ATTERBERG

LIMITS
CE161P-2 Geotechnical Engineering I
ALBERT MAURITZ ATTERBERG

A swedish scientist in the early 1900’s who developed a

method to describe the consistency of fine-grained soils with
varying moisture contents.

CONSISTENCY OF SOIL
- At a very low moisture content, soil behaves more like
a brittle solid. When the moisture content is very high, the
soil and water may flow like a liquid.
- On an arbirary basis, depending on the moisture
content, the nature of soil behavior can be broken down into
four basic states: Solid, Semisolid, Plastic and Liquid

2 ATTERBERG LIMITS 2022

ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

1. Liquid Limit test (LL)

- Is the water content where the soil starts to behave as a liquid
2. Plastic Limit test (PL)
- Is the water content at the change from a plastic to a semi-
solid state
3. Shrinkage Limit test (SL)
- Is the water content of the soil when the water is just
sufficient to fill all the pores of the soil and the soil is just
saturated.

3 ATTERBERG LIMITS 2022

PHYSICAL STATES OF FINE-GRAINED
SOILS
◆ At point B, the soil becomes so stiff that it can
no longer flow as a liquid. The boundary water
content at point between plastic and liquid is
called the Liquid Limit (LL).
◆ As the soil continues to dry, there is a range of
water content at which the soil can be molded
into any desired shape without rupture - this
state is said to exhibit plastic behavior.
◆ But if drying is continued beyond the range of
water content for plastic behavior, the soil
becomes a semisolid.
◆ As the soil continues to dry, it comes to a final
state called the solid state. At this state, no
further volume change occurs since nearly all the
water in the soil has been removed

4 ATTERBERG LIMITS 2022

PHYSICAL STATES OF FINE-GRAINED
SOILS
◆ At point B, the soil becomes so stiff that it can
no longer flow as a liquid. The boundary water
content at point between plastic and liquid is
called the Liquid Limit (LL).
◆ As the soil continues to dry, there is a range of
water content at which the soil can be molded
into any desired shape without rupture - this
state is said to exhibit plastic behavior.
◆ But if drying is continued beyond the range of
water content for plastic behavior, the soil
becomes a semisolid.
◆ As the soil continues to dry, it comes to a final
state called the solid state. At this state, no
further volume change occurs since nearly all the
water in the soil has been removed

5 ATTERBERG LIMITS 2022

ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

1. PI (Plasticity Index) – difference between liquid limit and

plastic limit. It is a measure of the range of moisture
content that encompasses the plastic state.
2. LI (Liquidity Index) – a ratio which signifies the relative
consistency of a cohesive soil in the natural state.

Formulas to be used:
PI = LL – PL
ω −��
LI =
�� −��

6 ATTERBERG LIMITS 2022

ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

Note: When LI = 0 means the soil is at the plastic limit and

when LI = 1 means it is at liquid limit
Therefore,
(�1 −�2) (�1 −�2)
Shrinkage limit = (100) − ρ� (100)
�2 �2
�2
Shrinkage ratio = SR =
�2 ρ�

1
Specific Gravity = Gs = 1 ��
−
�� 100

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 DETERMINATION OF
THE LIQUID, PLASTIC
AND SHRINKAGE
LIMITS
8
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS

◆ CASAGRANDE CUP METHOD – ASTM D 4318

◇ The liquid limit is determined from an apparatus that consists of a
semispherical brass cup that is repeatedly dropped onto a hard
rubber base from a height of 10mm by a cam-operated mechanism.

9
 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ CASAGRANDE CUP METHOD – ASTM D 4318 (LIQUID
LIMIT)

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 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS

◆TYPICAL LIQUID LIMIT RESULTS FROM THE

CASAGRANDE CUP METHOD
◇ The best-fit straight line to the data points, usually called the Flow
Line, is drawn.
◇ The Liquid Limit is read from the graph as the water content on the
liquid state line corresponding to 25 blows.

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 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS

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 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ PLASTIC LIMIT TEST – ASTM D 4318

◇ Theplastic limit is determined by rolling a small

clay sample into threads and finding the water
content at which threads approximately 3mm in
diameter will just start to crumble. Two or more
determinations are made, and the average water
content is reported as the plastic limit.

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 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ PLASTIC LIMIT TEST – ASTM D 4318

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 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ SHRINKAGE LIMIT – ASTM D 427 AND D 4943

◇ Theshrinkage limit is determined as follows. A

mass of wet soil, M1, is placed in a porcelain dish
44.5mm in diameter and 12.5 mm high and
then oven-dried. The volume of oven-dried soil is
determined by using mercury (ASTM D 427) to
occupy the vacant spaces caused by shrinkage.

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 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ SHRINKAGE LIMIT – ASTM D 427 AND D 4943

◇ The mass of the mercury is determined, and the

volume decrease caused by shrinkage can be
calculated from the known density of mercury.
The shrinkage limit is calculated from:
◇ SL =
�1−�2 �1−�2 γ�
− x 100
�2 �2 �

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 DETERMINATION OF THE LIQUID,
PLASTIC, AND SHRINKAGE LIMITS
◆ SHRINKAGE LIMIT – ASTM D 427 AND D 4943

◇ where M1 is the mass of the wet soil, M2 is the

mass of the oven-dried soil, V1 is the volume of
wet soil, V2 (= mass of mercury/density of
mercury) is the volume of the oven dried soil and
g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2).

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ATTERBERG LIMIT TESTS

Other formulas to consider in Atterberg

�� − ω
1. Consistency Index (CI) =
�� −��

ω1 −ω2
2. Flow Index (If) = �2
log ( )
�1

��
3. Toughness Index (TI) =
��

18 ATTERBERG LIMITS 2022

 PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

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 PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

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 PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

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 PROBLEM The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

1. What is the moisture content for 25 blows?

2. Compute for the Liquidity Index
3. Compute for the Consistency Index

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 A sample of clay has the liquid and the shrinkage limit
of, respectively, 60% and 25%. If the sample has a
PROBLEM volume of 10ml at the liquid limit, and a volume of
6.40ml at the shrinkage limit, determine the specific
gravity of solids.

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 A sample of clay has the liquid and the shrinkage limit
of, respectively, 60% and 25%. If the sample has a
PROBLEM volume of 10ml at the liquid limit, and a volume of
6.40ml at the shrinkage limit, determine the specific
gravity of solids.

24 PRESENTATION TITLE 20XX

25 PRESENTATION TITLE 20XX
SOIL
CLASSIFICAT
ION
CE161P-2 Geotechnical Engineering I
METHODS OF DETERMINING % OF GRAVEL,
SAND, SILT AND CLAYS
1. MIT Classification (Massachusetts Institute Technology)
2. USDA Classification (United States of Department of
Agriculture)
3. USCS (Unified Soil classification system)
4. ISSCS (Indian Standard Soil Classification System)
5. AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials)
6. ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials

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 SOIL
CLASSIFICATION
The MIT soil classification system
was first developed at
Massachusetts Institute in the USA
by Prof. G. Gilboy. Here, soils are
classified based on grain size.
These grain sizes are allowed
certain names or terms that
specify a particular size range as
shown below.

Followi ng are t he 4 t y p e s o f s o i l
based on grain size:
1.Gravel (> 2mm).
2.Sand (0.06mm to 2mm).
3.Silt (0.002mm to 0.06mm).
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4.Clay (< 0.002mm).
 SOIL
CLASSIFICATION
The USDA (United States of
Department of Agriculture) defines
twelve major soil texture classification
(sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, loam,
silt loam, silt, sandy clay loam, silty
clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay,
silty clay, and clay).

Classifications are typically named for

the primary constituent particle size
or a combination of the most
abundant particles sizes (e.g. sandy
clay, silty clay). Loams are soils
having roughly equal proportions of
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sand, silt, and/or clay in a soil sample.
PRESENTATION TITLE
USCS – UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

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USCS – UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Other symbols are also used for the classification:

W - Well graded
P - Poorly graded
L - Low plasticity (LL less than 50)
H - High plasticity (LL more than 50)

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 PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION CURVE

1. Effective Size (D10)

- This is the diameter in the particle size distribution curve corresponding to
10% finer. It is used to measure the hydraulic conductivity and drainage
through the soil
2. Uniformity Coefficient (Cu)
�60
Cu = D60 and D10 = Diameter corresponding to 60% and 10%
�10
finer
3. Coefficient of gradation or curvature (Cc)
(�30)2
Cc =
�60 �10
4. Sorting Coefficient
�75
Sc = D75 and D25 = diameter corresponding to 75% and 25%
35 �25 PRESENTATION TITLE 20XX
finer
PRESENTATION TITLE
*FOR A-7-5, PI < LL – 30
*FOR A-7-6, PI > LL – 30
AASHTO CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

For the evaluation of the quality of a soil as a highway subgrade material, a

number called the group index (GI) is also incorporated with the groups and
subgroups of the soil. This number is written in parenthesis after the group
or subgroup designation. The group index is given by the equation

GI = (F - 35)[0.2 + 0.005 (LL - 40)] + 0.01 (F - 15)(PI - 10)

where
F = percent passing the No. 200 sieve
LL = liquid limit
PI = plasticity index

38 PRESENTATION TITLE 20XX

 NOTE FOR AASHTO CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM
The first term of this equation (F - 35)[0.2 + 0.005 (LL - 40)] is the partial group
index determined from the Liquid Limit. The second term 0.01 (F - 15)(PI - 10) is
the partial group index determined from the plasticity index. Following are some rules
for determining the group index:
1. If GI yields a negative value, it is taken as 0.
2. The GI calculated is rounded off to the nearest whole number (for example, GI = 3.4
is rounded off to 3; GI = 3.5 is rounded off to 4)
3. There is no upper limit for the group index
4. The group index of soils belonging to groups A-1a, A-1-b, A-2-4, A-2-5 and A-3
is always 0.
5. When calculating the GI for soils that belong to groups A-2-6 and A-2-7, use the
partial group index for PI or Gi = 0.01 (F - 15)(PI - 10)

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 PROBLEM SOLVING

1. The results of the particle-size analysis of a soil are as follows:

Percent passing through the no. 10 sieve = 100
Percent passing through the no. 40 sieve = 80
Percent passing through the no. 200 sieve = 58
The LL and PI of the minus no. 40 fraction of the soil are 30 and 10, respectively.
Classify the soil by the AASHTO system.

2. 95% of a soil passes through the no. 200 sieve and has a liquid limit of 60 and PI of
40. Classify the soil by the AASHTO system

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