Table of Contents
2.1 The plastic limit of a soil is the moisture content, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven-dry soil, at the boundary between the plastic and semisolid states of consistency. It is the moisture content at which a soil will just begin to crumble when rolled into a thread ⅛ in.
Why is the plastic limit important?
The plastic limit (PL) is the water content, in percent, at which a soil can no longer be deformed by rolling into 3.2 mm (1/8 in.) Those limit of soil are very important property of fine grained soil and its Value is used to classify fine grained soil and calculate activity of clays and toughness index of soil.
What does a high plastic limit mean?
A high liquid limit normally indicates a high compressibility and a high shrinkage/swelling potential. A high-plasticity index Ip generally results in a low shear strength. A low Ip means that a soil used as foundation will change significantly in consistency even with a small change in water content.
Can the liquid limit of a soil be greater than 100?
For Attapulgite, the liquid limit varies from 150 to 250, which are greater than 100 and the shrinkage limit varies from 100 to 125 which are also greater than 100. Therefore, the Atterberg’s limits can be greater than 100.
What does a low plastic limit mean?
The Plastic Limit, also known as the lower plastic limit, is the water content at which a soil changes from the plastic state to a semisolid state. OR. The soil moisture content at which any increase in the moisture content will cause a semi-solid soil to become plastic.
Is code for Atterberg limits?
STANDARD • IS: 2720 (Part 5) 1985. DEFINITION • Liquid Limit is defined as the water content at which the soil changes from liquid state to plastic state. APPARATUS • Casagrande apparatus confirming to IS: 9259-1979. Grooving tool.
What is Atterberg limit test?
Atterberg limits is a basic measure of the critical water content of fine-grained soils. These tests include shrinkage limit, plastic limit, and liquid limit, which are outlined in ASTM D4318. Depending on the water content of a soil, it may appear in four states: solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid.
What is plastic soil?
“Plastic soil” generally means the soil is predominantly clay – and the more plastic the soil, the more expansive it will likely be. The soil’s plasticity is measured by two tests: the Plastic limit and the Liquid limit.
What is plastic limit test?
Plastic limit test is one of the laboratory tests used internationally to differentiate or classify soils into groups. The boundary of soil between the plastic and solid state means, the limit at which the soil starts to behave as a plastic.
Is plasticity a chart?
A plasticity chart , based on the values of liquid limit (WL) and plasticity index (IP), is provided in ISSCS to aid classification. The ‘A’ line in this chart is expressed as IP = 0.73 (WL – 20). Depending on the point in the chart, fine soils are divided into clays (C), silts (M), or organic soils (O).
What is liquid limit and plastic limit?
Liquid Limit (LL) is the water content at which soil changes from a plastic to a liquid state when the soil specimen is just fluid enough for a groove to close when jarred in a specified manner. Plastic Limit (PL) is the water content at the change from a plastic to a semi-solid state.
Why do we need Atterberg limits?
The Atterberg limits are a basic measure of the critical water contents of a fine-grained soil: its shrinkage limit, plastic limit, and liquid limit. The Atterberg limits can be used to distinguish between silt and clay, and to distinguish between different types of silts and clays.
How is plastic limit calculated?
Calculate the plastic limit wp by dividing the “weight of moisture” by the “dry weight of sample” and multiply by 100. Plasticity Index (Ip) of a soil is the numerical difference between its Liquid Limit and its Plastic Limit.
What is the liquid limit of soil?
Liquid limit is the water content where the soil starts to behave as a liquid. Liquid limit is measured by placing a clay sample in a standard cup and making a separation (groove) using a spatula. The cup is dropped till the separation vanishes. The water content of the soil is obtained from this sample.
Is high plasticity clay good?
A high PI indicates an excess of clay or colloids in the soil. Its value is zero whenever the PL is greater or equal to the LL. The plasticity index also gives a good indication of compressibility (see Section 10.3). The greater the PI, the greater the soil compressibility.
How do I get liquid limit?
The tester places soil samples with varying water contents into the cup of the device, then cuts a groove through the sample. The cup is dropped multiple times until soil fills the groove. Use the number of drops along with the water content of the samples to calculate the liquid limit.
Can you have a negative plasticity index?
Yes 🙂 it can have have a negative value. A negative liquidity index means that the soil is drier that the plastic limit. It merely describes the moisture condition of a soil with respect to its index limits.
At what diameter will a soil thread starts to crumble when it reaches the plastic limit?
The plastic limit is when a thread of soil rolled out on a nonporous surface begins to crumble when it reaches 1/8 in in diameter.
What is a high liquid limit?
A high liquid limit normally indicates a high compressibility and a high shrinkage/swelling potential. A high-plasticity index Ip generally results in a low shear strength. A low Ip means that a soil used as foundation will change significantly in consistency even with a small change in water content.
What is the definition of plastic limit?
The plastic limit is the water content at which a soil-water paste changes from a semisolid to a plastic consistency as it is rolled into a 3.175-mm (1/8-inch) diameter thread in a standard test. The second measured parameter of Atterberg limits test (ASTM, 2010) is the liquid limit.
What is the use of liquid limit?
Value of liquid limit is used to classify fine grained soil. It gives us information regarding the state of consistency of soil on site. Liquid limit of soil can be used to predict the consolidation properties of soil while calculating allowable bearing capacity & settlement of foundation.
Why is there 25 blows in liquid limit?
The liquid limit is the moisture content at which the groove, formed by a standard tool into the sample of soil taken in the standard cup, closes for 10 mm on being given 25 blows in a standard manner. This is the limiting moisture content at which the cohesive soil passes from liquid state to plastic state.
