FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING

TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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1.0 INTRODUCTION
In the early 1990s, a Swedish scientist named Atterberg developed a method to
describe the consistency of fine-grained soils with varying moisture contents. Atterberg limits
are defined as the water corresponding to different behavior conditions of fine-grained soil
(silts and clays). The four states of consistency in Atterberg limits are liquid, plastic,
semisolid and solid. The dividing line between liquid and plastic states is the liquid limit; the
dividing line between plastic and semisolid states is the shrinkage limit. If a soil in the liquid
state is gradually dried out, it wills past through the liquid limit, plastic state, plastic limit,
semisolid state and shrinkage limit and reach the solid stage. The liquid, plastic and shrinkage
limits are therefore quantified in terms of the water content at which a soil changes from the
liquid to the plastic state. The difference between the liquid limit and plastic limit is the
plasticity index. Because the liquid limit and plastic limit are the two most commonly used
Atterberg limits, the following discussion is limited to the test procedures and calculation for
these two laboratory tests.
The liquid limit is that moisture content at which a soil changes from the liquid state
to the plastic state. It along with the plastic limit provides a means of soil classification as
well as being useful in determining other soil properties.
As explained, plastic limit is the dividing line between the plastic and semisolid
states. From a physical standpoint, it is the water content at which the soil will begin to
crumble when rolled in small threads.

2.0 OBJECTIVE
To Determine the Lowest Moisture Content at Which the Soil Behaves Plastically.
3.0 LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of this experiment, students are able to:

Conduct the plastic limit experiment.

Identify the plastic limit value for soil.
Identify the importance and application of plastic limit test.

FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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4.0 THEORY
Plastic limit ( P w ) of soil is defined as the water content at which a soil will just begin to
crumble when rolled into a thread of approximately 3 mm in diameter. It is water content at
the boundary between the plastic and semi-solid states of consistency of the soil. Plasticity
index (PI or IP) is the numerical difference of the liquid and plastic limit, and indicates the
range of water content through which the soil remains plastic.
PI = LL PL

For fine grained soils, determining the natural water content (the water content of a soil in an
undisturbed condition in the ground) and relating it to the plastic and liquid limits can provide
an indication of the soils consistency and/or sensitivity potential. One such relationship is the
liquidity index.
IL

w PL
PI

Consistency index is defined as the ratio of the liquid limit minus the natural water
content to the plasticity index of a soil.
Cr

LL w
PI

Table 2.1 : Classification of soil according to plasticity.

Plasticity Index (IP or

PI)

Degree of Plasticity

Type of Soil

Non-Plastic

Sand

<7

Low-Plastic

Silt

7-17

Medium Plastic

Silty clay or clayey silt

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TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

> 17

Highly

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Plastic Clay

Table 2.2 : Classification of soil according to liquidity indices.

Liquidity Index (IL or LI)

Consistency

< 0.0

Desiccated (dry) hard soil

0.0-0.25

Stiff

0.25-0.50

Medium to soft

0.50-0.75

Soft

0.75-1.00

Very soft

>1.00

Liquid s

5.0 APPARATUS:
1. The most important piece of apparatus for this test is the hand of operator, which should
be clean and free from grease.
2. Evaporating dish.
3. A separate glass plate reserved for rolling of threads. This should be smooth and free
from
scratches, and about 300 mm square and 10mm thick. The surface condition of the
plate
can affect the behaviour of rolled threads, and the use of unscratched glass reduces the
likelihood of discrepancies. An alternative is to reserve one side of the mixing plate for
thread rolling, and avoid mixing the soil on this area.
4. Two palette knives or spatulas.
5. A short length (say 100 mm) of 3mm diameter metal rod.
6. Standard moisture content apparatus (container, balance and oven)

FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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Figure 2.1 : Apparatus for plastic limit test

6.0 APPARATUS
1. The most important piece of apparatus for this test is the hand of operator, which should
be clean and free from grease.
3. Evaporating dish.
3. A separate glass plate reserved for rolling of threads. This should be smooth and free
from
scratches, and about 300 mm square and 10mm thick. The surface condition of the
plate
can affect the behaviour of rolled threads, and the use of unscratched glass reduces the
likelihood of discrepancies. An alternative is to reserve one side of the mixing plate for
thread rolling, and avoid mixing the soil on this area.
4. Two palette knives or spatulas.
7. A short length (say 100 mm) of 3mm diameter metal rod.
8. Standard moisture content apparatus (container, balance and oven)

Figure 2.1 : Apparatus for plastic limit test

FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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7.0 PROCEDURE
i)

Selection and preparation of sample

(a) Take about 20 g of the prepared soil paste and spread it on the glass mixing
plate.
(b) Mix occasionally to avoid local drying out.
(c) It is convenient to set aside this sample just before carrying out the liquid limit
test.

Figure 2.2 : Prepared soil paste.

ii)

Rolling Into a Ball

(a) When the soil is plastic enough, it is well kneaded and then shaped into a ball.
(b) When slight cracks begin to appear on the surface, divide the ball into two
portions each of about 10 g.
(c) Further divide each into four equal parts, but keep each set of four parts
together.

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DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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Figure 2.3 : Rolling into ball and four equal part of soil after divide.

iii)

Rolling Into a Threads

(a) Using a steady pressure, roll this mass into a thread between the fingers of one
hand and the surface of the glass plate.
(b) The pressure should reduce the diameter of the thread from 6 mm to about 3
mm after between five and ten back-and-forth movements of the hand.
(c) It is important to maintain a uniform rolling pressure throughout; do not reduce
pressure as the thread approaches 3 mm diameter.
(d) Dry the soil further by moulding between the fingers again, not by continued
rolling which gives a dried crust.
(e) Form it into a thread and roll out again as before.
(f) Repeat this procedure until the thread crumbles when it has been rolled to 3
mm diameter.
(g) The metal rod serves as a reference for gauging this diameter.
(h) The first crumbling point is the plastic limit

Figure 2.4 : The soil specimen is rolled under the fingers into a thread 3 mm diameter.
iv)

Moisture content measurement

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This is placed in a numbered moisture content container, which is weighed, oven dried and
weighed as in the standard moisture content procedure according to BS 1377: Part 2: 1990.
(a) Weight the empty moisture content container
(b) Take a moisture content sample of about 10 g from the area penetrated by the cone,
using the tip of a small spatula.
(c) Weight the wet sample
(d) Dry in the oven for about 24 hours (overnight)
(e) Weight the dry sample

(a)

(b)

(c)

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(d)

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(e)

Figure 1.10: Process to take a moisture content.

8.0 RESULT AND CALCULATIONS

Test Number
Mass of can + moist soil (Mcws)

Units

gram

45

46

44

Mass of can + dry soil (Mcs)

gram

33

34

31

Mass of can (Mc)

gram

15

16

15

Mass of dry soil (Ms)

gram

18

18

16

Mass of water (Mw)

gram

12

12

13

66.67

66.67

81.25

Water content

Plastic limit

Plastic limit (PL), %

66.67+ 66.67+81.25
=71.53
3

Plasticity index (PI), % liquid limit () plastic limit (PL)

Liquidity index (LI), %

wPL
100
PI

71.53

FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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9.0 DISSCUSSION

The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content in percent, at which the soil crumbles,
when rolled into threads of 3.2 mm (1/8 in.) in diameter.

The plastic limit test is simple and is performed by repeated rolling of an ellipsoidal-size
soil mass by hand on a ground glass plate.

The plasticity index (PI) is the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic limit of a
soil, or

PI = LL - PL

Burmister (1949) classified the plasticity index in a qualitative manner as follow:

PI

Description

0
1-5
5-10
10-20
20-40
>40

Nonplastic
Slightly plastic
Low plasticity
Medium plasticity
High plasticity
Very high plasticity

Since PI = 16.6, the description of the soil is Medium Plasticity.

Advantage of carry out plastic limit tests

Identify the consistency of fine grain soil with varying moisture content. Not suitable
for coarse grain soil like sand

Depending on moisture content of soil, we can determine a soil phase will divided
into four basic states. Its solid, Semi-solid, plastic and liquid.

Can be able to describe the consistency of fine grained soils with varying moisture
content.

This later is to determine the behavior of soil which is divided into four basic states
solid, semisolid, plastic and liquid.

FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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Less expensive equipment required and simpler experiment in which provides

information about the nature of cohesive soils.

Can be used extensively for the correlation of several physical soil parameters as well
as for soil identification.

All these are important to make analysis for planning and design before construction
happen or taking place in an foundation

The limitation of plastic limit tests

The limitations of this test is the shrinkage limit where with continuing loss of
moisture, a stage of equilibrium is reached at which more loss of moisture will result
in no further volume change. The moisture content, in percent, at which the volume of
the soil mass ceases to change, is defined as the shrinkage limit.

The methods described herein are performed only on that portion of a soil that passes
the 425-um (No. 40) sieve. Therefore, the relative contribution of this portion of the
soil to the properties of the sample as a whole must be considered when using these
tests to evaluate properties of a soil.

The liquid and plastic limits of many soils that have been allowed to dry before
testing may be considerably different from values obtained on non-dried samples. If
the liquid and plastic limits of soils are used to correlate or estimate the engineering
behavior of soils in their natural moist state, samples should not be permitted to dry
before testing unless data on dried samples are specifically desired.

The plastic limit test is performed on material prepared for the liquid limit test

The mechanisms controlling the test procedures do not simulate the mechanisms
controlling the water-holding capacity of soils which the liquid limit is supposed to
represent. Further, the test procedures have their limitation in that they are relatively
arbitrary

Five (5) common laboratory errors for plastic limit tests.

Didnt mix the soil properly, causing the soil to be nonuniform soil.

Using hand when mixing causes some of the water absorbed by our hand.

FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

The dish didnt cleaned properly when measurement taken.

The rolling done in smaller scale in diameter.

Doesnt maintain a uniform rolling pressure throughout.

Penetration needle didnt fall freely when released.

10.0 CONCLUSION

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FACULTY: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT: CIVIL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY

TEST TITLE: PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

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