GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 06/03/25

1.8

Shrinkage Limit

AIM: To determine shrinkage limit of given soil sample.

REFERENCE:

IS 2720-6 (1972): Methods of test for soils, Part 6: Determina on of Shrinkage Factors
Geotechnical Engineering by V.N.S Murthy.

SIGNIFICANCE:

• The shrinkage limit (SL) is crucial in understanding soil behavior, especially in clayey soils. It indicates the
moisture content at which soil stops shrinking upon drying, helping to prevent shrinkage cracks in struc-
tures like roads and founda ons.
• A higher SL means the soil is more stable with minimal volume changes, making it suitable for construc-
on. A lower SL indicates suscep bility to shrink-swell behavior, which can lead to founda on instability
and require soil stabiliza on.

APPARATUS:

• Evapora ng Dish - Two, porcelain, about 12 cm in diameter with a pour out and flat bo om, the diame-
ter of flat bo om, being not less than 55 mm or an enamel iron tray with pour out.
• Spatula - Flexible, with the blade about 8 cm long and 2 cm wide.
• Shrinkage Dish - Circular, porcelain or non-corroding metal dish inert to mercury having a flat bo om
and 45 mm in diameter and 15 mm height internally. The internal corner between the bo om and the
ver cal sides shall be rounded into a smooth concave curve.
• Straight Edge - Steel, about 15 cm in length.
• Glass Cup - 50 to 55 mm in diameter and 25 mm in height, the top rim of which is ground smooth and
level.
• Oven - Thermosta cally controlled to maintain the temperature between 105 and 110 oC, with interior
of non-corroding material.
• Sieve - 425-micron IS Sieves.
• Balances - Sensi ve to 0.1 g and 0.01 g (see IS : 1433-1965* ).
• Mercury - Clean, sufficient to fill the glass cup to overflowing.
• Desiccator -with any desicca ng agent other than sulphuric acid. Glass Plates - two, each 73 x 73 mm, 3
mm thick. One plate shall be of main alass and the other shall have three metal prongs inert to mercury
• Glass Plates -- two, each 73 x 73 mm, 3 mm thick. One plate shall be of main alass and the other shall
have three metal prongs inert to mercury.

CEPT UNIVERSITY - FT MONSOON SEMESTER ‘24 KASHVI SHAH | U22094

 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 06/03/25

PROCEDURE:

• Place about 30 g of the soil sample obtained in the evapora ng dish and thoroughly mix with dis lled
water in an amount sufficient to fill the soil voids completely and to make the soil pasty enough to be
readily worked into the shrinkage dish without entrapping air bubbles.
• In the case of friable soils the amount of water required to obtain the desired consistency is equal to or
slightly greater than the liquid limit; in the case of plas c soils it may exceed the liquid limit by as much
as 10 percent.
• Determine the weight of the clean empty shrinkage dish and record.
• Determine the capacity of the shrinkage dish in cubic cen metres, which is also the volume of the wet
soil pat, by filling the shrinkage dish to overflowing with mercury, removing the excess by pressing the
plain glass plate firmly over the top of the shrinkage dish in such a way that the plate is flush with the
top of the dish and no air is entrapped, weighing the mercury held in the shrinkage dish to an accuracy
of 0.1 g and dividing this weight by the unit weight of mercury to obtain the volume.
• Record this volume as the volume of the wet soil pat, V.
• Coat the inside of the shrinkage dish with a thin layer of silicone grease or Vaseline or some other heavy
grease to prevent the adhesion of soil to the dish.
• Place in the centre of the shrinkage dish an amount of the soil paste equal to about one-third the vol-
ume of the shrinkage dish, and allow the paste to flow to the edges by tapping the shrinkage dish on a
firm surface cushioned by several layers of blo ng paper, rubber sheet or similar material.
• Add an amount of the soil paste approximately equal to the first por on, and tap the shrinkage dish as
before un l the paste is thoroughly compacted and all included air has been brought to the surface.
• Add more soil paste and con nue the tapping un l the shrinkage dish is completely filled and excess soil
paste stands out about its edge.
• Then strike off the excess soil paste with a straight edge, and wipe off all soil adhering to the outside of
the shrinkage dish.
• Weigh immediately the shrinkage dish as soon as filled and record the weight as the weight of the
shrinkage dish and wet soil pat.
• Allow the soil pat to dry in air un l the colour of the pat turns from dark to light.
• Then oven-dry the pat in the shrinkage dish to constant weight at 105 to 110 oC cool in a desiccator and
weigh immediately a er removal from the desiccator.,
• Record the weight as the weight of shrinkage dish and dry soil.
• Determine the volume of the dry soil pat by removing the pat from the shrinkage dish and immersing it
in the glass cup full of mercury.
• Fill the glass cup to overflowing with mercury and remove the excess mercury by pressing the glass plate
with the three prongs firmly over the top of the cup, collec ng the excess mercury in a suitable contain-
er.
• Carefully wipe off any mercury which may be adhering to the outside of the cup.
• Place the cup, filled thus with mercury, in the evapora ng dish taking care not to spill any mercury from
the glass cup, and place the oven-dried soil pat on the surface of the mercury in the cup.
• Then carefully force the pat under the mercury by means of the glass plate with the same prongs and
press the plate firmly over the top of the cup, the displaced mercury being collected in the evapora ng
dish without spilling out of it.
• Care shall be taken to ensure that no air is trapped under the soil pat.
• Weigh the mercury so displaced by the dry soil pat to an accuracy of 0.1 g and determine its volume by
dividing this weight by the unit weight of mercury.
• Record this volume as the volume of the oven-dry soil pat, V0.

CEPT UNIVERSITY - FT MONSOON SEMESTER ‘24 KASHVI SHAH | U22094

 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 06/03/25

OBSERVATION:

Table 1.8.1 Observa on Table for Shrinkage Limit

Shrinkage Limit
Determina on No.
Dish No.
Weight Of Dish + Oven Dry Soil Specimen (g)
Weight of Dish (g)
Weight of Oven Dry Soil Specimen WS(g)
Evapora ng Dish No.

Weight of Mercury Displaced by the Oven Dry Specimen +

Weight of Evapora ng Dish (g)

Weight of Evapora ng Dish (g)

Weight of Mercury Displaced by the Oven Dry Specimen (g)
Volume of the oven-dry soil specimen VS (ml)
VS /WS

Specific gravity of the soil of the specimen G

Shrinkage Limit = (VS /WS - 1/G)*100

RESULT:

• Shrinkage Limit:

CEPT UNIVERSITY - FT MONSOON SEMESTER ‘24 KASHVI SHAH | U22094