Which of the following limits are determined in Atterberg limits tests, except?

The Atterberg limits tests are primarily used to determine the plasticity characteristics of fine-grained soils. They consist of three key limits: the liquid limit, the plastic limit, and the shrinkage limit. Each of these limits provides valuable information about soil behavior and describes the transition stages of soil consistency as water content changes.

The liquid limit pertains to the moisture content at which the soil changes from a plastic state to a liquid state. The plastic limit indicates the water content at which the soil transitions from a solid to a plastic state. The shrinkage limit defines the lowest moisture content at which the soil remains saturated. These three limits aid in classifying soils and understanding their engineering properties, especially in relation to their behavior under varying moisture conditions.

On the other hand, shear strength is a property that measures the ability of a soil to resist shear stress and is not directly determined through Atterberg limits tests. Instead, shear strength is typically evaluated through different testing methods, such as direct shear tests, unconsolidated undrained tests, or triaxial tests, which analyze the soil's response to applied stresses. Thus, shear strength is outside the scope of the Atterberg limits tests, making it the correct answer in this context.