GREGG DRILLING AND TESTING, INC.
GEOTECHNICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND MAINE SITE INVESTIGATION SERVICES
UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
FIELD INDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES
GROUP (excluding particles larger than 3 inches and INFORMATION REQUIRED
MAJOR DIVISIONS SYMBOLS TYPICAL NAMES basing fractions on estimated weights) FOR DESCRIBING SOILS
1 2 3 4 5 6
Well-graded gravels, gravel-sand Wide range in grain sizes and substantial amounts of all For undisturbed soils add information
GW
(For visual classification, the ¼-in. size may be used as
fraction is larger than No. 4
no fines)
Gravels
Little or
mixtures, little or no fines intermediate particle sizes on stratification, degree of
(Clean
More than half of coarse
compactness, cementation, moisture
Poorly graded gravels or gravel-sand Predominatly one size or a range of sizes with some conditions, and drainage
GP
mixtures, little or no fines intermediate sizes missing
More than half of material is larger than
sieve size.
characteristics.
Gravels
Nonplastic fines or fines with low plasticity (for
equivalent to the No. 4 sieve)
GM Silty gravels, gravel-sand-silt mixtures
(Gravels with
identification procedures see ML below) Give typical name: Indicate
Appreciable
amount of
approximate percentage of sand and
Coarse-grained Soils
The No. 200 sieve size is about the smallest particle visible to the naked eye.
fines)
Fines
No. 200 sieve size.
gravel, maximum size, angularity,
GC Clayey gravels, gravel-sand-clay mixtures Plastic fines (for identification see CL below) surface condition, and hardness of
the coarse grains; local or geologic
name and other pertinent descriptive
Well-graded sands, gravelly sands, little or Wide range in grain sizes and substantial amounts of all information, and symbol in
smaller than No. 4 sieve
SW
Sands
Clean
fines)
(Little
parentheses.
or no
no fines intermediate sizes missing
coarse fraction is
More than half of
Poorly graded sands or gravelly sands, Predominantly one size or a range of sizes with some
SP Example:
little or no fines intermediate sizes missing
Silty sand gravelly; about 20% hard,
Sands
Nonplastic fines or fines with low plasticity (for
size
SM Silty sands, sand-silt mixtures
(Appreciable
angular gravel particles 1/2in.
Sands with
identification
amount of
maximum size; rounded and
fines)
Fines
subangular sand grains, coarse to
SC Clayey sands, sand-clay mixtures Plastic fines (for identification procedures see CL below) fine; about 15% non plastic fines with
low dry strength; well compacted and
moist in place; alluvial sand (SM).
Identification Procedures
on Fraction smaller than No. 40 Sieve Size
Dry Strength Dilatancy Toughness
More than half of material is smaller than
(Crushing (Reaction to (Consistency
Characteristics) Shaking) near PL)
Inorganic silts and very fine sands, rock For undisturbed soils add information
Liquid limit is less
Silts and Clays
ML flour, silty or clayey fine sands or clayey None to slight Quick to slow None on structure, stratification,
No. 200 sieve size.
Fine-grained Soils
silts with slight plasticity consistency in undisturbed and
than 50.
Inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity, remolded states, moisture and
CL gravelly clays, sandy clays, silty clays, Medium to high None to very slow Medium drainage conditions.
lean clays
Organic silts and organic silty clays of low Give typical name, indicate degree
OL Slight to medium Slow Slight and character or plasticity, amount
plasticity
Inorganic silts, micaceous or and maximum size of coarse grains,
Slight to color in wet conditions, odor (if any),
greater than 50.
Soils and Clays
MH diatomaceous fine sandy or silty soils, Slight to medium Slow to none
Liquid limit is
medium local or geologic name, and other
elastic silts
pertinent descriptive information, and
CH Inorganic clays of high plasticity, fat clays High to very high None High symbol in parentheses.
Example:
Organic clays and silts of medium to high Slight to
OH Medium to high None to very slow Clayey silt, brown; slightly plastic;
plasticity medium
small percentage of fine sand;
Readily identified by color, odor, spongy feel and numerous vertical root holes; firm
Highly Organic Soils Pt Peat and other highly organic soils
frequently by fibrous texture and dry and place; loess (ML).
