Field Identification technique

• Coarse soil Vs Fine Soil

 by visual inspection
 the fine soil (smaller than 0.075 mm) is
not visible to necked eye
If visible particles are greater than
50%,then coarse soil otherwise fine soil
 Gravel vs Sand
• The particles greater than 4.75 mm are
gravel and 0.075 mm to 4.75 mm are sand
• If particles larger than 4.75 mm are greater
than 50%, soil is termed as gravel
otherwise sand: visual inspection
 Fine sand vs silt
• By putting little soil in water in glass the
sand settle fast than silt.
 Silt vs Clay
• Dialatency test
- shaking a pat of soil, if silt water appears
in surface of pat fast and disappear fast
while compressed by thumb for silt
otherwise silt
• Dry strength test
- it is hard to crumble the dry piece if clay
and easy for silt
• Soapy fill : the silt gives soapy fill on dry
• Plasticity test: the clay can be remolded in
between two palm up to 3 mm diameter
thread which is not possible for silt
 Soil Classification System
• MIT System
• Textural Classification
• Unified Soil Classification System(USCS)
• Indian Standard Classification System(ISCS)
• AASTHO Classification System
(American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials)

• British Soil Classification System(BSCS)

• ASTM System
(American Society for Testing and Materials)
 MIT system
• Developed by: prof. G.Giloby, Massachusettes
Institute of Technology,USA
 Gravel: > 2mm
 Sand: 0.06 mm to 2.0 mm
0.6-2.0= C
0.2-0.6= M
0.06-0.2= F
 Silt: 0.002 mm to 0.06 mm
0.02-0.6= C
0.006-0.02=M
0.002- 0.006=F
 Clay: < 0.002 mm(i.e. 2µ )
Textural Classification
Modified Textural Classification
6
6
 USCS
Fine Grained Coarse Grained
Highly Organic Soils

More than 50% smaller than #200 More than 50% larger than #200

Sands (S) Gravels (G)

High Low
Soil

Plasticity Plasticity
(H) (L)
Sand with Gravel
Clean Clean
Fines with Gravel
Sand
fines
Pt

OH

CH

MH

OL

CL

ML

SC

SM

SP

SW

GC

GM

GW
GP
 USCS
Coarse Grained

More than 50% larger than #200

Sands (S) Gravels (G)

More than 50% coarse smaller than #4 More than 50% coarse larger than #4

Sand with Fines Clean Sand Gravel with fines Clean Gravel
Fines > 12% Fines < 5% Fines > 12% Fines < 5%

GP
SC

SM

SP

SW

GC

GM

GW
 Coarse Grained(USCS)
Coarse Grained
Gravels (G)
More than 50% coarse larger than #4

Gravel with fines Clean Gravel

Fines > 12% 5% < fines < 12% Fines < 5%

GC GM GP GW
Dual symbol
Fines is clay Fines is silt Other Cu > 4
GW-GC, GP-GM, than
etc 1< Cc <3
GP

(Fines determines) (Gradation determines)

 Coarse Grained(USCS)
Coarse Grained
Sand (S)
More than 50% coarse smaller than #4

Sand with fines Clean Sand

Fines > 12% 5% < fines < 12% Fines < 5%

SC SM SP SW
Dual symbol
Fines is clay Fines is silt Other Cu > 6
SW-SM, SP-SC,
etc than 1< Cc <3
GP

(Fines determines) (Gradation determines)

Fine Grained soil
50%

Low Plasticity (L) High Plasticity (H)

CL CH

MH or OH
CL-ML

ML or OL
 Organic or Inorganic?

• Examine odor and colour

LL( ovendried )
• Organic:  0.75
LL( natural )
Particles finer than 0.075 mm are < 5%
Solution
 Example : Classify the soil According to USCS. The lab test gives
following grain size distribution curve and LL of oven dried sample =
52.32 %, LL of natural dried: 56.12% and PL = 33.65 %
Indian soil classification system
• Similar for coarse soil
• Little different for fine soil
Indian Plasticity chart
Indian Plasticity Chart
35% 50%

CH
CL CI

MH or OH
CL-ML
MI

ML or OL
 Organic or Inorganic?
• Examine odor and colour

LL( ovendried )
• Organic:
 0.75
LL( natural )
 Use of classification system:

• To classify system in standard ways

universally
• To classify the soil using standard symbol
globally
• To create same ways to understand and
categorized soil universally.
• To give same language to describe soil
among all soil engineers