Soll Ctaslllcatlon

56

detail later in this book. For now, just rely on your general knowledge and
ingenuity
to figure out what those words mean.
The upper limit line (U-line) shown in Fig. 3.2 indicates the upper
range of plasticity index and liquid limit coordinates found thus far for
soils (A. Casagrande, personal communic4tion). Where the limits of any
soil plot to the left of the U-line, they should be rechecked. Some highly
active clays such as bentonite may plot high above the A-line and close to
the U-line. [t is shown in Chapter 4 that Csagrande's plasticity chart can
even be used to identify qualitatively the predominant clay minerals in a
soil.

Coarse-grained soils wth more lhan l2Vo Jines are classified as GM

and SM if the fines are silty (limits plot below the A-line on the plasticity
chart) and GC and SC if the fines are clayey (limits plot above the A-line).
Both well-graded and poorly graded materials are included in these two
grouPs.

Soils having between 57o and l2/o passing the No. 200 sieve are
classed as "borderline" and have a dual symbol. The first part of the dual
symbol indicates whether the coarse fraction is well graded or poorly
graded. The second part describes the nature of the fines. For example, a
soil classified as a SP-SM means that it is a poorly graded sand with
between 57o and l2Vo sihy fines. Similarly a GW-GC is a well-graded
gravel with some clayey fines that plot above the A-line.
Fine-grained soils can also have dual symbols. Obviously, if the limits
plot within the shaded zone on Fig. 3.2 (PI between 4 and 7 and LL
between about 12 and 25), then the soil classifies as a CL-ML. Howard
(1977\ makes the practical suggestion that if the LL and PI values fall near
the A-line or near the LL: 50 line, then dual symbols should be used.
Possible dual symbols then are:
ML.MH
CL.CH
OL-OH

CL-ML
CL-OL

:H.X
Borderline symbols can also be used for soils with about 50Vo fines
and coarse-grained fractions. In this case Possible dual symbols are:
GM.ML
GM-MH
GC-CL
GC.CH

sM-tL
SM.MH
SC-CL
SC-CH