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Lecture 2 - Atterberg-Limits
Lecture 2 - Atterberg-Limits
Limits
Lecture 2
Week 2
Content
• Soil Consistency
• Atterberg Limits
• Liquid Limit
• Plastic Limit
• Shrinkage Limit
• Plasticity Index
• Liquidity Index
• Plasticity Chart
Soil Consistency
2. Semi-Solid
LI = 0
Plastic Limit (PL)
Liquidity Plasticity Index
3. Plastic Index (LI) (PI) = PL - LL
Liquid Limit (LL)
LI = 1
+ 4. Liquid
This figure shows
how the nature of
soil behavior is
divided into four
states based on
the value of the
moisture content.
In Summary
1. Water influences consistency of fine-grained soils.
2. Soils passes from one state to another state as water
content changes.
3. Different soils passes from state to state at different
water contents.
4. The water content at which different soils pass from
one state to another state can be used to classify or
distinguish different fine-grained soils.
5. How we can find the water content at which a given
soil passes from a given state to another?.
Atterberg (A Swedish scientist) developed a method to
describe the consistency of fine-grained soils with
varying degrees of moisture content. He defined several
limits of consistency which are called Atterberg limits.
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Atterberg Limits
water content
0 Shrinkage Plastic Liquid
limit limit limit
There are also another two limits, but they have no significance for
civil engineers:
Sticky Limit: The water content at which a soil loses its ADHESION
to a metal blade.
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Determination of Atterberg Limits
Atterberg’s original consistency limit tests were rather
arbitrary and not easily reproducible.
A. Casagrande subsequently standardized the
apparatus and the procedures to make the
measurement more repeatable.
Liquid limit
Multi-Point Method (ASTM D-4318) .1
The water content required to close a distance of ½
inch (12.7 mm) along the bottom of the groove after 25
blows is defined as the Liquid Limit.
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It is difficult to adjust the moisture content in soil to
meet the required ½ inch closure of the groove at 25
blows. Hence, at least 4 tests for the same soil are
made at varying w%, and then w% values are plotted
against the logarithm of the number of blows, N.
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Remarks
The liquid limit of a soil containing substantial amounts of
organic matter decreases dramatically when the soil is oven-
dried before testing. Comparison of the liquid limit of a sample
before and after oven-drying can therefore be used as a
qualitative measure of organic matter content of a soil.
PI = LL - PL
This index provides a measure of a soil plasticity,
which is the amount of water that must be added to
change a soil from its plastic limit to its liquid limit.
The PI is useful in engineering classification of fine-
grained soils, and many engineering properties have
been found to correlate with the PI.
The plasticity index, in conjunction with the
mechanical analysis, provides the basis for several
of the engineering classification of soils.
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Liquidity Index (LI) .2
The relative consistency of a cohesive soil in the
natural state can be defined by a ratio called the
Liquidity Index, which is given by
Toughness Index .5
TI= PI/IF
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Example
The following data were obtained from the liquid and
plastic limit tests for a soil:
Liquid limit test:
w% N 44
42.1 17
38.2 22
36.2 27
M oisture Content (% )
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34.1 32
Plastic limit test: PL = 21.3%
In situ moisture content=25.7% 36
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