EVANS KIPNGETICH

E024-01-0841/2017

REPORT ON ATTERBERGS LIMITS EXPERIMENT

1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To determine the liquid limit, the plastic limit and plasticity index of the given soil
sample.
2. INTRODUCTION
The presence of water in fine-grained soils can significantly affect associated
engineering behavior, so to clarify the effects, a reference index—Liquid limit and Plastic
limit is established. Both of the parameters provide a means of classifying a soil. In
addition water plays an important role in soil mechanics practice when dealing with
density, void ratio, settlement and strength characteristics of either disturbed or
undisturbed soils. Fine-grained soils in particular can be in one of several states
depending on the amount of water in the soil. When water is added to dry soil, the
individual particle is covered with adsorbed water forming a thin film around it. If the
addition of water is continued, the thickness of the water film will continue to increase,
thereby facilitating the sliding effect between adjoining particles. The behavior of the
soil is related to the amount of water in the system.
3. THEORY
The Atterberg Limits determines the plastic limits (PL), the water content where soil starts
to exhibit plastic behavior, and the liquid limits (LL), where the water content of a soil
changes from plastic to liquid behavior. These limits are used to determine the consistency
of a soil composition at various water content values and are important for the classification
of the soils. The theory behind the test is that the closer a soil sample is to its liquid form,
the fewer the number of drops will be required to close up the groove Liquid limit is an
empirically established moisture content at which a soil passes from liquid state to the
plastic state, while plastic limit is a moisture content at which a soil passes from plastic to
semi-solid state in the Liquid Limit Device. The actual Liquid Limit is the water content when
 25 drops are needed to close the groove or water content when the cone penetration is
20mm.
I. LIQUID LIMIT DETERMINATION

Liquid limit is the water content, in percent, required to close the groove along the bottom
of the groove after 25 blows, when jarred in a specified manner. During the experiment, two
methods of calculating the Liquid Limit are performed and verified against each other to
derive an accurate measurement. This are;
 ONE POINT CASSAGRANDE

The One-Point Liquid Limit Test, which attain the number of blows (N), through one iterative
usage of the Liquid Limit Device. The theoretical model is then used to obtain the liquid limit.

LL = WN (%) x (N/25)0.121
 FOUR POINT CONE PENETRATION METHOD

The other method used is the Multipoint Liquid Limit Test, which required
several iterations of use of the Liquid Limit Device .The liquid limit of a soil
can be determined using the Cone Penetrometer test, the liquid limit of the
soil is the moisture content corresponding to 20mm penetration. A graph of
the cone penetration against moisture content is drawn and water content at
20mm penetration is taken as the liquid limit.

II. PLASTIC LIMIT DETERMINATION

The water content at which the soil begins to crumble when rolled into a
thread of 3mm in diameter. Usually PL is calculated as the average of water
content determinations.The water content is given as ;

Mw
WN(%) = *100%
Ms
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EXPERIMENT
The Atterberg limits is used to distinguish the soil between silt and clay, in
multiple categories, as well as the boundaries between each states of soil (solid,
 semi-solid, plastic, and liquid) and thereby indicate the change in the soil’s
behavior.
It is used to determine the workability and shear strength of soil sample.
4. APPARATUS

 Liquid limit device and grooving tool (for liquid limit test)
 Large glass plate (for plastic limit test
 Distilled water
 Balance (sensitive to 0.01g)
 Drying oven with temperature from 1050C to 1100C
 Drying containers with lids
 Mixing dish or bowl
 Sieve of No. 40

5. DATA PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS

1. Casagrande test

Tin number K
Mass of tin(gm) 31.6
Mass of tin +wet sample(gm) 56.6
Mass of tin with oven dried sample(gm) 48.6
Number of blows 30
Mass of water(g) 8
Mass of soil(Ms) 17.0
Moisture content(%) 47.06

Liquid limit
LL = WN (%) x (N/25)0.121
=47.06x (30/25) ^0.121
=48.1097%
 2. Cone penetrometer test

Tin number N32 D7 K1/A16 3.7

Mass of tin (g) 36.2 36.5 32.8 36.6
Mass of tin + wet sample 61.6 58.0 70.2 69.7
Mass of tin with oven dried 53.0 50.8 57.7 58.8
sample(g)
Penetration (mm) 22.9 22.1 18.8 17.2
Mass of water(g) 8.6 7.2 12.5 10.9
Mass of soil(g) 16.8 14.3 24.9 22.22
Moisture content (%) 51.19 50.35 50.20 49.05

Sample Calculation for Penetration 22.9mm:

Mass of water = Masses of wet soil and tin – Masses of dry soil and tin
= 61.6g – 53.0g
= 8.6g
Mass of dry soil = Masses of dry soil and tin – Mass of tin
= 53.0g – 36.2g
= 16.8g
Moisture Content = (Mass of water ÷ Mass of dry soil) × 100%
= (8.6g ÷ 16.8g) × 100%
= 51.19%
 25

20
cone penetration (mm)

15

Y-Values
10
Linear (Y-Values)

0
48.5 49 49.5 50 50.5 51 51.5
Water content (%)

AVERAGE LIQUID LIMIT= (50.1+49.1097)/2=49.1049%

PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

Sample Calculation for moisture content of sample in tin number P2:

Mass of water = Masses of wet soil and tin – Masses of dry soil and tin
= 66.8g – 59.1g
= 7.7g
Mass of dry soil = Masses of dry soil and tin – Mass of tin
= 59.1g – 36.7g
= 22.4g
Moisture Content = (Mass of water ÷ Mass of dry soil) × 100%
= (7.7g ÷ 22.4g) × 100%
= 34.375%

Tin number P2 N
Mass of tin (g) 36.7 36.5
Mass of tin + wet sample (g) 66.8 78.1
Mass of tin +oven dried 59.1 67.5
sample
 Mass of Water(Mw) 7.7 10.5
Mass of soil(Ms) 22.4 31
Water content 34.375 33.871
Plastic limit = (34.375+33.871)/2
=34.123%
6. DISCUSSION
After the penetration values are obtained, the moisture content sample is taken from
the area penetrated by the cone and placed in tin.The masses of tin and masses of tin
with each wet soil sample are recorded. They are then placed in oven at least 24 hours
to obtain the masses of dish with dry soil sample after all the moisture in the soil had
evaporated. The same is done to soil samples for plastic limit test. These data is used to
calculate the moisture content in the soil samples. For liquid limit test, the penetration
values are plotted against the moisture content. By drawing a best fit line in accordance
the graph data, the liquid limit is defined as the moisture content of the soil sample
when penetration is 20mm, which is 50.1%.For plastic limit test, the two soil samples
which crumbled at a diameter near to 3mm is placed in the dish for moisture content
determination, which is 34.123%. The plasticity index is thus 14.98%.
7. SOURCES OF ERRORS
 Tap water was used instead of distilled water when mixing with the soil.
 Addition of water content inaccuracy due to small samples and scale
precision.
 Soil specimen was not homogeneously mixed.
 Soil specimen in the tin wasn’t covered with a wet towel to preserve the
accurate moisture content.
8. CONCLUSION.
The objective of this laboratory was to determine and understand the Atterberg Limits
of various samples of soil and how the soil composition can affect these limits. By using
the Liquid Limit Test Device, the Plastic and Liquid Limits of the samples were found. The
two methods of testing for the Liquid Limit, One-Point and Multipoint, were found to
have a sufficient error.However, the resulting Plasticity Indexes did not seem to reflect
 typical clay properties as were expected, possibly due to various errors made in
performing the tests.
9. RECOMMENDATION.
 Distilled water should be used instead of tap water.
 Soil and water should be homogenously mixed to ensure accurate results.
10. REFERRENCES.
i. Braja M. Das & Khaled Sobhan, (2012) .Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, 8th
edition, United States.
ii. Testing and Materials, 2000. Print. Standard Test Method for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit,
and Plasticity Index of Soils.