Geotechnical Engineering-I: BSC Civil Engineering - 4 Semester
Geotechnical Engineering-I: BSC Civil Engineering - 4 Semester
Geotechnical Engineering-I: BSC Civil Engineering - 4 Semester
Lecture # 8
20-Feb-2015
by
Dr. Muhammad Irfan
Assistant Professor
Civil Engg. Dept. – UET Lahore
Email: mirfan1@msn.com
Lecture Handouts: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/geotec-1
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SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Two commonly classification system used are:
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UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM (USCS) (ASTM D 2487)
→ Developed by Casagrande in 1942 for US Army
→ System based on particles < 3 in
→ Uses grain size distribution and plasticity of fines
SW Well-graded sand
SC Clayey sand
CL Low plasticity Clay
MH High Plastic silt
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USCS – Terminology
Clay (C): Soil passing No. 200 (0.075 mm) sieve that exhibits
plasticity. It has PI ≥ 4 and plot of PI and LL falls on or
above “A” line.
Silt (M): Soil passing No. 200 (0.075 mm) sieve that is non-
plastic or very slightly plastic and that exhibits little or no
strength when air dry. It has PI < 4 or the plot of PI versus
LL falls below “A” line.
Sand (S): Particles of rock that will pass No. 4 (4.75 mm)
sieve and retained on No. 200 (0.075 mm) sieve.
Gravel (G): Particles of rock that will pass 3 in. (76.2 mm)
sieve and retained on No. 4 (4.75 mm) sieve.
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USCS – Terminology
Organic Clay: A clay with sufficient organic content to influence
the soil properties.
(LL after over drying) < 75% (LL before oven drying)
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USCS – Terminology
W – Well Graded: Good representation of all particle sizes
from largest to smallest.
P – Poorly Graded:
Uniform, most particles about the same size;
Skip (or gap) gradation, absence of one or more
intermediate sizes.
Silt and
Gravel Sand
Clay
Boulders Cobbles
Coarse Fine Coarse Medium Fine
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FLOW CHART –
Coarse and Fine Grained
Passing No. 200 sieve
Fine-grained Coarse-grained
soils soils
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FLOW CHART – Coarse Grained
< 50% pass
No. 200 sieve
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FLOW CHART – Organic Soils
Determine whether
organic or not
Air-dry LL is Air-dry LL is
Use A-line
< 50 ≥ 50 Chart
OL OH
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FLOW CHART – Fine Grained
> 50% pass
No. 200 sieve
LL < 50 LL ≥ 50
CL CL-ML ML CH MH
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Are 50% of particles > 0.075 mm?
Yes No
Yes No
Is clay fraction > silt fraction?
Yes No
If first letter is G If first letter is G
Plastic clay fines Non-plastic silty fines Cu 4 and 1Cc 3, Cu 4 and 1Cc 3,
Second letter C Second letter M then GW-GC, else then GW-GM, else
GP-GC GP-GM
If first letter is G, Cu 4 and 1Cc 3, If first letter is G If first letter is G
then GW otherwise GP Cu 4 and 1Cc 3, Cu 4 and 1Cc 3,
If first letter is S, Cu 6 and 1Cc 3, then GW-GC, else then GW-GM, else
GP-GC GP-GM
then SW otherwise SP
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Are 50% of particles < 0.075 mm?
Yes No
LL (oven-dried)
Is < 0.75 FINE-GRAINED SOIL
LL (air dried)
CLASSIFICATION
Yes No
Is LL > 50%
Yes No
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Designation of Organic Soils
A liquid limit test is performed on:
The liquid limit values are compared by computing the ratio of the 2 values.
• Soil sample heated in muffle furnace set at either 440 oC or 750 oC and
weight loss measured.
FIG. 1 Flow chart for Classifying Fine-Grained Soil (50% or More Passes No. 200 Sieve)
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Fine Grained Organic Soils
FIG. 2 Flow chart for Classifying Organic Fine-Grained Soil (50% or More Passes No. 200 Sieve)
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Coarse Grained Soils
FIG. 3 Flow chart for Classifying Coarse-Grained Soils (50% or More Retained on No. 200 Sieve)
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PLASTICITY/A-LINE CHART
Used for fine grained soils to determine whether silt (M) or clay (C)
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Comparing soils at equal liquid limit
50 Toughness and dry strength increase
l ine
with increasing plasticity index "
"A
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Plasticity index
CH
30
20 OH
CL or
10 CL OL
or MH
ML
0 ML
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Liquid limit
Plasticity chart
for laboratory classification of fine grained soils
Below A-line is silt – use symbol M LL > 50 High plasticity
Above A-line is clay – use symbol C LL< 50 low plasticity
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PRACTICE PROBLEM #1
Classify the following soils Using Unified Classification
System.
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PRACTICE PROBLEM #1
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PRACTICE PROBLEM #2
Gravel
= 98-62
= 36%
Sand
= 62-8
= 54%
Fines
= 8%
Cu = 46.67
Soil A: D60 = 4.2 mm , D30 = 0.6 mm, D10 = 0.09 mm Cc = 0.95
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PRACTICE PROBLEM #2
LL = 42
PL = 31
PI = 42-31 = 11
ML
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Gravel = 36%
Sand = 54% 24
Fines = 8%
Cu = 46.7
Cc = 0.95
LL = 42
PL = 31 ML
PI = 42-31 = 11
FIG. 3 Flow chart for Classifying Coarse-Grained Soils (50% or More Retained on No. 200 Sieve)
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PRACTICE PROBLEM #3
Soil A 5% Gravel
20% Sand
Gravel = 100 – 80 = 20%
Sand = 80 – 52 = 28%
Fines = 52% > 50% => Fine-grained soil
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PRACTICE PROBLEM #3
LL = 30
PI = 8
CL
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CL – Sandy lean clay with gravel
Soil A LL = 30
Gravel = 20% PI = 8
Sand = 28%
Fines = 52% CL
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CONCLUDED
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