Unified Soil Classification System Training

Part B - USCS using Laboratory Data

Comparison of Particle Size Definitions

clay
2m

USDA

silt

sand .05 mm
# 200 #4

gravel 3

cobbles

USCS sand gravel #4 3 cobbles

fines

.074 mm

ASTM Standards
Lab

Data Classification is by ASTM D2487 of Peat Samples, see ASTM D 4427 Classification is by D2488

Classification

Field

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 passes the # 200 sieve

Less than 50 % is finer than the # 200 sieve

FineGrained Soils

CoarseGrained 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 to Air-dry LL Values is < 0.75

Ratio of Oven-dry to Air-dry LL Values is > 0.75

Organic Soils

Inorganic Soils

Air-dry LL is < 50

Air-Dry LL is = or > 50

Classify by 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

CH

50

PLASTICITY INDEX

40

30

CL
20

MH CL-ML

10

ML
0 0 10 20 30 40 50 LIQUID LIMIT 60 70 80 90 100

Activity 5 - Plasticity Chart

Solve 4 samples

Activity 7 - Classify FineGrained 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 % finer than # 200 sieve

From 5 % to 12 % (inclusive) finer than # 200 sieve

More than 12 % finer than # 200 sieve

Clean CoarseGrained

Dual CoarseGrained

Dirty CoarseGrained

Abbreviations Sands and Gravels

G
S

- Gravel
- Sand

- Poorly Graded
- Well Graded

Sieve Analyses
% gravel = % finer 3minus % finer # 4
% sand = % finer # 4 minus % finer # 200 % fines = % finer than # 200 sieve

Percent Particle Categories

To

compute % Gravel subtract % finer than # 4 from % finer than 3 compute % Sand subtract % finer than # 200 from % finer than # 4 Fines is % finer than # 200

To

Percent

Activity 8
For 7 samples, fill out Activity

Additional Definitions
To

Classify 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
D60 CU D10
2 D30

Coefficient of Uniformity High Values Indicate WellGraded Soil

Coefficient of Curvature
Values Between 1-3 Indicate Well-Graded Soil

CC

D10 D60

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 graded

% Finer

Particle Size

Poorly Graded Sands and Gravels

Either Mostly OneSize Particle Or GapGraded

% Finer

Poorly graded

% Finer

Gap graded

Particle Size

Particle Size

Clean, Well/Poorly Graded Definitions

Sands Gravels

less than 5 % fines CU > 6 CC = 1-3

less than 5 % fines CU > 4 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 Classify, follow the flow chart and the following steps

To

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

SC

- Fines Plot Above A-Line SM - Fines Plot Below A-Line SC-SM - Fines Plot in Hatched Zone
GC

Sands

- Fines Plot Above A-Line GM - Fines Plot Below A-Line GC-GM - Fines Plot in Hatched Zone

Gravels

Activity 16 - Problems

Activity 17 - Example of Classifying Dual-Classification Coarse-Grained Soil

Activity 18 - Problem

Activity 20 - Review Questions

Activity 21 - Comprehensive Problems