Classification of Soil

Introduction
Different soils with similar properties may be classified into groups and subgroups according to their
engineering behavior. Classification systems provide a common language to concisely express the general
characteristics of soils, which are infinitely varied, without detailed descriptions. 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.

3 Textural Classification

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

2) AASHTO Classification System (American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials)
3) USCS (Unified Soil Classification System)

Distinguishing soil specimen into gravel (G), sand(S), silt(M), clay(C).

SITUATION 1
Classify the sizes of the soil particles and determine the corresponding percentages using the following
methods. a.) AASHTO, b.) USCS, c.) USDA, d.) MIT

SIEVE N OPENING (m MASS RETAINED CMR ( % FINE

O. m) (g) g) R
4 4.75 - 0 100
10 2.0 75 75 90.27
20 0.85 155 230 70.17
40 0.425 95 325 57.85
60 0.25 125 450 41.63
80 0.18 130 580 24.77
100 0.15 123 703 8.82
200 0.075 50 753 2.33

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 Pan - 18 771 0

SITUATION 2

Classify the sizes of the soil particles and determine the corresponding percentages using the following
methods. a.) AASHTO, b.) USCS, c.) USDA, d.) MIT

OPENI %
NG (M FIN
M) ER
0.4250 100
0.0330 92
0.0180 82
0.0100 70
0.0062 65
0.0035 51
0.0018 a40
0.0010 30 USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) textural classification

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SITUATION 3.
Using USDA method, calculate the modified percentage of sand, silt, and clay for each soil type.
Soil Partic Soil Soil Soil Soil
le A B C D
Gravel 0 12 18 12
Sand 15 25 31 22
Silt 30 32 30 26
Clay 55 31 21 40

AASHTO Classification System (American Association of State Highway and Transportation

Officials)

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To classify a soil according to the table, one must apply the test data from left to right. By process of
elimination, the first group from the left into which the test data fit is the correct classification. The table
shows a plot of the range of the liquid limit and the plasticity index for soils that fall into groups A-2, A-
4, A-5, A-6, and A-7. To evaluate the quality of a soil as a highway subgrade material, one must also
incorporate a number called the group index (GI) with the groups and subgroups of the soil. This index is
written in parentheses after the group or subgroup designation. The group index is given by the equation.

The first term of Eq. that is, (F200 - 35)[0.2 + 0.005(LL - 40)]—is the partial group index determined
from the liquid limit. The second term—that is, 0.01(F200 -15)(PI - 10)—is the partial group index
determined from the plasticity index. Following are some rules for determining the group index:
1. If the equation yields a negative value for GI, it is taken as 0.
2. The group index calculated from equation 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 the group index.
4. The group index 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 group index for soils that belong to groups A-2-6 and A-2-7, use the partial group
index for PI, or

SITUATION 4. The results of the particle-size analysis of a soil are as follows:

• Percent passing the No. 10 sieve = 42%
• Percent passing the No. 40 sieve = 35%
• Percent passing the No. 200 sieve = 20%

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 The liquid limit and plasticity limit of the soil are 25 and 20, respectively. Classify the soil by the
AASHTO system.

SOLUTION:
Plastic Index can be found by ,
P L=L L − P I
20=25 − PI
P I =5 %

Percent passing the No. 200 sieve = 20 < 35

therefore, it is Granular Material

Class will be - A-1, A-2, A-3

Percent passingthe No .200 sieve=20 %

and 20% <25%

and 20% < 35%

Class will be, A-1-b, A-2

L L=25 %∧P L=20 %

L L=25 %< 40 %

PL = 20% > 11%

Class becomes A-2-6

SITUATION 5. The results of the particle-size analysis of a soil are as follows:

• Percent passing the No. 10 sieve = 100%
• Percent passing the No. 40 sieve = 80%
• Percent passing the No. 200 sieve = 58%
The liquid limit and plasticity index of the soil are 30 and 10, respectively. Classify the soil by the
AASHTO system.

Determine the soil classification group:

 Based on the percent passing the No. 10 sieve, the soil falls into Group A.
 Based on the liquid limit of 30, the soil falls into Subgroup 4.
 Based on the plasticity index of 10, the soil falls into Subgroup 4.

Determine the group index:

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 Calculate the values for the AASHTO group index using the percent passing the No. 40 and No. 200
sieves:

D60=80 % −58 %=22 %

D30=58 % − 30 %=28 %
Calculate the group index:

 For Group A-4 soils, the group index is calculated as

2 2
0 .2 D60+ 0.005 D 30=0.2(22)+0.005 (28) =4.84

Classify the soil:

· The correct classification for the soil based on the AASHTO Classification system is A-4.

SITUATION 6. The results of the particle-size analysis of a soil are as follows:

• Percent passing the No. 200 sieve = 95%
The liquid limit and plasticity index of the soil are 60 and 40, respectively. Classify the soil by the
AASHTO system.

SOLUTION:
GI =(F 200 − 35)[0.2+ 0.005(¿ − 40)]+ 0.01(F 200 −15)( PI − 10)
GI =(95 − 35)[0.2+ 0.005(60 − 40)]+ 0.01(95 −15)(40 −10)
GI =42

So, the classification is A-7-6

95% of the soil (which ≥is 36%) is passing through No. 200 sieve. So it is a silty-clay material. Now refer
to Table. Starting from the left of the table, it falls under A-7-6

USCS (Unified Soil Classification System)

This system classifies soils into two broad categories:
1) Coarse-grained soils that are gravelly and sandy in nature with less than 50% passing through the No.
200 sieve. The group symbols start with a prefix of G or S. G stands for gravel or gravelly soil, and S for
sand or sandy soil.
2) Fine-grained soils are with 50% or more passing through the No. 200 sieve. The group symbols start
with prefixes of M, which stands for inorganic silt, C for inorganic clay, or O for organic silts and clays.
The symbol Pt is used for peat, muck, and other highly organic soils.

Other symbols used for the classification are:

• W—well graded
• P—poorly graded
• L—low plasticity (liquid limit less than 50)

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• H—high plasticity (liquid limit more than 50

Correction:

SW, Cu > 6 not > 4

SITUATION 7.
For a given soil, the following are known:
• Percent passing the No. 4 sieve = 70%
• Percent passing the No. 200 sieve = 30%
Liquid limit = 33
Plastic limit = 12

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Classify the soil using USCS

SOLUTION:
% of soil passing sieve 200 = 30% (<50%)
Therefore, soil is corase grained
% of soil passing sieve 4 = 70 %(>50)
Therefore, Soil is sandy

PI =¿ − PL=33 −12=21%
P I per A − line=0.73(¿ −20)=0.73(33 −20)=9.49 %

PI of soil is above A-line

Fines is classifies as CL

therefore, the soil is classified as SC (Clayey Sand)

SITUATION 8.
The grain-size analysis for a soil is given next, Classify the soil using USCS.
Sieve no. Opening (mm) Percent Passing
4 4.75 94
10 2 63
20 0.85 21
40 0.425 10
60 0.25 7
100 0.15 5
200 0.075 3

SITUATION 9.
The results of the particle-size analysis of a soil are as follows:
• Percent passing the No. 4 sieve = 100%
• Percent passing the No. 10 sieve = 91%
• Percent passing the No. 40 sieve = 60%
• Percent passing the No. 200 sieve = 20%
LL=30
PL=20
Classify the soil using AASHTO.

SOLUTION:
Following the classification table from left to right, group A-1 is eliminated due to too much
materialpassing the No. 40 sieve.
Group A-3 is also eliminated due to too much material passing the No. 200 sieve. The soil passesthe
criteria for A-2-4 and is so classified. Calculate the group index.

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 P I =¿ − PL=30 −20=10
G I =(F ¿¿ 200 −35){0.2+0.005( ¿− 40)+0.01(F 200 −15)( PI − 10)¿
GI =(58 −35)¿
G I =−2.25
As mentioned in Rule 4 of determining the group index, the group index of soils belonging to groups A-2-
4 is always 0. Hence, the soil is classified as A-2-4

SITUATION 10.
A fine grained soil has the following properties. Classify according to USCS Soil classification.
Percent passing the No. 200 sieve = 65%
LL=60
PL=28

SOLUTION:
P I =¿ − PL=60 −28=32 %
To ascertain whether the soil is A-7-5 or A-7-6, the value of (W1-30)
Where W1= Liquid Limit
W 1 −30=60 −30=30 %
P I >(W 1 −30),
GI =(F − 35)[0.2+ 0.005(W 1 − 40)]+ 0.01(F −15)(PI − 10)
GI =(65 − 35)[0.2+0.005 (60 − 40)]+ 0.01(65 −15)(22 −10)
G I =20
The soil is classified as A-7-6

SITUATION 11:

The result of the sieve analysis is shown below:

a) What percentage of the soil is retained in No. 200 sieve?

b) What is the effective grain size of the soil in mm?

c) Determine the uniformity coefficient.

d)

Sieve No. Diameter (mm) Mass Retained

(grams)

4 4.76 25

8 2.38 80

10 2.00 110

20 0.84 160

40 0.42 180

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 60 0.25 220

80 0.180 380

100 0.149 590

200 0.074 110

Pan 85

SOLUTION

Sieve Diameter Mass Retained Mass Retained Percent Finer

No. (mm) (grams) (grams)

4 4.76 25 25 98.71%

8 2.38 80 105 94.59%

10 2.00 110 215 88.92%

20 0.84 160 375 80.67%

40 0.42 180 555 71.39%

60 0.25 220 775 60.05%

80 0.180 380 1155 40.46%

100 0.149 590 1745 10.05%

200 0.074 110 1855 4.38%

Pan 85 1940

Total 1940

From the table shown:

a) Percent retained in No. 200 sieve = 100% - 4.38%

Percent retained in No. 200 sieve = 95.62%

b) Effective grain size, D10 = 0.149mm

c) Uniformity coefficient, Cu = D60/D10

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 Uniformity coefficient, Cu = 0.25/0.149 = 1.68

SITUATION 12:

A soil has the following particle-size distribution:

Gravel = 15%

Sand = 10%

Silt = 35%

Clay = 40%

Classify the soil according to USDA textural classification system.

SOLUTION

Modified percentages of the sand, silt, and clay:

% sand
Modified % sand =
100− % gravel

10
= =11.76 %
100− 15

% silt
Modified % silt =
100− % gravel

35
= =41.18 %
100− 15

% clay
Modified % clay =
100− % gravel

40
= =47.06 %
100− 15

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The soil is Silty Clay

SITUATION 13:

A soil has the following particle-size distribution:

Sand = 15%

Silt = 40%

Clay = 45%

Classify the soil according to USDA textural classification system.

The soil is Silty Clay

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