CE 402 - Soil Mechanics
By: Hekmatullah Habibi
BSCE. KU & MSCE KFUPM
Chapter 4 - Plasticity and Structure of Soil
CE 402- Soil Mechanics
Contents
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Liquid Limit (LL)
4.3 Plastic Limit (PL)
4.4 Shrinkage Limit (SL)
4.5 Liquidity Index and Consistency Index
4.6 Activity
4.7 Plasticity Chart
4.8 Soil Structure
Introduction
In this chapter is focusing on determination of atterberg limits.
• What are 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.
3.1 Introduction
• Atterberg limits determine the consistency behavior of the
soil.
• Four basic states of soil:
– Solid, Semi solid, Plastic & Liquid
Atterberg Limits
• Atterberg described the consistency of fine-grained
soils with varying moisture contents.
• Very low moisture content – solid
• Very high moisture content - flow like a liquid.
States of Soil
• Solid, Semisolid, Plastic, and Liquid
Atterberg limits
• The moisture content, in percent, at which the
transition from solid to semisolid state takes place is
defined as the shrinkage limit.
• The moisture content at the point of transition from
semisolid to plastic state is the plastic limit.
• and from plastic to liquid state is the liquid limit.
4.2 Liquid Limit (LL)
• LL Device
4.2 Liquid Limit (LL)
• Grooving Tool
4.2 Liquid Limit (LL)
• soil pat before and after test
4.2 Liquid Limit (LL)
• The moisture content, in percent, required to close a
distance of 12.5 mm (0.5 in.) along the bottom of the
groove (see Figures 4.2d and 4.2e) after 25 blows is defined
as the liquid limit.
4.2 Liquid Limit (LL)
• LL equipments
4.2 Liquid Limit (LL)
• Before and after the test
Flow curve
Flow Line
• The slope of the flow line is defined as the flow index and
may be written as:
LL with one point method
• This method is From USACE
Another Method for LL
• Fall Cone Method:
Flow Curve
4.3 Plastic Limit (PL)
• The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content in
percent, at which the soil crumbles, when rolled into threads
of 3.2 mm in diameter.
4.3 Plastic Limit (PL)
PL with Fall Cone Test
Plasticity Index (PI)
• The plasticity index (PI) is the difference between the liquid
limit and the plastic limit of a soil, or
Some Typical Values
4.4 Shrinkage Limit (SL)
• Soil shrinks as moisture is gradually lost from it.
• The moisture content, in percent, at which the volume of the
soil mass ceases to change is defined as the shrinkage limit.
4.4 Shrinkage Limit (SL)
Procedure for Shrinkage limit
4.4 Shrinkage Limit (SL)
4.5 Liquidity Index and Consistency Index
• Liquidity Index The relative consistency of a cohesive soil in
the natural state.
• Another index that is commonly used for engineering
purposes is the consistency index (CI),
4.7 Plasticity Chart
• Liquid and plastic limits are determined by relatively simple
laboratory tests that provide information about the nature of
cohesive soils.
• Engineers use LL and PL for the correlation of several physical
soil parameters as well as for soil identification.
4.7 Plasticity Chart
4.7 Plasticity Chart
• Inorganic clay values lie above the A-line, and values for
inorganic silts lie below the A-line.
• These data are basis for the classification of fine-grained soils
in the Unified Soil Classification System.
4.8 Soil Structure
• Soil structure is defined as the geometric arrangement of soil
particles with respect to one another.
• In general, soils into two groups: Cohesionless and Cohesive
Structures in Cohesionless Soil
• The structures in cohesionless soils can be divided into two
major categories:
– Single grained and honeycombed.
Structures in Cohesive Soils
• The structure of cohesive soils is highly complex.
Summary
• Atterberg limits.
• The liquid (LL), plastic (PL), and shrinkage (SL) limits
• Plasticity index (PI).
• Liquidity index of soil (LI).
• Activity, A.
• The structure of cohesionless soils can be single grained or
honeycombed.
• The structure of Cohesive soils is more complex.
Home work #3
• Problem 4.1
• Problem 4.4
Deadline: Monday, 26-March-2018
Course LMS
• Schoology Access Code: BGNTC-T9C5M
Questions!!!
