Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)

(1) Sieve opening under USCS

Seive No. Opening (mm) Notes

3/4 in 19 Gravel
#4 4.75
#6 3.35
Course Sand
#8 2.36
#10 2.000
#16 1.180
#20 0.850
Medium Sand
#30 0.600
#40 0.425
#50 0.300
#60 0.250
#80 0.180
#100 0.150 Fine Sand
#140 0.106
#170 0.088
#200 0.075
#270 0.053 Silt or Clay
 (2) Table for classification

Group
Major divisions Group name
symbol
Step (1) Step (2) Step (3) Step (4) Step (5)
Coarse Gravels Clean Gravels Cu ≥ 4 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 GW Well-graded gravel
Grained Soils > 50% of coarse < 5% passes No.
> 50% retained fraction retained 200 sieve Cu < 4 or 1 > Cc > 3 GP Poorly graded gravel

on No. 200 sieve on No. 4 sieve GW-GM Well-graded gravel with silt
Borderline to have double Well-graded gravel with clay
5%~12% passes GW-GC
symbol appropriate to grading Poorly graded gravel with silt
No. 200 sieve GP-GM Poorly graded gravel with
and plasticity characteristics
GP-GC clay
Gravels with Below A-line and hatched zone
Fines GM Silty gravel
on plasticity chart (ML or MH)
> 12% passes Limits plots in hatched zone on
No. 200 sieve GM-GC --
plasticity chart
Above A-line and hatched zone Clayey gravel
GC
on plasticity chart (CL or CH)
Sands Clean Sands Cu ≥ 6 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 SW Well-graded sand
≥ 50% of coarse < 5% passes No.
fraction passes 200 sieve Cu < 6 or 1 > Cc > 3 SP Poorly graded sand

No. 4 sieve SW-SM Well-graded sand with silt

Borderline to have double
5%~12% passes SW-SC Well-graded sand with clay
symbol appropriate to grading Poorly graded sand with silt
No. 200 sieve SP-SM
and plasticity characteristics Poorly graded sand with clay
SP-SC
Sands with Below A-line and hatched zone
Fines SM Silty sand
on plasticity chart (ML or MH)
> 12% passes Limits plots in hatched zone on
No. 200 sieve SM-SC --
plasticity chart
Above A-line and hatched zone Clayey sand
SC
on plasticity chart (CL or CH)
Fine Grained Silts and Below A-line and hatched zone Silt
ML
Soils Clays on plasticity chart
≥ 50% passes Liquid limit < 50 Limits plots in hatched zone on
Inorganic CL-ML --
No. 200 sieve plasticity chart
Above A-line and hatched zone Clay of low plasticity,
CL lean clay
on plasticity chart
Organic OL Organic silt, organic clay

Silts and Silt of high plasticity,

Below A-line on plasticity chart MH elastic silt
Clays Inorganic
Clay of high plasticity,
Above A-line on plasticity chart CH fat clay
Liquid limit ≥ 50
Organic clay,
Organic OH organic silt
Highly Organic Soils Pt Peat
(3) Figures for classification

Here is the figure of A-Line and U-Line and border line.