ASTM D2487-00
Historical Standard: ASTM D2487-00 Standard Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)
SUPERSEDED (see Active link, below)
ASTM D2487
1. Scope
1.1 This standard describes a system for classifying mineral and organo-mineral soils for engineering purposes based on laboratory determination of particle-size characteristics, liquid limit, and plasticity index and shall be used when precise classification is required.
Note 1-Use of this standard will result in a single classification group symbol and group name except when a soil contains 5 to 12% fines or when the plot of the liquid limit and plasticity index values falls into the crosshatched area of the plasticity chart. In these two cases, a dual symbol is used, for example, GP-GM, CL-ML. When the laboratory test results indicate that the soil is close to another soil classification group, the borderline condition can be indicated with two symbols separated by a slash. The first symbol should be the one based on this standard, for example, CL/CH, GM/SM, SC/CL. Borderline symbols are particularly useful when the liquid limit value of clayey soils is close to 50. These soils can have expansive characteristics and the use of a borderline symbol (CL/CH, CH/CL) will alert the user of the assigned classifications of expansive potential.1.2 The group symbol portion of this sytem is based on laboratory tests performed on the portion of a soil sample passing the 3-in. (75-mm) sieve (see Specification E11).
1.3 As a classification system, this standard is limited to naturally occurring soils.
Note 2-The group names and symbols used in this test method may be used as a descriptive system applied to such materials as shale, claystone, shells, crushed rock, etc. See Appendix X2.1.4 This standard is for qualitative application only.
Note 3-When quantitative information is required for detailed designs of important structures, this test method must be supplemented by laboratory tests or other quantitative data to determine performance characteristics under expected field conditions.1.5 This standard is the ASTM version of the Unified Soil Classification System. The basis for the classification scheme is the Airfield Classification System developed by A. Casagrande in the early 1940's. It became known as the Unified Soil Classification System when several U.S. Government Agencies adopted a modified version of the Airfield System in 1952.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.
ASTM Standards
C117 Test Method for Materials Finer than 75-m (No. 200) Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing
C136 Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates
C702 Practice for Reducing Samples of Aggregate to Testing Size
D420 Guide to Site Characterization for Engineering Design and Construction Purposes
D422 Test Method for Particle-Size Analysis of Soils
D653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
D1140 Test Methods for Amount of Material in Soils Finer than No. 200 (75-m) Sieve
D2216 Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass
D2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)
D3740 Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as Used in Engineering Design and Construction
D4083 Practice for Description of Frozen Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)
D4318 Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils
D4427 Classification of Peat Samples by Laboratory Testing
D6913 Test Methods for Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Soils Using Sieve Analysis
E11 Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and Test Sieves
Keywords
Atterberg limits; classification; clay; gradation; gravel; laboratory classification; organic soils; sand; silt; soil classification; soil tests; Atterberg limits; Clay; Coarse-grained soil; Erosion control materials/applications; Fine-grained soil; Gradation; Gravel; Laboratory soil/rock analysis; Organic soils; Sand; Silt; Soil-aggregate--classification; Soil stabilization; Soil classification;
ICS Code
ICS Number Code 93.020 (Earth works. Excavations. Foundation construction. Underground works)
DOI: 10.1520/D2487-00
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