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Unified Soil Classification System Training Present

This document discusses various soil classification systems used in engineering. It describes how soils are grouped based on their particle size, liquid limit, and plasticity index. The major soil groups are cohesive soils like clay and silt, and granular or cohesionless soils like sand and gravel. Grain size distribution is important for determining a soil's engineering properties, and is measured through sieve analysis for coarse soils and hydrometer analysis for fine soils. Soils can be classified as well or poorly graded based on the range of grain sizes present.

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208 views11 pages

Unified Soil Classification System Training Present

This document discusses various soil classification systems used in engineering. It describes how soils are grouped based on their particle size, liquid limit, and plasticity index. The major soil groups are cohesive soils like clay and silt, and granular or cohesionless soils like sand and gravel. Grain size distribution is important for determining a soil's engineering properties, and is measured through sieve analysis for coarse soils and hydrometer analysis for fine soils. Soils can be classified as well or poorly graded based on the range of grain sizes present.

Uploaded by

ambachew64
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Various Soil Classifications

&
Their Uses

By Ambachew Abebe
ID.No. RET/MSc/102/03
Date. December2010

1
Introduction
 Soilclassification for engineering
purpose is necessary to describe
the many type of soil that exist in
nature.
 A classification system is a

standard language which


organizes the engineering
knowledge of soil, and is a means
of communication.
 Most classification systems in soil
mechanics use

 Particle size characteristics

 Liquid limit and plasticity index to


describe the soil and its name.
 Therefore soil classification is the
arrangement of soils in to
different groups such that the
soils in a particular group have
similar behavior. It is a sort of
labeling with different labels. As
there is a wide variety of soils
covering earth, it is desirable to
systematize or classify the soils in
 tobroad groups of similar
behavior. It is more convenient to
study the behavior of groups than
that of individual soils.
obiective

 To develop a systematic way to


describe and classify soils;
 To group soils of similar

geotechnical characteristics; and


 To assign symbols.
Major Soil Groups
Cohesive Granular soils or
soils Cohesionless soils

Clay Silt Sand Gravel Cobble Boulder

0.002 0.075 2.36 63 200

Grain size (mm)

Fine grain Coarse grain


soils soils
Grain Size Distribution
 Significance of GSD:
⇒To know the relative proportions of
different grain sizes.
⇒An important factor influencing the
geotechnical characteristics of a coarse
grain soil.
⇒Not important in fine grain soils.
Determination of GSD:
 In coarse grain soils …... By sieve analysis
 In fine grain soils …... By hydrometer analysis
hydrometer

stack of sieves
sieve shaker
soil/water suspension

Sieve Analysis Hydrometer Analysis


100

80
% Passing hydrometer sieve

60
fines sands gravels

40

D10 = 0.013 mm
20
D
30
D30 = 0.47 mm
D60 = 7.4 mm
0
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100

Grain size (mm)

Grain Size Distribution Curve


can find % of gravels, sands, fines
define D10, D30, D60.. as above.
Well or Poorly Graded Soils
 Well Graded Soils Poorly Graded Soils
Wide range of grain sizes Others, including two special cases:
present
(a) Uniform soils – grains of same size
Gravels: Cc = 1-3 & Cu >4
Sands: Cc = 1-3 & Cu >6
(b) Gap graded soils – no grains in a
specific size range

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