CE353 Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department

Dr.Talat Bader King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals

Cohesive soils CE353

Geotechnical
Engineering Laboratory

• Characterized by very small

particle sizes where surface Atterperg Limits
chemical effects Experiment # 4
predominate. They are both
"sticky" and "plastic".
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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Soil Characterization Soil Characterization

• Most soil classification systems
General Particle Size
used in construction classify soils
Particle Average Diameter based upon two experimental
>2mm
characterizations of soil.
Gravel
Sand
Silt
0.1mm<d<2mm
0.005mm<d<0.1mm
9Grain-size Distribution Curve (or
Gradation Curve)
Clay <0.005 mm
9the Atterberg limits (or Soil
Consistency).
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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

"states" of Consistency
of Cohesive Soil Consistency
Solid Semi-Solid Plastic-Solid Viscous - Liquid • Consistency for a particular soil is
defined by the water content present
when it changes its response to
SL PL LL
Increasing Soil Volume

stress.
Shrinkage Plastic Liquid
Limit Limit Limit

z This measurement has been further

Increasing Moisture Content
CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader
refined by establishing Atterberg
Limits. These limits divide four
different "states" of consistency.
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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

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 CE353 Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department
Dr.Talat Bader King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals

Stress Strain Characteristics "states" of Consistency

Back
Solid SL of Cohesive Soil
Solid Semi-Solid Plastic-Solid Viscous - Liquid
Near PL
σ Near LL 0 SL PL LL
Shrinkage Plastic Liquid
Limit Limit Limit
Increasing Moisture Content
LL Stress Strain Characteristics

Near Near ε Near Liquid Near Near Near Liquid

Shrinkage Plastic Liquid Shrinkage Plastic Liquid
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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Atterberg Limits
Liquid Limit Equipment Definitions
• liquid limit device
• grooving tool
• The liquid limit (LL) is the water content at
which a trapezoidal groove of a specified shape,
• evaporating dish cut in a moist soil in a special cup, is closed after
25 taps on a hard rubber plate.
• Spatula
• water content tins • The plastic limit (PL) is the water content
at which the soil begins to break apart and crumble
• mass balance when rolled into threads 3mm ( 1/8 in) in diameter.
• Oven
• plastic squeeze bottle • The shrinkage limit (SL) is the water
content at which soil reaches its minimum volume
• glass rolling plate as it dries out from a saturated condition.
• paper towels. •
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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Water Content Liquid Limits

• W/C at which a trapezoidal grove
of specific shape cut in moist soil
which is held in a special cup, is
Wt. of Tin Wt. of Tin
Tin Wt. of Tin + + Moisture

closed after 25 taps on a hard

Number (empty) Wet Soil Dry Soil (%) Content

23 18.76 33.16 30.2 25.9

23 18.65 36.18 32.22 29.2 rubber plate.

65 19.56 34.52 30.95 31.3

32 19.26 37.49 33.44 28.6

CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader Back 12

CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader
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 CE353 Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department
Dr.Talat Bader King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals

Special Cup Trapezoidal Grove

10 mm gage for checking

Remolded Height of fall of cup
soil sample
Brass cup

Casagrande
8 grooving tool
Height of fall
10 of cup

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2

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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader Back 13

Special Cup Rubber Plate

Remolded
soil sample
Brass cup

8 Hard rubber or
Height of fall
10 of cup Micarta base
12.7 mm

CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader Back 16

CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader Back 15

Soils Used in
Atterbege Limit Lipid Limit Devise
10 mm gage for checking
Height of fall of cup

Use the material

that retained in
Casagrande
grooving tool

the Pan from Remolded

soil sample

sieve Analysis
Brass cup 2

11
2

8
Height of fall
10 of cup

Hard rubber or
Micarta base
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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

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 CE353 Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department
Dr.Talat Bader King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals

Liquid Limit Data Liquid Limit

Wt. of Tin Wt. of Tin
Tin Wt. of Tin Moisture Number of
+ +

Number (empty) Wet Soil Dry Soil (%) Content (Blows) N

Before Tamping
Rate @ 2Tamping/Second
23 18.76 33.16 30.2 25.9 13
Liquid Limit
23 18.65 36.18 32.22 29.2 25
Apparatus

65 19.56 34.52 30.95 31.3 19

Place the soil in
the cub and
32 19.26 37.49 33.44 28.6 35 make the grove
20 After Tamping 19
CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Plastic Limits Liquid Limit Results

• W/C at which the soil begins to
break apart and crumble when
70

rolled by hand into a threads LL

60
Water Content

3mm (1/8”) in diameter. Is 50

44% 40

30

20
1 10 100

Number of Blows

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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Plastic Limit Data Plastic Limit Equipment

• Glass rolling plate
Wt. of Tin Wt. of Tin Wt. of Tin • Evaporating dish
Tin Number Plastic Limit
(empty) + Wet Soil + Dry Soil • Water content tins
• Mass balance
133 18.87 37.09 35.57 9.1
• Oven
• Plastic squeeze
bottle
• Paper towels.

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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

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 CE353 Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department
Dr.Talat Bader King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals

Determination of
Shrinkage Limit Shrinkage Limits
Oven for 24 Hours
at 105o F • W/C at which the soil reaches its
theoretical minimum volume as it dries
out from a saturated conditions
Vi M1 Vf M2

Wet Soil Dry Soil Oven for 24

Hours
at 105o F

M1 − M 2 ⎧ (Vi − V f ) ρ w ⎫ Vi Mi Vf Mf
SL = (100)⎨ ⎬(100)
M2 ⎩ M2 ⎭ Wet Soil Dry Soil
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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Determination Determination
of of
indexes indexes

FlowIndex = I f = Slope of Flow Curve Plasticity Index = PI = LL − Pl

It gives an indication of the reduction

in moisture content required to convert
a soil from a liquid to a semisolid
condition

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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Determination Determination
of of
indexes indexes
PI W c - PL
Activity = A = Liquidity Index = LI =
% Clay Fraction (Wight) LL - PL
Measure the water holding ability of the clay LI = -negative for soils with W/C less than PL
minerals
™Kaolinite = <1 Normal LI = (0-1.0) for soils with W/C increasing
from Pl to LL
™Illite = 1-2 active
LI = ( >1.0) for soils with W/C grater than LL
™Monmorillenite = > 4 Very active 30 29
CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

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 CE353 Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department
Dr.Talat Bader King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals

Question Time Plasticity Chart

M Silt

C Clay

Thank you L
low
Compressibility

High
H
Compressibility

Dr. Talat Bader O

Organic
Material

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CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader CE 353 Dr. Talat Bader

Experiment Procedure

LIQUID LIMIT & PLASTIC

LIMITS

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