CHAPTER THREE

SOIL CLASSIFICATION
 OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this session, the student must be
able to:
1. Identify the classification of soil thru the use
of AASHTO table;
2. Familiarize the different tests of soil; and
3. Memorize the different indices of soil and
its formula.
O PURPOSE:
To classify the soil into a group according
to the soil behavior and physical shape.
O TYPE OF CLASSIFICATION:
CLASSIFICATION BY VISUAL
AASHTO
USCS (UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM)
O SOIL TESTS
ATTERBERG LIMIT
SIEVE ANALYSIS
HYDROMETER ANALYSIS
 CLASSIFICATION BY VISUAL
Carried out by direct observation (visual
examination) to the sample and approximate
the type of soil by:
Color
Smell
Sense/Feeling
Endurance (strength, durability)
Swelling (enlarge or expand)
Sedimentation
 AASHTO
American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials
O The soil classified into 7 major categories (A-
1 to A-7)
O Based on:
The result of Sieve Analysis
Atterberg Limits
O The soil quality based on Group Index
Calculation.
 AASHTO
O GROUP INDEX

GI  ( F  35){0.2  0.005( LL  40)}  0.01( F  15)(PI 10)

O F = The percentage of soil pass sieve no. 200

Subgrade Group Index Value
Very good Soil Class A-1-a (0)
Good 0–1
Medium 2–4
Bad 5–9
Very Bad 10 - 20
 AASHTO
GROUP INDEX
Rules:
O If GI < 0, GI = 0
O GI  Integer Number
O No upper limit of GI
O For coarse grained,
O GI = 0 for A-1-a, A-1-b, A-2-4, A-2-5 and A-3
O GI =0.01(F-15)(PI-10) for A-2-6 and A-2-7
 Make examination of soil to determine whether it
AASHTO PROCEDURE is granular or silt clay materials
Determine amount passing No. 200 sieve

Granular Materials Silt-Clay Materials

35% or less pass No. 200 sieve 36% or more pass No. 200 sieve

Run LL and PL on minus No.

40 sieve material

A-2
Less than 25% Silt Clay
Less than 35%
pass No. 200 sieve PI less than 10 PI greater than 11
pass No. 200 sieve

Run sieve analysis, also LL

Run LL and PL on minus No.
and PL on minus No. 40
40 sieve material
sieve material

A-1 A-7
Greater than 50% Silty Clayey LL less LL greater LL less
Less than 50% LL greater
pass No. 40 sieve PI less than 10 PI greater than 11 than 40 than 41 than 40
pass No. 40 sieve than 41

Less than 15% PI equal to or less

Less than 25% LL less LL greater LL less LL greater PI greater than LL
pass No. 200 sieve than LL minus 30
pass No. 200 sieve Less than 10% than 40 than 41 than 40 than 41 minus 30
Less than 30% or
Less than 50% pass No. 200 sieve or
pass No. 40 sieve PL equal to or
pass No. 40 sieve PL less than 30
Less than 50% greater than 30
Nonplastic
pass No. 10 sieve
PI less than 6
PI less than 6

A-1-a A-1-b A-3 A-2-4 A-2-5 A-2-6 A-2-7 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-7-5 A-7-6
 USCS (UNIFIED SOIL
CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM)
O First, developed by Arthur Casagrande for
wartime airfields construction in 1943, the
system was modified and adopted for regular
use by Army Corps of Engineers and then by
Bureau of Reclamation in 1952 as the
Unified Soil Classification System
(Casagrande 1948).
O Currently, it is adapted in ASTM and
periodically updated.
O The system uses simple six major symbols and four
modifiers as in the following:
Major symbols:
G – Gravel S – Sand
M – Silt C – Clay
O – Organic Pt – Peat
Modifiers:
W – Well graded (for gravel and sand)
P – Poorly graded (for gravel and sand)
H – High plasticity (for silt, clay, & organic soils)
L – Low plasticity (for silt, clay, & organic soils)
O Soil classification determined base on the
soil parameter i.e.:
- Diameter of soil particle
Gravel : pass sieve no.3 but retained at
sieve no. 4
Sand : pass sieve no. 4 but retained at
sieve no. 200
Silt and Clay : pass sieve no. 200
- Coefficient of soil uniformity
- Atterberg Limits
 Soil Consistency

Soil consistency provides a means of describing

the degree and kind of cohesion (solidity) and
adhesion (union or grip) between the soil particles
as related to the resistance of the soil to deform or
rupture.

Soil Behave Like:

SOILD at very low moisture
content
LIQUID at very high moisture
content
CONSISTENCY
O Consistency is the term used to describe
the degree of firmness (e.g., soft, medium,
firm, or hard) of a soil.
O The consistency of a cohesive soil is greatly
affected by the water content of the soil.
O A gradual increase of the water content may
transform a dry soil from solid state to a
semi-solid state, to a plastic state, and after
further moisture increase, into a liquid
state.
CONSISTENCY
O The water content at the corresponding
junction points of these states are known as
the shrinkage limit, the plastic limit, and the
liquid limit, respectively.
 Soil Consistency - Atterberg Limits
Depending on Moisture Content soil can be divided
into:
- 1. Solid
Shrinkage
Moisture Content (w)

LI = 0 Limit (SL)
2. Plastic
Plastic Limit (PL)
Liquidity
3. Liquid Index (LI)
Plasticity Index
(PI) = PL - LL
Liquid Limit (LL)
LI = 1
+
 SOIL INDICES
Index Definition Correlation
Plasticity PI = LL - PL Strength,
compressibility,
compactibility….
Liquidity LI = ( MC – PL )/PI Compressibility
and stress rate
Shrinkage SI = PL – SL Shrinkage
potential
Activity of clay Ac = PI/ Swell potential

where  = percent of soil finer than 0.002 mm (clay size)

 SOIL INDICES

Activity Classification

Ac < 0.7 Inactive Clay

0.7 < Ac < 1.2 Normal Clay

Ac > 1.2 Active Clay
DESCRIPTION OF SOIL BASED ON
LIQUIDITY INDEX
Liquidity Index State

LI < 0 Semi-solid state – high strength,

brittle fracture is expected
0.7 < LI < 1.2 Plastic state – intermediate strength,
soil deforms like a plastic material
LI > 1.2 Liquid state – low strength, soil
deforms like a viscous fluid
DESCRIPTION OF SOIL BASED ON
PLASTICITY INDEX
Plastic Index Description

0 Non-plastic
1–5 Slightly Plastic
5 – 10 Low Plasticity
10 – 20 Medium Plasticity
20 – 40 High Plasticity
> 40 Very High Plasticity
 Liquid Limit

Liquid Limit (LL) is defined as the moisture

content at which soil begins to behave as a
liquid material and begins to flow.
(Liquid limit of a fine-grained soil gives the
moisture content at which the shear
strength of the soil is approximately
2.5kN/m2)
 Liquid Limit - Measurement

First Method

Casagrande
Apparatus

ASTM D-4318
Liquid Limit - Measurement

Liquid Limit (LL) at N = 25

 Liquid Limit – Flow Index

w1=44

w2=39

Group Work
Calculate Flow Index
N1=20 N2=30

Flow Index
Liquid Limit - Measurement
Second Method

Fall Cone Method BS1377

 Liquid Limit - Measurement

Liquid Limit (LL) at d = 20 mm

 FALL CONE METHOD
O Fall cone test (cone penetration test) offers more
accurate method of determining both the liquid limit
and the plastic limit.
O In this test, a cone with apex angle of 30 and total
mass of 80 grams is suspended above, but just in
contact with, the soil sample.
O The cone is permitted to fall freely for a period of 5
seconds. The water content corresponding to a cone
penetration of 20 mm defines the liquid limit.
O The liquid limit is difficult to achieve in just a single
test.
 FALL CONE METHOD
O In this regard, four or more tests at different
moisture content is required.
O The results are plotted as water content (ordinate,
arithmetic scale) versus penetration (abscissa,
logarithmic scale) and the best-fit straight line (liquid
state line) linking the data points is drawn.
O The liquid limit is read from the plot as the water
content on the liquid state line corresponding to a
penetration of 20 mm.
FALL CONE METHOD
 Plastic Limit - Definition
The moisture content (%) at which the soil
when rolled into threads of 3.2mm (1/8 in) in
diameter, will crumble.
Plasticity Index (PI): is a measure of the range
of the moisture contents over which a soil is
plastic.

PI=LL-PL
 Plastic Limit - Measurement

First Method

ASTM D-4318

PL = w% at dia. 3.2 mm (1/8 in.)

 Plastic Limit - Measurement

Second Method

Fall Cone
Method BS1377

Plastic Limit (PL) at d = 20 mm

 Plasticity Index - Definition
Plasticity Index is the difference between
the liquid limit and plastic limit of a soil.

PI = LL – PL
Plasticity Index - Definition

PI (%) = 4.12 IF (%)

PI (%) = 0.74 IFC (%)

Shrinkage Limit - Definition
Shrinkage Limit - Measurement
EXAMPLE:
O Following are the results of a shrinkage limit test:
O Initial vol. of soil in saturated state = 24.6 cc
O Final vol. of soil in a dry state = 15.9 cc
O Initial mass in saturated state = 44 g
O Final mass in a dry state = 30.1 g
a. Determine the shrinkage limit of the soil.
b. Determine the shrinkage ratio.
c. Determine the specific gravity of the solids.
EXAMPLE:
O The following data were obtained from the Atterberg
limits test for a soil:
O Liquid limit = 41.0%
O Plastic limit = 21.1%
a. What is the plasticity index of the soil?
b. If the in situ moisture content of the soil is 30%,
what is the liquidity index of the soil?
c. What would be the nature of the soil?
DESCRIPTION OF SOIL BASED ON
LIQUIDITY INDEX
Liquidity Index State

LI < 0 Semi-solid state – high strength,

brittle fracture is expected
0.7 < LI < 1.2 Plastic state – intermediate strength,
soil deforms like a plastic material
LI > 1.2 Liquid state – low strength, soil
deforms like a viscous fluid
EXAMPLE:
O d. Given the percent finer shown in the table, what
is the group classification of soil, major type of soil,
and subgrade categories?
O e. Determine the Group Index of the soil.

Sieve # % Passing Sieve # % PassPing

4 98.71 60 60.05
8 94.59 80 40.46
10 88.92 100 10.05
20 80.67 200 4.48
40 71.39 PAN
EXAMPLE:
O In a liquid limit, using a penetrometer, the following
readings were recorded and tabulated as shown.
Plastic Limit Test Liquid Limit Test
trial Wet unit Dry unit Moisture Cone Penetration
wt. wt. Content
1 126.8 105.4 42.5 16
2 141.4 116.8 47.5 17.5
3 132.6 109.6 58.1 22.6
4 134.5 111.2 60.0 26.0
5 136.0 113.4
O A. determine the liquid limit of the soil.
O B. determine the plasticity index of the soil.
O C. If the natural water content of the soil is 38%,
determine the liquidity index.
EXAMPLE:
O During the determination of the shrinkage limit of a
sandy clay, the following laboratory data was
obtained:
wet wt. of soil + dish = 87.85 g
dry wt. of soil + dish = 76.91 g
wt. of dish = 52.70 g
O Volumetric determination of soil pat:
wt. of dish + mercury = 430.80 g
wt. of dish = 244.62 g
density of solid soil = 2650 kg/m³
O A. compute the shrinkage limit of the soil.
O B. compute the shrinkage ratio.
O C. compute the specific gravity of soil.