Procedures for Plastic Limit

1) The plastic limit is the moisture content of the soil under test when remoulded
and rolled between the tips of the fingers and a glass plate such that
longitudinal and transverse cracks appear at a rolled diameter of 3mm.
2) A sample of about 20g is taken from the soil paste prepared and placed on
the glass plate.
3) The prepared paste is thoroughly mixed with water until the soil becomes
plastic enough to be shaped into a ball
4) Approximately 8g-12g of the moistened soil is taken and formed into a uniform
mass roughly elliptical in shape.
5) The ball of soil is rolled by tips of the fingers on the glass plate with just
enough pressure to form an elongated thread as rolling proceeds.
6) If the soil can be rolled to a thread 3 mm thick without crumbling, amassed it
and re-rolled it.
7) Rolling and amassing is repeated until the soil crumbles under slight pressure
required for rolling and the thread is nearly 3mm before it crumbled.
8) Gather portions of the crumbled soil and the moisture content of the soil is
recorded immediately.
Calculations and expression of results