Chapter 3

ENGINEERING CLASSIFICATION
AND DESCRIPTION OF SOIL
General
Application
Soi l i nvesti gati ons conducted for engi neeri ng purposes
that use test pi ts, trenches, auger and dri l l hol es, or other
expl oratory methods and surface sampl i ng and mappi ng
are l ogged and descri bed accordi ng to the Uni fi ed Soi l
Cl assi fi cati on System (USCS) as presented i n Bureau of
Recl amati on (Recl amati on) standards USBR 5000 [1] and
5005 [2]. Al so, bedrock materi al s wi th the engi neeri ng
properti es of soi l s are descri bed usi ng these standards
(chapter 2). The Recl amati on standards are consi stent
wi th the Ameri can Soci ety for Testi ng Materi al s (ASTM)
Desi gnati on D2487 and 2488 on the USCS system [3,4].
Descri pti ve cri teri a and termi nol ogy presented are
pri mari l y for the vi sual cl assi fi cati on and manual tests.
The i denti fi cati on porti on of these methods i n assi gni ng
group symbol s i s l i mi ted to soi l parti cl es smal l er than
3 i nches (i n) (75 mi l l i meters [mm]) and to natural l y
occurri ng soi l s. Provi si ons are al so made to esti mate the
percentages of cobbl es and boul ders by vol ume. Thi s
descri pti ve system may al so be appl i ed to shal e, shel l s,
crushed rock, and other materi al s i f done accordi ng to
cri teri a establ i shed i n thi s secti on. Chapter 11 addresses
the l oggi ng format and cri teri a for descri bi ng soi l i n test
pi ts, trenches, auger hol es, and dri l l hol e l ogs.
Al l i nvesti gati ons associ ated wi th l and cl assi fi cati on for
i rri gati on sui tabi l i ty, data col l ecti on, anal yses of soi l
and substratum materi al s rel ated to drai nage i nves-
ti gati ons, and Quaternary strati graphy (e.g., faul t and
pal eofl ood studi es) are l ogged and descri bed usi ng the
FIELD MANUAL
18
U.S. Department of Agri cul ture termi nol ogy outl i ned i n
appendi x I to Agriculture Handbook No. 436 (Soil
Taxonomy), dated December 1975 [5].
Al l soi l cl assi fi cati on descri pti ons for parti cl e si zes l ess
than No. 4 si eve si ze are to be i n metri c uni ts.
Performing Tests and Obtaining Descriptive
Information
The USCS groups soi l s accordi ng to potenti al engi neeri ng
behavi or. The descri pti ve i nformati on assi sts wi th esti -
mati ng engi neeri ng properti es such as shear strength,
compressi bi l i ty, and permeabi l i ty. These gui del i nes can
be used not onl y for i denti fi cati on of soi l s i n the fi el d but
al so i n the offi ce, l aboratory, or wherever soi l sampl es are
i nspected and descri bed.
Laboratory cl assi fi cati on of soi l s [1] i s not al ways
requi red but shoul d be performed as necessary and can be
used as a check of vi sual -manual methods. The descri p-
tors obtai ned from vi sual -manual i nspecti on provi de
val uabl e i nformati on not obtai nabl e from l aboratory
testi ng. Vi sual -manual i nspecti on i s al ways requi red.
The vi sual -manual method has parti cul ar val ue i n
i denti fyi ng and groupi ng si mi l ar soi l sampl es so that onl y
a mi ni mum number of l aboratory tests are requi red for
posi ti ve soi l cl assi fi cati on. The abi l i ty to i denti fy and
descri be soi l s correctl y i s l earned more readi l y under the
gui dance of experi enced personnel , but can be acqui red by
compari ng l aboratory test resul ts for typi cal soi l s of each
type wi th thei r vi sual and manual characteri sti cs. When
i denti fyi ng and descri bi ng soi l sampl es from an area or
project, al l the procedures need not be fol l owed. Si mi l ar
soi l s may be grouped together; for exampl e, one sampl e
shoul d be i denti fi ed and descri bed compl etel y, wi th the
others i denti fi ed as si mi l ar based on performi ng onl y a
few of the i denti fi cati on and descri pti ve procedures.
SOIL
19
Descri pti ve i nformati on shoul d be eval uated and reported
on every sampl e.
The sampl e used for cl assi fi cati on must be representati ve
of the stratum and be obtai ned by an appropri ate ac-
cepted or standard procedure. The ori gi n of the materi al
must be correctl y i denti fi ed. The ori gi n descri pti on may
be a bori ng number and depth and/or sampl e number, a
geol ogi c stratum, a pedol ogi c hori zon, or a l ocati on
descri pti on wi th respect to a permanent monument, a
gri d system, or a stati on number and offset.
Terminology for Soils
Defi ni ti ons for soi l cl assi fi cati on and descri pti on are i n
accordance wi th USBR 3900 Standard Defi ni ti ons of
Terms and Symbol s Rel ati ng to Soi l Mechani cs [6]:
Cobbles and bouldersparti cl es retai ned on a 3-i nch
(75-mm) U.S. Standard si eve. The fol l owi ng termi nol ogy
di sti ngui shes between cobbl es and boul ders:
Cobblesparti cl es of rock that wi l l pass a 12-i n
(300-mm) square openi ng and be retai ned on a 3-i n
(75-mm) si eve.
Bouldersparti cl es of rock that wi l l not pass a
12-i n (300-mm) square openi ng.
Gravelparti cl es of rock that wi l l pass a 3-i n (75-mm)
si eve and i s retai ned on a No. 4 (4.75-mm) si eve. Gravel
i s further subdi vi ded as fol l ows:
Coarse gravelpasses a 3-i n (75-mm) si eve and i s
retai ned on 3/4-i n (19-mm) si eve.
Fine gravelpasses a -i n (19-mm) si eve and i s
retai ned on No. 4 (4.75-mm) si eve.
FIELD MANUAL
20
Sandparti cl es of rock that wi l l pass a No. 4 (4.75-mm)
si eve and i s retai ned on a No. 200 (0.075-mm or 75-mi cro-
meter [m]) si eve. Sand i s further subdi vi ded as fol l ows:
Coarse sandpasses No. 4 (4.75-mm) si eve and i s
retai ned on No. 10 (2.00-mm) si eve.
Medium sandpasses No. 10 (2.00-mm) si eve and
i s retai ned on No. 40 (425-m) si eve.
Fine sandpasses No. 40 (425-m) si eve and i s
retai ned on No. 200 (0.075-mm or 75-m) si eve.
Claypasses a No. 200 (0.075-mm or 75-m) si eve. Soi l
has pl asti ci ty wi thi n a range of water contents and has
consi derabl e strength when ai r-dry. For cl assi fi cati on,
cl ay i s a fi ne-grai ned soi l , or the fi ne-grai ned porti on of a
soi l , wi th a pl asti ci ty i ndex greater than 4 and the pl ot of
pl asti ci ty i ndex versus l i qui d l i mi t fal l s on or above the
"A"-l i ne (fi gure 3-5, l ater i n thi s chapter).
Siltpasses a No. 200 (0.075-mm or 75-m) si eve. Soi l
i s nonpl asti c or very sl i ghtl y pl asti c and that exhi bi ts
l i ttl e or no strength when ai r-dry i s a si l t. For
cl assi fi cati on, a si l t i s a fi ne-grai ned soi l , or the fi ne-
grai ned porti on of a soi l , wi th a pl asti ci ty i ndex l ess than
4 or the pl ot of pl asti ci ty i ndex versus l i qui d l i mi t fal l s
bel ow the "A"-l i ne (fi gure 3-5).
Organic claycl ay wi th suffi ci ent organi c content to i n-
fl uence the soi l properti es i s an organi c cl ay. For cl assi fi -
cati on, an organi c cl ay i s a soi l that woul d be cl assi fi ed as
a cl ay except that i ts l i qui d l i mi t val ue after oven-dryi ng
i s l ess than 75 percent of i ts l i qui d l i mi t val ue before
oven-dryi ng.
SOIL
21
Organic siltsi l t wi th suffi ci ent organi c content to i n-
fl u-ence the soi l properti es. For cl assi fi cati on, an organi c
si l t i s a soi l that woul d be cl assi fi ed as a si l t except that
i ts l i qui d l i mi t val ue after oven-dryi ng i s l ess than
75 percent of i ts l i qui d l i mi t val ue before oven-dryi ng.
Peatmateri al composed pri mari l y of vegetabl e ti ssues
i n vari ous stages of decomposi ti on, usual l y wi th an or-
gani c odor, a dark brown to bl ack col or, a spongy con-
si stency, and a texture rangi ng from fi brous to amor-
phous. Cl assi fi cati on procedures are not appl i ed to peat.
Classifications of Soils
Group Names and Group Symbols
The i denti fi cati on and nami ng of a soi l based on resul ts
of vi sual and manual tests i s presented i n a subsequent
secti on. Soi l i s gi ven an i denti fi cati on by assi gni ng a
group symbol (s) and group name. I mportant i nformati on
about the soi l i s added to the group name by the term
"wi th" when appropri ate (fi gures 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4). The
group name i s modi fi ed usi ng wi th to stress other
si gni fi cant components i n the soi l .
Fi gure 3-2 i s a fl ow chart for assi gni ng typi cal names and
group symbol s for i norgani c fi ne-grai ned soi l s; fi gure 3-3
i s a fl ow chart for organi c fi ne-grai ned soi l s; fi gure 3-4 i s
a fl ow chart for coarse-grai ned soi l s. Refer to tabl es 3-1
and 3-2 for the basi c group names wi thout modi fi ers. I f
the soi l has properti es whi ch do not di sti nctl y pl ace i t i n
FIELD MANUAL
22
FINE-GRAINED SOILS
Sandy BASIC
GROUP NAME
with sand
Gravelly with gravel
COARSE-GRAINED SOILS
with silt BASIC
GROUP NAME
with sand
with clay with gravel
Figure 3-1.Modifiers to basic soil group names
(for visual classification).
a speci fi c group, borderl i ne symbol s may be used. There
i s a di sti ncti on between dual symbols and borderline
symbols.
Dual Symbols.Dual symbol s separated by a hyphen
are used i n l aboratory cl assi fi cati on of soi l s and i n vi sual
cl assi fi cati on when soi l s are esti mated to contai n
10 percent fi nes. A dual symbol (two symbol s separated
by a hyphen, e.g., GP-GM, SW-SC, CL-ML) shoul d be
used to i ndi cate that the soi l has the properti es of a
cl assi fi cati on where two symbol s are requi red. Dual sym-
bol s are requi red when the soi l has between 5 and
12 percent fi nes from l aboratory tests (tabl e 3-2), or fi nes
are esti mated as 10 percent by vi sual cl assi fi cati on. Dual
symbol s are al so requi red when the l i qui d l i mi t and
pl asti ci ty i ndex val ues pl ot i n the CL-ML area of the
pl asti ci ty chart (fi gure 3-5, l ater i n thi s chapter).
S
O
I
L
2
3
Figure 3-2.Flow chart for inorganic fine-grained soils, visual method.
F
I
E
L
D

M
A
N
U
A
L

2
4
Figure 3-3.Flow chart for organic soils, visual method.
S
O
I
L
2
5
Figure 3-4.Flow chart for coarse-grained soils, visual method.
FIELD MANUAL
26
Tabl e 3-1.Basi c group names, pri mary groups
Coarse-grai ned soi l s Fi ne-grai ned soi l s
GW - Wel l graded gravel
GP - Poorl y graded gravel
GM - Si l ty gravel
GC - Cl ayey gravel sand
SW - Wel l graded sand
SP - Poorl y graded sand
SM - Si l ty sand
SC - Cl ayey sand
CL - Lean cl ay
ML - Si l t
OL - Organi c cl ay (on or
above A-l i ne
- Organi c si l t (bel ow A-l i ne)
CH - Fat cl ay
MH - El asti c si l t
OH - Organi c cl ay (on or above
A-l i ne)
- Organi c si l t (bel ow A-l i ne)
Basi c group namehatched area on Pl asti ci ty Chart
(Laboratory Cl assi fi cati on)
CL-ML - Si l ty cl ay
GC-GM - Si l ty, cl ayey gravel
SC-SM - Si l ty, cl ayey sand
Tabl e 3-2.Basi c group names, 5 to 12 percent fi nes
(Laboratory Cl assi fi cati on)
GW-GM - Wel l graded gravel wi th si l t
GW-GC - Wel l graded gravel wi th cl ay (i f fi nes =
CL-ML) Wel l graded gravel wi th si l ty cl ay
GP-GM - Poorl y graded gravel wi th si l t
GP-GC - Poorl y graded gravel wi th cl ay (i f fi nes =
CL-ML) Poorl y graded gravel wi th si l ty cl ay
SW-SM - Wel l graded sand wi th si l t
SW-SC - Wel l graded sand wi th cl ay (i f fi nes = CL-ML)
Wel l graded sand wi th si l ty cl ay
SP-SM - Poorl y graded sand wi th si l t
SP-SC - Poorl y graded sand wi th cl ay (i f fi nes =
CL-ML) Poorl y graded sand wi th si l ty cl ay
SOIL
27
Borderline Symbols.Borderl i ne symbol s are used
when soi l properti es i ndi cate the soi l i s cl ose to another
cl assi fi cati on group. Two symbol s separated by a sl ash,
such as CL/CH, SC/CL, GM/SM, CL/ML, shoul d be used
to i ndi cate that the soi l has properti es that do not
di sti nctl y pl ace the soi l i nto a speci fi c group. Because the
vi sual cl assi fi cati on of soi l i s based on esti mates of
parti cl e-si ze di stri buti on and pl asti ci ty characteri sti cs, i t
may be di ffi cul t to cl earl y i denti fy the soi l as bel ongi ng to
one category. To i ndi cate that the soi l may fal l i nto one
of two possi bl e basi c groups, a borderl i ne symbol may be
used wi th the two symbol s separated by a sl ash. A
borderl i ne cl assi fi cati on symbol shoul d not be used
i ndi scri mi natel y. Every effort shoul d be made fi rst to
pl ace the soi l i nto a si ngl e group. Borderl i ne symbol s can
al so be used i n l aboratory cl assi fi cati on, but l ess
frequentl y.
A borderl i ne symbol may be used when the percentage of
fi nes i s vi sual l y esti mated to be between 45 and 55 per-
cent. One symbol shoul d be for a coarse-grai ned soi l wi th
fi nes and the other for a fi ne-grai ned soi l . For exampl e:
GM/ML, CL/SC.
A borderl i ne symbol may be used when the percentage of
sand and the percentage of gravel i s esti mated to be
about the same, for exampl e, GP/SP, SC/GC, GM/SM. I t
i s practi cal l y i mpossi bl e to have a soi l that woul d have a
borderl i ne symbol of GW/SW. However, a borderl i ne
symbol may be used when the soi l coul d be ei ther wel l
graded or poorl y graded. For exampl e: GW/GP, SW/SP.
A borderl i ne symbol may be used when the soi l coul d be
ei ther a si l t or a cl ay. For exampl e: CL/ML, CH/MH,
SC/SM.
FIELD MANUAL
28
A borderl i ne symbol may be used when a fi ne-grai ned soi l
has properti es at the boundary between a soi l of l ow com-
pressi bi l i ty and a soi l of hi gh compressi bi l i ty. For
exampl e: CL/CH, MH/ML.
The order of the borderl i ne symbol shoul d refl ect si mi -
l ari ty to surroundi ng or adjacent soi l s. For exampl e, soi l s
i n a borrow area have been predomi nantl y i denti fi ed as
CH. One sampl e has the borderl i ne symbol of CL and
CH. To show si mi l ari ty to the adjacent CH soi l s, the
borderl i ne symbol shoul d be CH/CL.
The group name for a soi l wi th a borderl i ne symbol
shoul d be the group name for the fi rst symbol , except for:
CL/CH - l ean to fat cl ay
ML/CL - cl ayey si l t
CL/ML - si l ty cl ay
Preparation for Identification and Visual
Classification
A usual l y dark-brown to bl ack materi al composed
pri mari l y of vegetabl e ti ssue i n vari ous stages of decom-
posi ti on wi th a fi brous to amorphous texture and organi c
odor i s a hi ghl y organi c soi l and cl assi fi ed as peat, PT.
Pl ant forms may or may not be readi l y recogni zed. I n
general , the greater the organi c content, the greater the
water content, voi d rati o, and compressi bi l i ty of peat.
Organi c soi l s are often i denti fi ed by thei r odor. To check
for organi c content, the soi l can be subjected to the
l aboratory cl assi fi cati on l i qui d l i mi t test cri teri a. Organi c
soi l s can al so be i denti fi ed through l aboratory l oss-on-
i gni ti on tests. Materi al s i denti fi ed as peat are not sub-
jected to the fol l owi ng i denti fi cati on procedures.
SOIL
29
Soi l i denti fi cati on procedures are based on the mi nus 3-i n
(75-mm) parti cl e si zes. Al l pl us 3-i n (75-mm) parti cl es
must be manual l y removed from a l oose sampl e, or
mental l y for an i ntact sampl e, before cl assi fyi ng the soi l .
Esti mate and note the percent by vol ume of the pl us 3-i n
(75-mm) parti cl es, both the percentage of cobbl es and the
percentage of boul ders.
Note: Because the percentages of the parti cl e-
si ze di stri buti on i n l aboratory cl assi fi cati on
(ASTM: D 2487) are by dry wei ght and the
esti mates of percentages for gravel , sand, and
fi nes are by dry wei ght, the descri pti on shoul d
state that the percentages of cobbl es and
boul ders are by vol ume, not wei ght, for vi sual
cl assi fi cati on. Esti mati on of the vol ume of cob-
bl es and boul ders i s not an easy task. Accurate
esti mati ng requi res experi ence. Whi l e exper-
i enced l oggers may be abl e to successful l y
esti mate the mi nus 3-i n fracti on to wi thi n
5 percent, the margi n of error coul d be l arger for
oversi ze parti cl es. Esti mates can be confi rmed
or cal i brated wi th l arge scal e fi el d gradati on
tests on cri ti cal projects. Gi ven the l arge pos-
si bl e errors i n these esti mates, the esti mates
shoul d not be used as the sol e basi s for desi gn of
processi ng equi pment. Large scal e gradati ons
shoul d be obtai ned as part of the process pl ant
desi gns.
I n most cases, the vol ume of oversi ze i s esti mated i n
three si ze ranges, 3 to 5, 5 to 12, and 12 i nches and
l arger. Cobbl es are often di vi ded i nto two si ze ranges,
because i n rol l er compacted fi l l of 6-i n compacted l i ft
thi ckness, the maxi mum si ze cobbl e i s 5 i nches. I f the
purpose of the i nvesti gati on i s not for rol l er compacted
fi l l , a si ngl e si ze range for cobbl es can be esti mated.
FIELD MANUAL
30
Esti mate and note the percentage by dry wei ght of the
gravel , sand, and fi nes of the fracti on of the soi l smal l er
than 3 i n (75-mm). The percentages are esti mated to the
cl osest 5 percent. The percentages of gravel , sand, and
fi nes must add up to 100 percent, excl udi ng trace
amounts. The presence of a component not i n suffi ci ent
quanti ty to be consi dered 5 percent i n the mi nus 3-i n
(75-mm) porti on, i s i ndi cated by the term "trace." For ex-
ampl e: trace of fi nes. A trace i s not consi dered i n the
total of 100 percent for the components.
The fi rst step i n the i denti fi cati on procedure i s to
determi ne the percentages of fi ne-grai ned and coarse-
grai ned materi al s i n the sampl e. The soi l i s fi ne-grai ned
i f i t contai ns 50 percent or more fi nes. The soi l i s coarse-
grai ned i f i t contai ns l ess than 50 percent fi nes.
Procedures for the descri pti on and cl assi fi cati on of these
two prel i mi nary i denti fi cati on groups fol l ow.
Procedures and Criteria for Visual Classification
of Fine-Grained Soils
Sel ect a representati ve sampl e of the materi al for
exami nati on and remove parti cl es l arger than the
No. 40 si eve (medi um sand and l arger) unti l a speci men
equi val ent to about a handful of representati ve materi al
i s avai l abl e. Use thi s speci men for performi ng the
i denti fi cati on tests.
Identification Criteria for Fine-Grained Soils.The
tests for i denti fyi ng properti es of fi nes are dry strength,
dilatency, toughness, and plasticity.
1. Dry strength.Sel ect from the speci men enough
materi al to mol d i nto a bal l about 1 i n (25 mm) i n
di ameter. Mol d or work the materi al unti l i t has the
consi stency of putty, addi ng water i f necessary.
SOIL
31
From the mol ded materi al , make at l east three test
speci mens. Each test speci men shoul d be a bal l of
materi al about i n (12 mm) i n di ameter. Al l ow the
test speci mens to dry i n ai r or sun, or dry by arti fi ci al
means, as l ong as the temperature does not exceed
60 degrees Centi grade (EC). I n most cases, i t wi l l be
necessary to prepare speci mens and al l ow them to
dry over ni ght. I f the test speci men contai ns natural
dry l umps, those that are about i n (12 mm) i n
di ameter may be used i n pl ace of mol ded bal l s. (The
process of mol di ng and dryi ng usual l y produces
hi gher strengths than are found i n natural dry l umps
of soi l ). Test the strength of the dry bal l s or l umps by
crushi ng them between the fi ngers and note the
strength as none, l ow, medi um, hi gh, or very hi gh
accordi ng to the cri teri a i n tabl e 3-3. I f natural dry
l umps are used, do not use the resul ts of any of the
l umps that are found to contai n parti cl es of coarse
sand.
Tabl e 3-3.Cri teri a for descri bi ng dry strength
None The dry speci men crumbl es wi th mere
pressure of handl i ng.
Low The dry speci men crumbl es wi th some
fi nger pressure.
Medi um The dry speci men breaks i nto pi eces or
crumbl es wi th consi derabl e fi nger
pressure.
Hi gh The dry speci men cannot be broken wi th
fi nger pressure. Speci men wi l l break i nto
pi eces between thumb and a hard surface.
Very Hi gh The dry speci men cannot be broken
between thumb and a hard surface.
FIELD MANUAL
32
The presence of hi gh-strength, water-sol ubl e cement-
i ng materi al s, such as cal ci um carbonate, may cause
excepti onal l y hi gh dry strengths. The presence of
cal ci um carbonate can usual l y be detected from the
i ntensi ty of the reacti on wi th di l ute hydrocl ori c aci d
(HCl ). Cri teri a for reacti on wi th HCl are presented
i n a subsequent paragraph.
2. Di l atancy.Sel ect enough materi al from the
speci men to mol d i nto a bal l about i n (12 mm) i n
di ameter. Mol d the materi al , addi ng water i f neces-
sary, unti l i t has a soft, but not sti cky, consi stency.
Smooth the soi l bal l i n the pal m of one hand wi th the
bl ade of a kni fe or spatul a. Shake hori zontal l y (the
soi l bal l ), stri ki ng the si de of the hand vi gorousl y
agai nst the other hand several ti mes. Note the
reacti on of the water appeari ng on the surface of the
soi l . Squeeze the sampl e by cl osi ng the hand or
pi nchi ng the soi l between the fi ngers and note
reacti on as none, sl ow, or rapi d accordi ng to the
cri teri a i n tabl e 3-4. The reacti on cri teri a are the
speeds wi th whi ch water appears whi l e shaki ng and
di sappears whi l e squeezi ng.
Tabl e 3-4.Cri teri a for descri bi ng di l atancy
None No vi si bl e change i n the speci men.
Sl ow Water sl owl y appears on the surface of the
speci men duri ng shaki ng and does not di sap-
pear or di sappears sl owl y upon squeezi ng.
Rapi d Water qui ckl y appears on the surface of the
speci men duri ng shaki ng and di sappears
upon squeezi ng.
SOIL
33
3. Toughness.Fol l owi ng compl eti on of the
di l atancy test, the speci men i s shaped i nto an
el ongated pat and rol l ed by hand on a smooth surface
or between the pal ms i nto a thread about c i n
(3 mm) di ameter. (I f the sampl e i s too wet to rol l
easi l y, spread the sampl e out i nto a thi n l ayer and
al l ow some water l oss by evaporati on). Fol d the
sampl e threads and rerol l repeatedl y unti l the thread
cr umbl es at a di ameter of about c i n (3 mm) when
the soi l i s near the pl asti c l i mi t. Note the ti me
requi red to rerol l the thread to reach the pl asti c
l i mi t. Note the pressure requi red to rol l the thread
near the pl asti c l i mi t. Al so, note the strength of the
thread. After the thread crumbl es, the pi eces shoul d
be l umped together and kneaded unti l the l ump
crumbl es. Note the toughness of the materi al duri ng
kneadi ng.
Descri be the toughness of the thread and l ump as
l ow, medi um, or hi gh accordi ng to the cri teri a i n
tabl e 3-5.
Tabl e 3-5.Cri teri a for descri bi ng toughness
Low Onl y sl i ght pressure i s requi red to rol l the
thread near the pl asti c l i mi t. The thread
and the l ump are weak and soft.
Medi um Medi um pressure i s requi red to rol l the
thread to near the pl asti c l i mi t. The thread
and the l ump have medi um sti ffness.
Hi gh Consi derabl e pressure i s requi red to rol l the
thread to near the pl asti c l i mi t. The thread
and the l ump have very hi gh sti ffness.
FIELD MANUAL
34
4. Pl asti ci ty.On the basi s of observati ons made
duri ng the toughness test, descri be the pl asti ci ty of
the materi al accordi ng to the cri teri a gi ven i n
tabl e 3-6 (fi gure 3-5).
Tabl e 3-6.Cri teri a for descri bi ng pl asti ci ty
Nonpl asti c A 3-mm thread cannot be rol l ed at any
water content.
Low The thread can barel y be rol l ed, and the
l ump cannot be formed when dri er than
the pl asti c l i mi t.
Medi um The thread i s easy to rol l , and not much
ti me i s requi red to reach the pl asti c l i mi t.
The thread cannot be rerol l ed after
reachi ng the pl asti c l i mi t. The l ump
crumbl es when dri er than the pl asti c
l i mi t.
Hi gh I t takes consi derabl e ti me rol l i ng and
kneadi ng to reach the pl asti c l i mi t. The
thread can be rol l ed several ti mes after
reachi ng the pl asti c l i mi t. The l ump can
be formed wi thout crumbl i ng when dri er
than the pl asti c l i mi t.
After the dry strength, di l atency, toughness, and
pl asti ci ty tests have been performed, deci de on
whether the soi l i s an organi c or an i norgani c fi ne-
grai ned soi l .

S
O
I
L
3
5
Figure 3-5.Plasticity chart.
FIELD MANUAL
36
Identification of Inorganic Fine-Grained Soils.
Cl assi fy the soi l s usi ng the resul ts of the manual tests
and the i denti fyi ng cri teri a shown i n tabl e 3-7. Possi bl e
i norgani c soi l s i ncl ude l ean cl ay (CL), fat cl ay (CH), si l t
(ML), and el asti c si l t (MH). The properti es of an el asti c
si l t are si mi l ar to those for a l ean cl ay. However, the si l t
wi l l dry qui ckl y on the hand and have a smooth, si l ky feel
when dry. Some soi l s whi ch cl assi fy as MH accordi ng to
the fi el d cl assi fi cati on cri teri a are di ffi cul t to di sti ngui sh
from l ean cl ays, CL. I t may be necessary to perform
l aboratory testi ng to ensure proper cl assi fi cati on.
Tabl e 3-7.I denti fi cati on of i norgani c fi ne-grai ned
soi l s from manual tests
Group
symbol
Dry
strength Di l atancy Toughness
ML None to l ow Sl ow to
rapi d
Low or thread
cannot be formed
CL Medi um to hi gh None to sl ow Medi um
MH Low to medi um None to sl ow Low to medi um
CH Hi gh to very
hi gh
None Hi gh
Some soi l s undergo i rreversi bl e changes upon ai r dryi ng.
These i rreversi bl e processes may cause changes i n
atterberg l i mi ts and other i ndex tests. Even unsuspected
soi l s such as l ow pl asti ci ty si l ts may have di fferi ng
atterberg l i mi ts due to processes l i ke di saggregati on.
When tested at natural moi sture, cl ay parti cl es cl i ng to
si l t parti cl es resul ti ng i n l ess pl asti ci ty. When dri ed, the
cl ay di saggregates, maki ng a fi ner and more wel l graded
mi x of parti cl es wi th i ncreased pl asti ci ty.
SOIL
37
For foundati on studi es of exi sti ng or new structures,
natural moi sture atterberg l i mi ts are preferred because
the i n-pl ace materi al wi l l remai n moi st. Natural moi s-
ture atterberg l i mi ts are especi al l y i mportant i n cri ti cal
studi es, such as earthquake l i quefacti on eval uati on of
si l ts. On some foundati on studi es, such as for pumpi ng
pl ant desi gn, consol i dati on tests wi l l govern, and natural
moi sture atterbergs are not requi red. For borrow studi es,
soi l s wi l l l i kel y undergo moi sture changes, and natural
moi sture atterberg l i mi ts are not requi red unl ess unusual
mi neral ogy i s encountered.
Identification of Organic Fine-Grained Soils.I f the
soi l contai ns enough organi c parti cl es to i nfl uence the soi l
properti es, cl assi fy the soi l as an organic soil, OL or OH.
Organi c soi l s usual l y are dark brown to bl ack and usual l y
have an organi c odor. Often organi c soi l s wi l l change
col or, (bl ack to brown) when exposed to ai r. Organi c soi l s
normal l y do not have hi gh toughness or pl asti ci ty. The
thread for the toughness test i s spongy. I n some cases,
further i denti fi cati on of organi c soi l s as organi c si l ts or
organi c cl ays, OL or OH i s possi bl e. Correl ati ons between
the di l atancy, dry strength, and toughness tests wi th
l aboratory tests can be made to cl assi fy organi c soi l s i n
si mi l ar materi al s.
Modifiers for Fine-Grained Soil Classifications.I f
based on vi sual observati on, the soi l i s esti mated to have
15 to 25 percent sand and/or gravel , the words "wi th sand
and/or gravel " are added to the group name, for exampl e,
LEAN CLAY WI TH SAND, (CL); SI LT WI TH SAND AND
GRAVEL (ML). Refer to fi gures 3-2 and 3-3. I f the soi l i s
vi sual l y esti mated to be 30 percent or more sand and/or
gravel , the words "sandy" or "gravel l y" are added to the
group name. Add the word "sandy" i f there appears to be
more sand than gravel . Add the word "gravel l y" i f there
appears to be more gravel than sand, for exampl e,
SANDY LEAN CLAY (CL); GRAVELLY FAT CLAY (CH);
FIELD MANUAL
38
SANDY SI LT (ML). Refer to fi gures 3-2 and 3-3. Note
that the Laboratory Cl assi fi cati on fol l ows di fferent
cri teri a.
Procedures and Criteria for Visual Classification
of Coarse-Grained Soils
A representati ve sampl e contai ni ng l ess than 50 percent
fi nes i s i denti fi ed as a coarse-grai ned soi l .
The soi l i s a gravel i f the percentage by wei ght of gravel
i s esti mated to be more than the percentage of sand.
The soi l i s a sand i f the percentage by wei ght of sand i s
esti mated to be more than the percentage of gravel .
The soi l i s a cl ean gravel or cl ean sand i f the percentages
of fi nes are vi sual l y esti mated to be 5 percent or l ess. A
cl ean gravel or sand i s further cl assi fi ed by grai n si ze
di stri buti on.
The soi l i s cl assi fi ed as a WELL GRADED GRAVEL
(GW), or as a WELL GRADED SAND (SW), i f a wi de
range of parti cl e si zes and substanti al amounts of the
i ntermedi ate parti cl e si zes are present. The soi l i s
cl assi fi ed as a POORLY GRADED GRAVEL (GP) or as a
POORLY GRADED SAND (SP) i f the materi al i s
predomi nantl y one si ze (uni forml y graded) or the soi l has
a wi de range of si zes wi th some i ntermedi ate si zes
obvi ousl y mi ssi ng (gap or ski p graded).
The soi l i s i denti fi ed as ei ther gravel wi th fi nes or sand
wi th fi nes i f the percentage of fi nes i s vi sual l y esti mated
to be 15 percent or more.
SOIL
39
Cl assi fy the soi l as a CLAYEY GRAVEL (GC) or a
CLAYEY SAND (SC) i f the fi nes are cl ayey as determi ned
by the procedures for fi ne-grai ned soi l i denti fi cati on.
I denti fy the soi l as a SI LTY GRAVEL (GM) or a SI LTY
SAND (SM) i f the fi nes are si l ty as determi ned by the pro-
cedures for fi ne-grai ned soi l i denti fi cati on.
I f the soi l i s vi sual l y esti mated to contai n 10 percent
fi nes, gi ve the soi l a dual cl assi fi cati on usi ng two group
symbol s. The fi rst group symbol shoul d correspond to a
cl ean gravel or sand (GW, GP, SW, SP), and the second
symbol shoul d correspond to a gravel or sand wi th fi nes
(GC, GM, SC, SM). The typi cal name i s the fi rst group
symbol pl us "wi th cl ay" or "wi th si l t" to i ndi cate the
pl asti ci ty characteri sti cs of the fi nes. For exampl e,
WELL GRADED GRAVEL WI TH CLAY (GW-GC);
POORLY GRADED SAND WI TH SI LT (SP-SM). Refer to
fi gure 3-4.
I f the speci men i s predomi nantl y sand or gravel but con-
tai ns an esti mated 15 percent or more of the other
coarse-grai ned consti tuent, the words "wi th gravel " or
"wi th sand" are added to the group name. For exampl e:
POORLY GRADED GRAVEL WI TH SAND (GP); CLAY-
EY SAND WI TH GRAVEL (SC). Refer to fi gure 3-4.
I f the fi el d sampl e contai ned any cobbl es and/or boul ders,
the words "wi th cobbl es" or "wi th cobbl es and boul ders"
are added to the group name, for exampl e, SI LTY GRA-
VEL WI TH COBBLES (GM).
Abbreviated Soil Classification Symbols
I f space i s l i mi ted, an abbrevi ated system may be used to
i ndi cate the soi l cl assi fi cati on symbol and name such as
i n l ogs, data bases, tabl es, etc. The abbrevi ated system
FIELD MANUAL
40
i s not a substi tute for the ful l name and descri pti ve i nfor-
mati on but can be used i n suppl ementary presentati ons.
The abbrevi ated system consi sts of the soi l cl assi fi cati on
system based on thi s chapter, wi th prefi xes and suffi xes
as l i sted bel ow.
Prefi x: s = sandy g = gravel l y
Suffi x: s = wi th sand g = wi th gravel
c = wi th cobbl es b = wi th boul ders
The soi l cl assi fi cati on symbol i s encl osed i n parentheses.
Exampl es are:
CL, sandy l ean cl ay s(CL)
SP-SM, poorl y graded sand (SP-GM)g
wi th si l t and gravel
GP, poorl y graded gravel wi th sand, (GP)scb
cobbl es, and boul ders
ML, gravel l y si l t wi th sand g(ML)sc
and cobbl es
Description of the Physical Properties of Soil
Descri pti ve i nformati on for cl assi fi cati on and reporti ng
soi l properti es such as angul ari ty, shape, col or, moi sture
condi ti ons, and consi stency are presented i n the fol l owi ng
paragraphs.
Angularity
Angul ari ty i s a descri ptor for coarse-grai ned materi al s
onl y. The angul ari ty of the sand (coarse si zes onl y),
gravel , cobbl es, and boul ders, are descri bed as angul ar,
SOIL
41
subangul ar, subrounded, or rounded as i ndi cated by the
cri teri a i n tabl e 3-8. A range of angul ari ty may be stated,
such as: sub-rounded to rounded.
Tabl e 3-8.Cri teri a for descri bi ng angul ari ty of
coarse-grai ned parti cl es
Angul ar Parti cl es have sharp edges and rel ati vel y
pl anar si des wi th unpol i shed surfaces.
Subangul ar Parti cl es are si mi l ar to angul ar descri pti on
but have rounded edges.
Subrounded Parti cl es have nearl y pl anar si des but wel l -
rounded corners and edges.
Rounded Parti cl es have smoothl y curved si des and no
edges.
Shape
Descri be the shape of the gravel , cobbl es, and boul ders as
fl at, el ongated or fl at and el ongated i f they meet the
cri teri a i n tabl e 3-9. I ndi cate the fracti on of the parti cl es
that have the shape, such as: one-thi rd of gravel parti cl es
are fl at. I f the materi al i s to be processed or used as
aggregate for concrete, note any unusual l y shaped
parti cl es.
Color
Col or i s an especi al l y i mportant property i n i denti fyi ng
organi c soi l s and i s often i mportant i n i denti fyi ng other
types of soi l s. Wi thi n a gi ven l ocal i ty, col or may al so be
useful i n i denti fyi ng materi al s of si mi l ar geol ogi c uni ts.
Col or shoul d be descri bed for moi st sampl es. Note i f col or
FIELD MANUAL
42
Tabl e 3-9.Cri teri a for descri bi ng parti cl e shape
The parti cl e shape i s descri bed as fol l ows, where l ength,
wi dth, and thi ckness refer to the greatest, i ntermedi ate, and
l east di mensi ons of a parti cl e, respecti vel y.
Fl at Parti cl es wi th wi dth/thi ckness >3.
El ongated Parti cl es wi th l ength/wi dth >3.
Fl at and Parti cl es meet cri teri a for both fl at and
el ongated el ongated.
represents a dry condi ti on. I f the sampl e contai ns l ayers
or patches of varyi ng col ors, thi s shoul d be noted, and
representati ve col ors shoul d be descri bed. The Munsel
Col or System may be used for consi stent col or
descri pti ons.
Odor
Descri be the odor i f organi c or unusual . Soi l s contai ni ng
a si gni fi cant amount of organi c materi al usual l y have
a di sti ncti ve odor of decayi ng vegetati on. Thi s i s espe-
ci al l y apparent i n fresh sampl es, but i f the sampl es are
dri ed, the odor often may be revi ved by heati ng a moi st-
ened sampl e. I f the odor i s unusual , such as that of a
petrol eum product or other chemi cal , the materi al shoul d
be descri bed and i denti fi ed i f known. The materi al may
be hazardous, and combusti on or exposure shoul d be
consi dered.
Moisture Conditions
Descri be the moi sture condi ti on as dry, moi st, or wet, as
i ndi cated by the cri teri a i n tabl e 3-10.
SOIL
43
Tabl e 3-10.Cri teri a for descri bi ng moi sture
condi ti on
Dry Absence of moi sture, dusty, dry to the touch.
Moi st Damp but no vi si bl e water.
Wet Vi si bl e free water, usual l y soi l i s bel ow water
tabl e.
Reaction with HCl
Descri be the reacti on wi th HCl as none, weak, or strong,
as i ndi cated by the cri teri a i n tabl e 3-11. Cal ci um
carbonate i s a common cementi ng agent. The reacti on
wi th di l ute hydrochl ori c aci d i s i mportant i n determi ni ng
the presence and abundance of cal ci um carbonate.
Tabl e 3-11.Cri teri a for descri bi ng reacti on wi th HCl
None No vi si bl e reacti on.
Weak Some reacti on, wi th bubbl es formi ng sl owl y.
Strong Vi ol ent reacti on, wi th bubbl es formi ng i mmedi atel y.
Consistency
Descri be consi stency (degree of fi rmness) for i ntact fi ne-
grai ned soi l s as very soft, soft, fi rm, hard, or very hard, as
i ndi cated by the cri teri a i n tabl e 3-12. Thi s observati on
i s i nappropri ate for soi l s wi th si gni fi cant amounts of
gravel . Pocket penetrometer or torvane testi ng may sup-
pl ement thi s data.
FIELD MANUAL
44
Tabl e 3-12.Cri teri a for descri bi ng consi stency of i n-pl ace or
undi sturbed fi ne-grai ned soi l s
Very soft Thumb wi l l penetrate soi l more than 1 i n
(25 mm).
Soft Thumb wi l l penetrate soi l about 1 i n (25 mm).
Fi rm Thumb wi l l i ndent soi l about 1/4 i n (5 mm).
Hard Thumb wi l l not i ndent soi l but readi l y i ndented
wi th thumbnai l .
Very hard Thumbnai l wi l l not i ndent soi l .
Cementation
Descri be the cementati on of i ntact soi l s as weak,
moderate, or strong, as i ndi cated by the cri teri a i n
tabl e 3-13.
Tabl e 3-13.Cri teri a for descri bi ng cementati on
Weak Crumbl es or breaks wi th handl i ng or l i ttl e
fi nger pressure.
Moderate Crumbl es or breaks wi th consi derabl e fi nger
pressure.
Strong Wi l l not crumbl e or break wi th fi nger pressure.
Structure (Fabric)
Descri be the structure of the soi l accordi ng to cri teri a
descri bed i n tabl e 3-14. The descri ptors presented are for
soi l s onl y; they are not synonymous wi th descri ptors for
rock.
SOIL
45
Tabl e 3-14.Cri teri a for descri bi ng structure
Strati fi ed Al ternati ng l ayers of varyi ng materi al or
col or; note thi cknesses.
Lami nated
1
Al ternati ng l ayers of varyi ng materi al or
col or wi th l ayers l ess than 6 mm thi ck; note
thi cknesses.
Fi ssured
1
Breaks al ong defi ni te pl anes wi th l i ttl e
resi stance to fracturi ng.
Sl i ckensi ded
1
Fracture pl anes appear pol i shed or gl ossy,
someti mes stri ated.
Bl ocky
1
Cohesi ve soi l that can be broken down i nto
smal l angul ar l umps whi ch resi st further
breakdown.
Lenses I ncl usi on of smal l pockets of di fferent soi l s,
such as smal l l enses of sand scattered
through a mass of cl ay; note thi cknesses.
Homogeneous Same col or and textural or structural
appearance throughout.

1
Do not use for coarse-grai ned soi l s wi th the excepti on of fi ne
sands whi ch can be l ami nated.
Particle Sizes
For gravel and sand-si ze components, descri be the range
of parti cl e si zes wi thi n each component as defi ned i n the
previ ous termi nol ogy paragraph. Descri pti ve terms,
si zes, and exampl es of parti cl e si zes are shown i n
tabl e 3-15.
FIELD MANUAL
46
Tabl e 3-15.Parti cl e si zes
Descri pti ve
term Si ze
Fami l i ar exampl e wi thi n
the si ze range
Boul der 300 mm or more Larger than a vol l eybal l
Cobbl e 300 mm to 75 mm Vol l eybal l - grapefrui t -
orange
Coarse gravel 75 mm to 20 mm Orange - grape
Fi ne gravel 20 mm to No. 4
si eve (5 mm)
Grape - pea
Coarse sand No. 4 si eve to
No. 10 si eve
Si dewal k sal t
Medi um sand No. 10 si eve to
No. 40 si eve
Openi ngs i n wi ndow
screen
Fi ne sand No. 40 si eve to
No. 200 si eve
Sugar - tabl e sal t, grai ns
barel y vi si bl e
Descri be the maxi mum parti cl e si ze found i n the sampl e.
For reporti ng maxi mum parti cl e si ze, use the fol l owi ng
descri ptors and si ze i ncrements:
Fi ne sand
Medi um sand
Coarse sand
5-mm i ncrements from 5 mm to 75 mm
25-mm i ncrements from 75 mm to 300 mm
100-mm i ncrements over 300 mm
For exampl e: "maxi mum parti cl e si ze 35 mm"
"maxi mum parti cl e si ze 400 mm"
I f the maxi mum parti cl e si ze i s sand si ze, descri be as
fi ne, medi um, or coarse sand; for exampl e, maxi mum par-
ti cl e si ze, medi um sand.
SOIL
47
I f the maxi mum parti cl e si ze i s gravel si ze, descri be the
maxi mum parti cl e si ze as the smal l est si eve openi ng that
the parti cl e woul d pass.
I f the maxi mum parti cl e si ze i s cobbl e or boul der si ze,
descri be the maxi mum di mensi on of the l argest parti cl e.
Particle Hardness
Descri be the hardness of coarse sand and l arger parti cl es
as hard, or state what happens when the parti cl es are hi t
by a hammer; e.g., gravel -si ze parti cl es fracture wi th
consi derabl e hammer bl ow, some gravel -si ze parti cl es
crumbl e wi th hammer bl ow. Hard means parti cl es do not
fracture or crumbl e when struck wi th a hammer.
Remember that the l arger the parti cl e, the harder the
bl ow requi red to fracture i t. A good practi ce i s to descri be
the parti cl e si ze and the method that was used to
determi ne the hardness.
Additional Descriptive Information
Addi ti onal descri pti ve i nformati on may i ncl ude unusual
condi ti ons, geol ogi cal i nterpretati on or other cl assi fi -
cati on methods, such as:
Presence of roots or root hol es or other organi c
materi al or debri s;
Degree of di ffi cul ty i n dri l l i ng or augeri ng hol e or ex-
cavati ng a pi t; or
Ravel i ng or cavi ng of the trench, hol e, pi t, or exposure;
or
Presence of mi ca or other predomi nant mi neral s.
A l ocal or commerci al name and/or a geol ogi c i nterpreta-
ti on shoul d be provi ded for the soi l .
FIELD MANUAL
48
A cl assi fi cati on or i denti fi cati on of the soi l accordi ng to
other cl assi fi cati on systems may be added.
Narrative Descriptions and Examples
The descri pti on shoul d i ncl ude the i nformati on shown i n
tabl es 3-16 and 3-17, a checkl i st for the descri pti on of
soi l s. Exampl e descri pti ons fol l ow.
Tabl e 3-16.Checkl i st for the descri pti on of soi l
cl assi fi cati on and i denti fi cati on
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Group name and symbol
Percent gravel , sand, and/or fi nes
Percent by vol ume of cobbl es and boul ders
Parti cl e si ze
Gravel - fi ne, coarse
Sand - fi ne, medi um, coarse
Parti cl e angul ari ty
angul ar subangul ar subrounded rounded
Parti cl e shape
fl at el ongated fl at and el ongated
Maxi mum parti cl e si ze or di mensi on
Hardness of coarse sand and l arger parti cl es
Pl asti ci ty of fi nes
nonpl asti c l ow medi um hi gh
Dry strength
none l ow medi um hi gh very hi gh
Di l atancy
none sl ow rapi d
Toughness
l ow medi um hi gh
Col or (when moi st)
Odor (i f organi c or unusual )
Moi sture
dry moi st wet
Reacti on wi th HCL
none weak strong
SOIL
49
Tabl e 3-17.Checkl i st for the descri pti on
of i n-pl ace condi ti ons
I n-pl ace condi ti ons:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Consi stency (fi ne-grai ned soi l s onl y)
very soft soft fi rm hard very hard
Cementati on
weak moderate strong
Structure
strati fi ed l ami nated fi ssured sl i ckened l ensed
homogeneous
Geol ogi c i nterpretati on and/or l ocal name, i f any
Addi ti onal comments and descri pti on
Presence of roots or root hol es
Presence of mi ca, gypsum, etc.
Surface coati ngs
Cavi ng or sl oughi ng of excavati on
Excavati on di ffi cul ty
Exampl e 1: CLAYEY GRAVEL WI TH SAND AND COB-
BLES (GC)Approxi matel y 50 percent fi ne to coarse,
sub-rounded to subangul ar gravel ; approxi matel y
30 per cent fi ne to coar se, subr ounded sand;
approxi matel y 20 per-cent fi nes wi th medi um pl asti ci ty,
hi gh dry strength, no di l atancy, medi um toughness; weak
reacti on wi th HCl ; ori gi nal fi el d sampl e had about
5 percent (by vol ume) subrounded cobbl es, maxi mum si ze
150 mm.
I N-PLACE CONDI TI ONS: fi rm, homogeneous, dry,
brown.
GEOLOGI C I NTERPRETATI ON: al l uvi al fan.
Abbrevi ated symbol i s (GC)sc.
Exampl e 2: WELL GRADED GRAVEL WI TH SAND
(GW)Approxi matel y 75 percent fi ne to coarse, hard,
sub-angul ar gravel ; approxi matel y 25 percent fi ne to
FIELD MANUAL
50
coarse, hard, subangul ar sand; trace of fi nes; maxi mum
si ze 75 mm, brown, dry; no reacti on wi th HCl .
Abbrevi ated symbol i s (GW)s
Exampl e 3: SI LTY SAND WI TH GRAVEL (SM)Ap-
proxi matel y 60 percent predomi nantl y fi ne sand; approxi -
matel y 25 percent si l ty fi nes wi th l ow pl asti ci ty, l ow dry
strength, rapi d di l atancy, and l ow toughness; approxi -
matel y 15 percent fi ne, hard, subrounded gravel , a few
gravel -si ze parti cl es fractured wi th hammer bl ow;
maxi mum si ze 25 mm; no reacti on wi th HCl .
I N-PLACE CONDI TI ONS: fi rm, strati fi ed, and contai ns
l enses of si l t 1- to 2-i n thi ck, moi st, brown to gray;
i n-pl ace densi ty was 106 pounds per cubi c foot (l b/ft
3
), and
i n-pl ace moi sture was 9 percent.
GEOLOGI C I NTERPRETATI ON: ALLUVI UM
Abbrevi ated symbol i s (SM)g.
Exampl e 4: ORGANI C SOI L (OL/OH)Approxi matel y
100 percent fi nes wi th l ow pl asti ci ty, sl ow di l atancy, l ow
dry strength, and l ow toughness; wet, dark brown,
organi c odor, weak reacti on wi th HCl .
Abbrevi ated symbol i s (OL/OH).
Exampl e 5: SI LTY SAND WI TH ORGANI C FI NES
(SM)Approxi matel y 75 percent fi ne to coarse, hard, sub-
angul ar reddi sh sand, approxi matel y 25 percent organi c
and si l ty dark-brown nonpl asti c fi nes wi th no dry
strength and sl ow di l atancy; wet; maxi mum si ze, coarse
sand; weak reacti on wi th HCl .
Abbrevi ated symbol i s (SM)
SOIL
51
Exampl e 6: POORLY GRADED GRAVEL WI TH SI LT,
SAND, COBBLES, AND BOULDERS (GP-GM)Approx-
i matel y 75 percent fi ne to coarse, hard, subrounded to
subangul ar gravel ; approxi matel y 15 percent fi ne, hard,
subrounded to subangul ar sand; approxi matel y 10 per-
cent si l ty nonpl asti c fi nes; moi st, brown; no reacti on wi th
HCl ; ori gi nal fi el d sampl e had approxi matel y 5 percent
(by vol ume) hard, subrounded cobbl es and a trace of hard,
subrounded boul ders wi th a maxi mum di mensi on of
500 mm.
Abbrevi ated symbol i s (GP-GM)scb.
Use of Soil Classification as Secondary
Identification Method for Materials Other
Than Natural Soils
General
Materi al s other than natural soi l s may be cl assi fi ed and
thei r properti es i denti fi ed and descri bed usi ng the same
procedures presented i n the precedi ng subsecti ons. The
fol l owi ng materi al s are not consi dered soi l s and shoul d
not be gi ven a pri mary USCS soi l cl assi fi cati on:
Parti al l y l i thi fi ed or poorl y cemented materi al s
Shal e Cl aystone
Sandstone Si l tstone
Decomposed grani te
Processed, manmade, or other materi al s
Crushed rock Sl ag
Crushed sandstone Shel l s
Ci nders Ashes
FIELD MANUAL
52
I denti fi cati on cri teri a may be used for descri bi ng these
materi al s, especi al l y for descri bi ng parti cl e si zes and
shapes and i denti fyi ng those materi al s whi ch convert to
soi l s after fi el d or l aboratory processi ng. Descri pti on for-
mat and cl assi fi cati on for these materi al s are di scussed
i ndi vi dual l y i n the fol l owi ng paragraphs.
Partially Lithified or Cemented Materials
Parti al l y l i thi fi ed or poorl y cemented materi al s may need
to be cl assi fi ed because the materi al wi l l be excavated,
processed, or mani pul ated for use as a constructi on
materi al . When the physi cal properti es are to be deter-
mi ned for these materi al s for cl assi fi cati on, the materi al
must be processed i nto a soi l by gri ndi ng or sl aki ng i n
water (shal e, si l tstone, poorl y i ndurated ash deposi ts).
The physi cal properti es and resul ti ng cl assi fi cati on
descri be the soi l type as created by reworki ng the ori gi nal
materi al . Soi l cl assi fi cati ons can then be used as a
secondary i denti fi cati on. However, the cl assi fi cati on
symbol and group name must be reported i n quotati on
marks i n any 1ogs, tabl es, fi gures, and reports. I f
l aboratory tests are performed on these materi al s, the
resul ts must be reported as shown i n fi gure 3-6.
An exampl e of a wri tten narrati ve for ei ther a test pi t or
auger hol e l og based on vi sual cl assi fi cati on i s as fol l ows:
Symbol Descri pti on
Shal e Fragments 3.4- to 7.8-foot (ft) Shal e Fragments
Retri eved as 2- to 4-i n pi eces of shal e
from power auger hol e, dry, brown,
no reacti on wi th HCl . After sl aki ng
i n water for 24 hours, materi al
cl assi fi ed as "SANDY CLAY (CH)"
S
O
I
L
5
3
Figure 3-6.Sample of test results summary.
FIELD MANUAL
54
Approxi matel y 60 percent fi nes wi th
hi gh pl asti ci ty, hi gh dry strength, no
di l atancy and hi gh toughness;
approxi matel y 35 percent fi ne to
medi um, hard sand; approxi matel y
5 percent gravel -si ze pi eces of shal e.
Processed or Manmade Materials
Processed, manmade, or other materi al s are al so used as
constructi on materi al s, and cl assi fi cati on can be used as
a secondary i denti fi cati on. However, for these processed
materi al s, the group name and cl assi fi cati on symbol are
to be wi thi n quotati on marks. I f l aboratory tests are
performed on these materi al s, the resul ts must be
reported as shown i n tabl e 3-6.
An exampl e of a wri tten narrati ve for l ogs for vi sual cl as-
si fi cati on i s as fol l ows:
Symbol Descri pti on
CRUSHED ROCK Stockpi l e No. 3 CRUSHED
ROCK processed gravel and cob-
bl es from
P.T. NO. 7; "POORLY GRADED
GRAVEL (GP)"appr oxi matel y
90 percent fi ne, hard, angul ar,
gravel -si ze parti cl es; approxi matel y
10 percent coarse, angul ar, sand-
si ze parti cl es; dry, tan, no reacti on
wi th HCl .
Special Cases for Classification
Some materi al s that requi re a cl assi fi cati on and descri p-
ti on accordi ng to USBR 5000 [1] or USBR 5005 [2] shoul d
not have a headi ng that i s a cl assi fi cati on group name.
SOIL
55
When these materi al s wi l l be used i n, or i nfl uence, desi gn
and constructi on, they shoul d be descri bed accordi ng to
the cri teri a for l ogs of test pi ts and auger hol es and the
cl assi fi cati on symbol and typi cal name pl aced i n quota-
ti on marks si mi l ar to the previ ous di scussi on on second-
ary i denti fi cati on method for materi al s other than
natural soi l s. The headi ng shoul d be as fol l ows:
Topsoi l
Landfi l l
Road surfaci ng Uncompacted or Compacted
Fi l l
For exampl e:
Cl assi fi cati on
Symbol Descri pti on
TOPSOI L 0.0-0.8 meter (m) TOPSOI Lwoul d be
cl assi fi ed as "ORGANI C SI LT (OL)."
Approxi matel y 80 percent fi nes wi th l ow
pl asti ci ty, sl ow di l atancy, l ow dry
strength, and l ow toughness; approxi -
matel y 20 percent fi ne to medi um sand;
wet, dark brown, organi c odor, weak reac-
ti on wi th HCl ; roots present throughout.
Some materi al shoul d be descri bed but not gi ven a cl assi -
fi cati on symbol or group name, such as l andfi l l (trash,
garbage, etc.) or asphal t road. Al l of the above l i sted
terms are onl y exampl es; thi s i s not a compl ete l i st. I f the
above materi al s are not to be used and wi l l not i nfl uence
desi gn or constructi on, onl y the basi c term l i sted above
need be shown on the l ogs wi thout a compl ete descri pti on
or cl assi fi cati on.
FIELD MANUAL
56
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] Bureau of Recl amati on, U.S. Department of the
I nteri or, USBR-5000, Procedure for Determi ni ng
Uni fi ed Soi l Cl assi fi cati on (Laboratory Method),
Earth Manual, Part I I , 3rd edi ti on, 1990.
[2] Bureau of Recl amati on, U.S. Department of the
I nteri or, USBR-5005, Procedure for Determi ni ng
Uni fi ed Soi l Cl assi fi cati on (Vi sual Method), Earth
Manual, Part I I , 3rd edi ti on, 1990.
[3] Ameri can Soci ety for Testi ng and Materi al s, ASTM
D-2487, Standard Cl assi fi cati on of Soi l s for
Engi neeri ng Purposes, ASTM Annual Book of
Standards, Vol ume 04.08 on Soi l and Rock,
Secti on 4 - Constructi on, West Conshohocken, PA,
1996.
[4] Ameri can Soci ety for Testi ng and Materi al s, ASTM
D-2488, Standard Practi ce for Descri pti on and
I denti fi cati on of soi l s (Vi sual -Manual Procedure),
ASTM Annual Book of Standards, Vol ume 04.08 on
Soi l and Rock, Secti on 4 - Constructi on, West Con-
shohocken, PA, 1996.
[5] U.S. Department of Agri cul ture, Agriculture Hand-
book No. 436, Appendi x I (Soi l Taxonomy), December
1975.
[6] Bureau of Recl amati on, U.S. Department of the
I nteri or, USBR 3900, Standard Defi ni ti ons of
Terms and Symbol s Rel ati ng to Soi l Mechani cs,
Earth Manual, Part I I , 3rd edi ti on, 1990.