Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T17:44:22.908Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Relationship between measured plastic limit and plastic limit estimated from undrained shear strength, water content ratio and liquidity index

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

Giovanni Spagnoli  and
Martin Feinendegen
Giovanni Spagnoli*
Affiliation:
BASF Construction Solutions GmbH, Dr.-Albert-Frank-Straße 32, 83308 Trostberg, Germany
Martin Feinendegen
Affiliation:
RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
*
*E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The detection of the plastic limit of clays is subject to human error. Several attempts have been made to correlate across studies the geotechnical properties of fine-grained soils (water content, liquidity index, shear strength, etc.). Based on the premise that the liquidity index and water content ratio can be correlated directly, an alternative method to obtain indirectly the plastic limit is suggested here. The present study investigated 40 natural clayey samples of various mineralogies and origins and other publicly available data, where Atterberg limits and undrained shear strength values obtained with the vane shear tests were given. The liquidity index and water-content ratio correlate very well for defined undrained shear strength values of the clays. Solving the liquidity index equation for the plastic limit, estimated plastic limit values obtained by the liquidity index/water-content ratio relationship were compared with laboratory plastic-limit values. Preliminary results based on 62 values show an exponential trend with a multiple regression coefficient of 0.79. The data need to be confirmed on a larger database, however.

Keywords

water-content ratioliquidity indexAtterberg limitsundrained shear strength
Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 52 , Issue 4 , December 2017 , pp. 509 - 519
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2017

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andrade, F.A., Al-Qureshi, H.A. & Hotza, D. (2011) Measuring the plasticity of clays: A review. Applied Clay Science, 51, 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ASTM D4318 (2017) Standard Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA.Google Scholar
Atterberg, A. (1911) Die Plastizität der Tone. Mitteilungen für Bodenkunde, 1, 10–43 (in German).Google Scholar
Baker, R. & Frydman, S. (2009) Unsaturated soil mechanics: critical review of physical foundations. Engineering Geology, 106, 26–33.Google Scholar
Ballard, G.E.H. & Weeks, W.F. (1963) Human error in determining plastic limit of cohesive soils. Materials Research and Standards, 3, 726–729.Google Scholar
Belviso, R., Ciampoli, S., Cotecchia V & Federico, A. (1985) Use of the cone penetrometer to determine consistency limits. Ground Engineering, 18, 21–22.Google Scholar
Bergaya, F., Theng, B.K.G. & Lagaly, G. (2006) Handbook of Clay Science. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Berilgen, S.A., Kilic, H. & Özaydın, K. (2007) Determination of undrained shear strength for dredged golden horn marine clay with laboratory tests. Proceedings of the Sri Lankan Geotechnical Society's first international conference on soil & rock engineering, August 5-11, Colombo, Sri Lanka.Google Scholar
Bjerrum, L. (1954) Geotechnical properties of Norwegian marine clays. Geotechnique, 4, 49–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BSI (1990) Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes. BS 1377. British Standards Institution, Milton Keynes, UK.Google Scholar
Campbell, D.J. (1976) Plastic limit determination using a drop cone penetrometer. Soil Science, 27, 295–300.Google Scholar
Carter, M. & Bentley, S.P. (1991) Correlation of Soil Properties. Pentech Press, London.Google Scholar
Casagrande, A. (1932) Research on the Atterberg limits of soils. Public Roads, 13, 121–130.Google Scholar
DIN 4094-4 (2002) Baugrund- Felduntersuchungen - Teil 4: Flügelscherversuche. Beuth Verlag GmbH (in German)Google Scholar
DIN 18122 (1997) Baugrund, Untersuchung von Bodenproben - Zustandsgrenzen (Konsistenzgrenzen) - Teil 1: Bestimmung der Fließ- und Ausrollgrenze. Beuth Verlag GmbH (in German).Google Scholar
DIN 18121 (2012) Baugrund, Untersuchung von Bodenproben - Wassergehalt - Teil 2: Bestimmung durch Schnellverfahren. Beuth Verlag GmbH (in German).Google Scholar
DIN 18127 (2012) Baugrund, Untersuchung von Bodenproben — Proctorversuch. Beuth Verlag GmbH (in German).Google Scholar
Egashira, K. & Ohtsubo, M. (1982) Smectite in marine quick-clays of Japan. Clays and Clay Minerals, 30, 275–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Federico, A. (1983a) Relationships (Cu-w) and (Cu-s) for remolded clayey soils at high water content. Rivista Italiana di Geotecnica, 17, 38–41.Google Scholar
Federico, A. (1983b) A comment on undrained residual strength. Rivista Italiana di Geotecnica, 17, 164–166.Google Scholar
Feng, T.W. (2004) Using small ring and a fall-cone to determine the plastic limit. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 130, 630–635.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harison, J.A. (1988) Using the BS cone penetrometer for the determination of the plastic limit of soils. Geotechnique, 38, 433–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haigh, S.K., Vardanega, P.J. & Bolton, M.D. (2013) The plastic limit of clays. Geotechnique, 63, 435–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koumoto, T. & Houlsby, G.T. (2001) Theory and practice of the fall cone test. Geotechnique, 51, 701–712.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuriakose, B., Abraham, B.M., Sridharan, A. & Jose, B.T. (2017) Water content ratio: An effective substitute for liquidity index for prediction of shear strength of clays. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 35, 1577–1586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Locat, J. & Demers, D. (1988) Viscosity, yield stress, remolded strength, and liquidity index relationships for sensitive clays. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 25, 799–806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, J.K. & Soga, K. (2005) Fundamentals of Soil Behavior. John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken New Jersey, USA.Google Scholar
Nagaraj, H.B., Sridharan, A. & Mallikarjuna, H.M. (2012) Re-examination of undrained strength at Atterberg Limits water contents. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 30, 727–736.Google Scholar
Norman, L.E.J. (1958) A comparison of values of liquid limit determined with apparatus having bases of different hardness. Geotechnique, 8, 79–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ola, S.A. (1978) The geology and Geotechnical properties of the black cotton soils of Northeastern Nigeria. Engineering Geology, 12, 375–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rajasekaran, G., Essaku, S. & Mathews, P.K. (1994) Physico-chemical and mineralogical studies on cochin marine clays. Ocean Engineering, 21, 771–778.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schofield, A.N. & Wroth, C.P. (1968) Critical State Soil Mechanics. McGraw Hill, London.Google Scholar
Skempton, A.W. & Northey, R.D. (1953) The sensitivity of clays. Getechnique, 3, 30–53.Google Scholar
Skopek, J. & Ter-stepanian, G. (1975) Comparison of liquid limit value determined according to Casagrande and Vasilev. Geotechnique, 25, 135–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, K.J.L. & Phan, K.D. (1995) Cone penetration tests near the plastic limit. Geotechnique, 45, 155–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strozyk, J. & Tankiewicz, M. (2013) Undrained shear strength of the heavily consolidated clay. Annals of Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW Land Reclamation, 45, 207–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Touiti, L., Bouassida, M. & Van Impe, W. (2009) Discussion on Tunis soft soil sensitivity. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 27, 631–643.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Towner, G.D. (1973) An examination of the fall cone method for the determination of some strength properties of remoulded agricultural soils. European Journal of Soil Science, 24, 470–479.Google Scholar
Wasti, Y. & Bezirci, M.H. (1986) Determination of the consistency limits of soils by the fall cone test. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 23, 241–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whyte, I.L. (1982) Soil plasticity and strength: a newapproach using extrusion. Ground Engineering, 15, 16–24.Google Scholar
Yosuke, T., Govo, I. & Masaaki, K. (2004) Relationship between vane shear strength and water content for ultra-soft clay grounds showing water content decrease with depth. Japanese Society of Civil Engineers, 778, 99–110.Google Scholar
Yukselen, Y. & Kaya, A. (2006) Prediction of cation exchange capacity from soil index properties. Clay Minerals, 41, 827–837.CrossRefGoogle Scholar