Geotechnical Engineering Lab.

Group No.: 4

Experiment Title: Atterberg Limits

Student Name: Mohammed Abu-Sheikhah

I.D No.: 200820513
Instructor(s): Dr.Monther
Eng. Innas
Date of Exp.: 25th. oct. 2010
General discussion:
Atterberg suggested the concept of boundaries to the four states in which a soil may
exist, namely the liquid limit, the boundary between the liquid and the plastic state;
the plastic limit, the boundary between the plastic and the semi-solid state and the
.shrinkage limit, the boundary between the semi-solid and the solid state
The liquid, plastic and shrinkage limits are applied only to fine grained soils in which
the water content affects the physical properties, changing a clay soil from solid to
liquid or slurry.

*Objective:
.Measuring the liquid and plastic limits for a soil sample

*Equipment:
1- Electronic balance
2- Empty cans
3- Grooving tool
4- Liquid Limit Device
5- Tray for mixing soil with water
6- Casagrande device

Liquid limit device

*Sample Description:
Brown clay sample, homogenous, passing from sieve #40

*Procedure:
Liquid limit
1- At first we get a sample of the dried soil & the needed water and we also prepare
our cans and number them.
2- After that we weigh the empty can.
3- Then we start mixing soil with water in the tray until it's homogenous.
4-We then adjust the height of the plate of the Liquid Limit Device to 1cm using the
1cm block on the grooving device.
5- Later we fill the plate with the homogenous mix as needed before we groove it to
the center.
6- After that we rotate the arm of the device at arte of 2 blows per second and
continue rotating until the grooved part is closed by 12.5mm.
7- A sample is taken from the plate after the groove is closed and put in a can
knowing the number of blows that closed the groove and its weight.
8- Doing that 4 times with increasing the homogenous of the soil each time then all
cans are placed in oven for 24hours and weighted again after it's dry.

Plastic Limit
1- Taking the rest of the sample but adding more soil to it and mixing it by hand until
the needed texture is given.
2- We then ball the sample by hand.
3- Then we roll it on the bench until its thin and fall apart.
4- The sample is collected and put in an empty can and weighed.
5- We do that for 3 other samples and all cans are placed into the oven for 24 hours
and then weighed

*Calculations:
*Remarks:
The more the water content in the soil sample the less the blows of the plate

*Conclusion:
The test could have been improved by using the counter attached to casagrande device
to count the number of blows, beside that the use of automated rotating device could
have reduce the error resulted from decreasing the rate of rotation.
Liquid Limit Determination:

Sample # 1 2 3 4
Moisture can and #
M = Mass of empty, clean
can(g)
M =Mass of can , and moist
soil(g)
M =Mass of can and dry
soil(g)
M =Mass of soil solids(g)
M =Mass of free water(g)
w = Water content w%
# of drops (N)

Plastic Limit Determination:

Sample # 1 2 3
Moisture can and #
M = Mass of empty, clean
can(g)
M =Mass of can , and moist
soil(g)
M =Mass of can and dry
soil(g)
M =Mass of soil solids(g)
M =Mass of free water(g)
w = Water content w%