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STANDARD 18-1
<br />sification. Example: A gravel with 10 percent fines, a C„ of 20, a
<br />Cz of 2.0, and a plasticity index of 6 would be classified as
<br />GW -GM rather than GW -GC.)
<br />SECTION 18.107 — PROCEDURE FOR
<br />CLASSIFICATION OF FINE-GRAINED SOILS
<br />(50 PERCENT OR MORE PASSING)
<br />From the material passing the 3 -inch (76 mm) sieve, select a test
<br />sample for the determination of the liquid limit and plasticity in-
<br />dex. The method for wet preparation shall be used for soils con-
<br />taining organic matter or irreversible mineral colloids.
<br />Determine the liquid limit and the plasticity index of a portion
<br />of the test sample passing the No. 40 (425 µm) sieve.
<br />Classify the soil as inorganic clay, C, if the plot of liquid limit
<br />versus plasticity index falls above the "A" line and the plasticity
<br />index is greater than 7.
<br />Classify the soil as inorganic clay of low to medium plasticity,
<br />C1, if the liquid limit is less than 50 and the plot of liquid limit ver-
<br />sus plasticity index falls above the "A" line and the plasticity in-
<br />dex is greater than 7. See area identified as CL on the Plasticity
<br />Chart of Table 18-1-A.
<br />Classify the soil as inorganic clay of high plasticity, CH, if the
<br />liquid limit is greater than 50 and the plot of liquid limit versus
<br />plasticity index falls above the "A" line. In cases where the liquid
<br />limit exceeds -100 or the plasticity index exceeds 60, the plasticity
<br />chart may be expanded by maintaining the same scales on both
<br />axes and extending the "A" line at the indicated slope. See areas
<br />identified as CH on the Plasticity Chart, Table 18-1-A.
<br />Classify the soil as inorganic silt, M, if the plot of liquid limit
<br />versus plasticity index falls below the "A" line or if the plasticity
<br />index is less than 4, unless it is suspected that organic matter is
<br />1997 UNIFORM BUILDING CODE
<br />present in sufficient amounts to influence the soil properties, then y
<br />tentatively classify the soil as organic silt or clay, O.
<br />If the soil has a dark color and an organic odor when moist and
<br />warm, a second liquid limit test should be performed on a test sam-
<br />ple which has been oven dried at 110'C:t 5°C for 24 hours.
<br />Classify the soil as organic silt or clay, O, if the liquid limit after
<br />oven drying is less than three fourths of the liquid limit of the origi-
<br />nal sample determined before drying.
<br />Classify the soil as inorganic silt of low plasticity, ML, or as or-
<br />ganic silt of low plasticity, ML, or as organic silt or silt -clay of low
<br />plasticity, OL, if the liquid limit is less than 50 and the plot of liq-
<br />uid limit versus plasticity index falls below the "A" line or the
<br />plasticity index is less than 4. See area identified as ML and OL on
<br />the Plasticity Chart, Table 18-1-A.
<br />Classify the soil as inorganic silt of medium to high plasticity,
<br />MH, or as organic clay or silt -clay of medium to high plasticity,
<br />OH, if the liquid limit is more than 50 and the plot of liquid limit
<br />versus plasticity index falls below the "A" line. See atea identified
<br />as MH and OH on the Plasticity Chart of Table 18-1-A.
<br />In order to indicate their borderline characteristics, some
<br />fine-grained soils should be classified by dual symbols.
<br />If the plot of liquid limit versus plasticity index falls on or prac-
<br />tically on the "A" line or above the "A" line where the plasticity
<br />index is in the range of 4 to 7, the soil should be given an appropri-
<br />ate borderline classification such as CI. ML or CH -OH. .
<br />If the plot of liquid limit versus plasticity index falls on or prac-
<br />tically on the line liquid limit = 50, the soil should be given an ap-
<br />propriate borderline classification such as CL CH or MUMH. (In
<br />doubtful uses the rule for classification is to favor the more plas-
<br />tic classification. Example: a fine-grained soil with a liquid limit
<br />of 50 and a plasticity index of 22 would be classified as CH -MH
<br />rather than CLrML.)
<br />TABLE 18-1-A—SOIL CLASSIFICATION CHART
<br />!Based on the material passing the 3 -inch (76 mm) sieve.
<br />3-328
<br />.MAJOR DIVISIONS -
<br />GROUP
<br />SYMBOLS TYPICAL NAMES
<br />CLEAN
<br />GW Well -graded gravels and gravel -sand mixtures, little or no fines
<br />COARSE-
<br />GRAINED
<br />SOILS
<br />GRAVELS
<br />50% or more of coarse fraction
<br />retained on No.4 (4,75 min) sieve
<br />_
<br />GRAVELS
<br />GP Poorly graded gravels and gravel -sand mixtures, little or no fines
<br />GRAVELS
<br />WITH FINES
<br />GM Silty gravels, gravel -sand -silt mixtures
<br />GC aayey gravels,' gravel -scud -lay ini i -es .
<br />More -than 50%
<br />CLEAN
<br />'SW = Welt -graded sands and gravelly sands, little or no fines
<br />retained
<br />anj s> o.200
<br />.
<br />SANDS
<br />Moro then 50% of eoarse.lractlon
<br />passes No.4 (4.75 mm) sieve
<br />SN
<br />SP Poorly graded sands and gravelly and sands, little or no fines
<br />-
<br />SANDS
<br />WR'H FINES
<br />SM Silly Sands, Sand -Silt mixtures '
<br />•SC -Clayey sands, sand=clay mixtures
<br />ML Inorganic silts, very fine sands, rock flour, silty of clayey fine
<br />FINE-GRAINED SOILS
<br />SILTS AND CLAYS
<br />Liquid limn 50% or lessCL
<br />Inorganic blays of low to medium plasticity, gravel) clays, sandy
<br />clays, silty clays, lean clays
<br />50%or more passes
<br />OL Organic silts and organic silty clays of low plasticity
<br />Na: 200 (75 tool
<br />SILTS AND CLAYS
<br />Liquid limit greater than 50%
<br />Inorganic silts, micaceous or diatomaceous fine sands or silts,
<br />elastic sills
<br />CH Inorganic clays of high plasticity, fat clays
<br />OH Organic clays of medium to high plasticity
<br />Highly organic soils
<br />PT Peat, muck and other highly organic soils
<br />!Based on the material passing the 3 -inch (76 mm) sieve.
<br />3-328
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