H.U.

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

IMU 333-SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY 2024 FALL
LAB HANDOUT

4. Atterberg Limits

There are four state of soils depending on the water content. When a cohesive soil is mixed
with excessive amount of water, it will be in liquid state, behave like a viscous liquid.
However, when this viscous liquid is gradually dried, with the loss of moisture, the soil will
pass into a plastic state. With further reduction of moisture, the soil will pass into a semisolid
and then to a solid state. The moisture content at which a cohesive soil will pass from a liquid
state to a plastic state is called the liquid limit of the soil (Figure 1). Similarly, the moisture
content at which a soil will pass from plastic state to semisolid state is called plastic limit of
the soil. All of these limits called Atterberg limits (1911).

Solid Semisolid Plastic Liquid Moisture

content
increasing

Shrinkage Plastic Liquid

Limit, SL Limit, PL Limit, LL

Figure 1. Atterberg Limits

1.1. Liquid Limit Test

1.1.1. Equipment

- Casagrande liquid limit device

- Grooving tool
- Porcelain evaporating dish
- Spatula
- Plastic squeeze bottle with water
- Moisture can (x5)
- Balance sensitive up to 0.001 g
- ASTM No. 40 (40 mµ) sieve and a pan
- Drying oven
- Paper towels
- Ground glass plate
- Dessicator
 H.U. CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
IMU 333-SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY 2024 FALL
LAB HANDOUT

1.1.2. Procedure

1. Weigh all the cans and record their weights to lab data sheet (W1).
2. Obtain a representative portion from the total sample sufficient to provide 150 to 200 g of
material passing the No. 40 sieve. Pour the sample into the evaporating dish and start to add
distilled water. Mix the soil to form a uniform paste.
3. Place a portion of paste in the liquid limit device. Using spatula, smooth the surface of the soil
in the cup such that the maximum depth of the soil is about 8 mm.
4. Using grooving tool cut a groove along the center of the line of the soil pat in the liquid limit
device.
5. Turn the crank of the Casagrande 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 1/2 in. (12.7 mm).
If number of blows (N) = 25 to 35, collect a moist sample from groove and place the sample
in a moisture can and close its lid. Determine the weight of the can plus the moist soil sample
(W2).
Remove the rest of the soil paste from the liquid limit device to the evaporating dish. Use
paper towels to clean the cup.
If the soil is too dry, N will be more than about 35. In that case, add more water to the mixture
in the evaporating dish and try it again.
If the soil is too wet, N will be less than about 25. In that case, 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 wet-soil paste to reduce the moisture content
for bringing it to the proper consistency.
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.(12.5 mm) in the liquid limit device at a blow count,
N=20 to 25. Take a moist sample from the groove and determine W2. 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 groove and determine W2.
8. Put the three moisture cans in the oven to dry the samples to determine the weight of cans and
dry masses (W3). (The caps of the moisture cans should be removed from the top and placed
at the bottom of the respective cans in the oven.)

1.1.3. Liquid Limit Calculations

To determine the moisture content for each of the three trials (Steps 5, 6 and 7), given formula
can be used:
 H.U. CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
IMU 333-SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY 2024 FALL
LAB HANDOUT

𝑊 −𝑊
𝑤(%) = (100)
𝑊 −𝑊

Plot a semi-log graph between moisture content vs number of blows, N. 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 liquid limit, LL of the specimen for each water content can be approximately determined
by using the following equations:

,
𝑁
𝐿𝐿 = 𝑤 (𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒)
25
where:
LLn = one point liquid limit for given trial, %,
N = number of blows causing closure of the groove for given trial,
wn = water content for given trial, %, and
n= trial number (for example: 𝐿𝐿 = First sample liquid limit)

1.2. Plastic Limit Test

1.2.1. Procedure

1. Put approximately 20 grams of a representative, air-dry soil sample, passed through No. 40
sieve, into a porcelain evaporating dish.
2. Add water from the plastic squeeze bottle to the soil and mix thoroughly.
3. Determine the mass of a moisture can in grams and record it on the data sheet (W1).
4. From the moist soil prepared in Step 2, prepare several ellipsoidal-shaped soil masses by
squeezing the soil with your fingers.
5. Take one of the ellipsoidal-shaped soil masses (Step 4) and roll it on a ground glass plate using
the palm of your hand. The rolling should be done at the rate of about 80 strokes per minute.
Note that one complete backward and one complete forward motion of the palm constitute a
stroke.
6. When the thread is being rolled in Step 5 reaches 3.18 mm in diameter, break it up into several
small pieces and squeeze it with your fingers to form an ellipsoidal mass again.
7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 until the thread crumbles into several pieces when it reaches a diameter
of 3.18 mm. It is possible that a thread may crumble at a diameter larger than 3.18 mm during a
given rolling process, whereas it did not crumble at the same diameter during the immediately
previous rolling.
8. Collect the small crumbled pieces in the moisture can put the cover on the can.
9. Take the other ellipsoidal soil masses formed in Step 4 and repeat Steps 5 through
10. Determine the mass of the moisture can plus the wet soil (W2) in grams. Remove the cap from
the top of the can and place the can in the oven (with the cap at the bottom of the can).
 H.U. CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
IMU 333-SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY 2024 FALL
LAB HANDOUT

11. After about 24 hours, remove the can from the oven and determine the mass of the can plus the
dry soil (W3) in grams.

1.2.2. Plastic Limit Calculations

Plastic limit of the soil can be calculated by using the given formula:

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑊 − 𝑊
𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡(𝑃𝐿) = = (100)
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑊 −𝑊

Calculating the plasticity index (PI) of the soil can be done as;

𝑃𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿

where:

LL = liquid limit (whole number), and

PL = plastic limit (whole number).

Both LL and PL are whole numbers. If either the liquid limit or plastic limit could not be
determined, or if the plastic limit is equal to or greater than the liquid limit, report the soil as
non plastic, NP.

Soil can be classified by using Casagrande’s Plasticity Chart, which is given in Figure 2.
H.U. CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
IMU 333-SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY 2024 FALL
LAB HANDOUT

Figure 2 : Casagrande’s plasticity chart, showing several representative soil types (developed
from Casagrande, 1948, and Howard, 1977).