Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 8K views

    Lab Report-Atterberg Limit Test

    Uploaded by

    Ochini Chandrasena
    This document describes the procedure for conducting an Atterberg limit test to determine the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of a soil sample. The test involves measuring the water content at which a soil transitions between liquid, plastic, and semi-solid states by assessing how it behaves when rolled into threads or grooved. A soil sample is tested at various water contents to identify the points at which it crumbles or grooves close after specific numbers of blows. The results are used to classify soil plasticity and understand how it behaves at different moisture levels.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Lab Report-Atterberg Limit Test

    Uploaded by

    Ochini Chandrasena
    8K views9 pages
    This document describes the procedure for conducting an Atterberg limit test to determine the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of a soil sample. The test involves measuring the water content at which a soil transitions between liquid, plastic, and semi-solid states by assessing how it behaves when rolled into threads or grooved. A soil sample is tested at various water contents to identify the points at which it crumbles or grooves close after specific numbers of blows. The results are used to classify soil plasticity and understand how it behaves at different moisture levels.

    Original Description:

    This is a lab report on Atterberg Limit Test done under Geotechnical Engineering

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document describes the procedure for conducting an Atterberg limit test to determine the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of a soil sample. The test involves measuring the water content at which a soil transitions between liquid, plastic, and semi-solid states by assessing how it behaves when rolled into threads or grooved. A soil sample is tested at various water contents to identify the points at which it crumbles or grooves close after specific numbers of blows. The results are used to classify soil plasticity and understand how it behaves at different moisture levels.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    8K views9 pages

    Lab Report-Atterberg Limit Test

    Uploaded by

    Ochini Chandrasena
    This document describes the procedure for conducting an Atterberg limit test to determine the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of a soil sample. The test involves measuring the water content at which a soil transitions between liquid, plastic, and semi-solid states by assessing how it behaves when rolled into threads or grooved. A soil sample is tested at various water contents to identify the points at which it crumbles or grooves close after specific numbers of blows. The results are used to classify soil plasticity and understand how it behaves at different moisture levels.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 9
    At a glance
    Powered by AI
    The document describes the procedure to determine the Atterberg limits of a soil sample, which are important properties used in geotechnical engineering. The Atterberg limits - liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index - represent the boundaries between different states of a soil based on its water content.

    The Atterberg limits are the liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index. The liquid limit represents the boundary between the liquid and plastic states. The plastic limit is the boundary between the plastic and semi-solid states. The plasticity index is the range of water content in which a soil behaves plastically.

    The procedure to determine the liquid limit involves making a groove in a soil sample using a grooving tool, then counting the number of blows required to close the groove after subjecting it to impacts. Water content measurements are taken at different blow counts to establish the liquid limit, which is the water content at 25 blows.

    1

    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test

    ATTERBERG LIMIT TEST

    OBJECTIVE
    To determine the liquid limit, the plastic limit and the linear shrinkage and plasticity index of
    the given soil sample.

    MATERIALS AND APPARATUS

    Special:
    1. Liquid limit device and grooving tool (for liquid limit test)
    2. Large glass plate (for plastic limit test)
    3. Half cylindrical linear shrinkage mold

    General:
    1. Distilled water

    2. Balance (sensitive to 0.01g)

    3. Drying oven with temperature from 1050C to 1100C

    4. Desiccator

    5. Drying containers with lids

    6. Mixing dish or bowl

    7. Spatula

    8. Sieve of No. 40

    Figure 1: Liquid limit device and grooving tools

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    2
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test

    Figure 2: Other necessary items

    INTRODUCTION

    Water plays an important role in soil mechanics practice when dealing with density, void ratio,
    settlement and strength characteristics of either disturbed or undisturbed soils. Fine-grained soils
    in particular can be in one of several states depending on the amount of water in the soil. When
    water is added to dry soil, the individual particle is covered with adsorbed water forming a thin
    film around it. If the addition of water is continued, the thickness of the water film will continue
    to increase, thereby facilitating the sliding effect between adjoining particles. Thus it is a fact
    that the behaviour of the soil is related to the amount of water in the system.
    (Mandal and Divshikar 1995).

    THEORY

    In 1911, a Swedish agriculture scientist, A. Atterberg defined the boundaries of states in terms of
    limits as follows. These limits are often called as Atterberg limits.
    Liquid limit is the boundary between liquid and plastic state.
    Plastic limit is the boundary between plastic and semi-solid state.
    Shrinkage limit is the boundary between semi-solid and solid state.

    Liquid

    Plastic
    Semi-
    Solid
    solid

    Figure 3: Volume Verses Moisture Content

    In 1932, A. Casagrande defined those limits more precisely follows:

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    3
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test
    1. Liquid Limit (LL)
    The water content, in percent, required to close the groove along the bottom of the groove after
    25 blows, when jarred in a specified manner.

    2. Plastic Limit (PL)


    The water content at which the soil begins to crumble when rolled into a thread of 3mm in
    diameter. Usually PL is calculated as the average of water content determinations.

    3. Shrinkage Limit (SL)


    The water content that is just sufficient to fill the pores when the soil is at the minimum volume,
    which will attain by drying.

    4. Plasticity Index (PI)


    The range of water content which a soil behaves plastically.
    Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit Plastic Limit

    PROCEDURE

    (i) Liquid Limit Determination

    1. The liquid limit apparatus was calibrated to 10mm falling height using the space gauge on
    the grooving tool handle.
    2. About 100g of moist soil passing through sieve No. 40 was taken and was mixed thoroughly
    with distilled water to form a uniform paste.
    3. A portion of the paste was placed in the cup of the liquid limit device, the surface was
    smoothed off to a maximum depth of inch, and the grooving tool was drawn through the
    sample along the symmetrical axis of the cup holding the tool perpendicular to the cup at the
    point of contact.
    4. The crack handle was turned at a rate of about two revolutions per second, and the number
    of blows necessary to close the groove in the soil for a distance of inch was counted.
    5. When a consistent value in the range of 10 to 50 blows was obtained, approximately 10g of
    soil was taken from the closed groove for a water content determination.
    6. Five water content determinations in the range of 10 to 40 blows were obtained by altering
    the water of the soil and repeating the steps (2) to (5).

    (ii) Plastic Limit Determination

    1. About 15g of the moist soil used for the liquid limit test was mixed thoroughly.

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    4
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test
    2. The soil was rolled on a glass plate with the hand until it is approximately 3mm in diameter.
    3. The step (2) was repeated by changing the water content until a 3 mm diameter thread
    showed signs of crumbling.
    4. The crumbling material obtained in step (3) was taken for the water content determination.
    5. Three determinations were obtained which can be averaged to determine the plastic limit, by
    repeating the steps (2) to (4).

    CALCULATIONS

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    5
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    6
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test
    RESULTS

    Liquid Limit (LL) = 41.5%

    Plastic Limit (PL) = 19.75%

    Plasticity Index (PI) = 21.75%

    DISCUSSION
    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    7
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    8
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test

    CONCLUSION

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38
    9
    CE281-Geotechnical Engineering I Atterberg Limit Test

    REFERENCES:

    Braja M. Das & Khaled Sobhan (2012) Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, 8th edition,
    United States.

    Atterberg Limit Test, [Online], Available:


    http://www-ce.ccny.cuny.edu/Courses/CE345/L2%20Liquid%20and%20Plastic%20Limit.doc
    [29 Aug 2015].

    Atterberg Limit Test, [Online], Available:


    http://www.ausbale.org/files/Render/Earth/Atterberg%20limit%20test.doc [29 Aug 2015].

    Chandrasena O. EN 14 5131 38

    You might also like