Week 2-3: Consistency of soils: Atterberg Limits

I. Introduction
Consistency is a term which is used to describe the degree of firmness of soil. Consistency of the soil is
indicated by terms such as soft, medium and hard. This property of consistency is defined only for fine
grains soil and it is measured for wet, moist and dried sample. Soil consistency is the resistance of the
soil from rupture and deformation. The physical properties of soil are considerably influence by the
amount of water presented.

This chapter discussed the four different state of consistency that the soil may be appear depending on
the water content.

II. Objective
After completion of this course the student should be able to:

1. Test consistency of soils and

2. determine Its plastic limit, liquid limit, shrinkage limit and plasticity index

III. Consistency of Soil

CONSISTENCY OF SOIL
The presence of clay minerals in fine-grained soil allows the soil to be remolded in the presence
of some moisture without crumbling. The cohesive nature is due to the absorbed
water surrounding the clay particles. In about 1911, Swedish scientist A. Atterberg developed
a method to describe the consistency of fine-grained soils with varying degrees of moisture
content. At a very low moisture content, the soil behaves somewhat like a solid. On the other
hand, when the moisture content is very high, the soil and water may flow like a liquid.
Hence, on an arbitrary basis depending on the moisture content, the nature of soil behavior can
be broken down to four basic states:

solid semisolid plastic liquid.

The moisture contents, in percent, at which the transitions from solid to semisolid, semisolid
to plastic, and plastic to liquid take place are defined as shrinkage limit, plastic limit, and
liquid limit, respectively. These are also known as Atterberg limits.

Increasing Liquid (soil behaves like a viscous fluid)

water Liquid limit
Plastic Plastic limit
content
Semisolid
Shrinkage limit
Solid
 Liquid Limit
Liquid
Plastic
State

The liquid limit is defined as the water content at which the groove cut into the soil pat in
the standard liquid limit device requires 25 blows to close along a distance of 12.77 mm.

Flow curve- is the relation between moisture content and log N is approximated as a straight line.

The moisture contents of the soil, in percent, and the corresponding number of blows are
plotted on a semi-logarithmic graph paper. The moisture content corresponding to N 25,
determined from the flow curve, gives the liquid limit of the soil.

Figure4-1: Casagrande apparatus Flow curve for liquid limit determination of a silty clay

The slope of the flow line is defined as the flow index, IF, and is expressed as

𝜔1 − 𝜔2
𝐼𝐹 =
log(𝑁2 ⁄𝑁1 )

From the analysis of several liquid limit tests, liquid limit may be determined by the formula
 𝑁 𝑛
𝐿𝐿 = 𝜔𝑁 ( )
25

where
N = number of blows in liquid limit device for 0.5 in groove closure
ωN = corresponding moisture content
n = 0.121

This equation generally yields good results for the number of blows between 20 and 30. The
laboratory procedure, in which this formula may be used, is called the “one-point method” since
only one test is required in determining the liquid limit of soil.

Plastic Limit

Semi Plastic
Solid State

The plastic limit of a soil is defined as the water content at which the soil begins to crumble when
rolled into a thread 3.2 mm in diameter.

Shrinkage Limit

Semi
Solid
Solid

Fine-grained soils shrink continuously when the water content decreases, until the water content
reaches the shrinkage limit. At that point the soil particles are in close contact, and the soil volume
 can no longer decrease, even if the water content is reduced further. Clays are more susceptible
to shrinkage than are silts and sands. In most cohesive soils, the shrinkage limit is appreciably
smaller than the plastic limit, except for silts, which have similar shrinkage and plastic limits

Shrinkage limit tests are performed in the laboratory with a porcelain dish about 13/4 in. in
diameter and about 1/2 in. in height. The inside of the dish is coated with petroleum jelly and filled
completely with wet soil. Soil standing above the dish is struck off by a straightedge. The mass of
the wet soil inside the dish is recorded. The soil pat in the dish is oven-dried and its volume is
determined by displacement of mercury. The shrinkage limit may be determined from the
following equation:

𝑚1 − 𝑚2 (𝑉1 − 𝑉2 ) ⋅ 𝜌𝑤
𝑆𝐿 = ( ) 100 − 100
𝑚2 𝑚2

where :
m1 = mass of wet soil in the dish in grams
m 2 = mass of dry soil in the dish in grams
V1 = initial volume of wet soil in the dish in cm3
V2 = final volume of dry soil in the dish in cm3
g
 w = density of water (1 )
cm3

PLASTICITY INDEX (PI)

The plasticity index is the difference between liquid limit and plastic limit, or

𝑃𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿

LIQUIDITY INDEX (LI)

 The relative consistency of a cohesive soil in natural state can be defined by a ratio known as the
liquidity index ( LI ).

𝜔 − 𝑃𝐿
𝐿𝐼 =
𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿

CONSISTENCY INDEX (CI)

𝐿𝐿 − 𝜔
𝐶𝐼 =
𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐼

SHRINKAGE RATIO (SR)

𝑚2
𝑆𝑅 =
𝑉2 𝜌𝑤

SPECIFIC GRAVITY(GS)
1
𝐺𝑆 =
1 𝑆𝐿
−
𝑆𝑅 100

Description of soil strength based on liquidity index

LI<0 Semisolid state high strength, brittle (sudden) fracture is expected

0<LI<1 Plastic state intermediate strength, soil deforms like a plastic material

LI> 1 Liquid state low strength, soil deforms like a viscous fluid

ACTIVITY OF CLAY (A)

Activity is used as an index for identifying the swelling potential of clay soils. It is expressed in
equation as
𝑷𝑰
𝑨=
𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒚 − 𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑵𝒐. 𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝑺𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆

Example: 1
Determine the natural moisture content in percent of a soil given the following properties:

Plastic limit……………………… 27

Plasticity index………………….. 29

Liquidity index………………….. 0.30

Solution:

Liquid Limit

𝑃𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
29 = 𝐿𝐿 − 27

𝐿𝐿 = 56

Natural moisture content

𝜔 − 𝑃𝐿
𝐿𝐼 =
𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
𝜔 − 27
0.3 =
56 − 27

𝜔 = 35.7%

Example: 2

The following data were obtained from the Atterberg Limit tests for a soil:

Liquid Limit = 41.0 %

Plastic Limit = 21.1 %

a. What is the plasticity index of the soil?

b. If the in-situ moisture content of the soil is 30%, what is the liquidity index of the soil?
c. What would be the nature of the soil?

Solution:

a.) Plasticity Index;

𝑃𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
𝑃𝐼 = 41 − 21.1

𝑃𝐼 = 19.90%

b.) Liquidity Index;

𝜔 − 𝑃𝐿
𝐿𝐼 =
𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
30 − 21.1
𝐿𝐼 =
41 − 21.1

𝐿𝐼 = 0.447
 c.) Nature of Soil

Description of soil strength based on liquidity index

LI<0 Semisolid state high strength, brittle (sudden) fracture is expected

0<LI<1 Plastic state intermediate strength, soil deforms like a plastic material

LI> 1 Liquid state low strength, soil deforms like a viscous fluid

Since LI =0.447; the soil is plastic

Example 3:

Data shows the results for a liquid limit and plastic limit test for a soil sample:

No of blows(N) Moisture content(%)

15 42

20 40

27 38

The plastic limit is 19.1%

a) Compute the liquid limit using flow chart from liquid limit test
b) Compute the plasticity index of the soil
c) Compute the liquidity index if water content is 25%
d) Compute the consistency index

Solution:

How to use the flow curve for liquid limit test

a) Plot the graph of moisture content versus number of blows

b.) The liquid limit is read corresponding to a reading of 25 blows

 a.) Plasticity index;

𝑃𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
𝑃𝐼 = 39.2 − 19.1

𝑃𝐼 = 20.1%
b.) Liquidity index;
𝜔 − 𝑃𝐿
𝐿𝐼 =
𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
25 − 19.1
𝐿𝐼 =
39.2 − 19.1

𝐿𝐼 = 0.2935

c.) Consistency index;

𝐿𝐿 − 𝜔
𝐶𝐼 =
𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐼
39.2 − 25
𝐶𝐼 =
39.2 − 20.1

𝐶𝐼 = 0.743

Example: 4

In a liquid limit test using the cone penetrometer, the following readings

were recorded:

Moisture content (%) Penetration (mm)

32 14.3

42 16.4

52 18.3

65 21.3

73 22.5

Plastic Limit Test

Weight of wet soil + container = 25.4 g

Weight of dry soil + container = 21.4 g

Weight of container = 7.9 g

 Determine the following:
a. Liquid Limit
b. Plastic Limit
c. Plasticity index

Solution:

How to use the flow curve for liquid limit test

b) Plot the graph of moisture content versus number of blows

a) b.) The liquid limit is read corresponding to a reading of 20 mm

a.) Plastic Limit:

From the definition of Plastic Limit;

The plastic limit of a soil is defined as the water(moisture) content at which the soil
begins to crumble when rolled into a thread 3 mm in diameter.

thus:
𝑊𝑤
𝑃𝐿 = 𝜔 =
𝑊𝑠
Weight of wet soil = 25.4-7.9 = 17.5g
 Weight of dry soil Ws = 21.4-7.9 = 13.5g
Weight of wet water = 17.5-13.5 = 4g
4
𝑃𝐿 = 100 = 29.62%
13.5

b.) Plasticity Index:

𝑃𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
𝑃𝐼 = 61.5 − 29.62
𝑃𝐼 = 31.88

Example 5:
A saturated soil has the following characteristics:

Initial Volume 19.65 cm3

Final Volume 13.5 cm3
Mass of wet soil 36
Mass of dry soil 25

Determine the following:

a.) Shrinkage limit

b.) Shrinkage ratio
c.) Specific Gravity

Solution:

Given:
m1 = 36𝑔 m2 = 25𝑔 V1 = 19.65𝑐𝑚3 V2 = 13.5𝑐𝑚3

a.) Shrinkage limit;

𝑚1 −𝑚2 (𝑉1 −𝑉2)⋅𝜌𝑤
𝑆𝐿 = ( ) 100 − 100
𝑚2 𝑚2
36−25 (19.65−13.5)1
𝑆𝐿 = ( ) 100 − 100
25 25

𝑆𝐿 = 19.4%

b.) Shrinkage ratio:

𝑚2 25
𝑆𝑅 = 𝑆𝑅 = 𝑆𝑅 = 1.85
𝑉2 𝜌𝑤 13.5(1)

c.) Specific Gravity

1 1
𝐺𝑆 = 𝐺𝑆 = 𝐺𝑆 = 2.88
1 𝑆𝐿 1 19.4
− −
𝑆𝑅 100 1.85 100
IV. Exercise

See your LMS for your activities