Classes of Embedment and Backfill Materials

ASTM D2321 ASTM D2487 AASHTO Soil Groups

Visual Descriptions
Class* Description Major Divisions Notation Description (AASHTO M145)

0 16 Crushed rock, angular (fractured

face) 1/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches in size Angular crushed stone or rock,
100% passing 1-1/2 inch sieve, </=
I
15% passing #4 sieve, </=25%
- N/A crushed gravel, crushed slag; large -
voids with little or no fines
passing 3/8 inch sieve and </= 12%
passing #200 sieve

1 GW
Well-graded gravel, gravel-sand
Clean, coarse grained soils: SW, SP, mixtures; little or no fines
GW, GP or any soil beginning with Clean Gravels
one of these symbols with
Poorly-graded gravels, gravel-sand A1, A3*
</= 12% passing #200 sieve** GP
mixtures; little or no fines * Uniformly graded
(Materials such as broken coral,
materials with an average
shells, and recycled concrete, with
particle size smaller than
</= 12% passing a No. 200 sieve, Well-graded sands, gravelly sands; a No. 40 sieve shall not
2 are considered to be Class II SW
little or no fines be used as backfill for
materials. These materials should thermoplastic culverts
II only be used when evaluated and Clean Sands
unless specifically allowed
approved by the engineer) Poorly-graded sands, gravelly sands; in the contract
SP
little or no fines documents and special
precautions are taken to
control moisture content
and monitor compaction
3 Coarse-Grained Soils, borderline
GW-GC, SP-
Sands and gravels which are levels
clean to w/fines (</= 12% passing - SM
borderline between clean and with
#200 sieve) fines

Coarse grained materials with fines: GM Silty gravels, gravel-sand-silt mixtures

GM, GC, SM, SC, or any soil Gravels with Fines
4 beginning with one of these symbols, GC
Clayey gravels, gravel-sand-clay
containing > 12% passing #200 mixtures
sieve; Sandy or gravelly fine-grained
soils: CL, ML, or any soil beginning SM Silty sands, sand-silt mixtures
with one of these symbols, with >/= Sands with Fines A-2-4, A-2-5, A-2-6, or A-
30% retained on #200 sieve SC Clayey sands, sand-clay mixtures 4 or A-6 soils with more
III than 30% retained on
Fines content greater Inorganic silts and very fine sands, #200 sieve
5 than 30% retained on ML rock flour, silty or clayey fine sands,
#200 sieve silts with slight plasticity
Inorganic fine-grained soils: > 30%
retained on #200 sieve
Fines content greater Inorganic clays of low to medium
than 30% retained on CL plasticity; gravelly, sandy, or silty clays;
#200 sieve lean clays

Inorganic silts and very fine sands,

6 ML rock flour, silty or clayey fine sands,
Inorganic fine-grained soils such as silts with slight plasticity A-2-7, or A-4, or A-6 soils
50% or more passes
IV fine sand and soils containing 50
the No. 200 sieve
with 30% or less retained
percent or more clay or silt Inorganic clays of low to medium on #200 sieve
CL plasticity; gravelly, sandy, or silty clays;
lean clays

*Limits may be imposed on the soil group to meet project/local requirements if the specified soil remains with the group. **Uniform fine sands(SP) with more than 50% passing a #100 sieve
are very sensitive to moisture and should not be used as backfill unless specifically allowed in the contract documents. If use of these materials is allowed, compaction and handling procedures should follow the guidelines for Class III materials.
 ASTM D2321 ASTM D2487
AASHTO Soil Groups Visual Descriptions
Class Description Major Divisions Notation Description
Inorganic silts, micaceous or
Liquid limit greater
MH diatomaceous fine sandy or silty soils,
than 50%
elastic silts

NOT FOR USE AS

Inorganic fine-grained soils

EMBEDMENT
Liquid limit greater Inorganic clays of high plasticity, fat
CH
than 50% clays
V A5, A7
Liquid limit 50% or Organic silts and organic silty clays of
OL
less low plasticity
Organic soils or Highly organic soils,
Liquid limit greater Organic clays of medium to high
materials include organic silts and OH
than 50% plasticity, organic silts
clays, and peat
Peat, muck and other high organic
Highly Organic Soils PT
soils
Prefix: G = Gravel, S = Sand, M = Silt, C = Clay, O = Organic Suffix: W = Well Graded, P = Poorly Graded, M = Silty, L = Clay, LL < 50%, H = Clay, LL > 50%

Gravel Terminology:
o Bank run - the gradation as it
exists in nature, w/ little
processing; gravel w / sand & clay
present (Generally Class 2)
o Crushed gravel - oversized
particles are crushed and fed back
into the mixture (Generally Class
1 or 2)
o Dense-graded - all particle sizes
are present, limited voids content
(Generally Class 2)
o Open-graded - screened material
with a narrow range of particle
sizes and a large voids content
(Generally Class 1 or 2 depending
on screen size
o Pea Gravel/ River Rock/ Creek
Rock - generally rounded, small
stones with potentially wide range
of stone types 4 sizes (Generally
Class 2)