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Unified Soil Classification Overview

Table 1.1 shows the Unified Soil Classification System which categorizes soils into groups based on their grain size and plasticity characteristics. The system divides soils into divisions of gravel, sand, and fine-grained soils based on grain size and then further subgroups them based on their fines content and plasticity properties. Laboratory tests are used to classify soils based on criteria such as the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index.

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554 views1 page

Unified Soil Classification Overview

Table 1.1 shows the Unified Soil Classification System which categorizes soils into groups based on their grain size and plasticity characteristics. The system divides soils into divisions of gravel, sand, and fine-grained soils based on grain size and then further subgroups them based on their fines content and plasticity properties. Laboratory tests are used to classify soils based on criteria such as the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index.

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Bunkun15
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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  • Soil Classification Systems: Provides detailed information about laboratory classification of soils using various indexes and descriptors.

TABLE 1.

1
Unified Soil Classification System

Group
Division Description Symbol Identification Laboratory Classification Criteria

More than More than Clean gravels GW Well graded gravels Cu > 4, 1 < Cc < 3
50% soil 50% GP Poorly graded gravels Not meeting GW criteria
retained in retained in
US 200 US No. 4 Gravel with fines GM Silty gravel Falls below A line in the plasticity chart, or PI less than 4
sieve (4.75 mm) GC Clayey gravel Falls above A line in the plasticity chart, or PI greater than 7
(0.075 mm)

More than Clean sand SW Well graded sand Cu > 4, 1<Cc<3


50% SP Poorly graded sand Not meeting SW criteria
passing
US No. 4 Sand with fines SM Silty sand Falls below A line in the plasticity chart, or PI less than 4
(4.75 mm) SC Clayey sand Falls above A line in the plasticity chart, or PI greater than 7
More than Fine grained soils ML Inorganic silts
50% soil (LL < 50) with low
passing plasticity 70
US 200 CL Inorganic clays
sieve 60
Concepts and Techniques Used in Foundation Engineering

with low
(0.075 mm) plasticity 50 CH
or U-
Gunaratne / The Foundation Engineering Handbook 1159_C001 Final Proof

OL Organic clays/silts OH
40 Line
with low
CL A-line
plasticity 30 or
OL
Fine grained soils MH Inorganic silts 20
Plasticity index

(LL > 50) with high


ML MH
plasticity 10 or or
CL - ML
OL OH
CH Inorganic clays 0
with high 0 20 40 60 80 100
page 7 24.11.2005 5:49pm

plasticity Liquid limit


OH Organic clays/silts
with low
Use the Casagrande Plasticity chart shown above
plasticity
7

Highly organic soils Pt

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