Scribd
Upload
60 views4 pages

Specific Gravity Test

This document describes the procedure for determining the liquid limit of a cohesive soil. The liquid limit is the moisture content at which a soil transitions from a liquid to a plastic state when mixed with water. The test involves making grooves in a soil paste at different moisture contents and counting the number of blows needed for the groove to close. A graph is made of moisture content versus blows on log scale, from which the liquid limit is read as the moisture content at 25 blows.

Uploaded by

Denden Den
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
60 views4 pages

Specific Gravity Test

This document describes the procedure for determining the liquid limit of a cohesive soil. The liquid limit is the moisture content at which a soil transitions from a liquid to a plastic state when mixed with water. The test involves making grooves in a soil paste at different moisture contents and counting the number of blows needed for the groove to close. A graph is made of moisture content versus blows on log scale, from which the liquid limit is read as the moisture content at 25 blows.

Uploaded by

Denden Den
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

6

Liquid Limit Test


Introduction
When a cohesive soil is mixed with an excessive amount of water, it will be in a somewhat liquid
state and flow like a viscous liquid. However, when this viscous liquid is gradually dried, with the
loss of moisture it will pass into a plastic state. With further reduction of moisture, the soil will pass
into a semisolid and then into a solid state. This is shown in Fig. 6-L The moisture content (in percent)
at which the cohesive soil will pass from a liquid state to a plastic state is called the liquid limit of the
soil. Similarly, the moisture contents (in percent) at which the soil changes from a plastic to a
semisolid state and from a semisolid state to a solid state are referred to as the plastic limit and the
shrinkage limit, respectively. These limits are referred to as the Atterberg limits (1911). In this
chapter, the procedure to determine the liquid limit of a cohesive soH will be discussed.

Equipment
1. Casagrande liquid limit device
2. Grooving tool
3. Moisture cans
4. Porcelain evaporating dish Solid Semisolid Plastic.

5. Spatula
6. Oven
7. Balance sensitive up to 0.01 g
8. Plastic squeeze bottle
9. Paper towels
The equipment (except the balance and the oven) is shown in Fig. 6-2.
The Casagrande liquid limit device essentially consists of a brass cup that can be raised and
dropped through a distance of 10 mth on a hard rubber base by a cam operated by a crank (see Fig. 6-
3a). Fig. 6-3b shows a schematic diagram of a grooving tool. ,

Procedure
1. Determine the mass of three moisture cans (W1).
2. Put about 250 g of air dry soil, passed through No. 40 sieve, into an evaporating dish. Add
water from the plastic squeeze bottle and mix the soil to the form of a uniform paste.
3. Place a portion of the paste in the brass cup of the liquid limit device. Using the spatula,
smooth the surface of the soil in the cup such that the maximum depth of the soil is about 8
mm.
4. Using the grooving tool, cut a groove along the center line of the soil pat in the cup (Fig. 6-
4a).
Turn the crank of the liquid limit device at the rate of about 2 revolutions per second. By
this, the liquid limit cup will rise and drop through a vertical distance of 10 mm once for
each revolution. The soil from two sides of the cup will begin to flow toward the center.
Count the number of blows, N, for the groove in the soil to close through a distance of ½ in.
(12.7 mm) as shown in Fig. 6-4b.
5. Turn the crank of the liquid limit device at the rate of about 2 revolutions per second. By
this, the liquid limit cup will rise and drop through a vertical distance of 10 mm once for
each revolution. The soil from two sides of the cup will begin to flow toward the center.
Count the number of blows, N, for the groove in the soil to close through a distance of Yz
in. (12.7 mm) as shown in Fig. 6-4b.

Figure 6-2. Equipment for liquid limit test.


If N = about 25 to 35, collect a moisture sample from the soil in the cup in a moisture can.
Close the cover of the can, and determine the mass of the can plus the moist soil (W2) ·
Remove the rest of the soil paste from the cup to the evaporating dish. Use paper towels to
thoroughly clean the cup.
If the soil is too dry, N will be more than about 35. In that case, remove the soil with the
spatula to the evaporating dish. Clean the liquid limit cup thoroughly with paper towels.
Mix the soil in the evaporating dish with more water, and try again.
If the soil is too wet, N will be less than about 25. In that case, remove the soil in the cup to
the evaporating dish. , Clean the liquid limit cup carefully with paper towels. Stir the soil
paste with the spatula for some time to dry it up. The evaporating dish may be placed in the
oven for a few minutes for drying also. Do not add dry soil to the wet-soil paste to reduce
the moisture content for bringing it to the proper consistency. Now try again in the liquid
limit
device to get the groove closure of ½ in. (12.7 mm) between 25 and 35 blows.
6. Add more water to the soil paste in the evaporating dish and mix thoroughly. Repeat Steps
3, 4 and 5 to get a groove closure of ½ in. (12.7 mm) in the liquid limit device at a blow
count N = 20 to 25. Take a moisture sample from the cup. Remove the rest of the soil paste
to the. evaporating dish. Clean the cup with paper towels.
7. Add more water to the soil paste in the evaporating dish and mix well. Repeat Steps. 3, 4
and 5 to get a blow count N between 15 and 20 for a groove closure of 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) in
the liquid limit device. Take a moisture sample from the cup.
8. Put the three moisture cans in the oven to dry to constant masses (W 3). (The caps of the
moisture cans should be removed from the top and placed at the bottom of the respective
cans in the oven.)
Calculation
Determine the moisture content for each of the three trials (Steps 5, 6 and 7) as

Graph
Plot a semi-log graph between moisture content (arithmetic scale) versus number of blows, N (log
scale). This will approximate a straight line, which is called the flow curve. From the straight line,
determine the moisture content w (%) corresponding to 25 blows. This is the liquid limit of the soil.
The magnitude of the slope of the flow line is called the flow index, F], or

You might also like