Liquid Limit Device

The equipment comprises of the following :

AIM-040 Liquid Limit Device, Motorised i. One hard rubber base carrying housing sliding carraige and a cam to which a pulley is attached and is belt driven by a 120 rpm synchronous motor. When motorized operation is not used, the Liquid Limit device can be operated by hand, using a handle provided with the system. One revolution counter fixed to the cam shaft. One Casagrande type A grooving tool. One No. 10mm brass gauge block One No. Operating Instructions with General Assembly Drawing.

ii. iii. iv. v.

The entire system described above is fitted to a metallic base plate

AIM-041 Liquid Limit Device with counter hand operated. Comprise of all the items listed under AIM-040 except that it is manually operated and hence, the pulley, the motor and belt are excluded. i. ii. iii. iv. vi. One hard rubber base carrying housing sliding carraige and a cam to which a handle is fitted. One revolution counter, fixed to the cam shaft. One No. 10mm gauge block One Casagrande Type A grooving tool One No. Operating Instructions with General Assembly Drawing.

Operating Instructions
Liquid Limit Device Introduction
Both the models of Liquid Limit Device are manufactured to meet the requirements of IS : 259, IS : 2720 (Part V) and BS : 1377 for determination of Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit and the Plasticity index of soils. The two models supplied are : AIM-040 Liquid Limit Device, Motorised, fitted with a revolution counter, complete with casagrande grooving tool and gauge block (Type A, IS : 9259). AIM-041 Liquid Limit Device with counter, complete with Casagrande grooving tool and gauge block (Type A, IS : 9259)

Description
Liquid Limit Devices AIM-041 and AIM-040 are illustrated in the General Assembly Drawings attached. The numbers given against the components in the description below pertain to these drawings. AIM-041 consists of hard rubber base (1), carrying a bracket which houses the sliding carriage assembly and the eccentric cam. To the shaft of the cam is fitted a handle (4) by means of which the cam is rotated by hand. The brass cup (2) is hinged at the back hanging over a pin (5) supported by means of the sliding carriage fitted on the top of the bracket. At the back of the cup is fitted a follower block which rests on the cam. When the cam is rotated, it causes the cup to be repeatedly lifted gently and let it fall suddenly upon the hard rubber base. A revolution counter (8) is connected to the shaft of the cam. AIM-040 comprises all the items under AIM-041 but coupled to electric stepper motor by belt & pulley system.A switch(09) & fuse (13) isprovided in box & Whole assembly is mounted on base plate (10).

Setting Up
Adjust that the ends of the cam and follower block are in contact. Keep the gauge block (6) under the cup (2). Adjust the drop with gauge block thickness by moving the sliding carriage. See that the cup falls freely, then lock the adjustment lock screw (3). The grooving tool after use for sometime is likely to change its critical dimensions. Whenever the critical dimensions are found to be deviating from the specifications, the grooving tool should be rejected and replaced.

Test Procedure
Take about 120 g. of thoroughly mixed air dry soil passing through 425 micron IS Sieve. Place it in an evaporating dish (about 15cm diameter) or on a glass plate and thoroughly mix it with distilled water, using a spatula, until the mass forms a putty of consistency requiring 30 to 35 drops of cup to cause closure of the standard groove. Use distilled water in order to minimise the possibility of the ion-exchange between the soil and impurities in the water. Put the paste into a glass jar with a screw cap and keep it over night to obtain uniform distribution of moisture throughout the soil mass. Take a portion of the soil mixture from the jar and remix the soil to form a smooth paste in the cup to fill more than half of it. Work the soil in the cup with the help of a spatula to avoid entrapping of air, and level it to a height of 1 cm at the point of maximum thickness. Make a groove in the soil paste in the cup by drawing the grooving tool (IS : Type A) firmly along the diameter through the centre of the hinge, always holding the grooving tool (IS : Type A) vertically to the cup so as to form a clean sharp groove of proper dimensions. In case the grooving tool does not give a clear groove as in sandy soils, use the curvedgrooving tool (IS : Type B). By rotating the handle at the rate of two revolutions per second, raise the cup and drop repeatedly. Rotation must be fairly uniform. When the two portions of the soil separated by the groove flow together to close the groove for a length of 12mm, note the number of blows from the revolution counter. AIM-041 is manually operated. AIM-040 is electrically operated, the unit is connected to the main supply and switch ON -OFF (09) is provided for operation the unit. The groove should close by the flow of the soil and not due to sliding of soil along the cup. If the sliding is noticed to occur test should be repeated until flowing does occur. If sliding still occurs, the test is not applicable and a note should be made that the liquid limit could not be obtained. Mix the sample in the cup and repeat the above operation until three successive determination have a satisfactory agreement. (A difference of two or three blows probably indicates poor mixing of the sample). Take a small representative slice (5 to 10 g.) of the soil that has come together to close the groove for moisture content determination. For rapid drying and moisture estimation it is recommended to use Infra Red Moisture Meter. Remove the soil from the cup, transfer it to an evaporating dish. Add a little more soil from the original soil in the glass jar to the soil paste in the evaporating dish. Add a small amount of water to the sample in the evaporating dish to make the soil more fluid in order to reduce the number of blows required to close the groove by 3 to 5. Work to uniform consistency and repeat the test operation as described above. Repeat the test with atleast 4 more increments of water contents. In each case record the number of blows and determine the moisture content.. It is desirable to obtain two to three points on either side of 23 blows. The specimens shall be of such consistency that the number of blows required to close the groove shall be 2510. The test shall always proceed from the drier (more blows) to the wetter (less blows) condition of soil. When the sample is too fluid its moisture content shall be reduced by spreading it to a thin layer on a glass plate; dry soil shall never be mixed for this purpose. Clean the grooving tool soon after grooving the soil paste. After every trial, the cup should be thoroughly cleaned of the sticking soil and dried in air. It is best to perform this test in humid atmosphere to avoid drying of the soil paste during the test.

Results
The observations regarding moisture content of each specimen and number of blows shall be recorded. The number of blows shall then be plotted on a logarithmic scale on x-axis and the corresponing water content(%) on arithmatic scale on y-axis. A straight line shall be drawn through the points. The moisture content in percent corresponding to 25 blows shall be read off as Liquid Limit (W L) of the soil.

Calculations
When value of plastic limit (W p) is also known then computations of various indices are done as follows : 1. Plasticity Index (IP) = Liquid Limit (W L) - Plastic Limit (W p)

2. Flow Index (If) = The flow curve (straight line) plotted on semi logarithmic graph shall be extended at either end to intersect the ordinates corresponding to 10 and 100 drops. The slope of this line expressed as difference in water content at 10 blows and 100 blows shall be reported as the flow index.

I
Where

( W 1 - W 2 ) / log10 (N2 N1 )

W1 W2

= =

moisture content in percentage corresponding to N1 drops. moisture content in percentage corresponding to N2 drops.

3. Toughness Index,

IT
4. Liquidity Index,

(Ip) / (If)

IL
Where

=
= = =

( W 0 W p) / ( I p )
Natural Moisture Content Plastic Limit of Soil Plasticity Index of the Soil

W0 Wp Ip

5. Consistency Index

Consistency Index I C Where WL W0 I p = = =

( W L W 0 ) / (I p )

Liquid Limit of the soil. Natural Moisture Content of the soil. Plasticity Index of the soil.