Unified Soil Classification

System Training
Part B - USCS using Laboratory Data
Comparison of Particle Size
USDA
Definitions
clay silt sand cobbles
gravel

2m .05 mm #4 3

# 200 USCS

fines sand cobbles

gravel

.074 mm #4 3
 ASTM Standards

Lab
Data Classification is by
ASTM D2487
Classification
of Peat Samples, see
ASTM D 4427
Field Classification is by D2488
Comparison of Particle Size
Definitions
Activity 2 - Particle Size Comparisons
USCS Flow Chart - Activity 3
 Flow Chart Overview

Two Broad Categories

Fine-Grained - 50% or more finer than the
# 200 sieve
Coarse-Grained - Less than 50% finer than
the # 200 sieve
USCS Overview
Measure %
Finer than
# 200 Sieve

50 % or More Less than 50 %

passes the is finer than
# 200 sieve the # 200 sieve

Fine- Coarse-
Grained Grained
Soils Soils
 Flow Chart Overview

Fine-Grained Soils
Organic ( LL ratio < 0.75 )
Inorganic (no odor and LL ratio not < 0.75)
Classify by LL, PI
Modifiers are H or L for LL value, C or M
for plasticity and O for organic
USCS Overview Determine
Whether
Organic
Or not

Ratio of Oven-dry Ratio of Oven-dry

to Air-dry to Air-dry
LL Values LL Values
is < 0.75 is > 0.75

Organic Inorganic
Soils Soils

Air-dry LL Air-Dry LL Classify by

is < 50 is = or > 50 Plotting LL &
PI on Plasticity
Chart

OL OH
Activity 4 - Organic Soil

Solve 4 samples
Abbreviations Fine-Grained

H - High LL ( > 50 )
L - Low LL ( < 50 )
C - Plastic Fines
M - Nonplastic or slightly plastic
fines
O - Organic
Pt - Peat
 Unified Soil Classification System Plasticity Chart

60 Activity 5 - Plasticity Chart

50
PLASTICITY INDEX

40 CH

30

CL
20 MH
CL-ML

10
ML

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
LIQUID LIMIT
Activity 5 - Plasticity Chart

Solve 4 samples
Activity 7 - Classify Fine-
Grained Samples
Assume 6 samples are not
organic and classify by USCS
 Flow Chart Overview

Coarse-Grained Soils - 3 Groups

Clean - Less than 5 % Fines
Dirty - More than 12 % Fines
Dual - From 5% to 12% Fines,
inclusive
Coarse-grained Soils
Less than 50 %
is finer than
# 200 sieve

Less than 5 % From 5 % to 12 % More than 12 %

finer than (inclusive) finer than
# 200 sieve finer than # 200 sieve
# 200 sieve

Clean Dual Dirty

Coarse- Coarse- Coarse-
Grained Grained Grained
 Abbreviations Sands and Gravels

G - Gravel
S - Sand
P - Poorly Graded
W - Well Graded
Sieve Analyses

% gravel = % finer
3minus % finer # 4

% sand = % finer # 4
minus % finer # 200

% fines = % finer than

# 200 sieve
 Percent Particle Categories

Tocompute % Gravel subtract % finer

than # 4 from % finer than 3
Tocompute % Sand subtract % finer
than # 200 from % finer than # 4
Percent Fines is % finer than # 200
Activity 8

For 7 samples, fill out Activity

 Additional Definitions

ToClassify Clean Coarse-Grained Soils,

you must first plot grain-size curve and
determine three parameters
D10, D30, D60
Determining D10, D30, and D60
% finer

60
D60, millimeters

30

10

D10, millimeters D30, millimeters

 Computing CU and CC

D 60
CU Coefficient of Uniformity
D10 High Values Indicate Well-
Graded Soil
Coefficient of Curvature
2
D30
CC Values Between 1-3 Indicate
D10 D 60 Well-Graded Soil
Activity 9

Plot Curve from Data, compute

CU Value
Activity 10

Plot Curve from Data, compute

CC Value
Characterizing Clean Sands and Gravels
Clean Well Graded Sands and Gravels have
less than 5 % fines and a wide range of
particle sizes that are equally distributed

Well
% Finer

graded

Particle Size
Poorly Graded Sands and Gravels
Either Or Gap-
Mostly One-
Graded
Size Particle

% Finer
% Finer

Poorly
Gap
graded
graded

Particle Size Particle Size

 Clean, Well/Poorly Graded
Definitions
Sands Gravels
less than 5 % less than 5 %
fines fines
CU > 6 CU > 4
CC = 1-3 CC = 1-3
 Activity 11 - Problems

1. Verify % Fines - Coarse-Grained/Clean

2. Compute % Gravel and % Sand
3. Note which predominates
4. Using provided CU and CC, Determine
whether poorly or well graded
5. Determine Correct USCS classification
Activity 12

Review Example Soil

Activity 13

Use Flow Chart, Classify Soil

 Activity 14 Summary of Classifications of
Coarse-Grained Soils

Clean Sands and Gravels (< 5% fines)

Clean Poorly Graded Gravels GP
Clean Well Graded Gravels GW
Clean Poorly Graded Sands SP
Clean Well Graded Sands SW
 Dirty Coarse-Grained Soils

If a sample has less than 50 % Fines

And it has more than 12 % Fines, it is a
Dirty Coarse-Grained Soil
To Classify, follow the flow chart and
the following steps
 Dirty Coarse-Grained Soil

Determine whether there is a greater %

of Sand or Gravel
% G = % finer 3 minus # 4
% S = % finer # 4 minus # 200
Determine where minus # 40 fines plot
on plasticity chart
 Dirty Sands and Gravels
Sands
SC - Fines Plot Above A-Line
SM - Fines Plot Below A-Line
SC-SM - Fines Plot in Hatched Zone

Gravels
GC - Fines Plot Above A-Line
GM - Fines Plot Below A-Line
GC-GM - Fines Plot in Hatched Zone
Activity 16 - Problems
Activity 17 - Example of
Classifying Dual-Classification
Coarse-Grained Soil
Activity 18 - Problem
Activity 20 - Review Questions
Activity 21 - Comprehensive
Problems