*Liquid Limit

1.Objectives
The moisture content at the point of transition from plastic to liquid
state is the liquid limit. These parameters are also known as Atterberg
limits , The liquid limit is determined in the lab as the moisture content
at which the two sides of a groove formed in soil come together and
touch for a distance of 12.7(mm) after 25 blows . 2.Equipments
2. Equipment

Liquid device Grooving tool

 Spatula Soil specimen
Containers

Glass plate Graduated cylinder

Electric Balance
3.Procedure
Prepare soil by adding water into sieved dry soil. Water content is
checked by weight. Mix dry soil with water to produce soil paste.
Place soil in clean Casagrande cup.
Level soil in cup by spatula.
Cut groove through center of cup by
grooving tool
Turn crank at 2 blows/s.
Record number of blows with groove closes by 12.7 mm
Repeat from 4 to 5 soil samples to obtain the number of blow between
15 and 35.
Calibration: Height of drop and base
 Weigh container Casagrande cup

4. Data and analysis

I. LIQUID LIMIT
No. of sample n v 1 2 3
Number blows 17 33 30
Mass of contain g 9.23 9.28 9.21
Volume of contain cm3
Mass of contain +
g 24.04 21.76 23.49
wet soil
Mass of wet soil g 14.81 12.48 14.28
Mass of contain +
g 20.13 18.5 19.75
dry soil
Mass of dry soil g 10.9 9.22 10.54
Water content % 35.88 35.36 35.48
 36
35.9
35.8
35.7 Liquid limit =35.62%
35.6
35.5
Water content(%)
35.4
35.3
35.2
35.1
35
16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

Number of blows

5.Conclusion
The test helps us to determine liquid limit of soil. The liquid limit is the
percent of water when number of blows reachs 25 times.
*Plastic limit
1.Objectives
The moisture content at the point of transition from semisolid to
plastic state is the plastic limit. The plastic limit (PL) is the water
content, in percent, at which a soil can be no longer deformed by
rolling into 4.2 mm (1/8 in.) diameter threads without crumbling. This
lab is performed to determine the plastic limits of a fine-grained soil.
2.Equipments

Glass plates Dry oven

3.Procedure
-Air dry soil until it will not stick to hand
-Roll soil on glass plate by hand or plastic roller into thread of
4.2 mm diameter.
-If soil began to crumble ,then take water content, otherwise
to reroll soil.

Results
4.Data and analysis

No. of sample n v 1 2 3

Diameter of thread soil mm 4.2 4.2 4.2

Mass of contain g 9.22 9.31 9.24

Mass of contain + wet
g 22.78 20.19 18.99
soil
Mass of wet soil g 13.56 10.88 9.75
Mass of contain + dry
g 19.23 17.79 16.4
soil
Mass of dry soil g 10.01 8.48 7.16

Water content % 35.46 28.30 36.17

-Mass of Dry Soil (g) =(Mass of Container + Dry Soil)- Mass of container
-Mass of Wet Soil (g) =(Mass of Container + Wet Soil)- Mass of container
-Mass of Water(g)=Mass of Dry Soil-Mass of Wet Soil
-Water Content(%)=(Mass of Water/ Mass of Dry soil)*100
- PL= LL PI
5. Conclusion
-This table above illustrates the plastic limit of three samples of soil.
Plastic limit is water content (in percent) at which the soil crumbles, when
rolled into thread 4.2mm in diameter
*Direct shear
1.Objectives
-To determine the shearing strength of the soil using the direct shear
apparatus.
2. Equipment

Porous plates Round sample cutter and

round dolly tampers

Direct shear box apparatus

3.Procedure
-Trim soil by sample cutter to fit in shear box.
-Assemble soil sample into shear box by using a dolly tamper.
-For consolidation, apply the required vertical load.

Manipulate the vertical load of machine

-Record vertical displacement and time to determine the consolidation

characteristics.
-For shearing (quick test or drained test on sandy soil), lift upper half of box
by 2 screws for reduction the friction between upper and lower boxes.
Push one-half of box in horizontal way at the rate of 5% per hour. Record
horizontal, vertical force and horizontal displacements until shear strain
reaches 30%.
-Repeat test at different consolidation stresses
 Results

4. Data and analysis

Shear Shear Vertical Normal
Shear Applied
No. displacem stress displacem stress
force (KN) force (KN)
ent (mm) (KN/m2) ent (mm) (KN/m2)
1 62.34 2.053 20 0.105 0.007 33.68
2 187.00 1.61 60 0.63 -0.014 202.11
3 280.00 2.604 90 0.914 -0.541 291.00
 100
90
80
70
60
50
Shear stress 40
30
20
10
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Normal stress

-Calculation the normal stress:

-Calculation the shear stress:

5.Conclusion
This test helps us to figure out clearly about direct shear stress. This test
put forward to the limit of shear stress causing the failure of soil and the
relationship between applied force and shear force.
*Water content
1.Objective:
Water content determination is required most of laboratory tests in the soil
mechanics, which is a basic information utilized in experiment such as:
compaction test, shear test
2.Equipment:
Balance, sample cans/holders, sample soil and drying oven are provided by
Laboratory of Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department.

Cans/holders sample Electric balance Drying

oven
3.Procedure
For water (moisture) content
Weigh sample holder (w1)
Contain soil in a sample holder
Weigh wet soil and holder (w2)
Place soil in oven at 105C to dry (gypsumor organic soil, temperature is
not exceed80C)
Cool dry soil in desiccators
Weigh dry soil and holder (w3)

The weight of can The weight of dry soil cans

4.Data and analysis
I. WATER CONTENT
No. of sample n v 1 2 3
Mass of contain g 9.29 9.26 9.24
Volume of contain cm3
Mass of contain +
g 17.01 18.02 16.6
wet soil
Mass of wet soil g 7.72 8.76 8.36
Mass of contain + dry
g 14.25 14.98 14.85
soil
Mass of dry soil g 4.96 5.72 5.61
Water content % 55.65 53.14 49.00

-Calculation
Water content is defined as the ration of the weight of water present in a
given soil to the weight of dry soil

where w = water content

Wws = weight of wet soil placed in the container (g)
Wd = weight of dry soil placed in the container (g)
Wc = weight of container (g)

5. Conclusion
This test help us to understand deeply about the methods to determine
water content and unit weight
*Unit weight
1.Objectives
Unit weight is an important value needed in the most of the laboratory
tests. This experiment is applied to determine the ratio of mass of moist
soil to the volume of soil sample, and the dry density is the ratio of the
mass of the dry soil to the volume the soil sample.

2. Equipment
It is supplied balance, shear ring, soil sample, evaporating dish sample by
Laboratory of Soil Mechanics Civil Engineering Department.

Electric Balance Shear ring

Evaporating dish


3.Procedure

Soil ring sample or holder for dense soil with stability of shape ; Wax for
loose soil;
Petroleum for dense soil with instability of shape to determine volume
Weigh soil sample to determine weight of soil (wi)

Mixing soil Weight of ring Weight of dish

4.Data and analysis

UNIT WEIGHT
No. of sample n v 1 2 3
Mass of shear ring g 216.73 216.42 216.42
Volume of shear
cm3 80.75 80.75 80.75
ring
Mass of shear ring +
g 364.94 362.07 367.42
wet soil
Mass of wet soil cm3 148.21 145.65 150.62
Mass of shear ring +
g 318.85 315.13 319.03
dry soil
Mass of dry soil g 102.12 98.71 102.61
Water content % 45.13 47.56 46.78
Density g/cm 3
1.83 1.8 1.87
Unit weight N/mm3 179543 17658 18344.7

For soil without change in volume by drying

*Distribution
1/ Objectives:
-To determine the percent of different grain sizes and the kinds of soil.
2/Equipment:
Sieves include the square hole: 4.75, 2, 1, 0.85, 0.5, 0.425, 0.25, 0.106,
0.075(mm); pan; sieve shaker; soil sample, electric balance

Sieve Sieve shaker

Electric balance
3/Procedure:
-There are totally of three stages in the process of sieving analysis.
-Firstly, sieves are selected with the number the experiment. Then, mass of
each sieve and pan will be determined. -Sieves is assemble and ascending.
The biggest size sieve is available on the top; the smaller sieves is placed
-gradually off the bottom-pan. Then, it is prepared 1000g soil to put into
them.
-Next, they are taken into the sieve shaker to separate the grain size of soil
4/Data and analysis

Initial dry weight Percentage after

(g) loss
Percent
Mass of Mass of Cumulativ
Sieve Diameter Mass of of
sieve and retained e mass
No. size mm sieve (g) passing
soil (g) soil (g) (g)
soil (g)
4 4.75 570.4 641.5 71.1 1005.54 92.93
10 2.00 535.87 884.00 348.13 934.44 58.31
18 1.00 494.45 786.5 292.05 586.31 29.26
20 0.85 500.05 552 51.95 294.26 24.10
35 0.50 462.3 580 117.7 242.31 12.39
40 0.425 440.34 469 28.66 124.61 9.54
60 0.250 411.39 448.00 36.61 95.95 5.90
140 0.106
200 0.075 415.47 460 44.53 59.34 1.47
Pan 484.19 499 14.81 14.81 0.00

Total
4314.46 5320.00 1005.54
mass
 100

80 Percent finner (%)

60

40

20

0
5 0.5 0.05

Particle size - Log scale

Soil retained = Mass of sieve and soil - Mass of sieve

Cumulative mass = total mass of soil (mass of retained soil)
%percent of passing soil = x 100%
5. Conclusion
-The test helps us to know clearly about how to sieve the soil as well as
to calculate the retained and cumulative soil. Additionally, by this test I
can know how to draw the graph about the percent of finer on the
particle size

* Compaction test
1. Objectives
-Compaction test of soil is also known as Proctors test is done to understand
compaction characteristics of different soils with change in moisture content.
2/Equipment:

Automatic compaction machine Hammer Standard mould

and balance

3/Procedure:
-Prepare sufficient amount of air-dried soil (enough for 5 moulds).
-Divide soil into equal portions for each compaction.
-Add water to each portion incremental water content, then mixing each
portion. Compact each portion according to given requirement. In which the
last layer, it should not exceed the mould by more than 8 mm.
-Remove compaction collar and scrape surface flat.
-Determine water content and unit dry weight by cans and oven-dry

Weigh the mould Weigh of soil after compaction Setting up

machine within 25

blows
4. Data and analysis

1 2 3 4 5 6
Mass of container 9.27 9.36 9.22 9.28 9.34 9.26
Mass of container+wet
soil 41.18 47.26 40.75 52.12 71.16 50.27
Mass of container+dry soil 37.12 43.39 36.38 47.07 63.75 45.45
Moisture content (%) 10.93 8.91 12.01 10.72 11.6 10.6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Mass of container 9.32 9.28 9.25 9.3 9.23 9.27
Mass of container+wet
soil 37 42.4 47.68 38.28 35.1 46.26
Mass of container+dry soil 32.72 37.42 42.44 34.24 30.83 40.98
Moisture content (%) 13.1 13.8 12.3 11.79 13.85 12.88

Mass of container 1 2 3 4 5 6
Mass of container+wet
soil 64.85 29.25 57.7 59.3 43.6 40.28
Mass of container+dry soil 56.38 25.54 49.87 51.2 37.9 34.89
Moisture content (%) 15.02 14.52 15.7 15.82 15.04 15.44
1 2 3
Mass of mould 3347 3344 3343
Mass of mould+wet soil 5190 5260 5263.5
Mass of wet soil 1843 1916 1920.5
Diameter of mould 101.5 101.4 101.4
Depth of mould 116.4 116.4 116.4
Volume of mould(cm3) 941.835 939.98 939.98
Unit Weight, (g/cm3) 1.5506 1.5729 1.5744

Assumed Water Content

(%) 11 13 15
Actual Average Water

Content(%) 10.94 13.046 15.18
Dry unit weight ,d 1.763 1.803 1.773
 Weight of water W( can wetsoil ) Wcan drysoil
Moisture Content , or w x100
Weight of dry sample W W
can drysoil can

Weight of moist soil Wmold wet soil

Moist Unit Weight , or
Volume of mold Wmold

Dry unit weight

Weight of dry soil
, or d
Volume of mold w
1
100

Relationship gk - w
1.85
1.8
1.75
1.7
1.65
Dry density-KL kh
1.6
1.55
1.5
1.45
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Moisture - m %

5. Conclusion
-This test helps us to understand the soil characteristic and it can take
many year to consolidation. Moreover, by this test I can know more about