Name: Date:

Course: Group:
Subject:
Instructor: Engr. Charles S. Lejano, RMP, ME-1, MSEM

TEST NO. 1 (DAY 1)

STANDARD METHOD OF TEST FOR DETERMINING THE LIQUID LIMIT OF SOILS
AASHTO T89

I. OBJECTIVE
This section describes the laboratory procedure for determining the liquid limit of soil as
per AASHTO T89.

II. SIGNIFICANCE
The liquid limit is defined as the lowest moisture content at which the soil will flow upon
the application of a very small shearing force. The liquid limit gives a certain measure of the
shearing resistance of a soil when mixed with water. It is a measure of a potential cohesion
which in turns depends upon the total size of the contact areas, or the fineness and shape of
the grains. The finer the flatter the grains, and the higher the amount of the water that could
be taken into the coat of the grain.

III. APPARATUS
a. Evaporating dish
b. Spatula, having a blade about 75mm length and 20mm width.
c. Liquid limit device
d. Grooving tool
e. Moisture Cans
f. Oven with temperature control
g. Balance, sensitive to 0.1g

IV. PROCEDURE
a. A sample weighing about 100 grams shall be taken from thoroughly mixed material
passing the 0.425mm (No. 40) sieve which has been obtained in accordance with the
standard procedures in preparation of disturbed soil sample for test. Mix the sample
with 15 – 20mL of distilled water. Mix it thoroughly by alternately stirring and kneading
with spatula. Further addition of water shall be made 1 to 3 mL increments.

b. Place a portion of the paste in the brass cup of the liquid limit device, level of the surface
with the spatula to the maximum depth of 10mm and divide the soil into two segments
by means of the standard grooving tool.

c. Mount the brass cup to the carriage such that it can be raised and allowed to drop
sharply on the base though a height of 10mm by rotating the crank of an approximate
rate of two rotations per second until the closure of the groove about 13 mm from the
bottom. The closure should be by flow of the soil and not by slippage on the cup.

d. Take a slice of approximately the width of the spatula extending from the edge of the
soil cake at the right angles to the groove. Place the sample in the drying can for
moisture content determination.

e. Repeat steps (b) to (d) with the different moisture contents of the soil in the range 15 to
35 blows. A total of four (4) determinations should be made.

f. Plot moisture content against log number of blows and draw the flow curve.

V. CALCULATION
1. The plastic limit is expressed as the moisture content in percentage of the oven-dried
weight/mass of the crumbled soil thread.

Plastic Limit = W1 - W2 X 100

W2
 W1 = weight/mass of wet sample
W2 = weight/mass of oven dried sample

2. Plot the percent moisture as ordinate on the arithmetic scale against the number of blows
as abscissa on a logarithmic scale. Draw a straight line connecting two points. The plot
is called the “floe curve”.

3. The liquid limit is expressed as the moisture content corresponding to 25 blows.

VI. CONCLUSION/DISCUSSIONS

Solutions:
 Name: Date:
Course: Group:
Subject:
Instructor: Engr. Charles S. Lejano, RMP, ME-1, MSEM

TEST NO. 2 (DAY 2)

STANDARD METHOD OF TEST FOR DETERMINING THE PLASTIC LIMIT AND
PLASTICITY INDEX OF SOILS
AASHTO T90

I. OBJECTIVE
This section describes the laboratory procedure for determining the plastic limit and
plasticity index of soil as per AASHTO T90.

II. SIGNIFICANCE
The plastic limit is defined as the minimum moisture content at which the soil can be readily
molded without breaking or crumbling. Plasticity index indicates compressibility of a soil; high
P.I means high degree of compressibility of a soil. It is also related to permeability; the higher
the P.I the lower the permeability; and vice versa.

The limit tests and plasticity index are widely used to control the characteristics of soil
which are to be incorporated in roadways.

III. APPARATUS
a. Evaporating dish
b. Spatula, having a blade about 75mm length and 20mm width.
c. A ground glass plate or piece of smooth, unglazed paper on which the roll the sample.
d. Moisture Cans
e. Oven with temperature control
f. Balance, sensitive to 0.1g

IV. SAMPLE
a. If the plastic limit only is required, mix thoroughly about 20 g of sample obtained in
accordance with standard procedure in preparation of disturbed soil sample for the
test with distilled water until the mass is plastic enough to be shaped into the ball.
Take the portion of the ball weighing 8g for the test sample.

b. If both liquid and plastic limit is required, take a specimen sample weighing about 8 g
from thoroughly mixed portion of the soil prepared in accordance with the Standard
Method of Test for Liquid Limit of Soils.

V. PROCEDURE
a. Squeeze and form the 8 g sample into ball.

b. Roll the ball of soil between the fingers and the glass plate with just sufficient pressure
into thread of uniform diameter throughout its length.

c. When the diameter of the thread becomes 3.2 mm, break the thread into 6 or 8 pcs.

d. Squeeze the pieces together between the thumbs and fingers into a uniform mass and
reroll. Continue the alternate rolling to a thread 3.2 mm until the thread crumbles and
the soil can no longer be rolled into the thread.

e. Take some of the crumbled soil and place in a drying can. Weigh the container and
thread and record the mass. Oven dry the soil to constant mass at 110o +/- 5 at constant
weight. Record the loss in mass as the mass of water.

VI. CALCULATION
1. Calculate the percentage moisture of the nearest whole percent
 % Moisture = W1 - W2 X 100
W2

W1 = weight/mass of crumbled soil

W2 = weight/mass of oven dried crumbled soil

2. The plasticity index is the difference between the liquid limit and plastic limit.

Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit - Plastic Limit

VII. CONCLUSION/DISCUSSIONS

Solutions: