Lab Title

Date

Section Number

Team Number

Name 1 (Team Leader)Name 2

Name 3Name 4

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1.ABSTRACT3

1.1General Notes on Formatting3

1.2General Notes on Figures and Tables3

1.3Updating the Table of Contents and List of Figures and Tables5

2.INTRODUCTION5

2.1Common Problems in Lab Report Based on Past Experiences5

3.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH7

4.EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS7

5.INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS7

6.CONCLUSION8

7.REFERENCES8

APPENDIX AData Sheets

APPENDIX BExcel Analysis Worksheet Printouts

LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 1.Example Figure and Figure Title.4

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 1.Sample Table Heading and Formatting.4

1. ABSTRACT

The Abstract should summarize, in a few sentences, the main points and outcome of the work. The abstract is a standalone section that encompasses the entirety of the work completed in a paragraph or two.

The next subsections are helpful hints on how to use this template. These subsections should NOT be included in your laboratory reports.

1.1 General Notes on Formatting

This Word Template uses Arial 12 point font with double line spacing for the text. The text should be justified. Single line spacing should be used within tables. The page should have one (1) inch margins. The following sections of your laboratory reports are Style Heading 1: Abstract, Introduction, Experimental Approach, Experimental Results, Interpretation of Results, Conclusions, and References. Subsections of these sections (if needed) can use Style Heading 2 (e.g. 1.1 General Notes on Formatting).

1.2 General Notes on Figures and Tables

Use the [References Tab] above to set up tracking of Table 1 within the paragraph (Cross-Reference) as well as its caption (Insert Caption) shown above the table. Table or Figure captions need to be created first, then you can reference them within the text so that they automatically update the list of Tables and citations within paragraphs as figures are added/removed. This same feature will also apply to Figure 1, any equations and Appendices as well. See the following examples for placement of table and figure titles on Page 4. You are not allowed to use the figures in the provided analysis templates for each lab as figures in your reports. Also see Table 1 for an example of table formatting.

Figure 1.Example Figure and Figure Title.

Table 1.Sample Table Heading and Formatting.

Column One

Column Two1

(units)

Column Three

Column Four

Column N

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

5

5

5

5

5

NOTES:

1. Notes are Size 10 Font located in table.

1.3 Updating the Table of Contents and List of Figures and Tables

After you have completed your reports, you can have Microsoft Word automatically update your Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables. Bring the mouse pointer over the Table of Contents, hit the minor mouse button (typically the right mouse button), and then click Update Field on the menu that appears. You will want to select Update Entire Table if another menu appears. Click OK and you are done updating.

2. INTRODUCTION

This section contains the objectives for the work, the need for the measured values (i.e. the purpose of the lab), and relevant background information.

2.1Common Problems in Lab Report Based on Past Experiences

The following is a partial list of common student errors that have been observed over the years. You should try to avoid these, as these errors will adversely impact your report grade.

Abstract: Needs to state the outcome; a person reads the abstract and then decides if he/she will read the report.

Proof-Read: spell check finds misspelled words not the wrong word. Without proof-reading it is very easy to tell what sections were written by different people.

Write in 3rd person: (dont use I or We etc.), e.g. I measured the water content should be written as The water content was measured.

Verb Tense: keep the same throughout (dont switch between past and present).

Figures and Tables:Figures are labeled below, while Tables are labeled above. Figures and Tables should all be referred to in the report before they appear. Make sure you reference the correct Figure. Incorrect references are as bad as no references. Refer to and Label Figures in a way other than diameter vs. percent finer graph. Use a meaningful name such as Grain Size Distribution etc.

Dont Steal Figures. List a source (e.g. Figure 3. Casagrandes Apparatus (reference)).

Make Neat Tables Bold, capitalized headings. Be consistent, center the data too, not just the headings. Be consistent with decimal places and use significant digits as detailed in ASTM D6026. Do you know the water content accurately to 9 decimal places? Indicate units. Only put a table landscape when there is a great deal of data and it is necessary.

Appendices should also be referred to in the report.

Focus on presenting and discussing results (not on background and procedure).

Keep formatting and style consistent throughout report.

Use superscripts (e.g. ft3 not ft^3) anywhere they appear.

Equations: use equation editor and label equations, even simple ones. Define the terms.

Liquid Limit plot is semi-log.

Use entire not whole.

Weighted is not the same as Weighed Use the correct word!

3. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

In this section you describe the experimental apparatus and procedure. You should list equipment used and describe the test procedure. It is highly recommended you reference the applicable standards (e.g. ASTM D1557) and any deviations from the standards.

4. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

In this section you present your results in a clear and professional manner using tables and/or figures. Hand written notes can be in an appendix and referred to in the text. This section is not a spot to just dump tables and figures. Only the important and relevant tables and figures should be presented here with a brief description. Supporting raw data tables and such should be in an appendix. If its not worth talking about, its not supposed to be in the body of the report. Remember, the items in the appendices should be referred to in the body of the report and need to be relevant.

5. INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

Interpret and discuss the results in this section. Are the results in agreement with the theory? If not, explain why or why not. Compare your results to those available in the literature and provide relevant references. This section is where you elaborate on the results presented in the Experimental Results section. What do the results mean? Do they make sense? Why or why not?

6. CONCLUSION

In this section you will summarize the main points and findings. The conclusion should have no information that the reader hasnt seen already but can refer to it by summarizing the main findings. Keep in mind that this section is mainly what people will be using from your reports.

7. REFERENCES

Books, papers, standards (ASTM), reports, websites, etc. should be listed here in alphabetical order using the ASCE author-date referencing format. Go to http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784478998.ch17 for further information. It is also suggested you go read an article from an ASCE journal in an area of civil engineering you are interested in to see this reference system in practice. ASCE journals are available from the Lydon Library. A list of ASCE journals can be found at http://ascelibrary.org/journals.

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APPENDIX AData Sheets

Appendices of report contain raw data, spreadsheet outputs, sample calculations, tables and graphs which are important for backing up the work but are in the way of the report. Appendices should also be referred to in the report when needed. Attached are cover sheets to two (2) appendices that you will need for your laboratory reports. You are welcome to submit additional appendices if you feel that they are warranted.

APPENDIX BExcel Analysis Worksheet Printouts

4.7520.850.424999999999999990.257.4999999999999997E-210099.98809996033320199.8611662038873528.2169773899246511.32487108290364835.5533518445093577E-24.7520.424999999999999997.4999999999999997E-2100100100100

Particle Diameter (mm)

% Passing