‫ﺑﺳم ﷲ اﻟرﺣﻣن اﻟرﺣﯾم‬

TANTA UNIVERSITY- EGYPT

Faculty of Engineering
Tanta University
 Soil Mechanics
part I
Chapter 3

Plasticity of Soil
by
Ahmed F. Sallam
Lecturer of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of
Engineering, Tanta University.
 Plasticity of Soil
Introduction
Atterberg developed a method to describe the consistency of fine-grained soils with varying moisture
contents. At a very low moisture content, soil behaves more like a solid. When the moisture content is
very high, the soil and water may flow like a liquid. Hence, on an arbitrary basis, depending on the
moisture content, the behavior of soil can be divided into four basic states—solid, semisolid, plastic,
and liquid—as shown in Figure. The moisture content, in percent, at which the transition from solid to
semisolid state takes place is defined as the shrinkage limit. The moisture content at the point of
transition from semisolid to plastic state is the plastic limit, and from plastic to liquid state is the liquid
limit. These parameters are also known as Atterberg limits.

Atterberg limits
Consistency of soil

Non-Sticky

Slightly-Sticky

Very Sticky
Atterberg Limits
(a)Liquid limit, (b) Plastic limit, (c) Shrinkage limit.

Fluid soil-water
mixture Liquid State
saturated Soil, Liquid Limit, LL
Increasing water content

Sr = 1.0
Plastic State
saturated Soil, Plastic Limit, PL
Sr = 1.0
Semisolid State
Just saturated
Soil, Sr = 1.0 Shrinkage Limit, SL
Solid State
Dry Soil
Liquid Limit (LL)
Liquid limit device consists of a brass cup ‫ ﻛوب ﻧﺣﺎﺳﻲ‬and a hard rubber base as shown in
Figure. To perform the liquid limit test, one must place a soil paste ‫ ﻋﺟﯾﻧﺔ اﻟﺗرﺑﺔ‬in the cup. A
groove is then cut at the center of the soil with the standard grooving tool. Using the crank-
operated cam (Handle), the cup is lifted and dropped from a height of 10 mm. The moisture
content, in percent, required to close a distance of 12.5 mm (0.5 in.) along the bottom of the
groove after 25 blows is defined as the liquid limit.

Liquid limit test device and grooving tools Soil before and after testing
It is difficult to adjust the moisture content in the soil to meet the required 12.5 mm (0.5 in.)
closing of the groove in the soil paste at 25 blows. Hence, at least three tests for the same
soil are conducted at varying moisture contents, with the number of blows, N, required to
achieve closing varying between 15 and 35. The moisture content of the soil, in percent, and
the corresponding number of blows are plotted on semilogarithmic graph paper as shown in
the Figure. The moisture content corresponding to N 25, determined from the curve, gives
the liquid limit of the soil.

Flow curve for liquid limit determination of a clayey silt

 Plastic limit (PL) ‫ﺣد اﻟﻠدوﻧﺔ‬
Plastic Limit (PL) is defined as the moisture content at which soil begins to behave as a
plastic material. The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content in percent, at which the
soil crumbles ‫اﻧﮭﯿﺎر اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ‬, when rolled into threads ‫ اﻟﺨﯿﻮط‬of 3.2 mm in diameter. The plastic
limit is the lower limit of the plastic stage of soil. The plastic limit test is simple and is
performed by repeated rollings of an ellipsoidal-sized ‫ ﺑﺤﺠﻢ ﺑﯿﻀﺎوي‬soil mass by hand on a
ground glass plate as shown in the Figure.

‫ھو أﻗل ﻣﺣﺗوى ﻣﺎﺋﻰ ﺗﻛون ﻋﻧدة اﻟﺗرﺑﺔ ﻓﻰ ﺣﺎﻟﺔ ﻟدﻧﺔ أو ھو أﻗل ﻣﺣﺗوى ﻣﺎﺋﻰ ﻋﻧدة ﯾﻣﻛن ﻋﻣل ﺣﺑل ﻣن‬
‫ ﻣم ﺑﺣﯾث ﺗﺑدأ ﺑﻌدة اﻟﺗرﺑﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺗﺷﻘق ﻓورا‬٣.٢ ‫اﻟﺗرﺑﺔ ﺑﻘطر‬

Rolling of soil mass on ground glass plate to determine plastic limit

Plastic Limit (PL) Determination
The minimum water content at which a soil will just begin to
crumble when it is rolled into a thread of approximately 3.2
mm in diameter.

The plastic limit PL is defined as the

water content at which a soil thread
with 3.2 mm diameter just crumbles.
ASTM D4318-95a and BS1377
Plastic Limit (PL) Determination
Plastic Limit (PL) Determination

1. Calculate the water content

of each of the plastic limit
moisture cans after they
have been in the oven for at
least 16 hours.

2. Compute the average of the

water contents to determine
the plastic limit, PL.
 Plasticity Index PI = LL - PL
Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit – Plastic Limit

PL LL
W%

PI = LL - PL

• The plasticity index is the size of the range

of water content where the soil exhibits
plastic properties.
• Meaning:
• High PI tend to be clay
• Low PI tend to be silt
• PI of 0 tend to have little or no silt or clay.
• The plasticity index of a soil increases linearly with the percent
of clay size fraction (clay fraction (<2 m m).
Activity
= =
percent of clay size fraction, by weigth

< 0.75 In active clay

(0.75 – 1.25) Normal active clay

A = slope of the line

> 1.25 Active clay

• Activity is used as an index

for identifying the swelling
potential of clay soils.
Consistency Index (Ic) ‫دﻟﯿﻞ اﻟﻘﻮام‬ −
=
−
The consistency index is useful in studying the field behavior of
saturated fine-grained soils. If the consistency index of a soil is
equal to unity, it is at the plastic limit. If (Ic) equals zero, it will
be at the liquid limit.

Liquidity Index (IL) ‫دﻟﯿﻞ اﻟﺴﯿﻮﻟﺔ‬

−
=
Liquidity index varies between 1 and 0 , −
for a natural soil deposit which is in a
plastic state (i.e., LL ≥ w ≥ PL), .

A natural deposit with w ≥ LL will have a LI˃1.0. When a natural

moisture content less than the plastic limit so LI˂ 0. If w is equal to
the liquid limit, the consistency index is zero. Again, if w = PL then
Ic =1
A natural deposit with w ≥ LL will have a LI ≥1.0. When a natural
moisture content less than the plastic limit so LI˂ 0. If w is equal to
the liquid limit, the consistency index is zero. Again, if w = PL then
Ic =1

Ic = 1 Ic = 0
Plasticity Chart

Low plasticity wL = < 35%

Intermediate plasticity wL = 35 - 50%
High plasticity wL = 50 - 70%
Very high plasticity wL = 70 - 90%
Extremely high plasticity wL = > 90%
Plasticity Chart
Lower Compressibility Higher Compressibility
Plasticity Chart
Shrinkage Limit
It is defined as the maximum water content at which there is no reduction in
volume of soil mass accompanying reduction in water content.
‫ھﻮ أﻗﻞ ﻣﺤﺘﻮى ﻣﺎﺋﻰ ﺗﻜﻮن ﻋﻨﺪة اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ ﻣﺸﺒﻌﺔ او ھﻮ اﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﺤﺘﻮى ﻣﺎﺋﻰ ﺑﻌﺪة ﻣﮭﻤﺎ ﻓﻘﺪت اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎء ﻻ‬
‫ﯾﺤﺪث ﻟﮭﺎ اﻧﺨﻔﺎض ﻓﻰ اﻟﺤﺠﻢ‬

Where;
wi initial moisture content when the soil is placed in the shrinkage limit dish.
Δw change in moisture content (that is, between the initial moisture content and the moisture content at
shrinkage limit).
M1 mass of the wet soil pat in the dish at the beginning of the test (g)
M2 mass of the dry soil pat (g).
Vi initial volume of the wet soil pat (that is, inside volume of the dish, cm3)
Vf volume of the oven-dried soil pat (cm3)
gw density of water (g/cm3)
 Shrinkage limit tests [ASTM (2007)—Test Designation D-427] are performed in the
laboratory with a porcelain dish about 44 mm in diameter and about 12.7 mm high. The
inside of the dish is filled completely with wet soil. Excess soil standing above the edge of
the dish is struck off with a straightedge. The mass of the wet soil inside the dish is
recorded. The soil pat in the dish is then oven-dried. Shrinkage ratio, (SR) is the ratio of
the volume change of soil as a percentage of the dry volume to the corresponding
change in moisture content.

Where;
Gs :specific gravity of soil solids.
VS :volumetric shrinkage
Shrinkage limit test: (a) soil pat before drying; (b) soil pat after drying
LS :linear shrinkage.
Atterberg
limits.

Shrinkage Plastic Liquid water content

0
limit limit limit

brittle- semi- plastic liquid

solid solid

Different States
The following data were obtained on a liquid limit test on a clay sample:

In addition, two plastic limit tests conducted on the same soil gave water contents
of 38.2% and 40.8%. If the specific gravity of the soil is 2.70, determine the
liquid limit L.L, plastic limit P.L, plasticity index P.I. and the void ratio "e"
corresponding to these limits.

+ . + .
= = = . %
 L.L =76%

= − = %
− . %= . %
∗ ∗
= ∴ = ⟹ = .
.
. ∗
∴ = ⟹ = .
.
The following data was given for two soils:

a- Which of these soils contains more clay particles.

b- Classify these soils using the Casagrande plasticity chart.

c- Determine consistency index and liquidity index of each soil.

 = − = %
− %= %
= − = %− %= %

Soil B contains more clay particles because of its PI

Soil A is silt with intermediate compressibility

Soil B is clay with high plasticity
 − 36 − 30
( ) = = = 0.54
− 36 − 25

− −
( ) = = = .
− −

− 74 − 45
( ) = = = 0.67
− 74 − 31

− −
( ) = = = .
− −
Ic = 1 Ic = 0
Following are the results of a shrinkage limit test:
 Initial volume of soil in a saturated state 24.6 cm3
 Final volume of soil in a dry state 15.9 cm3
 Initial mass in a saturated state 44.0 g
 Final mass in a dry state 30.1 g
1. Determine the shrinkage limit of the soil
2. Determine the shrinkage ratio of the soil.
3. Estimate the specific gravity of the soil solids.
4. If the soil is at a moisture content of 28%, estimate the maximum
volumetric shrinkage (VS) and the linear shrinkage (LS).

− −
= ∗ 100 − ∗ ∗ 100

− . . − .
. = ∗ − ∗ ∗ = . − . = . %
. .
 30.1
= = = 1.89
∗ 15.9 ∗ 1 /

1 1
= = = 2.81
1 1 17.28
−( ) −( )
100 1.89 100

%= ∗ %− = 1.89 ∗ 28 − 17.28 = 20.26%

⁄ ⁄
%= ∗ − = ∗ − = . %
%+ . +
Thank you