Classification of

Soils

1
Purpose
 Purpose

Arrange various types of soils into

groups according to their engineering

or various other characteristics.

Soil possessing similar

characteristics can be placed in the

same group.
 Soil Classification Systems

1.Particle Size Classification

2.Textural Classification
3. Highway Research Board (HRB) Classification
(AASHTHO)

4.Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)

5.Indian Standard ClassificationSystem

(ISCS)
Particle Size
Classification
 Introducti
onaccording to grain sizes.
 Soils arranged

Terms such as gravel, sand, silt and clay

are used to indicate grain sizes.

These terms are used only as designation

of particle sizes.
 They do not signify naturally occurring
soil types.
Naturally occurring soil are mixture of

particles of different sizes.

IS Classification of Grain
Size
Textural
Classification
 Introducti
on of composite soils
Soil classification

exclusively based on Particle Size

Distribution.
Most popular is the Triangular

Classification of U.S. Public Roads

Administration.
 Classification based on % of sand, silt and
clay size.
 More suitable for describing coarse
grained soil.
Textural Classification Chart
Example

30%
sand
30% silt
40% clay

Soil
Type
Clay
Highway Research Board
(HRB)
Classification
 Introduction

Based on both particle-size composition as

well as plasticity characteristics.

 Mostly used for pavement construction.
 7 primary groups (A-1, A-2,…., A-7).
 A-1 subdivided into 2 subgroups.
 A-2 subdivided into 4 subgroups.
 Group Index (GI)

Used to describe performance of soil when

used for pavement construction.

 Not used to place a soil in a particular group.

It means rating the value of soil as a subgrade material

within its own group.

 Higher the value of GI, poorer is the quality of
material.
 Group Index (GI)
determination
Group Index of a soil depends on:
1. Amount of material passing 75 micron IS sieve.
2. Liquid Limit.
3. Plastic Limit.
 HRB Classification
Table

For A-7-5, IP<= wL-30

For A-7-6, IP > wL-3 0
0
 HRB Classification
Procedure

 Proceed from left to right on the chart.

 Correct group will be found by process of elimination.
The first group from left into which the test data will fit will be the
correct classification.
Group Index should be rounded off to nearest integer and placed in
parenthesis, such as, A-2-2 (6).
 Example

56% passes 75 micron sieve.

 Plastic Limit (wP) =23%
Liquid Limit (wL)=36%

Plasticity Index (IP) = 36-23=13%

 Examp
le
Passing 75 micron>35% IP < 40% wL>10%

wL=36%
IP =13%

A-6
 Examp
Group Index Calculationle  56% passes 75 micron sieve.
 Plastic Limit (wP) =23%
 Liquid Limit (wL)=36%
 Plasticity Index (IP) =13%

a= 56-35=21 c=0
b=56-15=41, Take 40 d=13-10=3
GI=5.4=5 A-6 (5)
Unified Soil Classification
System USCS
 Origin of USCS

 First developed by Professor A.

Casagrande (1948) for the purpose of
airfield construction during World War
II.

 Afterwards, it was modified to

enable the system to be applicable to
dams, foundations, and other
construction .
 Four Major
Divisions

Cours Organi
e c
Graine Soil
d Fine
Peat
Graine
d
 Classification Groups

•The soil is classified into 15 groups.

•Each group is designated a symbol
consisting of two capital letters.
•The first letter is based on main soil
type.
•The second letter is based on
gradation and plasticity .
 Classification Group
Symbols
Main Soil Classification
Prefix Subgroup Suffix
Type Group symbols

Well-graded W G
Poorly- P W
Gravel G
graded Silty M GP
Clayey C G
M
GC
Well-graded W S
Poorly- P W
Sand S
graded Silty M SP
Clayey C S
M
SC
LL < 50% L ML
Silt M
LL > 50% H M
H
LL < 50% L CL
Clay C
LL > 50% H CH

LL < 50% L OL
Organic O
LL > 50% H O
 Unified Soil Classification System
(Contd.)
50 50
% %
Coarse-grained Fine-grained
soils: soils:Silt (M) Clay
NO.20
Gravel (G) Sand 0 (C)
(S) 0.075
mm Based on wL and
NO. 4 IP
Well4.75
or Poor
mm (Plasticity
Graded wL
Chart)
based on Cu and >50
For G,Cuse
c
W if Cu > 4 and 1<Cc <3 wL
For S, use W if Cu > 6 and 1<Cc <3 <50
 Plasticity Chart

Silt (M)
Clay (C)
Organic
(O)

Below A-line, use M High Plasticity use H - wL

(Silt) or O (Organic) >50
Above A-line, use C - Clay
Low Plasticity use L - wL
<50
 Plasticity Chart

“The soil’s liquid limit (wL) after oven drying is less than 75 % of
its liquid
limit before oven drying.” If the above statement is true, then it
is Organic Soil (OL or OH). Otherwise, it is Inorganic Soil (ML or
 Plasticity Chart

When IP and wL are in the hatched portion of the plasticity

chart, the soil is
given dual symbol (CL-ML).
Soil and
soil possessing properties
designated by dualofgroup
more than one group are termed
as boundary
USCS at a glance

(Santamarina et al.,
2001)
 Group Symbols and Group
Names
Group Symbol Typical Name

GW Well-graded gravels.

GP Poorly-graded gravels.

GM Silty gravels.

GC Clayey gravels

SW Well-graded sands.

SP Poorly-graded sands.

SM Silty sands.

SC Clayey sands.
 Group Symbols and Group
Names
Group Symbol Typical Name

CL Inorganic clays of low plasticity.

ML Inorganic silts with slight plasticity.

OL Organic soil of low plasticity.

CH Inorganic clays of high plasticity.

MH Inorganic silts with high plasticity.

OH Organic soil of high plasticity.

Pt Peat.
 Passing No.200 sieve 30 %
Example Passing No.4 sieve 70 %
LL= 33
PI= 12

Passing No.200 sieve 30%

Passing No.4 sieve 70 %

LL= 33
PI= 12
PI= 0.73(LL-20), A-line
PI=0.73(33-20)=9.49
Soil Type=
SC
Highl
Clayey y
sand Pranamesh
Chakraborty 3
 Indian Standard
Classification System
(ISCS)
IS:1498-1970
 Introduction
Based on USCS
system
Modifications
are:
Fine grained soils subdivided into 3
groups (low, intermediate and high
plasticity) as against two groups(low and
high) in USCS.

 wL <35=L, 35<wL <5o=I, wL >50=H

Thus, soil classified into 18 groups as

 Classification Group
Soil Symbols
Main Classificati
Prefix Subgroup Suffix
on Group
Type symbols
Well-graded W G
Poorly- P W
Gravel G
graded Silty M GP
Clayey C G
M
GC
Well-graded W S
Poorly- P W
Sand S
graded Silty M SP
Clayey C S
M
SC
LL < 35% L ML
Silt M 35<LL<>50 I MI
LL > 50% H MH
LL < 35% L CL
Clay C 35<LL<>50 I CI
LL > 50% H CH
LL < 35% L PtOL
Organic O 35<LL<>50 I OI
 Plasticity Chart

Below A-line, use M High Plasticity use H - wL >50

(Silt) or O (Organic)
Intermediate Plasticity use I – 35< wL
Above A-line, use C - Clay >50
Low Plasticity use L - wL <35
Thank
You