American University of Sharjah

School of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
Fall 2011

CVE 303
Geotechnical Engineering Lab
Experiment # 3

Determination of Liquid Limit & Plastic Limit

and Determination of Relative Density

Name ID
Loay Al Mujadidi 31209
Mohamoud M. Al Tohami 34077

Section :1
Submitted to : Dr. Aqeel A. Mohammed Taher
Date of the experiment : 09/ Oct. /2011
Date of submission : 16/Oct./2011
Table of Contents
List of Figures: ......................................................................................................................................... 2
List of Tables: .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Objectives: .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction: ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Theory: .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Equipment:.............................................................................................................................................. 7
Procedures: ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Sample Calculations: ............................................................................................................................... 9
Results & Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 10
Sources of Errors: .................................................................................................................................. 12
Conclusion: ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Recommendations: ............................................................................................................................... 12
Applications: ......................................................................................................................................... 13
References: ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Data Sheet:............................................................................................................................................ 14

List of Figures:
FIGURE 1 ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
FIGURE 2 ................................................................................................................................................................. 11

List of Tables:
TABLE 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6
TABLE 2 ................................................................................................................................................................... 10
TABLE 3 ................................................................................................................................................................... 11

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Objectives:
o To determine the Atterberg or consistency limits (Liquid Limit & Plastic Limit).

o To determine a relative density of a given soil sample.

Introduction:
In the 1st part of the experiment we were trying to determine the various Atterbeg’s

limit; shrinkage, plastic and liquid limits of given clay soil sample using the Casagrande

apparatus and then compare it with the limits obtained using One-point method.

In the 2nd part of the experiment, we tried to find one of the soil properties which is

soil’s relative density. Relative Density is a measure of how much the soil can be compacted

further relative to its natural state. However, in this experiment we were required to find both

the minimum and maximum densities to find the ration between both of them.

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Theory:
1st part:

There is a relation between the water content in the soil and its physical state. Actually,

the soil state transforms as the water content increases at a certain limits from solid  semi-

solid  plastic  liquid state. There are certain values or limits of water content which the

state transformation occurs utterly and noticeable loss of shear strength is observed. All these

limits are called Atterberg limits or consistency limits.

Consistency of soil: the relative ease with soil can be deformed.

Or it’s the degree of firmness of soil; for ex: soft, stiff, or hard.

Atterberg Limits
Total Volume of soil mass

Liquid
Plastic
Semi-Solid
Solid State State

Shrinkage Limit Plastic Limit Liquid Limit

Water Content

Figure 1

From the graph, we can demonstrate the relation between the water content and the

volume of the soil. Up until the shrinkage limit, the volume almost stays the same since the

increase in the water content will fill in the air voids until no more air voids are present

(saturation is 100%) and that is the Shrinkage limit where the soil state transfers from solid to

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semi-solid. Further increase in water content will get the soil to start expanding in volume up

until the water content gets to the Plastic limit where the soil state transfers from semi-solid

to plastic state where the clay sample can be easily molded into shapes. Adding more water to

the soil at the plastic state causes rapid expansion in volume until the water content gets to

the Liquid limit where the soil state transfers from plastic to liquid state. The plastic index

represents the water content range of which the soil will be at the plastic state and it’s the

difference between the Liquid limit and Plastic limit.

To check for those different limits, we use the Casagrande apparatus and a clay soil

sample. On a side note, sand cannot be used in this test as it has different properties such as

water absorption of that of clay’s soil. Then we compare the value of the plastic limit

obtained from the graph to the one using One-point method.

𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑠 0.121

𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡, 𝐿𝐿 = 𝑤 × ( ) ; 𝐰: water content
25

2nd part:

Relative density is an important property for cohesion-less soil like sand. It is an

indication of the soil natural state being dense or loose or somewhat in between.

Relative Density can be defined as following: the property that expresses the ratio of
actual decrease in volume of voids in a sandy soil to the maximum possible decrease in
volume of voids
That’s: how far the sand under investigation can be capable of further densification
beyond its natural state.

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The following formula is the main one to calculate for Relative Density (Dr):

𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑒
𝐷𝑟 = [ ] × 100%
𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝑫𝒓 : 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦

𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒙 : 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏 : 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝒆: 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 𝑎𝑡 𝑎 𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙

Also we can get the relative density using formulas that include (γ: unit weight) or (ρ:

density) or (V: volume) as following:

(𝛾𝑑 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 (𝛾𝑑 )𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 − (𝛾𝑑 )𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝐷𝑟 = [ ] × 100%
(𝛾𝑑 )𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 (𝛾𝑑 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 − (𝛾𝑑 )𝑚𝑖𝑛

(𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 (𝜌𝑑 )𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 − (𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝐷𝑟 = [ ] × 100%
(𝜌𝑑 )𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 (𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 − (𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑖𝑛

(𝑉𝑣 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 − (𝑉𝑣 )

𝐷𝑟 = [ ] × 100%
(𝑉𝑣 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 − (𝑉𝑣 )𝑚𝑖𝑛

After obtaining the Relative Density, the soil’s state in the field can be concluded

according to the following measurement:

Table 1

Denseness Very Loose Loose Medium Dense Very Dense

Dr (%) < 15 15 to 35 35 to 65 65 to 85 85 to 100

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Equipment:
1st part:

1. Casgrande Apparatus
2. Good amount of soil sample
3. Balance
4. Distilled water
5. Grooving tool

2nd part:

1. Cohesion-less soil. Ex: sand.

2. Vibrating table
3. Digital balance.
4. Container

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Procedures:
1st part:

 Liquid Limit:
1. Have a small amount of soil in tray and mix it with small amount of water.
2. Place the wet soil in the Casagrande apparatus and spread it evenly. Then use the
grooving tool to cut it into two halves with an opening in between.
3. Start rotating the handle so that the cup would start dropping; count the number of
required drops for the soil to close by almost 0.5 inch.
4. Repeat these steps several times and find the corresponding water content at each
trial.
5. Plot a graph of Water content versus No. of drops. The corresponding value of water
content at 25 drops is the liquid limit.
 Plastic Limit:
1. Take small amount of the soil used earlier for liquid limit test and start rubbing it
using your hands and shape it into a thread.
2. Continue the rubbing process until the thread is 3 mm in diameter and there are
noticeable cracks on the surface of the thread.
3. Determine the water content at which the cracks appear.
4. Repeat the process with a second thread and find the average water content.
5. Find the corresponding Plastic Index. (PI = LL – PL)

2nd part:

1. Have the container on the balance and tare it.

2. To find the loose state density, have the soil in the container completely filled and
level the surface and then record its weight.
3. To find the dense state density, get the container on the vibrating table and put soil in
the container while it’s vibrating throughout.
4. Once the container is filled with soil, level its surface and record its weight again.
5. Using the recorded weights and the known volume of the container used, calculate for
the maximum, minimum and relative densities.

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Sample Calculations:
1st part:

 Liquid Limit:
Using Casagramde method
Using the graph: 25 drops corresponds to Liquid Limit = 48.6%

Using one point method:

𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑠 0.121 33 0.121

𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡, 𝐿𝐿 = 𝑤 × ( ) = 45 × ( ) ≈ 46.5%
25 25

 Plastic Limit:
31 + 29
𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 = 𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 = = 30%
2

𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 = 𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 – 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 = 48.6% – 30% = 18.6 %

2nd part:

(𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 (𝜌𝑑 )𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 − (𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑖𝑛 1.71 1.58 − 1.53

𝐷𝑟 = [ ] × 100% = [ ] × 100% ≈ 30.06%
(𝜌𝑑 )𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 (𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 − (𝜌𝑑 )𝑚𝑖𝑛 1.58 1.71 − 1.53

30.06% is b/w 15 to 35, therefore the soil is loose

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Results & Discussion
1st part:

After we obtain the test data from our instructor, we take check for the water content and

number of drops for each trial and we construct a graph (Water content versus No. of Drops).

The theory states the Liquid limit is presented by the water content at which is corresponding

to 25 drops and the value from the graph is (48.6%). However, using the One-Point method,

an approximation of the liquid limit can be obtained where we can compare the value with

the one obtained from the graph; however, the value obtained from the graph has more

accuracy. The value from One-point method is (46.5%).

In addition, to determine the plastic limit, we check for the water content at which the

thread molded from clay is 3 mm in diameter and cracks appear on the surface of the thread.

We obtain the plastic limits for two trials and then we calculate the average. The obtained

Plastic Limit is (30%), and hence, the Plastic Index is (18.6%).

Table 2

Determination of Liquid Limit

Determination No 1 2 3 4
Number of drops 33 23 19 13
Can No C1 C2 C3 C4
Mass of can + moist soil, Mcws (g) 38.88 46.55 60.35 43.45
Mass of can + dry soil, Mcs (g) 34.9 39.56 49.04 37.23
Mass of water, Mw (g) 3.98 6.99 11.31 6.22
Mass of can, Mc (g) 26.1 25.5 27 26.15
Mass of dry soil, Ms (g) 8.8 14.06 22.04 11.08
Moisture content, w (%) 45% 50% 51% 56%

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Table 3

Determination of Plastic Limit

Determination No 1 2
Can No D10 D15
Mass of can + moist soil, Mcws (g) 31.33 30.4
Mass of can + dry soil, Mcs (g) 29.77 28.75
Mass of water, Mw (g) 1.56 1.65
Mass of can, Mc (g) 24.81 23.05
Mass of dry soil, Ms (g) 4.96 5.7
Moisture content, w (%) 31% 29%
Moisture content average, w (%) 30%

Water Content vs. No of Drops

60%

50%
Water Content, (%)

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
No. of Drops

Figure 2

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2nd part:

To find the relative density of our soil sample, we have to find the maximum density and

minimum density, which are the densities at the loosest and most dense state of the soil. In

our experiment, the maximum density is (1.71 g/cm³), minimum density is (1.53 g/cm³), and

hence; the relative density of the soil is (30.06%), which indicates it is loose.

Sources of Errors:
1st part:

2nd part:

Conclusion:

Recommendations:

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Applications:

References:
1. CVE 303 handout.

2. Class notes.

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Data Sheet:

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