Classify Soil From Sieve and Plasticity Clues
Use basic particle-size and plasticity clues to interpret a soil classification and its design implications.
A sample has 68 percent passing the No. 200 sieve. The liquid limit is below 50, and the plasticity index is low. What is the basic classification direction and what should you ask next? Use classification to predict likely behavior, then verify with the report recommendations and project-specific tests. The novice move is to turn a soil symbol into a design conclusion. Classification is a first step, not a bearing, settlement, or compaction decision by itself. Step 1 Check coarse versus fine: more than half passes the No. 200 sieve, so treat it as fine-grained for classification logic. This first…
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