SOIL CLASSIFICATION

By_ As’ad Munawir

 Soil Classification (USDA)

USDA
( U S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE)
 Soil Classification (USDA)

Comparison of Particle Size Definitions USDA

clay silt sand cobbles

gravel

2m .05 mm #4 3”

# 200 USCS

fines sand cobbles

gravel

.074 mm #4 3”
Soil Classification (USDA)

Particle Size Comparisons

Soil Classification (USDA)
USDA Textural Triangle
 Soil Classification (USDA)

The use of this chart can best be demonstrated by an example. If the particle-
size distribution of soil A shows 30% sand, 40% silt, and 30% clay-size particles, its
textural classification can be determined by proceeding in the manner indicated by
the arrows in Figure 5.1. This soil falls into the zone of clay loam.

For example,if soil B has a particle-size distribution of 20% gravel,

10% sand, 30% silt, and 40% clay, the modified textural compositions
are
Soil Classification (USDA)
 Sand + Silt + Clay = 100%
34 % Sand
Texture =
33 % Silt
33 % Clay CLAY LOAM
Soil Classification (USDA)
EXAMPLE 1
Soil Classification (USDA)
EXAMPLE 1
 Procedure for AASHTO
Classification
(American Association of State
Highway and Transportation
Officials)
Developed in 1929 as the Public Road Administration Classification
System
Modified by the Highway Research Board (1945)

Based on suitability of soil as a subgrade material.

Ranking of soils as a quality subgrade material.

 Soil Classification (AASHTO)
The AASHTO (See AASHTO, 1982) classification in present use is given in
Table 5.1. According to this system, soil is classified into seven major groups:
A-1 through A-7. Soils classified under groups A-1, A-2, and A-3 are
granular materials of which 35% or less of the particles pass through the
No. 200 sieve. Soils of which more than 35% pass through the No. 200 sieve
are classified under groups A-4, A-5, A-6, and A-7. These soils are mostly silt
and clay-type materials. This classification system is based on the following
criteria
1. Grain size
a. Gravel: fraction passing the 75-mm (3-in.) sieve and retained on
the No. 10 (2-mm) U.S. sieve
b. Sand: fraction passing the No. 10 (2-mm) U.S. sieve and
retained on theNo. 200 (0.075-mm) U.S. sieve
c. Silt and clay: fraction passing the No. 200 U.S. sieve
2. Plasticity: The term silty is applied when the fine fractions of the soil have
a plasticity index of 10 or less. The term clayey is applied when the fine
fractions have a plasticity index of 11 or more.
3. If cobbles and boulders (size larger than 75 mm) are encountered, they
are exclude from the portion of the soil sample from which classification is
made. However, the percentage of such material is recorded.
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
 Soil Classification (AASHTO)
General Guidance
– 8 major groups: A1~ A7 (with several subgroups) and organic soils A8
– The required tests are sieve analysis and Atterberg limits.
– The group index, an empirical formula, is used to further evaluate soils
within a group (subgroups).

A1 ~ A3 A4 ~ A7

Granular Materials Silt-clay Materials

 35% pass No. 200 sieve  36% pass No. 200 sieve

– The original purpose of this classification system is used for road

construction (subgrade rating).
Using LL and PI separates silty materials Using LL and PI separates silty materials 18
from clayey materials (only for A2 group) from clayey materials
 Soil Classification (AASHTO)

Procedure for AASHTO Classification

• Determine the percentage of soil passing
the #200 sieve
• Determine the subgroups
– For coarse-grained soils (gravel and sand),
determine the percent passing the #10, 40,
and 200 sieves, AND
– Determine the liquid limit and plasticity index
– THEN, determine soil group or subgroup from
Table
 Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Group index
To evaluate the quality of a soil as a highway subgrade
material, one must also incorporate a number called the
group index (GI) with the groups and subgroups of the soil.
This index is written in parentheses after the group or
subgroup designation. The group index is given by the
equation
 Soil Classification (AASHTO)

The first term is determined by the LL

GI  (F200  35)0.2  0.005(LL  40)

 0.01(F200  15)(PI  10)
The second term is determined by the PI

For Group A-2-6 and A-2-7

GI  0.01(F200  15)(PI  10) use the second term only
F200: percentage passing through the No.200 sieve

In general, the rating for a pavement subgrade is

inversely proportional to the group index, GI.
21
Soil Classification (AASHTO)

fine

{e.g.: A-7-5(9)}
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Example 1
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Example 2
Soil Classification (AASHTO)
Example 3
Example 3
Passing No.200 86%
LL=70, PI=32
LL-30=40 > PI=32
Passing No.200 86% GI  (F200  35)0.2  0.005(LL  40)
LL=70, PI=32  0.01(F200  15)( PI  10)
LL-30=40 > PI=32  33.47  33 Round off A-7-5(33)

26
 Soil Classification (USCS)

The original form of this system was

proposed by Casagrande in 1942 for use in
the airfield construction works undertaken
by the Army Corps of Engineers during
World War II. In cooperation with the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, this system wasre
vised in 1952. At present, it is used widely
by engineers (ASTM Test Designation D-
2487).
 Soil Classification (USCS)
USCS Classification System

• Originally developed for the United States Army

• The method is standardized in ASTM D 2487 as “Unified Soil
Classification System (USCS)”
• USCS is the most common soil classification system among
geotechnical engineers
• A typical USCS classification would be:

SM - Silty sand with gravel

Group Group
Symbol Name
 Soil Classification (USCS)

Naming Convention

• Fine-grained Soil
First Letter Second Letter
M – Silt L – Low plastic
C – Clay H – High plastic
O – Organic
• Coarse-grained Soil
First Letter Second Letter
S – Sand P – Poorly graded
G – Gravel W – Well graded
M – Silty
C - Clayey
 Soil Classification (USCS)

Classification of Soils
• From sieve analysis and the grain-size distribution
curve determine the percent passing as the
following:
– > 3 inch – Cobble or Boulders
– 3 inch - # 4 (76.2 – 4.75 mm) : Gravel
– # 4 - # 200 (4.75 - 0.075 mm) : Sand
– < # 200: Fines
• First, Find % passing # 200
• If (5%) or more of soil passes # 200 sieve, then
conduct Atterberg Limits test (LL & PL)
 Soil Classification (USCS)
Cobbles or Boulders

GRAVEL SAND FINES

 Soil Classification (USCS)

This system classifies soils into two broad categories:

1. Coarse-grained soils that are gravelly and sandy
in nature with less than 50% passing through the No.
200 sieve. The group symbols start with a prefix of G
or S. G stands for gravel or gravelly soil, and S for sand
or sandy soil.
2. Fine-grained soils are with 50% or more passing
through the No. 200 sieve. The group symbols start
with prefixes of M, which stands for inorganic silt, C
for inorganic clay, or O for organic silts and clays. The
symbol Pt is used for peat, muck, and other highly
organic soils.
 Soil Classification (USCS)

Other symbols used for the classification are

W—well graded
P—poorly graded
L—low plasticity (liquid limit less than 50)
H—high plasticity (liquid limit more than 50)
For proper classification according to this system, some or all of the
following information must be known:
1. Percent of gravel—that is, the fraction passing the 76.2-mm sieve
and retained on the No. 4 sieve (4.75-mm opening)
2. Percent of sand—that is, the fraction passing the No. 4 sieve (4.75-
mm opening) and retained on the No. 200 sieve (0.075-mm opening)
3. Percent of silt and clay—that is, the fraction finer than the No. 200
sieve (0.075-mm opening)
4. Uniformity coefficient (Cu) and the coefficient of gradation (C)
5. Liquid limit and plasticity index of the portion of soil passing the
No. 40 sieve
 Soil Classification (USCS)
The group symbols for coarse-grained gravelly soils are GW, GP,
GM, GC, GC-GM, GW-GM,GW-GC,GP-GM, and GP-C.
Similarly,the group symbols for fine grained soils are
CL,ML,OL,CH,MH,OH,CL-ML,and Pt.

More recently, ASTM designation D-2487 created an

elaborate system to assign group names to soils. These
names are summarized in Figures 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6. In
using these figures, one needs to remember that, in a
given soil,
Soil Classification (USCS)
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 1
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 1
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 2
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 2
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 3
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 3
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 3
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 3
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 3
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 4
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 4
Soil Classification (USCS)
EXAMPLE 4
Example 5
Passing No.200 sieve 30 % LL= 33
Passing No.4 sieve 70 % PI= 12

Passing No.200 sieve 30 %

Passing No.4 sieve 70 %

LL= 33
PI= 12
PI= 0.73(LL-20), A-line
PI=0.73(33-20)=9.49
SC
(15% gravel)
Clayey sand with Highly
gravel
55
(Santamarina et al., 2001)