apart.According to AS12989 it was proved that the soil had reached its plastic limit. This soil was then placed in a tin and similarly to the liquid limit all mass values of the tin and sample were recorded. These were left to dry in the oven. All results obtained the following day have been discussed in the results section. * Linear Shrinkage (%) As instructed, results for the linear shrinkage were collected after duration of 24 hours from the laboratory and the linear shrinkage (in percentage) was calculated using the formula: LS=LsL*100 where Ls=Recorded Shrinkage L=Initial Length of SampleIn addition to the linear shrinkage, all dry mass results were also collected from the previous day and recorded as shown in the results section of this report. * Plastic Index Conduction of the plastic limit and linear shrinkage test led to the calcul ation of the moisture content in percentage and this further allowed us to calculate the plastic index using the formula. Ip=Wl- Wp where Wl=Liquid Limit Wp=Plastic Limit * Classification of Soil After the soil tests have been completed as listed above and results obtained, the soil sample was classified according to the Australian Standards AS1726 – 1993.To aid in this classification of the soil, table 8 (Identification and Classification of Coarse Grained Soils) and table 9 (Identification and classification of Fine grained Soils) as well as Graph 1 (Plasticity Chart vs. Liquid Limit) have been used and attached in Appendix C. Further criteria such as Plasticity of Fines, Color of Soil, Cohesive strength and Classification Group symbol (Table 7 Soil Classification Symbols) can also be used. Results * Sieve Analysis – Determining the Particle size Distribution Tin #| | Mass of Wet soil + Tin| 203. 79| Mass of Dry soil + Tin| 165. 0| Mass of Tin| 32. 60| Mass of Moistu re| 38. 19| Mass of Dry Soil| 133. 00| Moisture Content| 28. 70| Initisl Mass of Oven Dried Sample| 500g| Mass of oven Dried Sample retained over 75? m| 312. 1g| Percentage of Coarse Fraction| 37. 58g| Mass of Dry sample passing the 75? m| 187. 9g| Table 1: Soil Sample Preparation Values – Total Mass of Sample used for Sieve Analysis = 500 grams – Mass of Coarse Fraction of Sample Used for Sieve Analysis AS Apperture| Mass Retained (g)| % Retained| % Passing| 37. 5mm| 0. 00| 0. 00%| 100. 00%| 26. 5mm| 0. 00| 0. 00%| 100. 00%| 19mm| 13. 0| 2. 60%| 97. 40%| 13. 2mm| 14. 70| 2. 94%| 94. 46%| 9. 5mm| 1. 00| 0. 20%| 94. 26%| 6. 7mm| 13. 90| 2. 78%| 91. 48%| 4. 75mm| 17. 30| 3. 46%| 88. 02%| 2. 36mm| 61. 60| 12. 32%| 75. 70%| 1. 18mm| 63. 10| 12. 62%| 63. 08%| 600? m| 51. 40| 10. 28%| 52. 80%| 425? m| 22. 00| 4. 40%| 48. 40%| 300? m| 20. 30| 4. 06%| 44. 34%| 150? m| 22. 60| 4. 52%| 39. 82%| 75? m| 7. 60| 1. 52%| 38. 30%| Pan| 0. 40| 0. 08%| 38. 22%| | SUM = 308. 9| | | Table 2: Particle size Distribution of the Soil Sample Particle size vs. Percentage Passing (%) can be viewed in the Appendix section of this report.D_10| N/A| D_30| N/A| D_60| 1. 1 mm| Coefficient of Uniformity| N/A| Coefficient of Curvature| N/A| Table 3: Particle Size Determination Coefficients As the Particle Size vs. Percentage Passing graph was unable to be plotted fully, the values for D_10 and D_30 could not be determined hence not allowing the Coefficient of Uniformity and Curvature to be found. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Liquid Limit) Liquid limit| Test no. | Test 1| Test 2| Test 3| Test 4| Tin #| 12| 58| 80| 61| Number of Blows| 7| 21| 14| 28| Mass of Wet Soil and Tin| 45. 8| 35. 77| 39. 32| 27. 6| Mass of Dry Soil and Tin| 38| 28. 4| 34. 5| 22. 5| Mass of Tin| 24. 21| 14. 57| 26. 31| 15. 42| Mass of Moisture| 7. 8| 7. 37| 4. 82| 4. 86| Mass of Dry Soil| 13. 79| 13. 83| 8. 19| 7. 08| Moisture Content| 56. 56%| 53. 29%| 58. 85%| 68. 64%| Table 4: Liquid Limit Determinati on The results obtained in the table 4 (liquid limit determination) above show that after conducting four tests in the lab the number of blows were varied quite a lot. The reason behind this was that at the start a greater amount of liquid then required was placed in the soil making it two wet.Then as extra dry soil was added to the sample the number of blows gradually increased allowing for a result acceptable within the 25 + – 3 limit was met in test 4 Hence the soil sample’s LL can be taken as 68. 64%. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Plastic Limit) Plastic Limit| Test no. | Test 1| Tin #| 16| Mass of Wet Soil and Tin| 37. 06| Mass of Dry Soil and Tin| 34. 5| Mass of Tin| 23. 94| Mass of Moisture | 2. 56| Mass of Dry Soil| 10. 56| Moisture Content| 24. 24%| Avg. Moisture Content| 59. 34%| Table 5: Plastic Limit DeterminationThe above table represents the values calculated and determined results for the plastic limit of the soil in this experiment. This was done by weighing the mass of the soil and tin after it had been rolled into a 3mm diameter rod until it crumbled and then oven dried. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Plastic Index) Looking at the graph attached in the appendix B (Number of Blows vs. Moisture Content), the value for the Plastic Limit was unable to be as accurately determined as we would have hoped but using the plastic Index equation below it was found to be 44. %. Plastic Index %= Liquid Limit-Plastic Limit=___________% Plastic Index %= 68. 64-24. 24=44. 4% Linear Shrinkage Determination| Mould No. | 3| Crumbling of Sample| NO| Length of Mould| 254mm| Curling of Sample| NO| Length of Soil| 222mm| Cracking of Sample| YES| Linear Shrinkage| 12. 60%| * Atterberg Limits Determination (Linear Shrinkage) Table 6: Linear Shrinkage Determination After removing the mould containing the soil sample after 24 hours from the top of the oven, the linear shrinkage of the soil was measured using a ruler.The result as shown above in table 6, the soil has shrunk 32mm in length and cracking of the sample has occurred. The same has not crumbled at touch and has not shown any curling effects. The Overall linear shrinkage is calculated to be 12. 60%. LS=LsL*100 LS=32254*100=12. 60% Discussion The classification of the Coarse and Fine Grained soil was made according to the Australian Standards as1726 – 1993. All justification of the results and classifications of the Sieve Analysis and Atterberg Limits have been made through the combination of the identification and classification tables in the appendix. Coarse Grained Soil As per the Particle size plot in the appendix, the sample is shown to have only coarse grain materials. Consisting of 22% Gravel (7% Medium Grain and 15% Fine Grain) and 38% Sand (22% Coarse Grain, 13% Medium Grain and 3% Fine Grain), indicates that the soil is widely distributed and hence making it a Gravelly SAND. * Fine Grained Soil Using the Atterberg Limits to find the Plastic Limit and Liq uid Limit percentages, these were applied to the Plasticity vs. Liquid Limit Chart (AS1726-1993) to determine the classification of the soil sample.As the intersection point is below the â€Å"A† line with a high liquid limit of 68. 64%, the reaction to shaking was low to none and the toughness is low, the classification of the soil sample is most likely to be MS-SILT Highly Plastic. Also according to the Australian Standards the color of our soil was Brown mottled red-brown. Since the fine grained soil was cohesion less and free running we can classify the soil as dry. In accordance to the Plasticity vs. Liquid Limit chart the soil is of High Plasticity as the liquid limit was of a value greater than 50%.In addition to the above, the particle size distribution curve is also widely spread so the soil is classified as â€Å"Well Graded†. Conclusion In this experiment we used the Sieve analysis and Atterberg Limits tests to investigate the properties of the soil as menti oned in the Australian Standards AS1726 -1993. In addition sample tests were conducted including the liquid limit test (LL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (PI) and linear shrinkage (LS) of the soil sample provided by the administration. All results obtained have been justified and the classifications of the soil made in accordance to the Australian Standards 1726 – 1993.References Evans R, 2010, HES2155 Geomechanics, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne VIC. Appendices Appendix A (Particle Size vs. Percentage Passing Plot) Appendix B (Plot of Number of Blows Vs. Moisture Content) Appendix C (Soil Classification Tables) Table 7: List of Soil Classification Symbols. Table 8: Identification and Classification of Coarse Grained Soil. Table 9: Identification and Classification of Fine Grained Soil. Graph 1: Plasticity Chart vs. Liquid Limit Appendix D (Formulas and Sample Calculations) Geomechanics Lab Report Aim The main intention of this investigation was to determine the various stages of the Atterberg Limits. These included the liquid limit test (LL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (PI) and linear shrinkage (LS) of a soil sample provided by the administration. This was then followed by a sieve analysis to determine the particle size distribution of another soil sample so that a suitable classification in both situations could be made in accordance with the Australian Standards AS1726 – 1993. Procedure (Sample preperation)On commencement of the experiment, each group was provided with two parts of 500grams of soil retrieved from the field and then oven dried by the experiment supervisor. One part of the soil sample was coarse grain gravel for the particle size distribution chart and sieve analysis, whilst the remaining 500 grams of soil was of fine grained fraction. * Preparation of Coarse Grained Fraction During this procedure the mass of 500grams of soil was recor ded and soaked in water for duration of 24 hours. This was then followed by placing the soil sample into a 0. 75mm mesh sieve and the entire fine particle was washed away using running tap water and a small spray bottle until the water had started running clear. The sieved sample was then transferred in a tray which was again put into the oven at 100 degrees for 24 hours. * Preparation of Fine Grained Fraction The remainder of the 500 grams of the sample was then sieved through a 0. 425 mm mesh sieve and the contents collected. This procedure was done until approximately 150 to 200grams of material was successfully passing sieve. Procedure (Sieve Analysis)This procedure involved the sieve analysis of the coarse fraction. This involved weighing the mass of the oven dried coarse grained fraction so that we are able to determine the particle size distribution. For this experiment the mass of coarse fraction used was 312. 10 grams. This was then followed by arranging the sieves from top to bottom in order from larger gapped mesh in the sieve to the smaller one (i. e. 37. 5mm to 0. 075mm) and then pouring the sample in the top sieve whilst shaking it for approximately 10 minutes.This provided mechanical energy to the soil allowing for it to pass all the sieve layers. The next procedure involved recording the soil mass that had accumulated on each sieve and the bottom pan. Furthermore the percentage of original mass retained and cumulative passing % vs. particle size plot has been constructed as shown in Appendix A. As shown in the plot it can be noted that the results obtained were not accurate enough for the effective size values of D_10 and D_30 to be calculated. Yet the effective size D_60 was able to be found and was shown to be 1. mm as shown in the particle size vs percentage passing table in appendix A. Due to the fact that all effective size values have not been able to be attained from the graph, the uniformity coefficient C_u and the coefficient of curvat ure C_c were not able to be calculated. Yet if they could be then they would be calculated using these equations: Cu=D60D10 Cc=D102D10*D60 where CU=Coefficient of Curvature Cc=Coefficient of Curvature All values recorded have been further discussed in the results section of this report. Procedure (Atterberg Limits determination) * Liquid Limit (LL)The liquid limit test west performed on the fine Sandy soil over the course of two sessions to determine the water content (percentage) at the point when the soil started to behave with liquid qualities. This test procedure involved gradually adding water to a round well created in two thirds of the soil sample on a glass plate. Then using two spatulas the sample was mixed until a smooth paste was formed. This was then followed by placing a small amount of the sample into the liquid limit device and leveling it horizontally using the spatula to create a smooth surface.Using the grooving tool the sample in the cup was divided in half. To de termine the number of blows the handle of the mechanism was rotated at a speed of two blows per second and the number of blows recorded until the soil closed the groove to a length of 1 cm. It was expected that the number of blows be as close to 25+ or – 3 as possible. The group was successful in our fourth attempt where 28 blows were recorded. Once the sample was successful it was removed from the liquid limit cup and placed within a tin and the mass weighed. This was determined to calculate the moisture content percentage.The mixture in the liquid limit range was placed in a 0. 25 meter length mould with a internal diameter of 0. 025 meters and left on top of the oven so that the linear shrinkage could be determined. All values obtained are discussed in the results. * Plastic Limit (PL) To determine the plastic limit (as a percentage), after which the soil could no longer be deformed; water was added to the remaining one third of the dry soil on a separate glass plate and m olded by hand. Small amounts of the soil were rolled on the flat glass plate until they formed into a diameter of 3 mm and then started to break apart.According to AS12989 it was proved that the soil had reached its plastic limit. This soil was then placed in a tin and similarly to the liquid limit all mass values of the tin and sample were recorded. These were left to dry in the oven. All results obtained the following day have been discussed in the results section. * Linear Shrinkage (%) As instructed, results for the linear shrinkage were collected after duration of 24 hours from the laboratory and the linear shrinkage (in percentage) was calculated using the formula: LS=LsL*100 where Ls=Recorded Shrinkage L=Initial Length of SampleIn addition to the linear shrinkage, all dry mass results were also collected from the previous day and recorded as shown in the results section of this report. * Plastic Index Conduction of the plastic limit and linear shrinkage test led to the calcul ation of the moisture content in percentage and this further allowed us to calculate the plastic index using the formula. Ip=Wl- Wp where Wl=Liquid Limit Wp=Plastic Limit * Classification of Soil After the soil tests have been completed as listed above and results obtained, the soil sample was classified according to the Australian Standards AS1726 – 1993.To aid in this classification of the soil, table 8 (Identification and Classification of Coarse Grained Soils) and table 9 (Identification and classification of Fine grained Soils) as well as Graph 1 (Plasticity Chart vs. Liquid Limit) have been used and attached in Appendix C. Further criteria such as Plasticity of Fines, Color of Soil, Cohesive strength and Classification Group symbol (Table 7 Soil Classification Symbols) can also be used. Results * Sieve Analysis – Determining the Particle size Distribution Tin #| | Mass of Wet soil + Tin| 203. 79| Mass of Dry soil + Tin| 165. 0| Mass of Tin| 32. 60| Mass of Moistu re| 38. 19| Mass of Dry Soil| 133. 00| Moisture Content| 28. 70| Initisl Mass of Oven Dried Sample| 500g| Mass of oven Dried Sample retained over 75? m| 312. 1g| Percentage of Coarse Fraction| 37. 58g| Mass of Dry sample passing the 75? m| 187. 9g| Table 1: Soil Sample Preparation Values – Total Mass of Sample used for Sieve Analysis = 500 grams – Mass of Coarse Fraction of Sample Used for Sieve Analysis AS Apperture| Mass Retained (g)| % Retained| % Passing| 37. 5mm| 0. 00| 0. 00%| 100. 00%| 26. 5mm| 0. 00| 0. 00%| 100. 00%| 19mm| 13. 0| 2. 60%| 97. 40%| 13. 2mm| 14. 70| 2. 94%| 94. 46%| 9. 5mm| 1. 00| 0. 20%| 94. 26%| 6. 7mm| 13. 90| 2. 78%| 91. 48%| 4. 75mm| 17. 30| 3. 46%| 88. 02%| 2. 36mm| 61. 60| 12. 32%| 75. 70%| 1. 18mm| 63. 10| 12. 62%| 63. 08%| 600? m| 51. 40| 10. 28%| 52. 80%| 425? m| 22. 00| 4. 40%| 48. 40%| 300? m| 20. 30| 4. 06%| 44. 34%| 150? m| 22. 60| 4. 52%| 39. 82%| 75? m| 7. 60| 1. 52%| 38. 30%| Pan| 0. 40| 0. 08%| 38. 22%| | SUM = 308. 9| | | Table 2: Particle size Distribution of the Soil Sample Particle size vs. Percentage Passing (%) can be viewed in the Appendix section of this report.D_10| N/A| D_30| N/A| D_60| 1. 1 mm| Coefficient of Uniformity| N/A| Coefficient of Curvature| N/A| Table 3: Particle Size Determination Coefficients As the Particle Size vs. Percentage Passing graph was unable to be plotted fully, the values for D_10 and D_30 could not be determined hence not allowing the Coefficient of Uniformity and Curvature to be found. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Liquid Limit) Liquid limit| Test no. | Test 1| Test 2| Test 3| Test 4| Tin #| 12| 58| 80| 61| Number of Blows| 7| 21| 14| 28| Mass of Wet Soil and Tin| 45. 8| 35. 77| 39. 32| 27. 6| Mass of Dry Soil and Tin| 38| 28. 4| 34. 5| 22. 5| Mass of Tin| 24. 21| 14. 57| 26. 31| 15. 42| Mass of Moisture| 7. 8| 7. 37| 4. 82| 4. 86| Mass of Dry Soil| 13. 79| 13. 83| 8. 19| 7. 08| Moisture Content| 56. 56%| 53. 29%| 58. 85%| 68. 64%| Table 4: Liquid Limit Determinati on The results obtained in the table 4 (liquid limit determination) above show that after conducting four tests in the lab the number of blows were varied quite a lot. The reason behind this was that at the start a greater amount of liquid then required was placed in the soil making it two wet.Then as extra dry soil was added to the sample the number of blows gradually increased allowing for a result acceptable within the 25 + – 3 limit was met in test 4 Hence the soil sample’s LL can be taken as 68. 64%. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Plastic Limit) Plastic Limit| Test no. | Test 1| Tin #| 16| Mass of Wet Soil and Tin| 37. 06| Mass of Dry Soil and Tin| 34. 5| Mass of Tin| 23. 94| Mass of Moisture | 2. 56| Mass of Dry Soil| 10. 56| Moisture Content| 24. 24%| Avg. Moisture Content| 59. 34%| Table 5: Plastic Limit DeterminationThe above table represents the values calculated and determined results for the plastic limit of the soil in this experiment. This was done by weighing the mass of the soil and tin after it had been rolled into a 3mm diameter rod until it crumbled and then oven dried. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Plastic Index) Looking at the graph attached in the appendix B (Number of Blows vs. Moisture Content), the value for the Plastic Limit was unable to be as accurately determined as we would have hoped but using the plastic Index equation below it was found to be 44. %. Plastic Index %= Liquid Limit-Plastic Limit=___________% Plastic Index %= 68. 64-24. 24=44. 4% Linear Shrinkage Determination| Mould No. | 3| Crumbling of Sample| NO| Length of Mould| 254mm| Curling of Sample| NO| Length of Soil| 222mm| Cracking of Sample| YES| Linear Shrinkage| 12. 60%| * Atterberg Limits Determination (Linear Shrinkage) Table 6: Linear Shrinkage Determination After removing the mould containing the soil sample after 24 hours from the top of the oven, the linear shrinkage of the soil was measured using a ruler.The result as shown above in table 6, the soil has shrunk 32mm in length and cracking of the sample has occurred. The same has not crumbled at touch and has not shown any curling effects. The Overall linear shrinkage is calculated to be 12. 60%. LS=LsL*100 LS=32254*100=12. 60% Discussion The classification of the Coarse and Fine Grained soil was made according to the Australian Standards as1726 – 1993. All justification of the results and classifications of the Sieve Analysis and Atterberg Limits have been made through the combination of the identification and classification tables in the appendix. Coarse Grained Soil As per the Particle size plot in the appendix, the sample is shown to have only coarse grain materials. Consisting of 22% Gravel (7% Medium Grain and 15% Fine Grain) and 38% Sand (22% Coarse Grain, 13% Medium Grain and 3% Fine Grain), indicates that the soil is widely distributed and hence making it a Gravelly SAND. * Fine Grained Soil Using the Atterberg Limits to find the Plastic Limit and Liq uid Limit percentages, these were applied to the Plasticity vs. Liquid Limit Chart (AS1726-1993) to determine the classification of the soil sample.As the intersection point is below the â€Å"A† line with a high liquid limit of 68. 64%, the reaction to shaking was low to none and the toughness is low, the classification of the soil sample is most likely to be MS-SILT Highly Plastic. Also according to the Australian Standards the color of our soil was Brown mottled red-brown. Since the fine grained soil was cohesion less and free running we can classify the soil as dry. In accordance to the Plasticity vs. Liquid Limit chart the soil is of High Plasticity as the liquid limit was of a value greater than 50%.In addition to the above, the particle size distribution curve is also widely spread so the soil is classified as â€Å"Well Graded†. Conclusion In this experiment we used the Sieve analysis and Atterberg Limits tests to investigate the properties of the soil as menti oned in the Australian Standards AS1726 -1993. In addition sample tests were conducted including the liquid limit test (LL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (PI) and linear shrinkage (LS) of the soil sample provided by the administration. All results obtained have been justified and the classifications of the soil made in accordance to the Australian Standards 1726 – 1993.References Evans R, 2010, HES2155 Geomechanics, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne VIC. Appendices Appendix A (Particle Size vs. Percentage Passing Plot) Appendix B (Plot of Number of Blows Vs. Moisture Content) Appendix C (Soil Classification Tables) Table 7: List of Soil Classification Symbols. Table 8: Identification and Classification of Coarse Grained Soil. Table 9: Identification and Classification of Fine Grained Soil. Graph 1: Plasticity Chart vs. Liquid Limit Appendix D (Formulas and Sample Calculations)