The JapaneseGeotechnical

The
Japanese Geotechnical Society
Society

SOiLS AND FOUNDATtONS

Vol. 47, No. 5, 887-896, Oet. 2007

Japanese Geetechnical Society

RELATIONSHIP
LIMITS

BETWEEN
ATTERBERG
AND CLAYTHECONTENT
ENNJo PoLIDoRIi)
ABSTRACT

and plasticlimit(rolling
and thread method)
of six inmixtures
with
fine silica sand. It was observed
that the liquid Iimit and plasticlimit
their respective
values of the mixtures tested, except those with a low clay percentage, are linkedto the respective clay size contents by
a linear
relationship.
The Atterberglimitswere subsequently recalculated using the equations of the regression linesof
the mixtures
The plottingof the plastic
limitas a functionof the liqgoverned by linearlaw with the clay percentages,
uid limit of these data made
itpossib}e to determinethe relationship
among
the liquidlimit,the plasticlimitand clay
that are not too low.
fractionvalid for inorganicsoils that contain platey clay minerals and for clay size contents
'fora
Hence, on the basis of the interdependence among
the parameters considered
PVb,
CF,
A),
(PV}., 4,
given inorganicsoil, knowing only two of three parameters(PVi.,
PVb,CF) that are measuTable
using standard
tests,the values of
other three parameters can be obtained.
'
method)
This study investigates
the liquid
limit
(Casagrande's

organic

Key

soils and

Atterberglimits,
clay, laboratorytests,plasticity,soilclassification

words:

(IGC:DllD3)

the Iiquidlimitof the clay mineral

kaolinite
is not influenced (DiMaio and Fenelli,1994). Hence, for
If a clayey soil ismixed
with
ever increasing
amounts
of
a giyen soil, the values
of the Atterberg limits,
which
are
water it becomes softer and softer and a point will be
the result of the eombination
of all the factors,
provide
reached
the soil ceases
to behave as a plastic insight into that soil's plasticitycharacteristics
for every
at which
material and becomes essentially a viscous
fluid,Atter- possible combination
of the factorsthat infiuencethe
berg (1911)
suggested
a method
fordefiningthis change,
plasticityof a soil,
and the water content of the soil at this pointisitsliquid
There are few studies in literature
on the Atterberg
limit,VV'L,
Likewise,Atterbergdefinedthe change from a limitsof soils as a functionof their clay size contents
and
state,
and
the water content
of the
the results of these studies
are not
always
in agreement.
plastie to a semi-solid
soil at this point isitsplastic
limit,PVb,The methods to These studies have focusedprimarily on the liquidlimit
determinethe liquidand plasticlimits,
later developedby
of clay minerals
mixed
with
silica sand
et al,, 1964a,
(Seed
Casagrande (1932,
1958), are considered
standard
inter- 1964b; Sivapullaiahand Sridharan, 1985; Tan et al.,
national tests.These limitsand the numerical
difference 1994; Nagaraj et al,, 1995; Kumar and Muir Wood,
between them, the plasticityindex, 4, are very useful to 1999).Seed et al. (1964b)
in a study on the Atterberg
characterize, elassify and predict finesoils engineering
be- limitsof the clay minerals kaolinite,
illite
and montmorilhaviour.
loniteand their respective
mixtures with sand, concluded
The Atterberglimitsof a soil depend on itscomposithat, ferclay percentageswhich are not too low, the liqtion (quantity
and type of clay minerals) and so-called dyuid and plastic
limitsare both linkedby a linearrelationnamic
factors(Veniale,
1983)such as, pH, temperature,
ship
to their clay size contents.
The respective
regression
cation exchange
capacity, type and quantityof cations in
linespass through the origin o'f the axes. Nevertheless, the
the solution, etc., which vary in space and time fornaturby Seed et al, (1964b)
of the
plasticlimit values reported
al soils. An example
of dynamic variables
can
be found in montmorillonite-sand
mixtures
are lessthan those of
the continuous
alteration of the environment
by human
kaolinite-sand mixtures
with
the same clay percentages.
activjties, such as the impact of acid rain and chemical
Conversely,White (1949)
in his study o'f the Atterberg
Dynamic factorscan have a
limitsof the most common
clay minerals concluded
that
products used in agriculture.
strong efiect on the liquidlimitvalue, though
such
effects
the plastic limit of montmorillonite>(illite)>kaolinite,
may
vary
according
to the type of clay minerals. For exThe same conclusion
was
traced laterby Mitchell (1993).
ample, as the concentration
of salts increases,
the liquid
Severalattempts
to link plasticityindex with liquid
limitof the clay mineral
montmorillonite
decreases marlimit,
mostly through the empirical correlations, ignoring
INTRODUCTION

kedly,while

`Sogesta
'ScientificCampus, Italy (ennio.polidori@uniurb.iO.
Applied Geology, University of Urbino `Car]o
Bo'
The manuscript
for this paper was received
for Teview
on
December 1 1,2006; approved
on May 29, 2007.
Writtendiscussions
on thispaper
should
be submitted
befere May 1, 2008 to the Japanese Geotcchnical Society,
4-38-2, Sengoku, Bunkyo-ku,
Tokyo 112-OO]], Japan.Upon request the c]osing
date may
be extended
one
month.

i)Institute

of

887
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888

POLIDORI

of non-clay particles
(>2 pam)are reported in fraction,CF (<2pam)in each soil was lowered in succesliterature
1948;Seed et al., 1964b; Nagaraj sive steps by adding sand to obtain changes of 10%
(Casagrande,
and Jayadeya, 1983; Sivapullaiah
and Sridharan,1985; weigth
of CF up
to a minimum
of 10% (for
bentonite
``c").
Panadian and Nagaraj, 1990).
The silica sample used in the mixtures iscomposed
Tbis study, based on compositional
factors(amount of 85% finesand.
and
type of clay minerals),
investigates
how the liquid
The geotechnical characterization
was
performed aclimitand the plasticlimitvary as a functionof clay size cording to international ASTM
standards
(D 422 and D
contents
in inorganicsoils with platey clay minerals.
On
4318). First the grain size distribution was determined
the basisof the average
values
of the
and then the liquidlimit (Casagrande's
method)
and the
(usingequations
regression
lines)of the experimental
data collected a plasticlimit(rolling
thread method) of the soils and mixrelationship
between the Atterberglimitsand the clay
fractionsis then investigated.
Since the non-platey clay
minerals
such
as halloysite,
allophane,
attapulgite
have
4oe
6
X "anome)pus'valuesofveand
VVb
characteristics yery
difTerentfrom that of platey clay
the content

high
(e.g.,

plastic lirnit,low index plasticity)

1993),
(Mitchell, they are excluded from the present
minerals

research

as

organic

soils

MINERALOGICAL
leo

carried

on six

out

inorganicsoils

their respective
mixtures
with
finesilica sand.
the soils were composed
of bentonite, one
was
of kaolinite (commercially
available), another
on

posed of 1:1mixture

and

.ij.{..E!t;sigl

Three of

2o

was

Sand

1-6

varicoleured

"a",

``b"

"c"-sa"d

inpresent

used

za

Clay

stud}'

lp

mixture

"b''
"c"

PY) and

Ib are in

is jnglcmi,A=activity.
%. p Cdensity)

TabLe
Soil type

2. Mineralogical
composition
Fraction

of

illorganic
soils

inpresent study

used

Mineralogy

sizcCD

Kaolinite
%<2urn%>2"rn%<2"rn%>2"m%<2um
(97%)with

kaolinite
bentonite

"c"-sand

clays

bentonite

124

100

82019142730 9275Sl867070 62153170193260343

36363841394226117132IS22213el
0281.551.631.773.164.30
2.642.762.692.79

bentonite

Soil

so

40CF(%)60

``a"

Sand, silt, clay,W'L,

-.Iill'ii.tt'tt tt; i'

---/----,-/ /

Fig. 1, Liquid limit,VP},and pLasticlimit,}V3 as function of clay fractionCF(<2"m)ofsoi]sandtheirTespectivemixtureswithfillesiliea sand.

1=kaolinite-salld mixtures; 2, 5 and 6=bentonite
amd
mixtures,
respective]y; 3=(1:1) kaolinite-bentonite
mixtures;
4= varicolo"red
clay$-sand
mixtures

Silt

kaolinitebentonite
soils
(1:1)

com-

Table 1.Index properties of inorganicsoils

123456

7e

composed

of

Soi] type

`-...re.

ol

kaolinitebentonitewhereas the
lastsoil was a natural soil belongingto the Formation of
Varicoloured Clays (upperCretaceous-lowerEocene)
Central Italy.Their characteristics
are sumrnarized
in
Tables 1 and 2, In the soil-sand mixtures (Fig.
1) the clay

Soil

CF

3.VVL=2.10CF
200l

Experimentswere

.W,=O.67

2-WL=Z04CF

are.

GEOTECHNICAL
AND
CHARACTERIZATION

ev:

re

300ge:l'J t

and
illite
a good degreeof crystailinity
(3%)
Aggregations
ef kaolinitecrystals.
Montmorjllonite (100%) with good degreeof crystallinity.
Quartzand carcium carbonate.

``a''

3
varicoloured

In

quantities:vermiculite with low degree of

interbedded illite-vermiculite,
kaoliniteand traces of
il!ite.
Presence of quartz,

clays

order

of

respective

crystaltinity,

%>2um%<2"m
5

bentonite

Quartzand

3
4

`cb"

calcium

MontmorMonite

dolomite.
6

%>2"m%<2um

bentonite"c''

%>2urn
carbonate)
C (calcium

and

Quartzand

14

calcium

carbona[e.

(96%) with good degTee of

crystallinity

and

carbonate.

Montmorillonitewithlowdegreeofcrystallinity,interbeddediMteferrous
rnontmorillonitc.
Presence of dolomite and amorpheus
hydroxides.
Dotomite, quartz and calcium carbonate.

are
in %
(dolomite)

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ATTERBERG

LIMITS

AND

CLAY

CONTENT

889

with
sands.
Some standards,
in addition to etc.). The combination
of these factorsprovides a very
Casagrande's method,
have included the fall-cone wide range of slope values (fremO.67 to 4.86 inFig. 1),
method.
Both methods
have advantages
and disavan- where
the minimum
and maximurn
values
belong to
ionic forrn,
tages. For exarnple, (with
reference to thisstudy) the cone
kaolinite
and montmorillonite
in monovalent
is not suitable for very expansive
respectively. VZ. and CF are definedin percentages.
penetration method
soils (Wasti
and Bezirci,
1986).
In a saturated soil also composed
of non-clay particles,
Grain size distribution
of the silica sample and the soils
assuming
that all of the water isassociated with the clay
was obtained
using the sieve and hydrometer methods,
et al., 1964b; Mitcheli,1993),the constant
phase (Seed
respectively.
The percentage of clay in the mixture was
volume
of the non-clay
fractionand the volume
of the
determined as the percentageby weight of particles
fineT clay-water system, which varies as a functionof water
than 2"m
in the commercial
clay
and
the natural
soil
contents,
can
be distinguished. From experimental
data
added
to the finesilica sand,
collected, in agreement
with Seedet al, (1964b),
the linear
The liquidlimitof the samples was determined to es- relation (PZ.,CF) is respected untii the volume of the
tablish a minimum
of fourpointsin order to plotthe fiow
clay-water system isgreaterthan the volume
of the void
line,The plasticIimitwas determined by the average of
of the non-clay
fractionin the mixtures, or in other
four or more water contents.
Thisprocedurewas applied
words,
until the non-clay
are still not in contact
particles
to each soil and laterto the mixtures
with silica sand.
with
one another.
Since the thread-rolling method
is considered
operatorThe volume
of voids in the non-clay
fractionis:
dependent (see
below),the plasticlimittestswere repeat(xlp,)e,
(2)
ed, and
the ayerage
of the values
was
considered
in order
of the points of the mixtures
in which x is the mass of the non-clay
fraction; p,= dento improve the alignment
of
soil
in
the
non-clay
fraction;
e,
void
sity
the
plotted on the graph.
particles
were
mixing
the
above-menratio
in
the
non-clay
fraction.
The mixtures
prepared by
The volume
of clay-water
mixture
tioned dry components
followed by, adding deionized
at its WL, is:
water.
Sincethe mixtures are composed
of percentages
in

tUres

weight

of

the

placed in an oven
from the atmosphere

(J,fp,)+[(VVI,,yllOO)lp.] (3)

the samples
were
60OC to eliminate humidity absorbed

respective

components,

in which y isthe dry-massof the clay particles

required
before being mixed.
The silica silt (whenmixed with the water) just
to fi11
the voids in the
of the selid particlesin
(87% silt and 13%<2ptm) used in some mixtures
(with non-clay fraction;
p. isthe density
soils no.
1, 3 and 6) did not yield differentvalues of the
the clay fraction;p. isthe density of the water
(= 1); Pt?1..
Atterberg limitsthan those obtained
by adding finesilica is the Iiquid lirnitof the clay particlesy (CF=100%).
This will justfi11the voids in the non-clay fraction
sand,
The
analyses

at

mineralogical
qualitative and semiquantitative
(Table2) were performed using the XRD analy-

PhilipsPW 2273120 diffractometer,

CuKa radiation, Ni filter
with a scanning velocity
of O.03O2e!s. The
clay fraction
(<2"m) was analyzed on samples that were
air driedand treated with glycol-ethylene.
sis with a

EXPERIMENTAL

DATA

AND

those

with

liemore or Iesslinearly
with
The best average linearrelationship

the

clay

each

soil

with

sand,

except

tion,

low

(y!p,)+i(PVL,y!100)lp.]=(xlp,)e,
(4)
SolvingEq, (4)fory (andneglecting p.),will be:
y= ixe,)1[p,(1 !p,+PVL,1100]
(5)
the percentageof dry clay (C.)
which, when
mixed with
the

DISCUSSION

Liquid Limit
Figure 1 shows the liquidlimitand the plasticlimitas a
functionof the clay size contents of the soils and the mixtures tested. The values of theliquidlimit
of themixtures
of

whcn:

clay

frac-

percentage.
found to pass

water

at

its VVL,

will

fillthe

voids

phase, is:

in the granular

C.=[y!(x+J/)]1OO
Sincethe
value of
non-clay

(6)

slightly, the
p, and p, generally differ
depends on the void ratio (e,)
of the
fraction and the ljquidlimitslope (ki)
of the
values

of

Climainly

soil.

An inorganicsoil with a water content equal to itsIiqthrough the origin, in agreement

with
Seed et al. (1964b),uid limit,
as a functionof itsCF and e,) could be
(mainly
Nagaraj et al. (1995)
and Kumar and Muir Wood (1999). found in one of the following two physical states:
The respective equations are shown in Fig. 1.
(a) soils in which all the round particlesare scattered
Hence, the liquid limit equation
valid
for inorganie
in the clay-water system (CF>C.);
soils containing
platey clay minerals
(withCF> Ct., de(b) soils in which all or a part of the round particles
fined below) is:
are in contact with one another
(CF< or slightly
was

(1)

WL=k,CF

the PVL-slope ki depends on the factors that infiuencethe plasticityof a soil (such
as type of clay minerwhere
al,

type

of

adsorbed

cation,

pH, degree of

crystallinity,

> Cn)

The

found in condition
(a)should have a liquid
limit directlyproportionalto their clay fractions,as
shown
in Eq. (1).In condition (b),the greaterresistance
of the soil lplaced
in the cup apparatus) to deformation,
soils

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POLIDORI

produced by

of the non-clay
particles,allows this
larger amount
of water and as a consequence the values of the liquidIimitwill be greater than
the values
In fact,the slurrie soils
predictedby Eq. (1).
with low clay size content tend to slide rather than fiow as
plasticmaterial when placedin the cup. On the basisof
the data of the tested mixtures, itwas observed that the
relative increaseof the liquidlimitvalues
passing frorn
soil

tQ

physical
with

contact

retain

(a)to

state

initial
values

physical

of CF>
of the round

state

(b)occurs

gradually,

Ch,(probably
forthegeometrithe contact

proximity
particles).For the sake of clarity, these values (not
``anomalous''
proportional with CD are here definedas
1)and they are not includedin the elaboration of the
(Fig.
data.The present study isbased (onphysical state (a))
on
the values of the Atterberglimitsgoverned by linearlaw
with clay size contents,
This condition isalso important
in order to look for relationships
between the Atterberg
lirnits
and
the intrinsic
geotechnical properties of the
soils, Casagrande (1932)
reported
that the physical significance
of the liquid limit of a non-plastic
soil is fundamentally differentfrom that of a plasticsoil. The
author believes
that Casagrande'sconsideration
fornon``anomalous''
values
plasticsoils can also be extended to
cal

particlesandfor

of

e,
(CFfp,)+(va!p.,)=[(100-CF)fp,]
to Eq, (4),
setting PV= PVL,yl100),
Tbe
determinationof e, of the fraction>2um
of a soil is
curnbersome
and time consuming.
Nevertheless,
on the
basisof the data collected in this study and insightsinto
clayey soils reported
in Mitchell(l993),
the liquidlimit
should be determinedin the soil fraction
with a clay fraction greater than 20-25% so that the relationship
PZ.-CF
isgoverned by a linearlaw alsofor soils that contain less
into the

equation

isequivalent
(that

expansive

and with high values

(kaolinite)

clay minerals

of e,.

some

of the

Atterberglimits.In fact,as
sense),
so do the values

(ina relative
tion angle

because both

mainly

PtasticLimit
The data of the plastic
limit(Figs.
1 and 3) show less
linearity
and
relatively
littlevariation
accerd(especially
ing to the type of clay minerals)
in comparison
with
the
data of the liquidlimit.Note how small the range of the
with that of the liquid
plastic limit values is compared
limit values. Except forthe mixtures with low clay fracvalues
tion (see
Fig,3),the best linkbetween the plastic
limitand the clay percentagesisa linear
relationship, The regression linesof the plotted mixtures
intersect
the PVbaxis randomly
between 8.4% and 11.9%,
The equations shown in Fig. 3 refer to the average
value
these values
increase of the intercept,
PVb=10%. Hence, the general equation
of the residual
fric- is:

depend

on

the

"anomalous"

character-

PI- (k2CF)+ 1O

(7)

==

istics
of

the

granular phase.

The values
overestimated

of

Cth for the soils plotted in Fig. 2

because the

calculation

of

e,

was

are

only

based on the added sand (thecomponents

>2 pam found
in the soils were not taken intoconsideration), The equation in Fig.2 (for
the average values of assumed
e,, p, and
p,),permits to obtain the Clivalue as a functionof the
water
content
(orvice versa) to have the same volume that
is when the clay water system will fillthe voids in the
granular phase and the round
particleswill be in contact
with
one
another.
It isgraphically shown
by the marked
lineand itwas obtained by insertingthe selected values
300

the }Vb-slope
k2 depends on the type of

where

state
(chemical

als

in a

enclosed)

contained

clay

miner--

into the soil (asoc-

for kT to PVL).
for the non-zero intercept
value in Eq. (7)
furtherinvestigations
are necessary.
Atterberglimits(forthe rnixtures with CF ranging 10
cur,

To

%)

very amplified

were

way,

the reasons

understand

subsequently

recalculated

using

the

equations

(fromFigs. 1 and

3)of the regression linesof the mixtures

in order
governed by linearlaw with the clay size contents
to obtain
abetter
correlation.
Thesedata, P7b against
IVL
are plottedinFig. 4, The dashedlinesof regression define
the variation
of the plasticlimit as a function of the liquid
limitin mixtures
with
the same
percentage of clay, These
linesare parallel(slope=O.04)
and if they are extended,

2so
4f
2DOAgev

60se

150l100

''7ro.m,eiog.;L'
v"

:.

ta:er,e'

"
-Ar
3- YV,=O,35CF-O
2. Wp=O,34CF+10

li

ttta

50
eo
20

CmCm

80

40

: U:::'2k'
:[:1:

..t{-2'1.'il'.i.tt

3020

--

100

l..is-.zr'-i314"-"'

tt- t.
3.--

ol-

Fig.3.
taken

-'-t"

atptg'.,o

r"

CF(%)60

Fig. 2, Retationship between vvater cont.ent, W and amount

or c}ay,
C. needed
to fi11the voids in a granular soil, e,=void ratio of the
!=
granular phase. p,,p. density of round particlesand clay size particles,respectively. 1, 4 and 6=liquid Limit regression linesoE soilsand miximres, see Fig. 1

4- yv,!e,ssCF"O

.. 40ge-l-i:.

...--1
...'....:
..' ..'
..r ..' -e./.. .f.t
''
-'J'"

, -.2e

../.60'too
40CF{%)60

P]astic limit, EV, as f"nction of clay fraction CF

from Fig. 1. 1-6=soil types, see Fig. 1

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ATTERBERG

LIMITS

AND

CLAY

60

CONTENT

891

50
4
40
-

3ts"-)'40"<2

l:

i"

ii

.3L

.tt....kettti,
"D
riol'`"["

--so

o-

200

too

Relationship among

300

o10

500

400

C%)

WL

Fig, 4.

7:

cF(%<2pm}

30

50CF(%)70

ge

p]astielimit,PF",liquidlimit,PVLalldc]a}

CF basedon Tecalculftted
data .The regression
lines define
fraction,
Fig.6. Activity
against elay fractiofi,
CF (<2"m) of
in mixtures with same clal' fracvarintioll of rv)as fu"ctionof PVi,
tures tested.1-6dsoiltypes, see Fig. 1
tion, 1-6=soiltypes, see Fig. 1

3002502eobge

6/

/
//

150--aoO

//

//

i,,1
or

!/

4!2f'2

2o

....

s'

tfi

JC-1"rf
ps

p
t;;-;'tl3f
.V.r.rW-f..r.T

-se

39]'skt2

/'!

/.

'
gA

.,1x.gdi.t
6'

/f

./

4o

6o

-l

sa

"
-.e x
../;;.:/.1;l;,.v
42

-'-'

."---'r-f'r'-''r'r

a
/"

10

as

--

,---tr.-

1
'

loo

CF(%)
Fig. 5.

miN-

5 f/

/f

/f

soils and

30

50

70

90

CF (9k)

Measured plasticityindex, 4 ("anomalous''yalues

excl"ded)
f"nctiollof cla)' fraction CF (< 2"rn). 1-6 = soi] t}'pes,
see Fig. 1
Fig. 7,

Actiyitytalculated

CF (<2"m). 1-6

==

Eq. (11)
as f"llctioll
of clay
t},pes,see Fig.1

with
soil

fraction,

they pass through the axis of the ordinate at the value

(q O.26CF+ 10),which isa function of the clay percentage. The relationship
among
PVt,PV) and CF obtained
Ik-O,96 PVt-(O,26 CF+10)
. (9)
allews the calculation of the plastic limit of an inorganic
soil with
when
the liquid limit value
Hence, for a given inorganic soil (with
platey clay minerals
plateyclay miner'for
and
the percentage of clay of the tested sample
als)
known
WL
and
CF
values,
the
VVL
and 4 values
(linearly
any other CF can be estimated using Eqs. (1)
and (9),
reproportionalto one another) are known, precisely:
spectively, On the other hand, ifthe values of the Atterva1,=O.04 PViL+(O.26 CF+10)
(8) berg limitsare known, itis
possibleto calculate the clay
,Itcan be conc]uded that the plastic limithas little
in- fraction:
fiuence on the plasticityof soils with high contents of very
CF= [(O.96
va1 -4)- 10]10,26
or
expansive
whereas
clay mjnerals,
itisimportant in soils
=

that are not very expansive

increases
as the clay size contents
portance
decreases.

with

clay minerals

Plasticityindex

For

and itsimin the soils

- 10]10.26
CF= [(nvb -O.04 PV!,)

CIO)

This CF value should

be (about)
equal
to the clay percentage of grain size distribution
of the soil (orsoi] fraction)
used to the Atterberglimitstest.

inorganicsoils the plasticityindex, dedifference

between PVL and PPC, Activity
values
Of particular interest in any evaluation of Atterberg
(Fig.5),can be obtained directly(without
performing the test for PVb)if the values of the liquidlimit limits
isthe relationship
between plasticityindexand clay
and the clay fraction
are known
and
are linearlyproporfractionbecause this has been used as the basis(Skemtional to one another, precisely:
soils,
pton, 1953) for definingthe activity, A of clayey
common

fined by the numerical

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892

POLIDORI

by

250

line passing through the origin

linesthat represent
the activityof soils tested (Fig,5) have non-zero
interceptvalues
average value), Hence, the activity of
(b= - 1O,intercept
represented

(t4 lb!CF),The
=

a clayey

soil

can

straight

regression

be

redefined

as

200n8"'

follows:

150-l'jS

(11)
and
(measured

A=[O,96 PVL-(O.26 CF+10)]ICF

Figures6 and 7

how the activity

calculated) varies as a functionof the clay fraction for the
investigated
soils. Itcan
be observed
that fora given soil,
the activity against CF isnot constant as suggested by the
relationship
proposed by Skempton (1953)
(andin Fig.6,
the activity values should not decreasewjth an increaseof
clay size content in the mixtures).
The activity (Fig,
7)
should
reach
itsmaximum
value when
CF=100%;
it
drops slightly and almost linearly
with
high clay contents,
whereas
there isa marked
decreasein activity in the mixtures with low clay percentages. In this case, the dashed
linesare theoretical, because the Atterberg limits (for
CFs20% and 30% for kaolinite)are not linearly
proportional to their

In

routine

assumed

that

show

100
50

oo
20

assessments

of soil

the fraction<2"m

Fig. S.

500

itis usually
properties,
diameter)
(equiyalent

400

1
'

shown

...F
'-o.

geV-l,1l
300
200
100
o20

40eilliteonFy6eCF

80
bentonite oniy

-->

riOO

(%)

relationship,
Fig. 9.

BETWEEN
DATA
MEASURED
DATA
CALCULATED
WITH THE PROPOSED
INTERRELATIONSHIP

aoo

Liquid ]imit,PPZ and plasticlimit,PVb Egainst clay fraetionCF

Data from Lupini et al,

(<2"m) of bentonite-sand mixtures,

}Pl calculated with Eq. (8)also
(1981).

termed clay fraction,

iscomposed
entirely
of clay minerals, In practice,
a part of the fraction<2 ptm can be comdifferent
behaviour from
posed of round
particles (with
clay
minerals).
Because the effect of the round
particles
is incorporatedin the PVL value, any possible
<2ptm
difference
betweenthe real and conventional contents of
theclay minerals
would
produce an error forthe calculated values
andA).
On the other hand, this alse oc(PI'},
4
curs when
the activity is calculated with Skempton's

COMPARISON

80

(%)60

clay size contents,

respective

40CF

Liquid lirnit,
va

and

VV} agninst clay frnction

CF
plastic]Imit,
their mixtures. Data from Seedet
with Eq, (8)aiso shown

bentoniteand
(<2"Tn)of illite,

AND

al.

(1964a).PVb calculated

In Fig, 8 the plotted data of the bentonite-sandmixitspercentage, The pointed out interaction
isattributable
Table
5)
confirm
the
linear
variation
of
PVi.
to
the
sak
contained
into
the
illite
that,
when
mixed
with
(from
with CF and the non-zero
interceptvalue for H'1,
regresthe bentonite,preventedfullexpansion of the bentonite
sion line(excluding
the mixture with the lowestbentonite in the presence of water.
content). On the contrary, a mixture of two or more soils
In conclusion, the effect of the physical-chernical
interwith water (even
if itis deionized)constitutes a system,
action is contained
in the Atterberglimitsvalues of the
the properties of which
depend on the composite effects mixtures, The relative parameters (ewL,
Wb, 4, A and
their
interaction.
A
mixture
of
two
CF)
are
linked
in
accordance
to
the
of
physical-chemical
proposed quantitaor more
soils may
therefore yield a soil with plasticity tive relationship. In addition, diluting
each mixture with
tures

characteristics

linearly proportional to the

make
itup. For example,
the data(PVL, PVb against CF) of the clay
that

are

not

non-clay

particles (2-425
"m)

shows

the linear relation-

between Atterberglimitsand itsclay fraction,

Fig. 9 shows
When a soil's clay content isvery low, such as the case
rninerals illite
et al., 1981; Sridharan and
(withCF=35%), bentonite(withCF==95 of the inorganicsoils (Lupini
2000)
in
Table
3, the Atterberg limits
are
and
their
mixtures
et
al.,
1964a).
Here
it
can
be
Nagaraj,
shown
%)
(Seed
observed
the
degree
of
curvature
of
the
lines
on
not
Iinearly
to
the
respective
clay
fractions
(from
proportional
which
the data lie)that there isa high levelof physicalbehaviourof these soils will not be dominated by the
(the
cannot
be
chemical
interaction
among
the minerals for the liquid clay phase)and clearly the proposed equations
limitand almost negligible interactionfor the plastic applied.
limit,considering itslinkwith the liquidIimit(O.04VK).
In a previous paper the writer proposed a new plastieity
2003) to classify the soils (ortheir fracThe straight dashed line shows the expected liquid limit chart (Polidori,
in proportion to
tion) <425 um using the well note Atterberg limits.
On
va]ues if each clay mineral
contributed
clay

contents

of

the

soils

that

ship

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ATTERBERG
3.
esTab]e
13
9.5
11.5

S
17.S

LIMITS

CLAY CONTENT

AND

S93

I"dex propenies from literature

ag

38
48
58,7
39
S6.4

21
35.6
45.2

300

va

A1,311.301.l71.901.04

BKK11
200
geVa

,29.5
38.1

rioo1

B= bentonite; K= kaolinite;I=illite;CF

PVL and

PV:.are

in %

1/
]-T-300

ol

oa)dOO

2eoYVL{%)

60
O.5

300

408V-

-line

unk

'

ge:x.2.s.-a

xgdipe

Mc

200

20
deol

--o
20

4e

80

WL

O.NPC

100

(%)60

- T100

oi

, T

-Tt

l
-tf3oe

200WL(%)
P]asticite,
chart (after
Polidori, 2003). C-line and O.5C-line
correspond
to 10D% CF and 50% (]F (<2ptm),
respectiyely. CL,
CH==clay zone (ew)50%) with low and high plasticityrespectiyely.ML, MH=silt zone
(2-425ptm>5e%) with low and high
plnsticityrespectiyely. OL, OH=organic soils with low and high
Low plnsticity(L) and high plasticity(H>
plasticityrespectively.
based on ASTM standard (D 2487). NPC=soils with non-plate)'

b)

Fig. 10,

Fig. 11. I,ocation on plasticity chart {seeFig. 10) of l25 soil samples
from literutuTe(Seedet a}., 1964m; Lupini et al., 1981;Skempton,
1985; Wnsti and Bezirci,1986; Burland, 1990; Di Ma;o and Fenel]i,
1994): a) 4 measured
against -1..Casagrallde's A-line also shown
and
b) 1} calculated
with
Eq. (Y}against
FVL

clay minerals

between the Atterberg Iimitsand clay fracwith

the Polidori's
plasticitychart
CF< 1OO% should lieabove
and has lead to little
improvements in thatchart (Fig10),
intercept value of the Cthe pointsfrom the C-lineshould be inverselypropor- The main are: a) the (absolute)
tional to clay percentageof the respective soils, The O,5Clineequation decreasesby one unit and b) the O.5C-line
lineallows us to distinguish
the pointsthat fallbelow the
and the C-lineare extended to the W[, axis, to fully
delineline,clays (C),from the pointslyingabove the linein the ate the clay zone where the inorganicsoils with plateyclay
silt zone
(M),In turn, the silt and clay zones can be sub- minerals should Iie.
dividedin groups with low (L)or high (H)plasticity,acThe pletting of the followingdata on the plasticity
cording to the ASTM
standard
2487)
when
the
liquid
chart
distinction
between low and high plastici(D
(without
the

chart

organic

shown

soils

in Fig. 10, all the lb-VVL values

containing

of

the

in-

and
platey clay minerals
the C-lineand thedistanceof

limit value isless than or greater than 50%, respectively.

In the original paper ithas been demonstratedthat the silt
zone isfound above
the clay zone,
The residual
inorganic soils (NPC) composed
of non-

relationship

tionis in agreement

is a simple
and
better method
Figure 11(a-b)shows
the data

for data

ty)

(measured

and

of

125

natural

calculated)
and

as a

comparison.

plasticityindex
functionof the liquidlimit
of

artificial soils

the

taken from

literature

halloysite,
attapulgite)
the soils with CF<25%
and the residual soils), In
platey
(allophane,
(except
lie below the C-linebecause their characteristics
should
Fig.11(a)the A-line(Casagrande,
1948)has also been inlimit,
index)
low
are
very
different
cluded
in
order
to
show
where
the
same
soils would
lieon
(highplastic
plasticity
from those of platey clay mineTals forwhich the plasticity Casagrande'splasticitychart, since the respective posichart was developed,The soils (NPC) that contain both
tions of the silt and clay zones are reversed
on
the two
and
non-platey
clay
minerals
as
well
as
the
organic
charts.
All
soils)
lie
soils
3
above
the
platey
plotted
(excepc
soils (O)can
Iieabove or below the C-lineaccording
to
A-line in the clay zone (according
to Casagrande)regardcharacteristics of the soil constituents.
Clearly,for these
lessof their clay size contents. In Fig. 11(a), all plotted
soils the proposed quantitative relationshjp
is not valid.
points should lieabove the C-line and the distanceof the
The original
correspond
to CF=100%)
plasticitychart was calibrated using alse
points from the C-line(that
some
of the experimental
data shown in this paper and
should
be inversely proportional to clay fractions
of the
available in Pelidori<2003),
Hence, the proposed inter- respective
soils (<425um), such
in Fig. 1l(b)
as shown
clay

minerals

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POLIDORI

if the
(obviously
minerals

organic

substance

in the

are absent

and

clay

non-platey

soils).

In Fig. 12,the measured

and
calculated
values
of the
index
for
the
soils
Fig,
11
on
are
complasticity
plotted
and
the
following
considerations
can
be
made.
pared
- In agreement
with
this study, from Figs.12 and 13 it
can
be inferredthat the measured 4 (andW}) against
CF have non-zero
interceptvalues. The plotteddata
13)
do
not
lie
according
to the hypothetical
U-line
(Fig.
and the hypothetical
O,5C-lineshown, In addition,
the
O.5C-lineis the linethat best separates the soils with
CF<50%
from soils with CF>50%,

300

- For 60%

of

average

value

the soils (75of the 125 soils plotted) the

of the difference
between both the 4
values (measured
and calculated) is 1.3 units (ranging

3units).

- For 90%
average

of

soils (112of the 125 plotted) the

this difference
is 2.5 units(ranging
6

the
of

value

units).

- tn the
very

remaining

13

(for5

rnarked

thisdiscrepancyisoften
from 10 to 17

samples
soils

ranging

units).

The above mentioned

differences
in units)
(expressed
between the measured and calculated values of 4 (orPVb),
8eT

.t../"""
i

/'O.5Cglne
'

60

eFCF

oop

ge-"

200

C-line

40:

geVQ

pty't-;.--.'''.--.-t..i..-t'

i2e
100

s.e.'.tt-.

ti

l/'20

o-/
o

aoo

dOO

WL{%)60

300

2oo

80

40

lp(calculated}(%)

Particularfrom Fig.11(n).
Dashed ]ines1

Fig. 13.

(4=O,96 PPI)a"di 2

U, O,96PK.-IS) show expected hypothetical U-line and O,5C-line

respectively, if 4 (and -) against CF was
found (equall},
tinearly
!=

Fig. 12.
dcx

Comparison
of

sampies

bet"'eenmeasured

and

calculated

plasticityin-

plotted in Fig, 11

preportional) to pass through the

Table 4. Index properties of inorganic soiEs froin litcrature.(c)=calculated

valucs
Soil

wr

cr

(oV PPI,l, and

with

Eqs,

origin

(8),(9)and

(11)respectively)

JV}-PFV(C)
Wv43.955.2384818.535.642.523.2424937.82934.829.421.33044443529552720.93225.438
PV}(c)
A(c)
A
4
4(c)
or fB(c)-Il

-6
12'3*4*s*67891011'1213"141516171819*20*21222324*2526*
1001008888565L5503937371OO10048363510088
348330.6526184234.473.S75124.2
49.949.253,940.233.926.32625.1232338.337.824.321,22]39.235.844.446.446.339.226.329.523.928.323.
298.1281.4472.1143.8200.547.249
2.98
B
304.127S.4488136215.9
3.042,755.S41.S43.75O.74O.652.591.
6-15.9
B
2,81
B
5.36
7.8-15.4

1.63

3.58
B
9.3
37.9
O.92
B
16.S32.5101
O.98
B
1.9
99.1
2.54
B
19
42
61
1.65
B
263S
61
1.65
B
o.s19.7
19.2
O.19
K
8,8
16
7.2
O,07
K
10.S
10.2
20.7
O.43
K
8.2
l7.4
25.6
O.71
K
e.326.7
27
O.77
K
l
9.2
50
40.8
O.41
e.42
I
8,229244315333129101193.6
37.2243.6303.6315.7144.8101.7185
2.773.533.761.722.364.401,374
O.4-1L4-17.3

84
84
S7,5
454546.S48

80
73Z88350362184128214.5
S8

86
84
8443424140

15.g
O.7-

8,6
8.1-

8019S
37
"Data

from Fig. 11{a). B

2.9
14.9

88
==

belltonite;K=kaolini{e;

I =:illite;
CF,PVi.

and

PF} are in

48172.6

S6.1169.7

50

64.9

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ATTERBERGLIMITS
Table 5,BentoniteIndex
properties from Lupini

Sand

et

al.

AND

CLAY

va]ues
(1980.(c)=ca]etilated

CONTENT

(of VPC,,4

ew132640536688
)VL385680114140184
PVp2I2023283648
PV3(c)

1530456075100 85

895
A

and

g'ith

Eqs,

(S),(9)and

4(c)

(11}respective]y)
A

A(c}

17365786104136

70
55

1,311,381,421.62L581.54
375786107144
1,421,421.62I.621.63

19232g334e

40
25

CF==%<2"m.

Bentonite,

ifthey

PPI, PVI,and

sand,

I, are in

have little
infiuenceon the plas- was useful to repeat the plasticlimittests(andthe average
soils with
high clay fraction. of the va]ues
was
considered
in order to improve the
However, they can be important forclassifying the soils alignment of the points plotted on the graph) and itwas
becausethey can liein a zone that does not correspond to essential that the ayerage values of PV}and wr against CF
their
clay content or out of the zone (above
the U-lineor
were used,
below the C-line,see Fig. 11(a)),
Jtshould be noted that the linearvariation of the Atter]n order to understand
the causes
of the above-menberg limitsas a functionof CF is already routinely
aptioned discrepancy,the values of rhe index properties pliedfordeterrnining
activity of a soil (Skernpton,
1953).
(Table4) of inorganic soils with CF>34%
(Seedet al., In fact, the activity isbased on the Iinearvariation of 4
1964a; Sides and Barden, 1971; Lupini et al., 1981; (andthus of PV'L
and
PVb) as a functionof CF, Hence, the
1985;
Mesri
measured
values
Sivapullaiah
and Sridharan,
and
Cepeda
activity
of the bentonite-sand
mixtures
even

ticity

value

are

of

marked,

the

expansive

Diaz, 1986; Wasti and Bezirci, 1986; Rao et ai., 1989; Di

reported
in Table 5
Fenelli,
1994;
1986;
Maio and
Sridharanet al.,
Sridharan of bentonitecontent

decresase with an increase

inthe mixtures. For example, forthe
mixture
with CF=88%,
the PVI,
value is high compared
with the other mixtures
Fig. 8) and the other soils
(see
no, 4 in Table 4) and consequently
the I, value islow
(soil
and lies
below the C-Iine(see
Fig, 1l(a)).
should

not

Prakash, 1998; Sridharan and Nagaraj, 2000) were

chosen
so that they can be compared
with each
other. The samples
are ordered
according
to the clay
mineral
that they contain (whenspecified) and their CF
(fromhighestto Iowest).The measured plasticlimit
values of these soils, in relation to the values of Jeil,
and
CF, are diMcultto understand
(orbetteryet, incompre- CONCLUSIONS
hensible)
becausethey do not followthe same rule. This is
This study permitsto advance the following conclualso shown
by a comparison
with
the respective
values
of
sions
which
should
be valid for all inorganic soils with
the plastic limitcalculated
on the basisof the proposed
platey clay minerals and forclay percentages that are not
interrelationship.
too low, that is when
the volurne
of the water-clay system
If both the clay contents
are equal
(ofthe entire soil beeornesgreaterthan the voids of the non-clay fractionin
and the soil used for the Atterberglimits
test)and organic
the soils.
- The liquid limit,
substances
and
non-platey
clay
minerals
are
absent, any
plasticlimit,plasticityindex,activity
among
the values (PVb,
and clay fraction
of the soil (<425um) used
to assess
possible difference
4 and A) obtained from the tests and the calculated values may be
the Atterberglimitsare interdependentparameters.
- The Atterberg limits(WL, P7'},and J)) are linearly
mainly
attributable
te the poor precisionof the standard
method
for determiningthe plastic
ljmit.The thread-rollline
proportionalto CF and only JVL-CF regression
ingmethod is simple, but ithas long been criticised since
have zero interceptvalue,
- The values of two of the three parameters (PVI.,
itis considered
highly operator-dependent,
For example,
PVb,
Whyte (1982)
reported that the plastic
limitof a soil deCF) that are measurable
using
standard
tests,suMces
termined in different
Iaboratories
ranged from 19% to 39
to obtain
the values
of other three parameters of the
% with an average plasticlimitof 23%, Another example
testedsoil (<425um). At this purpose two ways can be
and

expressly

concerns

the results of a reproducibility

test (Focardi,

1999)on a sample ofPliocenic Clays(Central

Italy)
tested
in 35 geotechnical laboratories.
It is composed
of clay
minerals, in order of decreasingquantities:illite,
chlorite
kaolinite and non-clay

followed:
a)

knowing the AtteTberglimitsvalues of a soil, the

CF and A values of the tested soil can be calculated
(orgraphicallyestimated plottingAtterberglimits

yalues
on
the plasticitychart) or,
quartz, calcite and
by the following
b) knowing only PPI.and CF (Iinearly
proportional)
and
PVi. 50%. The plastic
of the soil tested,the PV",4,and A values
(andfor
limitvalues ranged from 20% to 31% (average
value
PVb
any other CF) can be calculated,
calculated
value with Eq. (8)
PVb
FiThe latter method
seerns
to be more
appropriate,
Secnally,
in order to obtain the interrelationship
among
the
ondly, itis useful to know the grain-sizedistribution
and
parametersproposed in this paper, (asreported above) it the possible percentage of soil retained by the No. 40 (425

and

plagioclase. This soil is

average values:
CF=48.2%
=24.7%,

minerals:

characterized

==:

=24,5%).

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896

POLIDORI

ptm) sieve that isexcluded from Atterberg Iimits characterization. Nevertheless,

the second method
presentsa
disadvantagebecause the standard test to obtain the

distribution
of a soil (hydrometer
method)
is
grain-size
rnore laborious
than the standard testfordeterminingthe
limit.
plastic
- When linearlyproportional to clay size contents,
the
Atterberglimitsare important in characterizing
and
classifying
finesoils and to obtain correlations
with
the
intrinsic
mechanical
of
the
soils,
because
properties
they show the soil's behaviour dominated by the clay
phase.

- In a fine-grained
soil

in contact
particles
the

soil-water

minable-against

linearlaw and
ed

(<425"m)containing

non-clay

due to low CFin

system,
the Atterberg limits-if
deterclay
fractionare not goyerned by
the soil's behaviourshould be dominatwith

by the granular phase

one another

characteristics,

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author

formed

the

to thank Pref. R. Franchiwho perdiffraction

analysis.
The author
also
the following organizations:
[merys

wishes
x-ray

to thank
Minerals Ltd for providing kaolinite and Laviosa Chimica Mineraria-Livorno
for providing bentonite''a'' and
''b".
bentonite
wishes

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