Sieves are a type of testing equipment used in civil engineering labs to perform particle size analysis of soils and aggregates. They are typically made of brass or stainless steel and consist of a stack of wire mesh screens with progressively smaller openings from top to bottom.
To use sieves, a sample of soil or aggregate is placed on the top sieve, and the stack is then mechanically or manually shaken to separate the particles by size. The particles are trapped in each sieve, and the weight of the particles retained on each sieve is recorded. This data is then used to create a particle size distribution curve for the material being tested.
Sieves come in a variety of sizes and opening sizes, depending on the application and the material being tested. Some sieves are designed for wet sieving, while others are for dry sieving. Sieves may also be used in combination with other equipment, such as a sieve shaker or sieve analyzer.
In addition to civil engineering labs, sieves are also commonly used in geology, food processing, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in environmental testing and research.