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UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM <br />ASTM Designations: D 2487, D2488 <br />Criteria for Assigning Group Symbols and Group Names Using Laboratory TestsA <br />Coarse -Grained <br />Soils More <br />than 50°0 <br />retained on <br />No. 200 sieve <br />Fine -Grained <br />Soils 50°oor <br />more passes <br />the No. 200 <br />sieve <br />(see Plasticity <br />Chart below) <br />Highly organic <br />soil <br />( <br />a <br />U <br />50 <br />40 <br />20 <br />Gravels More <br />than 50° o coarse <br />fraction retained <br />on No. 4 sieve <br />Sands 50°oor <br />more of coarse <br />fraction passes <br />No. 4 sieve <br />Silts and Clays <br />Liquid limit less <br />than 50 <br />Silts and Clays <br />Liquid limit 50 <br />or more <br />SIEVE ANALYSIS <br />1-s°' I'Pemng un <br />o- =15n,n <br />1 =25nn <br />Sev, rmneer <br />0 'J 40 n) 140 20) <br />) <br />20 <br />0 <br />E <br />DIi= 0075n, <br />Clean Gravels <br />Less than 5°0 <br />finesc <br />Gravels with <br />Fines more <br />than 12° o fines c <br />Clean Sands <br />Less than 5°0 <br />finesD <br />Sands with <br />Fines more <br />than 12° o fines D <br />inorganic <br />organic <br />inorganic <br />organic <br />PARTICLE SIZE IN MILLIMETERS <br />_ r>y! 15 _ z2) <br />a one <br />Term <br />Boulders <br />Cobbles <br />Gravel <br />Sand <br />Fines (silt R clay) <br />-L'r - 25: _5 <br />EN.. Dye1175. 15 'b <br />ADDITIONAL TERN <br />Grain Size <br />Particle Size <br />Over 12" <br />3" 12" <br />#4 sieve to <br />#200 to #4 sieve <br />Pass #200 sieve <br />Moisture/Frost Condition <br />(MC Column) <br />D (Dry): Absence of moisture, dusty. dry to <br />touch. <br />M (Moist): Damp. although free water not <br />visible. Soil may still have a high <br />water content (over "optimum"). <br />W (Wet' Free water visible. intended to <br />Waterbearing): describe non -plastic soils. <br />Waterbearing usually relates to <br />sands and sand with silt. <br />F (Frozen): Soil frozen <br />PLASTICITY INDEX (PI) <br />Cu_4 and 1_Cc_3E <br />Cu=4 and/or 1-- Cc: 3E <br />Fines classify as ML or MH <br />Fines classify as CL or CH <br />Cu_6 and 1_Cc_3E <br />Cu=6 and/or 1-- Cc=3E <br />Fines classify as ML or MH <br />Fines classify as CL or CH <br />PF 7 and plots on or above <br />"A" line' <br />P114 or plots below <br />"A" line' <br />Liquid limit —oven dried -n 75 <br />Liquid limit — not dried <br />PI plots on or above "A" line <br />PI plots below "A" line <br />Liquid limit —oven dried -n 75 <br />Liquid limit — not dried <br />Primarily organic matter, dark <br />in color. and organic in odor <br />E„ <br />50 - <br />40 - <br />30 - <br />20 - <br />10- <br />For classification of finearained soils and <br />finearained fracton of coarse-crained mils <br />Equation of "A" -line <br />Horizontal at PI = 4 to LL = 25 5 <br />then PI = 0 73 (L1-20) <br />Equation of "U"-line <br />Vercal at LL= 16 to PI=7 <br />then PI = 0 9 (LL-8) <br />40 / , <br />CL-ML • <br />0 10 16 20 <br />ML OL <br />Soil Classification <br />Group Group NameB <br />Symbol <br />GW Well graded gravelF <br />GP Poorly graded gravelF <br />GM Silty gravelF G H <br />GC Clayey gravelF G H <br />SW Well -graded sand' <br />SP Poorly -graded sand' <br />SM Silty sandGT <br />SC Clayey sandGH1 <br />CL Lean clay'`', M <br />NIL Silt"-' "1 <br />OL Organic clay''LMN <br />Organic silt'. L M 0 <br />CH Fat clay''LM <br />MH Elastic silt'' M <br />OH Organic clay'' L M P <br />Organic silt'. L M Q <br />PT Peat' <br />MH„,OH <br />30 40 50 PJ <br />LIQUID LIMIT (LL) <br />Plasticity Chart <br />70 8 ) <br />160 110 <br />AMERICAN <br />ENGINEERING <br />TESTING, INC. <br />AMERICAN <br />Notes <br />ABased on the material passing the 3-in <br />(75-mm) sieve. <br />BIf field sample contained cobbles or <br />boulders. or both. add' with cobbles or <br />boulders. or both" to group name. <br />cGravels with 5 to 12° o fines require dual <br />symbols: <br />GW-GM well -graded gravel with silt <br />GW-GC well -graded gravel with clay <br />GP -GM poorly graded gravel with silt <br />GP -GC poorly graded gravel with clay <br />DSands with 5 to 12° o fines require dual <br />symbols: <br />SW-SM well -graded sand with silt <br />SW -SC well -graded sand with clay <br />SP-SM poorly graded sand with silt <br />SP-SC poorly graded sand with clay <br />ECU — D60 iD10. CC — <br />(D3o)2 <br />Dlos D60 <br />FIf soil contains L15° o sand. add' with <br />sand" to group name. <br />GIf fines classify as CL-ML. use dual <br />symbol GC -GM, or SC-SM. <br />HIf fines are organic, add "with organic <br />fines" to group name. <br />'If soil contains _15° o gravel. add "with <br />gravel" to group name. <br />If Atterberg limits plot is hatched area. <br />soil is a CL-ML silty clay. <br />''If soil contains 15 to 29° o plus No. 200 <br />add "with sand" or "with gravel". <br />whichever is predominant. <br />LIf soil contains `30° o plus No. 200, <br />predominantly sand. add "sandy" to <br />group name. <br />MIf soil contains - 30° o plus No. 200, <br />predominantly gravel. add "gravelly" <br />to group name. <br />NP1-4 and plots on or above "A" line. <br />°Pl -4 or plots below "A" line. <br />PPl plots on or above "A" line. <br />VI plots below "A" line. <br />'Fiber Content description shown below. <br />NOLOGY NOTES USED BY AET FOR SOIL IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION <br />Gravel Percentages <br />Term Percent <br />A Little Gravel <br />With Gravel <br />Gravelly <br />3°4, <br />15°0 - 29°0 <br />?0°°-50°0 <br />Layering Notes <br />Laminations: Layers less than <br />thick of <br />differing material <br />or color. <br />Lenses: <br />Pockets or layers <br />greater than '2" <br />thick of differing <br />material or color. <br />Consistencv of Plastic Soils <br />Term N-Value. BPF <br />Very Soft <br />Soft <br />Firm <br />Stiff <br />Very Stiff <br />Hard <br />Relative Density of Non -Plastic Soils <br />Term N-Value. BPF <br />less than 2 Very Loose <br />2 - 4 Loose <br />5 - 8 Medium Dense <br />9 - 15 Dense <br />16 - 30 Very Dense <br />Greater than 30 <br />Peat Description <br />Fiber Content <br />Term (Visual Estimate) <br />Fibric Peat: Greater than 67° 0 <br />Hemic Peat: 33 — 67° 0 <br />Sapric Peat: Less than 3 3° o <br />0-4 <br />5-10 <br />11-30 <br />31-50 <br />Greater than 50 <br />Organic Description (if no lab tests) <br />Soils are described as organic, if soil is not peat <br />and is judged to have sufficient organic fines <br />content to influence the Liquid Limit properties. <br />Sliehth oceanic used for borderline cases. <br />Root Inclusions <br />With roots: Judged to have sufficient quantity <br />of roots to influence the soil <br />properties. <br />Trace roots: Small roots present. but not judged <br />to be in sufficient quantity to <br />significantly affect soil properties. <br />01CLS021 (01/2022) AMERICAN ENGINEERING TESTING, INC. <br />