Unified Soil Classification

System Training
Part B - USCS using Laboratory Data
Comparison of Particle Size
USDA
Definitions
clay silt sand gravel cobbles

2 .05 mm #4 3”

# 200 USCS

fines sand cobbles

gravel

.074 mm #4 3”
 ASTM Standards

 Lab Data Classification is by

ASTM D2487
 Classification of Peat Samples, see
ASTM D 4427
 Field Classification is by D2488
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
M e a s u re %
F in e r t h a n
# 2 0 0 S ie v e

5 0 % o r M o re L e s s th a n 5 0 %
p a s s e s th e is f in e r t h a n
# 2 0 0 s ie v e t h e # 2 0 0 s ie v e

F in e - C o a rs e -
G r a in e d G r a in e d
S o ils S o ils
 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 D e t e r m in e
W h e th e r
O r g a n ic
O r not

R a t io o f O v e n -d ry R a t io o f O v e n -d ry
to A ir - d r y to A ir - d r y
LL V a lu e s LL V a lu e s
is < 0 .7 5 is > 0 .7 5

O r g a n ic I n o r g a n ic
S o ils S o ils

A ir - d r y L L A ir - D r y L L C la s s if y b y
is < 5 0 is = o r > 5 0 P lo tt in g L L &
P I o n P la s t ic ity
C h a rt

O L O H
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

50
PLASTICITY INDEX

40 CH

30

CL
20 MH
CL-ML

10
ML

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
LIQUID LIMIT
Activity 5 - Plasticity Chart

Solve 4 samples
Activity 7 - Classify Fine-
Grained 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
L e s s th a n 5 0 %
is f in e r t h a n
# 2 0 0 s ie v e

L e s s th a n 5 % F ro m 5 % to 1 2 % M o re th a n 1 2 %
f in e r th a n ( in c lu s iv e ) f in e r th a n
# 2 0 0 s ie v e f in e r th a n # 2 0 0 s ie v e
# 2 0 0 s ie v e

C le a n D ual D ir t y
C o a rs e - C o a rs e - C o a rs e -
G r a in e d G r a in e d G r a in e d
 Abbreviations Sands and Gravels

 G - Gravel
 S - Sand
 P - Poorly Graded
 W - Well Graded
Sieve Analyses

% gravel = % finer
3”minus % 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”
 To compute % Sand subtract % finer
than # 200 from % finer than # 4
 Percent Fines is % finer than # 200
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

D 60
CU  Coefficient of Uniformity
D10 High Values Indicate Well-
Graded Soil
Coefficient of Curvature
2
D30
CC  Values Between 1-3 Indicate
D10  D 60 Well-Graded Soil
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 Or Gap-
Mostly One-
Graded
Size Particle

% Finer
% Finer

Poorly graded
Gap graded

Particle Size Particle Size

 Clean, Well/Poorly Graded
Definitions
 Sands  Gravels
– less than 5 % – less than 5 %
fines fines
– CU > 6 – CU > 4
– CC = 1-3 – 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
 To Classify, follow the flow chart and
the following steps
 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
Sands
 SC - Fines Plot Above A-Line
 SM - Fines Plot Below A-Line
 SC-SM - Fines Plot in Hatched Zone
Gravels
 GC - Fines Plot Above A-Line
 GM - Fines Plot Below A-Line
 GC-GM - Fines Plot in Hatched Zone
Activity 16 - Problems
Activity 17 - Example of
Classifying Dual-Classification
Coarse-Grained Soil
Activity 18 - Problem
Activity 20 - Review Questions
Activity 21 - Comprehensive
Problems