UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF SOIL SCIENCE & AGRICULTURAL
ENGINEERING

NAME:………………………..PERCY MAGUCHU.
REG NUMBER:………………R158261P.
LEVEL:………………….........3.2.
COURSE:……………………...AGEN 304
LECTURER:…………………..Prof W.Gwenzi.
Title: Soil consistency test to determine the consistency limits/ Atterberg limits of black,
red and grey soils which are the plastic limit and the liquid limit and hence classify the
soils according to these limits.

Abstract:
Soil consistency is the resistance of a soil to mechanical stresses or manipulations at different
moisture contents. It can be examined in the laboratory following standard procedures to
obtain the Atterberg Limits of a soil, which are plastic, liquid and shrinkage limit. These then
are used for judging the soil’s suitability for engineering uses such as construction of earth-
dams; they are also a guideline for proper use and protection of soil. The objective of doing
this experiment was to determine the Atterberg limits of the black, red and grey soils and then
classify the soils according to these limits. Plastic limit was considered as the moisture
content at which when the soil start to crumble when rolled into a thread of 3mm in diameter.
Liquid limit was determined using Casagrande’s apparatus. A graph of the logarithm of
number of blows against moisture content was plotted and the moisture content
corresponding to 25 blows is the liquid limit. Plasticity index was then calculated from the
results obtained. Black soil had a plastic limit of 38.54%, liquid limit of 63.69% thus it has a
high plasticity and hence high compressibility, a plasticity index of 25.15% which is indicates
a high activity and amount of clay fraction. The low activity ratio indicated the kaolinite
group of clay. The soil was classified as a high plasticity inorganic clay. Red soil had a
plastic limit of 20.18%, liquid limit of 33.40% indicating a low plasticity soil, a plasticity
index of 13.22% and a relatively low activity ratio which indicates mineralogy of
montmorilonite The soil was classified as low plasticity inorganic clays, sandy and silty
clays. Grey soil’s plastic limit was 0% as it could not be moulded. Its liquid limit was
16.07%, plasticity index was 16.07% showing that the soil can be easily compacted and so is
good for construction purposes. Its activity ratio was found to be. The soil was classified as
non-plastic silty sands. These results showed that black soil has high clay content than both
the red and grey soil hence its ability to hold more water than both the red and grey soils and
so is more plastic as plasticity increases with an increase in water content.
Introduction:
Soil consistency is defined as the strength with which soil materials are held together or the
resistance of soils to deformation and rapture,that is the relative ease with which soil can be
deformed. It can be also define as the manifestation of physical forces of cohesion and
adhesion acting within a soil at various moisture contents. These forces manifest themselves
by the behaviour of the soil towards gravity, pressure and the tendency of the soil mass to
adhere to foreign bodies and this can be felt by fingers when working the soil. Cohesion is
due to the forces of attraction between soil particles due to different types of forces, van der
Waals forces, electrostatic attraction, cationic bridges and cementation due to organic matter
and inorganic materials. Adhesion is due similar to cohesion except that it involves the attraction
of a water molecule to a non-water molecule. According to Helwamy(1958), the consistency of
a soil varies with its moisture content.
Consistency limits are important in the workability of a soil, they are also called Atterberg
limits and these are the limits of water content which are used to define soil behaviour. Soil is
a very important natural resource in the agriculture. Therefore, maintaining the right soil
consistency is important. Water holding capacity and the movement of water through soil
determined by soil consistency. Consistency also determines the relative resistance of the soil
to pressure. The Atterberg limits are plastic limit, liquid limit and shrinkage limit.
Plastic limit is the moisture content where soil changes from a semi solid to a plastic(flexible)
state i.e the moisture content where a soil begins to crumble on being rolled into a thread
3mm in diameter and it represents the lower limit of water content where the soil can be
deformed without cracking. Liquid limit (LL or wl) is the lowest water content at which the
fine grained soil behaves like a viscous mud, flowing under its own weight, Sivakugan(2000).
Shrinkage limit is the moisture content at which soil volume remain unchanged when
moisture is reduced and is used for the determination of the swelling and shrinking capacity
of soils. Plasticity index = Liquid limit – Plastic limit and is an indicator of the amount of
water a soil can absorb. It is used in the classification of soils for engineering purposes.
Materials and Methods:
Liquid limit.
Air dry soil ground was sieved using a 2mm sieve. Soils, red, black and grey were thoroughly
mixed with distilled water in a metal dish using brushes and then left for at least 12 hours to
form a stiff paste. The liquid limit device(Casagrande cup) was cleaned using distilled water
before putting a soil sample into it. About 100g of the stiff paste was mixed with mough
water to form a soft putty. 30ml of the soft putty was placed into the Casagrande cup using a
spatula and the surface level was smoothed with the front of the cup to form a pat 10mm
thick. A groove was cut into the soil using a grooving tool and any excess soil was removed.
The crank was turned at 2 revolutions per second and the number of taps that caused the soil
to flow and close the groove by a distance of 12mm of the bottom was recorded. The soil was
remixed and a new groove was formed as done in the previous stage. The cranking was
repeated. If the number of blows was within 1 or 2 of the first value and between 12 and 38 it
was recorded and a sample was taken and placed in an oven in order to dry it and then used to
determine the moisture content of the soil on a dry basis. If the number of blows was greater
than 25, more water was added and the process above repeated. The test was run until at least
three values of the number of blows which are between 12 and 38 were obtained. There
should be one value above and below 25. A graph of logarithm of the number of blows on the
horizontal axis against moisture content on the vertical axis was plotted from the results
obtained. The liquid limit was found as the moisture content corresponding to 25 blows. The
same process for liquid limit determination was done for all the three soil samples.

Plastic Limit.
(10-15)g of the stiff paste was taken and rolled into a ball between palms of hands. A small
portion of the ball was rolled into a thread of 3mm in diameter on a smooth glass plate. Signs
of cracking on the thread were checked and if there were no cracks, the thread was remoulded
into a ball between the palms of hands. The moisture content was being reduced by the heat
from hands. The ball was rolled again into a thread of 3mm in diameter. The same steps
above were repeated until the 3mm thread first showed signs of cracking. A portion of the
thread was taken and placed in an oven for drying and then used to determine the moisture
content of the soil son a dry basis. This moisture content gave the plastic limit of the soil. The
procedures for plastic limit determination were repeated three times determining the moisture
content of the soil sample each time. The mean of the three moisture contents was calculated
to obtain the actual plastic limit of the soil. The process was done for each of the three soil
samples.

Results:
Mass of wet sample (g) = (Mass of container + Wet sample)g – (Mass of container)g
Mass of dry sample (g) = (Mass of container + Dry sample)g – (Mass of container)g
Mass of water (g) = Mass of wet sample (g) – Mass of dry sample (g)
Mass of water (g)
Moisture content (%)(dry basis) = ∗ 100.
Mass of dry sample (g)

MC of sample 1 (%)+ MC of smple 2 (%) +MC of sample 3(%)

Mean moisture content (%) = =
3
Plastic limit of the soil.
The moisture content corresponding to 25 blows is the liquid limit of the soil.
Plasticity index = Liquid limit – Plastic limit.

Black Soil.
65.5

65

64.5
Moisture content(%)

64

63.5

63

62.5

62

61.5
5 50
Number of blows,N(log scale)

Fig 1: graph of moisture content(%) against logarithm of the number of blows for black
soil liquid limit determination.
The liquid limit for black soil = 63.69%.
Black soil has a high plasticity since its liquid limit is greater than 50%.
Table 1: Black soil plastic limit determination.
Sample Mass of Mass of Mass of Mass of Mass Mass Moisture
number Container container wet container of dry of content(%)(dry
(g) + wet sample(g) + Dry sample water basis)
sample sample (g) (g)
(g) (g)
1 31.16 33.44 2.28 32.88 1.72 0.56 32.56
2 31.19 33.09 1.90 32.51 1.32 0.58 43.94
3 29.40 32.21 2.81 31.42 2.02 0.79 39.11

The plastic limit of black soil = 38.54%.

Plasticity index for black soil = 25.15%.
According to Casagrande’s plasticity chart, black soil is classified as an inorganic clay of
high plasticity.
Kaolinite is the possible mineralogy of the soil.

Red Soil.
37

36

35
Moisture content(%)

34

33

32

31

30
5 50
Number of blows,N(log scale)

Fig 2: graph of moisture content(%) against logarithm of the number of blows for red
soil liquid limit determination .
The liquid limit of black soil =33.40% .
Red soil has low plasticity as its liquid limit is less than 35%.
Table 2: Red soil plastic limit determination.
Sample Mass of Mass of Mass of Mass of Mass Mass Moisture
number Container container wet container of dry of content(%)
(g) + wet sample(g) + Dry sample water (dry basis)
sample sample (g) (g)
(g) (g)
1 30.10 33.65 3.55 33.04 2.94 0.61 20.75
2 30.90 34.90 4.00 34.23 3.33 0.67 20.12
3 30.27 33.13 2.76 32.66 2.39 0.47 19.67

The plastic limit of red soil = 20.18%

Plasticity index for red soil = 13.22%.
According to Casagrande’s plasticity chart, red soil is classified as low plastic inorganic
clays, sandy and silty clays.
Montmorillonite is the possible mineralogy of the soil.

Grey Soil.
16.8

16.6

16.4
Moisture content(%)

16.2

16

15.8

15.6

15.4
5 50
Number of blows, N(log scale)

Fig 3: graph of moisture content(%) against logarithm of the number of blows for grey
soil liquid limit determination.
The liquid limit for grey soil = 16.07%.
Grey soil has a low plasticity since its liquid limit is less than 35%.
Plastic limit of grey soil = 0%
Plasticity index for grey soil = 16.07%.
According to Casagrande’s plastic chart, grey soil is classified as non- plastic silty sand
Feldspars and quartz is the possible mineralogy of the soil.
Discussion:
The graphs of the logarithm of the number of blows against moisture content were drawn and
from the graphs, the liquid limit of the soil was obtained as the moisture content
corresponding to 25 blows.
Black soil was found to have a liquid limit of 63.69% which is greater than 50%. This means
that it has a high plasticity and hence high compressibility since compressibility increases as
liquid limit increases. The plastic limit of the soil was found to be 38.54%, which is the
moisture content at which the soil start to behave as a plastic. The difference in water content
held at liquid limit and plastic limit for the black soil was found to be 25.15% which is an
indicator of the activity and amount of the clay fraction in the soil. The soil was classified as
a high plasticity inorganic clay according to Casagrande’s plasticity chart, the high plasticity
is due to the small particle size as well as high water content. Inorganic clays from the
weathering of clay minerals of the kaolinite group. The activity ratio of black soil was found
to be low . Clay with kaolinite, which is a stable clay mineral have a low activity ratio. Black
soil has a high plasticity index than both the red and grey soils which indicates that it has a
high activity and amount of clay fraction than the red and black soil hence it has the ability to
hold more water than red and grey soils due to its high clay content. Black soil thus have a
poor drainage and can be used for deposition of waste materials and also for construction of
impermeable layers like coating buildings and making ceramics. The soil has poor
performance when used as a construction material because it has a high water content. This is
because the shear strength and bearing capacity of a soil decreases as water content increases
and also soil swell-up as water content increases. The soil can be consolidated in order to
improve its strength. Also the workability of the soil decreases as water content increases
hence black soil is very difficult to work in tillage operations. Black soil is difficult to
compact due to its high water content.
Red soil had a liquid limit of 33.40%, this limit is lower than 50% meaning that the soil can
be classified as a low plasticity soil. Its plastic limit was found to be 20.18%, which is the
moisture content at which the soil can be deformed without cracking. The plasticity index of
red soil was 13.22% indicating that the soil has lower clay content as compared to black soil
and grey soil. This also indicates that the soil has a low compressibility. The soil was
classified as low plasticity inorganic clays, sandy and silty clays. These soils result from
weathering of feldspars, quartz, chlorites and mica to form silt and clays and they have high
amount of carbonates. The activity ratio of red soil was found to be relatively low which may
be due to the presence of clay minerals with montmorillonite. Clay with montmorillonite,
which is a relatively stable clay mineral have a high activity ratio due to large volume
changes. Red soil can be used for agricultural purposes as it easier to work and also can hold
an appreciable amount of water and has a relatively good drainage as indicated by its
plasticity level.
Grey had a plastic limit of 0% as it could not be moulded or rolled. This means that the soil is
a non-plastic soil, however it could be classified as having a low plasticity since its liquid
limit(16.07%) is less than 35%. According to Casagrande’s plasticity chart, the soil was
classified as non-plastic silty sand. These soils may be as a result of deposition of silt and
sands due to erosion. Grey soil can be used as a foundation or landfill material and also for
road surfacing as it can easily be compacted. For best compaction, the plasticity index should
be close to 16% according to theory. Black soil showed to have a high water content as it has
more clay particles followed by red soil and finally the grey soil. The results agree with
theory, plasticity increases with an increase in water content of a soil. The amount of water
content in a soil depends on the soil texture. Black soil has more water content followed by
the red soil and then the grey soil.
Conclusion:
The objective of doing the soil consistency test was to determine the Atterberg limits of the
black, red and grey soils .
The key findings obtained from the soil consistency tests done in the laboratory are:
For black soil; Plastic limit = 38.54%, Liquid limit = 63.69%, Plasticity Index,PI = 25.15% .
The soil was then classified as a high plasticity inorganic clay.
For red soil; Plastic limit = 20.18%, Liquid limit = 33.40%, Plasticity Index,PI = 13.22%.
The soil was then classified as low plasticity inorganic clays, sandy and silty clays.
For grey soil; Plastic limit = 0%, Liquid limit = 16.07%, Plasticity Index,PI = 16.07% .The
soil was classified as non-plastic silty sands.
Black soil had a high plastic and liquid limit than both the red and grey soils, thus the soil has
more clay particles and has poor drainage so it holds more water. The more the water content
in the soil, the high the plasticity a soil is. The knowledge of soil consistency is important in
defining or classifying a soil type or predicting the soil performance when used in
construction or agricultural activities like tillage. Soil consistency limits depends on water
content of the soils and they can be determined using simple field tests or more accurately in
the laboratory. Plasticity describes the response of a soil to changes in water content and
knowledge of this helps for proper use, improvement and management of soil. The shear
strength of a soil decreases as its water content increases.
References:
Helmway, S.(2007), Applied soil mechanics with ABAQUS applications, Published by John
Wiley & Sons Inc.
Sivakugan, N.(2000). Soil classification,p5.
Smith, M.J. Soil Mechanics (4th edition)
Sowers, G.F.(1965), Consistency. In: Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 1 Agronomy (eds. Black
et. Al.) ; 391-399.