PRACTICAL 4

TO DETERMINE THE LIQUID LIMIT OF A GIVEN SOIL SAMPLE

(AASHTO T 89-96), (ASTM designation: D 4318)
Apparatus:
 Standard liquid limit apparatus (consist of a brass cup and a hard rubber base)
 Grooving tool
 Electric Balance
 Electric oven
 Sieve # 40
 Containers
 Spatula

Procedure:
1. Check and adjust the height of the drop of the Casagrande apparatus equal to 10 ± 2mm.
2. Take about 100gm of dry soil passing through sieve#40 in a container.
3. Add small quantity of water in soil and stir it properly by means of spatula
to form a uniform stiff paste.
4. Place sufficient quantity of this paste in a cup and smoothen the surface with spatula.
5. Make a groove in soil paste by means of grooving tool.
6. The cup containing the sample prepared shall be lifted and dropped by turning the lever at a rate
of approximately two revolutions per second until the two sides of the sample come in contact at
the bottom of groove along a distance of about 13mm.
7. Note the no. of blows.
8. Take a sample to determine the moisture content.
9. Repeat the procedure for at least four times and record the numbers of blows and the
corresponding moisture content in each case.
Precautions:
1. After each test cup and grooving tool must be cleaned.
2. The no. of blows should be just to close the groove.
3. All the readings of mass should be noted carefully.

Calculations and Observations:

Determination number 1 2 3 4
Number of blows
Weight of can(gm)
Weight of wet soil +
can (gm)
Weight of dry soil + can
(gm)
Weight of dry soil(gm)
Weight of
moisture/water (gm)
=Ww
Moisture content
(%)
 TO DETERMINE THE PLASTIC LIMIT OF A GIVEN SOIL SAMPLE
(AASHTO T 90-96), (ASTM designation: D 4318)
Apparatus:

 Sieve # 40
 Glass plate for rolling
 Electric balance
 China dish
 Oven
 Spatula
Procedure:

1. Take about 50gm of dry soil passing sieve # 40.

2. Add small quantity of water in soil and stir it properly by means of spatula
3. Take about 5gm to 10gm of soil paste in your palm and roll it into small ball.
4. Roll this mass between the palms on the glass plate with just sufficient pressure to roll it into a thread of
uniform diameter throughout its length.
5. If diameter of thread becomes less than 3mm (1/8”) without cracks, break the thread and squeeze the
pieces into a uniform mass of ellipsoidal shape and re-roll.
6. Continue this alternate rolling to a thread of 3mm, in diameter, gathering altogether and kneading and re-
rolling, until the thread crumbles under the pressure required for rolling and the soil can no longer be rolled
into a thread.
7. If crumbling starts before 3mm (1/8”), add a small quantity of water in a soil sample and repeat the above
process unless and until the soil just crumbles down at a diameter of 1/8”.
8. Collect the pieces of crumbled soil at 1/8” diameter and place it in a container for moisture content
determination.
Precautions:

1. The apparatus required for test should be cleaned.

2. Make thread with less pressure.
Calculations and Observations:

Weight of can(gm)

Weight of wet soil thread

+ can (gm)

Weight of dry soil thread

+ can (gm)

Weight of dry soil(gm)

Weight of moisture (gm) =Ww

Moisture content (%)

Plastic Limit = ______