Grain Size Identification

Name Size Limits Familiar Example

Boulder 12 in. (305mm) or more Larger than basketball
Cobbles 3 in. (76mm) to 12 in. (305mm) Grapefruit
Coarse gravel 3/4 in. (19mm) to 3 in. (76mm) Orange or lemon
Fine gravel 4.76 mm (# 4) to 3/4 in. (19mm) Grape or pea
Coarse sand 2 mm (# 10) to 4.76 mm (# 4) Rocksalt
Medium sand 0.42 mm (# 40) to 2 mm (# 10) Sugar, table salt
Fine sand 0.074mm (#200) to 0.42 mm (# Powdered sugar
40)
Fines Less than 0.074mm (#200)
Note: Particles finer than fine sand cannot be discerned with the naked eye at a distance of
8 inches (20cm).

Soil Plasticity
Term Plastic Limit Dry Strength Field Test
Non-plastic 0 to 3 Very Low Falls apart easily
Slightly plastic 4 to 8 Slight Easily crushed with
fingers
Medium plastic 9 to 30 Medium Difficult to crush
Highly plastic 31 or more High Impossible to crush
with fingers

Soil Compressibility
Term Compression Index Liquid Limit
Slight or low compressibility 0.0 to 0.19 0 to 30
Moderate or intermediate 0.20 to 0.39 31 to 50
High compressibility 0.4 and over 51 and over

Soil Permeability
Term Permeability, cm/sec Typical soil
Very permeable Over 10-1 Coarse gravel

Medium permeability 10-1 to 10-3 Sand, fine sand

Low permeability 10-3 to 10-5 Silty sand, dirty sand
Very low permeability 10-5 to 10-7 Silt
Impervious Less than 10-7 Clay

To convert to feet per minute, multliply above values by 2; to convert to feet per day,
multiply above by 3 X 103.

Typical Values of Sensitivity

Clay Type Typical Sensitivity
Clays of medium plasticity, normally 2 to 8
consolidated
Highly flocculent, marine clays 10 to 80
Clays of low to medium plasticity, 1 to 4
overconsoldiated
Fissured clays, clays with sand seams 0.5 to 2

Volume Change Potential

Volume Change Shrinkage Limit Plasticity Index
Probably low 12 or more 0 to 15
Probably moderate 10 to 12 15 to 30
Probably high 0 to 10 30 or more

Soil Strength – Cohesive Soil

Term Unconfined SPT Field Test
Compressive Blow
Strength, Count
kips / sq ft.
Very soft 0 to 0.5 <2 Squeezes between fingers when fist is closed.
Easily penetrated several inches by thumb.

Soft 0.5 to 1.0 2-4 Easily molded by fingers. Easily penetrated one
inch by thumb.
Medium 1.0 to 2.0 4-8 Molded by strong pressure of fingers. Can be
Stif penetrated over ¼” by thumb with moderate
efort.

Stif 2.0 to 4.0 8-15 Dented by strong pressure of fingers. Indented

about ¼” by thumb but penetrated only with
great efort
Very stif 4.0 to 8.0 15-30 Dented only slightly by finger pressure. Readily
indented by thumbnail.

Hard 8.0 or more >30 Dented only slightly by pencil point. Indented
with difficulty by thumbnail.

Soil Relative Density – Cohesionless Soil

Term Relative Density SPT Field Test
Blow
Count
Very Loose 0 to 15 % <4 Easily penetrated with a ½ inch rebar pushed
by hand
Loose 15 to 35 % 4-10 Easily penetrated with a ½ inch rebar pushed
by hand
Medium 35 to 65 % 10-30 Easily penetrated with ½ inch rebar driven with
Dense a 5 lb hammer. (Can penetrate 1 ft.)

Dense 65 to 85 % 30-50 Penetrated a foot with ½ inch rebar drived with

a 5 lb hammer. (Can penetrate 1 ft.)
Very dense 85 to 100 % >50 Penetrated only a few inches with ½ inch rebar
driven with a 5 lb hammer

Soil Description
The field description of the soils will be based on a visual observation and physical characteristics of the soils. The
soil shall be described by Color, Grain Size, Moisture Content, Consistency / Relative Density, Odor, Fabric,
Grading, Other Features, Origin. The following descriptions will be used, in order, in describing the soils.

Color: Typical soils colors may include light brown, dark brown, dark gray, light gray, brownish gray,
reddish brown, yellow-brown, olive-brown, etc.

Grain Size: Grain size describes the dominant grain-size composition of the soil. In general, the soil will
either be fine grained or coarse grained. Fine grained soils include clay, silt, clayey silt, silty clay,
organic clay and organic silt, sandy clay and sandy silt. Coarse grained soils include gravel, sand,
sandy gravel, clayey gravel, silty gravel, silty sand, clayey sand. The description should begin
with the dominant constituent given in capitol letters, using “and” if two constituents occur in
approximately equal percentages. Minor constituents should be indicated using the following
descriptors:

Trace: Less than 10%

Some: 10% to 25%
Modifier: 25% to 45% ( i.e., silty, clayey, etc.)
And: 45% to 55%

If gravel or sand, also use the following.

Clean: Less than 5% fines

Borderline: 5 to 12% percent fines
Dirty: More than 12% fines

Moisture Content: The moisture shall be described using the following descriptors:

Dry: No visible moisture, dry and dusty

Damp: Not dry, but no free moisture present
Moist: Water present, but material not saturated
Wet: Free water present in soil.

Consistency / Relative Density:
The consistency (fine grained) or relative density (coarse grianed) of the soil
should be described based on the SPT blow counts as given in the tables. If SPT
blow counts are not available the consistency or relative density may be describe
using the alternate methods presented in the tables. Cohesive soils can also be
evaluated using the pocket penetrometer or torvane shear test.

Odor: Note any unusual odors present, such as organic, sulfidic, petroleum, chemical, etc.

Fabric: Split open a sample along its length and inspect for fabric on the face of the fresh break.Soils that
show relics of the structure of the parent rock material shall be described as a residual soil. Fabric,
if present, should be described as given below.

Stratified: Alternating layers of varying material or color with layers at

least 6 mm thick. Note thickness.
Fissured: Breaks along definite planes of fracture with little resistance to
fracturing.
Slickensided: Fracture planes appear polished or glossy, sometimes
stratified.
Blocky: Cohesive soil that can be broken down into smaller angular
lumps which resist further breakdown.
Lensed: Inclusion of small pockets of different soil, such a small lenses
of sand or silt in a clay deposit. Note thickness and material.
Homogeneous: Same color and appearance throughout.
 Grading: Describe whether coarse grained soils are well graded (comprised of a range of particle sizes) or
poorly graded ( comprised of primarily a narrow range of particle sizes).

Other Feature: Other features, as observed should be described, such as roots, fossils, etc.

Origin: Note the likely origin of the soil deposit. Descriptors may include fill, alluvium, colluvium,
lacustrine, residuum, till, outwash.

Field Description of Soils

The field description of the soils will be based on a visual observation and physical characteristics of the soils. The soil shall be
described by Color, Grain Size, Moisture Content, Consistency / Relative Density, Odor, Fabric, Grading, Other Features, Origin.
The following descriptions will be used, in order, in describing the soils.
COLOR Typical soils colors may include light brown, dark brown, dark gray, light gray, brownish gray, reddish brown, yellow-
brown, olive-brown, etc.
GRAIN SIZE

Grain size describes the dominant grain-size composition of the soil. In general, the soil will either be fine grained or coarse
grained. Fine grained soils include clay, silt, clayey silt, silty clay, organic clay and organic silt, sandy clay and sandy silt.
Coarse grained soils include gravel, sand, sandy gravel, clayey gravel, silty gravel, silty sand, clayey sand. The description
should begin with the dominant constituent given in capitol letters, using “and” if two constituents occur in approximately equal
percentages. Minor constituents should be indicated using the following descriptors:
Trace: Less than 10% trace sand, trace silt, etc. Adjective: 20% to 35% gravelly, sandy, silty, clayey, etc.
Some: 10% to 25% some sand, some silt, etc. And: 45% to 55% and gravel, and sand, and silt, etc.
For Gravels or Sands:
Clean: < 5% fines Borderline: 5 to 12% percent fines Dirty: > 12% fines
MOISTURE

The moisture shall be described using the following descriptors:

Dry: No visible moisture, dry and Moist: Water present, but material not saturated
dusty
Damp: Not dry, but no free moisture Wet: Free water present in soil
present
CONSISTENCY

Note the consistency of Fine-Grained soils or the Relative Density of Coarse-Grained soils.
Fine_Grained Coarse-Grained
Consistency SPT Field Test Rel. SPT Field Test
Density
V. Soft <2 Squeezes between fingers V. <4 Easily penetrated with a ½ inch rebar
when fist is closed. Easily Loose pushed by hand
penetrated several inches by
thumb.
Soft 3-4 Easily molded by fingers. Easily Loose 5-10 Easily penetrated with a ½ inch rebar
penetrated one inch by thumb. pushed by hand
Med. Stiff 5-8 Molded by strong pressure of Med. 11-30 Easily penetrated with ½ inch rebar
fingers. Can be penetrated over Dense driven with a 5 lb hammer. (Can
¼” by thumb with moderate penetrate 1 ft.)
effort.
Stiff 9-15 Dented by strong pressure of Dense 31-50 Penetrated a foot with ½ inch rebar
fingers. Indented about ¼” by drived with a 5 lb hammer. (Can
thumb but penetrated only with penetrate 1 ft.)
great effort
V. Stiff 16-30 Dented only slightly by finger V. >50 Penetrated only a few inches with ½
pressure. Readily indented by Dense inch rebar driven with a 5 lb hammer
thumbnail.
Hard >30 Dented only slightly by pencil
point. Indented with difficulty by
thumbnail.
ODOR Note any unusual odors present, such as organic, sulfidic, petroleum, chemical, etc.
FABRIC

Split open a sample along its length and inspect for fabric on the face of the fresh break.Soils that show relics of the structure
of the parent rock material shall be described as a residual soil. Fabric, if present, should be described as given below.
Stratified Alternating layers of varying material or Blocky Cohesive soil that can be broken down into
color with layers at least 6 mm thick. Note smaller angular lumps which resist further
thickness. breakdown.
Fissured Breaks along definite planes of fracture with Lensed Inclusion of small pockets of different soil,
little resistance to fracturing. such a small lenses of sand or silt in a
clay deposit. Note thickness and material.
 Slickensided Fracture planes appear polished or glossy, Homogeneous Same color and appearance throughout.
sometimes stratified.
GRADATION Describe whether coarse grained soils are well graded (comprised of a range of particle sizes) or poorly graded
( comprised of primarily a narrow range of particle sizes).
OTHER Other features, as observed should be described, such as roots, fossils, etc.
ORIGIN Note the likely origin of the soil deposit. Descriptors may include fill, alluvium, colluvium, lacustrine, residuum,
till, outwash
PLACE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HERE –
COMPANY LOGO, ETC.