UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Kabacan, Cotabato
Philippines

LABORATORY #2
ATTERBERG’S LIMIT

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 1
(Soil Mechanics)

Submitted by: Submitted to:

Prencess Shaenna J. Epis 4 BSCE A Engr. Cristopher A. Benito
 LABORATORY #2
ATTERBERG LIMITS

Purpose:
This lab is performed to determine the plastic and liquid limits of a fine-
grained soil. The liquid limit (LL) is arbitrarily defined as the water content, in
percent, at which a pat of soil in a standard cup and cut by a groove of standard
dimensions will flow together at the base of the groove for a distance of 13 mm (1/2
in.) when subjected to 25 shocks from the cup being dropped 10 mm in a standard
liquid limit apparatus operated at a rate of two shocks per second. The plastic limit
(PL) is the water content, in percent, at which a soil can no longer be deformed by
rolling into 3.2 mm (1/8 in.) diameter threads without crumbling.

Standard Reference:
ASTM D 4318 - Standard Test Method for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and
Plasticity Index of Soils

Significance:
The Swedish soil scientist Albert Atterberg originally defined seven “limits of
consistency” to classify fine-grained soils, but in current engineering practice only
two of the limits, the liquid and plastic limits, are commonly used. (A third limit,
called the shrinkage limit, is used occasionally.) The Atterberg limits are based on
the moisture content of the soil. The plastic limit is the moisture content that
defines where the soil changes from a semi-solid to a plastic (flexible) state. The
liquid limit is the moisture content that defines where the soil changes from a plastic
to a viscous fluid state. The shrinkage limit is the moisture content that defines
where the soil volume will not reduce further if the moisture content is reduced. A
wide variety of soil engineering properties have been correlated to the liquid and
plastic limits, and these Atterberg limits are also used to classify a fine-grained soil
according to the Unified Soil Classification system or AASHTO system.

Equipment:
Liquid limit device, Porcelain (evaporating) dish, Flat grooving tool with gage,
Eight moisture cans, Balance, Glass plate, Spatula, Wash bottle filled with distilled
water, Drying oven set at 105C.
Test Procedure:
Liquid Limit:
(1) Take roughly 3/4 of the soil and place it into the porcelain dish.
Assume that the soil was previously passed though a No. 40 sieve,
air-dried, and then pulverized. Thoroughly mix the soil with a small
amount of distilled water until it appears as a smooth uniform paste.
Cover the dish with cellophane to prevent moisture from escaping.

(2) Weigh four of the empty moisture cans with their lids, and record the
respective weights and can numbers on the data sheet.

(3) Adjust the liquid limit apparatus by checking the height of drop of the
cup. The point on the cup that comes in contact with the base should
rise to a height of 10 mm. The block on the end of the grooving tool is
 10 mm high and should be used as a gage. Practice using the cup
and determine the correct rate to rotate the crank so that the cup
drops approximately two times per second.

(4) Place a portion of the previously mixed soil into the cup of the liquid
limit apparatus at the point where the cup rests on the base. Squeeze
the soil down to eliminate air pockets and spread it into the cup to a
depth of about 10 mm at its deepest point. The soil pat should form
an approximately horizontal surface (See Photo B).

(5) Use the grooving tool carefully cut a clean straight groove down the
center of the cup. The tool should remain perpendicular to the surface
of the cup as groove is being made. Use extreme care to prevent
sliding the soil relative to the surface of the cup (See Photo C).

(6) Make sure that the base of the apparatus below the cup and the
underside of the cup is clean of soil. Turn the crank of the apparatus
at a rate of approximately two drops per second and count the number
of drops, N, it takes to make the two halves of the soil pat come into
contact at the bottom of the groove along a distance of 13 mm (1/2 in.)
(See Photo D). If the number of drops exceeds 50, then go directly to
step eight and do not record the number of drops, otherwise, record
the number of drops on the data sheet.

(7) Take a sample, using the spatula, from edge to edge of the soil pat.
The sample should include the soil on both sides of where the groove
came into contact. Place the soil into a moisture can cover it.
Immediately weigh the moisture can containing the soil, record its
 mass, remove the lid, and place the can into the oven. Leave the
moisture can in the oven for at least 16 hours. Place the soil
remaining in the cup into the porcelain dish. Clean and dry the cup on
the apparatus and the grooving tool.

(8) Remix the entire soil specimen in the porcelain dish. Add a small
amount of distilled water to increase the water content so that the
number of drops required to close the groove decrease.

(9) Repeat steps six, seven, and eight for at least two additional trials
producing successively lower numbers of drops to close the groove.
One of the trials shall be for a closure requiring 25 to 35 drops, one for
closure between 20 and 30 drops, and one trial for a closure requiring
15 to 25 drops. Determine the water content from each trial by using
the same method used in the first laboratory. Remember to use the
same balance for all weighing.

Plastic Limit:
(1) Weigh the remaining empty moisture cans with their lids, and record
the respective weights and can numbers on the data sheet.

(2) Take the remaining 1/4 of the original soil sample and add distilled
water until the soil is at a consistency where it can be rolled without
sticking to the hands.

(3) Form the soil into an ellipsoidal mass (See Photo F). Roll the mass
between the palm or the fingers and the glass plate (See Photo G).
Use sufficient pressure to roll the mass into a thread of uniform
 diameter by using about 90 strokes per minute. (A stroke is one
complete motion of the hand forward and back to the starting position.)
The thread shall be deformed so that its diameter reaches 3.2 mm (1/8
in.), taking no more than two minutes.

(4) When the diameter of the thread reaches the correct diameter, break
the thread into several pieces. Knead and reform the pieces into
ellipsoidal masses and re-roll them. Continue this alternate rolling,
gathering together, kneading and re-rolling until the thread crumbles
under the pressure required for rolling and can no longer be rolled into
a 3.2 mm diameter thread (See Photo H).

(5) Gather the portions of the crumbled thread together and place the soil
into a moisture can, then cover it. If the can does not contain at least
6 grams of soil, add soil to the can from the next trial (See Step 6).
Immediately weigh the moisture can containing the soil, record its
mass, remove the lid, and place the can into the oven. Leave the
moisture can in the oven for at least 16 hours.

(6) Repeat steps three, four, and five at least two more times. Determine
the water content from each trial by using the same method used in
the first laboratory. Remember to use the same balance for all
weighing.
Analysis:
Liquid Limit:
(1) Calculate the water content of each of the liquid limit moisture cans
after they have been in the oven for at least 16 hours.

(2) Plot the number of drops, N, (on the log scale) versus the water
content (w). Draw the best-fit straight line through the plotted points
and determine the liquid limit (LL) as the water content at 25 drops.

Plastic Limit:
(1) Calculate the water content of each of the plastic limit moisture cans
after they have been in the oven for at least 16 hours.

(2) Compute the average of the water contents to determine the plastic
limit, PL. Check to see if the difference between the water contents is
greater than the acceptable range of two results (2.6 %).

(3) Calculate the plasticity index, PI=LL-PL.

Report the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index to the nearest
whole number, omitting the percent designation.
 ATTERBERG LIMITS
DATA SHEETS

Date Tested: September 13, 2023

Tested By: Epis, Prencess Shaenna J.

Project Name: Group 2 – Team Raya

Sample Number: P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7

Sample Description: Brown Silty Clay

Liquid Limit Determination

Sample no. 1 2 3 4
Moisture can and lid number P1 P2 P3 P4
MC = Mass of empty, clean can + lid (grams) 28.8 27.0 26.4 27.5
MCMS = Mass of can, lid, and moist soil (grams) 53.2 53.6 52.4 65.2
MCDS = Mass of can, lid, and dry soil (grams) 46.3 46.0 44.4 51.3
MS = Mass of soil solids (grams) 17.5 19.0 18.0 23.8
MW = Mass of pore water (grams) 6.9 7.6 8.0 13.9
w = Water content, w% 39.4 40.0 44.4 58.40
No. of drops (N) 33 30 25 15

Plastic Limit Determination

Sample no. 1 2 3
Moisture can and lid number P5 P6 P7
MC = Mass of empty, clean can + lid (grams) 1.7 1.8 1.7
MCMS = Mass of can, lid, and moist soil (grams) 7.3 7.5 7.8
MCDS = Mass of can, lid, and dry soil (grams) 6.1 6.7 6.7
MS = Mass of soil solids (grams) 4.4 4.9 5.0
MW = Mass of pore water (grams) 1.2 0.8 1.1
w = Water content, w% 27.27 16.33 22.00

27.27+16.33+22.00
Plastic Limit (PL) = Average w % = 3
= 22
 LIQUID LIMIT CHART

60
55

50

45

40
35
Water Content, w%

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0 10 20 25 30 40 50
No. of Blows, N

Final Results:
Liquid Limit = 44
Plastic Limit = 22
Plasticity Index= 22
 DOCUMENTATION

Collection of Soil Sample for air drying and sieve.

Adding distilled water to the sieved soil sample and execution of procedures.

Weighing empty 4 cans for liquid limit samples and lids for plastic limit samples.

Collection of soil samples and weigh cans and lids with moist soil
 Weighing cans and lids with soil samples.

Oven the soil sample for at least 16hrs.

After 16hrs, we weigh the can and lids with dry soil samples.
.
DATA ANALYSIS
 OBSERVATION AND CONCLUSION

Liquid Limit

When analyzing the behavior of soil as it interacts with water, we observe a

significant relationship between the moisture content of the soil and its resistance to
deformation. Specifically, as the water content within the soil increases, we notice a
decrease in its susceptibility to compaction or deformation under external forces. This
phenomenon is known as the liquid limit of the soil, which is a critical parameter in
geotechnical engineering.

In the context of the soil sample we have collected and tested, it exhibits a
noteworthy property: it can accommodate approximately 60% of its weight in water before
reaching its liquid limit. This means that up to 60% of the soil's total mass can be absorbed
by water without causing it to lose its structural integrity and become more fluid-like.
Understanding this limit is essential because it offers insights into the soil's overall
strength and suitability for various applications.

It's worth noting that the liquid limit of a soil sample can vary significantly from one
type of soil to another. This variation is primarily influenced by the composition and size
of the soil particles. In the case of a robust and resilient soil structure, it typically consists
of finer particles. These smaller particles create a denser matrix within the soil, which, in
turn, enables it to retain a greater volume of absorbed water. Consequently, the higher
the liquid limit of a soil sample, the stronger and more stable it is considered to be.

In summary, the liquid limit of soil serves as a crucial indicator of its strength and
ability to withstand external forces, including the effects of water saturation. A soil
sample's liquid limit is intimately connected to its particle size and composition, with finer
particles generally resulting in higher liquid limits. Recognizing and comprehending these
factors are essential for making informed decisions in construction, agriculture, and
various other fields where soil mechanics play a pivotal role.

Plastic Limit

After closely examining the soil with water, something interesting happened. When
the soil had just enough water, it turned flexible and easy to shape, which is what we call
'plasticity.' It was neat because I could make thin threads of about 3.2mm wide without
the soil sticking to my hands. But, here's the catch: once I shaped the soil and it got
deformed, it couldn't bounce back to its original shape until it dried. This special flexibility
of the soil strongly hints that it contains clay minerals. These minerals are good at
connecting with water, creating a mix that behaves like a thick liquid. This is why the soil
could get flexible with only a little water. In simpler words, clay minerals make the soil act
this way when wet. Also, keep in mind that how flexible the soil is depends on how much
water it has. Less water means less flexibility. When the soil doesn't have much water,
it's not as easy to shape, and it can crack. To sum it up, this flexible behavior of our soil
suggests it has clay minerals. These minerals make the soil act flexible with just a bit of
water. And remember, the less water in the soil, the less flexible it becomes.