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DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
____________
Student Signature
Name
Matric No. :
Date
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1/01/15
1.0 OBJECTIVE: To Determine the Liquid Limits of Soil Using Cone Penetrometer Methods.
3.0 THEORY
The properties of fine grains soils are largely dependent on their consistency, which is itself related
to the moister content of a dry sample of such a soil is increased is its state gradually changes from
that of a solid, through semi-solid, through plastic and finally into a liquid form. The arbitrary
boundaries between these phases are called the "consistency limits" and the Atterberg limits
provide a means of measuring and describing the plasticity range in numerical terms. If sufficient
water is mixed with clay, it can be made into slurry, which behaves as a viscous liquid. This is
known as the liquid state. If the moisture content is gradually reduced by allowing it to dry out
slowly, the clay eventually begins to hold together and to offer some resistance to deformation; this
is the plastic state. With further loss of water the clay shrinks and the stiffness increases until
there is little plasticity left, and the clay becomes brittle; this is the semi-solid state. As drying
continues, the clay continues to shrink in proportion to the amount of water lost, until it reaches the
minimum volume attainable by this process. Beyond that point further drying results in no further
decrease in volume, and this is called the solid state.
These four states, or phases, are shown diagrammatically in Figure 1.1. The change from one
phase to the next is not observable as a precise boundary, but takes place as a gradual transition.
Nevertheless three arbitrary but specific boundaries have been established empirically, as
indicated in Figure 1.1, and are universally recognised. The moisture contents at these boundaries
are known as the:
Liquid limit (LL) (symbol wL)
Plastic limit (PL) (symbol wp)
Shrinkage limit (SL) (symbol w5)
The "liquid limit" (LL) is the minimum moisture content at which a soil is assumed to flow under its
own weight, which corresponds to 25 blows in the Casagrande test or 20 mm penetration in the
Penetrometer test The "shrinkage limit" (SL) is the water content at which further decrease in
moisture does not cause a decrease in volume of the soil.
The "plasticity index" (P1) is the range of moisture content over which the soil is plastic and is given
by the expression,
PI = LL PL
The moisture content range between the PL and LL is known as the plasticity index (P1) (symbol
Ip), and is a measure of the plasticity of the clay. Cohesionless soils have no plasticity phase, so
their PT is zero.
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The tests to determine the Atterberg limits are carried out only on the fraction of soil which passes
a 425 pm sieve. For soils that contain particles coarser than that size, the particles retained on the
425 pm sieve must be removed as part of the sample preparation procedure. The relationship
between the consistency limits and the volume of a soil sample is shown in Figure 1.2.
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5.0 PROCEDURES
1. Selection and preparation of sample
(a) Place a sample an about 300 gram soil passing 425 m test sieve on the glass plate.
(b) Use the natural material if possible; if not use the wet preparation method.
(c) If the plastic limit test is also to be done, set aside a small portion in a sealed bag or container
before adding too much water, and while the soil is still firm.
(d)
Checking apparatus
(a) The cone designed specially for testing soils must be fitted.
(b) Mass of cone and stem 800.1 g. This is most important. The stem is hollow, so that Lead shot can be inserted to bring the cone and stem assembly to the specified mass.
(c) Sharpness of the cone point can be checked by pushing the tip into the hole of the sharpness
gauge plate. If the point cannot be felt when brushed lightly with the tip of the finger, the cone
should be replaced.
(d) The cone must fall freely when the release button is pushed, and the sliding shaft must be
clean and dry.
(e) The penetration dial indicator should be calibrated by inserting gauge blocks between the
stem of the indicator and the top of the cone sliding shaft. Alternatively calibrated vernier
calipers could be used.
(f) The apparatus must stand on a firm level bench.
(g) If the apparatus is fitted with an automatic timing device, this should automatically lock the
cone shaft assembly 5 seconds after pressing the button which releases it.
(h) This time interval should be verified against a reference timer.
3.
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4.
Placing in cup
(a) Press the soil paste against the side of the cup, to avoid trapping air.
(b) Press more paste well into the bottom of the cup, without creating an air-pocket,
(c) Fill the middle and press well down. The small spatula is convenient for these operations,
(d) The top surface is finally smoothed off level with the rim using the straight-edge.
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Figure 1.9 : Press the button to fall the cone and take a reading
(8)
Repeat penetration
(a) Lift out the cone and clean it carefully.
(b) Avoid touching the sliding stem.
(c) Add a little more wet soil to the cup, without entrapping air, smooth off, and repeat stages (5),
(6) and (7).
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Figure 1.10 : Process to take a moisture content.
6.0 CALCULATION EXAMPLE
(1)
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Test Number
Dial Gauge Reading (Start)
Dial Gauge Reading (End)
Cone penetration
Average penetration
Units
mm
mm
mm
mm
Can Number
Mass of can + moist soil (Mcws)
Mass of can + dry soil (Mcs)
Mass of can (Mc)
Mass of dry soil (Ms)
Mass of water (Mw)
Water content
gram
gram
gram
gram
gram
%
1
0
15.5
15.5
2
2
15.1
15.1
21.1
19.1
3
1
21.3
19.3
24.1
23.1
4
5
23.9
22.9
30.4
25.4
30.2
25.2
15.30
19.20
23.00
25.30
11
46.76
32.51
8.31
24.20
14.25
58.88
21
57.20
38.31
8.35
29.96
18.89
63.05
32
63.60
41.64
8.26
33.38
21.96
65.79
41
71.72
45.78
8.29
37.49
25.94
69.19
63.54
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DATA SHEET
Location :
Soil description:
Sample type :
Operator:
Loc. No. :
Sample No. :
Depth of Sample :
Date Started :
Test Number
Dial Gauge Reading (Start)
Dial Gauge Reading (End)
Cone penetration
Average penetration
Units
mm
mm
mm
mm
Can Number
Mass of can + moist soil (Mcws)
Mass of can + dry soil (Mcs)
Mass of can (Mc)
Mass of dry soil (Ms)
Mass of water (Mw)
Water content
Units
gram
gram
gram
gram
gram
%
m
4
8.0 CALCULATIONS
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9.0 DISCUSSIONS
10.0 CONCLUSION
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11.0 QUESTIONS 1
(a) What are the definitions of liquid and plastic limit?
(b) A sample of wet clay and its container weigh 102g. After oven drying the sample
and the container weigh 60 g. What is the water content?
QUESTIONS 2
(a)
What are alternatives methods to define liquid limit and give brief
explanation?
(b)