Use of fall cones to determine Atterberg limits: A review
View / Open Files
Publication Date
2018-10-01Journal Title
Geotechnique
ISSN
0016-8505
Publisher
ICE Publishing
Volume
68
Issue
10
Pages
843-856
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
O’Kelly, B., Vardanega, P., & Haigh, S. (2018). Use of fall cones to determine Atterberg limits: A review. Geotechnique, 68 (10), 843-856. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.17.R.039
Abstract
This paper reviews the percussion-cup liquid limit (LL), thread-rolling plastic limit (PL),
and various fall-cone and other approaches employed for consistency limit
determinations on fine soil, highlighting their use and misuse for soil classification
purposes and in existing correlations. Since the PL does not correspond to a unique
value of remoulded undrained strength, there is no scientific reason why plastic limit
measurements obtained using the thread-rolling and strength-based fall cone or
extrusion methods should coincide. Various correlations are established relating LL
values deduced using the percussion-cup and fall-cone approaches. The significance
of differences in the strain-rate dependency on the mobilised fall-cone strength is
reviewed. The paper concludes with recommendations on the standardisation of
international codes and the wider used of the fall-cone approach for soft to medium stiff
clays in establishing the strength variability with changing water content and further
index parameters.
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.17.R.039
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/271145
Rights
Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/