3.

CLASSIFICATIONS
AND FIELD
IDENTIFICATION OF
SOILS
I. CLASSIFICATIONS OF SOILS

A soil classification system is the arrangement of different

soils having similar properties into groups and sub-groups

based on their application.

It provides a common language to express briefly the

general characteristics of soils.

There are several methods of classifying soils.

The most widely used classification systems by engineers

are described here.

1.Grain Size Classification

• It is based on grain size of the soils and is essentially

useful for classifying soils in which single grain properties
are of importance.

• Three of the grain size classifications that are in

common use are the following.
(a) U.S. Bureau of Public Roads Classification

Sand Silt Clay

Gravel Coarse Fine

2 0.25 0.05 0.005

Grain size in mm
(b) M.I.T ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Classification

Gravel Sand Silt Clay

Coarse Medium Fine Coarse Medium Fine

2 0.6 0.2 0.06 0.02 0.006 0.002

Grain size in mm

(c) Textural Classification

- This classification is based on a triangular chart shown
below. A soil with known percentage of sand, silt and clay
sizes is represented by a given point on a triangular chart
of this type.
Example
35% sand -, 25% silt-, and 40% clay-size particles,
This soil falls into the zone of Sandy clay.
 0 100

10 90

20 80

30 70 SILT

40 CLAY 60

50 50
SANDY
60 CLAY
SILTY 40
CLAY
70 30
CLAYEY SAND CLAYEY SILT
80 20

90 SANDY SILT 10
SILTY SAND
SAND SILT
100 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
% by weight of silt
2. Soil Classification Based on both Grain-size and Atterberg
limits
 The physical properties of fine-grained soils are dictated
to a great extent by the amounts and types of clay
minerals present in them.
Hence, for proper interpretation of soil characteristics, the
plasticity that is the result of the presence of clay
minerals needs to be considered.
 Presently, two more elaborate classification systems that
take into consideration both particle-size distribution and
Atterberg limits are commonly used.
They are:-
– The AASHTO (American Association of State
Highway and Transport Official) classification
system and
– The unified soil classification system
2.1 AASHTO Classification System

• The AASHTO classification system, also called Public

Roads Administration (PRA) classification, is based on the
following three soil properties:

– Grain-size distribution

– Liquid limit

– Plasticity index

• This system is generally used by highway engineers, for

classification of sub-grade soils for the highway
pavements.

• According to this system, soil is classified into seven

major groups, A-1 through A-7.
 Soils classified under groups A-1, A-2, and A-3 are
granular materials with 35% or less passing through a No.
200 sieve.
 Soils with more than 35% passing a No. 200 sieve are
classified under groups A-4, A-5, A-6 and A-7. These
soils are mostly silt and clay-type materials.
 To classify a soil using AASHTO soil classification Table,
one must proceed from left to right with required test
data available. By the process of elimination, the first
group from the left into which the test data will fit gives
the correct classification.
• Under this classification system, a characteristic called

group index (G.I) is used to describe the performance of

a soil when used as a highway sub grade material.

• Group index is not used to place the soil in a particular

group, but is actually a means of rating the value of a

soil as a sub grade material, within its own group.

GI = 0.01(F200-15)(PI-10)

GI = (F200-35)[0.2+0.005(LL-40)]+0.01(F200-15)(PI-10)
• a= that portion of percentage of particles passing No.200
sieve greater than 35% and not exceeding 75%
expressed as a whole number(0 to 40)

• b= that portion of percentage of particles passing No.200

sieve greater than15% and not exceeding 55% expressed
as a whole number(0 to 40)

• c= that portion of the liquid limit greater than 40 and

not exceeding 60, expressed as a Positive whole
number(0 to 20)

• d= that portion of the Plasticity index greater than 10

and not exceeding 30, expressed as a Positive whole
number(0 to 20)
General Classification Granular Materials Silt-clay Materials
(35 per cent or less passing No. 200) (More than 35 percent passing No. 200)
A-1 A-2 A-7
Group Classification A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6
A-7-5
A-1-a A-1-b A-2-4 A-2-5 A-2-6 A-2-7
A-7-6
Sieve analysis per cent
passing
50 max
No. 10
30 max 50 max 51 min
No. 40
15 max 10 max 10 max 35 max 35 max 35 max 35 max 36 min 36 min 36 min 36 min
No. 200

Characteristics of
fraction passing
No. 40 sieve
Liquid limit 40max 41 min 40max 41 min 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min
Plasticity Index 6 (max) N.P 10max 10max 11 min 11min 10 max 10 max 11 min 11 min
Group index 0 0 0 4 (max) 8 (max) 12 16(max) 20 (max)
(max)
Usual types of Stone fragments Fine Silty or clayey gravel and sand Silty soils Clayey soils
significant constituent gravel and sand sand
materials
General rating as sub- Excellent to good Fair to poor
grade

The A-7 group is subdivided into A-7-5 or A-7-6 depending on the plastic limit. For P.L.<30, the classification is A-7-6; for
P.L 30, it is A-7-5.
2.2 Unified Soil Classification System

• The system is most popular for use in all types of

engineering problems involving soils.

• It is based on recognition of the type and predominance of

the constituents considering grain size, gradation and
plasticity.

• It divides soil into three major divisions; namely:

» Coarse-grained soils,

» Fine-grained soils, and

» Highly organic (peat) soils.

• The name and symbols used to distinguish between the
typical and boundary soil groups are given below.

• a) Coarse-grained soils

G = Gravel , S = Sand

• The gravel and sand are further divided into subgroups as;

W = Well graded P = Poorly graded

• b) Fine-grained soils

» M = Inorganic silt

» C = Inorganic clay

» O = Organic silts and clays

» Pt = Peat
• The above groups of fine-grained soils (excluding peat) are

further subdivided according to their liquid limits into

» L = Low plasticity (ℓ < 50%)

» H = High plasticity (ℓ > 50%)

• Plasticity Chart: - The plasticity chart is a plot of

plasticity index versus liquid limit. Fine-grained soils are

subdivided into soils of low, medium and high plasticity

following the criteria cut-lined below

 Low plasticity (ℓ < 30%)

Medium plasticity (ℓ between 30% and 50%)

High plasticity (ℓ> 50%)

•The diagonal line drawn in the plasticity chart is called the

“A” line and is given by the equation P = 0.73 (ℓ - 20).

Clays fall above the A-line and silts below it.

. FIELD IDENTIFICATION OF SOILS

•Soils can be identified in the field by conducting the

following simple tests.

– The techniques used for identification of soils in the

field can conveniently be discussed under the headings of

coarse-grained and fine-grained soils.

–The sample is first spread on a flat surface. If more

than 50% of the particles are visible to the naked eye, the

soil is coarse-grained; otherwise, it is fine-grained.

• 1. Coarse-grained Soil

• -Coarse-grained soils are mineral fragments that may

be identified primarily on the basis of grain size. The

different constituents of coarse-grained soils are sand

and gravel.

• The size of sand varies from 0.075 mm to 2 mm

• and that of gravel from 2 mm to 60mm.

• Sand can further be classified as coarse, medium and

fine.

• The description of sand and gravel should include an

estimate of the quantity of material in the different size

ranges as well as a statement of the shape and

mineralogical composition of the grains.

• The mineral grains can be rounded, sub-rounded, sub-

angular, or angular
2. Fine Grained Soils

A. Inorganic Soils: - The constituent parts of fine-grained

materials are silt and clay fractions.

•The classification tests used in the field for preliminary

identification are;

a. Dry strength: The strength of a soil in a dry state is an

indication of its cohesion and hence of its nature.

• It can be estimated by crushing a 3 mm size dried

fragment between thumb and forefinger.

• A clay fragment can be broken only with great effort,

whereas a silt fragment crushes easily.

b. Shaking test: It helps to distinguish silt from clay.

• In this test a part of soil mixed with water to a very soft

consistency is placed in the palm of the hand.

• The surface of the soil is smoothed out with a knife and the
soil pat is shaken by tapping the back of the hand. If the soil
is silt, water will rise quickly to the surface and give it a shiny
glistening appearance.
Since clay soils contain much smaller voids than silts and are

much less permeable, the appearance of the surface of the pat

does not change during the shaking test.

c. Plasticity test: If a sample of moist soil can be manipulated

between the palms of the hands and fingers and rolled into a

long thread of about 3 mm diameter, the soil then contains a

significant amount of clay. Silt cannot be rolled into a thread

of 3 mm diameter without severe cracking.

B. Organic Soils

• The presence of an appreciable quantity of organic

material can usually be recognized by the dark-grey to

black color and odor of decaying vegetation, which it

lends to the soil.