CLASSROOM AT SITE

Topic:

INDEX PROPERTIES
OF SOIL

Rehabilitation & Up-

gradation of 2 Lane
BY,
National Road RN1 from ADITYA KUMAR
PK 24 to PK 105 on EPC GUPTA
Basis in Gabon
INDEX PROPERTIES OF SOIL

• GRAIN SIZE ANALYSIS

• CONSISTENCY LIMITS (ATTERBERG

LIMITS)
1) LIQUID LIMIT
2) PLASTIC LIMIT
3) SHRINKAGE LIMIT

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CONSISTENCY LIMITS

ATTERBERG’S LIMITS FOUR STATES OF SOIL

• The water contents • SOLID STATE
at which soil changes • SEMI-SOLID STATE
from one state to
another is known as • PLASTIC STATE
consistency limits or • LIQUID STATE
Atterberg’s limit.

• These limits created

by Swedish chemist
and agronomist in
1911.

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PI

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GRAIN SIZE ANALYSIS

• GRAIN SIZE ANALYSIS

• PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS
• ANALYSIS GRANULOMETRIC

• It is to carried out to determine the

percentage of individual grain size present
in soil sample.

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GRAIN SIZE AS PER ISO

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SET OF SIEVES

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 Analysis Granulometric Test
Test Method: NF P94-056
Location / Source PK 46+000 to 47+000 RHS Sample No. 1

Material capping layer Sampling Date 06.05.2022

Wt. of sample before washed
6572.3 Testing Date 07.05.2022
(gm)
Wt. of sample After washed
5634.5
(gm)

Seive Size Wt. Retained Cum. Wt. Cum % Wt.

% Passing Remarks
(mm) (gm) Retained (gm) retained

31.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

25.0 52.6 52.6 0.8 99.2
20.0 46.0 98.6 1.5 98.5
16.0 78.9 177.5 2.7 97.3
14.0 190.6 368.0 5.6 94.4
12.5 308.9 676.9 10.3 89.7
10.0 466.6 1143.6 17.4 82.6
8.0 276.0 1419.6 21.6 78.4
6.3 368.0 1787.7 27.2 72.8
5.0 486.4 2274.0 34.6 65.4
4.0 315.5 2589.5 39.4 60.6
2.50 460.1 3049.5 46.4 53.6
2.00 578.4 3627.9 55.2 44.8
1.60 433.8 4061.7 61.8 38.2
1.250 269.5 4331.1 65.9 34.1
1.000 26.3 4357.4 66.3 33.7
0.800 203.7 4561.2 69.4 30.6
0.500 111.7 4672.9 71.1 28.9
0.400 177.5 4850.4 73.8 26.2
0.315 105.2 4955.5 75.4 24.6
0.250 302.3 5257.8 80.0 20.0
0.200 124.9 5382.7 81.9 18.1
0.160 26.3 5409.0 82.3 17.7
0.125 78.9 5487.9 83.5 16.5
0.080 85.4 5573.3 84.8 15.2
Pan 41.8
Percentage of Fines (%) 15.2 Dmax 31.5

Remarks: 8
LIQUID LIMIT(LL)

• Liquid limit is the water content where the soil

starts to behave as a liquid.

• It is the water content at which soil changes

from plastic state to a liquid state.

• Liquid limit is measured by placing a Soil

sample in a standard apparatus called liquid
limit apparatus.

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LIQUID LIMIT APPARATUS

CASSAGRANDE CONE PENETROMETER

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LIQUID LIMIT

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 Atterberg Limits Test
Test Method: NF P94-051
Location / Source PK 46+000 to 47+000 RHS Sample No

Material capping layer Technician Antony

Sampling Date Testing Date
Sampling / Testing Date Tested By Antony
06.05.2022 15.05.2022
Property Liquid Limit
Plastic Limit
Number of Blows 16 20 24 28 33

Container no. A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8

Wt. Cont + wet soil 55.38 60.82 57.30 63.28 57.19 52.14 51.35

Wt. Cont + dry soil 47.66 52.42 50.49 55.29 51.29 50.24 49.60

Wt. of Moisture 7.72 8.40 6.81 7.99 5.90 1.90 1.75

Wt. of container 29.43 31.88 33.15 34.21 35.06 39.08 39.04

Wt. of dry soil 18.23 20.54 17.34 21.08 16.23 11.16 10.56

Moisture content 42.37 40.92 39.29 37.88 36.34 17.04 16.56

Atterberg limits
Moisture Content vs Number of Blows
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LL 39.10 %
43
M oistu re Con ten t (% )

41
PL 16.80 %
39

37

PI 22.30
35
10 15 20 25 30 35
Number of Blows

Remarks:

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PLASTIC LIMIT & PLASTICITY INDEX

• It is the water content at which soil changes from

semi solid state to a plastic state.
• Liquid limit – plastic limit = Plasticity Index
• LL-PL=PI
• The plasticity index (PI) is defined as the Range of
moisture at which a material behaves in a plastic
state neither a solid or a liquid.
• The plastic limit is determined by rolling out a
thread of the fine portion of a soil on a flat non
porous surface.
• Soils begins to crumble when rolled into threads
of 3mm dia.

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PLASTICITY INDEX
SAMPLE DIVIDER OR RIFFLE SAMPLE SUN DRY FOR PI TEST
BOX

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PLASTIC LIMIT TEST
PLASTIC LIMIT APPARATUS MAKING OF SOIL THREAD 3MM

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PROBLEM CAUSE DUE TO USE OF UNSUITABLE
SOIL AT SITE

• A high value of PI indicates an excess of clay in the

soil and that results in greater plasticity of that soil

• Soil failure
1) Surface faulting.
2) Liquefaction.
3) Ground cracks.
4) Unevenness of pavement surface

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PROBLEM CAUSE DUE TO POOR SOIL

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PLASTICITY INDEX LIMIT IN GABON ROAD
PROJECT-5267

LAYER SPECIFICATION FOR PI

Backfill material < 35 %

Sub formation (embankment) < 30 %

Sub formation in-cutting NOT MEASURABLE

(excavate and replace)

Capping layer < 25 %

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SIEVE ANALYSIS LIMIT IN GABON ROAD PROJECT-
5267

LAYER SPECIFICATION SPECIFICATION

FOR Dmax FOR PERCENTAGE
OF FINES

Backfill material < 300 mm < 35 %

Sub formation < 300 mm -

(embankment)
Sub formation in-cutting < 300 mm -
(excavate and replace)
Capping layer < 80 mm < 35 %

Unbound material for < 80 mm < 10 %

Earthworks

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