UNIVERSITY OF CEBU (UC)

CIVIL ENGINEERING
CE ENCHANCEMENT COURSE 2
MODULE SET

ATTERBERG LIMITS OR CONSISTENCY LIMIT

Atterberg Limits Or Consistency Limits volume change expressed as a percentage of

If the water content of a thick soil-water mixture dry volume, to the corresponding change in
is gradually reduced, the mixture passes from a
water content.
liquid state to a plastic state, then to a semi-solid
state and finally to a solid state. The water Shrinkage index (SI) = the numerical
contents at which the soil changes from one state difference between the plastic limit and the
to the other are called Atterbeg Limits or shrinkage limit.
Consistency Limits.
Volumetric Shrinkage = change in volume
Plastic Limit (PL) = water content below which expressed as a percentage of the dry volume
the soil stops behaving as a plastic material.
when the water content is reduced from a
Liquid Limit (LL) = the water content at which
given value of the shrinkage limit.
the soil changes from the liquid state to the
plastic state.

Shrinkage Limit (SL) = smallest water content

at which the oil is saturated or the maximum
water content at which a reduction of water
content will not cause a decrease in the volume
of soil mass.

Shrinkage ratio (SR) = the ratio of a given

Plasticity index (P.I) ¿ − PL
I t=
Flow index
P.I. = LL - PL
Sensitivity = ratio of the undisturbed strength to
Liquidity index (L.I)
the remoulded strength at the same water
W − PL content.
L.I. =
¿ − PL
St = ¿ ¿
Where:
Where:
ɷ = water content
q u = unconfined compressive strength of soil
PL = Plastic limit

LL = Liquid limit
Activity of soil = ratio of plasticity index and
Consistency index (Ic)
the percentage of clay fraction finer than
¿− w
IC =
¿ − PL 0.002 mm.

Flow index ( I f ) P. I.
A=
% of clay −¿ ¿ ¿
w1 − w 2
(I f ) = N Classification of soils Based on
log ⁡( 2 )
N1 Activity

Where: Soil type Activity(A)

N 1 = no. of blows required at water content w 1. Inactive <0.75

N 2= no. of blows required at water content w 1. Normal 0.75 – 1.25

Active >1.25

Toughness index ( I C) = a measure of shear

strength of the soil at the plastic limit. Shrinkage Limit = the moisture content in

percent at which the volume of the soil mass

ceases to change. ( M 1 − M s )−(V 1 − V 2) pɷ
Shrinkage limit =
Ms
M s = mass of solids
(M 1 − M 2)−(V 1 −V 2) p ɷ
Mass of water in stage l = M 1- M s SL =
M2
Loss of mass of water from stage l to stage ll
Where:
= (V 1 −V 2) pɷ
SL = shrinkage limit

Mass of water in stage ll M 1= initial mass of soil in a saturated state

= (M 1 − M s)−(V 1 − V 2) pɷ
M 2 = final mass of soil in dry state
Shrinkage limit = water content in stage ll
V 1= initial volume of soil in saturated state

V 2= initial volume of soil in dry state

Shrinkage ratio = the ratio of a given volume Gm = mass specific gravity

change expressed as a percentage of dry volume,
Shrinkage limit : (SL)
to the corresponding change in water content.
1 1
(V 1 −V 2) SL =( − ¿
SR = X 100 SR G
V d (W 1 −W 2)
G = specific gravity of soil
Where:
Volumetric shrinkage : (VS)
SR=shrinkage ratio
VS = SR (w 1- SL)
V 1 = volume of soil mass at water content w 1
V 1 −V d
V 2 = vol. of soil mass at water content w 2 VS = ( )100
Vd

V d = volume of dry soil mass Where:

Pd mass density of dry soil V d = volume of dry soil mass

SR = =
p ɷ mass density of water
V 1= volume of soil mass at water content
SR = G m (mass specific gravity of solid in dry
w 1.
state)

Specific gravity (G)

 Ms 1 1
G= SL = −
PwV s Gm G

Where: Where:

Pw = mass density of water Gm = mass specific gravity

G = sp.gr. of solids SL = Shrinkage limit

M s= mass of solid soil at shrinkage limit G = sp.gr. of solids

V = volume of solid particles at shrinkage (V 1 −V 2 ) pɷ

Shrinkage limit : (SL) SL = w 1-
Ms
limit

PROBLEM 1:

Given the laboratory results of the Atterberg

Limit Test in the attached table.

Test No. Water No. of Blows

Content (%)

1 32.1 48

2 35.9 38
SOLUTION:
3 40.7 29
a. Liquid limit.
4 46.1 20 Draw a vertical line from 25 blows until
intersects the flow curve, then draw a
5 52.5` 14
horizontal line from the intersection of
the flow curve and the reading water
content is the liquid limit = 43%
a. Compute the liquid limit.
b. Flow index
b. Compute the flow index.
c. Compute the toughness index if the
w 1 − w2

plastic limit is 23% (I f ) =

log
( )
N2
N1
 32.1− 52.8 P.I. = 20 (plasticity index)
(I f ) = 14 = 38.68% A
log ⁡( )
48
P. I.
Toughness index =
If
c. Toughness index
20
P.I. = LL – PL Toughness index =
A
P.I. = 43 – 23 Toughness index = 0.52

PROBLEM 2: P dry
SR= (shrinkage ratio)
Pw
A sample of clay has a void ratio of 0.70 in the
A
undisturbed state. If the specific gravity of the SR = = 1.559
1
solids is 2.65, determine the foll.

a. Shrinkage ratio b. Shrinkage limit

b. Shrinkage limit 1 1
SL = ( - )
c. Mass sp.gr. of soil SR Gs
1 1
SOLUTION: SL = ( - )
A 2.65
a. Shrinkage limit at undisturbed state SL = 0.264 =26.4% B
e 1= 0.70
PwGs c. Mass sp.gr. of soil
Pdry =
1+e 1 1 1
SL = −
Gm G
1(2.65)
Pdry = 1 1
1+ 0.70 B= −
Gm 2.65
Pdry = 1.559 A
1
= 0.6415
Gm
Gm = 1.5588
 Reduction in volume:

PROBLEM 3: m 0.35 M s
V= = = 0.35 M s cm3
Pw 1.0
The consistency limits of a soil sample are as
follows. Actual reduction in volume = 10 - 6.01

LL = 52% PL = 32% SL = 17% = 3.99 cm3

If the specimen of this soil shrinks from a 0.35 M s = 3.99

volume of cm3 at liquid limit to 6.01 cm3 at the
M s = 11.4
shrinkage limit, calculate the specific gravity of
solids. Mass of water at SL = 0.17 M s

SOLUTION: Mass of water = 0.17(11.4) = 1.938 g

Mass of water at liquid limit = 0.52 M s 1.938

Vol. of water at SL = = 1.938 cm3
1
Mass of water at shrinkage limit = 0.17 M s
Vol. of solid particles (V s ) = 6.01 - 1.938
Mass of water lost between LL and SL = (0.52 -
0.17) M s = 0.35 M s = 4.072 cm3

Ms 11.4
G= = = 2.80
P w V s 1(4.072)

PROBLEM 4: a. Compute the plasticity index of the soil

sample.
From the given properties of a soil sample as
b. Compute the sensitivity of the soil
shown below
sample.
Liquid limit = 61% c. Compute the activity of the soil sample.
Plastic limit = 20%
SOLUTION
Undisturbed shear strength = 18 kN/m 2
a. P.I. = LL - PL = 61 – 20 = 41%
Percentage of clay – size fraction by weight less undisturbed s ℎ ear strengt ℎ
b. S1 =
than 0.002 mm = 79% remolde s ℎ ear strengt ℎ
18
S1 = = 13.85
Remoulded shear strength = 1.3 kN/ m 2 1.3
 Plastic limit = 45%

Specific gravity of soil solids = 2.70

P.I .
c. A=
% of clay −¿ less t ℎ an 0.002 Shrinkage limit = 25%
41
A= = 0.519 Compute the consistency index.
79
SOLUTION:

Consistency index:
PROBLEM 5:
¿− w
The Atterberg limits of a clay are as follows: IC =
¿ − PL
Liquid limit = 60%
(60 −50)
IC = (100) = 66.7
Natural moisture content = 50% 60 − 45