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WEEK 3-i
Physical properties and classification of soils;
1C) Soil Classification
FAIZAH BT KAMARUDIN
BP 4.45
04-3823371
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND CLASSIFICATION
OF SOILS
Learning outcomes:
At the end of this lecture/week the students would
be able to:
3
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
4
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
5
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Methods of Classification
6
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Coarse grain analysis
10
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Sieving Apparatus
Particle size
distribution apparatus
11
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
RIFFLE BOX
Notes :
Maksimum mass retained for each sieve size
12
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Procedures of Sieving
Method 1 : WET SIEVING
Wet sieving is carried out to remove fine-grained particles and to
determine the combined clay/silt fraction percentage given in BS
1377: 1990: Part 2: Test 9.2.
A sub sample is first oven dried and sieved to separate the
coarsest particle (>20 mm).
The sub sample is then immersed in water containing dispersing
agent of sodium hexametaphosphate of about 2 g/litre solution and
is allowed to stand before being washed away in a 63 m mesh
sieve.
The retained fraction is again oven dried and passed into a
nest of sieves.
The cumulative percentage passing is calculated and the combined
clay/silt fraction is determined from the weight difference expressed
as a percentage of the total sub sample from hydrometer test.
The coarsest fraction (>20 mm) is sieved and the result is
combined to complete the grading curve.
Note : Details procedure of wet sieving can be referred in BS1377-2:1990 Clause 9.2.4
13
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Procedures of Sieving
METHOD 2 : DRY SIEVING
Dry sieving is carried out on
particles bigger than 63 m to
determine the coarse material in the
sub sample in accordance to BS
1377: 1990: Part 2: Test 9.3.
The sub sample is first oven dried.
Fit the largest size test sieve
appropriate to the max size of the
material present to the receiver and
placed on the nest of sieves.
The nest is then agitated on the
shaker shown and the weight
retained in each sieve is determined.
The cumulative percentage passing
is calculated to plot the grading
curve. BS Test Sieve
14
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Analysis of Test Results
Grading Characteristics
Based on the plot, the following characteristics
are determined in order to classify the soil :-
Percentage Composition
Effective size = D10
D60
Uniformity Coefficient, C u
D10
D30 2
Coefficient of Gradation, C g
D10 x D60
Grading characteristic is then categorised by following grade:
Cu > 5 is well graded
C u < 3 is poorly graded
Cg ranging between 0.5 to 2.0 to confirm as well graded soil
Cg < 0.1 indicates a possible gap-graded (confirm the plotting shape)
15
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Analysis of Test Results
100
Grading Curve
Percentage Finer
60
30
10
0
d10 d30 d60
17
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Plotting of Graph
Well graded very sandy GRAVEL
PSD Graph
18
SOIL MECHANICSI (ECG426)
Geotechnicques (KJC412) /Soil Mechanics (ECG413) ARM/FBI
ARM 2014
- July 2006
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Analysis of Test Results
Determination
of the grading
characteristics
of the sample
19
Thus the soil is classified as well graded very sandy GRAVEL
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Tabulation of Test Data
EXAMPLE 2 : PSD
ANALYSIS ~ TABLE OF
CALCULATION
Data shown is
obtained from a
a typical three
stage sieving
20
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Plotting of PSD Graph
PSD Graph
21
SOIL MECHANICS (ECG426) ARM/FBI 2014
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Fine Grain Analysis
1.12.1.2 Grading of Fine Soil
METHOD 3 : Hydrometer Test (Sedimentation
Test)
Hydrometer test is based on the
principles of sedimentation of soil
grained in water.
This is based on Stokes law which
expressed that:
s -w 2
D Hydrometer
18 test bulb
where
v is the velocity
s is the unit weight of soil particles,
w is the unit weight of water,
is the viscosity of water, and
D is the diameter of soil particles.
22
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Hydrometer Test
Hydrometer Test (Sedimentation Test) cont
In the laboratory, hydrometer test is conducted on a sedimentation
cylinder of 1000 ml using 50 g of oven dried sub sample in
accordance to BS 1377-2:1990 Clause 9.5
A dispersing solution is a mixture of 33 g of sodium
hexametaphosphate combined with 7 g of sodium carbonate is mixed
with water of 1000 ml and allowed to stand for 24 hrs. This solution
only last for ONE MONTH only. Always recorded the date
prepared.
Add only 100ml of dispersing solution to the 50g of sample in conical
flask, put it on a mechanical shaker for at least 4hr or overnight.
Shake the sample until all soil is in suspension.
Transfer the suspension onto the 63m sieve that place on the
empty receiver or container. Wash the suspension retained on the
sieve using a jet of distilled water from wash bottle. The amount of
distilled water used during this operation SHALL NOT EXCEED
500ml. 23
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Hydrometer Test
Hydrometer Test (Sedimentation Test) cont
Transfer the suspension collected in the container to 1L measuring cylinder,
then add distilled water into that cylinder to make up to 1000ml. Use this
suspension for the sedimentation test ~ hydrometer method. Bring this
cylinder+suspension to the water bath for at least 1hr, then put a lid & shake
it for 60times in 2mins.
The hydrometer bulb is then placed in the soil suspension SLOWLY and
measurements are recorded immediately at 0.5min, 1min, 2min and 4min.
Remove the hydrometer from suspension measuring cylinder and rinse in
distilled water.
Reinsert the hydrometer at interval period, such as 8 min, 30min, 2hr, 4hr,
8hr, 16hr, 24hrs, 48hrs, or 72hrs. Do remove the hydrometer & rinse
immediately with distilled water for every measurement recorded at initial
time.
Notes: Prior to hydrometer measurement, all corrections and calibration
relevant to hydrometer test NEED TO BE carried out; such as volume
calibration of hydrometer, scale calibration of hydrometer, meniscus
correction, etc as instructed in Clause 9.5 ~ 9.5.8
Note : Details procedure for hydrometer test can be referred in BS1377-2:1990 Clause 9.5 24
Conical flask (contains sample + Hydrometer serial no.
normally is printed here.
dispersion solution) on rotating It is very important to
mechanical shaker record serial no. when
performing calibration.
26
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
A. British Soil Classification System
27
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
BS Grading Characteristics ~ for coarse soils
Well graded ~ A soil, in order to be classified
as well-graded, must have a good range of all
representative particle sizes between the
largest and the smallest. The soil in Figure 7
is well-graded.
30
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
BS Plasticity Chart for the classification of fine soils
Plasticity Chart in
accordance to BS
31
Re produce from BS 5930:1981 - This table also can be found in Whitlow, R. (2001), Table 2.2 & 2.3, pg 18~23.
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
British Soil Classification System
Superseded by
BS5930:1999
SOIL
SOILMECHANICS
MECHANICS(ECG426)
(ECG413) ARM/FBI
ARM 2014
2014
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Superseded by
BS5930:1999
Reproduced
SOIL
SOIL from(ECG426)
MECHANICS
MECHANICS BS5930:1981 - This table also can be found in Whitlow, R. (2001), Table 2.2 &ARM/FBI
(ECG413) 2.3,ARM 2014
2014
pg 18~23.
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
British Soil Classification System
The dominant
secondary
fraction comes
immediately
before the
principal soil
term.
0.063
0.212
0.425
GRADING
37.5
0.15
1.18
3.35
British Standard Sieves, (mm)
0.3
0.6
6.3
10
14
20
28
50
63
75
CHARACTERISTICS
5
100
% Gravel 0.00
90 % Sand 0.00
% Silt 100.00
80
D % Clay 0.00
B
70 D90 (mm)
F C
Percentage Passing, (%)
D85 (mm)
60
D60 (mm)
E D50 (mm)
50
D30 (mm)
40
D15 (mm)
30 D10 (mm)
A Cu
20
Cg
10 Soil Classification
0
0.001 0.002 0.006 0.01 0.02 0.06 0.1 0.2 0.6 1 2 6 10 20 60 100
particle diameter, (mm)
Remarks :
Cobbles
fine medium coarse fine medium coarse fine medium coarse
CLAY 35
SILT SAND GRAVEL
BBB2000
Soil Classification (PSD Curve) ~ BS
Compare the soil names obtained from PSD curves analysis for Soil A to F between BS and ASTM 36
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
B. Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)
Fine Coarse
SILT
0.063
0.212
0.425
GRADING
37.5
0.15
1.18
3.35
British Standard Sieves, (mm)
0.3
0.6
6.3
10
14
20
28
50
63
75
CHARACTERISTICS
5
100
% Gravel 0.00
90 % Sand 0.00
% Silt 100.00
80
D % Clay 0.00
B
70 D90 (mm)
F C
Percentage Passing, (%)
D85 (mm)
60
D60 (mm)
E D50 (mm)
50
D30 (mm)
40
D15 (mm)
30 D10 (mm)
A Cu
20
Cg
10 Soil Classification
0
0.075 mm 4.76 mm 76.2 mm
0.001 0.002 0.006 0.01 0.02 0.06 0.1 0.2 0.6 1 2 6 10 20 60 100
particle diameter, (mm)
Remarks :
SILT mediumSAND coarse GRAVEL
Cobbles
CLAY fine medium coarse fine fine medium coarse
CLAY 43
SILT SAND GRAVEL
BBB2000
Soil Classification (PSD Curve) ~ ASTM
Notes : Capital letters are not used to indicate principal soil types in ASTM
Compare the soil names obtained from PSD curves analysis for Soil A to F between BS and ASTM 44
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Plasticity Classification - BS
Consistency relationships
Volume Ip
Plastic Liquid
Va Semi-
Vd plastic
Vs Solid
solid
% Water
wS wP wL Content
46
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Plasticity Classification - BS
It is convenient to define arbitrary limits corresponding to a
changeover moisture content:
ii) wP - the plastic limit is defined as the water content of the soil to
which it ceases to be plastic and becomes semi-
plastic solids.
iii) wS - the shrinkage limit is defined as the water content of the soil
to which the drying shrinkage at constant stress ceases.
The two most important terms are the liquid and plastic limits
which represent respectively the upper and lower bound of the
plastic states and the range of this state is given by their
differences termed as plasticity index, IP.
Ip = wL - wP
47
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Plasticity Classification - BS
Plasticity Chart in
accordance to BS
49
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Plasticity Chart - ASTM
Plasticity Chart in
accordance to ASTM
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Plasticity Classification - BS
The degree of plasticity of the clay fraction itself is
termed as the activity of the clay
IP
Activity
% clay particles ( 2 um)
Activity of clays
53
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Consistency Limits
54
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Consistency Limits
1.13.1 Determination of Liquid Limit
1.13.1.1 Cone Penetration Method
Procedure
55
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Consistency Limits
The cone is then lowered so that it just touches the
surface of the soil paste and the dial gauge reading
is set with the reading noted.
Then the cone is released to penetrate the soil paste for
exactly 5 s and the first dial gauge reading is taken.
The same procedure is repeated several times on the
same paste mix to obtain the average penetration
and the small portion of the soil is taken to determine
its water content.
The whole penetration procedure is repeated with paste
mix of different water contents, five or six times in
all. A graph of penetration vs water content is drawn
and the liquid limit corresponds to a penetration of
20 mm.
56
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Consistency Limits
20 mm penetration
57
Determination of Liquid Limit
Determination
of Liquid Limit
using
Cone
Penetration
Apparatus
Tabulation
and plot
58
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Casagrande Method
59
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Liquid Limit
Procedure
60
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Liquid Limit
Procedure - cont
61
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Liquid Limit
25 no. of blow
Number of
Blows, N
Tabulation
and plot
63
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Plastic Limit
Procedure
Approximately 20 g of the soil paste is moulded in hand
until it dries sufficiently for slight cracks to appear.
The sample is then divided into two approximately
equal portions and these are again divided into
four sub-samples.
One of the sub-samples is taken and rolled into a ball
and then it is rolled on a glass sheet to form a
thread of soil. The rolling using the palm and
fingers with light pressure is continued until the
diameter of the thread reaches 3 mm.
64
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Plastic Limit
Procedure - cont.
65
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Plastic Limit
67
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Linear Shrinkage
For soils with less clay content, the liquid and plastic
limit tests may not produce reliable results.
Therefore, an approximation of the plasticity index may
be obtained by measuring the linear shrinkage using
this expression:
I P 2.3 x LS
The soil is prepared for the liquid limit test and a 150 g
specimen is taken for the linear shrinkage test where
the specimen is remixed thoroughly with distilled water
to form a smooth paste at approximately the liquid limit
of the soil.
68
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Determination of Linear Shrinkage