Determination Of Liquid Limit Research Articles

GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION OF BORROW PIT AS A SUBGRADE MATERIAL FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION AT VICTOR ATTAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, UYO, NIGERIA

One of the mass prompt practices of soils is for engineering projects such as the construction of roads, buildings, dams, and so on. Therefore, suitability of index and mechanical properties needs to be investigated. This study aims to determine the essential quality material required for road construction, thereby poses détente prospect for the disposal of ineffectual atrophy generated on sites. Such materials are classified into index and mechanical properties. Six subgrade samples were taken at the depth to bottom ranging from (1.0-5.0) m and tested. The sample was subdued to the laboratory tests, such as Sieve Analysis, Atterberg limits, compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and Specific Gravity (SG) respectively. The mechanical analysis which involved particle size distribution revealed that the subgrade was finely grated with a limit of ≤35% for subgrade passing sieve No. 200 (0.075 mm) with 29.1%, with an average Natural Moist Content (NMC) of 13.9%. The Maximum Dry Density (MDD) and Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) were 1.83 mg/m3 and 11.5%. The index analysis involved the liquid and plastic limits determination of Liquid Limit (LL) of 35.8%, Plastic Limit (PL) of 24.0%, and a Plasticity Index (PI) of 12%. California Bearing Ratio (CBR) results were 20.3% (soaked). The SG test results ranged from (2.68-2.94) kg/m3, employing the American Association of State Highway and Transport Officials (AASHTO) system of soil classification. The AASHTO grouped the materials into A-1, subgroups A-1-b and A-2-4 constituting 50% and 29.1%, with significant materials composed of stone fragments and sand rating the subgrade samples as excellent to good materials suitable for road construction.

Discussion of "Determination of liquid limit by the fall cone method"

Discussion of "Determination of liquid limit by the fall cone method"

Atterberg limits fail in recognizing fragipan horizons

Fragipan is a subsurface soil horizon characterized by high bulk density, coupled with an abundance of fine, blind pores. We hypothesized that this distinctive porosity pattern could affect the Atterberg limits, with significant deviations from those of otherwise comparable soil horizons. Additionally, longer pre-wetting times might be needed to determine the liquid and plastic limits in fragipan, due to restrictions in water movements. Based on these hypotheses, our research focused on (1) assessing the most suitable fragipan-specific sample preparation time for liquid and plastic limit determination; (2) evaluating if the Atterberg limits reflect the presence of fragic properties; (3) exploring the relationships between Atterberg limits and other relevant soil properties through Artificial Neural Networks. Fragipan horizons (F) had a slightly higher liquid limit, much higher bulk density, and specific surface area than nonfragipan (NF). The plastic limit was however comparable for F and NF. Thus, fragipans had a larger interval of plasticity, which is in contrast with slaking tests and well-known field evidence. Despite the expected differences between F and NF, three hours’ pre-wetting was enough for all samples. This might be due to the size fraction used in the analysis, more sensitive to collapse upon water saturation than bigger clods. Atterberg limits did not help in discriminating F from NF, despite the relevant differences in other soil physical properties. Neural Networks showed that the transition from the plastic to the liquid state was mainly driven by texture and specific surface area, while the plasticity interval was mainly affected by the bulk density. These results provided further insights into the mechanical properties of fragipan horizons.

Determination of liquid limit by the Fall Cone method

Determination of liquid limit by the Fall Cone method

Relationship between the Shear Strength and the Depth of Cone Penetration in Fall Cone Tests

The determination of liquid limit is of great significance in the engineering classification of soil and the selection of the control standard of highway subgrade packing and compactness. Based on the research achievements of many scholars on the relationship between the shear strength and the depth of cone penetration in fall cone tests in the liquid limit tests, the process of penetration was analyzed according to the Law of Conservation of Energy, and the expression of K was derived. Then, the expression was verified by the experimental data of different scholars and the existing data of various countries and institutions. And, the results were also compared with those obtained by the previous scholars using limit equilibrium theory. The results indicate that the new expression is in good agreement with the experimental results. K can be predicted well. And so, the shear strength can be calculated based on the depth of cone penetration, and then, the experimental value of the shear strength can be compared with the calculated value through laboratory tests. The influence of cone weight and cone angle on the shear strength calculation was analyzed. In addition, the liquid limit index of different standards was discussed based on the expression of K, and suggestions on how to achieve relative combination of different codes and standards were raised, which was very helpful for international communication.

Liquid limit determination of low to medium plasticity Indiana soils by hard base Casagrande percussion cup vs. BS fall-cone methods

Atterberg limits of soils including the liquid limit are one of the oldest and most traditional tests conducted in geotechnical site investigations. The relationship between the liquid limits determined from the Casagrande percussion cup apparatus and the fall-cone device has been extensively studied. Despite the known convenience of the fall-cone method, it is scarcely employed for geotechnical site investigations in the USA. This paper presents the findings of investigations conducted on 65 soil samples from different parts of the Indiana State in the USA including their liquid limit tests. The results obtained by the Casagrande percussion cup method and the fall-cone method were compared. The comparison explains how the variations in the liquid limit effect the results of the two methods, and a correlation is also offered. Based on the results, a model is also presented for single-point determination of the liquid limit from the two methods. Finally, a modified plasticity chart for soil classification is proposed based on the fall-cone liquid limit and plasticity index results of these soil samples. The paper also includes the statistical analysis of the proposed relationships.

POWER COEFFICIENT IN ONE POINT LIQUID LIMIT TEST FOR SOILS OF NORTHERN TURKEY AT VARIOUS TEMPERATURES

In this study, the power coefficient of one-point liquid limit equation given by ASTM 4318-17 is evaluated for weathered volcanic deposits of Northern Turkey. Total of 35 soil samples taken from depths ranging from 0.2 m to 4 m from 8 different sites in the city of Rize and one site in Trabzon, Turkey are used, and a total of 77 Atterberg limit tests are conducted. Three different sample preparation methods are used: (1) starting from in-situ moisture content without any drying, (2) drying at 60°C oven, (3) drying at 110°C oven. For liquid limit determination by one-point method, the best fitting power coefficient is evaluated for different sample preparation conditions separately, and are compared with the power coefficient suggested by ASTM D4318-17. Soils used in this study are in ML-OL to MH-OH zones in plasticity chart and the liquid limit values vary in the range of 35% to 103% (moist preparation). Liquid limits obtained by multi-point method and the ones obtained by one-point method are found to be similar to each other. It is concluded that although the power coefficient changes (in the range of 0.106 to 0.133 with an average value of 0.120) due to sample preparation technique, they are close to ASTM-suggested power value of 0.121, and the differences in resulting liquid limits are negligibly small (0-2%).

Calculation of liquid waste discharge limits for routine discharge of Tehran research reactor

Abstract One of the most important technical documents for obtaining of a reactor license (site selection, design, construction and operation license) from IINRA is public dose assessment and calculation of discharge limits into the environment. Presence of population centers and aquifers adjacent of nuclear installations is a crucial rule in public dose assessment and determination of liquid release limits into the environment. In this paper, liquid waste of TRR regards as liquid released in sewage system. The migration of radionuclides released to well through the ingestion of radionuclides via drinking water and human food-chain, inhalation of radionuclides and external irradiation from radionuclides in soil and water was modeled using the AMBER software. Then, amount of liquid released to environment with different amount of distribution coefficient, as an important effective parameter in simulation, is determined. The calculation of discharge limits shows that the liquid radioactive waste is lower than the values given into the Environmental Assessment for Tehran Research Reactor report. So the received dose doesn't exceed the dose limit of 10 μSvyr−1 for members of the public which is approved by INRA.

A fuzzy classification routine for fine-grained soils

Soil classification is one of the most important stages in preliminary studies for design applications in geotechnical engineering. The classification of fine-grained soils is mostly determined using Casagrande9s plasticity chart. However, owing to the factors affecting determination of liquid and plastic limits, uncertainties can arise in fine-grained soil classification when using this approach. The uncertainty increases particularly when the points on the chart fall on the lines that separate certain soil classes (A-line and/or 50% liquid limit line) or very close to these lines. In this study, a fuzzy classification routine is proposed to minimize these uncertainties. For this purpose, the spatial distances of the evaluation points on the chart from the lines were used as a controlling unit. The membership degrees that define the fuzzified soil (clay and/or silt), and plasticity (low and/or high plasticity), were evaluated by considering sigmoid functions. As a consequence, the soil types were established by aggregating fuzzified soil and plasticity using the fuzzy operators.

Determination of liquid limit of a low swelling clay using different cone angles

The fall cone test is one of the most popular methods used to determine the soil liquid limit. In this study, a series of laboratory tests were conducted on kaolin soil, which is considered representative of low-swelling clays, in order to determine the penetration depths for different cone parameters (angle and weight) under a liquid limit state. The required soil undrained shear strength of kaolin at liquid limit was determined using a hand-held vane shear device. Based on the analysis of the test results, the relationship between the angle of the fall cone and the ratio of undrained shear strength and fall cone penetration depth over cone weight was obtained and represented by a power function. The established relationship was then used to determine the penetration depth at liquid limit for different cone parameter values. A difference in liquid limit of less than 15% was recorded between tests using standard and alternative cone parameter values, respectively. Furthermore, a better and more reliable result was obtained when cone angles were below 90°, with a standard deviation of less than 2.5% from the standard method. Based on critical analysis of the test data, an equation with which to determine the penetration depth under a liquid limit state, as well as a one-point test method with which to determine the liquid limit for different cone parameter values are proposed for low-swelling clays.

Innovative Data Acquisition for the Fall Cone Test in Teaching and Research

The fall cone device may be preferable to the Casagrande cup for the determination of liquid limits because it is based on a firm theoretical background and maintains a high degree of operator independence. This makes the fall cone device a superior tool for measuring consistency limits for research and for teaching soil mechanics. Two inexpensive data acquisition techniques are developed for the fall cone device that seek to make the fall cone equipment less expensive, better for teaching, and provide unique time-displacement data of cone motion. The first data acquisition technique uses an inexpensive USB camera and image processing to analyze cone motion, and the second method uses a commonly available linearly variable differential transformer (LVDT) to track cone motion. The techniques are validated by comparing measured liquid limit to the liquid limit measured with an unmodified fall cone and the Casagrande cup of several different soils. Details of the data acquisition techniques are presented along with typical time–displacement data of the cone motion.

Geotechnical Susceptibility Constraints on Seismicity of Karewa Group and Its Implication in Quaternary Earthquakes Around Kashmir Valley, India

The seismically sensitive soft sediment deformations of Karewa Group have been geotechnically analysed to explore the status and frequency of past Quaternary earthquakes in Kashmir valley, India. The detailed studies were performed to establish the sequences of sedimentary structures in general and deformed structures in particular in view of geotechnical parameters. For the purpose the collected sediments from different deformed zones were analysed as per American Standard of Testing Materials for determination of size gradations, liquid limit, plastic limit and flow indices. The studied sequences of deformations were established in space and time by using empirically relationship. The structural architectures of sedimentary features (cross-beddings, massive beddings/loads) reveal the fluvial environments of fluctuating energy conditions for formation of sediment successions. In addition, the sandwiched-zonations of some peculiar structures preserved in the litho-succession may be formed through mechanism different from sedimentations. The size distribution of sediments from sandwiched-zone exhibits medium to fine sands and silt with sorting coefficients ranging from 1.21 to 2.54, coefficient of uniformity ranging from 1.26 to 3.6 with some exceptional values like 5.0, 16.6 and coefficient of curvature ranging from 0.67 to 1.80. The sediments of the same zone show the values of liquidity index ranging from 0.16 to 0.88 and plasticity index ranging from 3.69 to 18.57 with low blows values. These above size sensitive geotechnical parameter values show the higher flow indices and least resistance to flow. The sediments of the peculiar structural zone with characteristically higher flow indices and low resistance support the formation of the soft-sediment structures under seismic stress condition. The demarcated sandwiched zones with such conditions at the time frame of 1,06,566.6 years, 93,245.8 years and 54,502.8 years ago from recent appears to supports three prominent earthquake events (I, II and III) in the geological history of Quaternary deposits around Kashmir Valley, India.

Liquid limit determination of clayey material by Casagrande method, fall cone test and EBS parameter

Casagrande and fall cone tests are standard methods widely used for liquid limit determination. This is a parameter that, in addition to the information provided by plastic limit assessment, allows the evaluation of the plasticity of soils. This study carried out the determination of liquid limit of 18 clayey samples by Casagrande and fall cone methods in order to compare them. A high correlation was found between the results of both methods. Moreover, the most recent equation proposed on literature for the comparison between methods was applied, and it seems suitable for the prediction of liquid limit assessed by fall cone test and the experimental value achieved by Casagrande device. As expected, good correlations between liquid limit, phyllosilicate amount and type of clay minerals was noticed. As complement, equivalent basal spacing (EBS) parameter was calculated and tested. Good correlations between this parameter and liquid limit measured were observed only for samples with <70% of phyllosilicate content; when the analysis is applied to the samples with higher amount of phyllosilicates, there is not a good match, suggesting that EBS calculation is not reliable in those cases.

Effect of Cement Stabilized Kaolin Subgrade on Strength Properties

Subgrade performance generally depends on the load bearing capacity of soil. This load is often affected by degree of compaction, moisture content and soil type. Poor subgrade should be avoided by removal, replace and add stabilizer agent to provide a suitable strength for subgrade. This study presents the effect of cement stabilizer on California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) for kaolin clay in low traffic volume road. The test conducted includes determination of liquid limits which leads to plasticity index for tested sample. Standard proctor test have been conducted to determine the optimum moisture content and maximum dry density of kaolin clay by using soil stabilizer with 0, 7 and 13% of Ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The CBR and UCS was conduct to determine the strength of kaolin clay at optimum moisture content and 7 days curing period to obtain minimum strength of the soil. Finding of this study shows cement stabilizer effectively increase the strength of kaolin clay. 8 % of cement was found to be the optimum percentage of cement content value to be added into kaolin soil which complies with the Malaysia Public Work Department (PWD) specification.

Determination of Moisture Content and Liquid Limit of Foundations Soils, using Microwave Radiation, in the Different Locations of Sulaimani Governorate, Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Determination of Moisture Content and Liquid Limit of Foundations Soils, using Microwave Radiation, in the Different Locations of Sulaimani Governorate, Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Liquid limit of low- to medium-plasticity soils: comparison between Casagrande cup and cone penetrometer test

For liquid limit determination, the European Standards require the cone penetrometer technique or, alternatively, the Casagrande cup method; but the latter is widely used in practice. As most European soil classification systems are not adapted to the new European Standards, a systematic study was carried out to verify the differences between the two techniques for liquid limit determination, examining clayey soils from various geologic units. Comparison of 100 liquid limit values ranging between 20 and 50% indicates that the liquid limit obtained by the fall cone method is generally 2.2% points higher than that obtained by the hard base Casagrande apparatus. Comparison of data from different sources consistently indicates that the equation proposed in this study may be useful in revising existing soil classification systems, avoiding problems of soil classification due to the technique used for liquid limit determination.

Determination of Plastic and Liquid Limits Using the Reverse Extrusion Technique

Abstract Consistency limits are fundamental properties of fine grained soils. The techniques used today to determine these parameters are operator dependent; their repeatability is low. In order to overcome and/or reduce those factors affecting the results of conventional testing methods, the reverse extrusion technique was evaluated. Thirty-one inorganic soil samples were used in the experiments. In order to produce a reliable basis for the plastic and liquid limits, a relatively broad database was constituted using the conventional consistency limit tests. Extrusion pressures were then obtained and plotted for different water contents for each sample. A linear relationship was observed among the water content and the logarithm of the extrusion pressure. The extrusion pressures corresponding to the average plastic and liquid limits of the conventional method show a normal distribution about certain values. A more reliable, economical, and robust device with greater repeatability is proposed. The presented approach shows promise in providing a better index parameter to characterize fine grained soils.

Re-evaluation of Laboratory Cone Penetration Method for High Liquid Limit Based on Free Swell Property of Soil

Abstract Percussion and laboratory cone penetration are two different methods employed for the determination of liquid limit of the soil. The empirical nature, advantages and limitations of these methods in determining liquid limit of the soil has been discussed in detail in the literature. One of the most important observations is that the soils with high liquid limit exhibits higher discrepancy between the two methods. There is a need to understand the reason for this discrepancy and to obtain identical values for all ranges of liquid limit. As an initial attempt, the present study reviews the possible reasons for the discrepancy in liquid limit values obtained by the two methods. Furthermore, a re-evaluation of the cone penetration method has been done and a modified penetration limit is proposed based on the free swell index of the soil. The cone penetration liquid limit was re-calculated by employing the modified penetration limit, and compared with the percussion liquid limit. It is noted that the modified penetration limit based on free swell property of the soil minimizes the difference in liquid limit values obtained by using both methods. It is further emphasized that the observations obtained from the present study cannot be compared with the field cone penetration results. The details of the experimental scheme adopted are described in detail in this technical paper.

METHODS OF DETERMINATION OF LIQUID LIMIT IN SOIL MECHANICS AND THE INTERRELATIONSHIP AMONG THESE METHODS

"Liquid limit" is one of the most important properties used for classification of soil samples. However, up to now, the definition of this property along with their relevant methods of determination have not been unified yet. This paper attemps to introduce the evolution of methods of determination of liquid limit together with the interrelationship of liquid limits for cohesive soils obtained from these methods. The relationships of liquid limits from different methods are summarized from the researchs of authors since 1957 to 2001.

Dual-Weight Fall Cone Method for Simultaneous Liquid and Plastic Limit Determination

Simultaneously assessing liquid limit and plastic limit using a single laboratory test procedure and comparing the results to the standard test methods has not been noted in the published literature. This paper describes an innovative empirical approach that yields Atterberg limit values utilizing a dual-weight fall cone procedure and compares the values with those obtained by traditional Atterberg limits tests.