CE 34.

1 LABORATORY REPORT

LIQUID LIMIT AND PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

Activity No. 6

Submitted by:

Bolonos, Abby Jean N.

BSCE3A

Submitted to:
Engr. Ma. Catherine Q. Arca

MAY 24, 2021

Date Performed
Background of the Study

Purpose of the experiment

To determine the liquid and plastic limit of soil as per ASTM D4318.

Materials and Equipment used

Liquid limit Test

Fine-grained soil Drying oven

#40 Sieve 3 Moisture containers

Liquid limit device Permanent marker

Distilled water Grooving tool

Scale Spoon

Tray

Plastic Limit Test

Fine-grained soil Scale

#40 Sieve Drying oven

Distilled water 0.125-in. diameter metal rod

Tile Tray

Procedure

For Liquid Limit Test

The oven dried soil sample was sieved using a #40 sieve and the soil retrieved was
used for the test. A 50-gram fraction of the sieved sample was then transferred to a
moisture container wherein distilled water was added until frosting-like consistency
was achieved. The liquid limit device was prepped and adjustments were made to
make sure that the drop height of the cup was 1.0 cm. A grooving tool having a 1-cm
dimension was also prepared. The soil sample was then spread on the liquid limit
device using a spoon and a grooving tool was used to cut the groove in the soil. The
crank on the liquid limit device was adjusted at a rate of 2 cranks per second. The
number of cranks until the groove was closed over a length of 0.5-in. was counted and
recorded. The crank was cleaned and the procedure was repeated 3 times until
consistent results that were within few cranks of each other was achieved. The
average number of cranks was recorded. The soil was removed from the cup and
placed in the moisture container where the water content was obtained using the
ASTM D2216 method.

For Plastic Limit Test

An oven-dried soil at 110 was sieved using a #40 sieve and the soil passed was used
for the test. The fine-grained soil was then transferred to a tray wherein distilled water
was added to make mud-balls at an appropriate consistency. A pea-sized mud-ball
was rolled on a tile to forma rod with a diameter of 0.125-in., using the 0.125-in.
diameter metal rod as reference. The procedure was repeated until the soil crumbled.
The moist weight was then obtained by placing the soil rod in the oven for moisture
content reading. The procedure was repeated 3 times and the average value for the
plastic limit was recorded.

Results

I. GENERAL INFORMATION
Tested by: BSCE3A Students Date Tested: March 20, 2021
Lab Partners/ Organization: Integrated Engineering Laboratory, CMU
Client: BSCE3A Students Project: Sieve Analysis
Boring No.: Not Specified Recovery depth: 3 meters
Recovery date: March 1, 2021 Recovery Method: Backhoe Excavation
Soil description: dark-colored, may contain organic materials and small rocks
II. TEST DETAILS
Oven temperature: 110 Drying time: 24 hours
Scale type/ precision/serial no: Precise to 0.1 gram
Notes, observations and deviations from ASTM D4318 test standard:

II. MEASUREMENTS AND CALCULATION

Test Number 1 2 3
Container ID 1 2 3
LIQUID LIMIT TEST
Mass of container (Mc) 10 g 9.6 g 9.6 g
Mass of moist soil+ container
36.2 g 34.6 g 38.9 g
(M1)
Mass of dry soil+ container (M2) 27.8 g 26.0 g 27.4 g

Mass of moisture (Mw) 8.4 g 38.6 g 11.5 g

Mass of dry soil (Ms) 17.8 g 16.4 g 17.8 g

Moisture content (wL) 47.19% 52.44% 64.61%
Number of Cranks 27 28 29
PLASTIC LIMIIT TEST
Mass of Moist Soil 1.8 g 2.0 g 2.8 g
Mass of Dry soil 1.4 g 1.6 g 2.2 g
Mass of moisture 0.4 g 0.4 g 0.6 g
Moisture content (wP) 28.57% 25.0% 27.27%

Liquid Limit (LL) 54.75%

Corresponding Plastic Limit (PL) 26.95%
Plasticity Index (PI) 27.80%
 70
Moisture Content, w (%) 60

50

40

30

20

10

0
26.5 27 27.5 28 28.5 29 29.5
Number of Blows

Sample Calculations

 Liquid Limit for Trial 1,

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 (𝑀𝑤 )
𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 (𝑤𝑙 ) = ( ) × 100%
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 (𝑀𝑠 )

8.4 𝑔
𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 (𝑤𝑙 ) = ( ) × 100% = 47.19%
17.8 𝑔

 Plastic Limit for Trial 1

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 (𝑤𝑝 ) = ( ) × 100%
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙
0.4 𝑔
𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 (𝑤𝑝 ) = ( ) × 100% = 28.57%
1.4 𝑔
 Plasticity Index

47.19% + 52.44% + 64.61%

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 (𝑤𝐿 ) = ( ) = 54.75%
3

28.57% + 25.00% + 27.27%

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 (𝑤𝑃 ) = ( ) = 26.95%
3

𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 (%) = (𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿)

𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 (%) = (54.75% − 26.95%) = 27.8𝑂%

Discussion

Three trials each were achieved for the liquid limit test and the plastic
limit test.
Conclusion

References
Schematic Diagram of the Materials and Equipment used

Oven-dried sample was poured to a

stack of

was weighed using a

Sieves

shaken manually for 10 minutes,

Balance and was disassembled after.

Trays

were used as containers of

the
was weighed using a Sieved samples

were transferred to the

container with the help
of a

Brush