Lab Group No.
99
Edward Kavazanjian, Jr.
Thomas Paine
Samuel Adams
Submitted 2 February 2011
Lab 2:
Att b
Atterberg Li it
Limits
CEE 351
Geotechnical Engineering
Spring 2011
CEE 351 Laboratory Exercise 99
31 December 2099
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
1.0 INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………………… 1
2.0 REFERENCE STANDARDS …………………………………………………………………………… 1
3.0 EXCEPTIONS TO STANDARDS …………………………………………………………………………. 1
4.0 TEST RESULTS ………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
5.0 SUMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ………………………………………………………………… 2
6.0 REFERENCES ……….………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
7.0 LIMITATIONS ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
TABLES AND FIGURES …………………………………………………………………………… 4
APPENDICES
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Plasticity Index Trials …………………………………………………………………………….. 5
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Liquid Limit Blow Count Plot ………………………………………………………………….. 6
Figure 2 Casagrande Plasticity Plot
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Atterberg Limits Data and Calculations and USCS Classification
i
1. INTRODUCTION
This report was prepared in partial fulfillment of the requirements laboratory section for CEE
351, Geotechnical Engineering, at Arizona State University in the Spring Semester of 2011. The
work described in this report was conducted by Group 99 of the CEE 351 laboratory section.
The members of this group include Edward Kavazanjian, Jr., Thomas Paine1, and Samuel
Adams2. The laboratory tests described in this report were conducted on 31 December 2099 in
the Arizona State University Geotechnical Laboratory. Subsequent analysis of the data was
conducted during the period between 1 January 2099 and 31 December 2100. The soil used in
this testing program was provided by Mr. Karl Terzaghi, the Teaching Assistant3 for the course3.
The objective of the laboratory tests described herein was to classify the soil in accordance with
the Unified Soil Classification System (Coduto et al., 2011)4. To achieve this objective, it was
necessary to evaluate the Liquid and Plastic Limits of the soil in accordance with ASTM D4318.
The soil tested in this lab was contained in 5 gallon container labeled “Dirt for CEE 351 lab”. A
bulk sample of approximately 0.5 Kg was removed from the container with a metal scoop for
testing purposes. The soil was visually classified in accordance with ASTM D2488 as a moist,
light brown, low plasticity clayey silt with a trace of fine sand, a low dry strength, and low
toughness.
2. REFERENCE STANDARDS
ASTM D2488‐06: Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual‐Manual
Procedure)
ASTM D4318 – 05: Standard Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of
Soils
3. EXCEPTIONS TO THE STANDARD
The tests reported herein were conducted in general accordance with ASTM D4318. The
primary deviation from the ASTM test procedure was that soil was not allowed to equilibrate
for 24 hours after adding moisture. Instead, whenever moisture was added the soil was mixed
1
He brought Common Sense
2
He brought the beer
3
And the father of Modern Soil Mechanics
4
Normally, I would cite ASTM D2487 here. But since I did not have you purchase that standard, just cite the
textbook.
1
CEE 351 Laboratory Exercise Number 99
31 December 2099
by hand to a uniform consistency before proceeding with the test. Furthermore, to preserve
potable water during the current drought, we used beer provided by Sam Adams instead of
deionized water to increase the moisture content of the soil for the liquid limit test. Tom Paine
said common sense dictated that this was acceptable5.
4. TEST RESULTS
Test results indicated the soil has a Liquid Limit (wL) of 40% and a Plastic Limit (wP) of 29%. Data
and calculations for the liquid limit are presented in Appendix A. The Plastic Limit was the
average of three trials, as shown in Table 1. Figure 1 shows the blow count plot for the Liquid
Limit test. Data and calculations for the Plastic Limit are also provided in Appendix A.
Based upon the measured Atterberg limit values, the Plasticity Index (PI) of the soil, equal to
the Liquid Limit minus the Plastic Limit, (wL – wP), is 11%. Based upon where the Liquid Limit
and Plasticity Index values plot on the Casagrande Plasticity chart from Coduto et al. (2011), this
soil is classified as a low plasticity silt, ML, in the Unified Soil Classification System. The
Casagrande Plasticity chart with the data point for the soil tested herein is shown in Figure 2.
This classification is consistent with the visual classification of the soil.
5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Liquid and Plastic Limit tests were conducted in general accordance with ASTM D4318. Results
yielded a Liquid Limit of 40% and a Plastic Limit of 29%. These values result in a Plasticity Index
of 11% for the soil. Based upon the Liquid Limit and Plasticity Index, the test soil is classified as
ML, a low plasticity silt, in the Unified Soil Classification System. This classification is consistent
with the visual classification of the soil.
6. REFERENCES
ASTM D2488-06 (2006) “Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-
Manual Procedure),” ASTM International, Conshohocken, PA
ASTM D4318 – 05 (2005) “Standard Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity
Index of Soils,” ASTM International, Conshohocken, PA
Coduto, D.P., Yeung, M.R., and Kitch, W.A. (2011) Geotechnical Engineering: Principles and
Practices, Second Edition, Pearson Higher Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ
5
We planned to investigate the influence of pore fluid composition on liquid limit, by Kavazanjian drank all the rest
of the beer.
2
CEE 351 Laboratory Exercise Number 99
31 December 2099
TABLES AND FIGURES
4
CEE 351 Laboratory Exercise Number 99
31 December 2099
Table 1 Plasticity Index Trials
Trial No. Water Content
%
1 20.00
2 18.34
3 18.47
Avg. 18.94
5
CEE 351 Laboratory Exercise Number 99
31 December 2099
Figure 1 Liquid Limit Plot
Figure 2 Casagrande Plasticity Chart
6
CEE 351 Laboratory Exercise Number 99
31 December 2099
APPENDIX
Laboratory Test Data and Calculations
7
Computation Title: Atterberg Limits and Casagrande Plasticity Chart Page 2 of 4
Written by: Date: 11 / 01/ 30 Reviewed by: Date: 11 / 01 / 31
YY MM DD YY MM DD
Client: Vito’s Trucking and Excavating Project: CEE 351 Spring 2011 Project No: 11001-01 Task No.: Lab Ex. 2
Liquid Limit
Test Data:
Computations:
Test No. W2 W3 W2–W3 W1 W3–W1 (W2-W3)/(W3-W1)
(g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (%)
1 40.7 35.6 5.1 21.1 14.5 35.17
2 42.6 36.3 6.3 21.3 15.0 42.00
3 41.5 35.5 6.0 22.8 12.7 47.24
Blow Count Plot
Computation Title: Atterberg Limits and Casagrande Plasticity Chart Page 3 of 4
Written by: Date: 11 / 01/ 30 Reviewed by: Date: 11 / 01 / 31
YY MM DD YY MM DD
Client: Vito’s Trucking and Excavating Project: CEE 351 Spring 2011 Project No: 11001-01 Task No.: Lab Ex. 2
Plastic Limit
Lab Data:
Computations:
Test No. W2 W3 W2–W3 W1 W3–W1 (W2-W3)/(W3-W1)
(g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (%)
1 37.6 34.9 2.7 21.4 13.5 20.00
2 43.7 40.6 3.1 23.7 16.9 18.34
3 39.4 36.5 2.9 20.8 15.7 18.47
AVERAGE (Plastic Limit) 18.94
Plastic Limit = 18.94 = 19%
Computation Title: Atterberg Limits and Casagrande Plasticity Chart Page 4 of 4
Written by: Date: 11 / 01/ 30 Reviewed by: Date: 11 / 01 / 31
YY MM DD YY MM DD
Client: Vito’s Trucking and Excavating Project: CEE 351 Spring 2011 Project No: 11001-01 Task No.: Lab Ex. 2
Soil Classification
Plasticity Index:
PI = Liquid Limit – Plastic Limit = 40 – 29 = 11%
Plasticity Chart:
• wL = 40, PI = 11
Soil Classifies as ML
