Soil Classification

Prepared by: Jodin Makinda
Lecture 4: Soil Classification 2

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lecture students will be able:
to explain and outline the Atterberg Limit tests
to analyze the results obtained.
Problem Statement
The changes
in engineering
behavior of
soil affected
civil
engineering
structures and
human lives
Earth Disasters
Train tracks north of Seattle, WA, in January of 1997, mud swept a freight train into
Puget Sound. (Photograph by Mike Siegel, The Seattle Times.)
Earth Disasters
Bukit Antarabangsa, 2008
Earth Disasters
Ribut Greg (24 December 1996), Keningau Sabah
Earth Disasters
Jalan Tamparuli-Ranau (Km 82.1) Source: JKR Sabah
Earth Disasters
Pos Dipang Perak (1996). Source: JKR Sabah
Earth Disasters
Kg Bondulon, Jalan Sepangar, Sabah (Source: JKR Sabah)
Introduction
As mentioned in previous lecture, while
dry sieve method is suitable for coarse
grained soil (gravel and sand),
hydrometer method can be used to
determine the sieve analyze of small
particles (clay & silt)
Another valuable techniques for
analyzing cohesive soils is by the use of
Atterberg Limits
Introduction
Atterberg Limits is introduced
by Prof. Dr. Albert Mauritz
Atterberg (18461916) was a
Swedish chemist and agricultural
scientist.

Atterberg was the first to suggest
the limit <0.002mm as a
classification for clay particles.

He found that plasticity to be a
particular characteristic of clay
and as a result of his
investigations arrived at the
consistency limits which bear his
name today.
Why Atterberg Limit?
The Atterberg Limits allow engineers to
classify soils into their applications
For instance one soil may have
applications in sub-bases of roads,
where another soil may be better suited
for foundations of buildings
When a soil becomes a viscous fluid, the
soil will begin to flow under its own
weight (Slope Failure)
Atterberg Limits Theory
If the water content in a dry soil is
gradually increased, it will change from
solid to semi-solid to plastic to liquid
states
The 4 states are also known as
consistency, and the soil properties as
it passes these states change drastically

Atterberg Limit Theory
4 states of consistency: Solid, Semi-
Solid, Plastic and Liquid states
If the water content in a dry soil is gradually
increased, it will change from solid to semi-solid to
plastic to liquid states
SEMI SOLID
STATE
Think
What will happen if
a soil sample in a
liquid state is
gradually dried
out in an oven?
Answer
Liquid
Drying
Wetting
Atterberg Limits
The 4 states are divided by the Atterberg Limits:
Liquid limit (LL) = dividing liquid and plastic states
Plastic limit (PL) = dividing plastic and semisolid
states
Shrinkage limit (SL) = dividing semisolid and solid
states
LL, PL and SL are quantified in water content, w
(i.e moisture content) and can be determined in lab
tests
Determination of LL (Casagrande)
Procedure (LL)
Soil sample is mixed with
water, placed in the
Casagrande cup and cut at the
center by the grooving tool .
The cup is raised and
dropped repeatedly.
When the cut closes the ,
number of drops is recorded
and a moisture content of the
sample is processed.
Repeating the procedure
provides enough data to plot
on a linear vs semi-log scale.
From the plot, the moisture
content at 25 drops defines the
Liquid Limit
The Casagrande cup method of
determining the LL has many
shortcoming. Two of these are:
1. The tendency of soils of low plasticity to
slide and liquefy with shock in the cup,
rather than to flow plastically
2. Sensitivity to operator and to small
differences in apparatus
Example 3.1
A liquid limit test conducted on a soil
sample in the Casagrande cup device
gave the following result:

No of blows 10 19 23 27 40
Water content (%) 60.0 45.2 39.8 36.5 25.2

Determine the liquid limit (LL) of the soil.
Answer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
10 100
No of Blow
M
o
i
s
t
u
r
e

C
o
n
t
e
n
t

(
%
)
Answer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
10 100
No of Blow
M
o
i
s
t
u
r
e

C
o
n
t
e
n
t

(
%
)
25 blows
LL = 38%
Moisture content at 25 blows = 38% (LL)
Determination of LL (Fall Cone)
Procedure
Prepare the soil mixed, place
soil sample in the penetration
cup
Low the penetration cone
slightly touching the surface
of the soil before the cone
penetrometer is released and
penetration depth (in mm) is
taken.
Repeating the procedure
provides enough data to plot
on a semi-log vs semilog scale
or linear vs. linear scale.
From the plot, the moisture
content at 20 mm depth
penetration defines the Liquid
Limit

Example 3.2
In a liquid limit test on a fine-grained soil,
using a cone penetrometer, the following
results were recorded.

Cone Penetration (mm) 15.9 17.7 19.1 20.3 21.5
Water content (%) 32.6 42.9 51.6 59.8 66.2

Determine the liquid limit of the soil

Answer 3.2 (linear vs linear)
Plot Penetration Vs Water content on graph paper
Water content (%) 32.6 42.9 51.6 59.8 66.2
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
20 30 40 50 60 70
Water content (%)
P
e
n
e
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
m
)
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
20 30 40 50 60 70
Water content (%)
P
e
n
e
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
m
)
57%
Moisture content at 20 mm penetration = 57% (LL)
Plot Penetration Vs Water content on Semilog-Semilog
paper
Water content (%) 32.6 42.9 51.6 59.8 66.2
Answer 3.2 (Semilog vs semilog)
10
100
10 100
Water content (%)
P
e
n
e
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
m
)
Moisture content at 20 mm penetration = 57% (LL)
Determination of PL
The moisture
content of a soil
which can be
formed into a ball,
then rolled to a
1/8-inch (3mm)
thread only once
before crumbling
Determination of LL
Moisture content (w) is calculated as:

w = Wet soil Dry soil (%)
Dry soil

Or w = Wwater(%)
Wsoil
Determination of SL
The shrinkage
limit (SL) is the
water content
where further
loss of moisture
will not result in
any more volume
reduction
The shrinkage
limit is much less
commonly used
than the liquid
limit and the
plastic limit.
Shrinkage Limit
Wet the soil sample. Place in another
dish coated with petroleum jelly in 3
parts, weigh and set to dry and
weigh again
Remove the oven-dried soil pat, and
replace the void with mercury, in
addition the weight and volume of
the empty shrinkage dish is
determined.

SL = w 100 [ (V-V0)w / M0 ]

Where w = water content of wet soil,
V = volume of wet soil, V0 = volume
of oven-dried soil pat , w = density
of water, M0 = mass of oven dried
soil pat.
Analysis of Atterberg Limits
Plasticity Index (PI)
= LL PL
The Casagrande
Plasticity Chart is
made by plotting the
plasticity index (PI)
versus the liquid limit
(LL).
A method for
determining the type of
fines.

The A-line on the Plasticity
Chart separates the clays
from the silts . A-line
equation;
PI = 0.73 (LL-20)
Any values the A-line or
above will be classified as
clay (C).
And values below the A-line
will be classified as silt (M).
Materials whose limits plot
within the cross-hatched
area will be dually
classified.
The B-line, of LL = 50
percent, separates the
high compressible from the
low compressible fine-
grained soils.
If the limits plot on the B-
line or the right, the
material will be high
compressible (high LL)
and given H as
Secondary letter.
If the limits plot to the left
of the B-line, the material
will be classified as low
compressible (low LL) and
given L as Secondary
letter.
B-line
Any question so far??
Example 3.1 and 3.2
Example
LL
(%)
PL
(%)
Plasticity
Index (PI)
Soil
Classification
3.1 38 28
3.2 57 25
Given that the Plastic Limit (PL) for soils in
previous Example 3.1 and 3.2 are as follow.
Classify the soils using Plasticity Chart.
A measure of soil strength using the Atterberg Limits is
known as liquidity index (LI) , expressed as
LI = (w-PL)/(PI)
Or

where w is the natural water content.

LI Value Description of soil strength
LI < 0 Semisolid state high strength, brittle, sudden fracture is expected
0 <LI <1 Plastic state intermediate strength, soil deforms like a plastic material
LI > 1 Liquid state low strength, soil deforms like a viscous state
The degree of plasticity of clay fraction is
termed the activity of the soil.

Activity, A = PI / % Clay

From the activity one can predict the dominant
clay type present in a soil sample.
High activity signifies large volume change
when wetted and large shrinkage when dried
and are very reactive chemically
Normally, activity of clay is between 0.75 and
1.25. It is assumed that the plasticity index is
approximately equal to the clay fraction (A =
1).
When A is less than 0.75, it is considered
inactive. When it is greater than 1.25, it is
considered active

Minerals Activity
Muscovite
Kaolinite
Illite
Montmoroillonite
0.25
0.40
0.90
>1.25

Soils Activity
Kaolin clay
Glacial clay and
loess
Most British clay
Organic estuarine
clay
0.4-0.5
0.5-0.75

0.75-1.25
>1.25
Example 3.3
After a series of laboratory tests, the following data
were established for a fine soil:
LL = 45%
PL = 18%
Clay content = 24.2%

a. Classify the soil
b. Calculate the activity of the soil
c. Determine the liquidity index of the soil when its
natural moisture content is 29%
Answer 3.3
a. Using plasticity chart (LL=45, PI = 27),
the soil is classified as CL (clay of low
liquid limit)
b. Activity, A = PI/% clay
= (45-18)/24.1 =1.16
c. LI = (29-18)/(45-18) x 100%
= 41%
Conclusions
1. Fine-grained soils can exist in one of
four states: solid, semi-solid, plastic
and liquid
2. Water is the agent that is responsible
for changing the states of soils
3. A soil gets weaker if its water content
increases
4. LL, PL and SL are defined on the water
content that causes a change of state
Conclusions
5. The PI defines the range of water
content for which the soil behaves like
a plastic materials
6. The LI gives a measure of strength
7. The A gives a measure of degree of
plasticity, reactivity and possible
minerals / clay types
8. The soil strength is lowest at the liquid
state and highest at the solid state
The End
Discussion
In a laboratory test to determine the liquid limit of a silty
clay soil, the results obtained are as below:

Test W
1
(g) W
2
(g)

W
3
(g)

Depth of cone
penetration (mm)
1 11.62 21.26 19.08 15.5
2 10.87 19.50 17.24 20.0
3 11.21 21.20 18.29 24.0
4 10.46 19.62 16.74 27.5
Where; W
1
= weight of container , W
2
= weight of container + wet soil
and W
3
= weight of container + oven-dried soil

a) Find the liquid limit.
b) If the plastic limit and the natural water content of the soil are 22% and
35% respectively, calculate the plasticity and liquidity index of the sample.
c) Classify the soil using plasticity chart.
Answer
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
20 25 30 35 40 45 50

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Prepared by: Jodin Makinda

Lecture 4: Soil Classification 2

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