INTRODUCTION

This experiment was conducted on the 18th of August 2016 guided by Ms Siti Farah called
liquid limit. The basic aim is to find the liquid limit from this experiment.

In this experiment we have to determine used about 50g of soil sample . We mixed the
sample with distilled water and make the samples watery. Then place in the cup and place it
under the penetrometer. After getting the reading, about 10g of mixture being scooped away
from the cup and place it in the container. Then the weight of container and mixture is being
recorded in the lab sheet. Then the mixture in the cup is being mixed up again with additional
soil sample so that we have a second sample.

Last but not least the mixtures is being oven dried for 24 hours and the weight
measurement is being taken again for Dry Soil Sample.

THEORY
The liquid limit (LL) is conceptually defined as the water content at which the behaviour of a
clayey soil changes from plastic to liquid. However, the transition from plastic to liquid
behaviour is gradual over a range of water contents, and the shear strength of the soil is not
actually zero at the liquid limit. The precise definition of the liquid limit is based on standard
test procedures described below.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the liquid limits of soil using cone penetrometer methods

APPARATUS
Penetrometer

Distilled Water

Spatula

Container

Oven

PROCEDURE
1. Place a sample an about 50 gram soil on the glass plate.
2. Add some water to the mixture and start mixing
3. Mix the mixture on the glass plate with the spatulas for at least 5 minute
4. If necessary add more distilled water into the mixture to make it watery
5. Placing in cup
6. Press the soil paste against the side of the cup, to avoid trapping air
7. Press more paste well into the bottom of the cup, without creating an air-pocket
8. The top surface is finally smoothed off level with the rim using the straight-edge
9. Adjustment of cone
10. Lock the cone and shaft unit near the upper end of its travel and lower the
supporting assembly carefully
11. Make sure that the tip of the cone is within a few millimetres from the surface of
the soil in the cup
12. Measuring cone penetration
a. Allow the cone to fall by pressing the button, which must be held in the
pressed position for 5 seconds, timed with a seconds timer or watch.
b. Automatic re-locking of the stem is indicated by a click. Record the dial
reading to the nearest 0.1 mm
c. Record the difference between R1 and R2 as the cone penetration
13. Weight the empty moisture content container
14. Take a moisture content sample of about 10 g from the area penetrated by the
cone, using the tip of a small spatula.
15. Weight the wet sample
16. Repeat penetration
a. Lift out the cone and clean it carefully
b. Avoid touching the sliding stem
c. Add a little more wet soil to the cup, without entrapping air, smooth off,
and repeat the steps again to get for sample 2
17. Dry in the oven for about 24 hours (overnight)
18. Weight the dry sample

DATA COLLECTION
Liquid Limit
Initial Dial Gauge Reading
Final Dial Gauge Reading
Penetration
Container No
Mass of Wet Soil + Container
Mass of Dry Soil + Container

1
0
22.2
20.95
T8
48.72
37.14

2
0
19.7
19.7
MTJ
55.30
38.87

Mass Of Container

22.37

19.33

Mass of Dry Soil

Mass of Moisture
Moisture Content
Average Moisture Content
Liquid Limit, Wl
Plasticity

14.77
11.58
78.40

19.54
16.43
85.00
81.70
80.39
45.10

DATA ANALYSIS

Moisture content

Average Moisture Content

First Sample

Second Sample

= 11.58/14.77*100

= 16.43/19.54*100

= 78.40 %

= 84.08 %

= (78.40 + 84.08) / 2
= 81.24 %

Factors for Moisture Content Range: *Above 50 % and Cone Penetration of 21mm
= 0.984

Liquid Limit

= Average Moisture Content * Factors for Moisture

Content Range
= 81.24 % * 0.984
= 79.94 %

Plasticity, Ip

= WL- WP
= 79.94 % - 35.29 %
= 44.65 %

DISCUSSION
This testing method is used as an integral part of several engineering classifications systems
to characterize the fine-grained fractions of soils and to specify the fine-grained fraction of
construction materials. The liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index of soils are also used
extensively, either individually or together, with other soil properties to correlate with
engineering behavior such as compressibility, permeability, compatibility, shrink-swell and
shear strength.

CONCLUSION
The subject of the study is the liquid limit that is an empirically determined state at which a
transition from a softly plastic to liquid state occurs, therefore after its achieving soil starts to
behave as a liquid substance.

The liquid limit measurement is principal especially for finding consistency

states playing.decisive role for determining the key standard characteristics of soils representi
ngimportant geotechnical parameters of fine-grained soils for investigations of the so-called
first geotechnical category.
In conclusion before realization of the tests the sample set up for 24 hours for
the purpose of even distribution of moisture.

REFFERENCE
1. Lecturer
Madam Siti Farah Edziani

2. Website

https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technicalservices/technical-services-repository/GTM-7b.pdf
https://www.scribd.com/doc/173275190/Liquid-LimitTest
http://theconstructor.org/geotechnical/the-liquid-limitof-soil-test/2877/
http://cemmlab.webhost.uic.edu/Experiment%207Atterberg%20Limits.pdf

APPENDIX

Figure 1.1- Poovan is mixing the mixtures to become watery

Figure 1.2- the soil is placed into the cup to get the reading of penetrometer