Effect of soil fraction between sieve no 40 and no 200 on the soil atterberg limits

Abstract

Atterberg limits test is usually performed on clay soil fraction passing sieve no 40; even though clay fraction of a soil is assumed to be passing sieve no 200. Our projects aim is to find the effect of particles between sieve number 40 and sieve number 200 on the Atterbergs Limits. This is done by performing two sets of Atterberg limit: one set on soil fraction passing sieve no 40 and the other set on fraction passing sieve no 200. Fifteen soil samples collected from different regions in Lebanon were subjected to: Atterberg limits: Liquid limit (LL), Plastic limit (PL), hydrometer test, sieve analysis and specific gravity tests. In order to reveal the soil parameters affecting the difference of Atterberg limits by both procedures, a detailed analysis was done. The obtained results from the analysis using SPSS software, showed correlations between liquid limit performed on sieve no 40 and liquid limit performed on sieve no 200. These correlations have practical applications especially for commercial laboratory dealing with geotechnical soil identification.