ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS ASSIGNMENT II

4.1 Following are the results from the liquid and plastic limit tests for a soil. Liquid
Limit test:

Number of blows, N Moisture content (%) Plastic limit test: PL = 12.2%

16 36.5 a. Draw the flow curve and obtain the liquid
20 34.1 limit.
b. What is the plasticity index of the soil?
28 27
Given: PL = 12.2%
Required: a. flow curve & LL =? b. PI =?
Solution: a. To draw the flow curve by writing the Moisture content vertically and the number of
blows horizontally as follows.
40

36
moisture content(%)

32

28

24

20
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Number of blows, N

The moisture content correspond to N = 25, determined from the flow curve, gives the liquid limit
of the soil. That is LL = 29.7%. See the following figure.

40

flow curve
36
moisture content(%)

32

LL =29.7%
28

24

20
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Number of blows, N

NAME: TILAHUN MERSHA; ENGINEERING GEOLOGY (MSc) 1|5

 ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS ASSIGNMENT II

a. Plasticity index of the soil can be calculated from the equation: PI = LL PL;
So, PI = 29.7% 12.2% = 17.5%
4.2 Determine the liquidity index of the soil described in Problem 4.1 if win situ = 31%.
Given: PI = 17.5%, LL = 29.7%, w = 31% & PL = 12.2% Required: LI =?
Solution: LI = (w PL)/(LL PL) = (w PL)/PI = (31% 12.2%)/(17.5%) = 1.07
4.3 Following are the results from the liquid and plastic limit tests for a soil. Liquid limit test:
Number of Moisture Plastic limit test: PL = 18.7%
blows, N content, (%) a. Draw the flow curve and obtain the liquid limit.
15 42 b. What is the plasticity index of the soil?
20 40.8 Given: PL = 18.7%
28 39.1 Required: a. flow curve & LL =? b. PI =?

Solution: a. to draw the flow curve by writing the Moisture content vertically and the number of
blows horizontally as follows.
50
Moisture content, (%)

45

40

35

30
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Number of blows, N

50
The moisture content
Flow corve corresponding to N = 25,
Moisture content, (%)

45
determined from the
flow curve, gives the
40 LL= 39.7% liquid limit of the soil.
That is LL = 39.7%
35

30
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Number of blows, N

NAME: TILAHUN MERSHA; ENGINEERING GEOLOGY (MSc) 2|5

 ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS ASSIGNMENT II

b. Plasticity index of the soil can be calculated from the equation: PI = LL PL; that is PI =
39.7% 18.7% = 21%
4.4 Refer to Problem 4.3. Determine the liquidity index of the soil when the in situ moisture content
is 26%.
Given: PI = 21%, LL = 39.7%, w = 26% & PL = 18.7% Required: LI =?
Solution: LI = (w PL)/(LL PL) = (w PL)/PI = (26% 18.7%)/(21%) = 0.35
4.6 A saturated soil has the following characteristics: initial volume (Vi) = 24.6 cm3, final volume
(Vf) = 15.9 cm3, mass of wet soil (Ml) = 44 g, and mass of dry soil (M2) 30.1 g. Determine the
shrinkage limit and the shrinkage ratio.
Given: Vi = 24.6 cm3, Vf = 15.9 cm3, Ml = 44 g, and M2 30.1 g. Pw = 1 g/cm3
Required: SL & SR =?
Solution:
12 4430.1 24.615.9
L = ( ) 100 ( )( )(100) = ( )(100) ( )(1)(100) = 17.28%
2 2 30.1 30.1
2 30.1
= = (15.9)(1) = 1.89

5.2 The sieve analysis of ten soils and the liquid and plastic limits of the fraction passing through
the No. 40 sieve are given below. Classify the soils using the AASHTO classification system and
give the group indexes.
Soil no. Sieve analysis (percent finer) Liquid limit Plastic limit
No. 10 No. 40 No. 200
1 98 80 50 38 29
2 100 92 80 56 23
3 100 88 65 37 22
4 85 55 45 28 20
5 92 75 62 43 28
6 48 28 6 - NP
7 87 62 30 32 24
8 90 76 34 37 25
9 100 78 8 - NP
10 92 74 32 44 35
Solution:-
Soil no. 1: Using Table 5.1, since 50% of the soil is passing through the No. 200 sieve, it falls
under silt-clay classificationsthat is, it falls under group A-4, A-5, A-6, or A-7. Proceeding from
left to right, it falls under group A-4.
From Equation; GI = (F200 - 35) [0.2 + 0.005(LL - 40)] + 0.01(F200 -15) (PI- 10)
GI = (50 -35) [0.2 +0.005(38 -40)] +0.01(50 -15) (9-10) = 2.5 3
So, the soil will be classified as A-4(3).
Soil no. 2: According to Table 5.1, this soil falls under group A-7 (proceed in a manner similar to
Soil no. 1). Since, PI > LL 30 = 33 >56 30 = 33 > 26. This is an A-7- 6 soil.
GI = (F200 - 35) [0.2 + 0.005(LL - 40)] + 0.01(F200 -15) (PI- 10)
GI = (80 35) [0.2 + 0.005(56 40)] + 0.01(80 15) (33 10) = 27.55 28
So, the soil will be classified as A-7-6(28).

NAME: TILAHUN MERSHA; ENGINEERING GEOLOGY (MSc) 3|5

 ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS ASSIGNMENT II

Soil no. 3: According to Table 5.1, this soil falls under group A-6 (proceed in a manner similar to
Soil no. 1).
GI = (F200 - 35) [0.2 + 0.005(LL - 40)] + 0.01(F200 -15) (PI- 10)
GI = (65 35) [0.2 + 0.005(37 40)] + 0.01(65 15) (15 10) = 8.05 8
Thus, the soil type is A-6(8)
Soil no. 4: According to Table 5.1, this soil falls under group A-4 (proceed in a manner similar to
Soil no. 1).
GI = (F200 - 35) [0.2 + 0.005(LL - 40)] + 0.01(F200 -15) (PI- 10)
GI = (45 35) [0.2 + 0.005(28 40)] + 0.01(45 15) (8 10) = -4.6 0
Thus, the soil type is A-4(0)
Soil no. 5: According to Table 5.1, this soil falls under group A-7 (proceed in a manner similar to
Soil no. 1). Since, PI > LL 30 = 15 > 43 30 = 15 > 13. This is an A-7- 6 soil.
GI = (F200 - 35) [0.2 + 0.005(LL - 40)] + 0.01(F200 -15) (PI- 10)
GI = (62 35) [0.2 + 0.005(43 40)] + 0.01(62 15) (15 10) = 8.155 8
Thus, the soil type is A-7-6(8)
Soil no. 6: Using Table 5.1, since 6% of the soil is passing through the No. 200 sieve, it falls under
granular material classificationthat is, A-1, A-2, or A-3. Proceeding from left to right, we see
that it falls under A-1-a. The group index for A-1-a is zero. So, the soil type is A-1-a (0).
Soil no. 7: Using Table 5.1, since 30% of the soil is passing through the No. 200 sieve, it falls
under granular material classificationthat is, A-1, A-2, or A-3. Proceeding from left to right, we
see that it falls under A-2-4. The group index for A-2-4 is zero.
So, the soil type is A-2-4(0).
Soil no. 8: Using Table 5.1, since 34% of the soil is passing through the No. 200 sieve, it falls
under granular material classificationthat is, A-1, A-2, or A-3. Proceeding from left to right, we
see that it falls under A-2-6.
GI = 0.01(F -15) (PI -10); Now, F = 34; PI =12; so, GI =0.01(34 -15) (12 -10) = 0.38 0
Thus, the soil is A-2-6(0).
Soil no. 9: Using Table 5.1, since 8% of the soil is passing through the No. 200 sieve, it falls under
granular material classificationthat is, A-1, A-2, or A-3. Proceeding from left to right, we see
that it falls under A-3. The group index for A-3 is zero. So, the soil type is A-3(0).
Soil no. 10: Using Table 5.1, since 32% of the soil is passing through the No. 200 sieve, it falls
under granular material classificationthat is, A-1, A-2, or A-3. Proceeding from left to right, we
see that it falls under A-2-5. The group index for A-2-5 is zero. So, the soil type is A-2-5(0).

5.4 For an inorganic soil, the following grain-size analysis is given.

U.S. sieve no. Percent finer For this soil, LL = 23 and PL= 19. Classify the soil by using
4 100 a. AASHTO soil classification system
10 90 b. Unified soil classification system
20 64 Give group names and group symbols.
40 38
80 18
200 13
Solution:

NAME: TILAHUN MERSHA; ENGINEERING GEOLOGY (MSc) 4|5

 ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS ASSIGNMENT II

a. Using Table 5.1, since 13% of the soil is passing through the No. 200 sieve, it falls under
granular material classificationthat is, A-1, A-2, or A-3. Proceeding from left to right,
we see that it falls under A-1-b. The group index for A-1-b is zero.
So, the soil type is A-1-b (0).
b. Refer to Table 5.2 the percentage passing No. 200 sieve is 13%, which is less than 50%.
So it is a coarse grained soil.
Thus, coarse fraction = % retained on No. 200 sieve = 100% 13% = 87%
Gravel fraction = % retained on No. 4 sieve = 100% - 100% = 0%
Sand fraction = % retained on No.200 sieve - % retained on No.4 sieve = 87% - 0% = 87%
Hence, more than 50% of the coarse fraction is passing No. 4 sieve. Thus, it is a sandy soil. Since
more than 12% passing No. 200 sieve, then the group symbol is SC. For the group name, refer to
fig 5.4. Since the percentage of gravel is less than 15%, it is clayey sand.

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NAME: TILAHUN MERSHA; ENGINEERING GEOLOGY (MSc) 5|5