LIQUID LIMIT TEST

DEFINITION
The liquid limit of a soil is the lowest moisture content at the boundary between the
liquid and plastic states of consistency is commonly expressed as a percentage of the
weight of the oven-dried soil. The moisture content at this boundary is defined as the
water content at which two halves of a soil paste will flow together, for a width of
about 13 mm along the bottom of a groove, when the cup of a standard liquid limit
apparatus is dropped 15-35 times from a height of 10 mm at the rate of two drops per
second. It is used to measure the shear resistance of a soil when water is added and
mixed.

SCOPE
This test is conducted primarily for the purpose of identifying the liquid limit of soil.
This section describes the laboratory procedure for determining the liquid limit of soils
using the devices stated below, securing the results of four trials, and the plotting of a
flow curve. The below-mentioned apparatus were defined and the tests were conducted
inside the premises of NIA-LARISIP at Tomana East, Rosales, Pangasinan. The
samples procured were from ADRIS-040 Lateral C-1 and ADRIA-040 Lateral C-2.

APPARATUS
Evaporating Dish- preferably a porcelain dish, used as a mixing dish for soil and
water.
Spatula - used to mix the soil and water in the evaporating dish. It can be used to slice
the part of the soil cake that has flowed together.
Liquid Limit Device - a manually operated device which is composed of a brass cup
and carriage.
Grooving Tool- used to divide the soil cake into two parts. The gauge attached at the
other end may be 10 mm thick.
Containers - Containers must be made of material that are not subjected to change in
mass due to repeated heating and cooling, commonly metal cans. It must have closed-
fit lids in order to prevent the loss of moisture from soils.
Oven- A drying oven must have a temperature control that could maintain
temperatures of 110 +- 5°C.
Balance - is a tool used to measure mass. The balance must be sensitive to 0.1 g.
Sieve- No. 40 (0.425 mm) sieve.
Pulverizing tool- usually a mortar and rubber-coated pestle.
Graduated Cylinder- used for measuring/containing water.

PROCEDURE
1. Preparation of soil sample
A. The samples were procured at their natural state. After procuring them on site,
they will be transferred at NIA-LARISIP to be air dried. It is ensured that the samples
have been obtained cautiously in order to avoid any unwanted particles or debris.
B. After air drying, it may cause some changes to the soils. If the soil samples contain
hard crumbled soil, use the pulverizing tool to make sure that the soil may pass the
sieve. Pulverization must be conducted carefully with just enough pressure in order to
free the finer material clinging on the coarser material.
C. After pulverizing, use No. 40 (0.425 mm) sieve to separate the minus No. 40 soil
fraction. The retained soil on the No. 40 may be disregarded or go on further
pulverization.
D. Soil which passed No. 40 sieve will be used for the test. Prepare about 100 g of soil
sample. Excess soil sample may be used for plastic limit test.
2. Calibration of Liquid Limit Device
A. Ensure that the parts of the device are properly attached. Inspect if there is damage
or if the device is excessively used. Check the grooving tool as well.
B. Ensure that the height of the drop of the brass cup rises to a height of 10 ± 0.02
mm, or equal to the thickness of the gauge attached on the other end of grooving tool.
Necessary adjustment of the height of the drop will be conducted if it didn't conform to
the gauge thickness.
C. To check if the adjustment is correct, place the gauge between the point of contact
of the cup and base. Rotate the crank by two revolutions per second and observe the
cup. If there is a soft clicking sound and the cup is not rising from the gauge, then the
adjustment is correct. However, if the cup rises from the gauge of if there is no clicking
heard, then readjust the height of the drop.
3. Weigh the containers and record them using a balance. The balance to be used
must be calibrated.
4. Place the 100 g soil sample in the evaporating dish. Mix it with 15 to 20 mL of
water. The water to be used can be tap water. Mix the soil and water thoroughly by
stirring, kneading, and chopping repeatedly using the spatula.
If there is a need to add water, addition shall be made in increments of 1 to 3 ml. Be
sure to mix thoroughly after each increment.
Note: If the sample has been added a lot of water, the sample can either be disposed or
stirred and kneaded until some moisture naturally evaporates and lowers the moisture
content.
5. Soil paste must be placed in the brass cup of the liquid limit device. Use a spatula
to press and level off the paste evenly and prevent the presence of voids (air bubbles)
on the paste.
The paste must be at a maximum depth of 10 mm. If there is excess soil, scrape them
from the brass cup and return them into the mixing dish.
6. Using a grooving tool, firmly divide the soil paste through the centerline along the
vertical diameter. Ensure that the groove produces a clean stroke.
7. Mount the brass cup into the carriage. Rotate the crank at two revolutions per
second as you count the number of blows.
If the soil paste flowed together and came in contact, in which the distance of the
closure from the bottom of the groove is approximately 13 mm. Record the number of
blows it took to enclose. The number of blows must be in the range of 15-35 blows.

Logic: If the divided soil paste came in contact early (under 15 blows), it means that is
has a lot of water content. However, if there is no enclosure within the soil paste after
35 blows, then the soil is dry.
Tip: You can continue stirring and kneading the soil paste if it is too wet. It is to allow
natural evaporation. Meanwhile, you can add 1-3 ml of water is it is dry.
8. If the number of blows is in range between 15-35, then quickly take a slice of
approximately the width of spatula, slicing from edge to edge horizontally.
Quickly place the sample into the container and close the container to prevent the
moisture on escaping.
9. After that, place the remaining soil paste from the brass cup into the dish. Wash
and dry the grooving tool and brass cup after every use.
10. Repeat steps 5-9 but with different moisture content. The range of the number of
blows must be 15-20, 20-25, 25-30, and 30-35. A total of 4 determinations must be
achieved, one for each range bracket.
11. After completing all determinations, weigh the cans containing the wet soil. Record
the data. Make sure that the balance used is well calibrated and correct.
12. Open the lids of the metal containers and place it inside the oven with temperature
of 110 ± 5°C. Allow them to oven-dry for about 24 hours or until they are fully dried.
13. After oven-drying, take the metal containers containing the dry soil sample out of
the oven. Allow them to cool first before weighing. If the containers are cool enough,
weigh the container with the soil using a well calibrated balance. Record the data and
proceed to calculation.
14. Repeat all of the steps if there are other soil sample to be tested. Upon every after
usage of materials such as the spatula and brass cup, make sure to clean them first.
CALCULATIONS
The difference between the weight of the can + wet soil and the weight of the can +dry
soil is the weight of the water. To calculate the Percent moisture, use the formula:

W 1−W 2
% Moisture= x 100
W2
Where:
W1- mass/weight of the wet sample
W2- mass/weight of the dry sample

FLOW CURVE
A. To plot the flow curve, the % moisture and number of blows must be the abscissa
and the percent moisture must be the ordinate. The "flow curve" will be determined by
connecting the points using straight lines. The liquid limit is the moisture content
intersecting within the flow curve with respect to the 25 blows ordinate.
B. The flow curve can be also plotted in an excel graph. Create a graph with known x
and y values. Type the values gathered, create a trendline and determine its equation.
It should show an equation for the trendline. To determine the liquid limit of soil,
substitute the 25 number of blows in the x.

RESULTS
(LATERAL C-1)

Republic of the Philippines

National Irrigation Administration
Lower Agno River Irrigation System Improvement Project
                         

LARISIP MATERIALS TESTING LABORATORY

Duly Accredited by the DPWH-BRS Pursuant to Department Order N0. 22, Series of 2018
Validity: August 3, 2021 – August 2, 2023

SOIL CLASSIFICATION BY CONSISTENCY LIMITS (Atterberg Limits) DETERMINATION

(AASHTO T89-02, AASHTO T90-00)
(ASTM D-4318)

Lab Report No.: LARISIP-ADRIS-040-MTQC-LLPL-001 OR No.:    

Contract Description: Construction of Earth Canal & Appurtenant Structures (Sta. 0+000 - Sta. 2+926.19) of ADRIS
Lateral C-1 and Construction of Earth Canal, Rectangular Concrete Canal Lining & Appurtenant
Structures (Sta. 0+000 - Sta. 2+617.70) of ADRIS Lateral C-2          
Contract No.: LARISIP-ADRIS-040                
Contractor: FSB CONSTRUCTION, INC.                
Material Source:         Date Sampled: 04/26/2022  
Location: ADRIS-040 C-1   Date Tested: 04/27/2022

TEST DESCRIPTION   LIQUID LIMIT PLASTIC LIMIT

PARTICULARS / TEST No. 1 2 3 4 1 2
No. of Blows     20 24 29 35    
Tare No.     46 57 24 42 28 44
Wt. of Tare + Wet Soil, g. 57.80 56.90 63.80 57.60 43.2 43.6
Wt. of Tare + Dry Soil, g. 52.60 52.10 57.50 52.90 41.9 42.2
Wt. of Water, g.   5.20 4.80 6.30 4.70 1.30 1.40
Wt. of Tare, g.   36.40 36.60 36.30 36.50 36.5 36.3
Wt. of Dry Soil, g.   16.20 15.50 21.20 16.40 5.40 5.90
Moisture Content, % 32.10 30.97 29.72 28.66 24.07 23.73
  Average Moisture Content, % 23.90
Plasticity Index (PI)= Liquid Limit (LL) - Plastic Limit (PL)

= 30.82- 23.9 FLOW CURVE USED IN DETERMINING LIQUID LIMIT

M oisture Content, %
= 6.92

34
Remarks/Recommendations: 32 32.10
30.97
f(x) = − 0.229304197492575
29.72x + 36.5517196035555
30
1. More than 50% retained Liquid 28.66
Limit,
28 [Y
VALUE]
26
2. 24
More than 12% passed on #200
%S> %G 22
20
3. Below A line 15 20 25 30 35 40
4. SM- Silty Sands, Sand-Silt Mixture No. of Blows, N

TESTED BY: CONFORMED BY:

CANIEDO, MAE PRECIOUS ANN C.

CARIAGA, ALVIN C.

MANIPON, JORDAN S.

TURAI, JOSHUA N.

ULANDAY, EDMARK F.

Intern Contractor

CHECKED AND VERIFIED BY: NOTED BY:

ENGR. ROMMELJON M. LEONEN, MME ENGR. JOSELITO C. MERCADO

Chief, MTQCS Assistant Project Manager

Tomana East, Rosales, Pangasinan

Trunk line Nos.: (075) 633-3887 • Telefax No.: (075) 582-3187

E-mail Add: nia.larisip@yahoo.com • Facebook: www.facebook.com/nia.larisip.3

TIN: 000-916-415-053
(LATERAL C-2)

Republic of the Philippines

National Irrigation Administration
Lower Agno River Irrigation System Improvement Project
                         

LARISIP MATERIALS TESTING LABORATORY

Duly Accredited by the DPWH-BRS Pursuant to Department Order N0. 22, Series of 2018
Validity: August 3, 2021 – August 2, 2023

SOIL CLASSIFICATION BY CONSISTENCY LIMITS (Atterberg Limits) DETERMINATION

(AASHTO T89-02, AASHTO T90-00)

(ASTM D-4318)

Lab Report No.: LARISIP-ADRIS-040-MTQC-LLPL-001 OR No.:    

Contract Description: Construction of Earth Canal & Appurtenant Structures (Sta. 0+000 - Sta. 2+926.19) of ADRIS
Lateral C-1 and Construction of Earth Canal, Rectangular Concrete Canal Lining & Appurtenant
Structures (Sta. 0+000 - Sta. 2+617.70) of ADRIS Lateral C-2        
Contract No.: LARISIP-ADRIS-040                
Contractor: FSB CONSTRUCTION, INC.                
Material Source:         Date Sampled: 04/26/2022  
Location: LATERAL C-2   Date Tested: 04/27/2022

TEST DESCRIPTION LIQUID LIMIT PLASTIC LIMIT

PARTICULARS / TEST No. 1 2 3 4 1 2
No. of Blows   32 25 21 20    
Tare No.     49 47 33 6 39 80
Wt. of Tare + Wet Soil, g. 57.50 57.60 46.90 50.40 43.6 43.1
Wt. of Tare + Dry Soil, g. 52.20 52.00 44.10 46.60 42.1 41.7
Wt. of Water, g.   5.30 5.60 2.80 3.80 1.50 1.40
Wt. of Tare, g.   36.40 36.30 36.40 36.38 36.5 36.4
Wt. of Dry Soil, g. 15.80 15.70 7.70 10.22 5.60 5.30
Moisture Content, % 33.54 35.67 36.36 37.18 26.79 26.42
  Average Moisture Content, % 26.60
Plasticity Index (PI)= Liquid Limit (LL) - Plastic Limit (PL)

= 35.55-26.60 FLOW CURVE USED IN DETERMINING LIQUID LIMIT

= 8.95
M ois ture Conte nt, %

Remarks/Recommendations:

1.
38
37 37.18
36.36
36f(x) = − 0.282865576120577
35.67
x + 42.619888128986
2. 35 Liquid
34 Limit, [Y
33.54
33 VALUE]
3. 32
31
4. 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34
No. of Blows, N

TESTED BY: CONFORMED BY:

MAE PRECIOUS ANN C. CANIEDO
JOSHUA N. TURAI FSB CONSTRUCTION, INC.
EDMARK F. ULANDAY Contractor

CHECKED AND VERIFIED BY: NOTED BY:

ENGR. ROMMELJON M. LEONEN, MME ENGR. JOSELITO C. MERCADO

Chief, MTQCS Assistant Project Manager

Tomana East, Rosales, Pangasinan

Trunk line Nos.: (075) 633-3887 • Telefax No.: (075) 582-3187

E-mail Add: nia.larisip@yahoo.com • Facebook: www.facebook.com/nia.larisip.3
 TIN: 000-916-415-053

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