lndsr and Claseltlcatlon Proparilss ol Solls

content at which a
operator-independent' He defined the LL as that water
tool (Figs'
standard groove cut in the remolded soil sample bV a qlogving
ovar a distance of 13 mm 1i inr) at 2.5 blows of the LL
2.8a,b) *ill
(Fig' 2'8c)' In
"lor"
rnm on a hard rubber or rnicaria plastic base
cup falling l0
occurs at
closure
groove
the
practice, it i. diffi"ult to mix the soil so that
water
contents
the
plot
you
exactly 25 blows, but Casagrande found that if
the
logarithm
of
of tests where you get closire at other blow counts versus
cun)e'
Where
the number of blows, you Bet u ttruight line cailed tt,e flow
defined as the liquid
the flow curve cross., 15 blo*., that water content is
limit.
The plastic limit test is somewhat more arbitrary' and it requires
The PL is defined
some practice to get consistent and reproducible results.
when it is
as the water content at which a thread of soil 7usl crumbles
break up into
carefully rolled out to a diameter of 3 mm (i i"')' It should
threads
can be
the
If
segments about 3 to l0 *- (+ in. to i i"') long' the
PL);
if it
(above
rolled ro a smaller diameter, ttien the til it too wet
you
past
are
the
crumbles before you reach 3 mm (* ln.) in diameter' then
shown
in
Fig.
those
like
look
properly
pL.
rolied out PL threads should
2.8d.

appear simple'
Even though the liquid limit and plastic limit tests
In
Sweden, the
both tests do take some practice to Bet consistent results.
1957). It seems
fall-cone test is used to determine the liquid limit (Hansbo,
especially for
device,
to give more consistent results than the Casagrande
use'
Karlsson
faster-to
S*Iaisf, clays, and it is somewhat simpler and
proceduresof
both
(lgl7)presents an excellent discussion of the reliability
for soils
Sometimes a one-point liquid limit lesl can be used because'
Then
all
similar'
are
curves
flow
the
of
of similar geologic origin, the siopes
with
closure
of
the.sample
of
w,
;"" ;;r" o it obtain the water contentthe following relationship
ih* groor" at any blow count n, and use
7 ltooB
LL:w"(r,)

(2-21)

the blow couDt n

where tan p is the slope of the flow curve. For best results

Army Corps of
should be between atout l0 and 40. Lambe (1951)' U'S'
of the
discussions
good
Engineers (1970), and Karlsson (1977) provide
one-point liquid limit test.
You may have noticed that we have not rnentrone:d the ASTM
the ASTM
procedures foi ttre Atterberg limits tests. We do not recommend
limits
be conthe
that
p.ocedures because, for one thing, they require
will
give
procedure
a
ducted on air-dried specimens. For some soils, such
natural
water
very different results than if the limits are conducted at the
grooving
content (Karlsson, lg77). The other problem with ASTM is the
of
the
height
control
any
for
allow
tool for the liquid limit test' It does not