Soil Classification

Prof. Mustafa Aytekin

Outline
1. Purpose
2. Classification Systems
3. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
4. The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)
5. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials System
(AASHTO)
6. British Soil Classification System (BSCS)
7. Suggested Homework

2
1. Purpose
Classifyingsoils into groups with similar behavior, in
terms of simple indices, can provide geotechnical
engineers a general guidance about engineering
properties of the soils through the accumulated
experience.
Communicate
between
engineers

Simple indices Classification Estimate Achieve

system engineering engineering
GSD, LL, PI (Language) properties purposes
Use the
accumulated 3
experience
2. Classification Systems
 Three commonly used soil classification systems:

• Unified Soil Classification System (USCS).

• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

System

• In BAHRAIN: British Soil Classification System (BSCS)

4
3. Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)
Origin of USCS:
This system was first developed by Professor A.
Casagrande (1948) for the purpose of airfield construction
during World War II. Afterwards, it was modified by
Professor Casagrande, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to enable the
system to be applicable to dams, foundations, and other
construction (Holtz and Kovacs, 1981).

Four major divisions:

(1) Coarse-grained
(2) Fine-grained
(3) Organic soils
(4) Peat
6
Definition of Grain Size
No specific
grain size-use
Atterberg limits

Gravel Sand Silt and

Boulders Cobbles Clay
Coarse Fine Coarse Medium Fine

300 mm 75 mm No.4 No.200

4.75 mm 0.075
19 mm No.10 No.40 mm
2.0 mm 0.425 mm

7
General Guidance
50 %
Coarse-grained soils: Fine-grained soils:
Gravel Sand Silt Clay
NO. 4 NO.200
50%
4.75 mm 0.075 mm
LL>50
•Grain size distribution •PL, LL LL <50
•Cu •Plasticity chart
•Cc
Required tests: Sieve analysis

Atterberg limit 8
Symbols

Soil symbols: Liquid limit symbols:

G: Gravel H: High LL (LL>50) Well−gradedsoil
S: Sand L: Low LL (LL<50) 1 Cc 3 and Cu  4
(forgravels
)
M: Silt Gradation symbols:
1 Cc 3 and Cu  6
C: Clay W: Well-graded (forsands
)
O: Organic P: Poorly-graded
Pt: Peat Example: SW, Well-graded sand
SC, Clayey sand
SM, Silty sand,
MH, Elastic silt 9
 Plasticity Chart
L H • The A-line generally
separates the more
claylike materials
from silty materials,
and the organics from
PI
the inorganics.
• The U-line indicates
the upper bound for
general soils.

Note: If the measured

limits of soils are on
the left of U-line,
they should be
LL rechecked.

(Holtz and Kovacs, 1981) 10

Procedures for Classification

Coarse-grained
material
Grain size
distribution

Fine-grained
material
LL, PI

Highly
11

(Santamarina et al., 2001)

Example 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

Highly
16

(Santamarina et al., 2001)

 SC
(if gravel 15%
Clayey sand with gravel
Otherwise
Clayey sand)
Borderline Cases (Dual Symbols)
For the following three conditions, a dual symbol
should be used.
Coarse-grained soils with 5% - 12% fines.
− About 7 % fines can change the hydraulic conductivity of the coarse-grained
media by orders of magnitude.
− The first symbol indicates whether the coarse fraction is well or poorly graded. The
second symbol describe the contained fines. For example: SP-SM, poorly graded sand
with silt.
Fine-grainedsoils with limits within the shaded zone. (PI between 4 and 7 and
L H
LL between about 12 and 25).
− It is hard to distinguish between the silty and more claylike materials.
PI
− CL-ML: Silty clay, SC-SM: Silty, clayed sand.
Soil contain similar fines and coarse-grained fractions.
− possible dual symbols GM-ML 18

L
Example

Note: The soil is known as an inorganic soil

Solution
3.7 Organic Soils
• Highly organic soils- Peat (Group symbol PT)
− A sample composed primarily of vegetable tissue in various
stages of decomposition and has a fibrous to amorphous
texture, a dark-brown to black color, and an organic odor
should be designated as a highly organic soil and shall be
classified as peat, PT.

• Organic clay or silt( group symbol OL or OH):

− “The soil’s liquid limit (LL) after oven drying is less than 75 %
of its liquid limit before oven drying.” If the above statement
is true, then the first symbol is O.
− The second symbol is obtained by locating the values of PI
and LL (not oven dried) in the plasticity chart.
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4-British Soil Classification System
Example: Soil Classification by the BSCS
The results of particle size analyses of four soils A, B, C, and D
are shown in the table below.

49
Example:BSCS (cont.)

The results of liquid and plastic limit tests on soil D are:

Plastic Limit Tests

23.9 24.3

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Example:BSCS (cont.)

Fine fraction of soil C has a LL=26 and PI=9

a) Determine the coefficients of uniformity and curvature for

soils A, B, and C.

b) Determine group symbols with main qualifying terms to each

soil (A, B, C, and D)

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Solution: GSDCs of the four soils

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Solution: Soil A

A Cu= D60 = 16 =34

D10 0.47
2 2
Cc= D 30 = 3.5 =1.6
D10D60 0.47x16

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Solution: Soil B

Cu= D60 = 0.41=1.8

D10 0.23
2 2
Cc= D 30 = 0.30 =0.95
D10D60 0.23x0.41

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Solution: Soil C

Cu= D60 = 2.4 =800

D10 0.003
2 2
Cc= D 30 = 0.042 =0.25
D10D60 0.003x2.4

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LL test for soil D Penetration test

56
 Liquid Limit for soil D

23.9 24.3

PL=(23.9+24.3)/2 ~ 24 57
Classification of soil A

Go to the BSCS table and find the class as GW since % of

58
fines is zero and GSDC shows it is well graded.
Classification of soil B

Go to the BSCS table and find the class as SPu since 3%59fines
and GSDC shows it is uniformly graded.
Classification of soil C

60
Classification of soil C (cont.)

Plotting LL=26 and PI=9 on the

plasticity chart, CL zone is found.

Go to the BSCS table & Plasticity chart and find the class
as GCL, it is very clayey gravel (clay of low plasticity)
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Classification of soil D

The LL=42, and PI=18: the zone is in CI on the plasticity chart.

Thus, the soil class is CI (Clay of intermediate plasticity)
62
Comparison of USCS and BSCS
classification systems
 American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials system (AASHTO)
Origin of AASHTO: (For road construction)
This system was originally developed by
Hogentogler and Terzaghi in 1929 as the Public
Roads Classification System. Afterwards, there
are several revisions. The present AASHTO
(1978) system is primarily based on the version
in 1945. (Holtz and Kovacs, 1981)
64
5.1 Definition of Grain Size
No specific
grain size-use
Atterberg
limits
Boulders Gravel Sand Silt-Clay

Coarse Fine

75 mm No.4 No.200
4.75 mm 0.075
No.40 mm
0.425 mm

69
5.2 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

Using LL and PI separates silty materials Using LL and PI separates silty materials
from clayey materials (only for A2 group) from clayey materials

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

construction (subgrade rating).
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5.3 Group Index
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.
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5.4 Classification

73 Das, 1998
5.4 Classification (Cont.)

Note:
Das, 1998
The first group from the left to fit the test data is the 74
correct AASHTO classification.
 Passing No.200 86%

5.4 Example
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)

75
Comparison of USCS and
AASHTO classification systems
6. USDA Soil Classification Method
EXAMPLE
A soil specimen is taken from the field, its particle-size
distribution was found as follows.
20% gravel, 22% sand, 50%silt, and 8% clay. Classify the soil to
USDA method.

SOLUTION:
First, we should eliminate the gravel portion and make the others 100%:

22% (sand) + 50% (silt) + 8% (clay) = 80%

New % of sand = 22x100/80 = 27.5 %

% of silt = 62.5 %
% of clay = 10 %
THE END