Summary/Overview

Subgrades and Subbases for Concrete Pavements

Table 3. ASTM (Unified) Soil Classification System

Group
1 Introduction

Major Divisions Symbols Typical Descriptions

Well-graded gravels and gravel-sand mixtures,
GW
little or no fines
More than 50% retained on No. 200 (75 µm) sieve*

Clean Gravels
Poorly-graded gravels and gravel-sand mixtures,
Gravels GP
little or no fines
50% or more of coarse
2 Design Principles

fraction retained on
No. 4 (4.75 mm) sieve GM Silty gravels, gravel-sand-silt mixtures
Coarse-Grained Soils

Gravels with
Fines
GC Clayey gravels, gravel-sand-clay mixtures

Well-graded sands, and gravelly sands, little or no

SW
fines
Clean Sands
Poorly-graded sands and gravelly sands, little or
3 Subgrades

Sands SP
no fines
50% or more of coarse
fraction passes on
No. 4 (4.75 mm) sieve SM Silty sands, sand-silt mixtures
Sands with Fines
SC Clayey sands, sand-clay mixtures

Inorganic silts, very fine sands, rock flour, silty or

50% or more passes No. 200 (75 µm) sieve*

ML
4 Subbases

clayey fine sands

Silts and Clays Inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity, grav-

CL
Liquid Limit less than 50 elly clays, sandy clays, silty clays, lean clays
Fine-Grained Soils

Organic silts and organic silty clays of low plas-

OL
ticity
5 References

Inorganic silts, micaceous or diatomaceous fine

MH
sands or silts, elastic silts

Silts and Clays

CH Inorganic clays of high plasticity, fat clays
Liquid Limit 50 or more

OH Organic clays of medium to high plasticity

Appendices

Highly Organic Soils PT Peat, muck, and other highly organic soils

* Based on the material passing the 3 in. (75 mm) sieve.

Index

22