Name: Shehan Fernando

Student ID: 7664613

CVE20004 Geomechanics Atterberg Limits Determination

Introduction
The agriculture scientist Albert Atterberg developed a method to organize fine grained soils.
These parameters are based on the amount of moisture content in a soil sample. This
laboratory will explore liquid and plastic limits of a soil. The liquid limit is the turning point
when a fine grained soils properties turn into one of a viscous fluid. The plastic limit is the
total amount of moisture a sample can hold until It changes from a semi solid into a plastic
state. The limits are used to analyze the properties of a soil and how it will act in a variety of
conditions.

Apparatus

Liquid limit device

Grooving tool
Spatula Containers
Sample of fine soil
Water

Refer to CVE20004 Soil Classification Prac Instructions pdf. Part 3 of the document
Determination of Atterberg Limits using Fine Fraction procedure.

Liquid Limit

1. Take about two thirds of the fine-grained fraction and place it on a glass plate.
2. Create a well in the centre of the soil sample and add a small amount of water. Mix
thoroughly using two spatulas. Continue mixing and adding water until a smooth
uniform paste is created.

3. Place a small amount of sample into the cup of the liquid limit device and
level it horizontally from the middle of the cup using a spatula. Make sure
that the cup of the liquid limit device is resting on the base while
performing this step.
Name: Shehan Fernando
Student ID: 7664613

4. Divide the sample by cutting a standard groove through the sample using
the grooving tool.

5. Turn the crank of the device to deliver a rate of approximately two blows
per second and count the number of blows (N) until the two halves of the
sample come into contact. If the number of blows exceeds 40, disregard
the sample and go directly to step seven (7). Otherwise, record the
number of drops on the data sheet.

6. Take a sample of the paste from the cup (using a spatula) and place it into a tin in
order to determine its moisture content.
7. Remix the entire soil specimen on the glass plate. Add a small amount of water to
reduce the number of blows or add a small sprinkle of dry sample to increase the
number of blows.
8. Repeat steps 3 to 7 to obtain at least four different moisture contents. Note: your four
final moisture content points must fall within the range of 15 to 40 blows. Ideally you
should obtain two moisture contents representing a blow count less than 25 and two
greater than 25.

Plastic Limit (PL):

1. Take the remaining fine grained fraction of the soil sample.

2. Add water to the soil and mix until a consistency is achieved

where it can be rolled without sticking to your hands.
Name: Shehan Fernando
Student ID: 7664613

3. Roll the mass between the palm or the fingers and the glass plate.

4. When the soil thread crumbles at 3.2 mm diameter, gather the

portions of the crumbled threads together and place into a tin
for moisture content determination.

Discussion

The moisture content in the soil was 52.9%, also the plastic limit of the soil was 33.83% which
suggest a high value water content a soil could withhold before it changes form a semi solid
state to a plastic stage. However as the number of blows increased so did the percentage of
the moisture content and I cannot personally correlation between the two. As for the
experiment, I dont believe I fully grasped the concept of the experiment, it be a great
opportunity do the experiment again and get a better understanding of the experiment.
Furthermore I believe that some of the data was incorrect as the scale wasnt working, there
was high inconsistency of blows instead of having 2 blows per second as well as human error,
as a result i suggest in future the experiment should be controlled, by limiting it to an
experienced professional such as a teacher and proper check of the measuring equipments
being used such as the scale