Experiment No.

: 5

DETERMINATION OF CONSISTENCY LIMITS (LIQUID LIMIT, PLASTIC

LIMIT AND SHRINKAGE LIMIT) OF THE SOIL
As per IS 2720 (Part V)-1985

AIM: To determine the consistency limits (liquid limit, plastic limit and shrinkage limit)
of the given soil sample.

THEORY:
When a fine-grained soil has been remoulded by increasing or decreasing its
water content, its consistency gets changed. Thus, if the water content of a fine-grained
soil is gradually reduced, the soil transforms in to different states from liquid, plastic,
semi-solid and finally achieves a solid state. During this process of transition, its volume
and strength subjected to vary based on addition or reduction of water content. The water
content at these transitions can be used for identification and comparison of different
fine-grained soils. The change of state (from liquid to plastic to solid) does not occur
abruptly. It occurs gradually over a fairly large range of water contents, and for this
reason, we require standard tests to determine these limits. These tests are known as
Atterberg Limits tests and the water contents that correspond to the boundaries between
these states or consistencies are known as the Atterberg Limits (refer below figure).
Liquid limit is the water content at which the soil transforms from liquid state to
plastic state. It refers to the lowest water content at which soil starts exhibiting liquid
behavior. Plastic limit is the water content at which the soil changes from plastic state to
semi-solid state. In other word, it represents the lowest limit of water content at which soil
starts showing plastic behavior. Shrinkage limit is the water content at which soil shows no
change in volume with further reduction in water content.
The numerical difference in water contents between the liquid limit and plastic limit
is termed as plasticity index. It defines upper and lower bounds of water content values with in
which a soil mass exhibits its plasticity characteristics. Knowing the liquid limit and plasticity
index, fine-grained soil can be classified with the help of plasticity chart according to Indian
standard soil classification (IS 1498-1970). Consistency limits are dependent on the amount
and type of clay of a soil.
Consistency limits are significant to understand the stress history and general
properties of the soil met with construction. An estimate of plasticity Index is important
to classify the soils particularly in highly expansive clays. Besides this, they give
information concerning the cohesion properties of soil, deformation characteristics and amount
of capillary water, which it can hold.

Figure: Consistency states over a wide range of water content

APPARATUS:
1. Casagrande's liquid limit device
2. Porcelain evaporating dish
3. Distilled water
4. Grooving tool
5. Spatula
6. Scale or weighing machine to an accuracy of 0.001 g
7. Water content cans
8. Oven
9. Mercury dish set
10. Flat Glass plate, and
11. Rod of 3 mm in diameter and 100 mm length
 PART-A: DETERMINATION OF LIQUID LIMIT
PROCEDURE:
1. Take about 200 g of oven-dried soil sample passing through 425 microns IS sieve in a
porcelain evaporating dish and mix it thoroughly by adding desired amount of
distilled water with the help of spatula until the paste becomes consistent and
homogeneous.
3. Apply grease or oil at the junctions of Casagrande’s apparatus for smooth running and
frictionless movement rotation mechanism of brass cup. Adjust the height of brass
cup to give a drop of exactly 10 mm with the aid of calibrated gauge on the hard
rubber base at the point of contact.
4. Place a portion of the prepared paste in the cup, level up to approximately 10 mm
depth with the help spatula at the point that hits the hard rubber base. Using ASTM
special grooving tool made to a particular geometry draw a clean and straight groove
through the soil pat, this divides the soil pat into two symmetric parts.
5. Rotate the handle at a rate of 2 revolutions per second and count the number of blows
until the two portions of the soil pat come in contact at the bottom of the groove over
a distance of 13 mm or 1/3 portion. Record the number of blows. Repeat this process
until at least three constant consecutive readings are observed.
6. Take about 25 g of soil paste near to the vicinity of groove to determine the water
content by oven drying method.
7. Transfer the remaining soil paste in to an evaporating dish. Wipe out cleanly inside
surface of the cup with wet cloth. Ensure that no soil paste attached to the surface of
the cup that may greatly influence the energy required, hence blow count, to join two
soil pats.
8. Add either water or dry soil mass depending on obtained preceding number of blows.
Mix thoroughly until a homogenous consistency paste is obtained.
9. Repeat the steps 4 to 7. Obtain at least two readings below 25 numbers of blows and
two readings above 25 numbers of blows between 10 and 50 numbers of blows.
10. Discard the test if the number of blows count falls below 10 and exceeds 50. Preserve
this soil for shrinkage limit determination.
 Figure: A series of steps involved in liquid limit determination

GRAPH:
Develop a flow curve between number of blows (log scale) and water content
(linear scale) for the obtained results. Draw a line corresponding to 25 numbers of blows
on the axis on to the flow curve to read its water content value and it shall be rounded off
to the nearest whole number and report this as liquid limit of the soil.
The slope of the flow line expressed as the difference in water contents as 10
blows and at 100 blows shall be reported as the Flow Index (If).
 PART-B: DETERMINATION OF PLASTIC LIMIT

PROCEDURE:
1. Take about 20 g of air-dried sample passing through 425 micron IS sieve.
2. Mix the soil thoroughly with distilled water on the glass plate until it is plastic enough
to be rolled into a small ball.
3. Take about 10 g of the plastic soil mass and roll it into soil threads of 3 mm diameter
between the palm and glass plate. If the diameter of thread becomes less than 3 mm
without cracks, indicating that the water added is more than its plastic limit; hence the
soil needs further kneading between your thumb and fore finger. If soil is too wet, add
small amount of dry soil followed by kneading and roll the soil into threads of 3 mm
diameter again.
4. Repeat the process of rolling and kneading of remoulded soil until soil threads of 3
mm diameter starts showing sings of crumbling during the process.
5. If crumbling starts before 3 mm diameter thread, it shows that water added is less than
the plastic limit of the soil, hence some more water should be added and mixed to a
uniform mass and roll again until the thread starts crumbling at a diameter of 3 mm.
6. Collect the pieces of crumbled soil thread of approximately 10 to 15 g in an airtight
container and determine the moisture content by oven dry method.
7. Repeat the procedure on at least two to three soil samples individually and take the
average value as an representative value of plastic limit.

Figure: Plastic limit determination

 PART-B: DETERMINATION OF SHRINKAGE LIMIT

PROCEDURE:
1. Take two Petri dishes of size 25-30 mm and 30-40 mm diameter and 15 mm deep,
respectively. Clean them properly and apply a thin coat of grease or oil to the inside
of the dish and record their mass.
2. Take out the preserved soil after liquid limit test has been conducted and add little
more water to transform this paste into slurry form of slightly flowing.
3. Place this slurry in the Petri dish with simultaneously tapping so that air pockets, if
any, will be removed and soil mixture will be filled uniformly. Record the mass of
dish with wet soil.
4. Rapid removal of moisture by keeping the dish inside the oven results in development
of cracks hence, to avoid such a course of action place the Petri dish on top of the
oven for about 24 hours. Record only the dry mass of soil pat.
5. Measure the volume of dry pat and empty volume of the Petri dish by mercury
displacement method.
6. Determine from the recorded data shrinkage limit of the soil.

Soil volume: Vi
Soil mass: M1
Initial water content: wi

Soil volume: Vf
Soil mass: M2
Final water content: wf

Figure: Different stages during shrinkage of soil by air drying process

CALCULATIONS: [5 Makrs]
w  PL
Plasticity index, PI=LL-PL, Liquidity index, LI 
PI
LL  w w1  w2
Consistency index, CI  , Flow index, I f 
PI log10 ( N 2 / N 1 )
PI
Toughness index, I t  , Shrinkage index, SI=PL-SL
If
Data Sheet for Determination of Liquid Limit and Plastic Limit:-

Soil passing

Liquid Limit

Observations and calculations 1 2 3 4

No of blows (N)
Container number
Mass of empty container, (M1)
Mass of container with wet soil, (M2)
Mass of container with dry soil, (M3)
Mass of water, Mw=M2-M3
Mass of dry soil, Ms=M3-M1
water content, w=Mw/Ms
Liquid limit at N=25
 Data sheet for Plastic limit

Observations and calculations Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4

Container number
Mass of empty container, (M1)
Mass of container with wet soil, (M2)
Mass of container with dry soil, (M3)
Mass of water, Mw=M2-M3
Mass of dry soil, Ms=M3-M1
Water content, w=Mw/Ms
Plastic limit (%)

Plasticity Index, PI=LL-PL

Data Sheet for Determination of Shrinkage Limit:-

Soil passing

Observations and calculations 1 2 3

Mass of empty mercury dish, (M1)
Mass of mercury dish with mercury equal to
volume of the shrinkage dish, (M2)
Mass of mercury, Mm=M2-M1
Volume of shrinkage dish, V1=Mm/13.6
Mass of empty shrinkage dish, (M3)
Mass of shrinkage dish with wet soil, (M4)

Mass of wet soil, M5=M4-M3

Mass of shrinkage dish with dry soil, (M6)

Mass of dry soil, M7=M6-M3

Mass of mercury dish + mercury equal in
volume of dry pat, (M8)
Mass of mercury displaced by dry pat,
M9=M8-M1
Volume of dry pat, V2=M9/13.6
Calculations

(M5  M 7)  (V1 V 2) w
Shrinkage limit, ws  100
M7

M7
Shrinkage ratio, SR 
V 2 w

V1  V 2
Volumetric shrinkage, VS   100
V2

RESULTS:
Liquid limit, LL=
Plastic limit, PL=
Shrinkage limit, SL=
Plasticity index, PI=
Liquidity index, LI=
Consistency index, Ci=
Flow index, If=
Toughness index, It=
Shrinkage index, SI=
Soil Classification:

OBSERVATIONS AND INFERENCE:

REVIEW/CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS: [5 Marks]
1. Can we infer from index tests about soil mineralogy?

2. What does it indicates if a soil yields high LL and PI values? What is the likely
mineral of this soil?

3. Develop plasticity chart and classify your soil according to ISC system?

4. Combine results of sieve analysis and consistency test and classify your soil based on
the results obtained?

5. Can it is possible to determine consistency limits of rock flour contains particles of

clay sized?