Soil Identifiction and It' S Classification

Soil Identification and It’s Classification 2020
CHAPTER III
SOIL IDENTIFICTION AND IT’ S CLASSIFICATION
INTRODUCTION
It is necessary to adopt a formal system of soil description and classification in order to describe
the various materials found in ground investigation. Such a system must be meaningful and
concise in an engineering context, so that engineers will be able to understand and interpret.
The behaviour of soil under external loads depends mainly on its particle size and arrangement of
particles. It is therefore very important to study the size, shape and gradation of soil particles. Soil
is classified on the basis of the size of their particles. The purpose of soil classification is to
arrange various types of soils into groups according to their engineering properties.
Soil classification is the systematic arrangement of soils into groups or categories on the basis of their
characteristics. Classification of soils is necessary for the following reasons:
 to organise knowledge and thereby contribute to economy of thought

 to bring out and understand relationships among soils and classes of soils being classified
 to remember properties of the soils being classified
 to learn new relationships and principles in the soils being classified
 to establish groups or subdivisions (classes) of the soils under study in a manner useful for
practical and applied purposes in:
a. Predicting their behaviour
b. Identifying their best uses
c. Estimating their productivity
d. Providing objects or units for research and for extending and extrapolating research
results or observations.
Classification helps us deal with complexity. There are too many soils to consider individually. If we can
find some common properties among them, we can make meaningful classes to help us organize our
knowledge and simplify our decision-making.It is important to distinguish between description and
classification.
DESCRIPTION OF SOIL: is a statement that describes the physical nature and state of the soil.
It can be a description of a sample, or a soil in situ. It is arrived at by using visual examination,
simple tests, observation of site conditions, geological history, etc.
By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 1

CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL: is the separation of soil into classes or groups each having
similar characteristics and potentially similar behavior. A classification for engineering purposes
should be based mainly on mechanical properties: permeability, stiffness, strength. The class to
which a soil belongs can be used in its description.
PARTICLE SIZE:
Individual solid particle in a soil can have different sizes and this characteristic of soil can have a
significant effect on its engineering properties. Size of particles that constitute soils may vary
from boulders to that of large molecules.
The soil particles coarser than 0.075 mm constitute the coarse fraction of soils. Particles finer than
0.075 constitute the finer fraction of soils. Coarse fractions of soil consist of gravel and sand. Silt
and clay are the fine fractions of soils.
FIELD IDENTIFICATION OF SOIL
The principle terms used by civil engineers to describe soils are
 Gravel (particle size larger than 4.75 mm)

 Sand (particle size within 4.75 mm to 0.075mm)
 Silt & Clay (particle size less than 0.075mm)
Most natural soils consist of a mixture of two or more of these constituents and may contain an
admixture of organic material in a partly or fully decomposed state. The mixture is given the
name of the constituent that appears to have the most influence on its behavior, and the other
constituent are indicated by adjectives.
For example, silty clay has predominantly the properties of clay but consists a significant amount
of silt.
While identifying and classifying the soils in the field, we need to use the following steps in a
logical sequence.
STEP-1 (IDENTIFYING AS COARSE GRAINED SOIL OR FINE GRAINED SOIL)
In the first step we try to identify the soil as coarse grained soil (CGS) or fine grained soil
(FGS).
Coarse grained soils are those soils whose individual particles are visible by the naked eye. Sandy
soil and gravelly soil fall in this group.
Fine grained soils are those soils whose individual particles are not visible by the naked eye. Silty
soil and clayey soil fall in this group.

The following procedure is adopted in the field to identify the soil as CGS or FGS
 Take a representative sample of soil and spread it on a flat surface or palm of the hand.
 Remove all particles whose sizes are larger than 75 mm.
 If the soil contains more than 50% of visible particles then the soil is said to be a coarse
grained soil.
 If the soil contains less than 50% of visible particles then the soil is said to be a fine grained
soil.
Once the soil is identified as coarse grained soil or fine grained soil, then we further sub divide it
on the basis of percentage of different sizes present in the soil mass. Coarse grained soil can be
sub divided into gravelly soil or sandy soil.
STEP-2 (CLASSIFYING COARSE GRAINED SOIL)
 A coarse grained soil is said to be gravelly soil if the percentage of gravel is greater than
sand.
 If percentage of fines (i.e. silt & clay) present in a gravelly soil is less than 5%, then it is
identified as clean gravel. Clean gravel can be either classified as well graded gravel
(GW) or poorly graded gravel (GP).
 GW– if there is good representation of all particle sizes
 GP – if there is an excess or absence of intermediate particle sizes.
 If percentage of fines (i.e. silt & clay) present in a gravelly soil is more than 12%, then it is
identified as dirty gravel. Dirty gravel can be either classified as silty gravel
(GM) or clayey gravel (GC).
 GM– if the fines have little or no plasticity
 GC– if the fines are of low to medium to high plasticity.
 Gravels containing 5 to 12% fines are given boundary classification, which is generally done
at laboratory.
 A coarse grained soil is said to be sandy soil if the percentage of sand is greater than gravel.
 If percentage of fines (i.e. silt & clay) present in a sandy soil is less than 5%, then it is
identified as clean sand. Clean sand can be either classified as well graded sand
(SW) or poorly graded sand (SP).
 SW– if there is good representation of all particle sizes
 SP – if there is an excess or absence of intermediate particle sizes.
 If percentage of fines (i.e. silt & clay) present in a sandy soil is more than 12%, then it is
identified as dirty sand. Dirty sand can be either classified as silty sand (SM) or clayey
sand (SC).
 SM– if the fines have little or no plasticity
 SC– if the fines are of low to medium to high plasticity.

 Sand containing 5 to 12% fines are given boundary classification, which is generally done at
laboratory.
STEP-3 (CLASSIFYING FINE GRAINED SOIL)
Before classifying the fine grained soils we need to carry out some filed tests, such as
 Dilatancy
 Dry strength
 Toughness
 Dispersion
After conducting these tests we can use the table given below to classify the soil as silt or clay.
Typical Name Dry Strength Dilatancy Reaction Toughness of Time to settle In

plastic thread Dispersion test
Sandy silt None to very low Rapid Weak to friable 30 sec to 60 min
Silt Very low to low Rapid Weak to friable 15 to 60 min
Clayey silt Low to medium Rapid to slow Medium 15 min to several hours
Sandy clay Low to high Slow to none Medium 30 sec to several hour
Silty clay Medium to high Slow to none Medium 15 min to several hour
Clay High to very high None Tough Several hour to days
Organic silt Low to medium Slow Weak to friable 15 min to several hour
Organic clay Medium to very high none Tough Several hour to days

DILATANCY TEST
 From the specimen select enough material to mold into a ball about 12.5 mm (0.5'' )
diameter.
 Mold the material, adding water if necessary, until it has a soft, but not sticky,
consistency.
 Smooth the soil ball in the palm of one hand with the blade of a knife or small spatula.
 Shake horizontally, striking the side of the hand vigorously against the other hand several
times.
 Note the reaction of water appearing on the surface of the soil. Squeeze the sample by
closing the hand or punching the soil between the fingers, and note the reaction in
accordance with the criteria in Table
Reaction Description
None No visible change in specimen
Slow/Clay Water appears slowly on the surface of the specimen during shaking and
does not disappear or disappear slowly upon squeezing.
Rapid/Silt Water appears quickly on the surface of the specimen during shaking and
disappears quickly upon squeezing
DISPERSION TEST
- A small quantity of the collected soil sample is dispersed or mixed with water in a glass cylinder
or test tube or beaker and then allowed to settle.
-Silt particles usually settle in 15 to 60 min. whereas clay particles will remain in suspension for
at least several hours or may remain even for several days.
-If some sand particles are present in sample, then it settles in 30 to 60 sec.
Fig: Dispersion Test

DRY STRENGTH TEST
. At first the soil samples are molded. Then prepare four or five pats from this molded sample,
about 25 mm in diameter and 6 mm in thickness.
 Dry all the pats completely (either naturally or in an oven).
 Measure its resistance to crushing between the fingers. This resistance, called the dry strength
or crushing strength, is a measure of the plasticity of the soil.
 Crushing of dry clay lumps is relatively difficult, whereas silt lumps break quite easily.
 Test the strength of the dry pats or lumps by crushing between the fingers and note the strength
in accordance with the criteria in Table
STRENGTH DESCRIPTIONS
None The dry specimen crumbles into powder with mere pressure of handling
Low The dry specimen crumbles into powder with some finger pressure
Medium The dry specimen break into pieces or crumbles with considerable finger pressure
High The specimen cannot be broken with finger pressure. Specimen will break into
pieces between thumb and hand surface
Very High The specimen cannot be broken between the thumb and hard surface
Fig: Dry Strength Test

TOUGHNESS TEST
 Following the completion of the dilatancy test, the test specimen is shaped into an
elongated pat and rolled by hand on a smooth surface or between the palms into a thread
about 3mm ( 1/8 in), in diameter.
 If the sample is too wet to roll easily, it should be spread into a thin layer and allowed to
lose some water by evaporation.
 Fold the sample threads and reroll repeatedly until the thread crumbles at a diameter of
about (3 mm) 1/8 in. The thread will crumbles at a diameter of 3mm, when the soil is near
the plastic limit. Note the pressure required to roll the thread near the plastic limit.
 Also note the strength of the thread. After the thread crumbles, note the toughness of the
materials during kneading.
 In a word, it is expressed as: clay can be rolled out into small threads 3 mm (about 1/8in.
thickness), whereas silt is much more difficult to roll into small threads and generally
requires more water.
Toughness Description
Low Only slight pressure is required to roll the thread near the plastic limit. The
thread and the lump are weak and soft
Medium Medium pressure is required to roll the thread near the plastic limit. The thread
and the lump have medium stiffness
High Considerable pressure is required to roll the thread near the plastic limit. The
thread and the lump have very high stiffness.
Table: Toughness Test of Plastic Thread

Plasticity Description
Non Plastic A 3mm, thread cannot be rolled at any water content.
Low The thread can barely be rolled and the lump cannot be formed when drier than
the plastic limit
Medium The thread is easily to roll and not much time is required to reach the plastic
limit. The thread cannot be rolled after reaching the plastic limit. The lump
crumbles when drier than the plastic limit
High It takes considerable time rolling and kneading to reach the plastic limit. The
thread can be rolled several times after reaching the plastic limit. The lump can
be formed without crumbling when drier than the plastic limit
Table: Plasticity Test
SUMMARY
Typical Name Dry strength Dilatancy reaction Toughness of Time to settle in

plastic thread dispersion test
Sandy silt None to very high Rapid Low 30sec to 60 min
Silt Very low to low Rapid Low 15 to 60 min
Clayey silt Low to medium Rapid to slow Medium 15 to several hrs
Sandy clay Low to high Slow to none Medium 30 sec to several hrs
Silty clay Medium to high Slow to none Medium 15 min to several hrs
Clay High to very high None High Several hours to

days
Organic silt Low to medium Slow Low 15 min to several hrs
Organic clay Medium to very high None High Several hours to day

CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL
1. Particle size Classification
2. Textural Classification
3. Indian Soil Classification
4. AASTHO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officals) soil

Classification
PARTICLE SIZE CLASSIFICATION
A few of these classification systems are given below:
(i) U.S. Bureau of Soil Classification System:

(ii) International Classification System:
(iii) MIT Classification System
(iv) IS Classification System


PARTICLE SHAPE:
Shape of the particles helps in determining the property of soil. The shape of particles varies from
very angular to well round. Angular particles are generally found near the rock from which they
are formed. Angular particles have greater shear strength than rounded ones because it is more
difficult to make them slide over one another.
Depending upon the ratio of length, width and thickness, the particles are classified as:
i) BULKY PARTICLES:
When the length, width and thickness of particles are of same order of magnitude, the particles are
called bulky. Cohesion less soils has bulky particles.
Bulky Particles are further classified as:

Angular, sub-angular, sub-rounded, rounded and well rounded, (figure 3.4)
(a) Plate like flaky
(b) Elongated (needle like)
(ii) FLAKY PARTICLES:

Flaky particles are also called plate like particles. These particles are mostly present in cohesive
soils and are extremely thin as compared to its length and breadth. Figure 3.5 (a) shows flaky
particle.
(iii) ELONGATED PARTICLES:

Elongated soil particles are just like hollow rods. It is a special type of particles and are available
in clay minerals i.e., Halloy site, peat, asbestos etc. Figure 3.5 (b) shows elongated particles.

EFFECT OF SHAPE ON ENGINEERING PROPERTIES:

Engineering properties of soils are affected by the shapes of particles. Angular particles have
greater shear strength than rounded ones because it resists displacement. Angular particles have
move tendency of fracture. Coarse grained soils have bulky particles.
These soils can support heavy loads in static condition. Settlement of such soils is more when
subjected to vibration. Flaky particles are highly compressible and so clay soil which contained
these particles is highly compressible. These soil particles deformed easily under static load. Clay
soils are more stable when subjected to vibration.
GRADATION OF SOIL:
Gradation describes the distribution of different sizes of individual particles within a soil sample.
The particle size distribution curve is used to define the grading of soil.
A soil sample may be either:

(a) Well graded
(b) Poorly graded
(c) Gap graded
(a) Well graded:

A soil sample is said to be well graded if it has all sizes of materials present in it.
INFLUENCE OF GRADATION ON ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF SOILS:
The aim of a classification system is to establish a set of conditions which will allow useful
comparisons to be made between different soils. The system must be simple. The relevant criteria
for classifying soils are the size distribution of particles and the plasticity of the soil.

TEXTURE CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL
Texture means the size of individual mineral particles. Thus, the term ‘soil texture’ refers to the
size of soil particles and their arrangement. In general classification systems divided soils into the
following categories on the basis of particle size. Gravel; Sand; Silt; and Clay , but the nature of
soils are mixtures of particles from several size groups, so if we know the principle components
of the soils, we can named the soils such as Sandy Clay.
An international classification system defines particles with diameter less than 0.002 millimeter
as clay, those with diameter between 0.002 and 0.02 millimeter as silt, and particles between 0.02
and 2 millimeters in diameter as sand. The term ‘loam’ is used to describe mixture of the different
size-classes of soil particles.

This classification is based on the percentages of sand, silt and clay Sizes making up the soil.
Such a classification is more suitable for describing coarse-grained soils rather than clay soils
whose properties are less dependent on the particle size distribution.
To use the chart, for the given percentages of the three constituents forming a soil, lines are drawn
parallel to the three sides of the equilateral triangle, as shown by arrows in the ‘key’ of above
picture.
For example, if the soil is composed of 30 percent sand, 30 percent silt sizes, and 40 percent clay
sizes, the three lines so drawn intersect at the point A situated in the sector designated as ‘clay’.
Such a soil will be termed as ‘clay’.

INDIAN STANDARAD SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (I S CLASSIFICATION

SYSTEM)
Classification Based on Grain Size
The range of particle sizes encountered in soils is very large: from boulders with dimension of
over 300 mm down to clay particles that are less than 0.002 mm. Some clays contain particles less
than 0.001 mm in size which behave as colloids, i.e. do not settle in water.
In the Indian Standard Soil Classification System (ISSCS), soils are classified into groups
according to size, and the groups are further divided into coarse, medium and fine sub-groups.
The grain-size range is used as the basis for grouping soil particles into boulder, cobble, gravel,
sand, silt or clay.
Very coarse soils Boulder size > 300 mm

Cobble size 80 - 300 mm
Coarse soils Gravel size (G) Coarse 20 - 80 mm
Fine 4.75 - 20 mm
Sand size (S) Coarse 2 - 4.75 mm
Medium 0.425 - 2 mm
Fine 0.075 - 0.425 mm
Fine soils Silt size (M) 0.002 - 0.075 mm
Clay size (C) < 0.002 mm
Gravel, sand, silt, and clay are represented by group symbols G, S, M, and C respectively.
Physical weathering produces very coarse and coarse soils. Chemicalweathering produce
generally fine soils.
Coarse-grained soils
Coarse grained soils are those for which more than 50% of the soil material by weight has particle
sizes greater than 0.075 mm. They are basically divided into either gravels (G) or sands (S).
According to gradation, they are further grouped as well-graded (W) or poorly graded (P). If fine
soils are present, they are grouped as containing silt fines (M) or as containing clay fines (C).
For example, the combined symbol SW refers to well-graded sand with no fines.

Fine-grained soils are those for which more than 50% of the material has particle sizes less than
0.075 mm. Clay particles have a flaky shape to which water adheres, thus imparting the property
of plasticity.
A plasticity chart , based on the values of liquid limit (WL) and plasticity index (IP), is provided
in ISSCS to aid classification. The 'A' line in this chart is expressed as IP = 0.73 (WL - 20).
Depending on the point in the chart, fine soils are divided into clays (C), silts (M), or organic
soils (O). The organic content is expressed as a percentage of the mass of organic matter in a
given mass of soil to the mass of the dry soil solids.Three divisions of plasticity are also defined
as follows.
Low plasticity WL< 35%
Intermediate plasticity 35% < WL< 50%
High plasticity WL> 50%

The 'A' line and vertical lines at WL equal to 35% and 50% separate the soils into various
classes.
For example, the combined symbol CH refers to clay of high plasticity.
Soil classification using group symbols is as follows:
Group Symbol Classification
Coarse soils
GW Well-graded GRAVEL
GP Poorly-graded GRAVEL
GM Silty GRAVEL
GC Clayey GRAVEL
SW Well-graded SAND
SP Poorly-graded SAND
SM Silty SAND
SC Clayey SAND
Fine soils
ML SILT of low plasticity
MI SILT of intermediate plasticity
MH SILT of high plasticity
CL CLAY of low plasticity

CI CLAY of intermediate plasticity
CH CLAY of high plasticity
OL Organic soil of low plasticity

OI Organic soil of intermediate plasticity
OH Organic soil of high plasticity
Pt Peat

UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) originally developed by Casagrande (1948).
According to the USCS, the coarse-grained soils are classified on the basis of their grain size
distribution while the fine-grained soils, whose behavior is controlled by plasticity, are classified
on the basis of their plasticity.
Various soils are classified into four major groups:
1. Coarse-grained.
2. Fine-grained.
3. Organic soils, and
4. Peat.
The below picture gives the group symbols consisting of a prefix and a suffix.
The soils are first classified into two categories: (i) coarse-grained soils, and (ii) fine-grained
soils.
(i) Coarse-grained soils. If more than 50% of the soil is retained on 0.075 mm, it is designated as
coarse-grained soil. A coarse-grained soil is designated as gravel (G) if 50% or more of the coarse
fraction (plus 0.075 mm) is retained on 4.75 mm. On the other hand if 50% or more of the coarse
fraction is passed through the 4.75mm sieve, the soil is called Sand.
Coarse-grained soils, containing less than 5% fines, are designated by symbols GW and SW if
they are well graded and by symbol GP and SP if they are poorly graded. If however, the
percentage of fines is more than 12%, the coarse-grained soils are designated by symbols GM,
GC, SM or SC, as per criterion laid down in the below picture.
(i) Fine-grained soils
A soil is termed as fine-grained if more than 50% of the soil sample passes No. 200 US sieve.
The fine-grained soil is subdivided into silt (M) and clay (C), based on their liquid limit (WL) and
plasticity index (Ip).
Organic soil (O) is also included in this group, the below picture shows the plasticity chart
devised by Casagrande (1948), and used for the USCS system.



The A – line in the chart has the equation Ip = 0.73 (WL – 20).
This A – line generally separates the more clay-like materials from those that are silty, and also
the organic soils from inorganic soils.
The fine-grained soils (i.e., silt, clay and organic fraction) are further subdivided into soil
possessing low (L) or high (H) plasticity when the liquid limit is less than 50% or more than 50%
respectively.
When the plasticity index and liquid limit plot in the hatched portion of the plasticity chart, the
soil is given dual symbol CL – ML.
Soils possessing the characteristics of more than one group are termed as boundary soils and are
designated by dual group symbols.
For example, symbols GW – GC means that the soil is well-graded gravel with some clay fines.
Also, the inorganic soils (ML or MH) and organic soils (OL or OH) plot on the same zone of the
plasticity chart.Oven drying method is used to distinguish between organic and inorganic soils. If
the liquid limit of the soil decreases by 30% or more, it is classified as organic (OL or OH):
otherwise it is classified as inorganic (ML or MH).Highly organic soils, fibrous in nature and
having high compressibility, usually peat and swelling soils, are not further subdivided but are put
into one group only with group symbol Pt.

AASTHO SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
AASTHO Soil Classification System

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASTHO) soil classification system rates soils
according to their suitability for the support of roadway pavement.
1. AASTHO Soil Classification System classifies soils into eight
groups: From A-1 to A-8
2. This system requires following data for the
soil classification
a) Grain size analysis
b) Liquid limit and plastic limit and the calculated
plasticity Index Ip
3. This classification has given following rating
to the soils
a) Poorer for use in road construction as it moves left to right in the classification table. For
example A-6 soil is less suitable compared to A-5 soil.
b) Poorer for road construction as the group index increases for a particular subgroup. For
example A-4 (3) is less suitable than A-4 (1)
Hig
hly
Granular materials (35% or less passing No.200
General Classification Silat clay materials More Org
Sieve (0.075)
than 35% passing No200 ani
Sieve (0.075) c
A-1 A-3 A-2 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-7 A-8
A-
Group Classification 7-5
A- A-2- A-2- A- A-
A-1-a A-1-b 2-4 5 6 2-7 7-6
(a) Sieve Analysis %
Passing
50
(1) 2 mm (No. 10) max
30 50 51
(2) 0.425 mm (No. 40) max max min
35
(3) 0.075 mm (No. 10 ma 35 35 35 36 36 36 36
200) 15 max 25 max max x max max max min min min min
(b) Characteristics of
fraction passing 0.425 mm
(No. 40)
40
ma 41 40 41 40 41 40 41
(1) Liquid limit x min max min max min max min
10
ma 10 11 11 10 10 11 11
(2) Plasticity index 6 max N.P x max min min max max min min
Pea
Stone Silty or Clayey Gravel Clayey t or
Silty Soil
(C)Usual type of signficient Fragments Fine Sand Soils Mu
Constituent materials Gravel & Sand Sand ck
Uns
(d) General rating as uita
subgrade Excellent to good Fair to poor ble

According to the AASHTO soil classification system, the soils are classified based on the Group
Index (GI) value which can be calculated as:
GI = 0.2 a + 0.005 ac + 0.01 bd
Where,
a is that part of the percent passing through the 75 m (0.075 mm) sieve greater than 35 and not
exceeding 75, expressed as a positive whole number (range 1 to 40).
b is that part of the percent passing through the 75 m (0.075 mm) sieve greater than 15 and not
exceeding 55, expressed as a positive whole number (range 1 to 40).
c is that part of liquid limit greater than 40 and not exceeding 60, expressed as a positive whole
number (range 1 to 20).
d is that part of plasticity index greater than 10 and not exceeding 30, expressed as a positive
whole number (range 1 to 20).
The group index should be rounded off to the nearest whole number. If the calculated group index
value is negative, then it is taken as zero. A group index value equal to zero indicates a good
subgrade material, whereas group index value equal to or greater than 20 indicates a very poor
subgrade material.
Comparison between the AASTHO soil classification system and Unified Soil Classification System:
S. No. AASTHO Soil Classification System Unified Soil Classification System
1 This system is for finding out the suitability of soils This system is for finding out the suitability for
as sub-grades for highways. general use.
2 In this system soil is termed as fine grained if more In this system soil is termed as fine grained if
than 35% passes No. 200 (0.075mm) sieve. This is more than 50% passes No. 200 (0.075mm) sieve.
somewhat better compared to USC system as soil
behaves as fine-grained when the percentage of
fines is 35%
3 In this system No. 10 (2.0 mm) sieve is used to In this system, 4.75 mm sieve (No. 4) is used for
divide soil into gravel and sand the same
4 In this system gravelly, sandy soils are not clearly In this system the gravelly and sandy soils are
demarcated clearly separated
5 Symbols are not descriptive and not easy to Symbols used in this system are descriptive and
remember. easy to remember.
6 There is only one group of organic soil in this In this system organic soil is classified into organic
system soil, low plasticity (OL), organic soil high plasticity
(OH), peat, muck and other highly organic soil (Pt)
7 In this system process of elimination is required This system is more convenient to use than
which is time consuming. AASTHO.

LIMITATIONS OF SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM:
1. Different classification system use different grain sizes to determine the soil types. The
behavior to clayey soil largely depends upon the clay mineral rather than particle size.
2. Different classification system use different criteria as distinguishing boundaries between
various soil types. Naturally, same soil may be classified differently by different
classification systems.
3. Soil classification system can only help in a qualitative evaluation of the general behavior of
the soil.
4. Soil classification system cannot be used to obtain the parameters required for detail design
nor replace the detail investigation and laboratory testing. It can only be used for preliminary
design and plan for the detailed investigation.

Soil Identifiction and It' S Classification

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Soil Identification and It’s Classification 2020

SOIL IDENTIFICTION AND IT’ S CLASSIFICATION

 to organise knowledge and thereby contribute to economy of thought

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 1

FIELD IDENTIFICATION OF SOIL

The principle terms used by civil engineers to describe soils are

 Gravel (particle size larger than 4.75 mm)

STEP-1 (IDENTIFYING AS COARSE GRAINED SOIL OR FINE GRAINED SOIL)

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 2

STEP-2 (CLASSIFYING COARSE GRAINED SOIL)

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 3

STEP-3 (CLASSIFYING FINE GRAINED SOIL)

Typical Name Dry Strength Dilatancy Reaction Toughness of Time to settle In

Silt Very low to low Rapid Weak to friable 15 to 60 min

Clay High to very high None Tough Several hour to days

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 4

Fig: Dispersion Test

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 5

DRY STRENGTH TEST

 Dry all the pats completely (either naturally or in an oven).

Fig: Dry Strength Test

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 6

Table: Toughness Test of Plastic Thread

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 7

Non Plastic A 3mm, thread cannot be rolled at any water content.

Table: Plasticity Test

Typical Name Dry strength Dilatancy reaction Toughness of Time to settle in

Sandy silt None to very high Rapid Low 30sec to 60 min

Silt Very low to low Rapid Low 15 to 60 min

Clayey silt Low to medium Rapid to slow Medium 15 to several hrs

Clay High to very high None High Several hours to

Organic silt Low to medium Slow Low 15 min to several hrs

By Sushil Acharya,nec Page 8

1. Particle size Classification

3. Indian Soil Classification

4. AASTHO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officals) soil

PARTICLE SIZE CLASSIFICATION

A few of these classification systems are given below:

(i) U.S. Bureau of Soil Classification System:

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Bulky Particles are further classified as:

(a) Plate like flaky

(b) Elongated (needle like)

(ii) FLAKY PARTICLES:

(iii) ELONGATED PARTICLES:

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EFFECT OF SHAPE ON ENGINEERING PROPERTIES:

A soil sample may be either:

(b) Poorly graded

(c) Gap graded

(a) Well graded:

INFLUENCE OF GRADATION ON ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF SOILS:

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TEXTURE CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL

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Such a soil will be termed as ‘clay’.

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INDIAN STANDARAD SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (I S CLASSIFICATION

Classification Based on Grain Size

Very coarse soils Boulder size > 300 mm

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Low plasticity WL< 35%