Civil Engineering Notes

Home Plasticity of Soil

It is the property of soil by which it undergoes deformation without cracking or fracturing.
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          i. The soil should be clay.
Basic Engineering Courses          ii. Presence of water

Applied Mechanics Negative charges are present on the surfaces of clay particles. The water molecules are dipolar and hence they are
attracted towards the surfaces of clay particles. This process is known as adsorption of water. This adsorbed water
Building Drawing contributes to the plasticity of the soil since it allows the clay particles to slip over one another. 

Concrete Technology The soil particles, on being subjected to deformations, do not revert back to their original positions. Hence, the
deformations are plastic. As the water content of the soil is gradually reduced, this plasticity property is also reduced.
Foundation Engineering
Ultimately, when the soil becomes dry, the particles are cemented together as a solid mass.

Engineering Geology - I Consistency Limits / Atterberg's Limits

Consistency Limits represent the water contents at which
Engineering Geology - II the soil changes from one state to another state.

Hydraulics 1. Liquid Limit

2. Plastic Limit
Masonry Structures 3. Shrinkage Limit

Soil Mechanics Liquid Limit

It is the water content at which soil changes from liquid
Surveying II
state to plastic state or it is the minimum water content at
which soil just begins to flow. It is denoted by ωL.
Theory of Structures I Different States of Soil

Theory of Structures II
Plastic Limit
It is the water content at which soil changes from plastic state to semi-solid state or it is the minimum water content
Water Supply Engineering
at which soil rolled into threads of 3 mm diameter just crumbles. It is denoted by ωP.
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Shrinkage Limit
It is the water content at which the soil changes from semi-solid state to solid state or it is the maximum water
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(Foundation Engineering) content at which further reduction in the water content will not cause decrease in the volume of soil. It is denoted
by ωs.

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 Determination of Plastic Limit

Take soil sample (100 gm) passing through 425μ sieve. 

Mix with distilled water.
Put it on the palm or on the glass and roll till

1. diameter of thread becomes 3 mm

2. cracks appear

Find the water content, which is the required plastic limit.

Hence, plastic limit can be defined as the water content at which the soil can be rolled into a thread of approximately 3
mm in diameter without any crumbling.

Determination of Liquid Limit

     1. Cone Penetrometer Method

Cone Penetrometer Method
The water content required for 25 mm penetration is considered as liquid limit.
Height of cone = 35 mm
Apex angle of cone = 30 degrees (tolerance = 1 degree)
Disc + rod + cone = 80 gm (tolerance = 0.05 gm)
Soil sample = 50 mm diameter, 50 mm height
Soil passing through 425 micron sieve is taken and mixed with
distilled water.
Keep it in the cup.
Release the cone for 30 seconds.
Measure the penetration in mm.
Repeat the procedures for 3 more times at different water
contents.
The water content at each case is determined.
Plot water content vs. penetration in normal graph.

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 2. Cassagrande's Method

Soil passing through 425 micron sieve is taken.

Mix with distilled water.
Keep it in the brass cup.
Cut the soil by grooving tool into two halves.
Rotate the handle at 2 rev/s till the two halves of soil touch for a length of 12 mm.
Note down the number of revolutions (number of blows).
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 Repeat the procedures for three more samples.
Standard value of number of blows (N) = 25 (tolerance = 15). Hence, the standard number of blows ranges from
10 to 40.
Plot number of blows versus water content on a semi-log graph.
The number of blows is plotted in X-axis in log-scale.
The water content corresponding to 25 number of blows is taken as liquid limit.
The curve obtained is known as flow curve. The slope of this curve is known as flow Index (If).

Determination of Shrinkage Limit

Shrinkage limit indicates the lowest water content of the soil at which it remains saturated. It is the maximum water
content at which further reduction in the water content will not caused a decrease in the volume of the soil.

Figure (a) shows a soil sample which is fully saturated and has the water content greater than the expected shrinkage
limit. In figure (b), the soil sample is at shrinkage limit. Finally, figure (c) depicts the condition when the soil sample
has been oven-dried. Hence, the total volume in third figure is the same as the volume in second case.

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