Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
The Classification of Soils and Soil-Aggregate Mixtures for Highway Construction Purposes
1. SCOPE 3.1 The classification is made by using 4.1.6 The term "silty" is applied to fine
the test limits and group index values material having plasticity index of 10 or
shown in Table 1. If a more detailed less and the term "clayey" is applied to
1.1 This recommended practice describes classification is desired, a further fine material having plasticity index of 11
a procedure for classifying soils into subdivision of the groups shown in Table or greater.
seven groups based on laboratory 1 may be made. An example of the
determination of particle-size classification with such subgroups is
distribution, liquid limit, and plasticity shown in Table 1 may be made. An 5. DESCRIPTION OF
index. Evaluation of soils within each example of the classification with such CLASSIFICATION GROUPS
group is made by means of a "group subgroups is shown in Table 2. The liquid
index," which is a value calculated from limit and plasticity index ranges for the
an empirical formula. The group 5.1 Granular Materials-Containing 35
A-4, A5. A-6, and A-7 soil groups are percent or less passing 0.075-mm (Nº
classification, including group index shown graphically in Figure 2.
should be useful in determining the 200) sieve, Note 2.
relative quality of the soil material for 3.2 Classification Procedure-With 5.1.1 Group A-1-The typical material
use in earthwork structures, particularly required test data available, proceed from of this group is a well-graded mixture of
embankments, subgrades, subbases, and left to right in Table 1 or Table 2 and the stone fragments or gravel, coarse sand,
bases. However, for the detailed design of correct group will be found by process of fine sand and a nonplastic or feebly
important structures additional data elimination. The first group from the left plastic soil binder. However, this group
concerning strength or performance into which the test data will fit is the includes also stone fragments, gravel,
characteristics of the soil under field correct classification. All limiting test çcoarse sand, volcanic cinders, etc.
conditions will usually be required. values are shown as whole number. If without soil binder.
fractional numbers appear on test reports,
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be 5.1.1.1 Subgroup A-1-a includes those
convert to nearest whole number for
regarded as the standard. materials consisting predominantly of
purposes of classification. Group index
stone fragments or gravel, either with or
values should always be shown in
without a well-graded binder of fine
2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS parentheses after group symbol as: A-2-
material.
6(3), A4(5), A-6(12), A-7-5(17), etc.
5.1.1.2 Subgroup A-1-b includes those
2.1 AASHTO Standards: materials consisting predominantly of
4. DEFINITIONS OF GRAVEL, coarse sand either with or without a well-
T 11 Amount of Material Finer
SAND, AND SILT CLAY graded soil binder.
Than 75-µm Sieve in
Aggregate 5.1.2 Group A-3-The typical material
T 27 Sieve Analysis of Fine and 4.1 The terms "gravel," "coarse sand," of this group is fine beach sand or fine
Coarse Aggregates and "silt-clay," as determinable from the desert blow sand without silty or clay
minimum test data required in this fines or with a very small amount of
T 87 Dry Preparation of Disturbed nonplastic silt. The group includes also
classification arrangement and as used in
Soil and Soil Aggregate stream-deposited mixtures of poor-ly-
subsequent word descriptions, are
Samples for Test graded fme sand and limited amounts of
defined as follows:
T 88 Particle Size Analysis of Soils coarse sand and gravel.
4.1.1 Gravel-Material passing sieve
T 89 Determining the Liquid Limit with 75-mm (3-in.) square openings and 5.1.3 Group A-2-This group includes a
of Soils retained on the 2.00-mm (Nº 10) sieve. wide variety of "granular" materials
T 90 Determining the Plastic Limit 4.1.2 Coarse Sand-Material passing the which are borderline between the
and Plasticity Index of Soils 2.00-mm (Nº 10) sieve and retained on materials falling in Groups A-1 and A3
the 0.425-mm (Nº 40) sieve. and silt-clay materials of Groups A4, A-5,
T 146 Wet Preparation of Disturbed
A-6, and A-7. It includes all materials
Soil Samples for Test 4.1.3 Fine Sand-Material passing the containing 35 percent or less passing the
2.2 ASTM Standard: 0.425-mm (Nº 40) sieve and retained on 0.075 mm (Nº 200) sieve which cannot
D 1140 Amount of Material in Soils the 0.075-mm (Nº 200) sieve. be classified as A-i or A3, due to fines
Finer Than the Nº 200 (75- 4.1.4 Silt Clay (Combined silt and content or plasticity or both, in excess of
µm) Sieve clay)-Material passing the 0.075-mm (Nº the limitations for those groups.
200) sieve. 5.1.3.1 Subgroups A-2-4 and A-2-5
NOTE 1-Either AASHTO T 88, or T 11 and T
27, or ASTM D 1140 will be used to determine 4.1.5 Boulders and Cobbles (retained include various granular materials
the particle size distribution of soils or soil- on 75-mm (3-in.) sieve) should be containing 35 percent or less passing the
aggregate mixtures as a basis for classification. excluded from the portion of the sample 0.075-mm (Nº 200) sieve and with a
to which the classification is applied, but minus 0.425-mm (Nº 40) portion having
the percentage of such material, if any, in the characteristics of the A-4 and A-5
3. CLASSIFICATION the sample should be recorded.
106
TABLE 1 Classification of Soils and Soil-Aggregate Mixtures
General Classification Granular Materials (35 Percent or Less Passing 0.075 mm) Silt-Clay Materials (More than 35 Percent Passing 0.075 mm)
a
Group Classification A-1 A-3 A-2 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-7
Sieve analysis, percent passing:
2.00 mm (No. 10) - - - - - - -
0.425 mm (No. 40) 50 max 51 min - - - - -
0.075 mm (No. 200) 25 max 10 max 35 max 36 min 36 min 36 min 36 min
Characteristics of fraction passing 0.425 mm (Nº 40)
Liquid limit - - 40 max 41 min 40 max 41 min
Plasticity index 6 max N. P. ° 10 max 10 max 11 min 11 min
General rating as subgrade Excellent to good Fair to poor
a
The placing of A-3 before A-2 is necessary in the "left to right elimination process" and does not indicate superiority of A-3 over A-2.
b
See Table 2 for values.
6. GROUP INDEX