ATTERBERG

LIMITS
CE161P-2 Geotechnical Engineering I
ALBERT MAURITZ ATTERBERG

A swedish scientist in the early 1900’s who developed a

method to describe the consistency of fine-grained soils with
varying moisture contents.

CONSISTENCY OF SOIL
- At a very low moisture content, soil behaves more like
a brittle solid. When the moisture content is very high, the
soil and water may flow like a liquid.
- On an arbirary basis, depending on the moisture
content, the nature of soil behavior can be broken down into
four basic states: Solid, Semisolid, Plastic and Liquid

AT T E R B E R G L I M I T S 2022
ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

1. Liquid Limit test (LL)

- Is the water content where the soil starts to behave as a liquid
2. Plastic Limit test (PL)
- Is the water content at the change from a plastic to a semi-
solid state
3. Shrinkage Limit test (SL)
- Is the water content of the soil when the water is just
sufficient to fill all the pores of the soil and the soil is just
saturated.

AT T E R B E R G L I M I T S 2022
P H Y S I CA L S TATE S O F F I N E - G R A I N E D S O I L S

◆ At point B, the soil becomes so stiff that it can no longer

flow as a liquid. The boundary water content at point
between plastic and liquid is called the Liquid Limit
(LL).
◆ As the soil continues to dry, there is a range of water
content at which the soil can be molded into any desired
shape without rupture - this state is said to exhibit plastic
behavior.
◆ But if drying is continued beyond the range of water
content for plastic behavior, the soil becomes a semisolid.
◆ As the soil continues to dry, it comes to a final state
called the solid state. At this state, no further volume
change occurs since nearly all the water in the soil has
been removed

AT T E R B E R G L I M I T S 2022
P H Y S I CA L S TATE S O F F I N E - G R A I N E D S O I L S

◆ At point B, the soil becomes so stiff that it can no longer

flow as a liquid. The boundary water content at point
between plastic and liquid is called the Liquid Limit
(LL).
◆ As the soil continues to dry, there is a range of water
content at which the soil can be molded into any desired
shape without rupture - this state is said to exhibit plastic
behavior.
◆ But if drying is continued beyond the range of water
content for plastic behavior, the soil becomes a semisolid.
◆ As the soil continues to dry, it comes to a final state
called the solid state. At this state, no further volume
change occurs since nearly all the water in the soil has
been removed

AT T E R B E R G L I M I T S 2022
ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

1. PI (Plasticity Index) – difference between liquid limit and

plastic limit. It is a measure of the range of moisture
content that encompasses the plastic state.
2. LI (Liquidity Index) – a ratio which signifies the relative
consistency of a cohesive soil in the natural state.

Formulas to be used:
PI = LL – PL
LI =

AT T E R B E R G L I M I T S 2022
ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

Note: When LI = 0 means the soil is at the plastic limit and

when LI = 1 means it is at liquid limit
Therefore,
Shrinkage limit = (100)
Shrinkage ratio = SR =

Specific Gravity = Gs =
DETERMINATION OF
THE LIQUID, PLASTIC
AND SHRINKAGE
LIMITS
DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS

◆ CASAGRANDE CUP METHOD – ASTM D 4318

◇ The liquid limit is determined from an apparatus that consists of a semispherical brass
cup that is repeatedly dropped onto a hard rubber base from a height of 10mm by a cam-
operated mechanism.
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ CASAGRANDE CUP METHOD – ASTM D 4318 (LIQUID LIMIT)
DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS

◆ TYPICAL LIQUID LIMIT RESULTS FROM THE

CASAGRANDE CUP METHOD
◇ The best-fit straight line to the data points, usually called the Flow Line, is drawn.
◇ The Liquid Limit is read from the graph as the water content on the liquid state line
corresponding to 25 blows.
DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ PLASTIC LIMIT TEST – ASTM D 4318

◇ The plastic limit is determined by rolling a small clay sample

into threads and finding the water content at which threads
approximately 3mm in diameter will just start to crumble. Two
or more determinations are made, and the average water
content is reported as the plastic limit.
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ PLASTIC LIMIT TEST – ASTM D 4318
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ SHRINKAGE LIMIT – ASTM D 427 AND D 4943

◇ The shrinkage limit is determined as follows. A mass of wet

soil, M1, is placed in a porcelain dish 44.5mm in diameter and
12.5 mm high and then oven-dried. The volume of oven-dried
soil is determined by using mercury (ASTM D 427) to occupy
the vacant spaces caused by shrinkage.
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ SHRINKAGE LIMIT – ASTM D 427 AND D 4943

◇ The mass of the mercury is determined, and the volume

decrease caused by shrinkage can be calculated from the
known density of mercury. The shrinkage limit is calculated
from:
◇ SL =
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID, PLASTIC,
AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ SHRINKAGE LIMIT – ASTM D 427 AND D 4943

◇ where M1 is the mass of the wet soil, M2 is the mass of the

oven-dried soil, V1 is the volume of wet soil, V2 (= mass of
mercury/density of mercury) is the volume of the oven dried
soil and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2).
ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

Other formulas to consider in Atterberg

1. Consistency Index (CI) =

2. Flow Index (If) =

3. Toughness Index (TI) =

AT T E R B E R G L I M I T S 2022
PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
 PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

1. What is the moisture content for 25 blows?

2. Compute for the Liquidity Index
3. Compute for the Consistency Index

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
 A sample of clay has the liquid and the shrinkage limit of,
respectively, 60% and 25%. If the sample has a volume of 10ml at
PROBLEM the liquid limit, and a volume of 6.40ml at the shrinkage limit,
determine the specific gravity of solids.

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
 A sample of clay has the liquid and the shrinkage limit of,
respectively, 60% and 25%. If the sample has a volume of 10ml at
PROBLEM the liquid limit, and a volume of 6.40ml at the shrinkage limit,
determine the specific gravity of solids.

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
Click to add photo

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
SOIL
CLASSIFICATI
ON
CE161P-2 Geotechnical Engineering I
METHODS OF DETERMINING % OF GRAVEL,
SAND, SILT AND CLAYS
1. MIT Classification (Massachusetts Institute Technology)
2. USDA Classification (United States of Department of Agriculture)
3. USCS (Unified Soil classification system)
4. ISSCS (Indian Standard Soil Classification System)
5. AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials)
6. ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
SOIL CLASSIFICATION

The MIT soil classification system was

first developed at Massachusetts Institute
in the USA by Prof. G. Gilboy. Here, soils
are classified based on grain size. These
grain sizes are allowed certain names or
terms that specify a particular size range
as shown below.

Following are the 4 types of soil based on

grain size:
1.Gravel (> 2mm).
2.Sand (0.06mm to 2mm).
3.Silt (0.002mm to 0.06mm).
4.Clay (< 0.002mm).
SOIL CLASSIFICATION

The USDA (United States of Department of

Agriculture) defines twelve major soil texture
classification (sand, loamy sand, sandy loam,
loam, silt loam, silt, sandy clay loam, silty clay
loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay, silty clay,
and clay).

Classifications are typically named for the

primary constituent particle size or a
combination of the most abundant particles
sizes (e.g. sandy clay, silty clay). Loams are
soils having roughly equal proportions of sand,
silt, and/or clay in a soil sample.

20XX
P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
USCS – UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
USCS – UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Other symbols are also used for the classification:

W - Well graded
P - Poorly graded
L - Low plasticity (LL less than 50)
H - High plasticity (LL more than 50)

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
 PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION CURVE

1. Effective Size (D10)

- This is the diameter in the particle size distribution curve corresponding to 10% finer. It is used to
measure the hydraulic conductivity and drainage through the soil
2. Uniformity Coefficient (Cu)
Cu = D60 and D10 = Diameter corresponding to 60% and 10% finer
3. Coefficient of gradation or curvature (Cc)
Cc =
4. Sorting Coefficient
Sc = D75 and D25 = diameter corresponding to 75% and 25% finer

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
*FOR A-7-5, PI < LL – 30
*FOR A-7-6, PI > LL – 30

20XX
AASHTO CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

For the evaluation of the quality of a soil as a highway subgrade material, a number called the group index

(GI) is also incorporated with the groups and subgroups of the soil. This number is written in parenthesis

after the group or subgroup designation. The group index is given by the equation

GI = (F - 35)[0.2 + 0.005 (LL - 40)] + 0.01 (F - 15)(PI - 10)

where

F = percent passing the No. 200 sieve

P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX
LL = liquid limit
 NOTE FOR AASHTO CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

The first term of this equation (F - 35)[0.2 + 0.005 (LL - 40)] is the partial group index determined from the Liquid Limit.

The second term 0.01 (F - 15)(PI - 10) is the partial group index determined from the plasticity index. Following are some

rules for determining the group index:

1. If GI yields a negative value, it is taken as 0.

2. The GI calculated is rounded off to the nearest whole number (for example, GI = 3.4 is rounded off to 3; GI = 3.5 is

rounded off to 4)

3. There is no upper limit for the group index

4. The group index of soils belonging to groups A-1a, A-1-b, A-2-4, A-2-5 and A-3 is always 0.

5. When calculating the GI for soils that belong to groups A-2-6 and A-2-7, use the partial group index for PI or Gi = 0.01 (F

- 15)(PI - 10) P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX

 PROBLEM SOLVING

1. The results of the particle-size analysis of a soil are as follows:

Percent passing through the no. 10 sieve = 100

Percent passing through the no. 40 sieve = 80

Percent passing through the no. 200 sieve = 58

The LL and PI of the minus no. 40 fraction of the soil are 30 and 10, respectively. Classify the soil by the AASHTO

system.

2. 95% of a soil passes through the no. 200 sieve and has a liquid limit of 60 and PI of 40. Classify the soil by the

AASHTO system
P R E S E N T AT I O N T I T L E 20XX