Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 428 views

    Atterberg Limits

    Uploaded by

    Jose Tapadera
    For Education Purposes

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Atterberg Limits

    Uploaded by

    Jose Tapadera
    428 views17 pages
    For Education Purposes

    Original Title

    Atterberg-Limits

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    For Education Purposes

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    428 views17 pages

    Atterberg Limits

    Uploaded by

    Jose Tapadera
    For Education Purposes

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 17

    Atterberg Limits

    Atterberg Limits

    Plasticity Index – difference between liquid limit and plastic limit. It


    is a measure of the range of moisture content that encompasses the
    plastic state.
    𝑃𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
    Liquidity Index – a ratio which signifies the relative consistency of a
    cohesive soil in the natural state.
    𝜔 − 𝑃𝐿
    𝐿𝐼 =
    𝐿𝐿 − 𝑃𝐿
    When LI = 0, the soil is at plastic limit.
    When LI = 1, the soil is at liquid limit.
    Atterberg Limits

    Shrinkage limit – the moisture content at which the soil mass ceases
    to change.
    𝑀1 − 𝑀2 − (𝑉1 − 𝑉2 )𝜌𝑤
    𝑆𝐿 =
    𝑀2
    Where
    𝑀1 = mass of wet soil
    𝑀2 = mass of dry soil
    𝑉1 = initial volume of wet soil
    𝑉2 = final volume of dry soil
    Atterberg Limits
    𝑀2
    Shrinkage ratio, 𝑆𝑅 =
    𝑉2 𝜌𝑤
    1
    Specific gravity, 𝐺𝑠 = 1 𝑆𝐿
    −
    𝑆𝑅 100
    𝐿𝐿−𝜔
    Consistency Index, 𝐶𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿−𝑃𝐿
    𝜔1 −𝜔2
    Flow index, 𝐼𝑓 = 𝑁
    log𝑁1
    2

    Where
    𝜔1 = moisture content corresponding to 𝑁1 blows
    𝜔2 = moisture content corresponding to 𝑁2 blows
    𝑃𝐼
    Toughness Index, 𝑇𝐼 = 𝐼𝑓
    Example:
    1. The following data shows the results of the Liquid limit and Plastic limit test.
    Liquid limit
    Test No. 1 2 3 4
    No. of blows 35 21 16 11
    Wet soil + container (g) 22.46 21.33 21.29 26.12
    Dry soil + container (g) 19.44 18.75 18.78 22.10
    Container (g) 12.76 13.06 13.26 13.27

    Plastic limit
    Test No. 1 2
    Wet soil + container (g) 22.10 21.77
    Dry soil + container (g) 20.42 20.19
    Container (g) 13.07 13.18
    Natural water content
    Test No. 1 2
    Wet soil + container (g) 17.94 17.39
    Dry soil + container (g) 14.84 14.36
    Container (g) 7.84 7.5

    Determine:
    a. LL
    b. PL
    c. LI
    d. Flow index
    e. Toughness index
    Solution:
    a. Liquid limit
    Test No. Weight of water Weight of dry soil Water content % No. of
    blows
    1 22.46-19.44 = 3.02 19.44 – 12.76 = 6.68 3.02 35
    = 45.21
    6.68
    2 21.33 – 18.75 = 2.58 18.75 – 13.06 = 5.69 2.58 21
    = 45.34
    5.69
    3 21.29 – 18.78 = 2.51 18.78 – 13.26 = 5.52 2.51 16
    = 45.47
    5.52
    4 26.12 – 22.10 = 4.02 22.10 – 13.27 = 8.83 4.02 11
    = 45.53
    8.83

    Next, plot the water contents in the flow curves graph.


    b. Plastic limit
    Test No. Weight of water Weight of dry soil Water content %
    1 22.10 – 20.42 = 1.68 20.42 – 13.07 = 7.35 1.68
    = 22.86
    7.35
    2 21.77 – 20.19 = 1.58 20.19 – 13.18 = 7.01 1.58
    = 22.54
    7.01

    Average water content = PL

    22.86 + 22.54
    𝑃𝐿 =
    2
    𝑃𝐿 = 22.7 %
    c. Liquidity index
    Test No. Weight of water Weight of dry soil Water content %
    1 17.94 – 14.84 = 3.1 14.84 – 7.84 = 7 3.1
    = 44.29
    7
    3.03
    2 17.39 – 14.36 = 3.03 14.36 – 7.5 = 6.86 =44.17
    6.86

    Average water content = Natural water content

    44.29 + 44.17
    𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 =
    2
    𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 44.23 %

    44.23 − 22.7
    𝐿𝐼 =
    45.3 − 22.7
    𝐿𝐼 = 0.952
    d. Flow index (slope of the flow curve)
    Consider two points on the flow curve.

    Water content No. of blows


    Point 1 45.47 16
    Point 2 45.30 25

    45.47 − 45.3
    𝐼𝑓 =
    16
    log
    25
    𝐼𝑓 = −0.877

    45.3−22.7
    e. 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 = 0.877
    𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 = 25.77
    2. In a specific gravity test, the following data were recorded.
    Mass of pycnometer jar = 530 g
    Mass of pycnometer jar when full of clean water = 1560 g
    Mass of pycnometer jar containing soil only = 980 g
    Mass of pycnometer jar containing soil and topped with water = 1840 g
    Determine:
    a. Specific gravity of soil particles
    b. Dry unit weight if the void ratio is 0.40
    c. Degree of saturation if the moisture content is 12%
    Solution:
    a. From the concept of displacement, the amount of object submerged in water is
    directly proportional to the amount of displaced water.
    Therefore,
    Mass of soil ∝ Mass of displaced water
    Mass of soil = k (Mass of displaced water), where k = 𝐺𝑠

    𝑀𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙
    𝐺𝑠 =
    𝑀𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
    Mass of soil = 980 – 530
    Mass of soil = 450 g
    Mass of water = 1560 – 530
    Mass of water = 1030 g

    Mass of water in soil = 1840 – 980


    Mass of water in soil = 860 g

    Mass of displaced water = 1030 – 860


    Mass of displaced water = 170 g

    450
    𝐺𝑠 =
    170
    𝐺𝑠 = 2.65
    𝐺𝑠 𝛾𝑤 2.65(9.81)
    b. 𝛾𝑑𝑟𝑦 = = = 18.57 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3
    1+𝑒 1+0.4

    𝑤𝐺𝑠 0.12(2.65)
    c. 𝑆 = 𝑒
    = 0.4
    = 79.5%
    3. A saturated soil has the following characteristics.
    Initial volume = 25 𝑐𝑚3
    Final volume = 16 𝑐𝑚3
    Mass of wet soil = 45 g
    Mass of dry soil = 31 g
    Determine:
    a. SL
    b. SR
    c. 𝐺𝑠
    Solution:
    𝑀1 − 𝑀2 − (𝑉1 − 𝑉2 )𝜌𝑤
    𝑎. 𝑆𝐿 =
    𝑀2
    45 − 31 − (25 − 16)(1)
    𝑆𝐿 =
    31
    𝑆𝐿 = 16.13%

    𝑀2 31
    b. 𝑆𝑅 = = = 1.94
    𝑉2 𝜌𝑤 16(1)

    1 1
    c. 𝐺𝑠 = 1 𝑆𝐿 = 1 16.13 = 2.82
    − −
    1.94 100
    𝑆𝑅 100

    You might also like