Atterburg limits help to determine which critical property of soil?

Atterberg limits are a crucial set of measurements used to define the plasticity properties of fine-grained soils. Specifically, the Atterberg limits consist of three main values: the liquid limit, the plastic limit, and the shrinkage limit. Each of these limits helps to characterize how a soil behaves under different moisture conditions.

The liquid limit identifies the moisture content at which the soil transitions from a plastic state to a liquid state, while the plastic limit indicates the moisture content at which the soil transitions from a plastic state to a semi-solid state. The difference between these two limits gives rise to the plasticity index, which quantifies the range of moisture content over which the soil can behave plastically.

Understanding the plasticity characteristics of soil is essential for various engineering applications, such as predicting how soil will behave under loads, assessing stability, and determining appropriate engineering methods for soil improvement. Therefore, Atterberg limits are directly associated with determining the plasticity of soil, making this the correct choice.