MAPUA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND

GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
SOIL MECHANICS AND MATERIALS TESTING
LABORATORY

NAME: SY, MIKE ANDREAN M.

COURSE & SECTION: CE161P – E06 STUDENT NO.: 2017100156

GROUP NO.:

EXPERIMENT NO. 4.B

PLASTICE LIMIT AND PLASTICITY INDEX OF SOIL

TITLE

DATE PERFORMED: JUNE 27 2020

DATE SUBMITTED: JUNE 28 2020 GRADE

Engr. Timothy Daniel Felicia

INSTRUCTOR
OBJECTIVE

This method describes a procedure of determining the lowest water content at

which a soil can be rolled into threads 3.2 mm in diameter without crumbling.

PROCEDURES

1. From the 20 g mass, select a portion of 1.5 to 2.0 g from the test specimen into
an ellipsoidal mass.

2. Roll the ball of soil between the palm of the hand and the glass plate until it is
3.2 mm inch in diameter as shown in figure 3. Repeat this until a 3.2 mm
diameter thread shows sign of crumbling and the thread begins to break into
pieces.

3. Take some of the crumbled solid and place in a drying can for water content
determination.

4. Repeat step 2 and 3 get the average water content, which is the plastic limit
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

1. Glass plate
- Use as surface to spread the soil paste to be tested
2. Balance, sensitive to 0.01 gram
- Use to weigh the soil sample for determining moisture content
3. Oven with temperature control
- Use to dry the soil sample
4. No. 40 sieve and pan
- Use to separate the fine grained soil
5. Mortar and pestle
- Use to crush the lump of soil
6. Spatula
- Use to spread the soil paste mixture
7. Evaporating dish
- Use as temporary container of soil sample
8. Water supply
- Use for adding water to the soil

Glass plate Balance

Oven with Temperature Control No. 40 Sieve and pan

Mortar and Pestle Spatula

Evaporating Dish Water Supply

APPLICATION

This experiment comes hand in hand with the previous experiment, because
the two both fall under the Atterberg test, which classify the fine-grained soil.
Therefore, most application of this experiment would be same as the previous
experiment.

Like the previous experiment, this also use to classify the soil description
according to its plasticity. In addition, it can be used for calculating the shear and
bearing strength of the soil based on properties. The plastic limit describe how the
soil changes as the moisture decreases from plastic to semi-solid and increase of
moisture from semi-solid to plastic. Knowing the behavior of the soil would help
engineers to predict and calculate different scenarios might occur in a certain soil
sample. This is very important in designing foundation of structure, because soils
carries the weight of the structure from the foundation and a settlement would
greatly affect the structural integrity of structure. Thus, it is necessary to consider
every factor in designing, and classifying the soil would greatly help in different
ways for the engineers.
TECHNICAL OBSERVATION

In his experiment, it is needed to determine the plastic limit of the soil sample
and the plasticity index. Like the previous experiment, experiment 4A, this
experiment is also part of Atterberg limit test. The Atterberg limit test is use to
classify the fine-grained soil. Furthermore, like the previous experiment this also
require soil that passes the no.40 sieve. The plastic limit is the average of the
moisture content when the soil starts to crumble when its is being rolled into 3mm
thread.

In the video present, it is said that the soil sample was obtain from a river, which
considered the sample as low in plasticity. Thus, bentonite clay was added to
increase plasticity of the soil for the experiment present.

Both references follow same set of procedure, for it both follow ASTM standard.
Thus, the video present shows exactly how the manual states the instruction, the
difference is only that the manual does not use a rod to gauge the soil sample to
be tested. The rod is used to gauge whether the soil thread is small enough. The
video also stated that soil sometimes may not crumble and does mean that it is not
dry enough thus needed to dry out more, and vice versa for crumbling right away
thus need water.
REFERENCE/S

1- https://www.coursehero.com/file/p2b9ase/7-What-is-the-importance-of-liquid-
limit-and-plastic-limit-in-
soil/#:~:text=The%20plastic%20limit%20(PL)%20is,(1%2F8%20in.)&text=Tho
se%20limit%20of%20soil%20are,and%20toughness%20index%20of%20soil.

2- https://theconstructor.org/geotechnical/determination-plastic-limit-
soil/2929/#:~:text=The%20plastic%20limit%20of%20a,1%2F8in)%20in%20di
ameter.

3- https://civilblog.org/2015/03/07/liquid-limit-of-soil-what-why-
how/#:~:text=Value%20of%20liquid%20limit%20is,bearing%20capacity%20%
26%20settlement%20of%20foundation.