Iraqi Kurdistan region

University of Duhok
College of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Soil Mechanics

Lab name: Soil lab.

Test name: Soil Consistency ( Liquid Limit & Plastic Limit Test )

Prepared By: Mateen Mahdi Mohammedsadiq

Group name: A
NO. of Test: one
Date of Test: 29 / 10 / 2018
Date of Report Submit: 05 / 11 / 2018

Supervised By: Hussein J.A. Hassan

Introduction:-
Soil Consistency Limits
Consistency provides a means of describing the degree and kind of
cohesion and adhesion between the soil particles as related to the
resistance of the soil to deform or rupture. Since it varies with water
content and clay minerals.

Atterberg Limits
They are the limits of water content that used to define soil behavior.

The soil consistency of soil according to atterberg limits are:-

1. Cohesion limit.
2. Sticky limit.
3. Shrinkage limit.
4. Plastic limit.
5. Liquid limit.

Liquid Limit (LL or wL) (Empirical Definition)

The moisture content at which a 2 mm-wide groove in a soil pat
will close for a distance of 12.7mm (0.5 in) when dropped 25 times
in a standard brass cup falling 1 cm each time at a rate of 2 drops/sec
in a standard liquid limit device.

Plastic Limit (PL, wP)

The moisture content at which a thread of soil just begins to crack
and crumble when rolled to a diameter of 1/8 inches
(3.175 mm).

Shrinkage Limit (SL, wS)

The moisture content, in percent, at which the volume of the soil
mass ceases to change with loss of moisture.
Purpose:-
The liquid and plastic limit tests are two basic engineering
experiments which characterize the effect of water content on fine-
grained soils that enable to: -
 Classify fine-grained soils (especially clay soil, Casagrande
plasticity chart).
 Assess type of clay minerals composition.
 Assess engineering properties such as:
a) The liquid limit is sometimes used to estimate settlement in
consolidation problems.
b) Both limits may be useful in predicting maximum density in
compaction studies.

Apparatus (for Liquid Limit Test):-

The equipment for determination Liquid Limit include:
1. Liquid limit device with Casagrande grooving tools.
2. Soil- mixture equipment [porcelain dish (mixing
dish), spatula, plastic squeeze bottle].
3. Balance sensitive to 0.01 gm.
4. Container for determination of water content
5. Oven.
6. Sieve No. 40(0.425 mm), pan and lid.

Apparatus (for Plastic Limit Test):-

1. Smooth glass surface for rolling the thread.
2. Container for determination of water content.
3. Balance sensitive to 0.01 gm.
4. Oven.
 Figures:-

Casagrande Apparatus

Liquid Limit

Plastic Limit
Procedure (for Liquid Limit):-
1. Calibrate the height of fall of the liquid limit device it will use
for a fall exactly 1 cm (not over ±0.1mm). Use 1 cm
calibration block for making the adjustment
2. Take about 250 gm of air dried soil passing No.40(425 μm)
sieve and place it in a porcelain mixing dish, add a small
amount of water and carefully mix the soil by using spatula to
form a uniform paste.
3. Place a portion of the paste in the brass cup of liquid limit
device and level it off to a maximum depth of about 1 cm, then
the surface of the paste should he smoothed off level and
parallel to the base
4. Draw the grooving tool from back to front through the sample
along the symmetrical axis of the cup with a circular motion
keeping the tool normal to the cup surface.
5. Turn the crank handle at a rate of 2 rps (revolution per
second) so that the brass cup is lifted and dropped. Record the
number of blows N required closing the groove along a
distance of 12.7 mm.
6. Remove a quantity of soil(about 10-15g) from the portions of
the sample that have just flowed together, which is used for
determining the water content
7. Transfer the soil remaining in the cup to the mixing dish, and
add a small amount of water to the porcelain dish of soil and
carefully mix the soil by using spatula to form a uniform colour
and consistency.
8. Repeat steps 3 to 7 for three additional specimens with various
water content.
 Calculation (for Liquid Limit):-
Weight of Weight of
Weight of
No. Can No. can + wet can + dry Blow Count
can (g)
soil (g) soil (g)
1 R3 37.30 46.18 44.31 55
2 B2 36.97 47.2 44.93 36
3 B4 38.02 52.5 49.23 25
4 T2 36.9 61.05 55.40 19

𝑊𝑤𝑒𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙+𝑐𝑎𝑛 −𝑊𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙+𝑐𝑎𝑛

𝑊𝑐 % = ∗ 100%
𝑊𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙+𝑐𝑎𝑛 − 𝑊𝑐𝑎𝑛

46.18−44.31
1st Trial  𝑊𝑐 % = ∗ 100% = 26.68%
44.31− 37.30
47.2−44.93
2nd Trial  𝑊𝑐 % = ∗ 100% = 28.52%
44.93− 36.97
52.5−49.23
3rd Trial  𝑊𝑐 % = ∗ 100% = 29.17%
49.23− 38.02
61.05−55.40
4th Trial  𝑊𝑐 % = ∗ 100% = 30.54%
55.40− 36.9

Flow Curve
31.00

30.00
29.48
29.00
WATER CONTENT

28.00

27.00

26.00

25.00
0.1 1 10 25 100
BLOWS COUNT

The Liquid Limit is = 29.48 % When

N= 25 From Flow Curve Above
Procedure (for Plastic Limit):-
1. Take about 20gm of plastic soil (set aside earlier during the
preparation for liquid limit).
2. The soil is broken and kneaded into several smaller
samples, shaped into (1-2) cm diameter ball. The material
should be plastic enough not to stick to the fingers when
squeeze.
3. Roll the soil between fingers on a glass plate to form a uniform
thread of 3 mm diameter (The rate of rolling should be about
80-90 strokes per minute, counting one stroke when the hand
moves forward and backward to the starting point).
4. If the diameter of the thread becomes less than 3 mm without
cracks, it shows that the water content is more than the plastic
limit. Knead the soil to reduce the water content, and roll it
again to thread.
5. Repeat the process of alternate rolling and kneading until the
thread crumbles and the soil can no longer be rolled into
thread.
6. Collect the pieces of the crumbled soil thread in a moisture
content container, and determine its water content.
7. Repeat the procedure at least twice more with fresh samples of
plastic soil each time.
 Calculation (for Plastic Limit):-
Weight of Weight of
Weight of
No. Can No. can + wet can + dry
can (g)
soil (g) soil (g)
1 A1 14.16 16.28 15.87
2 A2 5.13 7.25 6.87

16.28−15.87
1st Trial  𝑊𝑐 % = ∗ 100% = 23.98%
15.87−14.16

7.25−6.87
2nd Trial  𝑊𝑐 % = ∗ 100% = 21.84%
6.87−7.25

𝟐𝟑.𝟗𝟖+𝟐𝟏.𝟖𝟒
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭 = = 𝟐𝟐. 𝟗𝟏%
𝟐

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱 = 𝐋𝐋 − 𝐏𝐋 = 𝟐𝟗. 𝟒𝟖% − 𝟐𝟐. 𝟗𝟏% = 𝟔. 𝟓𝟕%

Discussion:-
At the end of test it shows that the clay that used in this experiment
has a liquid limit equal to 29.48% at N = 25 due to ASTM standard
(ASTM D 4318) (N refers to number of blows), and has a plastic
limit equal to 22.91%, and from these two limits we determine the
plasticity index which is equal to 6.57% which indicate that the soil
has Low Plasticity due to description table shown in next page. There
are many factors affecting on results shown above, for instance
inefficient mixing, slower or faster rate of blows which is preferable
to be (2 blows/sec), not calibrating the height fall of liquid limit
device to (1 cm), counting blows incorrectly, not cleaning the
grooving tool and brass cup between each two trials and many more
these factors all affecting liquid limit result, and for plastic limit there
are some factors like having a non-smooth surface or a surface with
dust on it, improper rolling of sample and many other factors.

Q1/ Why we use Atterberg limits to characterize fine-grained soil?

A1/ The reason that we use atterberg limit because the behavior of
soil mostly depend on water content and Atterberg limits are
the limits of water content in soil. As moisture content of a clay-like
soil increases, it goes through four distinct states of consistency:
solid, semi-solid, plastic, and liquid. Each stage is defined by
significant changes in strength, consistency and behavior, and
Atterberg Limits tests accurately delineate these boundaries using
moisture contents at the specific points where the physical changes
occur. Knowledge of these values helps in foundation design of
structures and to predict behavior of soils in fills and embankments.
The values can contribute to estimates of shear strength and
permeability, prediction of settlement, and identification of
potentially expansive soils.
Q2/ Should you add or remove water to obtain a lower blow count?
A2/ We can do this test by slowly adding water to sample or by
adding a lot of water and then slowly removing water from sample
but the first one is more preferable because it’s easier and the chance
of getting a homogenous mix is more than the way when removing
water from sample thus it will get lower blow count.

Q3/ What the purpose of the one-point liquid limit test?

A3/ To determine the liquid limit faster than casagrande method but
it’s less accurate thane casagrande method.

Q4/ The liquid limit cannot be more than 100%. True or not? explain.
A4/ Is not true the water content can be more than 100% as in quick
clay, but in this situation the soil will behave like a viscous fluid.

Q5/ What is P.I. and Why it is important?

A5/ P.I. is the plasticity index which is the difference between the
liquid limit and plastic limit of a soil. It’s important to know the rate
of plasticity of soil and the rate of clay particles in that soil. More P.I.
more plasticity and more clay particles.

PI Description
0 Non-plastic
1-5 Slightly Plastic
5-10 Low Plasticity
10-20 Medium Plasticity
20-40 High Plasticity
>40 Very High Plasticity