Standard Method of Test for

Determining the Plastic I imit and Plasticity

Index of Soils
AASHTO Designation: T 90-00 (2004)

T. SCOPE

1.1. The plastic limit of a soil is the lowest water content determined in accordance with the following
procedure at which the soil remains plastic. The plasticity index of a soil is the range in water
content, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the oven-dried soil, within which the material is
in a plastic state. It is the numerical difference between the liquid limit and plastic limit of the soil.

1.2. The following applies to all specified limits in this standard: For the purpose of determining
conformance with these specifications, an observed value or a calculated value shall be rounded
off “to the nearest unit” in the last right-hand place of figures used in expressing the limiting
value, in accordance with ASTM E 29.

1.3. The Hand Rolling Method shall be the referee procedure.

2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

2.1. AASHTO Standards :

■ M 231, Weighing Devices Used in the Testing of Materials
■ T 87, Dry Preparation of Disturbed Soil and Soil-Aggregate Samples for Test
■ T 89, Determining the Liquid Limit of Soils
■ T 146, Wet Preparation of Disturbed Soil Samples for Test
■ T 265, Laboratory Determination of Moisture Content of Soils

2.2. ASTM Standards'.

■ E 29, Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications

_ APPARATUS

3.1. Dish—A porcelain evaporating dish, or similar mixing dish about 115 mm in diameter.

3.2. Spatula—A spatula or pill knife having a blade about 75 mm in length and about 20 mm in width.

3.3. Surface fo r Roiling—A ground glass plate or piece of smooth, unglazed paper on which to roll
the sample.

3.4. Plastic Limit Rolling Device1,2 (optional)—A device made of acrylic conforming to the
dimensions shown in Figure 1.

TS-1a 1 90-1 AASHTO

Dimensions:
IW — approximately 100 mm

N otes:
1. T he tolerance betw een the w idth o f the top plate (W ) and the inside w idth o f th e bottom p la te (JW ) shall be such that the top plate
slides freely on the rails w ithout w obbling.
2. T he top plate shall be rigid enough so that th e thickness o f the soil threads is n o t influenced b y flex u re o f the top plate,
3. The w idth o f the side rails shall be betw een 3 and 6 m m .

Figure 1—Plastic Limit Rolling Device

3.5. Paper fo r Rolling Device—Unglazed paper that does not add foreign matter (fibers, paper
fragments, etc.) to the soil during the rolling process. Such paper shall be attached to the top and
bottom plates of the device either by a spray-on adhesive or by a self-adhesive backing.
Note 1—Take special care to remove the adhesive that remains on the plastic limit rolling device
after testing. Repeated tests without such removal will result in a buildup of the residual adhesive
and a decreased soil thread diameter.

3.6. Containers— Suitable containers made of material resistant to corrosion and not subject to change
in mass or disintegration on repeated heating and cooling. Containers shall have close-fitting lids
to prevent loss of moisture from samples before initial mass determination and to prevent
absorption of moisture from the atmosphere following drying and before final mass determination.
One container is needed for each moisture content determination.

3.7. Balance—The balance shall have sufficient capacity and conform to M 231, Class G 1.

3.8. Oven—A thermostatically controlled drying oven capable of maintaining temperatures of 110 ±
5°C for drying samples.

TS-1a T 90-2 AASHTO

4. SAMPLE

4.1. If the plastic limit only is required, take a quantity of soil with a mass of about 20 g from the
thoroughly mixed portion of the material passing the 0.425-mm sieve, obtained in accordance with
T 87 or T 146. Place the air-dried soil in a mixing dish and thoroughly mix with distilled or
demineralized water until the mass becomes plastic enough to be easily shaped into a ball. Take a
portion of this ball with a mass of about 8 g for the test sample.
Note 2—Tap water may be used for routine testing if comparative tests indicate no differences in
results between using tap water and distilled or demineralized water. However, referee or disputed
tests shall be performed using distilled or demineralized water.

4.2. If both the liquid and plastic limits are required, take a test sample with a mass of about 8 g from
the thoroughly wet and mixed portion of the soil prepared in accordance with T 89. Take the
sample at any stage of the mixing process at which the mass becomes plastic enough to be easily
shaped into a ball without sticking to the fingers excessively when squeezed. If the sample is taken
before completion of the liquid limit test, set it aside and allow to season in air until the liquid
limit test has been completed. If the sample taken during the liquid limit test is too dry to permit
rolling to a 3-mm thread, add more water and remix.

5. PROCEDURE

5.1. Select a 1.5- to 2.0-g portion from the mass of soil taken in accordance with Section 4. Form the
selected portion into an ellipsoidal mass.

5.2. Use one of the following methods to roll the soil mass into a 3-mm diameter thread at a rate of 80
to 90 strokes per minute, counting a stroke as one complete motion of the hand forward and back
to the starting position again.

5.2.1. Hand Rolling Method—Roll the mass between the palm or fingers and the ground-glass plate (or a
piece of paper laying on a smooth horizontal surface) with just sufficient pressure to roll the mass
into a thread of uniform diameter throughout its length. The thread shall be further deformed on
each stroke so that its diameter reaches 3 mm, taking no more than two minutes. The amount of
hand or finger pressure required will vary greatly, according to the soil. Fragile soils of low
plasticity are best rolled under the outer edge of the palm or at the base of the thumb.

5.2.2. Alternate Procedure, Plastic Limit Device Method—Place the soil mass on the bottom plate. Place
the top plate in contact with the soil mass. Simultaneously apply a slight downward force and back
and forth motion to the top plate so that the plate comes in contact with the side rails within two
minutes. During this rolling process, do not allow the soil thread to contact the side rails.
Note 3—In most cases, more than one soil mass (thread) can be rolled simultaneously in the
plastic limit rolling device.

TS-1a T 90-3 AASHTO

 When the diameter of the thread becomes 3 mm, break the thread into six or eight pieces. Squeeze
the pieces together between the thumbs and fingers of both hands into a uniform mass roughly
ellipsoidal in shape and reroll. Continue this alternate rolling to a thread 3 mm in diameter,
gathering together, kneading, and rerolling, until the thread crumbles under the pressure required
for rolling and the soil can no longer be rolled into a thread. The crumbling may occur when the
thread has a diameter greater than 3 mm. This shall be considered a satisfactory end point,
provided the solid has been previously rolled into a thread 3 mm in diameter. The crumbling will
manifest itself differently with the various types of soil. Some soils fall apart in numerous small
aggregations of particles; others may form an outside tubular layer that starts splitting at both
ends. The splitting progresses toward the middle, and finally, the thread falls apart in many small
platy particles. Heavy clay soils require much pressure to deform the thread, particularly as they
approach the plastic limit, and finally, the thread breaks into a series of barrel-shaped segments
each about 6 to 9 ram in length. At no time shall the operator attempt to produce failure at exactly
3-mra diameter by allowing the thread to reach 3 mm, then reducing the rate of rolling or the hand
pressure, or both, and continuing the rolling without further deformation until the thread falls
apart. It is permissible, however, to reduce the total amount of deformation for feebly plastic soils
by making the initial diameter of the ellipsoidal-shaped mass nearer to the required 3-mm
final diameter.

5.4. Gather the portions of the crumbled soil together and place in a weighed container. Immediately
cover the container.

5.5. Repeat the operations described in Sections 5.1 through 5.4 until the 8-g specimen is completely
tested. Determine the moisture content of the soil in the containers in accordance with T 265, and
record the results.

~6. CALCULATIONS

6 . 1. Calculate the plastic limit, expressed as the water content in percentage of the mass of the oven-
dry soil, as follows:
r,i , • t ■ mass of water ...
Plastic Limit = ------------------------ xlOO (1)
mass of oven-dry soil
Report the plastic limit to the nearest whole number.

6. 2. Calculate the plasticity index of a soil as the difference between its liquid limit and its plastic
limit, as follows:
Plasticity Index = liquid limit - plastic limit (2)

6.3. Report the difference calculated as indicated in Section 6.2 as the plasticity index, except under
the following conditions:

6.3.1. When the liquid limit or plastic limit cannot be determined, report the plasticity index as NP
(non-plastic).

6.3.2. When the plastic limit is equal to, or greater than, the liquid limit, report the plasticity index
asNP.

TS-1a T 90-4 AASHTO

7. PRECISION STATEMENT

7.1. This precision statement applies to soils with a plastic limit range between 15 and 32, tested using
the hand rolling method.

7.2. Repeatability (Single Operator)—Two results obtained by the same operator on the same sample
in the same laboratory using the same apparatus should be considered suspect if they differ by
more than 10 percent of their mean.

7.3. Reproducibility (Multilaboratoiy)—Two results obtained by different operators in different

laboratories should be considered suspect if they differ from each other by more than 18 percent of
their mean.

1The plastic limit-rolling device is covered by a patent (U.S. Patent No. 5,027,660). Interested parties are invited to
submit information regarding the identification of an altemative(s) to this patent to AASHTO Headquarters. Your
comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting of AASHTO Technical Section la on Soil Materials
Tests.
2 Bobrowski, L. J., Jr. and D. M. Griekspoor, “Determination of the Plastic Limit of a Soil by Means of a Rolling
Device,” Geotechnical Testing Journal, GTJODJ, Vol. 15, No. 3, September 1992,/?/?. 284-287.

TS-1a T 90-5 AASHTO