The Atterberg limits, created by swedish chemist Albert Atterberg, are the moisture content, in percent, at which the soil changes state. They are defined as: Plastic Limit (solid to plastic) Liquid Limit (plastic to liquid) Some textbooks often refer to a third Atterberg limit, the “shrinkage limit” which defines the boundary between “solid” and a […]
What is the Plastic Limit?
November 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content at which a soil becomes plastic. It is the boundary between a soil’s solid and plastic states. ASTM D4318 is the standard test procedure for determining the plastic limit. Of course, a soil doesn’t go from solid to plastic all at once, but the standard test […]
What is the Liquid Limit?
November 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The liquid limit of a soil is the moisture content at which: a soil changes to a liquid state. the boundary between the plastic and liquid states occurs. a soil loses its shear strength. Clearly a soil will not lose its shear strength all at once as water is being added, but there is a […]