PLASTICITY AND

STRUCTURE OF SOIL
OBJECTIVES:

✓ Define and recognize the different

stages and plasticity limits of soil due
to moisture content.

✓ Recognize the relationship between the

consistency limits of soil

✓ Know how to plot the flow curve

✓ Solved problems involving the

Atterberg’s limit
Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)
PLASTICITY AND STRUCTURE OF SOIL
In the early 1900s, a Swedish scientist named
4 STATES OF SOIL BASED ON Atterberg developed a method to describe the
MOISTURE CONTENT consistency of fine-grained soils with varying
moisture contents. At a very low moisture
content, soil behaves more like a solid. When the
LIQUID STATE moisture content is very high, the soil and water
may flow like a liquid.
WATER CONTENT

PLASTIC STATE

CONSISTENCY LIMITS
SEMI-SOLID STATE Water content at which the soil
changes from one state of soil to
another
SOLID STATE
𝟎%

Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)
PLASTICITY AND STRUCTURE OF SOIL
4 STATES OF SOIL BASED ON PLASTICITY
MOISTURE CONTENT
LIMITS OF SOIL

LIQUID STATE
LIQUID LIMIT
WATER CONTENT

Plastic to liquid state

PLASTIC STATE

PLASTIC LIMIT
Semisolid to plastic state
SEMI-SOLID STATE

SHRINKAGE LIMIT
Solid to semisolid state
SOLID STATE
𝟎%

ATTERBERG LIMITS
Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)
PLASTICITY AND STRUCTURE OF SOIL

ATTERBERG LIMITS

SHRINKAGE PLASTIC LIQUID

LIMIT, SL LIMIT, PL LIMIT, LL

SOLID SEMI-SOLID PLASTIC LIQUID

STATE STATE STATE STATE

𝟎%

WATER CONTENT INCREASING

Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)
 LIQUID LIMIT
Water content of the soil at which it changes its state from being liquid to plastic .
Liquid limit of soil depends on the clay mineral present.

LIQUID LIMIT TEST:

• CASAGRANDE METHOD

• CONE PENETRATION METHOD

Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-
LIQUID LIMIT DETERMINATION: CASAGRANDE METHOD
The moisture content, in percent, required to close a
distance of 12.5 mm (0.5 in) along the bottom of the
groove after 25 blows is defined as the liquid limit.

3 TRIALS – with number of blows varying from 15- 35

Figure shows the soil before and after test

Casagrande Apparatus

Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-
LIQUID LIMIT DETERMINATION: CASAGRANDE METHOD
The moisture content corresponding to 25 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐗, 𝐈𝐅
blows determined from the flow curve
gives the value of the liquid limit of the is a parameter used to describe the plasticity
soil. characteristics of soil, particularly its behavior when it
transitions from a semi-solid to a liquid state.

𝛚𝟏 − 𝛚𝟐
𝐈𝐅 =
Where: 𝐍
𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐍𝟐
𝟏
IF = flow index
ω1 = moisture content at N₁
ω2 = moisture content at N₂
N = number of blows (log scale)

A higher flow index indicates a flatter

slope, meaning that a small change
in water content results in a
significant change in the consistency
of the soil. This suggests that the soil
is highly sensitive to water content
changes.

Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)
 PLASTIC LIMIT AND PLASTICITY INDEX
The Plastic Limit is defined as the moisture content in percent, at which the soil
crumbles, when rolled into threads of 3.2 mm (1/8 in) in diameter.

The plastic limit is the lower limit of the plastic stage of soil.

The plastic limit test is performed by

repeated rolling of an ellipsoidal-sized soil
mass by hand on a glass plate.
(ASTM D-4318)

The plasticity index (PI) is the difference

between the liquid limit and plastic limit of
soil.

PI = LL - PL
Prepared by:
Prepared by:
Gine O. G.
(KSU-CEIT)
 Results from liquid and plastic limit test conducted on a soil are NUMBER OF MOISTURE
BLOWS, N CONTENT (%)
given in table and for Plastic Limit Test: PL = 13.4 %
a) Draw the flow curve and obtain liquid limit. 14 38.4
b) Determine the plasticity index of the soil. 16 36.5
20 33.1
FLOW CURVE FOR LIQUID LIMIT DETERMINATION
80 28 27.0

70

60
Moisture Content (%)

50

40

30

20

10

0
10 Prepared by:
No. of Blows, N (log scale) Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)

SAMPLE PROBLEM SOLVING: 01

 Results from liquid and plastic limit test conducted on a soil are NUMBER OF MOISTURE
BLOWS, N CONTENT (%)
given in table and for Plastic Limit Test: PL = 18.7 %
a) Draw the flow curve and obtain liquid limit. 15 42
b) Determine the plasticity index of the soil. 20 40.8
28 39.1
FLOW CURVE FOR LIQUID LIMIT DETERMINATION
80

70

60
Moisture Content (%)

50

40

30

20

10

0
10
Prepared by:
No. of Blows, N (log scale) Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)

SAMPLE PROBLEM SOLVING: 02

 SHRINKAGE LIMIT
Soil shrinks as moisture is gradually lost from it. With
continuing loss of moisture, a stage of equilibrium is reached
at which more loss of moisture will result in no further
volume change. The moisture content, in percent, at which Soil before drying Soil after drying
the volume of the soil mass ceases to change is defined as
the shrinkage limit.

𝐒𝐋 = 𝛚₁ (%) − ∆𝛚 (%)
ω₁ = initial moisture content
∆ω = change in moisture content
(𝐕𝐢 − 𝐕𝐟)(𝝆𝒘)
∆𝛚 (%) = 𝐱 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝐌₂
𝐌₁ − 𝐌₂ Vi = initial volume of soil
𝛚₁ (%) = 𝐱 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝐌₂ Vf = final volume of soil
M₁ = mass of weight soil ρ𝑤 = density of water
M₂ = mass of dry soil

Prepared by:
Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)
The following are the results of a shrinkage limit test:
▪ Initial volume of soil in a saturated state = 24.6 cm³
▪ Final volume of soil in a dry state = 15.9 cm³
▪ Initial mass in a saturated state = 44.0 g
▪ Final mass in a dry state = 30.1 g
Determine the shrinkage limit of a soil

𝐌₁ − 𝐌₂ 𝐕𝐢 − 𝐕𝐟
SOLUTION 𝐒𝐋 =
𝐌₂
𝟏𝟎𝟎 −
𝐌₂
𝛒𝐰 (𝟏𝟎𝟎)

𝟒𝟒 − 𝟑𝟎. 𝟏 𝟐𝟒. 𝟔 − 𝟏𝟓. 𝟗

𝐒𝐋 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝟏 (𝟏𝟎𝟎)
𝟑𝟎. 𝟏 𝟑𝟎. 𝟏

𝐒𝐋 = 𝟒𝟔. 𝟏𝟖 − 𝟐𝟖. 𝟗

𝐒𝐋 = 𝟏𝟕. 𝟐𝟖 % Prepared by:

Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)

SAMPLE PROBLEM SOLVING:

 LIQUIDITY INDEX AND CONSISTENCY INDEX
The relative consistency of a cohesive soil in the natural
state can be defined by a ratio called the liquidity index
ω − PL
LI =
LL − PL
Where: ω in situ
moisture content of soil

The in situ moisture content for a sensitive clay may Liquidity Index
be greater than the liquid limit (LI > 1). These soils,
when remolded, can be transformed into a viscous
form to flow like a liquid. Another index that is commonly used for
engineering purposes is the consistency index (CI),

Soil deposits that are heavily over LL − ω

consolidated may have a natural CI =
moisture content less than the
LL − PI
plastic limit (LI < 0)
If w is equal to the liquid limit, the consistency index
is zero.
Prepared by:
Again, if w = PI, then CI = 1. Gine O. G. (KSU-CEIT)