The City College of New York

Department of Civil Engineering

CE 345: Soil Mechanic
!ntr"ctor: Dr# $eorge Mylonaki
LAB EXPERIMENT #2:
LIQUID LIMIT AND PLASTIC LIMIT
LIQUID LIMIT TEST
Introduction
%hen a coheive oil i mi&e' with an e&ceive amo"nt of water( it will )e in a li*"i' tate an' flow like a
vico" li*"i'# %hen the vico" li*"i' 'rie gra'"ally '"e to lo of moit"re( it will pa into a platic
tate# %ith f"rther lo of moit"re( the oil will pa into a platic tate# %ith even f"rther re'"ction of
moit"re( the oil will pa into a emi+oli' an' then into a oli' tate#
The moit"re content( w( ,-. at which the coheive oil will pa from a li*"i' tate to a platic tate i
calle' the liquid limit of the oil# Similarly( platic limit an' hrinkage limit can )e e&plaine'# Thee
limit are calle' /tter)erg limit#
Attr!r" Limit#
Moit"re content increaing
Soli' Semioli' 0latic 1i*"i'
Shrinkage 1imit ,S1. 0latic 1imit ,01. 1i*"i' 1imit ,11.
Equi$mnt
2# Caagran'e li*"i' limit 'evice
3# $rooving tool
3# Moit"re can
4# 0orcelain evaporating 'ih
5# Spat"la
4# 5ven
6# 7alance enitive "p to 8#82g
9# 0latic *"ee:e )ottle
;# 0aper towel
29 344945554#'oc
Procdur
3# Determine the ma of moit"re can ,%&.#
3# 0"t 358g of air+'ry oil( pae' thro"gh No# 48 ieve into an evaporating 'ih# /'' water an' mi& the
oil to the form of a "niform pate#
4# 0lace ome oil pate into the li*"i' limit 'evice# Smooth the "rface with a pat"la "ch that
ma&im"m 'epth i 9 mm#
5# <ing the grooving tool( c"t a groove along the centerline of the oil pat#
4# T"rn the crank at the rate of 3 rev# = econ'# Co"nt the n"m)er of )low ,N. for the groove in the oil
to cloe thro"gh a 'itance of > in# !f N ? 35+35( collect a moit"re ample from the c"p to a moit"re
can an' 'etermine the ma ,%2.#
6# !f N @ 35( place the oil )ack to the evaporating 'ih an' clean the 'evice# Stir the oil ,to 'ry it "p.
with pat"la# Then re'o tep 3( 4 an' 5#
9# Aemove the oil from the c"p of 11 'evice an' clean it caref"lly#
;# /'' more water to the oil pate in the evaporating 'ih an' mi& well# Aepeat tep 3( 4 an' 5 to get N
? 38+35# Take a moit"re ample from the c"p# Clean the 11 'evice#
28# /'' more water to the oil pate in the evaporating 'ih an' mi& well# Aepeat tep 3( 4 an' 5 to get N
? 25+38# Take a moit"re ample from the c"p# Clean the 11 'evice#
22# 0"t three moit"re can in the oven to 'ry to contant ma ,%'.#
C(lcul(tion
2# Calc"late ma of can( %& ,g.
3# Calc"late ma of can B moit oil( %2 ,g.
3# Calc"late ma of can B 'ry oil( %' ,g.
4# Determine the moit"re content for each of the three trial a
,%2 + %'. & 288
w ,-. ?
,%' + %&.
)r($*
0lot a emi+log graph )etween w ,-. ,arithmetic cale. v# N ,log cale.# !t ho"l' )e a traight line( which
i calle' the flow c"rve# Crom the traight line( 'etermine the moit"re content w ,-. correpon'ing to 35
)low# Thi i the liquid limit +LL, of the oil# The magnit"'e of the lope of the flow line i calle' the
-lo. ind/ +0I,#
w& ,-. + w2 ,-.
0I ?
log N2 + log N&
2; 344945554#'oc
PLASTIC LIMIT TEST
Introduction
0latic limit i 'efine' a the moit"re content( in percent( at which a coheive oil will change from a
platic tate to a emioli' tate# !n the la)# the platic limit i 'efine' a the moit"re content ,-. at which
a threa' of oil will D"t cr"m)le when rolle' to a 'iameter of 2=9 in# ,3#29 mm.#
Equi$mnt
2# Moit"re can
3# 0orcelain evaporating 'ih
3# Spat"la
4# $ro"n' gla plate
5# 7alance enitive "p to 8#82 g
4# 0latic *"ee:e )ottle
6# 5ven
Procdur
2# 0"t 38g of air+'ry oil( pae' thro"gh No# 48 ieve into an evaporating 'ih#
3# /'' water an' mi& the oil thoro"ghly#
3# Determine the ma of moit"re can ,%&.#
4# Crom the moit oil prepare' in tep 3( prepare everal ellipoi'al+hape' oil mae )y *"ee:ing the
oil with finger#
5# Take one of the ellipoi'al+hape' oil mae an' roll it on a gro"n' gla plate "ing the palm of the
han'# The rolling ho"l' )e 'one at the rate of 98 troke=min# Note that one complete )ackwar' an'
one complete forwar' motion of the palm contit"te a troke#
4# %hen threa' of oil reache 2=9E in 'iameter( )reak it "p in to everal mall piece an' *"ee:e it to
form an ellipoi'al ma again#
6# Aepeat tep 5 an' 4 "ntil the threa' cr"m)le into everal piece when ' ? 2=9E#
9# Collect the mall cr"m)le' piece into the moit"re can an' p"t the cover on the can#
;# Take the other ellipoi'al oil mae forme' in tep 4 an' repeat tep 5 thro"gh 9#
28# Determine the ma of moit"re can pl" wet oil ,%2.#
22# 0lace moit"re can into the oven to 'ry to contant ma ,%'.#
38 344945554#'oc
C(lcul(tion#
2# Calc"late ma of can ( %& ,g.
3# Calc"late ma of can B moit oil( %2 ,g.
3# Calc"late ma of can B 'ry oil( %' ,g.
4# Calc"late platic limit
,%2 + %'. & 288
PL ?
%' + %&
5# Calc"late platicity in'e&( PI ? LL F PL1
32 344945554#'oc
DATA S2EET: Liquid (nd Pl(#tic Limit
Decription of oil: GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Sample No#: GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
1ocation: GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Tete' )y: GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Date: GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
LIQUID LIMIT TEST
Tet No# 2 3 3
Can No#
Ma of can ( %&,g.
Ma of can B moit oil( %2 ,g.
Ma of can B 'ry oil( %' ,g.
,%2 + %'. & 288
w,-. ?
%' + %&
No# of )low( N
LL ? GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
0I ? GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
PLASTIC LIMIT TEST
Can No#
Ma of can ( %&,g.
Ma of can B moit oil( %2 ,g.
Ma of can B 'ry oil( %' ,g.
PL ? ,%2 + %'. & 288= ,%' + %&.
PI ? ,LL + PL.
33 344945554#'oc