Soil Mechanics and Foundations and

Testing properties of materials

Chapter Five
Soil consistency and classification

Dr. Lina Jaber

I-Consistency

5.1 Introduction
on an arbitrary basis, depending on the moisture content, the behavior of soil can be divided
into four basic states:
solid, semisolid, plastic, and liquid

the plastic limit : is the moisture content at the point of transition from semisolid to plastic
state
the liquid limit: is the moisture content at the point of transition from plastic to liquid state

These parameters are known as Atterberg limits.

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 5.2 Liquid Limit (LL)

Casagrande Method : Professor Casagrande standardized the test and developed

the liquid limit device.
Crank
Brass Cup

Hard Rubber

Groove

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 5.2.1 Procedure:

1- Place a soil paste in the cup

2- A groove is then cut at the center of the soil pat with the standard grooving tool
3- By the use of the crank-operated cam, the cup is lifted and dropped from a height
of 10 mm
4- The moisture content, in percent, required to close a distance of 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) along
the bottom of the groove after 25 blows is defined as the liquid limit.

Remark: at least three tests for the same soil are conducted at varying moisture contents,
with the number of blows, N, required to achieve closure varying between 15 and 35.

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 5- The relationship between moisture content and log N is approximated as a straight line.

• The moisture content corresponding to N = 25 the liquid limit of the soil.

• The slope of the flow line is defined as the flow index and may be written as:

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 5.3 Plastic Limit (PL)
The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content in percent, at which the soil
crumbles, when rolled into threads of 4.2 mm (1/8 in.) in diameter.
• roll an ellipsoidal-sized soil mass by hand on a ground glass plate to reach the diameter
of the steel rod shown in figure
• If the soil shows crumbles at this diameter, then weigh the soil sample when it is wet and
oven dried and determine the water content that is the PL
• Repeat the procedure one more time, at least two samples are required

Steel rod of
diameter
4.2 mm

 The plasticity index (PI) is the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic
limit of a soil, or
Atterberg tests
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  Liquidity index LI
For scaling the natural water content of a soil sample to the Limits

LI >1 These soils, when remolded, can be transformed into a viscous form
to flow like a liquid.
LI < 1 Soil deposits that are heavily overconsolidated may have a natural moisture content
less than the liquid limit.

• Liquid limit and plastic limit of fine-grained soil are indicators of the nature of its
plasticity.
• Liquid limit and plasticity index are required parameters for classification of fine-grained
soils.
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 Example

37
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 Solution

38
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Moisture content, %
 II-Classification of Soil
• Different soils with similar properties may be classified into groups and sub-groups
according to their engineering behavior.
• Classification systems provide a common language to express the general
characteristics of soils

Most of the soil classification systems are based on

 particle-size distribution
 plasticity

5.4 USDA Classification

This classification method is based on the particle-size limits
For example
 If the particle-size distribution of soil A shows 30% sand, 40% silt, and 30% clay-size
particles, its textural classification can be determined by proceeding in the manner
indicated by the arrows in Figure 5.1. This soil falls into the zone of clay loam.
 For soil B of 20% gravel, 10% sand, 30% silt, and 40% clay, the modified textural
compositions are

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  On the basis of the preceding modified percentages, the USDA textural classification
is clay. However, because of the large percentage of gravel, it may be called
gravelly clay.
 Because textural classification systems do not take plasticity into account and are not
totally indicative of many important soil properties, they are inadequate for most
engineering purposes.

 Two classification systems are commonly used by soils engineers that take into
consideration the particle-size distribution and Atterberg limits. They are:

1- The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

classification system

2- The Unified Soil Classification System(USCS).

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 5.5 AASHTO Classification System
The AASHTO system of soil classification was developed in 1929 as the Public Road
Administration classification system. It has undergone several revisions, the present
version is that of 1945.
According to this system, soil is classified into seven major groups:

 Soils classified under groups A-1, A-2, and A-3 are granular materials of which 35% or
less of the particles pass through the No. 200 sieve.
 Soils of which more than 35% pass through the 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.

This classification system is based on the following criteria:

1.Grain size
a.Gravel: fraction of soil retained on sieve No. 10 (2-mm)
b. Sand: fraction passing the No. 10 (2-mm) U.S. sieve and retained on the No. 200 (0.075
mm)
c. Silt and clay: fraction passing the No. 200 U.S. sieve
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 2. Plasticity:
• the term silty is applied when the fine fractions of the soil have a plasticity index of 10 or
less.
• The term clayey is applied when the fine fractions have a plasticity index of 11 or more

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 GROUP INDEX (GI)

To evaluate the quality of a soil as a highway subgrade material, one must also incorporate
a number called the group index (GI) with the groups and subgroups of the soil.

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 PI = plasticity index
LL = liquid limit
F200 = percentage passing through the No. 200 sieve

Rules
1. If the equation yields a negative value for GI, it is taken as 0.
2. The group index is rounded off to the nearest whole number (for example, GI 3.4 is
rounded off to 3; GI 3.5 is rounded off to 4).
3. There is no upper limit for the group index.
4. The group index of soils belonging to groups A-1-a, A-1-b, A-2-4, A-2-5, and A-3 is
always 0.
5. When calculating the group index for soils that belong to groups A-2-6 and A-2-7, use

Example

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 5.6 Unified Soil Classification System
Origin of USCS:
This system was first developed by Professor A. Casagrande (1942) for the purpose of
airfield construction during World War II. Afterwards, he modified it to enable the system
to be applicable to dams, foundations, and other construction.
At present, it is used widely by engineers

Two broad categories:

(1) Coarse-grained soils that are gravely and sandy in nature with <50% passing through
#200 sieve.
(2) Fine-grained soils with more than 50% passing through the #200 sieve.

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  Fine fraction percent passing No. 200 sieve
 Coarse fraction percent retained on No. 200 sieve
• Gravel fraction percent retained on No. 4 sieve
• Sand fraction percent retained on No. 200 sieve

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