Scientific Review – Engineering and Environmental Sciences (2018), 27 (2), 167–174

Sci. Rev. Eng. Env. Sci. (2018), 27 (2)

Przegląd Naukowy – Inżynieria i Kształtowanie Środowiska (2018), 27 (2), 167–174
Prz. Nauk. Inż. Kszt. Środ. (2018), 27 (2)
http://iks.pn.sggw.pl
DOI 10.22630/PNIKS.2018.27.2.16

Dorota KRAWCZYK, Michalina FLIEGER-SZYMAŃSKA

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Poznan University of Technology

The value of plasticity index (IP) and liquidity index (IL)

of North Polish ablation boulder clays and varved clays
depending of the method of its determination

Key words: plasticity index, liquidity index, – dynamic, based on the Atterberg’s
varved clays, postglacial ablation tills, cone pe- concept, refined and standardised
netrometer, Casagrande apparatus by Casagrande in 1932, consisting
in placing a sample of soil in a brass
cup, cutting it with a grooving tool
Introduction and observing the closing of the
groove while hitting the cup with
The plasticity and liquidity indexes a rubber base (the so-called impact
are the basic geotechnical parameters of method);
cohesive soils. The liquidity index (IL) – static, based on the cone penetrome-
determines the consistency and physical ter method proposed by the Geotech-
state of soil. The plasticity index refers nical Commission of the Swedish
to the type of soil, its degree of cohesion. State Railways (GCSSR) between
Both show clear and important correla- 1914 and 1922 (Leroueil & Le Bi-
tions with the strength parameters of the han, 1996), originally used to deter-
substrate (Niedzielski, Tschuschke & mine shear strength in soil (Hansbo,
Wierzbicki, 2006) and are used in the 1957) and adapted for determination
process of designing the construction of the liquid limit (Karlsson, 1981);
foundations. In order to calculate the in this approach, the depth of immer-
value of the liquidity and plasticity in- sion of a cone-shaped weight applied
dex, laboratory methods may be used. In to the surface of soil defines the wL
that case, it is necessary to determine the value.
liquidity limit (wL). Based on both these approaches,
There are two laboratory approach- various methods for determining the li-
es to marking this value (Suchnicka, quid limit have developed and have been
1999):

The value of plasticity index... 167

sanctioned by internal state standards in ed on the basis of the liquid limit deter-
individual countries. The unification of mined using various laboratory methods
regulations for geotechnical research in (in accordance with Polish and European
Europe took place with the introduction standards) can be found (Jaśkiewicz &
of Eurocode 7. The technical specifica- Wszędyrówny-Nast, 2013). These cor-
tion PKN-CEN ISO/TS 17892-12, which relations can be universal, since they
is the integral part of the Eurocode, de- were created on the basis of soil samples
fines the cone penetrometer as the meth- of different origin and varied content of
od “recommended for determining the clay fraction, e.g. IL/cone = 1.27 IL/cup for
liquid limit” and the Casagrande appa- clayey sands and sandy-silty clays in the
ratus as the ‘alternative’ method, giving plastic state or IL/cone = 1.28 IL/cup as-
much less reliable results. Nevertheless, signed to hard-plastic clays.
in Poland, the Casagrande apparatus is a The aim of this paper was to create
ubiquitous method strongly rooted in the this type of correlation but only for spe-
engineering practice and is still widely cific, strictly defined and geographically
used for determining the wL value. The separate deposits – postglacial cohesive
impact method is very subjective, highly soils occurring in the area of Poznań (the
dependent on the experience of the per- North Polish ablation boulder clays and
son performing the study and, by exten- varved clays).
sion, it gives unsatisfactory reproducibil-
ity of results (Sherwood & Ryley, 1970;
Medhat & Whyte, 1986; Leroueil & Le Data and testing methods
Bihan, 1996; Feng, 2004).
In the professional literature world- Samples of North Polish glaciation
wide, there are many publications that at- soils occurring in the vicinity of Poznań
tempt to correlate the results obtained with and the surrounding area were examined.
the Casagrande apparatus and the cone These were the ablational morainic tills of
penetrometer (Wires, 1984; Budhu, 1985; the Leszno phase and the varved clays that
Wasti, 1987; Christaras, 1991; Leroueil & were deposited in the postglacial channel
Le Bihan, 1996; Suchnicka, 1999; Ozer between the two stages of the Baltic gla-
& Isik, 2006; Prosperini & Vinti, 2008; ciation – Leszno and Poznań phase.
Franeková, & Kovàr, 2009; Özer, 2009; In the area of Poznań, varved
Dragoni, Fojtová, Marschalko, Grøn- clays occurring in the central part of
bech, Nielsen & Ibsen, 2011; Di Matteo, the catchment area of the Junikowski
2012; Orhan, Spagnoli, 2012; Jaśkiewicz Stream reach the maximum thickness of
& Wszędyrówny-Nast, 2013; Hrubesova, 10–15 m. In their vertical profile, they
Lunackova & Brodzki, 2016). They focus are considerably heterogeneous sedi-
mainly on comparing only the wL value. ments in granulometric terms. These
Often this comparison is made for man- clays are characterised by a specific
made clay-silt-sand mixtures or for soils structure with the alternating occurrence
with different geological origins. of light layers (sandy-silty or silty) and
In Polish literature, relationships be- dark layers (silty-clay or clay) (Flieg-
tween values of liquidity index calculat- er-Szymańska & Machowiak, 2010).

168 D. Krawczyk, M. Flieger-Szymańska

Therefore, studies on clay samples were was calculated (IL). It is the ratio of the
conducted separately for light and dark difference of natural moisture content
layers. Engineering properties of varved (wn) of a given soil and the plastic limit
clays, among others, the value of the liq- (wP) to the difference between the liquid
uid limit may also depend on the mineral limit (wL) and the plastic limit (wP):
composition, mainly, the clay fraction in
the light and dark layers (Florkiewicz, wn  wP
IL (1)
Flieger-Szymańska, Machowiak & Wa- wL  wP
natowski, 2015). The main clay min-
erals in the both light and dark layers Since the value of the liquid limit
are hydromicas (illites), and in smaller determined by two different methods
amounts kaolinite and smectite/chlorite. (using the Casagrande apparatus and the
On the other hand, there is a clear differ- cone penetrometer method) was used for
ence in the content of quartz. In the light the calculations, two values of the plas-
layers there is much more quartz than in ticity index were also obtained for each
the dark ones. soil sample. They were marked respec-
Glacial tills of Leszno phase exhib- tively IL/cup and IL/cone.
it a significant content of sand fraction Next, the value of plasticity index (IP)
(68–74%) according to PN-86/B-02480 was calculated. It is the difference between
and 65–71% according to PN-EN-ISO the liquid limit and the plastic limit:
14688-1. They are formed as sandy tills
(Gp) or clayey sands (clSa) of yellow IP = wL – wP (1)
colour. Their thickness is usually 3–5 m, The plasticity index indicates the
and in some cases it reaches up to 12 m. amount of water, in relation to the mass
The main clay minerals of the studied of the soil skeleton, that is absorbed when
tills are illite, kaolinite and smectite/il- a given soil changes from the semi-solid
lite mixed-layer minerals. In addition, to the liquid state.
the finest fraction contains quartz, cal-
cite, dolomite and plagioclase.
Fifty samples of tills and clays were Results and their interpretation
tested. Their value of the liquid limit was
in the range of 18–89% and the clay frac- The studies carried out on glacigenic
tion content was 14–84%. Macroscopic soils of the North Polish Glaciation oc-
analysis of soil samples, determination curring in Poland, near Poznań, allow
of natural moisture content, grain size to formulate the following correlational
analysis using a combined areometric relationship between the value of the li-
and sieve method, determination of plas- quidity index determined on the basis of
tic limit and the liquid limit in the cone tests carried out in the Casagrande appa-
penetrometer with a 30°/80 g cone and ratus (IL/cup) and in the cone penetrom-
in the Casagrande apparatus with the so- eter (IL/cone) taking into account standard
-called hard case have been conducted. error of estimation (ε):
On the basis of the results of labo-
ratory tests, the value of plasticity index IL/cone = 0.970 IL/cup + 0.015 ±ε (3)

The value of plasticity index... 169

 It is a dependence confirmed experi- The determination coefficient in this
mentally for a relatively wide range of range of liquidity index values is slightly
wL values (18–89%) for natural soils of higher and amounts to 0.983.
a similar genesis and occurrence. For the samples of cohesive soils in
The determination coefficient (R2), the plastic state, the IL/cone= f (IL/cup) in-
being one of the basic measures of the terdependence is definitely less explicit
goodness of fit and indicating what per- (Fig. 3). The correlation (3) for IL =
centage of one variable explains the vari- = 0.25–0.50 takes the form of:
ance of the second variable, for equa-
IL/cone = 0.781 IL/cup + 0.079 ±ε (5)
tion (3) is 0.960 (Fig. 1), so it falls in the
so-called very good fit (Sobczyk, 1995). The determination coefficient in this
In the range of IL = 0.00–0.25, the range of liquidity index values is much
value of this parameter calculated on the lower and amounts to 0.576.
basis of the results of tests carried out The relationship between the plas-
in the cone penetrometer is overstated ticity index calculated on the basis of
in relation to the value obtained on the the liquid limit value determined in the
basis of the results from the Casagrande Casagrande apparatus (IP/cup) and in the
apparatus. In addition, it can be clearly cone penetrometer (IP/cone) shows a high
seen that for the soil samples in the hard- degree of correlation (Fig. 4). It can be
-plastic state, the degree of matching presented in the following way:
of IL/cup and IL/cone is more significant
(Fig. 2) than for the soil samples with an IP/cone = 0.854 IP/cup + 1.458 ±ε (6)
IL > 0.25. The correlation [equation (3)] Based on the average values of the
for IL = 0.00–0.25 takes the form: analysed geotechnical parameters, it can
IL/cone = 1.052 IL/cup + 0.005 ±ε (4) be stated that the value of the plastic-

FIGURE 1. Relationship between the values of the liquidity index (IL) calculated on the basis of two
laboratory methods

170 D. Krawczyk, M. Flieger-Szymańska

FIGURE 2. Relationship between the values of the liquidity index (IL) calculated on the basis of two
laboratory methods in the IL range of 0.0–0.25

FIGURE 3. Relationship between the values of the liquidity index (IL) calculated on the basis of two
laboratory methods in the IL range of 0.25–0.50

ity index determined on the basis of the of the soil state towards a more plastic
test results from the cone penetrometer one. This trend is confirmed in the Polish
is usually higher than calculated on the literature (Jaśkiewicz & Wszędyrówny-
basis of the wL value determined in the -Nast, 2013). However, the value of the
Casagrande apparatus (the table). This plasticity index is underestimated when
may cause a change in the description the results of the penetrometer test are

The value of plasticity index... 171

FIGURE 4. Relationship between the values of plasticity index (IP) calculated on the basis of two
laboratory methods

TABLE. The average values of the analyzed geotechnical parameters

wn wP fi/Cl IP/cup IP/cone IL/cup IL/cone

Soil symbol average average average average average average average
Soil type
PN/ISO value value content value value value value
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [-] [-]
Ablation Gp/saCl 14.07 11.18 19.50 15.86 13.24 0.18 0.22
boulder
clays Gpz/sasiCl 12.90 9.72 14.68 9.17 9.44 0.35 0.34
Varved
clays – light Gπz, Iπ/siCl 28.69 21.95 35.20 26.00 23.77 0.26 0.29
layer
Varved
clays – dark I/Cl 34.86 32.25 77.10 52.42 44.45 0.05 0.06
layer

used for calculations (the table). This can erential Casagrande method) when de-
change the soil type to less cohesive. termining the liquid limit (wL) in a cone
penetrometer in accordance with the
Conclusions recommendations of Eurocode 7. De-
termining the wL value by means of the
For cohesive soils of the North Polish Casagrande apparatus, considered the
glaciation occurring in the vicinity of classical method in Poland and strongly
Poznań, the value of leading parameter rooted in the engineering practice, leads
(IL) is usually overstated (related to ref-

172 D. Krawczyk, M. Flieger-Szymańska

to obtaining liquidity index values lower Christaras, B. (1991). A comparison of the Casa-
than from cone penetrometer. An unfa- grande and fall cone penetrometer methods for
liquid limit determination in marls from Crete,
vourable phenomenon from the point Greece. Engineering Geology, 31(2), 131-142.
of view of the process of designing the Di Matteo, L. (2012). Liquid limit of low-to me-
foundations of construction works, it re- dium-plasticity soils: comparison between
duces the safety margin of the adopted Casagrande cup and cone penetrometer test.
geological-engineering parameters. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the
Environment, 71(1), 79-85.
Based on the examined soils, it was
Dragoni, W., Prosperini, N. & Vinti, G. (2008).
found that IL/cup and IL/cone values show Some observations on the procedures for
a much higher degree of correlation in the determination of the liquid limit: an
hard plastic soils than in plastic ones application on Plio-Pleistocenic clayey soils
(Figs. 2 and 3). from Umbria region (Italy). Italian Journal
The relationship [equation (5)] found of Engineering Geology and Environment,
Special Issue, 185-197.
in this article for plastic soils (mainly Feng, T-W. (2004). Using a small ring and a fall-
sandy tills) does not coincide with the cone to determine the plastic limit. Journal
correlations published so far, e.g. IL/cone of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental En-
= 1.27 IL/cup for clayey sands and sandy- gineering, 130(6), 630-635.
-silty clays in the plastic state (Jaśkiewicz Flieger-Szymańska, M. & Machowiak, K. (2010).
Wstępne dane na temat zróżnicowania skła-
& Wszędyrówny-Nast, 2013). Similarly, du granulometrycznego iłów warwowych
the correlation shown in equation (4) for w dorzeczu Strumienia Junikowskiego
soils in the hard-plastic state (mainly w południowo-zachodniej części Poznania.
clays) does not correspond to the litera- Archiwum Instytutu Inżynierii Lądowej. Po-
ture correlation IL/cone = 1.28 IL/cup as- litechnika Poznańska, 7, 45-53.
Florkiewicz, A., Flieger-Szymańska, M., Ma-
signed to hard-plastic clays (Jaśkiewicz chowiak, K. & Wanatowski, D. (2015).
& Wszędyrówny-Nast, 2013). Engineering properties of varved clays from
The results of the study clearly show the Junikowski Stream valley in Poland.
that creating a generalized dependence Proceedings of IV International Conference
between plasticity index and liquidity in- on Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster
Mitigation and Rehabilitation „Geotechnics
dex values determined by various meth-
for Catastrophic Flooding Events”.
ods, universal for all types of soils, is not Fojtová, L., Marschalko, M., Franeková, R. &
possible. Such correlations may be cre- Kovàr, L. (2009). Study of compatibility of
ated for geographically separate soils of methods for liquid limit measurement ac-
a similar genesis and mineral composi- cording to Czech State Standard and newly
tion, e.g. sediments of the youngest gla- adopted European Standard. Geoscience
Engineering, 15(1), 55-68.
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(2011). Comparison of liquid limit of highly
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PKN-CEN ISO/TS 17892-12. Badania geotech- ticle size and mineralogy (the North Polish
niczne. Badania laboratoryjne gruntów. ablation boulder clays and varved clays).
Część 12: Oznaczanie granic Atterberga.
PN-86/B-02480. Grunty budowlane. Określenia,
symbole, podział i opis gruntów. Authors’ address:
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geotechniczne. Część 1: Zasady ogólne. Politechnika Poznańska
PN-EN ISO 14688-1. Badania geotechniczne. Wydział Budownictwa
Oznaczanie i klasyfikowanie gruntów. Część 1: i Inżynierii Środowiska
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tion of a cone-penetrometer method for the e-mail: [email protected]
determination of the liquid limit. Géotechni- michalina.flieger-szymanska@put.
que, 20(2), 203-208. poznan.pl

174 D. Krawczyk, M. Flieger-Szymańska