At the shrinkage limit, the soil is just fully saturated. Shrinkage limit of soils can be perceived as a point of inflection in either direction. While decreasing the water content, from its liquid state to the solid state, a point of inflection is reached (shrinkage limit) when further reduction in water content will not cause a reduction in the volume of the soil mass. While increasing the water content, from a partially saturated state to a fully saturated state and beyond, the electrical resistivity reduces, and from the point of shrinkage limit onwards, there is no further appreciable reduction in electrical resistivity. Earlier studies have proven that shrinkage limit is not governed by plasticity characteristics of the soil. Shrinkage limit is primarily a result of the packing phenomenon governed by the grain size distribution of the soil. This research investigates the relationship between moisture contents and electrical resistivity of well compacted/packed soils. It is shown that electrical resistivity measurements (ER–moisture content profile) of a well packed soil, in an electrical resistivity box, can be a useful tool for predicting the shrinkage limit of the soil. A very good agreement is obtained between Shrinkage limit assessed from standard shrinkage limit test and resistivity–water content profile. The assessment is proven to be valid for contaminated soils too, where in the Atterberg limits get altered.

在收缩极限处，土壤刚刚完全饱和。可以将土壤的收缩极限视为任一方向的拐点。在降低水含量的同时，从液态到固态，达到拐点（收缩极限）时，进一步降低水含量不会导致土壤团块体积减少。在增加水含量的过程中，从部分饱和状态到完全饱和状态以及更高的范围，电阻率降低，并且从收缩极限的角度出发，电阻率没有进一步的降低。较早的研究证明，收缩极限不受土壤可塑性特征的支配。收缩极限主要是由土壤粒度分布决定的堆积现象的结果。本研究调查了密实/堆积的土壤中水分含量与电阻率之间的关系。结果表明，在电阻率框中，对填充良好的土壤进行电阻率测量（ER-水分含量分布图）可以作为预测土壤收缩极限的有用工具。在通过标准收缩极限测试评估的收缩极限与电阻率-水含量曲线之间获得了很好的一致性。评估也被证明对受污染的土壤也是有效的，因为在阿特贝格的限制有所改变。可以用来预测土壤的收缩极限。在通过标准收缩极限测试评估的收缩极限与电阻率-水含量曲线之间获得了很好的一致性。评估也被证明对受污染的土壤也是有效的，因为在阿特贝格的限制有所改变。可以用来预测土壤的收缩极限。在通过标准收缩极限测试评估的收缩极限与电阻率-水含量曲线之间获得了很好的一致性。评估也被证明对受污染的土壤也是有效的，因为在阿特贝格的限制有所改变。