Soil Atterberg Limits

General theory on atterberg limits

The Atterberg limits are a basic measure of the critical water contents of a
fine-grained soil: its shrinkage limit, plastic limit, and liquid limit.
Depending on its water content, a soil may appear in one of four states: solid,
semi-solid, plastic and liquid. In each state, the consistency and behaviour of
a soil is different and consequently so are its engineering properties. Thus,
the boundary between each state can be defined based on a change in the
soil's behaviour. The Atterberg limits can be used to distinguish
between silt and clay, and to distinguish between different types of silts and
clays.The water content at which the soils changes from one state to the
other are known as consistency limits or Atterberg's limit.
These limits were created by Albert Atterberg, a Swedish agriculturists in
1911.[1] They were later refined by Arthur Casagrande.
Distinctions in soil are used in assessing the soils that are to have structures
built on them. Soils when wet retain water, and some expand in volume. The
amount of expansion is related to the ability of the soil to take in water and its
structural make-up (the type of atoms present). These tests are mainly used
on clayey or silty soils since these are the soils that expand and shrink due to
moisture content. Clays and silts react with the water and thus change sizes
and have varying shear
strengths. Thus these
tests are used widely in
the preliminary
stages of designing any
structure to ensure that
the soil will have the
correct amount
of shear strength and
not too much change
in volume as it expands
and shrinks with
different moisture
contents.
Terminology
Shrinkage limit
The shrinkage limit (SL) is the water content where further loss of moisture will not result in any more
volume reduction. The test to determine the shrinkage limit is ASTM International D4943. The shrinkage
limit is much less commonly used than the liquid and plastic limits.

Plastic limit
The Plastic Limit (PL) is determined by rolling out a thread of the fine portion of a soil on a flat, non-porous
surface. The procedure is defined in ASTM Standard D 4318. If the soil is at a moisture content where its
behavior is plastic, this thread will retain its shape down to a very narrow diameter. The sample can then be
remolded and the test repeated. As the moisture content falls due to evaporation, the thread will begin to
break apart at larger diameters.
The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content where the thread breaks apart at a diameter of 3.2 mm
(about 1/8 inch). A soil is considered non-plastic if a thread cannot be rolled out down to 3.2 mm at any
moisture possible.

Liquid limit
The liquid limit (LL) is conceptually defined as the water content at which the behavior of a clayey soil
changes from the plastic state to the liquid state. However, the transition from plastic to liquid behavior is
gradual over a range of water contents, and the shear strength of the soil is not actually zero at the liquid
limit. The precise definition of the liquid limit is based on standard test

Plasticity index
The plasticity index (PI) is a measure of the plasticity of a soil. The plasticity index is the size of the range of
water contents where the soil exhibits plastic properties. The PI is the difference between the liquid limit and
the plastic limit (PI = LL-PL). Soils with a high PI tend to be clay, those with a lower PI tend to be silt, and
those with a PI of 0 (non-plastic) tend to have little or no silt or clay.
Soil descriptions based on PI
• (0)- Nonplastic
• (<7) - Slightly plastic
• (7-17) - Medium plastic
• >17 - Highly plastic

Liquidity index
The liquidity index (LI) is used for scaling the natural water content of a soil sample to the limits. It can be
calculated as a ratio of difference between natural water content, plastic limit, and liquid limit:
LI=(W-PL)/(LL-PL) where W is the natural water content.

Consistency index
The consistency index (CI) indicates the consistency (firmness) of a soil. It is calculated as CI =
(LL-W)/(LL-PL), where W is the existing water content. Soil at the liquid limit will have a consistency index
of 0, while soil at the plastic limit will have a consistency index of 1.

Flow Index
The curve obtained from the graph of water content against the log of blows while determining the liquid
limit lies almost on a straight line and is known as the flow curve. The equation for flow curve is:
W = - If Log N + C

Where 'If is the slope of flow curve and is termed as "Flow Index.

Toughness Index
The shearing strength of clay at plastic limit is a measure of its toughness. It is the ratio of plasticity index to
the flow index. It gives us an idea of the shear strength of soil.

Method of finding PL,LL

1).Casagrande's Method
2).Cone Penetrometer Test

Casagrande's Method

Atterberg's original liquid limit test involved mixing a pat of clay in a round-
bottomed porcelain bowl of 10–12 cm diameter. A groove was cut through
the pat of clay with a spatula, and the bowl was then struck many times
against the palm of one hand. Casagrande subsequently standardised the
apparatus and the procedures to make the measurement more repeatable.
Soil is placed into the metal cup (Casagrande cup) portion of the device and
a groove is made down at its centre with a standardised tool of 2 millimetres
(0.079 in) width. The cup is repeatedly dropped 10 mm onto a hard rubber
base at a rate of 120 blows per minute, during which the groove closes up
gradually as a result of the impact. The number of blows for the groove to
close is recorded. The moisture content at which it takes 25 drops of the cup
to cause the groove to close over a distance of 12.7 millimetres (0.50 in) is
defined as the liquid limit. The test is normally run at several moisture
contents, and the moisture content which requires 25 blows to close the
groove is interpolated from the test results. The liquid limit test is defined by
ASTM standard test method D 4318.The test method also allows running the
test at one moisture content where 20 to 30 blows are required to close the
groove; then a correction factor is applied to obtain the liquid limit from the
moisture content.

Cone Penetrometer Test

Another method for measuring the liquid limit is the fall cone test, also called
the cone penetrometer test. It is based on the measurement of penetration
into the soil of a standardised stainless steel cone of specific apex angle,
length and mass. Although the Casagrande test is widely used across North
America, the fall cone test is much more prevalent in Europe due to being
less dependent on the operator in determining the Liquid Limit.

Casagrande's Method

Object 
Determination of the liquid and plastic limits of a soil. 

Apparatus
1).Liquid limit device and grooving tools,
2).Metal rod of 3 mm diameter,
3).Apparatus for moisture content determination,
4).Porcelain evaporating dish,
5).Spatula,
6).Wash bottle filled with distilled water,
7).Measuring cylinder,
8).Glass plate. 

Procedure for Liquid Limit

1.) Take about 150 gm of dry soil passing 425 micron sieve, and mix it with
distilled water in a porcelain dish to form a uniform paste.

2.) Place a portion of the paste in the cup of liquid limit device with a spatula,
press the soil down to remove air pockets, spread it to a maximum depth of
10 mm, and form an approximately horizontal surface.

3.) By holding a grooving tool perpendicular to the cup, carefully cut through
the sample from back to front, and form a clean straight groove in the centre
by dividing into two halves.
4.) Turn the crank
handle of the device at
a steady rate of two
revolutions per
second. Continue
turning until the two
halves of the groove
is closed along a
distance of 13 mm.
Record the
number of blows
to reach this
condition.

5.) Take about 15
gm of the soil from
the joined portion of
the groove to
a moisture
can for

determining water content.

6.) Transfer the remaining soil from the cup into the porcelain dish. Clean and
dry the cup and the grooving tool. 

7.) Repeat steps 2 to 6, and obtain at least four sets of readings evenly

spaced out in the range of 10 to 40 blows.

Procedure for Plastic Limit

1. Use the remaining soil from the porcelain dish.

2. Take about 10 gm of the soil mass in the hand, form a ball, and roll it
between the palm or the fingers and the glass plate using complete motion of
the hand forward and reverse.

3. Apply only sufficient pressure to make a soil thread, and continue rolling
until a thread of 3 mm diameter is formed. Comparison can be made with the
metal rod.
4. If the diameter becomes less
than 3 mm without cracking, turn
the soil into a ball again, and re-
roll. Repeat this remoulding and
rolling process until the
thread starts just crumbling at a diameter of 3 mm.

5. Gather the pieces of crumbled thread and place them in a moisture can for
determining water content. 

6. Re peat
steps 2 to 5
at least
two more
times with
fresh

samples of 10 gm each. 

Calculation
Conclusion
The another method of measuring the liquid limit is fall cone test. It is based on measurement of penetration
into the soil standardised cone of specific mass.

The important of this experiment is to classify the soil. different soil have varying liquid limit. Also to
calculate the plasticity of the soil you need liquid limit and plastic limit.