1

A fine-grained soil has a liquid limit of 300% and a plastic limit of 55%. The natural water
content of the soil in the field is 80% and the clay content is 60%.
a) Determine the plasticity index, the liquidity index, and the activity.
b) Describe the soil state in the field.
c) What is the predominant mineral in this soil?
d) If this soil were under a concrete slab used as a foundation for a building and water
were to seep into it from the watering of a lawn, what would you expect to happen to
the foundation?

ANSWERS:
fine-grained soil
LL 300 % 3
PL 55 % 0.55
natural field water content 80 % 0.8
clay content 60 % 0.6

a) PI = LL – PL = 3 – 0.55; PI = 2.45
LI = (w - PL) / (LL - PL) = (0.8 – 0.55) / (3 – 0.55); LI = 0.10
A = PI / % of clay = (2.45 * 100) / 60%; A = 4.08
b) Soil state:
For LI = 0.10 (between 0 and 1)  plastic state of intermediate strength
For PI = 2.45 (very low value; 1 to 5)  slightly plastic; sand
c) Predominant mineral in the soil:
For PI =245% (between 200 and 660)  mineral: montmorillonite
For A = 4.08 (very active)  mineral: na-montmorillonite
d) The soil having A > 1.25 are generally expansive. Due to the increase in moisture
also increases its volume causing it to swell and damages the foundations through
uplift pressure (Zekkos, et al., 2016).

REFERENCE:
Zekkos, Dimitrios Farid, Arvin De, Anirban Reddy, Krishna R. Yesiller, Nazli. (2016). Geo-Chicago
2016 - Sustainability and Resiliency in Geotechnical Engineering - Selected Papers from Sessions
of Geo-Chicago 2016, August 14-18, 2016 Chicago, Illinois - 46.1 Introduction. American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE).