Soil Mechanics Lab Manual /by Michael E. Kalinski. It is critical to quantify the various properties of soil in order to predict how it will behave under field loading for the safe design of soil structures. Quantification of these properties is performed using standardized laboratory tests. This lab manual prepares readers to enter the field with a collection of the most common of these soil mechanics tests. The procedures for all of these tests are written in accordance with applicable American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.