Thanks to visit codestin.com
Credit goes to www.scribd.com

0% found this document useful (0 votes)
39 views13 pages

Sheet # 4

Uploaded by

dohamgherbey
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
39 views13 pages

Sheet # 4

Uploaded by

dohamgherbey
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

Classification of Soil Chapter 4

Different soils with similar properties may be classified into groups and subgroups
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.

In general, there are two major categories into which the classification systems
developed in the past can be grouped.

1. The textural classification is based on the particle-size distribution of the


percent of sand, silt, and clay-size fractions present in a given soil. the textural
classification system developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2. The other major category is based on the engineering behavior of soil and
takes into consideration the particle-size distribution and the plasticity (i.e.,
liquid limit and plasticity index). Under this category, there are two major
classification systems in extensive use now:
a. The AASHTO classification system, and
b. The Unified classification system.

AASHTO Classification System

The AASHTO soil classification system is used to determine the suitability of soils
for earthworks, embankments, and road bed materials (subgrade — natural material
below a constructed pavement; subbase — a layer of soil above the subgrade; and
base — a layer of soil above the subbase that offers high stability to distribute wheel
loads).

According to AASHTO, granular soils are soils in which 35% or less are finer than
the No. 200 sieve (0.075 mm).

Silt-clay soils are soils in which more than 35% are finer than the No. 200 sieve.

1 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

The AASHTO system classifies soils into seven major groups, A-1 through A-7. The
first three groups, A-1 through A-3, are granular (coarse-grained) soils, while the last
four groups, A-4 through A-7, are silt-clay (fine-grained) soils

Plasticity: The term silty is applied when the fine fractions of the soil have a plasticity
index of 10 or less. The term clayey is applied when the fine fractions have a
plasticity index of 11 or more.

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

2 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

percentage of such material is recorded.

To classify a soil according to Table 5.1, 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 next Figure 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

where F200 = percentage passing through the No. 200 sieve

LL = liquid limit

PI = plasticity index

Following are some rules for determining the group index:

1. If the Eq. of group index yields a negative value for GI, it is taken as 0.

2. The group index calculated from Eq. is rounded off to the nearest whole number

3 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

(for example, GI = 3.4 is rounded off to 3; GI = 3.5 is rounded off to 4).

3. 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.

4. 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

In general, the quality of performance of a soil as a subgrade material is inversely


proportional to the group index.

The higher the group index, the lower the quality of the soil as a subgrade material.
The GI should not exceed 20 for any of groups A-4 through A-7.

Ex 1) Classify Soils A and B according to the AASHTO system. Which soil is better
for a subgrade?

Solution

Soil A

Step 1: Determine % passing No. 200 sieve.

88% passing No. 200, i.e., > 35% passing No. 200.

Then the soil is classified as silty or clayey soil.

Step 2: From table. Soil A is classified as A-4.

Step 3: determine the GI

GI = (F - 35)[0.2 + 0.005(LL - 40)] + 0.01(F - 15)(PI - 10) = (88 - 35)[0.2 + 0.005(26


- 40)] + 0.01(88 - 15)(8 - 10) = 5.4 = 5

Soil A: A- 4 (5)

Soil B : 20% passing No. 200, i.e., < 35% passing No. 200.

Soil B is granular : The soil B is classified as A-1-b. Soil B is non plastic. Therefore,

4 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

GI = 0. Soil B : A-1-b (0)

Step 4: Decide which soil is better for a subgrade material.

According to Table 5.1, Soil B (A-1-b) is an excellent material for a subgrade. Soil A
is fair to poor. Soil B is then the preferable material.

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)

• H — high plasticity (liquid limit more than 50)

The flowcharts shown in Figures a and b provide systematic means of classifying a


soil according to the USCS.

For proper classification according to this system, some or all of the following
information must be known:

1. Percent of gravel—that is, the fraction passing the 76.2-mm sieve and retained on

the No. 4 sieve (4.75-mm opening)

2. Percent of sand — that is, the fraction passing the No. 4 sieve (4.75-mm opening)
and retained on the No. 200 sieve (0.075-mm opening)

3. Percent of silt and clay — that is, the fraction finer than the No. 200 sieve (0.075-
mm opening)

5 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

6 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

7 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

8 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

9 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

10 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

Ex 2) For a given soil, the following are known:

• Percentage passing through No. 4 sieve = 70

• Percentage passing through No. 200 sieve = 30

• Liquid limit = 33

• Plastic limit = 12

Classify the following soils by using the Unified soil classification system. Give the
group symbols and the group names.

Solution

Refer to Table 5.2. The percentage passing No. 200 sieve is 30%, which is less than
50%. So it is a coarse-grained soil. Thus

Coarse fraction = 100 - 30 = 70%

Gravel fraction = percent retained on No. 4 sieve = 100 -70 = 30%

Hence, more than 50% of the coarse fraction is passing No. 4 sieve. Thus, it is a sandy
soil. Since more than 12% is passing No. 200 sieve, it is SM or SC. For this soil, PI =
33 - 12 =21 (which is greater than 7). With LL = 33 and PI = 21, it plots above the A-
line in Figure 5.3. Thus the group symbol is SC.

For the group name, refer to Figure 5.4 and Figure 5.8 (which is taken from Figure
5.4). Since the percentage of gravel is more than 15%, it is clayey sand with gravel.

Ex 3) Classify the following soils by using the Unified soil classification system. Give
the group symbols and the group names.

Sieve analysis—
Percent finer
Soil No . 4 No . 200 LL PI Cu Cc
1 48 20 41 22
2 95 70 52 28
3 71 11 32 16 4.8 2.9
Solution

Soil 1: Coarse fraction = 200 – 20 = 80%; Gravel fraction = 100 – 48 = 52%

Sand fraction = 80 – 52 = 28%

Table 5.2 and Figure 5.3: GC

Figure 5.4: Greater than 15% sand. Clayey gravel with sand

11 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

Soil 2 : Coarse fraction = 100 – 30 = 30% ; Gravel fraction = 100 – 95 = 5%

Sand fraction = 95 – 70 = 25%

Table 5.2: fine-grained soil; LL = 52; PI = 28.

Table 5.2 and Figure 5.3: CH

Figure 5.5: ≥ 30% plus 200, % sand > % gravel, < 15% gravel, so sandy fat clay

Soil 3: Coarse fraction = 100 – 11 = 89% ; Gravel fraction = 100 – 71 = 29%

Sand fraction = 89 – 29 = 70% ;LL = 32; PI = 16; Cu = 4.8; Cc = 2.9.

Table 5.2 and Figure 5.3: SP-SC

Figure 5.4: poorly graded sand with clay and gravel

12 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬


Classification of Soil Chapter 4

Assignment # 4
Q 1) For an inorganic soil, the following grain-size analysis is given.

U.S. Sieve No 4 10 20 40 80 200


Percent
100 90 64 38 18 13
passing

For this soil, LL = 23 and PL = 19. Classify the soil by using

a. AASHTO soil classification system

b. Unified Soil Classification System

Give group names and group symbols.

Q 2) Classify the following soils by using the Unified soil classification system. Give
the group symbols and the group names.

Sieve analysis—
Percent finer
Soil No . 4 No . 200 LL PI Cu Cc
1 100 82 30 19
2 88 78 69 38
3 100 2 NP 7.2 2.2
4 90 8 39 31 3.9 2.1

Q 3) Classify the following soils by the AASHTO classification system. Give the
group index for each soil.

Sieve analysis—
Percent finer
Soil No . 10 No . 40 No . 200 LL PI
1 90 74 32 28 9
2 42 28 12 18 13
3 100 78 82 32 12
4 90 74 58 38 12

13 ‫عبدالعزيز احمد بوحجر‬ .‫أ‬

You might also like