CENG2201 SOIL LAB EXPERIMENT #1 Visual Description and Identification of Soils (ASTM D2488) Purpose: ‘Visual classification of soils Standard Reference: ASTM D2488 Significance: Typically, geotechnical engineers conduct extensive testing on soil samples in the lab and on site to determine the properties of soil layers underneath a foundation. In this lab, you will be introduced to the visual and manual procedures used in practice for preliminary description and identification of soils. These procedures require your subjective judgment since they are based on visual, tactile and olfactory examination. While these tests do not provide precise classification of soils for engineering purposes, they provide preliminary information that is useful for performing initial planning and design, and more importantly to group similar soils and reduce the number of samples sent to the lab for further testing and classification. Equipment: NA Procedure: 1. Remove any particle greater than 3” (305mm) 2. Describe the soil sample: moisture condition (wet, dry, moist or saturated), odor (if any), color (gray, brown, etc.), texture (fine or coarse such as presence of cobbles, etc.), etc, 3. Identify the major component of the soil sample (constitutes at least 50% of the sample); a. Coarse gravel b. Fine gravel Coarse sand 6. Medium sand Page 1 of 7CENG2201 SOIL LAB e. Fine sand f. Fines 4, Estimate the percentage of gravel, sand and fines (e.g. trace gravel i.e. less than 5%, little sit, some clay). 5. For Coarse Grained Soils (major constituent is gravel or sand): a. Identify the particle distribution b. Identify the particle angularity and shape c. Assess the hardness of the coarser particles (applies to coarse sands or larger) 4. Asses reaction to HCI (applies to coarse sands or larger) 6. For Fine Soils: a. Perform the dry strength, toughness, and dilatancy tests and describe plasticity b. Perform the sedimentation test Notes: Y USCS stands for Unified Soil Classification System Y Particles Size Type Passing Retained Boulder - — 12° 305mm) Cobbles 12° G0Smm) 3° (76mm) Gravel 3° (76mm) (19mm) Fine Gravel % (19mm) #4 (4.75mm) Coarse Sand #4 (4.75mm) #10 @mm) Medium Sand #10 (mm) #40 (042mm) Fine Sand #40 (0.42mm) #200 (0.075mm) Fines #200 (0.075mm) : Page 2 of 7£40 € 38ed 8 L 9 s ¥ £ z 1 yoquiss avin | saqqqoa. dures Mdnoagy | SURVASHOD | sou % | paws % | PAY ae? | amsieow | s0P0 |) 29109 | Me sojdureg [10g IV *1 2192. cra “al OWEN, v1 1108 1027933CENG220L SOIL LAB Table 2: Coarse Grained Soil Page 4 of 7 Sand | Gravel sce | Maximum Sample | Particle | particle | Particle | P&H | “particle | Hardness | , HC! No. Size : Shape : Reaction Size | Size Size Table 4: Fine Grained Soil SETI | Plasticity | JP", | Dilataney | ToughnessCENG2201 SOIL LAB RINE SOILS (ASTM D2488) TABLE 8 Criterla tor Describing Dry Strength Basctpton ‘rece Nowe The dry specimen crumbles into powder wih mere pressure of handing Low ‘The dry spesinen crumbles into powder with some finger pressure ‘Medium The dry speciman breaks int places or erumbies with ‘considerable hngor pressure Hon ‘The dy specimen cannot be broken wih tinger pressure ‘Specimen wil Ereak int pleces between thumb and a hare ‘isco \Very high The dry specimen cannot be broken betwoen the thumb and a hard eurtace TABLE 9 Criteria for Describing Dilatancy ‘Deseapton ‘Grier None No valle change ih the specinen Stow ‘Water appears slowly cn the surface ofthe specimen during ‘shaking and does not cisappear or clsappears slowly upon ‘squeezing Rapid Water appears quick on he surtace ofthe specimen during ‘shaking and disappears quickly upon squeezing TABLE 10 Criteria for Describing Toughness Bescon Ciera ‘Low Only sight pressure is required fo voll he thvead near the laste lit The tread and the lamp are weak and soft Medium Medium pressure fs required to roll he thread to near the. ‘laste limit. The thread and the lamp have medium sitioess High Considerable pressure is required to rll te thread 19 near he ‘laste limit. The tvead and the mp have very bigh ehnass TABLE 11 Criteria for Describing Plasticity Desetipton Grterla Nonplastic ‘A vein, (mm) tread cannot be rolled at any waler content Low ‘The thread can barely be rolled sod tha lamp cannot be formed when dios than te plate Sit Mesum ‘The tread le eeey to roll and not much time ie required to ‘each the plassc lint. The thread cannot be reroled ater ‘teaching fhe plas mt The lump crumbles when der ‘than the plastic it High tt takes considerable ime roling and kneading to reach te ‘plastic it.The thread can be reroled several mes afer ‘eacning the plastic It The lump can be formed witout crumbling when drier tan the plastic Kit {) ‘TABLE 12 Identification of Inorganic Fine-Grained Soils trom Manual Tests Sal Toughness syrbot___PPYSengin—Diataney an Pasty ML Nore lelow Sew torapid Low or eaaa ‘cannot be fomed CL Mediu thigh None to sow Mesum MH Low te medium None fe sow Low to madara CH High io very Nigh _ Nona High Page 5 of 7CENG2201 SOIL LAB COARSE SOILS (ASTM D2488) TABLE 1 Criteria for Describing Angulatity of Coarse-Grained Particles (see Fig. 3) ‘Desergion aia “Aoguar ‘Paricies have sharp edges and relatively plane sidos with ‘unpolished surfaces Subanguar Paricles are simiatte angular doveription but have reunded edge ‘Subrounded _—_—Parlles have neatly plane sides but have wallrounded corners and edges Rounded Paricles hava smoothly cutvad sides and no edges w= wort ve i? v = : TABLE 2 Criteria tor Deseribing Particle Shape (see Fig. 4) ‘Tha paride shape shal be dascabed ea lolows where longh, wah, and ‘tices refer othe great, intermediate, and las! Gensions ofa parce, respecte at Pareles with wewncknass » 9 tongated Parcs wi lengtvwath > 3 Flt and elongated Parties mect ere for bth Rat and elongated ‘TABLE 4 Criteria for Describing the Reaction With HCI Gitoss ‘one Wo wabe macion Weak ‘Soma rescton, with anes forming eowhy ‘steg ‘Viton! reactor, wih bubbles fring fmedatly COMMON FOR ALL SOILS TABLE 3 Criteria for Deseribing Moisture Condition Daserpon rons ‘Ory “Roses ol masare, Gis, dy to Be ach Meist Damp but ro vile water Wet Vise ee mates, usualy sol is below water able Page 6 of 7CENG2201 SOIL LAB GROUP SYMBOL See 99 $$ === rt ton OWE So nm rave owsce a cone 69g ee aero i eer ee, oe mera t0) —~ 6 Som a ee eer mee ae a [None |-Passcamge at bdo tina unl of s,s an grave We newest $ FIG. 2 Flow Ghat for Wenlying Coarse Graine Sela (wes than 80% nes) Notes: Group Symbol | Description a Lean Clay cH Fat Clay ML Silt MH Elastic silt OL/on Organic soil [GW _| Well graded gravel | GP Poor graded gravel Sw Week graded sand SP Poor graded sand Page 7 of 7