UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (USCS)

Group
Major Division Typical Names Classification Criteria
Symbols
Cu > 4

c) 5 to 12 % passing No. 200 use dual symbols as GW-GM, GW-GC, GP-GM,

Clean Gravels
fraction retained on No. 4 sieve (4.75 GW Well Graded Gravels Cc = 1 to 3
Coarse-grained soils [More than 50% retained on No. 200 sieve (0.075 mm)]

Poorly Graded
Gravel [50% or more of coarse

GP Not meeting both criteria for GW

Gravels

Atterberg limits Atterberg

below A-line or limits in
GM Silty Gravel
Gravel with fines

plasticity index hatched area

b) More than 12% passing No. 200 GM, GC, SM, SC

less than 4 GM-GC

a) Less than 5% passing No. 200 GW, GP, SW, SP

Atterberg limits
above A-line or
GC Clayey Gravel
mm)]

plasticity index

GP-GC, SW-SM, SW-SC, SP-SM, SP-SC

greater than 7
Cu > 6
fraction passing No. 4 sieve (4.75 mm)]

SW Well Graded Sand Cc = 1 to 3

Clean Sand
Sand [More than 50% of coarse

SP Poorly Graded Sand Not meeting both criteria for SW

Atterberg limits Atterberg

below A-line or limits in
Percentage of fines

SM Silty Sands
plasticity index hatched area
Sand with fines

less than 4 SM-SC

Atterberg limits
above A-line or
SC Clayey Sands
plasticity index
greater than 7
Inorganic silts of low
ML
Fine-grained soils [ 50% or more passing

plasticity
Silts and Clays Inorganic clays of
on No. 200 sieve (0.075 mm)]

liquid limit 50% CL

low plasticity
or less
Organic silts of low
OL
plasticity

Inorganic silts of See Plasticity Chart

MH
high plasticity
Silts and Clays
liquid limit Inorganic clays of
greater than CH
high plasticity
50%
Organic clays of high
OH
plasticity
Peat, muck and
High organic soils Pt other highly organic Visual-Manual Identification
soils
Prepared by: Niraj Regmi