Abstract :
In this study, it was investigated that to what degree representative samples can be obtained from the quartering, riffling and rotating divider methods of the sample dividing (reducing) methods used in soil mechanics laboratory tests. For this purpose, four different soil type including clayey, silty, sandy and gravelly soils were used. Quartering method was carried out on a gravelly soil. Riffling and rotating divider methods were conducted on identical clayey, silty and sandy samples taken from same places and different gravelly samples taken from different places. Quartering method was conducted on laboratory ground. Riffling method was carried out by using a riffle box with 30 mm slot widths. Rotating divider methods was applied by using a rotating device with eight in 500 ml jar. For comparing the methods with each other, sieve analysis was carried out to the subsamples obtained by dividing and standard deviation of the percentage of passing from some sieves was calculated. According to results obtained, it was determined that the most representative subsamples can be obtained from rotating divider method, it is followed by riffling method, and most rough method is quartering methods in obtaining representative subsamples.