ISSN: 1945-7545
CODEN: GTJODJ
Published Online: 13 February 2007
Page Count: 8

An Alternative Test Method for Assessingqa Consistency Limits

Lee, Landris T.
Research Civil Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center, Vicksburg, MS

Freeman, Reed B.
Research Civil Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center, Vicksburg, MS

(Received 13 June 2006; accepted 5 December 2006)

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to assess simpler alternatives for estimating the Atterberg (liquid and plastic) limits as needed during military field reconnaissance and combat engineering exercises. Eight non-ASTM test methods were compared to the Casagrande cup liquid limit method and ten non-ASTM alternatives were compared to the rolled-bead plastic limit method for three cohesive soils having wide plasticity index ranges. Only one non-ASTM method yielded results within 10 % of the ASTM liquid and plastic limit values. This unique test method was created from a unified (dual-weight) fall cone apparatus and procedure to enable simple assessment of soil consistency limits.

Keywords:
fall cone penetrometer, Atterberg limits, linear shrinkage

Paper ID: GTJ100700
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ100700
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