LIQUID LIMIT

Objectives

The group performed the experiment using one-point method to determine the liquid

limit by finding the water content at which the separation of soil in a standard cup which is

cut by a groove of standard dimensions will flow together at the base of the groove for a

distance of 13 mm when subjected to 25 drops of the liquid limit device.

The fall cone method is used to determine the liquid limit of the soil which is taken as

the moisture content at which a standard 30 degree, 80 grams cone will penetrate the soil

sample a distance of 20 mm in approximately 5 seconds. Compared to the Casagrande

method, this method is quick, simple to perform and less sensitive to equipment

manufacturing variations.

Theoretical Background

In 1900s, a Swedish Scientist namely Albert Mauritz Atterberg developed a method to

describe the consistency of the fine-grained soil with varying moisture contents. The nature

of the soil depending on the moisture content can be broken down into four basic states

namely solid, semisolid, plastic and liquid. The moisture content, in percent, at which the

transition from solid to semisolid state takes place is defined as the shrinkage limit. The

moisture content at the point of transition from semisolid to plastic state is the plastic limit,

and from plastic to liquid state is the liquid limit. These limits are also known as Atterberg

limits.

When water is added to the soil, the state of consistency changes from hard to soft. If

water was added to a fine-grained soil, the state of consistency changes from hard to semi

hard. If continuous water is added then the soil will change its state of consistency from semi

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hard to plastic and finally reach a liquid consistency stage. When the soil reaches liquid

consistency state, it remains no cohesive strength to retain its shape under its own weight. It

will start to deform its shape. The amount of water which is responsible for this state of

consistency of soil is called liquid limit of soil. In other words, liquid limit is defined as the

minimum water content at which the soil is still in the liquid state, but has a small

shearing strength against flow.

Materials & Equipments

Casagrande

Grooving Tool

Spatula

Evaporating Dish

Sieve No. 40

Distilled Water

Weighing Balance

Penetrometer Apparatus

Cylindrical Cup

Experimental Procedure

ONE-POINT METHOD

1. Use approximately 100g of dry soil passing sieve no. 40 and pour it in the

evaporating dish

2. Create a mixture of water and soil with the use of spatula.

3. Put a portion of the mixture into the casagrande by smoothly spreading it

using the spatula.

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 4. Use the grooving tool to divide the soil from the top and make a maximum

space of 1 cm.

5. Rotate the handle of the casagrande then stop when the space below the soil

division reached 12mm.

6. Count the number of blows applied. It must be between 15-35 blows

7. Put the sample in the container.

8. Determine the moisture content.

9. The test is repeated with different sets of values of water content.

FALL CONE METHOD

1. About 150 gm. of air dried soil from thoroughly mixed portion of material passing

425 micron IS sieve is obtained.

2. Distilled water is mixed to the soil thus obtained in a mixing disc to form a uniform

paste.

3. Then the wet soil paste is transferred to the cylindrical cup of cone penetrometer

apparatus, ensuring that no air is trapped in this process.

4. Finally the wet soil is levelled up to the top of the cup and placed on the base of the

cone penetrometer apparatus.

5. The penetrometer is so adjusted that the cone point just touches the surface of the soil

paste in the cup and the initial ready is to be taken.

6. The vertical clamp is then released allowing the cone to penetrate into soil paste under

its own weight for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds the penetration of the cone is noted to the

nearest millimeter.

7. The test is repeated at least to have four sets of values of penetration in the range of

14 to 28 mm.

8. The exact moisture content of each trial is determined.

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Analysis of Data

 For One-Point Method

Table 6-1 Liquid Limit of Soil Using One-Point Method

Soil Mass of Mass of Can Mass of can Moisture Number Liquid

Sample Can + Wet Soil + Dry Soil Content of Blows Limit
(W1) in g (W2) in g (W3) in g (w) (N)

1 8.5 92.8 67.1 43.857 21 42.491

2 10.8 114.7 85.9 38.349 20 37.463

3 10 96 70.5 42.149 30 43.089

4 10.3 107.4 77.9 43.639 15 41.023

Liquid Limit: 41

Computation

For Moisture Content

𝑾𝟐 −𝑾𝟑
Formula: 𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100
𝑾𝟑 −𝑾𝟏

Trial 1

92.8 − 67.1
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟒𝟑. 𝟖𝟓𝟔𝟔𝟓𝟓𝟐𝟗
67.1 − 8.5

Trial 2

114.7 − 85.9
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟑𝟖. 𝟑𝟒𝟖𝟖𝟔𝟖𝟏𝟖
85.9 − 10.8

Trial 3

96 − 70.5
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟒𝟐. 𝟏𝟒𝟖𝟕𝟔𝟎𝟑𝟑
70.5 − 10

Trial 4

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 197.4 − 77.9
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟒𝟑. 𝟔𝟑𝟗𝟎𝟓𝟑𝟐𝟓
77.9 − 10.3

For Liquid Limit

𝑵 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜷
Formula: 𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = 𝒘𝑵 ( ) where 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜷=0.121
𝟐𝟓

Trial 1

21 𝟎.𝟏𝟐𝟏
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = 43.85665529 ( ) = 𝟒𝟐. 𝟗𝟒𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟑𝟒𝟏
25

Trial 2

20 0.121
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = 38.34886818 ( ) = 𝟑𝟕. 𝟒𝟔𝟑𝟑𝟕𝟕𝟐𝟓
25

Trial 3

30 0.121
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = 42.14876033 ( ) = 𝟒𝟑. 𝟎𝟖𝟖𝟗𝟑𝟐𝟔𝟕
25

Trial 4

15 0.121
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = 43.63905325 ( ) = 𝟒𝟏. 𝟎𝟐𝟑𝟑𝟗𝟕𝟏𝟑
25

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 For Fall Cone Method

Table 6-2 Liquid Limit of Soil Using Fall Cone Method

Soil Mass of Mass of Mass of can Moisture Fall Cone Liquid

Sample Can Can + Wet + Dry Soil Content Penetration Limit
(W1) in g Soil (W3) in g (w) (d)
(W2) in g
1 12.8 66.8 50.2 44.385 18.2 45.829

2 8.9 62.6 47.8 38.046 20 38.046

3 13.7 72 54.6 42.543 19.7 42.767

4 11.8 66.7 49.6 45.238 20.8 44.614

Liquid Limit: 42.8

Computation

For Moisture Content

𝑾𝟐 −𝑾𝟑
Formula: 𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100
𝑾𝟑 −𝑾𝟏

Trial 1

66.8 − 50.2
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟒𝟒. 𝟑𝟖𝟓𝟎𝟐𝟔𝟕𝟒
50.2 − 12.8

Trial 2

62.6 − 47.8
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟑𝟖. 𝟎𝟒𝟔𝟐𝟕𝟐𝟒𝟗
47.8 − 8.9

Trial 3

72 − 54.6
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟒𝟐. 𝟓𝟒𝟐𝟕𝟖𝟕𝟐𝟗
54.6 − 13.7

Trial 4

66.7 − 49.6
𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 = × 100 = 𝟒𝟓. 𝟐𝟑𝟖𝟎𝟗𝟓𝟐𝟒
49.6 − 11.8

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 For Liquid Limit
𝒘
Formula: 𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 =
𝟎.𝟔𝟓+𝟎.𝟎𝟏𝟕𝟓𝒅

Trial 1

44.38502674
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = = 𝟒𝟓. 𝟖𝟐𝟖𝟔𝟐𝟖𝟓𝟒
0.65 + 0.0175(18.2)

Trial 2

38.04627249
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = = 𝟑𝟖. 𝟎𝟒𝟔𝟐𝟕𝟐𝟒𝟗
0.65 + 0.0175(20)

Trial 3

42.54278729
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = = 𝟒𝟐. 𝟕𝟔𝟕𝟑𝟏𝟓𝟕
0.65 + 0.0175(19.7)

Trial 4

45.23809524
𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = = 𝟒𝟒. 𝟔𝟏𝟑𝟓𝟎𝟔𝟏𝟓
0.65 + 0.0175(20.8)

Average Liquid Limit

41 + 42.8
𝑨𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 = = 𝟒𝟏. 𝟗
2

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 45

Liquid Limit = 41
Moisture Content (%)

40
Moisture Content (%)

35
15
Number of Blows (N)

Figure 6 – 1 Flow Curve for Liquid Limit Using One-Point Method

50
Moisture Content (%)

45
Liquid Limit = 412.8

Moisture Content (%)

40

35
18
Fall Cone Penetration (d)

Figure 6 – 2 Flow Curve for Liquid Limit Using Fall Cone Method

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Discussion of Result

Liquid limit is the minimum water content at which the soil is still in the liquid

state, but has a small shearing strength against flow. There are two different methods are

available for determining liquid limit of soil. These two methods are as given below, liquid

limit test of soil using casagrande apparatus and liquid limit test of soil using cone

penetrometer apparatus.

The liquid limit using one-point method for trial 1 was 42.941, 37.463, 43.089 and

41.023 for trial 2, 3 and 4. The liquid limit was 41. On the, the liquid limit using fall cone

method for trial 1 was 45.829, 38.046, 42.767 and 44.614 for trial, 2, 3 and 4 respectively.

The liquid limit was 42.8. The average liquid limit of the soil is 41.9.

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 PLASTIC LIMIT
Objectives

The group performed the experiment to determine the plastic limit of the soil by

rolling out a thread of the fine portion of the soil on a flat, non- porous surface. The test

method is used to characterize the fine- grained fractions of soils and to specify the fine-

grained fraction of construction materials.

Theoretical Background

In 1900s, a Swedish Scientist namely Albert Mauritz Atterberg developed a method to

describe the consistency of the fine-grained soil with varying moisture contents. The nature

of the soil depending on the moisture content can be broken down into four basic states

namely solid, semisolid, plastic and liquid. The moisture content, in percent, at which the

transition from solid to semisolid state takes place is defined as the shrinkage limit. The

moisture content at the point of transition from semisolid to plastic state is the plastic limit,

and from plastic to liquid state is the liquid limit. These limits are also known as Atterberg

limits.

The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content, in percent, at which the soil when

rolled into threads of 3.2mm in diameter crumbles. The plastic limit is the lower limit of the

plastic stage of soil. The test is simple and is performed by repeated rolling by hand of an

ellipsoidal size soil mass on a ground glass plate.

Materials and Equipments

Sieve No. 40

Empty Moisture Can

Weighing Balance

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 Ruler

Distilled Water

Mat

Spatula

Experimental Procedures

Analysis of Data

Discussion of Result

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Conclusion & Recommendation

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References

Appendices

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