Table of Contents

Introduction
Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Theoretical Background
Problem Statement
Apparatus
Procedures
Results
Analysis
Graph
Discussion
Conclusion

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9-10
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Introduction
Level 2 laboratory activities refer to the condition where only the problem is guided and
given. Students are required to find the ways and means and provide the answers to the
given assignment using the group creativity and innovativeness. The activity will enable

the students to appreciate independent learning and prepare them for a much harder
task of open ended laboratory activities.
In this partially open laboratory activity the students are required to carry out the tests to
determine the durability of rocks.

Objectives
To determine the resistance offered by a rock sample to weakening and disintegration
when subjected to drying and wetting cycles.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the laboratory activities, students would be able to :
1.

Identify the correct apparatus and procedure to conduct the slake durability
tests

2.

Analyse test data and present the results in proper technical format

3.

Perform effectively as a team in carrying out the task and produce the
relevant technical report

Theoretical Background
The slake durability test, proposed by Franklin and Chandra (1972), is a standardized
measurement of the weight loss of rock lumps when repeatedly rotated through an air

water interface. The procedure has been standardized by the ISRM (Franklin, 979) and
the ASTM (ASTM D4644-87).
The slake durability test apparatus is shown in Figure 9.1. It consists of two drums 100
mm long and 140 mm in diameter, containing about 500 g of rocks (10 lumps) in each
drum. Sieve mash forms the walls of the drums with openings of 2 mm. The drums
rotate at a speed of 20 rpm for a period of 10 minutes in a water bath. The rock in the
drums is subject to different cycles of wetting in the bath and drying in the oven. The
percentage of rock retained inside the drum, on a dry weight basic, is reported as the
slake durability index, Id. A smaller Id means that a greater amount of rock was broken
into small pieces and lost through the sieve.
Table 9.1 gives the slake durability classification suggested by Franklin and Chandra
(1972) based in the value of Id2. It is also recommended that the value of Id1 be used
whenever the values of Id2 range 0 and 10%.

Table 9.1 : Slake Durability Index Classification (Franklin and Chandra, 1972)
Id1 (%)
0-25
25-50
50-75
75-90
90-95

Durability Classification
Very Low
Low
Medium
High
Very High

95-100

Extremely High

Table 9.2 : Visual Description of the Remaining Rock Pieces after the Second Cycle
(Franklin and Chandra, 1972)
Id2
I
II
III

Visual Description
Pieces remain virtually unchanged
Pieces consist of small and large pieces
Pieces consist of exclusively small fragments

Problem Statement
Engineering with rock typically requires measurement of the rock strength, or the ability
of the rock to withstand loading. Some rock types, particularly shale and other week
rocks, are subject not only to loading failure but also to abrasion failure.
In a group, students are given rocks samples to carried out Slake Durability Test.
Students should be able to analyze the data using the classification index given in Table
9.1 and 9.2.

Apparatus
1.

140 mm diameter drum with 100 mm long 2 mm mesh walls

2.

Through to contain drum and water

3.

Motor drive (20 rpm)

4.

Rock samples

5.

Information and hints

Procedures
1.

Around 8 to 10 rock specimen each weighing 40 to 60 g giving a total weigh

of 450 to 550 g are selected to represent the sample.

2.

The weights of the clean dry and empty drums are recorded as D.

3.

The selected specimens are placed in the drum and dried to constant weight
at a temperature of 105C (requires between 3 to 12 hours in an oven)

4.

After drying in the oven, the drum assembly for each test is weighed and
recorded as A.

5.

The drums are then placed in the related water tank and coupled in the series
to the motor drive unit (the samples are tested after cooling).

6.

The tank is filled with slaking fluid, normally tap water at 20C or distilled
water to a level of 20 mm below the drum axis, submerging almost half the
drum.

7.

The test is immediately set in motion where the drums are rotated for 20
revolutions during a period of 10 minutes.

8.

At the end of the period the drive is immediately switched off, the drums
removed from the tank and the assembles with the specimens are dried in
the oven at the temperature of 105C.

9.

The masses of the oven dried drums and specimens are recorded as B.

10.

Step (6) to (9) is repeated and mass C is recorded. The net loss of the
samples weight are calculated and tabulated.

Results
Types of sample / no of rock
Weight of empty, clean drum, D (kg)
Weight of sample with drum (Ws + D = A) before
testing (kg)
Initial weight of air dried sample, Ws (kg)
First Cycle
Weight of sample with drum (Ws + D = B)
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1
1.520
1.980

2
1.510
1.965

3
1.510
1.660

4
1.510
1.910

0.460

0.455

0.150

0.400

1.940

1.965

1.660

1.910

after oven drying (kg)

Id1 = [(B-D) / (A-D)] 100%
Second Cycle
Weight of sample with drum (Ws + D = C)

91.30

100

100

100

1.940

1.980

1.660

1.910

after oven drying (kg)

Id2 = [(C-D) / (A-D)] 100%
Slake Classification

91.30
Very

103.30 100
Extremely High

(after Franklin & Chandra, 1972)

Visual Description

High
Pieces remain virtually unchanged

Average slakes durability for:

First cycle = (91.30+100+100+100) / 4 = 391.3/4 = 97.83%
Second cycle = (91.30+103.30+100+100)/4 = 394.6 / 4 = 98.65%

Analysis (Sample 1)
Weight of sample with drum before testing:
A = Ws + D
= 0.460 + 1.520
= 1.980 kg
First cycle
Weight of sample with drum after oven drying:
B = Ws + D
= 0.420 + 1.520

100

= 1.940 kg
Id1 = [(B-D) / (A-D)] 100%
= [(1.940-1.520) / (1.980-1.520)] 100%
= 91.30%
Second Cycle
Weight of sample with drum after oven drying:
C = Ws + D
= 0.420 + 1.520
= 1.940 kg
Id2 = [(C-D) / (A-D)] 100%
= [(1.940-1.520) / (1.980-1.520)] 100%
= 91.30%

Analysis (Sample 2)
Weight of sample with drum before testing:
A = Ws + D
= 0.455 + 1.510
= 1.965 kg
First cycle
Weight of sample with drum after oven drying:
B = Ws + D
= 0.445 + 1.520

= 1.965 kg
Id1 = [(B-D) / (A-D)] 100%
= [(1.965-1.520) / (1.965-1.520)] 100%
= 100%
Second Cycle
Weight of sample with drum after oven drying:
C = Ws + D
= 0.460 + 1.520
= 1.980 kg
Id2 = [(C-D) / (A-D)] 100%
= [(1.980-1.520) / (1.965-1.520)] 100%
= 103.30%

Graph of Typical Durability Test Result

Graph of Number of Slaking Cycle against Slaking Durability

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3 & 4

Discussion
1. Describe the rock parameters/properties that influence the durability of
rock.
When the rock becomes more saturated, water level within the rock pore
increases. It then causes the decreases of capillary tension at grain contacts and the tips
of cracks. Water influences the mechanical characteristics of rock. In this slake durability
test, not only wet-dry conditions are given to the rock specimen, but also mechanisms
correspond to the drum rotation are involved. Mechanisms in slake durability tests are
subjected to ion exchange and capillary tension.

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2. Identify and briefly explain the types of rock that have been selected for the
experiment.
The type of rock that have been selected for the experiment is igneous type.
Igneous rock are formed by cooling of molten magma or lava originated within the earth
such as granite and basalt. This type of rock is known to be very difficult to rip especially
in highly weathered zone due to the lack of stratification and weakness planes. In
Malaysia, most this rock type area as presence of boulders is significant and due to
economical reason. Intense weathering in this tropical area decayed this rock type
unevenly, hence leaving abundant boulders.
3. Explain the relationship between the slake durability index (Id2) obtained
from the experiment with the weathering grade of rocks.
The weight of rock sample 1 decreases after being dried in the oven for about 24
hours. The slake durability index for both cycle are 91.30% which means that the
durability of the rock sample is very high. For sample 2, the weight of rock increases
after being dried in the oven. The slake durability of Id2 (%) for granite that been tested.
The samples were tested to second cycles (Id2) and the weight retained after the
second cycles were recorded against the original weight before slaking. It was founded
that the relationship between the slake durability index (id2) obtained from the
experiment with the weathering grade of rocks is the percentage of Id2 decrease with
increase of weathering grade.

4. Evaluate and comment the stability and strength of your sample in civil
engineering works according to the weathering grade determined in (ii)
Igneous rock is high in stability and high in strengh. Important features of igneous rocks
are granular texture, massive structure, relatively homogeneous composition and
sometimes highly altered with weather. Massive igneous rocks such as batholiths may
affect tunneling, mining slope stability. These rocks are also used as construction
material. Tabular intrusive rocks such as dikes may create more construction problems
than massive rocks because of the lack of homogeneous composition. The most uses
of igneous rock in civil engineering is to be aggregate in concrete technology.

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Conclusion
The purpose of this slake durability experiment is to determine the resistance offered by
a rock sample to weakening and disintegration when subjected to dry and wetting
cycles.
The slake-durability test is regarded as a simple test for assessing weathering of
rocks. This simple test has been accepted as a standard test by the Rock Mechanics
Society. However, mechanisms into slaking processes have not been fully understood
yet as many factors involved in the processes. Results show that the slake-durability
index (Id2) of weathered soft rocks was influenced by the degree of weathering.
Distinctly weathered rocks had lower indices compared to partly weathered rocks.
Shapes also influenced the Id2 of these soft rocks. Different shapes displayed different
mechanisms in the slaking processes. Samples that had irregular shapes tended to have
a lower Id2 compared to samples that had rounded shapes.
As a conclusion, this experiment was successfully carried out. So, the objective in
this experiment is achieved. From the experiment, the slake classification for sample 1 is
very high while the slake classification for sample 2,3 and 4 is extremely high. Next, the
average of the first cycles slake durability is 97.83% while the second cycles slake
durability is 98.65%.
There are some slight errors may occur in this experiment. The humidity of
surrounding environment is one of the factors. The weight of the samples might slightly
increase due to different moisture content. So, the experiment should be done in suitable
condition. Next, the parallax error also will happen. So, the sample must be weighed
carefully and make sure that there are no things that can affect the weight of sample

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