Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure) - Soil Properties: Testing, Measurement, and Evaluation - page 21

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CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

Description and
Identification of Soils
(Visual-Manual
Procedure)

(Referenced Document: ASTMD 2488)

Soil exists throughout the world in a wide variety of types. Different
types of soil exhibit diverse behavior and physical properties. Inasmuch
as the engineering properties and behavior of soils are governed by their
physical properties, it is important to describe and identify soils in
terms that will convey their characteristics clearly and accurately to
soils engineers.
The remainder of this topic covers a number of tests that are per-
formed to provide explicit evaluations of soil properties. However, before
tests on soil samples from a given area are conducted, a prudent visual,
tactile, and perhaps olfactory inspection along with a few simple tests
can be performed to provide an initial appraisal of the soil in the area.
Such information can be helpful in preliminary planning and in relat-
ing field observations to subsequent test results. Of course, any initial
appraisal should be described clearly using appropriate and recogniza-
ble terminology.
This chapter covers procedures for describing soils for engineering
purposes and gives a procedure for identifying soils based on visual,
tactile, and olfactory examinations and manual tests. Of course, the re-
sults obtained through these procedures are merely a rough appraisal
of a soil. When precise classification is needed for engineering purposes,
the procedures of Chapter 11 should be used.

INTRODUCTION

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