AASHTO and USCS Classifications-

Classification of the soils is determined according to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) (2) and the system adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) (1).

The Unified system classifies soils according to properties that affect their use as construction material. Soils are classified according to grain-size distribution of the fraction less than 3 inches in diameter and according to plasticity index, liquid limit, and organic matter content. Sandy and gravelly soils are identified as GW, GP, GM, GC, SW, SP, SM, and SC; silty and clayey soils as ML, CL, OL, MH, CH, and OH; and highly organic soils as PT. Soils exhibiting engineering properties of two groups can have a dual classification, for example, SP-SM.

The AASHTO system classifies soils according to those properties that affect roadway construction and maintenance. In this system, the fraction of a mineral soil that is less than 3 inches in diameter is classified in one of seven groups from A-1 through A-7 on the basis of grain-size distribution, liquid limit, and plasticity index. Soils in group A-1 are coarse grained and low in content of fines (silt and clay). At the other extreme, soils in group A-7 are fine grained. Highly organic soils are classified in group A-8 on the basis of visual inspection. Liquid limit and plasticity index (Atterberg limits) indicate the plasticity characteristics of a soil. The estimates are based on test data from the survey area or from nearby areas and on field examination. The estimates of grain-size distribution and liquid limit generally are rounded to the nearest 5 percent. Thus, if the ranges of gradation and

Atterberg limits extend a marginal amount (1 or 2 percentage points) across classification boundaries, the classification in the marginal zone is omitted in the table. Shrink-swell potential is the potential for volume change in a soil with a loss or gain in moisture. Volume change occurs mainly because of the interaction of clay minerals with water and varies with the amount and type of clay minerals in the soil.

The size of the load on the soil and the magnitude of the change in soil moisture content influence the amount of swelling of soils in place. Laboratory measurements of swelling of undisturbed clods were made for many soils. For others, swelling was estimated on the basis of the kind and amount of clay minerals in the soil and on measurements of similar soils. If the shrink-swell potential is rated moderate to very high, shrinking and swelling can cause damage to buildings, roads, and other structures. Special design is often needed. Shrink-swell potential classes are based on the change in length of an unconfined clod as moisture content is increased from air-dry to field capacity. The classes are low, a change of less than 3 percent; moderate, 3 to 6 percent; and high, more than 6 percent. Very high, more than 9 percent, is sometimes used.

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