Atterberg Limits

The behavior of soil can be divided into four basic states;

a. Solid
b. Semisolid
c. Plastic
d. Liquid

Atterberg Limits

Liquid Limit

Moisture content required to close a distance along the bottom of the groove at 25 blows using
Casagrande.

Casagrande Method

Flow curve
 Moisture content at which a standard cone of apex of 30 degrees and weight of 0.78N will
penetrate a distance d=20mm in 5 seconds when allowed to drop from position of point of contraction
with the soil surface.

Fall Cone Method

Plot of moisture content vs. cone penetration

Plastic Limit

Moisture content wherein a soil starts to crumble when rolled into 1/8 in diameter thread.

Rolling of soil mass on ground glass plate to determine plastic limit

Shrinkage Limit

Moisture content, in percent at which the volume of the soil mass ceases to change.

Definition of Shrinkage Limit

M 1−M 2 V 1−V 2
SL= ( M2 )
(100 %)− (
M2 )
( ρ¿ ¿ w)(100 %) ¿

Where:

M1 = mass of the wet soil pat in the dish at the beginning of the test (g)
M2 = mass of the dry soil pat (g)
V1 = initial volume of the wet soil pat (that is, inside volume of the dish, cm 3)
V2 = volume of the oven dried soil pat (cm3)
ρw = density of water (g/cm3)

Shrinkage Ratio, SR
m2
SR=
V 2 ρw

Specific Gravity

1
Gs =
1 SL
−
SR 100
Atterberg Limits Indices

1. Plasticity Index, PI
PI =¿−PL

2. Liquidity Index, LI
w−PL
LI =
¿−PL

LI < 0 – brittle solid

LI < 1 – plastic
LI > 1 – liquid

3. Consistency Index, CI
¿−w
CI =
¿−PI

4. Flow Index, FI
FI =slope of the flow line /flow curve

5. Toughness Index, TI
PI
TI =
FI
 Plasticity Chart

The important feature of this chart is the empirical A-line that is given by the equation
PI = 0.73 (LL - 20). An A-line separates the inorganic clays from the inorganic silts. Inorganic clay values
lie above the A-line, and values for inorganic silts lie below the A-line. Organic silts plot in the same
region (below the A-line and with LL ranging from 30 to 50) as the inorganic silts of medium
compressibility. Organic clays plot in the same region as inorganic silts of high compressibility (below
the A-line and LL greater than 50). The information provided in the plasticity chart is of great value and
is the basis for the classification of fine-grained soils in the Unified Soil Classification System.

Plasticity Chart

There is another use for the A-line and the U-line. Casagrande has suggested that the shrinkage
limit of a soil can be approximately determined if its plasticity index and liquid limit are known (see
Holtz and Kovacs, 1981). This can be done in the following manner with reference to Figure 4.17.

a. Plot the plasticity index against the liquid limit of a given soil such as point A in
Figure 4.17.

b. Project the A-line and the U-line downward to meet at point B. Point B will have the
coordinates of LL = 43.5 and PI = 46.4.

c. Join points B and A with a straight line. This will intersect the liquid limit axis at
point C. The abscissa of point C is the estimated shrinkage limit.
 Figure 4.17 Estimation of shrinkage limit from plasticity chart (Adapted from Holtz and Kovacs, 1981)

Problem Set 3

1. In a liquid limit, using a cone penetrometer, the following readings were recorded and tabulated
as shown.

Plastic Limit Test Liquid Limit Test

Dry Unit Cone

Moist Unit Moisture
Trial Weight Penetration
Weight (kN/m3) Content (%)
(kN/m3) (mm)
1 128.6 105.4 42.5 16.0
2 141.4 116.8 47.5 17.5
3 132.6 109.6 58.1 22.8
4 134.5 111.2 60.0 26.0
5 136.0 113.4

If the natural water content of the soil is 38%, determine the following:

a. Plastic limit of the soil

b. Liquid Limit of the soil
c. Plasticity Index
d. Liquidity Index
e. Consistency Index
 2. The following data shows the results of the Liquid Limit and Plastic Limit test.

LIQUID LIMIT
Test No. 1 2 3 4
No. of Blows 35 21 16 11
Wt. of wet soil + container 22.46g 21.33g 21.29g 26.12g
Wt. of dry soil + container 19.44g 18.75g 28.78g 22.10g
Wt. of container 12.76g 13.06g 13.26g 13.27g
PLASTIC LIMIT
Test No. 1 2
Wt. of wet soil + container 22.10g 21.77g
Wt. of dry soil + container 20.42g 20.19g
Wt. of container 13.07g 13.18g
NATURAL WATER CONTENT
Test No. 1 2
Wt. of wet soil + container 17.94g 17.39g
Wt. of dry soil + container 14.84g 14.36g
Wt. of container 7.84g 7.5g

Determine the following:

a. Plastic limit of the soil

b. Liquid Limit of the soil
c. Plasticity Index
d. Liquidity Index
e. Consistency Index
f. Flow Index
g. Toughness Index

3. The following data shows the results of the Liquid Limit and Plastic Limit test.
 LIQUID LIMIT
Test No. 1 2 3 4
No. of Blows 39 23 20 13
Wt. of wet soil + container 22.24g 21.19g 21.27g 26.12g
Wt. of dry soil + container 19.44g 18.78g 18.75g 22.10g
Wt. of container 12.74g 13.24g 13.06g 13.27g
PLASTIC LIMIT
Test No. 1 2
Wt. of wet soil + container 22.12g 21.84g
Wt. of dry soil + container 20.42g 20.19g
Wt. of container 13.07g 13.18g
NATURAL WATER CONTENT
Test No. 1 2
Wt. of wet soil + container 17.53g 16.97g
Wt. of dry soil + container 14.84g 14.36g
Wt. of container 7.85g 7.51g

Determine the following:

a. Plastic limit of the soil

b. Liquid Limit of the soil
c. Plasticity Index
d. Liquidity Index
e. Consistency Index
f. Flow Index
g. Toughness Index

4. In specific gravity test the following data were recorded.

Mass of dish coated with petroleum jelly MT = 11.30g

Mass of dish coated with petroleum jelly plus wet soil M W = 38.51g
Mass of dish coated with petroleum jelly plus oven dried soil M D = 32.81g
Vol. of wet soil pat (same as volume of shrinkage dish) = 15.26 cm 3
Vol. of oven dried soil pat = 12.83 cm3

a. Compute the water content of the wet soil pat

b. Compute the shrinkage limit
c. Compute the shrinkage ratio

5. A saturated soil has the following characteristics: initial volume (Vi) = 19.65 cm3, final volume
(Vf) = 13.5 cm3, mass of wet soil (Ml) = 36g, and mass of dry soil (M2) = 25 g.
a. Determine the shrinkage limit
b. Determine the shrinkage ratio.

6. Using the diagram shown with a given soil having the following properties: Liquid Limit = 70%,
Plasticity index = 20%, Gs = 2.62
a. Compute the shrinkage limit
 b. Compute the dry unit weight of soil for a void ratio of 0.60
c. Compute the moisture content if the moist unit weight is 19.75 kN/m 3

7. Following are the results of a shrinkage limit test:

Initial volume of soil in a saturated state = 24.6 cm 3
Final volume of soil in a dry state = 15.9 cm3
Initial mass in saturated state = 44g
Final mass in dry state = 30.1 g
Gs = 2.7
a. Determine the shrinkage limit of the soil
b. Determine the saturated unit weight if e = 0.467
c. Dry unit weight

8. A soil sample was determine in the laboratory to have a liquid limit of 41% and a plastic limit of
21.1%. If water content is 30%, determine the following:
a. Plastic Index
b. Liquidity Index
c. What is the characteristic of the soil?

9. A soil has a liquid limit of 61 and plastic limit of 30. A moisture content test performed on an
undisturbed sample of this soil yielded the following results:
Mass of soil + can before placing in oven = 96.2g
Mass of soil + can after removal from oven = 71.9g
Mass of can = 20.8g

a. Compute the plasticity index

b. Compute the moisture content
c. Compute the liquidity index