Experiment No.

: 1
(Visual Classification of Soil)

Name: ______________________________________ Year & Section: ______________ Rating: ____________

Instructor: ___________________________________ Date Performed: _____________

PURPOSE:
Visually classify the soil.

STANDARD REFERENCE:
ASTM D 2488 - Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual - Manual Procedure).

SIGNIFICANCE:
The first step in any geotechnical engineering project is to identify and describe the subsoil condition. For
example, as soon as a ground is identified as gravel, engineer can immediately form some ideas on the nature of
problems that might be encountered in a tunneling project. In contrast, a soft clay ground is expected to lead to other
types of design and construction considerations. Therefore, it is useful to have a systematic procedure for identification of
soils even in the planning stages of a project.

Soils can be classified into two general categories: (1) coarse grained soils and (2) fine grained soils.
Examples of coarse-grained soils are gravels and sands. Examples of fine-grained soils are silts and clays. Procedures
for visually identifying these two general types of soils are described in the following sections.

EQUIPMENT/ APPARATUSES:
Magnifying glass (optional)
Sensitive Beam/Weighing Balance

IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
a. Identify the color (e.g. brown, gray, brownish gray), odor (if any) and texture (coarse or fine-grained) of soil.

b. Identify the major soil constituent (>50% by weight) using Table 1 as coarse gravel, fine gravel, coarse sand,
medium sand, fine sand, or fines.

c. Estimate percentages of all other soil constituents using Table 1 and the following terms:
Trace - 0 to 10%
Little - 10 to 20%
Some - 20 to 30% By weight
And - 30 to 50%
(Examples: trace fine gravel, little silt, some clay)

d. If the major soil constituent is sand or gravel: Identify particle distribution. Describe as well graded or poorly
graded. Well-graded soil consists of particle sizes over a wide range. Poorly graded soil consists of particles which are all
about the same size. Identify particle shape (angular, sub-angular, rounded, sub-rounded) using Figure 1 and Table 2.

e. If the major soil constituents are fines, perform the following tests:
Dry strength test: Mold a sample into 1/8" size ball and let it dry. Test the strength of the dry sample by crushing
it between the fingers. Describe the strength as none, low, medium, high or very high depending on the results of the test
as shown in Table3(a).

Dilatancy Test: Make a sample of soft putty consistency in your palm. Then observe the reaction during shaking,
squeezing (by closing hand) and vigorous tapping. The reaction is rapid, slow or none according to the test results given
in Table 3(b). During dilatancy test, vibration densifies the silt and water appears on the surface. Now on squeezing, shear
stresses are applied on the densified silt. The dense silt has a tendency for volume increase or dilatancy due to shear
stresses. So the water disappears from the surface. Moreover, silty soil has a high permeability, so the water moves
quickly. In clay, we see no change, no shiny surface, in other words, no reaction.

Plasticity (or Toughness) Test: Roll the samples into a thread about 1/8" in diameter. Fold the thread and reroll
it repeatedly until the thread crumbles at a diameter of 1/8". Note (a) the pressure required to roll the thread when it is
near crumbling, (b) whether it can support its own weight, (c) whether it can be molded back into a coherent mass, and (d)
whether it is tough during kneading. Describe the plasticity and toughness according to the criteria in Tables 3(c) and 3(d).
A low to medium toughness and non-plastic to low plasticity is the indication that the soil is silty; otherwise the soil is
clayey. Based on dry strength, dilatancy and toughness, determine soil symbol based on Table 4.

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 f. Identify moisture condition (dry, moist, wet or saturated) using Table 5.

g. Record visual classification of the soil in the following order: color, major constituent, minor constituents,
particle distribution and particle shape (if major constituent is coarse-grain, plasticity (if major constituent is fine-grained),
moisture content, soil symbol (if major constituent is fine-grained).

Examples of coarse-grained soils:

Soil 1: Brown fine gravel, some coarse to fine sand, trace silt, trace clay, well graded, angular, dry.
Soil 2: Gray coarse sand, trace medium to fine sand, some silt, trace clay, poorly graded, rounded, saturated.

Examples of fine-grained soils:

Soil A: Brown lean clay, trace coarse to fine sand, medium plasticity, moist, CL.
Soil B: Gray clayey silt, trace fine sand, non-plastic, saturated, ML.

Table 1: Grain Size Distribution

Soil Constituent Size Limits Familiar Example
Boulder 12 in. (305 mm) or more Larger than basketball
Cobbles 3 in. (76 mm) – 12 in (305 mm) Grapefruit
Coarse Gravel ¾ in. (19 mm) – 3 in. (76 mm) Orange or Lemon
Fine Gravel 4.75 mm (No.4 Sieve) – ¾ in. (19 mm) Grape or Pea
Coarse Sand 2mm (No.10 Sieve) – 4.75 mm (No.4 Sieve) Rocksalt
Medium Sand 0.42 mm (No.40 Sieve) – 2 mm (No.10 Sieve) Sugar, table salt
Fine Sand* 0.075 mm (No.200 Sieve) – 0.42 mm (No.40 Sieve) Powdered Sugar
Fines Less than 0.0075 mm (No.200 Sieve) -
*Particles finer than fine sand cannot be discerned with the naked eye at a distance of 8 in. (20 cm).

Table 2: Criteria for Describing Shape of Coarse-Grained Soil Particles

Description Criteria
Angular Particles have sharp edges and relatively plane sides with unpolished
surfaces.
Subangular Particles are similar to angular description, but have rounded edges.
Subrounded Particles have nearly plane sides, but have well-rounded corners and edges.
Rounded Particles have smoothly curved sides and no edges.

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Table 3a: Criteria for Describing Dry Strength
Description Criteria
None The dry specimen ball crumbles into powder with the slightest handling pressure.
Low The dry specimen crumbles into powder with some pressure from fingers.
Medium The dry specimen breaks into pieces or crumbles with moderate finger pressure.
The dry specimen cannot be broken with finger pressure. Specimen will break into
High
pieces between thumb and a hard surface.
Very High The dry specimen cannot be broken between the thumb and a hard surface.

Table 3b: Criteria for Describing Dilatancy of a Soil Sample

Description Criteria
None There is no visible change in the soil samples.
Slow Water slowly appears and remains on the surface during shaking or water slowly
disappears upon squeezing.
Rapid Water quickly appears on the surface during shaking and quickly disappears upon
squeezing.

Table 3c: Criteria for Describing Soil Plasticity

Description Criteria
Non-plastic A 1/8” (3 mm) thread cannot be rolled at any water content.
The thread is difficult to roll and a cohesive mass cannot be formed when drier than
Low the plastic limit.
The thread is easy to roll and little time is needed to reach the plastic limit. The thread
cannot be re-rolled after the plastic limit is reached. The mass crumbles when it is
Medium drier than the plastic limit.
Considerable time is needed, rolling and kneading the sample, to reach the plastic
High limit. The thread can be rerolled and reworked several times before reaching the
plastic limit. A mass can be formed when the sample is drier than the plastic limit.
Note: The plastic limit is the water content at which the soil begins to break apart and crumbles when rolled into threads
1/8” in diameter.

Table 3d: Criteria for Describing Soil Toughness

Description Criteria
Low Only slight pressure is needed to roll the thread to the plastic limit. The thread and
mass are weak and soft.
Medium Moderate pressure is needed to roll the thread to near the plastic limit. The thread
and mass have moderate stiffness.
High Substantial pressure is needed to roll the thread to near the plastic limit. The thread
and mass are very stiff.

Table 4: Identification of Inorganic Fine-Grained Soils

Soil Symbol Dry Strength Dilatancy Toughness
ML None or Low Slow to Rapid Low or thread cannot be formed
CL Medium to High None to Slow Medium
MH Low to Medium None to Slow Low to Medium
CH High to Very High None High
Note: ML = Silt; CL = Lean Clay (low plasticity clay); MH = Elastic Soil; CH = Fat Clay (high plasticity clay). The terms ‘lean’
and ‘fat’ may not be used in certain geographic regions (Midwest).

Table 5: Criteria for Describing Soil Moisture Conditions

Description Criteria
Dry Soil is dry to the touch, dusty, a clear absence of moisture.
Moist Soil is damp, slight moisture; soil may begin to retain molded form.
Wet Soil is clearly wet; water is visible when sample is squeezed.
Saturated Water is easily visible and drains freely from the sample.

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 VISUAL SOIL CLASSIFICATION DATA SHEET

Soil Sample Number: ___________________

Classified by: _(Group Number)___________
Date: ________________________________

1. Color ________________________
2. Odor _________________________
3. Texture _______________________
4. Major soil constituent _______________________
5. Minor soil constituent _______________________

Type Approx. % by weight

__________________ __________________
__________________ __________________
__________________ __________________

6. For Coarse-grained Soils:

Gradation : _______________________
Particle Shape : _______________________

7. For Fine-grained Soils:

Dry Strength : _______________________
Dilatancy : _______________________
Plasticity : _______________________
Toughness : _______________________
Soil Symbol : _______________________

8. Moisture Content : _______________________

Classification:

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 VISUAL SOIL CLASSIFICATION DATA SHEET

Provide images during laboratory testing.

OBSERVATIONS / COMMENTS:

CONCLUSION: