Index properties

1.Soil consistency
2.Atterberg Limits
3.Liquid Limit, LL
4.Plastic Limit, PL
5.Plasticity Index, PI
What is Soil Consistency ?

Soil consistency is defined as the relative ease with which a soil can be
deformed; as expressed in terms of soft, firm, or hard.

It provides a means of describing the degree and kind of cohesion and
adhesion between the soil particles as related to the resistance of the soil
to deform or rupture.

Soil consistency varies with moisture content, hence, it can
be described as dry consistence, moist consistence, and wet consistence.

Consistency largely depends on soil minerals and the water content.

It denotes the degree of fineness of a soil

The water contents at which the soil changes from one state to the other
are know as consistency limits or Atterbergs limits

At the same water content one soil may be relatively soft, where as other
soil may be hard. However, soils with the same consistency limits behave
somewhat in a similar manner.
Why Plasticity?

Water content significantly affects properties of Silty and Clayey soils
(unlike sand and gravel). Plasticity property describes the response of a
soil to change in moisture content.

Strength decreases as water content increases
Soils swell-up when water content increases
Fine-grained soils at very high water content possess properties similar to
liquids
As the water content is reduced, the volume of the soil decreases and the
soils become plastic
If the water content is further reduced, the soil becomes semi-solid when
the volume does not change

Consistency of Soils

Consistency limits or Atterbergs limits are the limits of water content used to
define soil behavior.

Atterbergs Limits

Liquid Limit (LL) is defined as the moisture content at which soil begins
to behave as a liquid material and begins to flow, normally below 100 %.
(Liquid limit of a fine-grained soil gives the moisture content at which the
shear strength of the soil is approximately 2.5 kN/m
2
)

Plastic Limit (PL) is defined as the moisture content at which soil begins
to behave as a plastic material, normally below 40 %.
(Plastic limit of a fine-grained soil gives the moisture content at which the
shear strength of the soil is approximately 110 kN/m
2
)

PI: The range between LL and PL.

Shrinkage Limit (SL) is defined as the moisture content at which no
further volume change occurs with further reduction in moisture content-needed
in producing bricks and ceramics .
(SL represents the amount of water required to fully saturate the soil (100%
saturation))
Definition: The water content at which the soil
volume ceases to change is defined as the
shrinkage limit.
Shrinkage Limit
Why Atterbergs Limits ?

Atterbergs limits are important to describe the consistency of fine-
grained soils

A fine-grained soil usually exists with its particles surrounded by
water. The amount of water in the soil determines its state or consistency.

Four states are used to describe the soil consistency;
solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid

The knowledge of soil consistency is important in defining or
classifying a soil type or predicting soil performance when used as a
construction material.

The soil consistency is a practical and an inexpensive way to distinguish
between silts and clays.
The presence of water in fine-grained soils can significantly affect
associated engineering behavior, so we need a reference index to
clarify the effects.
(Holtz and Kovacs, 1981)
Atterberg Limits
Increase permeability
and decrease
compressibility
1. Cohesionless soils
2. Inorganic clays, low plasticity
3. Inorganic silts, low compressibility
4. Inorganic clays, medium plasticity
5. Inorganic silts and organic clays, medium compressibility
6. Inorganic clays, high plasticity
7. Inorganic silts and organic clays, high compressibility
Plasticity chart
Liquid Limit (LL)

In the lab, the LL is defined as the moisture content (%) required to close
a 2- mm wide groove in a soil pat a distance of 0.5 along the bottom of
the groove after 25 blows.
Soil sample 150g of size passing 0.425 mm sieve
Equipment: Casagrande liquid limit device
Add some water-mix thoroughly
Place a small sample of soil in LL device (deepest part about 8-10mm)
Cut a groove (2mm at the base)
Run the device, count the number of blows, N
Stop when the groove in the soil close through a distance of 0.5 in
Take a sample and find the moisture content
Run the test three times [N~(10-20), N~(20-30) and N~(35-45)] and
Plot number of blows vs moisture content and determine the liquid limit
(LL) (moisture content at 25 blows)
Cassagrands apparatus for LL
( )
. log
) (
/ log
,
1 2
2 1
cont N I w
value positive a choose
N N
w w
I index Flow
F
F
+ =

=
Toughness Index, I
T
: ratio of the plasticity index (PI) and the flow index (I
F
)
- It is a measure of the shearing strength of the soil at PL
F
T
I
PI
I =
Plastic Limit (PL)

The moisture content (%) at which the soil when rolled into threads of
3.2mm (1/8 in) in diameter, will crumble.
Plastic limit is the lower limit of the plastic stage of soil
Take 20g of soil passing 0.425 mm sieve into a dish
Add water and mix thoroughly
Prepare several ellipsoidal-shaped soil masses by quizzing the soil with
your hand
Put the soil in rolling device, and roll the soil until the thread reaches 1/8 in
Continue rolling until the thread crumbles into several pieces
Determine the moisture content of about 6g of the crumbled soil.
Plasticity Class

Non-Plasticwill not form a 6 mm dia, 4 cm long wire, or if formed , can not
support itself if held on end
Slightly Plastic6 mm dia, 4 cm long wire supports itself, 4 mm dia, 4 cm
long wire does not
Moderately Plastic4 mm dia, 4 cm long wire supports itself, 2 mm dia, 4
cm long wire does not
Very Plastic2 mm dia, 4 cm long wire
Plasticity Index (PI) is the difference between the liquid limit and
plastic limit of a soil
(Das, 1998)
Soil volume: V
i
Soil mass: M
1
Initial water content: w
i
Soil volume: V
f
Soil mass: M
2
Final water content: w
f
) 100 )( (
M
V V
) 100 (
M
M M
(%) w (%) w SL
w
2
f i
2
2 1
i

|
|
.
|

\
|

|
|
.
|

\
|

=
A =
Shrinkage Limit-SL
soil
water
M
s

V
1

M
1

soil
water
M
2

V
2

V
1
-V
2
soil
Air
M
s

V
2

M
3
=M
s
I II
III
s
w
s
w
M
V V
M
M
SL
) (
1 2

= =
w
s w
s
s
V G
V
M
V
SL

=
2
(

=
G
SL
d
w
1

w at stage II;
Shrinkage Index, SI: difference between plastic limit and shrinkage limit
SI=PL-SL
Shrinkage Ratio, SR: ratio of a given volume change, expressed as percentage
of dry volume, to the corresponding change in water content.
100
/ ) (

=
f i
f f i
w w
V V V
SR m
w
d
G SR = =

100
) (

=
f
f i
V
V V
VS
) (
f i
w w SR VS =
Volumetric Shrinkage, VS: change in volume expressed as percentage of dry
volume when the water content is reduced from a given value of the SL.
Linear Shrinkage, LS: change length divided by the initial length when the
water content is reduced to the shrinkage limit.
100

=
length Initial
length Final length Initial
LS
(Mitchell, 1993)
Typical Values of Atterberg Limits
Liquidity Index-LI
content water the is w
PL LL
PL w
PI
PL w
LI

=
The relative consistency of a cohesive soil in the natural state
The in-situ moisture content for a sensitive clay may be greater than the LL.
In this case

LI>1
Moisture content, w
LI<0 LI=0 LI=1 LI>1
PL LL
Soil deposits that are heavily overconsolidated may have a natural moisture content
less than the plastic limit, in this case LI<0
Sensitivity, S
t
(for clays)
strength shear Unconfined
) disturbed ( Strength
) d undisturbe ( Strength
S
t
=
(Holtz and Kavocs, 1981)
Clay
particle
Water
w > LL
Activity, A
mm 002 . 0 : fraction clay
) weight ( fraction clay %
PI
A
<
=
Normal clays: 0.75<A<1.25
Inactive clays: A<0.75
Active clays: A> 1.25
High activity:
large volume change when
wetted
Large shrinkage when dried
Very reactive (chemically)
Purpose
Both the type and amount of clay
in soils will affect the Atterberg
limits. This index is aimed to
separate them.
Mitchell, 1993
Thixotropy: the gain in strength of soil with passage of time
after it has been remolded
The phenomenon is mainly due to a gradual reorientation of molecules of water in
The adsorbed water layer and due to re-establishment of chemical equilibrium
Engineering Applications
The Atterbergs limit enable clay soils to be classified.

The Atterberg limits are usually correlated with some engineering
properties such as the permeability, compressibility, shear strength, and
others.
In general, clays with high plasticity have lower permeability, and
they are difficult to be compacted.
The values of SL can be used as a criterion to assess and prevent
the excessive cracking of clay liners in the reservoir embankment or
canal.