LECTURE 4

SOIL CLASSIFICATION
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I. MECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF SOIL
Mechanical analysis is the determination of the size
range of particles present in a soil, expressed as a
percentage of the total dry weight.

Two methods generally are used to find the particle-size

distribution of soil:
(1)Sieve Analysis —for particle sizes larger than 0.075
mm in diameter, and
(2)Hydrometer Analysis —for particle sizes smaller
than 0.075 mm in diameter.
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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
Sieve analysis consists of shaking the soil sample through a set of sieves that have progressively
smaller openings. U.S. standard sieve numbers and the sizes of openings are given in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1

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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
● Soil sample to be analysed is first either air-dried or oven-dried.
●Soil aggregates are then broken by pulverisation with a wooden mallet or
in a mortar with a rubber pestle.
●If the sample is more than required, it is reduced in size by means of a riffle
box.
●A representative sample is then taken for sieve analysis.
●The soil then is shaken through a stack of sieves with openings of
decreasing size from top to bottom (a pan is placed below the stack). Figure
1.2 shows a set of sieves in a shaker used for conducting the test in the
laboratory.
●The smallest-sized sieve that should be used for this type of test is the U.S.
No. 200 sieve.
●After the soil is shaken, the mass of soil retained on each sieve is
determined.
●When cohesive soils are analyzed, breaking the lumps into individual
particles may be difficult. In this case, the soil may be mixed with water to
make a slurry and then washed through the sieves.
●Portions retained on each sieve are collected separately and oven-dried
before the mass retained on each sieve is measured.
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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS

The objective of this test is to determine the relative proportions of different

granular sizes as they are passing through certain sieve sizes. Thus, the
percentage of sand, gravel, silt and clay can be obtained.

 Sieve analysis is widely used in classification of soils.

 Data obtained from particle-size distribution curves is used in the design
of filters for earth dams and to determine suitability of soil for road,
highway, construction, embankment fill of dam, airport runway etc.

Sieve analysis of soil test is in accordance to ASTM D-422 (American

Society for Testing and Materials) or BS 1377: Part 2 1990 (British
Standards) as both are the most widely used technical standards in
construction. The dry sieving of soil is the simplest and cheapest method
among others.
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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
Significance:
The distribution of different grain sizes
affects the engineering properties of
soil. Grain size analysis provides the
grain size distribution, and it is
required in classifying the soil.

Equipment: (Fig. 1.3)

i. Stack of Sieve aperture sizes
(including cover and pan)
ii. Electronic balance.
iii. Rubber pestle, mortar (for crushing
the soil if lumped) and brush.
iv. Mechanical sieve vibrator (shaker).
v. Oven dry (thermostatically controlled
temperature).
Fig. 1.3: Sieve Analysis Apparatus: (A) Sieve aperture sizes, (B)
Dry oven, (C) Sieve shaker, (D) Mortar & Tray, (E) Rubber pestle,
(F) Balance
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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS

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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS

Calculation:
1. Determine the mass of soil retained on each sieve (i.e., M1, M2, · · · Mn) and in the
pan (i.e., Mp)
2. Determine the total mass of the soil: M1 + M2 +· · · + Mi + · · · + Mn + Mp = ΣM
3. Determine the cumulative mass of soil retained above each sieve. For the ith sieve,
it is M1 + M2 +· · ·+ Mi
4. The mass of soil passing the ith sieve is ΣM - (M1 + M2 +· · · + Mi)
5. The percent of soil passing the ith sieve (or percent finer) is

Once the percent finer for each sieve is calculated (step 5), the calculations are plotted on
semilogarithmic graph paper (Figure 1.4) with percent finer as the ordinate (arithmetic scale) and
sieve opening size as the abscissa (logarithmic scale). This plot is referred to as the particle-size
distribution curve.
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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
Example Data:

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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
Example Data:

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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
Example Data:

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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
Example Data:

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1.1. SIEVE ANALYSIS
Example Data:

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1.2. HYDROMETER ANALYSIS
Hydrometer analysis is based on the principle of sedimentation of soil grains in water. When a soil
specimen is dispersed in water, the particles settle at different velocities, depending on their shape,
size, weight, and the viscosity of the water.

For simplicity, it is assumed that all the soil particles are spheres and that the velocity of soil particles
can be expressed by Stokes’ law, according to which

where

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1.2. HYDROMETER ANALYSIS
In the laboratory, the hydrometer test is conducted in a
sedimentation cylinder usually with 50 g of oven-dried
sample.
Sometimes 100-g samples also can be used.
The sedimentation cylinder is 457 mm (18 in.) high and
63.5 mm (2.5 in.) in diameter.
It is marked for a volume of 1000 ml.
Sodium hexametaphosphate generally is used as the
dispersing agent.
The volume of the dispersed soil suspension is
increased to 1000 ml by adding distilled water. Figure on
the next page shows an ASTM 152H type of hydrometer.
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1.2. HYDROMETER ANALYSIS

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1.2. HYDROMETER ANALYSIS

Particle-size distribution curve—sieve analysis and hydrometer analysis

Sieve analysis gives the intermediate dimensions of a particle; hydrometer analysis gives the
diameter of an equivalent sphere that would settle at the same rate as the soil particle.
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1.3. PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION CURVE

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1.3. PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION CURVE

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1.3. PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION CURVE

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1.3. PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION CURVE

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