Atterberg Limits of Soil

P R E PA R E D B Y:
E N G R . Y U R I M . VA L E N C I A
ENGINEER II
M AT E R I A L S T E S T I N G D I V I S I O N
 Plastic Limit and Liquid Limit
Stated that depending on the water content, soil may appear in four states:
Solid
semi-solid (brittle, some water)
plastic (moldable)
liquid (fluid)

In each state the consistency and behavior of a soil is different and thus so
are its engineering properties.

The boundary between each state can be defined based on a change in the
soil's behavior
 ATTERBERG LIMITS
VOLUME OF SL – SHRINKAGE LIMIT
SOIL PL – PLASTIC LIMIT
LL – LIQUID LIMIT

LIQUID
STATE
PLASTIC
STATE
SEMI
SOLID
SOLID

0 wc% SL PL LL WATER
CONTENT
LIQUID LIMIT
The liquid limit (LL) is the
water content where a soil
changes from liquid to plastic
behavior
The liquid limit is expressed
as the moisture content
corresponding to 25 shocks
PLASTIC LIMIT
The plastic limit (PL) is
the water content where
soil starts to exhibit
plastic behavior
SHRINKAGE LIMIT
The shrinkage limit (SL) is the
water content where further loss
of moisture will not result in any
more volume reduction
The shrinkage limit is much less
commonly used than the liquid
limit and the plastic limit
PLASTICITY INDEX
The PI is the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic limit
(PI = LL-PL)
The plasticity index is the size of the range of water contents where
the soil exhibits plastic properties. 

High PI tend to be clay

Low PI tend to be silt
PI of 0 tend to have little or no silt or clay
 ATTERBERG LIMITS
VOLUME OF SL – SHRINKAGE LIMIT
SOIL PL – PLASTIC LIMIT
LL – LIQUID LIMIT

LIQUID
STATE
PLASTIC
STATE
SEMI
SOLID
SOLID

SL PL LL WATER
CONTENT
PLASTICITY INDEX
COMPUTATION

(Weight of water)
 COMPUTATION
LIQUID LIMIT PLASTIC LIMIT

Cont. number A B C D E
(Weight of water)
Cont. + wet soil 29.80 33.30 30.00 25.40 31.80
SUBTRACT
Cont. + dry soil 26.80 29.50 26.50 23.70 29.60

Wt. of water 3.00 3.80 3.50 1.70 2.20

Container 13.70 14.10 13.90 12.50 15.30

Dry soil

Moisture content

No. of shocks 31 29 20

Average (PL)
 COMPUTATION
LIQUID LIMIT PLASTIC LIMIT

Cont. number A B C D E
(Weight of water)
Cont. + wet soil 29.80 33.30 30.00 25.40 31.80

Cont. + dry soil 26.80 29.50 26.50 23.70 29.60

Wt. of water 3.00 3.80 3.50 1.70 2.20

Container 13.70 14.10 13.90 12.50 15.30

Dry soil 13.10 15.40 12.60 11.20 14.30

Moisture content

No. of shocks 31 29 20

Average (PL)
 COMPUTATION
LIQUID LIMIT PLASTIC LIMIT

Cont. number A B C D E
(Weight of water)
Cont. + wet soil 29.80 33.30 30.00 25.40 31.80

Cont. + dry soil 26.80 29.50 26.50 23.70 29.60

Wt. of water 3.00 3.80 3.50 1.70 2.20

DIVIDE THEN
Container MULTIPLY BY 13.70 14.10 13.90 12.50 15.30
100
Dry soil 13.10 15.40 12.60 11.20 14.30

Moisture content (Y-AXIS) 22.90 24.68 27.78 15.18 15.38

No. of shocks (X-AXIS) 31 29 20

Average (PL) 15.28

COMPUTATION

(Weight of water)
 Atterberg Limit Chart
29

28 (20 , 27.78)

27
Moisture Content

26
LL @ 25 shocks = 25.80
25
25.80
LIQUID LIMIT (29 , 24.68)
24

23
(31 , 22.90)
22

21

20
1 10 100
25 shocks
No. of Shocks
SUMMARY
Liquid limit (LL) (@ 25 shocks) = 25.80%

Plastic limit (PL)

PL = 15.28%

Plasticity index (PI)

PI = LL – PL = 25.80 – 15.28 =10.52%
DPWH BLUEBOOK
SPECIFICATIONS
Item 200 – Aggregate Subbase Course
“the fraction passing the No. 40 sieve shall have a LL not greater than
35 and PI not greater than 12 as determined by AASHTO T89 & T90,
respectively”.

Item 201 – Aggregate Base Course

“the fraction passing the No. 40 sieve shall have a LL not greater than
25 and PI not greater than 6 as determined by AASHTO T89 & T90,
respectively”.
DPWH BLUEBOOK
SPECIFICATIONS
Item 200 – Aggregate Subbase Course
“the fraction passing the No. 40 sieve shall have a LL not greater than
35 and PI not greater than 12 as determined by AASHTO T89 & T90,
respectively”.

Liquid limit (LL) (@ 25 shocks) = 25.80%

Plastic limit (PL)
PL = 15.28%
Plasticity index (PI)
PI = LL – PL = 25.80 – 15.28 =10.52%
DPWH BLUEBOOK
SPECIFICATIONS
Item 201 – Aggregate Base Course
“the fraction passing the No. 40 sieve shall have a LL not greater than
25 and PI not greater than 6 as determined by AASHTO T89 & T90,
respectively”.
Item 201 – Aggregate Base Course
“the fraction passing the No. 40 sieve shall have a LL not greater than
25 and PI not greater than 6 as determined by AASHTO T89 & T90,
respectively”.
AASHTO
CLASSIFICATION
THANK YOU!
References
1. libra (2012). Atterberg Limits of Soil. [online] SlideServe. Available at:
https://www.slideserve.com/libra/atterberg-limits-of-soil [Accessed 24 Apr. 2022].
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