The AASHTO Classification of soils and soil-aggregate mixtures.
Silt-Clay Materials
Granular Materials
General Classification (More than 35% passing 0.075 mm or
(35% or less passing 0.075 mm or sieve # 200)
sieve # 200)
A–1 A–2 A-7-5
Group Classification A–3 A–4 A–5 A–6
A-1-a A-1-b A-2-4 A-2-5 A-2-6 A-2-7 A-7-6
Sieve analysis percent passing:
2.00 mm (No. 10) 50 max – – – – – – – – – –
0.425 mm (No. 40) 30 max 51 max 51 min – – – – – – – –
0.075 mm (No. 200) 15 max 10 max 10 max 35 max 35 max 35 max 35 max 36 min 36 min 36 min 36 min
Characteristics of fraction passing
0.425 mm (No. 40)
Liquid limit – – 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min
Plasticity index* 6 max NP 10 max 10 max 11 min 11 min 10 max 10 max 11 min 11 min
Usual types of signification constituent Stone fragments, Fine
Silty or clayey gravel and sand Silty soils Clayey soils
materials gravel, and sand sand
General rating subgrade Excellent to good Fair to poor
* Plasticity index of A-7-5 subgroups is equal to or less LL – 30. Plasticity index of A-7-6 subgroups is greater than LL – 30
Group Classification Criteria
Major Divisions Symbo Typical Natural Soil
ls 2
D60 D30
Cu 4 Cz between 1 and 3
Clean Well-graded gravels and gravel-sand D10 D10 D60
GW More than 12%: GM, GC
gravels mixtures, little or no fine
5 – 12% Borderline
– 200
Gravels Poorly graded gravels and gravel-sand Not meeting both critical for GW
< 5% GP
mixtures, little or no fine
50% or
more of Classification on Basis Percentage Atterberg limits plot below
coarse of Fines A line and plasticity index Atterberg limits
Gravels GM Silty gravels, gravel-sand-silt mixtures
fraction less than 4 plotting in hatched
with
Coarse- retained on Less than 5% pass No. 200 sieve area are borderline
fines
Grained No. 4 sieve GW, GP, SW, SP classifications
– 200 Atterberg limits plot above A
Soils requiring use of dual
> 12% line and plasticity index
GC Clay gravels, gravel-sand-clay mixtures More than 12% pass No. 200 sieve symbols
greater than 7
More than GM, GC, SM, SC
50% retained
2
on No. 200 Well-graded sands and gravelly sands, little D60 D30
Clean SW 5 – 12% pass No. Borderline Cu 6 Cz between 1 and 3
sieve or no fines
Sands sands 200 sieve classification D10 D10 D60
– 200 requiring of
More than < 5% Poorly graded sands and gravelly sands, little dual symbols Not meeting both criteria for SW
SP
50% of or no fines
coarse Atterberg limits plot below Atterberg limits
fraction Sands A line and plasticity index plotting in hatched
with SM Silty sands, sand-silt mixtures less than 4
pass No. 4 area are borderline
sieve fines Atterberg limits plot above A classifications
– 200 line and plasticity index requiring use of dual
> 12% SC Clayey sands, sand-silt mixtures
greater than 7 symbols
Inorganic silts, very fine sands, rock flour,
ML 60
silty or clayey fine sands
Silts and clays Plasticity chart
Inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity, 50
CL For classification of fine-grained
gravelly clays, sands, silt slays, lean clays soils and fine fraction of coarse-
Liquid limit 50% or less grained soils. CL
Fine-Grained Atterberg limits plotting in A line
Plasticity index PI
Organic silts and organic silty clays of low 40
Soils OL hatched area are borderline
plasticity classifications requiring use of
dual symbols
50% or more 30 Equation of A line
Inorganic silts, micaceous or diatomaceous PI = 0.73 (LL – 20)
pass No. 200 MH CL
fine sands for sands or silts, elastic silts
sieve Silts and clays 20
MH & OH
CH Inorganic clays of high plasticity, fat clays
Liquid limit greater 107
than 50% 4
CL - ML ML & OL
ML
OH Organic clays of medium to high plasticity 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Highly organic soils PT Peat, much, and other highly organic soils Visual-manual identification, see ASTM D-2488.
Liquid limit LL
Unified Classification System. ASTM D-2487-69.
* 0.075-mm sieve
