I.

Introduction
At high moisture content, fine grained soils from suspensions and behave like fluids. As
moisture content gradually reduces, the flow properties change to those of paste like materials
up to this stage, soil is said to be in liquid state. On the further drying, the soil can mold and
develop plastic behavior. This is the plastic state. Further the reduction of water content,
plasticity is lost and soil starts crumbling on application of pressure, then it is said to be in a
semisolid state. At still lower moisture content, the soil takes on the properties of a solid or
attains solid state.

Atterberg’s consistency limits

 The numerical values assigned to boundaries of four states: solid, semi-solid, plastic
and liquid, are called Atterberg’s consistency limits.
Liquid Limit (LL)
 The liquid limit is conceptually defined as the water content at which the behavior of a
clayey soil changes from plastic to liquid. But experimentally it is defined as the
minimum water content at which two separated grooved soil parts mixed together
under 25 blows of Casagrande’s Liquid Limit Apparatus.
Plastic Limit (PL)
 The plastic limit is defined as the minimum water content where the soil thread breaks
when it is rolled into 3mm diameter. A soil is considered non-plastic if a thread cannot
be rolled out down to 3mm at any moisture possible.

II. Pre-Lab Questions

1. Differentiate liquid limit from Plastic limit.
Answer: Liquid Limit is the water content at which soil changes from a plastic to a liquid
state when the soil specimen is just fluid enough for a groove to close when jarred in a
specified manner. On the other hand, Plastic Limit is the water content at the change from
a plastic to a semi-solid state.

2. What is the Importance of conducting liquid limit test and plastic limit test?
Answer: Conducting Liquid Limit test and Plastic Limit Test determines the consistency of
clay and are used to characterize the fine-grained fractions of soils. Liquid limit is
significant to know the stress history and general properties of the soil met with
construction. Plastic Limit Test is used to classify the fine-grained soils and evaluating the
activities of clayey soil.

III. Material/Instruments
1. For Liquid Limit Test
a. Cassagrande’s Liquid Limit Apparatus
b. Grooving tools
 c. Soil cake
2. For Plastic Limit Test
a. Bowl
b. Spatula
c. Containers
d. Rolling of soil thread
e. Plasticity Chart

IV. Procedures
Liquid Limit Test
1. Take about 120g of air dried soil sample in a metal tray.
2. Add 20% distilled water to the soil sample to form a uniform soil paste.
3. Put this soil paste in the brass cup of Cassagrande’s apparatus and spread horizontally
into portion with few strokes of spatula.
4. Trim the soil up to a depth of 1 cm maximum thickness and remove excess of soil if any.
5. Divide the soil sample in two parts by the firm strokes of the grooving tool along the
diameter through the center of the brass cup so that a clean sharp groove of proper
dimension is formed.
6. Rotate the handle of Cassagrande’s apparatus at a rate of 2 revolutions per second until
two parts of the soil will come in contact with each other for a length of about 12mm by
flow only.
7. Count the number of blows required to close the groove close for about 12mm. It is
recorded as N.
8. Take a representative portion of soil for water content determination as w %.
9. Repeat all above steps by changing water in soil sample to get the number of blows
between 10 to 50. Record the number of blows and corresponding water content for
various trials.
10. Draw the flow curve i.e number of blows required as abscissa (log scale) versus water
content determined as ordinate (natural scale) on semi-logarithmic graph paper.
11. Find out the water content corresponding to 25 blows from the graph as liquid limit W L of
a given soil sample.
Plastic Limit Test
1. Take a 20-25 g air dried soil sample.
2. Add distilled water in soil and mix it thoroughly for 10-15 minutes till soil becomes plastic
enough, so that it can be moldable. (It is recommended to keep clayey soils about 24
hours for its maturity.)
3. Make the balls of soil paste and roll it on a non-porous glass or marble plate using figure
pressure till it becomes a soil thread of 3 mm diameter.
4. Continue the rolling process till soil starts crumbling and it resembles a uniform thread.
5. Compare the prepared soil thread with a metal rod of same diameter, then stop the rolling;
where soil thread crumbles into different parts.
 6. Determine the water content of crumbled soil parts by oven drying method as w %.
7. Repeat all above steps two more tones to get average water content as plastic limit W P
given soil sample.

V. Results/Data Gathered

Liquid Limit Test

No. Particulars Observation No.

1 2 3 4 5
1 No. of Blows (N) 22 21 30 25 43

2 Container No. 1 2 3 4 5

3 Mass of empty container 34.83g 14.48g 21.31g 22.38g 26.32g

with lid (W 1 ),g

4 Mass of container with 178.83 159.48g 162.56g 168.33g 159.84g

lid and moist soil
(W ¿¿ 2)¿ ,g
5 Mass of container with 154.83g 134.48g 141.31g 142.38g 146.32g
lid and dry soil
(W ¿¿ 3)¿, g
6 Mass of water (Ww)= 178.83- 159.48- 162.56- 168.33- 159.84-
(W ¿¿ 2)−¿ ¿ 154.83 134.48 141.31 142.38 146.32
(W ¿¿ 3)¿ = 24g = 25g = 21.25g = 25.95g = 13.52g
7 Mass of dry soil 154.83- 134.48- 141.31-21.31 142.38-22.38 146.32-26.32
(W ¿¿ s) ¿= 34.83 14.48 =120g =120g =120g
(W ¿¿ 3)−¿¿ =120g =120g
(W ¿¿ 1)¿
8 Water Content in %w= (24g/120g) (25g/120g) (19.24g/120g) (25.95g/120g) (13.52g/120g)
¿ ¿/W s) * 100 *100 *100 *100 *100 *100
=20% =20.83% =17.71% =21.63% =11.27%

Plastic Limit Test

No. Particulars Observation No.
1 2 3
1 Container No. No. 2 No. 3 No. 4

2 Mass of empty container with lid 15. 98g 19.81g 19.23g

(W 1),g
3 Mass of container with lid and 112.98g 158.93g 149.23g
moist soil
(W ¿¿ 2)¿ ,g
4 Mass of container with lid and 103.46g 145.50g 139.57g
dry soil
(W ¿¿ 3) ¿, g
5 Mass of water (Ww)= 112.98g-103.46g 158.93g-145.50g 149.23-139.57
(W ¿¿ 2)−¿ ¿ (W ¿¿ 3) ¿ =9.52g =13.43g =9.66g
6 Mass of dry soil (W ¿¿ s) ¿= 103.46g-15.98g 145.50g-19.81g 139.57g-19.23g
(W ¿¿ 3)−¿¿ (W ¿¿ 1)¿ =87.48g =125.69g =120.34g
7 Water Content in %w= ¿ ¿/W s) * (9.52/87.48)*100 (13.43/125.69)*100 (9.66/120.34)*100
100 =10.88% =10.69% =8.03%

VI. Computations

LIQUID LIMIT TEST

MASS OF WATER
Container 1:
( W w )=W 2 −W 3
178.83-154.83
= 24g
Container 2:
( W w )=W 2 −W 3
159.48-134.48
= 25g
Container 3:
( W w )=W 2 −W 3
162.56-141.31
= 21.25g

Container 4:

( W w )=W 2 −W 3
168.33-142.38
= 25.95g

Container 5:
( W w )=W 2 −W 3
159.84-146.32
= 13.52g

MASS OF DRY SOIL

Container 1:
154.83-34.83
=120g

Container 2:
154.83-34.83
=120g

Container 3:
141.31-21.31
=120g

Container 4:
142.38-22.38
=120g

Container 5:
146.32-26.32
=120g

WATER CONTENT IN %W

Container 1:
24g/120g)*100
=20%

Container 2:
(25g/120g)*100
=20.83%

Container 3:
(19.24g/120g)*100
=17.71%
 Container 4:
(25.95g/120g)*100
=21.63%
Container 5:
(13.52g/120g)*100
=11.27%

PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

MASS OF WATER
Container 1:
112.98g-103.46g
=9.52g

Container 2:
158.93g-145.50g
=13.43g

Container 3:
149.23-139.57
=9.66g

MASS OF DRY SOIL

Container 1:
103.46g-15.98g
=87.48g

Container 2:
145.50g-19.81g
=125.69g

Container 3:
139.57g-19.23g
=120.34g

WATER CONTENT IN % W

Container 1:
(9.52/87.48)*100
 =10.88%

Container 2:
(13.43/125.69)*100
=10.69%

Container 3:
(9.66/120.34)*100
=8.03%

Liquid Limit= 21.63 (25 blows)

I. Observations

II. Conclusions
III. Post Lab Questions
1. What have you learned for today’s laboratory exercise?

2. What is the importance of using Cassagrande’s apparatus?