Page 43 - Handbook GEOTEKNIK_Final_Neat

Types of Lab Tests Types of Lab Tests

Lab test Description/ Photos Lab test Description/ Photos
Purpose/ Advantages Purpose/ Advantages
5. Atterberg Liquid Limit (LL)
3. Moisture  Moisture content is an Limits  moisture content (mc) at
Content, w indicator of the amount of which soil begins to behave as
water present in soil a liquid material & begin to
flows
 Moisture content, w(%):

M w Plastic Limit (PL)
%
w ( ) = M × 100  mc at which soil begins to
s behave as a plastic material

Shrinkage Limit (SL)
M – Mass of water Figure 26: Moisture Content Test Equipment  mc at which no further
w
M – Mass of solid volume change occurs with
s
further reduction of mc
Figure 28: Atterberg Limits Test
Plasticity Index (PI)
4. Specific Gravity  specific gravity (G ), of soil  PI is a measure of
s
solids is the ratio of the the plasticity of a soil.
density of the aggregate The plasticity index is the size
soil solids to the density of of the range of water contents
water where the soil exhibits plastic
properties. The PI is the

mass of the object difference between the liquid
G = limit and the plastic limit
s
mass of water
m PI = LL-PL
= object
m Figure 27: Specific Gravity Test Equipment
H 2 O

26 PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MALAYSIA GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING HANDBOOK 27