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Unified Soil Classification System

The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) is a soil classification system used in engineering
and geology to describe the texture and grain size of a soil. The classification system can be applied to
most unconsolidated materials, and is represented by a two-letter symbol. Each letter is described below
(with the exception of Pt):

First and/or second letters Second letter

Letter Definition Letter Definition

G gravel P poorly graded (uniform particle sizes)
S sand W well-graded (diversified particle sizes)
M silt H high plasticity
C clay L low plasticity
O organic

If the soil has 5–12% by weight of fines passing a #200 sieve (5% < P#200 < 12%), both grain size
distribution and plasticity have a significant effect on the engineering properties of the soil, and dual
notation may be used for the group symbol. For example, GW-GM corresponds to "well-graded gravel
with silt."

If the soil has more than 15% by weight retained on a #4 sieve (R#4 > 15%), there is a significant amount
of gravel, and the suffix "with gravel" may be added to the group name, but the group symbol does not
change. For example, SP-SM could refer to "poorly graded SAND with silt" or "poorly graded SAND with
silt and gravel."

Contents
Symbol chart
ASTM D-2487
See also
References

Symbol chart

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Group
Major divisions Group name
symbol
well-graded
clean gravel <5% GW gravel, fine to
smaller than No.200 coarse gravel
gravel
> 50% of coarse fraction Sieve poorly graded
retained on No.4 (4.75 mm) GP
gravel
sieve
gravel with >12% GM silty gravel
Coarse grained soils fines
more than 50% retained on or GC clayey gravel
above No.200 (0.075 mm) well-graded sand,
sieve SW fine to coarse
clean sand sand
sand
≥ 50% of coarse fraction poorly graded
SP
passes No.4 (4.75 mm) sieve sand
SM silty sand
sand with >12% fines
SC clayey sand
ML silt
inorganic clay of low
silt and clay CL
plasticity, lean clay
liquid limit < 50
organic silt,
organic OL
organic clay
Fine grained soils
50% or more passing the silt of high
No.200 (0.075 mm) sieve MH plasticity, elastic
inorganic silt
silt and clay
clay of high
liquid limit ≥ 50 CH
plasticity, fat clay
organic clay,
organic OH
organic silt
Highly organic soils Pt peat

ASTM D-2487

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Soil
Classification
Criteria for Assigning Group Symbols and Group Names Using Laboratory Tests
Group Group
Symbol Name
Cu ≥ 4 Well-
and 1 ≤ GW graded
Clean Gravels Cc ≤ 3 gravel

Less than 5% fines Cu < 4

Poorly
Gravels and/or
GP graded
Cc < 1 or
gravel
Cc > 3
More than 50% of
coarse fraction on No. 4 Fines
classify Silty
Sieve as ML or
GM
Gravel
Gravels with Fines
MH
More than 12% fines Fines
COARSE-GRAINED
SOILS classify Clayey
GC
as CL or gravel
CH
More than 50%
retained on No.200 Cu ≥ 6 Well-
and 1 ≤ SW graded
Sieve Clean Sands Cc ≤ 3 sand

Less than 5% fines Cu < 6

Poorly
Sands and/or
SP graded
Cc < 1 or
sand
Cc > 3
50% or more of coarse
fraction passes No.4 Fines
classify Silty
sieve SM
Sands with Fines as ML or sand
MH
More than 12% fines Fines
classify Clayey
SC
as CL or sand
CH
FINE-GRAINED SOILS PI > 7
and plots
Lean
50% or more passes on or CL
clay
above
the no. 200 Sieve "A" line
Inorganic
PI < 4
and plots
Silts and Clays ML Silt
below
"A" line
Liquid limit less than 50
Liquid
limit—
Organic
oven OL
clay
dried <
Organic 0.75
Liquid
Organic
limit— OL
silt
not dried
Silts and Clays Inorganic PI plots CH Fat clay
on or
Liquid limit 50 or more
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above
"A" line
PI plots
Elastic
below MH
silt
"A" line
Liquid
limit—
Organic
oven OH
clay
dried <
Organic 0.75
Liquid
Organic
limit - not OH
silt
dried
HIGHLY ORGANIC SOILS PT Peat

[1][2]

See also
AASHTO Soil Classification System
AASHTO
ASTM International

References
Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes: Annual Book of ASTM Standards (http://www.astm.
org/Standards/D2487.htm), D 2487-83, 04, American Society for Testing and Materials, 1985,
pp. 395–408
Evett, Jack and Cheng Liu (2007), Soils and Foundations (7 ed.), Prentice Hall, pp. 9–29, ISBN 978-
0132221382

Specific

1. ASTM Standard D2487, 2000, "Standard Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering
Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)," ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2000,DOI: 10.1520/D2487-00, www.astm.org.
2. D 2487 – 06: Standard Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil
Classification System) (https://lauwtjunnji.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/1/7/10171621/astm_d-2487_classi
fication_of_soils_for_engineering_purposes_unified_soil_classification_system.pdf) (PDF) (Technical
report). ASTM International. 2006.

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