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Plasticity Index and Liquid Limit

The document defines and describes the plasticity index and liquid limit of soils. The plasticity index is a measure of a soil's plasticity, calculated as the liquid limit minus the plastic limit. It indicates whether a soil behaves as clay, silt or non-plastic material based on its value. The liquid limit is the moisture content where a soil transitions from plastic to liquid behavior, defined through standard tests using a liquid limit device.

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Earl John Lugatiman
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197 views15 pages

Plasticity Index and Liquid Limit

The document defines and describes the plasticity index and liquid limit of soils. The plasticity index is a measure of a soil's plasticity, calculated as the liquid limit minus the plastic limit. It indicates whether a soil behaves as clay, silt or non-plastic material based on its value. The liquid limit is the moisture content where a soil transitions from plastic to liquid behavior, defined through standard tests using a liquid limit device.

Uploaded by

Earl John Lugatiman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Plasticity Index

and
Liquid Limit
Plasticity Index (PI)
Definition
 The plasticity index (PI) is a measure of the plasticity of a soil. The plasticity
index is the size of the range of water contents where the soil exhibits plastic
properties. The PI is the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic
limit (PI = LL-PL). Soils with a high PI tend to be clay, those with a lower PI
tend to be silt, and those with a PI of 0 (non-plastic) tend to have little or no
silt or clay.
- The plasticity index of a soil is the numerical difference
between its liquid limit and its plastic limit, and is a
dimensionless number. Both the liquid and plastic limits
aremoisture contents.
Soil descriptions based on PI:

 (0)- Nonplastic
 (<7) - Slightly plastic
 (7-17) - Medium plastic
 >17 - Highly plastic
Plasticity Index
= Liquid Limit - Plastic Limit
P.I = L.L-P.L

P.I = plasticity index


L.L = liquid limit
P.L = plastic limit
Liquid Limit (LL)
 The liquid limit (LL) is conceptually defined as the water content at which
the behavior of a clayey soil changes from plastic to liquid. However, the
transition from plastic to liquid behavior is gradual over a range of water
contents, and the shear strength of the soil is not actually zero at the liquid
limit. The precise definition of the liquid limit is based on standard test
procedures described below.
- The liquid limit of a soil is the moisture content, expressed as
a percentage of the
weight of the oven-dried soil, at the boundary between the
liquid and plastic states
of consistency.
 Mc = (Ww / Wd) x 100

 Mc =moisture content (LL)


 Ww = weight of water
 Wd = weight of dried soil
Sample problem

 A soil sample was determine in the laboratory to have a


liquid limit of 41% and a plastic limit of 21.1%. If the water
content is 30% determine the

 Plasticity index
 Solution:

 PI = LL – PL

 PI = 41 – 21.1

 PI = 19.9
 A schematic diagram (side view) of a liquid limit device is shown in Figure
4.2a. This device consists of a brass cup and a hard rubber base. The brass
cup can be dropped onto
thebasebyacamoperatedbyacrank.Toperformtheliquidlimittest,onemust
place a soil

a.)Liquid limit device


b.) Grooving tool

c.) soil pat before test

d.) soil pat after test

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