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CE 151 - Geotechnical Engineering 1 Soil Classification

The document discusses three common soil classification systems: 1) The USDA Textural Classification system categorizes soils based solely on particle size distribution, without considering plasticity. 2) The AASHTO Classification System considers particle size, plasticity, and assigns a Group Index value inversely related to suitability for highway materials. 3) The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) classifies soils as coarse-grained or fine-grained based on the % passing a #200 sieve, and further divides them based on plasticity and particle characteristics. The USCS provides a detailed scheme for soil identification and communication.

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219 views8 pages

CE 151 - Geotechnical Engineering 1 Soil Classification

The document discusses three common soil classification systems: 1) The USDA Textural Classification system categorizes soils based solely on particle size distribution, without considering plasticity. 2) The AASHTO Classification System considers particle size, plasticity, and assigns a Group Index value inversely related to suitability for highway materials. 3) The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) classifies soils as coarse-grained or fine-grained based on the % passing a #200 sieve, and further divides them based on plasticity and particle characteristics. The USCS provides a detailed scheme for soil identification and communication.

Uploaded by

Carlo Consuegra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1

SOIL CLASSIFICATION

SOIL CLASSIFICATION

Different soils with similar properties may be classified into groups and sub-groups
according to their engineering behavior. Most of the soil classification systems that have been
developed for engineering purposes are based on simple index properties such as particle-
size distribution and plasticity. Although several classification systems are now in use, none
is totally definitive of any soil for all possible applications because of the wide diversity of
soil properties.

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Textural


Classification

- based on the particle-size limits as summarized below:

 sand size: 2.0 to 0.05 mm in diameter


 silt size: 0.05 to 0.002 mm in diameter
 clay size: smaller than 0.002 mm in diameter

- based only on particle-size distribution

- does not take plasticity into account

- not totally indicative of many important soil properties

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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1
SOIL CLASSIFICATION

Figure 1. USDA Textural Classification

2. American Association of State Highway and Transport Officials (AASHTO)


Classification System

- developed in 1929 as the Public Road Administrative Classification System

- based on the following criteria:

1. Grain Size
– Gravel: fraction passing the 75 mm sieve and retained on the No. 10
(2 mm) U.S. sieve
– Sand: fraction passing the No. 10 (2 mm) U.S. sieve and retained
on the No. 200 (0.075 mm) U.S. sieve
– Silt and clay: fraction passing the No. 200 (0.075 mm) U.S. sieve

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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1
SOIL CLASSIFICATION

2. Plasticity
a) If PI is 10 or less: silty
b) If PI is 11 or more: clayey

3. If cobbles and boulders (size larger than 75 mm) are encountered, they are
excluded in the portion of the soil sample from which classification is made.
However, the percentage of such material is recorded.

Group Index (GI)


– use to evaluate the quality of soil as highway material

– the quality of performance of a soil as a subgrade material is inversely proportional


to the group index

Where:
F200 = percentage passing through the No. 200 sieve
LL = liquid limit
PI = plasticity index

Rules for Determining the Group Index:

1. If the equation for GI yield a negative value, it is taken as 0.


2. The calculated GI is rounded off to the nearest whole number (for example:
GI = 3.4 is rounded off to 3; GI = 3.5 is rounded off to 4).
3. There is no upper limit for GI.
4. The GI of soils belonging to groups A-1-a, A-1-b, A-2-4, A-2-5, and A-3 is
always 0.
5. When calculating the GI for soils that belongs to groups A-2-6 and A-2-7, use

GI = 0.01 (F200 – 15) (PI – 10)

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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1
SOIL CLASSIFICATION

Figure 2. AASHTO Classification System

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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1
SOIL CLASSIFICATION

Figure 3. Range of Liquid Limit and Plasticity Index for Soils in Groups A-2, A-4, A-5, A-6, and A-7

3. Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)

- the original version was proposed by Cassagrande


- classifies the soil into two broad categories:

1. Coarse-grained soil
– gravelly and sandy in nature with less than 50% passing through sieve
No. 200
– S: sand and G: gravel

2. Coarse-grained soil
– soils with 50% or more passing through sieve No. 200
– M: inorganic silt, C: inorganic clay, O: organic silts and clay, P: peat

– other symbols used for classification:


 W : well graded
 P : poorly graded
 L : low plasticity (LL < 50)
 H : high plasticity (LL > 50)

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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1
SOIL CLASSIFICATION

Figure 4. Unified Soil Classification System


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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1
CLAY MINERALS

Figure 5. Plasticity Chart

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CE 151 – Geotechnical Engineering 1
CLAY MINERALS

Figure 6. Unified Soil Classification System (with group name)

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