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    Plastic Limit Test

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    Dom Mony
    The plastic limit test determines the moisture content at which a soil changes from a plastic to a semi-solid state. It is performed by rolling soil mixed with water into threads 3mm in diameter - when the thread crumbles at this diameter, the moisture content is defined as the plastic limit. The test involves mixing soil with water, allowing it to season for 24 hours, then rolling threads and determining the moisture content of soil pieces when the thread crumbles at 3mm. The plastic limit is an important property in determining the plasticity index of soils.

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    Plastic Limit Test

    Uploaded by

    Dom Mony
    43 views2 pages
    The plastic limit test determines the moisture content at which a soil changes from a plastic to a semi-solid state. It is performed by rolling soil mixed with water into threads 3mm in diameter - when the thread crumbles at this diameter, the moisture content is defined as the plastic limit. The test involves mixing soil with water, allowing it to season for 24 hours, then rolling threads and determining the moisture content of soil pieces when the thread crumbles at 3mm. The plastic limit is an important property in determining the plasticity index of soils.

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    The plastic limit test determines the moisture content at which a soil changes from a plastic to a semi-solid state. It is performed by rolling soil mixed with water into threads 3mm in diameter - when the thread crumbles at this diameter, the moisture content is defined as the plastic limit. The test involves mixing soil with water, allowing it to season for 24 hours, then rolling threads and determining the moisture content of soil pieces when the thread crumbles at 3mm. The plastic limit is an important property in determining the plasticity index of soils.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    43 views2 pages

    Plastic Limit Test

    Uploaded by

    Dom Mony
    The plastic limit test determines the moisture content at which a soil changes from a plastic to a semi-solid state. It is performed by rolling soil mixed with water into threads 3mm in diameter - when the thread crumbles at this diameter, the moisture content is defined as the plastic limit. The test involves mixing soil with water, allowing it to season for 24 hours, then rolling threads and determining the moisture content of soil pieces when the thread crumbles at 3mm. The plastic limit is an important property in determining the plasticity index of soils.

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    PLASTIC LIMIT TEST

    1. Objective
    Determination of Plastic Limit is as important as Liquid Limit so as to ascertain Plasticity Index, Ip of the
    soil. The plastic limit of a soil is the moisture content, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the
    oven-dry soil, at the boundary between the plastic and semi-solid states of consistency. It is the
    moisture content at which a soil will just begin to crumble when rolled into a thread ⅛ inch (3 mm) in
    diameter using a ground glass plate or other acceptable surface.

    2. Apparatus Required

    Fig. 1: Glass Plate, Palette knives, Air Tight Containers,


    Spatula, Brass Rod & Porcelain Evaporating Dish

    Porcelain Evaporating dish: about 12cm in diameter. Glass plate: 10mm


    thick and 45cm square or large. Brass Rod: 3 mm in diameter and 10 cm
    long. All the equipments should be cleaned and dried before each test.

    Fig. 2: Hot Air Oven

    Thermostatically controlled with interior of non-corroding material to maintain


    the temperature around 1050C and 1100C

    Fig. 3: Balance

    The balance to be used must be sensitive to the extent of 0.01 g

    Fig. 4: 425 micron IS Sieve

    3. Reference
    IS 2720(Part 5):1985 Methods of test for soils: Determination of Liquid and Plastic limit (second
    revision). Reaffirmed- May 2015.

    4. Procedure
    1. Take about 20 gm of thoroughly mixed portion of the material passing through 425 micron I.S.sieve
    obtained in accordance with I.S. 2720 (Part 1)- 1983.
    2. Mix it thoroughly with distilled water in the evaporating dish till the soil mass becomes plastic enough
    to be easily molded with fingers.
    3. Allow it to season for sufficient time (for 24 hrs) to allow water to permeate throughout the soil mass
    4. Take about 8 gm of this plastic soil mass and roll it between fingers and glass plate with just
    sufficient pressure to roll the mass into a thread of uniform diameter throughout its length. The rate
    of rolling shall be between 80 and 90 strokes per minute.
    5. Continue rolling till you get a thread of 3 mm diameter.
    6. Kneed the soil together to a uniform mass and re-roll.
    7. Continue the process until the thread crumbles when the diameter is 3 mm.
    8. Collect the pieces of the crumbled thread in air tight container for moisture content determination as
    described in IS:2720 (Part 2)-1973.
    9. Repeat the test to at least 3 times and take the average of the results calculated to the nearest whole
    number.

    5. Observation And Recording


    Compare the diameter of thread at intervals with the rod. When the diameter reduces to 3 mm, note
    the surface of the thread for cracks.

    Container No. Container No. Container No. Container No.


    1 2 3 4
    Wt. of container + lid,
    W1
    Wt. of container + lid + wet
    sample,
    W2
    Wt. of container + lid + dry
    sample,
    W3
    Wt. of dry sample,
    W3 - W1
    Wt. of water in the soil ,
    W2 – W3
    Water content (%),
    (W2 – W3) / (W3 - W1) X 100

    Table 1 : Determination of Plastic Limit

    Average Plastic Limit= .............................

    6. Calculation
    1. Flow index, If = (W1-W2)/ log10(N2/N1)
    where,
    W1 = Moisture content in percentage corresponding to N1 drops and
    W2 = Moisture content in percentage corresponding to N2 drops
    2. Plasticity Index, Ip = WL - WP
    3. Toughness Index = Ip/If

    7. General Remarks:
    1. In the case of sandy soils plastic limit should be determined first. When plastic limit cannot be
    determined, the plasticity index should be reported as NP (non-plastic).
    2. When the plastic limit is equal to or greater than the liquid limit, the plasticity index shall be reported as
    zero.

    8. Video
    Plastic Limit Test

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