ndex

36

.nd Clalslllcstlon Proprllst of Soll

SincetheAtterberglimitsarewalercontenfswherethesoilbehavior

continuum as in Fig'
changes, we can show these limits on a water content

2.6.Alsoshownarethetypesofsoilbehaviorforthegivenrangesofwater
soil changes from
contents. As the water content increases, the state of the
liquid. we can also
a brittle solid to a plastic solid and then to a viscous
material
generalizcd
the
show on the same watef content continuum
response (stress-strain curves) corresponding to those states'

YoumayrecallthecurvesshowninFig.2.Tfromfluidmechanics'

stress' Dependwhere the shear velocity gradient is plotted versus the shear
a response
have
to
soils
for
possible
ing on the water content, it is
Newronian
ideal
rhe
possibly
ref,resented by all of those curyes (except

liquid).Note,too,howdifferentthisresponseisfromthestress-strain
wood.
or
behavior of other engineering materials such as steel, concrete,
dv
dz

(S hear

vel oc

ty

gradienr

ryierd

Fig. 2.7 Behavior of several materials including soils over e ranga of

water contents.

Atterberg's original consistency limit tests were rather arbitrary and

not easily reproducible, especially by inexperienced operators. As mentioned, iasugrand" (1932b, 1958) worked to standardize the tests, and he
developed the liquid limit dcvice (Fig. 2.8) so that the test became more

rc\