Liquid Limit of Soils

Liquid limit is an important property of soils, which is used to determine the moisture content at which a soil changes from a plastic state to a liquid state. This is an important parameter for designing foundations, earthworks, and other construction projects.

Shear Strength of Soils

Shear strength is the resistance of a soil to deformation by shear stress. It is an important parameter for designing foundations, retaining walls, and other structures that are subjected to lateral loads. The shear strength of a soil is influenced by many factors, including the type of soil, its moisture content, its density, and its structure.

Relation between Liquid Limit and Shear Strength

At liquid limit, all soils possess the same shear strength of small magnitude. This means that the shear strength of a soil at its liquid limit is relatively low and is the same for all types of soils, regardless of their other properties. This is because the soil is in a highly fluid state at its liquid limit, and its particles are not well-connected or interlocked.

However, as the moisture content of the soil decreases below its liquid limit, its shear strength increases. This is because the particles of the soil become more tightly packed and interlocked, making it more difficult for them to move past each other under shear stress. The shear strength of a soil continues to increase as its moisture content decreases, until it reaches a maximum value at its optimum moisture content.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the liquid limit of a soil is an important property that is related to its shear strength. At the liquid limit, all soils possess the same shear strength of small magnitude. However, as the moisture content of the soil decreases below its liquid limit, its shear strength increases. Therefore, it is important to determine the liquid limit and other properties of soils in order to design safe and stable structures.

At liquid limit all soils have same shear strength of magnitude 2.7Kn/m^2 that can be measured.