CE 215 – Geotechnical Engineering Lab I
Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory
Department of Civil Engineering
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GUWAHATI
DETERMINATION OF PLASTIC LIMIT
1. OBJECTIVE
To determine the Plastic limit of a given soil sample.
2. REFERENCES
IS 2720 (part 5) (Determination of Plastic limit and Liquid limit), ASTM D4318.
3. APPARATUS REQUIRED
i. Rod of 3mm diameter and of 10 cm long.
ii. Distilled/fresh water.
iii. Thermostatically drying oven.
iv. Flat glass plate for rolling purpose.
v. Air tight container.
vi. Balance
4. PROCEDURE
1. Take about 20g of air dried soil from the thoroughly mixed portion of the material
passing 425 micron IS. sieve.
2. Mix it with sufficient distilled water to make it plastic enough to be shaped into a ball.
3. Take about 8g of the plastic soil, make a ball of it, and roll it on the glass plate with the
hand with just sufficient pressure to roll the mass into a thread of uniform diameter
throughout its length.
4. When the diameter of the thread has decreased to 3mm, the specimen is kneaded together
and rolled out again. Continue the process until thread just crumbles at 3mm diameter.
The rod is used for reference.
5. Collect the crumbled soil thread in the airtight container and keep it in oven for water
content determination.
6. Repeat the process for another two times.
5. OBSERVATIONS
Trial Number 1 2 3
Container ID
Mass of empty Container (W1)
Mass of container + wet soil (W2 )
Mass of container + dry soil (W3)
Mass of water ww = (W2 –W3)
Mass of dry soil ws = (w3-w1)
Water content (w) (%)
= (ww/ ws) ×100
Average water content
Result:
The plastic limit of the given soil = ……………………
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CE 215 – Geotechnical Engineering Lab I
Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory
Department of Civil Engineering
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GUWAHATI
DETERMINATION OF SHRINKAGE LIMIT
1. OBJECTIVE
To determine the shrinkage limit of a given soil sample.
2. REFERENCES
IS 2720 (part 6) (Determination of shrinkage factors)
3. MATERIALS REQUIRED
i. Porcelain dish, about 12 cm in diameter with flat bottom
ii. Shrinkage dish of non-corroding metal, having flat bottom and 45 mm in diameter and
15 mm in height internally
iii. Glass cup, 50 to 55 mm in diameter and 25 mm in height, the top rim of which is
ground smooth and level
iv. Glass plates, each 75 x 75 mm. one plate should be of plain glass and the other should
have three metal prongs
v. Spatula
vi. Straight edge
vii. 425 micron IS sieve
viii. Balances, sensitive to 0.1 g and 0.01 g
ix. Oven, thermostatically controlled (105° C to 110° C)
x. Mercury
xi. Desiccator
xii. Wash bottle containing Distilled water.
4. PROCEDURE
(i) Preparation of soil paste:
Take about 100 g of soil sample from a thoroughly mixed portion of the material
passing 425 micron IS sieve.
Place about 30 g of the above sample in evaporating dish and mix it thoroughly with
distilled water. Water added should be sufficient to fill the voids in the soil
completely and make the soil pasty enough to be readily worked into the shrinkage
dish without entrapping air bubbles.
In the case of plastic soils the water content of the paste may exceed its liquid limit by
as much as 10 percent. While for friable soil the amount of water required to obtain
the desired consistency may be equal to or slightly greater than the liquid limit.
(ii) Determination of mass and volume of the shrinkage dish:
Clean the shrinkage dish and determine its mass accurate to 0.01 g.
To determine its volume place the shrinkage dish in the evaporation dish and fill it to
overflowing the mercury.
Remove the excess mercury by pressing the plain glass plate firmly on its top, taking
care that no air is entrapped. Wipe off carefully any mercury which may be adhering
to the outside of the shrinkage dish.
Carefully transfer the mercury of the shrinkage dish to the other dish and determine
the mass of mercury accurate to 0.1 g. The mass of mercury divided by its density
(13.6 g/cc) would give the volume of the shrinkage dish, which is also the volume of
wet soil pat.
(iii) Filling the shrinkage dish with wet soil pat:
Coat the inside of the shrinkage dish with a thin layer of silicon grease or Vaseline. In
the centre of dish place the soil paste about one-third of the volume of the dish with
the help of spatula. Tap the dish gently of a firm surface.
Place another equal amount of the paste in the dish and tap it. Tapping should be
continued till the paste is leveled and all the entrapped air is removed. Repeat the
process till the dish is completely filled and the excess soil overflows.
Strike off the excess soil paste with a straight edge. Wipe off the soil adhering to the
outside of the dish.
(iv) Determination of wet and dry mass of soil pat:
Weigh immediately the shrinkage dish plus the wet soil pat, accurate to 0.01 g.
Keep the shrinkage dish containing the wet soil, in the oven and dry the soil pat to
constant temperature at 105° C to 110° C for about 24 hours.
After taking out of the oven, allow the shrinkage dist to cool to room temperature and
take the weight of the dish with dry soil pat.
(v) Determination of volume of dry soil pat:
To determine the volume of the dry soil pat, keep a cup (slightly larger than the
shrinkage dish) in the evaporating dish. Fill the cup with mercury to overflowing.
Remove the excess mercury by pressing the glass plate with the three prongs firmly
over the top of the cup.
Transfer the cup carefully to another evaporating dish, carefully wiping off any
mercury which may be adhering o the outside of the cup.
Place the oven-dried soil pat on the surface of mercury in the cup and carefully force
the pat into the mercury by pressing it by the same glass plate containing three prongs.
Press the plate firmly on the top of the cup.
Collect carefully the displaced mercury and find its mass to an accuracy of 0.01 g.
The volume of the dry soil pat is then determined by dividing the mercury mass by the
density of mercury.
2
5. OBSERVATIONS
Determination number 1 2 3
(a) Water content of wet soil pat
1. Shrinkage dish no.
2. Mass of shrinkage dish (M1 )
3. Mass of shrinkage dish + wet soil pat (M2 )
4. Mass of shrinkage dish + dry soil pat(M3 )
5. Mass of dry soil pat (Md) = M3-M1
6. Mass of water
7. Water content of soil pat = (M2-M3) / (M3-M1)
(b) Volume of wet soil pat
8. Evaporating dish no.
9. Mass of mercury filling shrinkage dish + mass of
evaporating dish
10. Mass of evaporating dish
11. Mass of mercury filling shrinkage dish
12. Vol. of wet soil pat
(c) Volume of dry soil pat
13. Evaporating dish no.
14. Mass of mercury displaced by dry soil pat + mass of
evaporating dish
15. Mass of evaporating dish
16. Mass of mercury displaced by dry soil pat
17. Vol. of dry soil pat
Calculations: The various factors are calculated as under:
1. Shrinkage limit,
2. Shrinkage ratio,
3. Volumetric shrinkage,
Result:
The shrinkage limit of the given soil is……………
