STANDARD TEST

METHODS FOR LIQUID

LIMIT
 LIQUID LIMIT
 The water content at which the soil changes
from the liquid state to the plastic state is
known as liquid limit.

 The minimum water content at which soil

start getting shear strength is called liquid
limit.
 APPARATUS:

CASAGRANDE – it consists of a brass or stainless SOIL SPECIMEN – soil sampling is the process
steel cup that is dropped in a controlled manner of taking a small sample of soil, which is
to measure content of a soil sample then sent to determine the nutrient content.
 SPATULA
- are used to mix soil samples with water
or other additives to achieve
the desired moisture content
GROOVING TOOL
- are used with a liquid limit machine
to determine the liquid limits of the fine
grained portion of a soil sample.

MOISTURE CANS
- to determine the moisture of soil samples
through a standard procedure
 WEIGHING BALANCE
- to measure the mass of the soil sample accurately.

OVEN
- is used to dry the soil sample to determine
its initial moisture content.
 SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
 THE LIQUID LIMIT IS DEFINED AS THE LOWEST
MOISTURE CONTENT OF SOIL AT WHICH IT FLOWS
LIKE A LIQUID.
 LIQUID LIMIT OF SOIL CAN BE USED TO PREDICT
THE CONSOLIDATION PROPERTIES OF SOIL WHILE
CALCULATING ALLOWABLE BEARING CAPACITY
AND SETTLEMENT OF FOUNDATION. LIQUID LIMIT
VALUE OF SOIL IS ALSO USED TO CALCULATE
ACTIVITY OF CLAYS AND TOUGHNESS INDEX OF
SOIL.
 STEPS/PROCEDURES
 LIQUID LIMIT OF SOIL STEPS AND PROCEDURES
 1. Put the sample soil in the container and add distilled water into the soil and mix it throughly to form uniform
paste.
 2. Place a portion of the paste in the cup of Liquid Limit device and spread it with a few strokes of spatula.
 3. Using the grooving tool, cut a groove along the center line of soil pat in the cup, so that clean sharp groove of
proper dimension will form.
 4. Lift and drop the cup by turning crank at the rate of two revolutions per second until the two halves of soil come
in contact with each other with the given number of blows.
 5. Take a representative portion of soil from the cup for moisture content determination.
 6. Repeat the test with different moisture contents more times for the number of blows given.