MASTER COPY

TEST PROCEDURE
(KSMTL/ TP-02)

METHOD OF TEST
FOR
PLASTIC LIMIT OF SOIL

Copyright © KS Material Testing Lab All rights reserved. This manual, or parts thereof may not be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
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Issue and Revision LOG

Revision
Issue Revision Revision description
Issue Description Issue Date Date
No. Number

01 Initial Release 09-10-2023 00 ---

Signatures:

09-10-2023
Approved By,
Abhinav Kumar Indora
Executive Director

09-10-2023
Prepared By,
Deepak Kashyap
Test Engineer
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1.0 Title: -To determine the plastic limit of soil.

2.0 Scope:- Soil used for making bricks, tiles and soil cement blocks in addition to its use as
foundation for structures. Responsibility:- Lab Engineer
3.0 Responsibility:- Lab Engineer
4.0 Master Equipments:-

i). Porcelain Evaporating Dish:- About 12 cm in diameter

OR
ii). Flat glass plate:- 10 mm thick and about 45 cm square or larger.
iii). Spatula:- Flexible, with the blade about 8cm long and 2cm wide.
iv). Platte knives:-two, with the blade about 20cm long and 3cm wide (For use with flat glass
plate for mixing soil and water).
v). Surface for rolling:- ground-glass plate about 20x15cm.
vi). Containers:- Air tight to determine moisture content.
vii). Balance:- Sensitive to 0.01g.
viii). Oven:- Thermostatically controlled with interior of non-corroding material to maintained the
temperature 1050c to 1100c
ix). Rod:- 3mm in diameter and about 10cm long.
5.0 Environmental Condition:-
Temperature 15 to 35 °C and RH 40 to 70%
6.0 Preparation of Sample:-Sample weighing about 20g form the thoroughly mixed portion of
the material passing 425µ IS sieve.
7.0 Detailed Test Procedure:-
1. About 20g minimum of the soil is taken which is selected from the soil prepared for the liquid
limit.
2. The water content of the soil taken then reduced to a consistency such that which can be
rolled easily without the soil sticking on the hand by spreading or by mixing the soil
continuously the glass plate or in the mixing dish.
3. After the sample of soil has dried properly, about 1.5 to 2.0g of the soil specimen from the
prepared plastic limit specimen is taken.
4. The soil mass is then duly rolled.
5. The rolling of the soil mass can be done by any of the following.
In the hand rolling method the rolling of the soil mass is done manually by hand.
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The soil mass is rolled between the palm or fingers and the ground glass plate with just
sufficient pressure to ensure that the mass is rolled in to a thread of uniform diameter
throughout its length.
The thread is then further deformed on each stroke such that the diameter of the soil thread
reaches 3.0mm.
In general about 80-90 strokes per minutes is sufficient one complete motion of the hand
forward and back to the starting position is regarded as one stroke count.
8.0 Observation:-
Sr.No Observation Calculation Determination Number
1 2 3 4 5
1 Container No. 1 2 3 4 5
Weight of Empty Container (W1) 22.48 21.61 22.54 21.98 21.51
2
g
Weight of Container + wet soil 25.73 24.92 24.12 24.64 24.97
3
(W2) g
Weight of Container + Oven dry 25.19 24.51 23.71 24.14 24.45
4
soil (W3) g
5 Weight of water (W2-W3) g 0.54 0.41 0.41 0.50 0.52

6 Weight of oven dry soil (W3-W1) g 2.71 2.90 1.17 2.16 2.94
Water content % ×100 19.92 14.13 35.04 23.14 17.68
7

8 Plastic limit Wp (avg.) % 21.98%

9.0 Calculation:-
Calculate the average of the water content (trial plastic, limit and round to the nearest whole
number, this value is the plastic limit, PL.
The test shall be repeated if unless the difference between the two plastic limits is smaller
than repeating the test if the difference between the two trial plastic limit is greater than the
acceptable range for two results that is 1.4 percentage points.

10.0 Reference:- IS -2720 (PART-5) 1985

11.0 Records:- Test Report KSMTL/7.8QF-01
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Records:-

12.0 Plastic limit is the minimum water content at which a part of soil just begins to crumble when
rolled into the threads of nearly 3.0 mm diameter.

Plasticity is the property of a soil to deform quickly without undergoing elastic

rebound, rupture or volume change. Tiny particles of clay have electro magnetic
charges on their surface and molecules of a bipolar liquid like water are attracted
towards them. Thus, the clay particles are surrounded highly viscous water up to
certain distance after which ordinary water exits. The presence of this viscous water
permits the clay particle to move over each other smoothly without any tendency to
return to their original position and thus soil exhibits plasticity.

The engineering behaviour of fine granined soils is greatly influenced by change in

water content. The plastic limit represents the water content of soil when ceases to
behave like a plastic solid. These plastic limits are helpful in classifying fine grained
soils. The group which the soil belongs according to BIS systems of soil classification
(IS 1498-1970) can determine with the help of plastic limit.