Unified Soil Classification System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Unified Soil Classification System

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS

USCS)
USCS is a soil classification system used in engineering
and geology to describe the texture and grain size of a soil. The classification system can be
applied to most unconsolidated materials, and is represented by a two-letter symbol. Each letter is
described below (with the exception of Pt):
Pt
First and/or second letters
Letter Definition

Second letter
Letter

Definition

gravel

poorly graded (uniform particle sizes)

sand

well-graded (diversified particle sizes)

silt

high plasticity

clay

low plasticity

organic

If the soil has 512% by weight of fines passing a #200 sieve (5% < P#200 < 12%), both grain
size distribution and plasticity have a significant effect on the engineering properties of the soil,
and dual notation may be used for the group symbol. For example, GW-GM corresponds to "wellgraded gravel with silt."
If the soil has more than 15% by weight retained on a #4 sieve (R#4 > 15%), there is a
significant amount of gravel, and the suffix "with gravel" may be added to the group name, but
the group symbol does not change. For example, SP-SM could refer to "poorly graded SAND with
silt" or "poorly graded SAND with silt and gravel."

Symbol chart

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Unified Soil Classification System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Soil_Classification_System

Group

Major divisions

Group name

symbol

well-graded gravel,
clean gravel <5%

Coarse grained soils

more than 50%

gravel

smaller than

> 50% of coarse

#200 Sieve

GW

gravel
GP

fraction retained on No.

fine to coarse

poorly graded
gravel

4 (4.75 mm) sieve

retained on or above

gravel with >12%

GM

silty gravel

fines

GC

clayey gravel

No.200 (0.075 mm)

sieve

sand

SW
clean sand

50% of coarse

well-graded sand,
fine to coarse sand

SP

poorly graded sand

sand with >12%

SM

silty sand

fines

SC

clayey sand

ML

silt

fraction passes No.4

sieve

inorganic
silt and clay

CL

liquid limit < 50

organic

OL

clay of low
plasticity, lean clay
organic silt,
organic clay

Fine grained soils

silt of high

50% or more passing

MH

the No.200 sieve

silt

inorganic
silt and clay
liquid limit 50

CH

organic
Highly organic soils

plasticity, elastic

OH
Pt

clay of high
plasticity, fat clay
organic clay,
organic silt
peat

See also
AASHTO Soil Classification System
AASHTO
ASTM International

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Soil_Classification_System

References
Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 2487-83,
04.08, American Society for Testing and Materials, 1985, pp. 395408
Evett, Jack and Cheng Liu (2007), Soils and Foundations (7 ed.), Prentice Hall, pp. 929,
ISBN 0132221381
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oldid=693334378"
Categories: Geotechnical engineering Sedimentology Encodings Soil

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