AASHTO Soil Classification System

The AASHTO Soil Classification System was developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and is used as a guide for the classification of soils and soil-aggregate mixtures for highway construction purposes.
The classification system was first developed by Hogentogler and Terzaghi in 1929,[1] but has been revised several times since.

AASHTO Soil Classification System (from AASHTO M 145 or ASTM D3282)

General Classification Granular Materials (35% or less passing the 0.075 mm sieve) Silt-Clay Materials (>35% passing the 0.075 mm sieve)

A-1 A-2 A-7

Group Classification A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6
A-1-a A-1-b A-2-4 A-2-5 A-2-6 A-2-7 A-7-5 A-7-6

Sieve Analysis, % passing

2.00 mm (No. 10) 50 max … … … … … … … … … …

0.425 (No. 40) 30 max 50 max 51 min … … … … … … … …

0.075 (No. 200) 15 max 25 max 10 max 35 max 35 max 35 max 35 max 36 min 36 min 36 min 36 min

Characteristics of fraction passing 0.425 mm (No. 40)

Liquid Limit … … 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min

Plasticity index 6 max N.P. 10 max 10 max 11 min 11 min 10 max 10 max 11 min 11 min

Usual types of significant constituent materials stone fragments, gravel and sand fine sand silty or clayey gravel and sand silty soils clayey soils

General rating as a subgrade excellent to good fair to poor

Plasticity index of A-7-5 subgroup is equal to or less than the LL - 30. Plasticity index of A-7-6 subgroup is greater than LL - 30.
Unified Soil Classification System

The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) is a soil classification system used in engineering and geology to describe the
system can be applied to most unconsolidated materials, and is represented by a two-letter symbol. Each letter is described be

First and/or second letters

Letter Definition
G gravel
S sand
M silt
C clay
O organic

If the soil has 5–12% by weight of fines passing a #200 sieve (5% < P #200 < 12%), both grain size distribution and plasticity have
be used for the group symbol. For example, GW-GM corresponds to "well-graded gravel with silt."

If the soil has more than 15% by weight retained on a #4 sieve (R#4 > 15%), there is a significant amount of gravel, and the suff
change. For example, SP-SM could refer to "poorly graded SAND with silt" or "poorly graded SAND with silt and gravel."

Major divisions

Coarse grained soils

gravel

more than 50% retained on or above No.200 (0.075 mm) sieve > 50% of coarse fraction retained
on No.4 (4.75 mm) sieve

sand
≥ 50% of coarse fraction passes
No.4 (4.75 mm) sieve

Fine grained soils silt and clay

50% or more passing the No.200 (0.075 mm) sieve liquid limit < 50

silt and clay

liquid limit ≥ 50
Highly organic soils

ASTM D-2487

Criteria for Assigning Group Symbols and Group Names Using Laboratory T

COARSE-GRAINED SOILS Gravels

More than 50% of coarse fraction
More than 50% retained on No.200 Sieve
on No. 4 Sieve

Sands
50% or more of coarse fraction
passes No.4 sieve

FINE-GRAINED SOILS Silts and Clays

50% or more passes the no. 200 Sieve Liquid limit less than 50

Silts and Clays

Liquid limit 50 or more

HIGHLY ORGANIC SOILS

 gineering and geology to describe the texture and grain size of a soil. The classification
er symbol. Each letter is described below (with the exception of Pt):

Second letter
Letter Definition
P poorly graded (uniform particle sizes)
W well-graded (diversified particle sizes)
H high plasticity
L low plasticity

ain size distribution and plasticity have a significant effect on the engineering properties of the soil, and dual notation may
with silt."

nificant amount of gravel, and the suffix "with gravel" may be added to the group name, but the group symbol does not
ed SAND with silt and gravel."

Group symbol Group name

well-graded gravel, fine to coarse
GW
gravel
clean gravel <5% smaller than
No.200 Sieve
GP poorly graded gravel

GM silty gravel
gravel with >12% fines
GC clayey gravel
well-graded sand, fine to coarse
SW
sand
clean sand
SP poorly graded sand

SM silty sand
sand with >12% fines
SC clayey sand
ML silt
inorganic CL clay of low plasticity, lean clay
organic OL organic silt, organic clay
MH silt of high plasticity, elastic silt
inorganic
CH clay of high plasticity, fat clay
organic OH organic clay, organic silt
 Pt peat

Soil Classification
d Group Names Using Laboratory Tests
Group Symbol
Clean Gravels Cu ≥ 4 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 GW

Less than 5% fines Cu < 4 and/or Cc < 1 or Cc > 3 GP

Gravels with Fines Fines classify as ML or MH GM

More than 12% fines Fines classify as CL or CH GC
Clean Sands Cu ≥ 6 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 SW

Less than 5% fines Cu < 6 and/or Cc < 1 or Cc > 3 SP

Sands with Fines Fines classify as ML or MH SM

More than 12% fines Fines classify as CL or CH SC
PI > 7 and plots on or above "A" line CL
Inorganic
PI < 4 and plots below "A" line ML
Liquid limit—oven dried < 0.75 OL
Organic
Liquid limit—not dried OL
PI plots on or above "A" line CH
Inorganic
PI plots below "A" line MH
Liquid limit—oven dried < 0.75 OH
Organic
Liquid limit - not dried OH
PT
Soil Classification
Group Name
Well-graded gravel

Poorly graded gravel

Silty Gravel
Clayey gravel
Well-graded sand

Poorly graded sand

Silty sand
Clayey sand
Lean clay
Silt
Organic clay
Organic silt
Fat clay
Elastic silt
Organic clay
Organic silt
Peat
 Soil Compactibility
Classes (2)
Based on the previous page, a finer
differentiation and assignment of
compactibility classes and soil types is
done based on German standard which is
used for the structural calculation of
pipelines [ATVA127]. 
Table: 

Soil Classification [DWAA139:2009]

Groups according to
ATV-DVWK-A 127
G1 non-cohesive soils,
gravel,

sand

G2 semi-cohesive soils,
gravel,
sand

G3 mixed cohesive soils,

fine-grained soils

G4 fine-grained soils,
organic soils
admixtures

COMMENTS:
*) Cohesive soil with fines from 15% to 40%
**) Not suitable for backfilling within the road space
Further soil characteristics according to EAU 1996 can be found in the following Table
 Compaction class as
Abbreviation as per DIN 18196 per
ZTV A-StB 97
GW widely graded gravel-sand mixtures V1
GI alternately graded gravel / sand V1
mixtures
GE closely graded gravels V1
SW widely graded sand / gravel mixture V1
SI alternately graded sand / gravel mixture V1

SE closely graded sands V1
GU gravel / silt mixture V1
GT gravel / clay mixture V1
SU sand / silt mixture V1
ST sand / clay mixture V1
GU gravel / silt mixture V2

GT *) gravel / clay mixture V2
SŪ sand / silt mixture V2
ST *) sand / clay mixture V2
UL slightly plastic silts V3
UM medium plastic silts V3
TL slightly plastic clays V3
TM medium plastic clays V3
TA distinctly plastic clays –**)
UA distinctly compressible silt –**)
OU silt with organic admixtures –**)
OT clays with organic admixtures –**)
OH-coarse to mixed-grained –**)
soils mixed with
humic admixtures
COMMENTS:
ve soil with fines from 15% to 40%
ble for backfilling within the road space