3.

0 DETERMINATION OF LIQUID LIMIT USING THE CONE

PENETROMETER.

3.1 INTRODUCTION

The plastic limit is the minimum water content at which soil starts to show plastic behaviour. Any fine
grained soil having natural water content close to its plastic limit is expected to have high shear
strength and low compressibility. The standard thread-rolling method for determining the plastic limit
has long been criticized for requiring considerable judgments from the operator. Cone penetrometer
is usually used for determining the liquid limit of a soil. In this study, effort has been given towards
using Cone Penetrometer to determine the plastic limit in a way to overcome the inconsistent results.
Two approaches have been suggested. Firstly, tests have been done on soils of eight locations to find
a specific penetration value using standard Cone Penetrometer whose corresponding water content
in the penetration vs water content curve can be marked as the plastic limit of that soil. Secondly, a
modified load is used in Cone Penetrometer to determine Plastic Limit. The advantages of such new
procedure is that the test is more closely related to soil behaviour, less subjective, at least as
reproducible as the Casagrande test and can be carried out in the same manner as determining liquid
limit.

3.2 OBJECTIVE

The liquid limit is defined as the moisture content corresponding to a come penetration
of 20 mm.
3.3 APPARATUS

1. A flat surface (glass surface).

2. Spatula

3. Penetrometer

4. A cone of stainless steel or

duralumin approximately 35 mm
long, with a smooth, polished
surface and an angle of 30 + 1°.
5. A metal cup approximately 55 mm in
diameter and 40 mm deep with the rim
parallel to the flat base.

6. A plastic wash bottle containing distilled

water.

7. Mortar and pestle.

8. 600mm BS test sieve.

9. Container

10. Oven
3.3 PROCEDURE OF LIQUID LIMIT

1. A soil sample are taken from lab which it material passing the 600mm BS test
sieve.200g of soil are needed to do this test.Before the soil are weighed,the
soil must be crush by using mortar and pestle.the crushed soil must be sieve
first and must be passing the 600mm BS test sieve.

2. The sample are placed on the flat surface and mixed thoroughly for 10 minutes with
distilled water using the palette knives until the mass becomes a thick homogenous
paste.

3. The sample are taken to be pushed into a cup with a palette knive. The excess soil
shall be struck off and leveled to five a smooth surface.
4. Sample in the metal cup will be placed on the base in Penetrometer cone
apparatus which placed lower, so that it just touches the surface of the soil.
When the cone is in the correct position, a slight movement of the cup will
mark the surface of the soil and the reading of redial gauge is noted to the
nearest 0.1mm. Then, the cone is released for a period of 5+1 second.

5. After the cone have been locked in position the dial gauge shall be lowered to
the new position of the cone shaft and the reading noted to the nearest
0.1mm are taken.The difference reading between the reading at beginning
and end of test are recorded.

6. The core is lifted out and cleaned carefully. Then, a little more of wet soil is
added to the cup and process at 2 to 6 are repeated.
3.4 PROCEDURE OF PLASTIC LIMIT

1. The weights of empty container are recorded.

2. A sample weighted from the material remaining after the liquid limit test
(passing the 600mm BS test sieve) are selected.Water content of soil are
reduced to a consistency at which it can be rolled without sticking to the
hands by spreading and mixing continuously on the glass plate.

3. From the sample,a portion are selected and being formed into an ellipsoid.
4. Gather the portions of the crumbled thread together and place in a container.

5. Record the weight of container by using analytical balance and then put the
container in a drying oven for 1 day.

6. Record the data.

3.5 Calculations

1. Calculate moisture content

For example:

W = m2 – m3 x 100

m3 – m1

= (31.000 – 29.000) x 100

(29.000-25.000)

= 50.00%

2. Plot the relationship between the moisture content and the corresponding cone
penetration recorded on a linear chart, with the percentage moisture content as ordinates
on the linear scale. (Based on graph paper).

4. The moisture content corresponding to a cone penetration of 20 mm shall be taken as the

liquid limit of the soil.

20mm, liquid limit =38.5 %

5. Express this moisture content to the nearest whole number and report it as the liquid limit.

 Liquid limit = 34.00%

 Plastic limit = 24.03%
 Plasticity Index = Liquid limit - Plastic limit
= 9.97%

From plasticity chart, a point having the coordinates (Liquid Limit = 34.00%, Plasticity Index
= 9.97% ) falls within the zone labeled ML, i.e. the soil is a SILT(M-Soil) of low plasticity.

3.6 DATA AND RESULTS

 PLASTIC LIMIT Test no. 1
Container no. 1
Mass of wet soil + container , g (m2) 57.80
Mass of dry soil + container , g (m3) 50.56
Mass of container , g (m1) 25.70
Mass of moisture , g (m2-m3) 7.24
Mass of dry soil , g (m3-m1) 24.86
Moisture content % (m2-m3) / (m3-m1) 29.12

LIQUID LIMIT Test no. 1 2 3

Initial dial gauge reading (mm)

Final dial gauge reading (mm) 0.85 5.01 4.5 14.5 13.6 14.9 27.3 28.8 32.6

Average penetration(mm) 3.45 14.33 29.57

Container no. g 1 2 3
Mass of wet soil + container 30.00 33.32 40.90
Mass of dry soil + container 27.85 29.37 33.18
Mass of Container 20.43 20.84 21.04

Mass of moisture
Mass of dry soil
Moisture content