Soil Plastic Limit
- Details
The plastic limit (PL) is the water content where soil transitions between brittle and plastic behaviour. To determine this behaviour boundary, soil balls are rolled into threads of 3 mm diameter and if those 3 mm threads begin to crumble then their water content are plastic limit of soils.
Soil plastic limit could be called as “rolling limit” because technicians have to “roll soil balls into threads” to determine this type of limit.
Degree of Saturation of Soils
- Details
"Degree of saturation" of a soil sample is not an index test but derived from its natural moisture content, void ratio and specific gravity. Degree of saturation is denoted by Sr which has the unit of percent describes the degree of water filling in voids of a soil mass.
In practical, degree of saturation varies in the range of 0% ~ 100% and never reaches the margin of 0% or 100%. However, some of geotechnical laboratories in Vietnam suppose that the value of saturation degree is higher than 100% for organic soils (!)
Natural Moisture Content
- Details
1. Definition:
Soil moisture content (or water content) is the amount of water which can be removed when a soil sample is dried at the temperature of 105°C. Moisture content is usually expressed as a percentage of the dry mass.
Compaction Test
- Details
1. Definition:
The bulk density or dry density of soils is not a constant value, it could be changed in relation with the moisture content of soils and the compaction effort.
Bulk Density
- Details
1. Definition:
A bulk density of a soil sample is defined as a mass per unit volume. The bulk density is denoted by ρm and has a unit of g/cm³ or Mg/m³.