3

EXAMPLE -1– Classification of soil

Atterberg Limit Test
Result
Soil w w
LL PL

A 26 18
B Non plastic
Particle Size distribution
curve:
Required 4

:a) Classify soils according to AASHTO.

b) Classify soils according to USCS.
c) Which of the two soils is a better
material for the core of a rolled earth
dam.
SOLUTION
Step 1:

Determine the percentage of

each soil type from the particle
size distribution curve.
 Clay
5
Silt Sand Gravel

86% 85%

29%
19%

Constituent Soil A Soil

B
Percent of particle greater than 0.075 mm 14 81

Gravel fraction (%) 0 15

Sand fraction (%) 14 66
Silt fraction (%) 57 19
Clay fraction (%) 29 0
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Step 2
Use the flow chart
Following the flow chart, soil A is
ML????? and soil B is
SM????????
Step 3 .
Plot the Atterberg limit on the plasticity
chart.
Soil A: IP = 26 – 18 = 8%
The point (26,8) falls above the A-line,
the soil is inorganic clay.
Soil B: Non-plastic, inorganic.
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Step 4
Use Table 2.7 to make the preliminary
assessment.
Soil B with a rating of 5 is better than
soil A with a rating of 6.
 Example-2- AASHTO
A sample of inorganic soil has
the following grain size
characteristics:

LL= 65% and PI= 22%;

classify the soil by AASHTO
system.
Solution

Using AASTO table

(since 40% of the soil is
passing through No. 200
sieve), it falls under the silt
– clay type of material.
Proceeding from left to right
(using LL &PI), it falls under
group A-7. It may be A-7-5
or A-7-6 which is decided
as below:
The plastic limit (ωp)
ωp = ωℓ - PΙ
ωp = 65 – 22= 43 > 30
Hence the classification
as per note given at the
bottom of AASHTO
Table, is A-7-5, as
ωp > 30.
Group Index,
GI = (F-35)[0.2+0.005(LL-
40)]+0.01(F-15)(PI-10)

GI =(40-35)[0.2+0.005(65-
40)]+0.01(40-15)(22-10)
GI= 4.6 ….say 5
Therefore, the soil will be
classified as A-7-5 (5).

If GI >= 20…very poor

subgrade.
Example-3
The grain size analysis of a soil
Sieve No. Percent
passing
No.10 100
No.40 80
No.200 58
The liquid limit and plastic
index of minus № - 40
fraction of the soil are 30%
and10% respectively.
Classify the soil by the
unified classification
system.
Solution
Since 58% of the soil is
passing through №. 200
sieve, it is a fine-
grained soil.
Using plasticity chart for
ωℓ = 30% and PΙ = 10%
,it can be classified as
Clay (CL).
 Example-4 – Unified
Soil LL (%) PI(%)
A 40 10
B 28 12
Classify the soil according
to unified classification
Using the following grain
size distribution.
.
Grain size analysis
(a) Soil A- from chart
As more than 50%
passes 75µ sieve, the
soil is fine grained. The
Atterberg limits plot
below A-line it can be
either ML or OL.
If the liquid limit
reduces the to ¾ of the
original value or more
on oven drying.
(b) Soil B, from chart

As more than 50% of

the total material is
larger than 75µ sieve,
the soil is coarse
grained
Coarse fraction = 87%
Gravel fraction = 37%
Sand fraction = 50%
As more than half of
coarse fraction is
smaller than 4.75mm
sieve, the soil is sand.
As fines are more than
12% the soil can be SM
or SC. As the atterberg
limits plot above A-line,
the soil is SC.
አልቋል!!!