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CH 4 - Soil Classification (AASHTO)

The document describes the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) soil classification system. It was originally developed in 1929 and has undergone revisions. The current AASHTO system from 1978 classifies soils into 8 major groups from A1 to A7 based on grain size distribution, liquid limit, and plastic limit tests. The classification process involves using a table to methodically eliminate groups from left to right. A soil's subgroup is determined using its group index, calculated from an empirical formula involving liquid limit, plastic limit, and percent clay.

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Muhammad Amjad
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1K views10 pages

CH 4 - Soil Classification (AASHTO)

The document describes the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) soil classification system. It was originally developed in 1929 and has undergone revisions. The current AASHTO system from 1978 classifies soils into 8 major groups from A1 to A7 based on grain size distribution, liquid limit, and plastic limit tests. The classification process involves using a table to methodically eliminate groups from left to right. A soil's subgroup is determined using its group index, calculated from an empirical formula involving liquid limit, plastic limit, and percent clay.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Amjad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

SOIL

C L A S S I F I C AT I O N
CH: 4

BY
ENG R. AFI A RAZ Z AQ
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)

ORIGIN (Holtz and Kovacs, 1981):


This system was originally developed by Hogentogler and Terzaghi in 1929
as the Public Roads Classification System. Afterwards, there are several
revisions. The present AASHTO (1978) system is primarily based on the
version in 1945.

STANDARDS:
AASHTO M145-91 (2003) Standard Specifications for Classification of
Soils and Soil-Aggregate Mixtures for Highway Construction Purposes.

ASTM D3282-09 Standard Practice for Classification of Soils and Soil-


Aggregate Mixtures for Highway Construction Purposes.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)

Comprised of 8 Major Groups: Required Testing:


A1 through A7 (with subgroups) Sieve Analysis and Atterberg Limits
A8 (Organics)
Subgroups determined from Group Index (GI)

A1 to A3 A4 to A7

Granular Materials Silt-Clay Materials


( 35% passes #200 Sieve) (≥ 36% passes #200 Sieve)
Using LL and PI separates silty
Using LL and PI separates silty
materials from clayey materials
materials from clayey materials
(only for A2 group)

General Notes:
• A-1 materials are well graded, whereas A-3 soils are clean, poorly graded sands.
• A4 & A5 are generally silts, A6 & A7 are generally clays.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)

STEPS:
1. Determine Grain Size Distribution
(AASHTO T-11 & AASHTO T-27)
2. Determine Liquid Limit (AASHTO T-89)
3. Determine Plastic Limit (AASHTO T-90)
4. Classify Soil using Table 2 ASTM 3282
(Left to Right Method, Process of
Elimination)
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)

Go from Left to Right, Process of Elimination


Table 2 from ASTM D3282-09 Standard Practice for Classification of
Soils and Soil-Aggregate Mixtures for Highway Construction Purposes.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)
Group Index (GI):
Empirical Formula used to evaluate soils in a group (i.e. subgroup)
GI = 0.2 a + 0.005 ac + 0.01 bd
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
(AASHTO)

Group Index (GI):


Empirical Formula used to
evaluate soils in a group
(i.e. subgroup)
THANK YOU

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