The following result refers to the liquid limit test.

No. of blows 33 23 18 11
Water content 41.5 49.5 51.5 55.6

The plastic limits from two tests were 23% and 24% respectively.Determine the plasticity
index.
Solution :
Firstly the result of liquid limit are plotted in semilog graph paper, using number of blows in
x-direction and water content in Y- direction from the graph we can read out the water
content corresponding to 25 blows as 48% which is required value of liquid limit.
Also,
Plastic limit (Wp) = (23+24)/2 = 23.5%

Flow Curve

60

50

47.9
40

Water Content
30

20

10

0
1000 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001
No. of Blows

Now, from fig , we know Liquid limit= 47.9%

So, plasticity index = Liquid limit- Plastic limit= 47.9 – 23.5 = 24.4%
Question
In a test to determine the liquid limit of silty clay the following results were recorded.
Mass of container + wet soil (gm) 19.62 21.26 19.5 21.28
Mass of container + Dry soil (gm) 16.74 18.39 17.24 19.08
Mass of container (gms) 10.46 11.21 10.87 11.62
Number of blows 12 19 28 41

Plot the result in the attached graph paper and determine the liquid limit for the soil. If the
plastic limit for the soil was 22%. Find the plasticity index.

Solution;
Given that; Plastic limit (PL) = 22%
Now, the water contents of test results are calculated in tabular form as;

No. of Blows 12 19 28 41

Water content %
45.86 39.97 35.48 29.49

Now plotting the graph between number of blows in x-direction and water content in y
direction in semi log graph.
 50

45

40
36.98
35

30
Water Content

25

20

15

10

0
1000 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001
No of blows

The water content corresponding to 25 blows gives liquid limit.

From graph we have ,
Liquid limit = 36.98%
Now, plasticity index (PI) = LL – PL = (36.98 – 22)% = 14.98%
Question
Results obtained from the sieve analysis of a soil are given below. Draw the particle size
distribution curve and determine the effective size, uniformity coefficient and coefficient of
curvature of the soil.
pan at
Sieve (mesh) opening 2.5 1.2 0.6 0.3 0.15 0.075 bottom
Weight of soil retained (gm) 0 5 25 215 225 25 0.5

Solution
Here,
Total weight of the soil (W) = 0+5+25+215+225+25+0.5 = 495.5 gm
The calculation for percent finer is shown below.

Weight of soil
Cumulative % of Percentage finer =
Mesh opening retained (gm) Percentage of soil retained =
soil retained (b) 100 -(b)
(a) x100
2.5 0 0 0 100
1.2 5 1.0091 1.0091 98.99
0.6 25 5.0454 6.0545 93.95
0.3 215 43.3905 49.445 50.56
0.15 225 45.4087 94.8537 5.15
0.075 25 5.0454 99.2931 0.1
Pan at bottom 0.5 0.1009 100 0
The particle size distribution curve is shown in the figure below;
 110

100

90

80

70
percent finer %

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
1000 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001
Particle size mm

From the graph we obtain,

D10 = 0.166 mm

D30 = 0.232 mm

D60 = 0.365 mm

Thus Effective size of the soil (D10) = 0.166 mm

Uniformity coefficient (Cu) = D60/ D10 = 0.365/0.166 = 2.198

Coefficient of curvature (Cc) = (D30)2/(D60 x D10) = (0.232)2/(0.365 X 0.166) = 0.89