Soil Mechanics – Chapter 3 - Classification of Soil

Example 3.1

Classify the following soil using the U.S. Department of Agriculture textural classification
chart.
Particle-size Soil
distribution (%) A B C D
Gravel 10 21 0 12
Sand 20 12 18 22
Silt 41 35 24 26
Clay 29 32 58 40

Solution

Group A:
𝟐𝟎×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Sand= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟏𝟎 =22.22%
𝟒𝟓×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Silt= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟏𝟎 =45.55%
𝟐𝟗×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Clay= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟏𝟎 =32.22%
Group B:
𝟏𝟐×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Sand= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟐𝟏 =15.18%
𝟑𝟓×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Silt= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟐𝟏 =44.30%
𝟐𝟗×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Clay= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟑𝟐 =30.50%
Group C:
Sand=18%
Silt=24%
Clay=58%
Group D:

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 𝟐𝟐×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Sand= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟏𝟐 =25%
𝟐𝟔×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Silt= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟏𝟐 =29.54%
𝟒𝟎×𝟏𝟎𝟎
Clay= 𝟏𝟎𝟎−𝟏𝟐 =45.45%
A:
Clay Loam Soil A
B:
Silty Clay
C:
Clay
D:
Clay

Particle-size Soil
Classification
distribution (%) A B C D
Sand 22.22 15.18 18 25
Silt 45.55 44.30 24 29.54
Clay 32.22 40.50 58 45.45

Example 3.2

Classify the following soils by the AASHTO classification system. Give the group index for
each soil.
Sieve analysis—Percent finer
Soil No.10 No.40 No.200 LL, % PL, %
A 98 80 72 52 21
B 90 74 58 38 12
C 80 68 48 30 11

Solution

Group A:
PI=LL-PL
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=52-21
PI=31%
A-7
LL-30=22
PI>LL-30
A-7-6
Clayey Soil
Fair to Poor
Group B:
PI=LL-PL
=38-12
PI=26%
A-6
Clayey Soil
Fair to Poor
Group C:
PI=LL-PL
=30-11
PI=19
A-6
Clayey Soil
Fair to Poor
Example 3.3

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Ninety-five percent of a soil passes through the No.200 sieve and has a liquid limit of 60 and
plasticity index of 40. Classify the soil by AASHTO system.

Solution

95%→ 𝑵𝒐. 𝟐𝟎𝟎, 𝑳𝑳 = 𝟔𝟎%, 𝑷𝑰 = 𝟒𝟎%

LL-30=30
PI> 𝑳𝑳 − 𝟑𝟎
A-7-6
Clayey Soil
Fair to Poor
Example 3.4

For a given soil, the following are known:

Percentage passing sieve No. 4 (F4) = 70 %, Percentage passing sieve No. 200 (F200) = 30
%, LL = 33 % and PL = 12 %. Classify the soil using the Unified Soil Classification
System (USCS). Give the group symbol and group name.

Solution

Coarse Grain Because %Passing#200=30%< 𝟓𝟎%

%G=100-%Passing#4→ %𝑮 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝟕𝟎 → %𝑮 = 𝟑𝟎%
%S=%Passing#4-%Passing#200→ %𝑺 = 𝟕𝟎 − 𝟑𝟎 →
%𝑺 = 𝟒𝟎%
%G< %𝑺 → 𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒅 (𝑺)
%Passing#200> 𝟏𝟐%
PIA-Line=0.73(LL-30) → PIA-Line=0.73(33-30) → PIA-Line=9.49
PI=LL-PL → PI=33-12 → PI=21
PIA-Line <PI → C, ∴SC
Example 3.5

Classify the following soils by using the Unified soil classification system. Give the group
symbols and the group names.

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 Sieve analysis—Percent finer
Soil Cu Cc
No.4 No.200 LL, % PL, %
A 70 30 33 21 - -
B 100 82 30 19 - -
C 71 11 32 16 4.8 2.9
D 90 8 39 31 3.9 2.1

Solution
Group A: -
Coarse Grain Because %Passing#200=30% < 50%
%G=100-%Passing#4 → %G=100-70 → %G=30%
%S=%Passing#4 - %Passing#200 → %S=70-30 →
%S=40%
%G < %S → Sand (S)
%Passing#200 > 12%
PIA-Line=0.73(LL-20) → PIA-Line=0.73(33-20) → PIA-
Line=9.49

PI=LL-PL → PI=33-21 → PI=12

PIA-Line < PI → C, ∴SC
Group B: -
Fine Graine Because %Passing#200=82% > 50%
PIA-Line=0.73(LL-20) → PIA-Line=0.73(30-20) → PIA-Line=7.3
PI=LL-PL → PI=30-19 → PI=11
PIA-Line < PI → Clay (C)
LL=30% → LL < 50 → L, ∴CL
Group C: -
Coarse Grain Because %Passing#20=11% < 50%

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5% ≤ %Passing#200 ≤ 12%
%G=100-%Passing#4 → %G=100-71 → %G=29%
%S=%Passing#4-%Passing#200 → %S=71-11 →
%S=60%
%G < %S → Sand (S)
Cu=4.8, Cc=2.9
Cu > 6, 1 < Cc < 3
SW
PIA-Line=0.73(LL-20) → PIA-Line=0.73(32-20) → PIA-
Line=8.76

PI=LL-PL → PI=32-16 → PI = 16
PIA-Line < PI → C, ∴SW-SC

8. Problems

Problem 3.1

The results of a particle size analysis of a soil are given in the following Table. No Atterberg
limit tests were conducted.

Sieve No. 9.53 mm No.4 No.10 No.20 No.40 No.100 No.200

Percent finer 100 89.8 70.2 62.5 49.8 28.6 4.1

a) Would you have conducted Atterberg limit tests on this soil? Justify your answer.
b) Classify the soil according to USCS, ASTM-CS, and AASHTO.
c) Is this soil a good foundation material? Justify your answer.

Solution

Sieve Opening 9.53 4.75 2 0.85 0.425 0.15 0.074

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USCS METHOD: -
D10=0.09 mm
D30=0.25 mm
D60=0.85 mm
𝐃𝟔𝟎 𝟎.𝟖𝟓
Cu=𝐃𝟏𝟎=𝟎.𝟎𝟗=9.444
𝐃𝟑𝟎^𝟐 𝟎.𝟖𝟓^𝟐
Cc=𝐃𝟔𝟎×𝐃𝟏𝟎=𝟎.𝟖𝟓×𝟎.𝟎𝟗=0.816
Coarse Grain Because %Passing#200=4.1% < 50%
%Passing < 5%
Cu=9.444
Cc=0.816
%G=100-%Passing#4 → %G=100-89.8 → %G=10.2
%S=%Passing#4-%Passing#200 → %S=89.8-4.1 →
%S=85.7
%G < %S → Sand (S)
Cu > 6, 1 < Cc < 3, ∴SW
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AASHTO METHOD: -
A-1 → A-1-b
Stone Fragments
Gravel, and Sand

Problem 3.2
The results of a particle size analysis of a soil are given in the following table. Atterberg limit
tests gave LL = 62 % and PL = 38 %. The clay content is 37%.

Sieve No. 9.53 mm No.4 No.10 No.20 No.40 No.100 No.200

Percent finer 100 90.8 84.4 77.5 71.8 65.6 62.8

a) Classify the soil according to USCS and AASHTO.

b) Rate this soil as a subgrade for a highway.

Solution

Sieve Opening 9.53 4.75 2 0.85 0.425 0.15 0.074

USCS METHOD: -
Fine Grain Because %Passing#200=62.8% > 50%
PIA-Line=0.73(LL-20) → PIA-Line=0.73(L62-20) → PIA-
Line=30.66

PI=LL-PL → PI=62-38 → PI=29

PIA-Line > PI → Silt (M)
LL=62 → LL > 50 → H, ∴MH
AASHTO METHOD: -

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%Passing#200=62.8 > 35%
PI=LL-PL → PI=62-38 → PI=29
A-7
LL-30=62-20=32
PI ≤ LL-30
Clayey Soils
A-7-5
Fair to Poor

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