Figure 4.6.

British Soil Classification System for Engineering Porposes

GRAVEL and SANDY may be

qualified Sandy GRAVEL and
Gravelly SAND etc. where
appropriate ( see 4.1.3.2.2 )

Group
symbol
(see note
2)

FINES SOIL

SILTS CLAYS 35% to Gravelly and

More than 50% of coarse materials is of
More than 50% of coarse
( finer than 2.00mm )
SANDS ( coarse than 2.00mm )materials is of gravel sizeGRAVELS
sand size
AND 65% fines sandy SILTS and

Subgroups and laboratory identification

is finer than 0.06mmLess than 35% of the materialCOARSE SOIL

Soil groups (see note 1)

Slightly silty
or
clayey
GRAVEL
Silty GRAVEL
clayey
GRAVEL
Very silty
Gravel

Very silty
SAND

GpuGpg

GM

GML. etc

GC

GCL
GCI
GCII
GCV
GCE

SW

SW

SP

SPuSPg

S.M

SWM
SPM

SF
SC
SM

Fines
( % less
than
0.06mm
)
0
To
5

Liquid
limit %

SC

15
To
35

Well Graded/poorly graded silty

GRAVEL

15
To
35

Very silty GRAVEL. Subdivide as for

GC

Well Graded/poorly graded siltyclayey

GRAVEL

Very clayey GRAVELof lowplasticity

of intermediate plasticity
of high plasticity
of very high plasticity
of extremely high plasticity

0
To
5

Well graded SAND

15
To
35

Well Graded/poorly graded siltySAND

Poorly graded/Uniform/Gap graded

SAND
Well Graded/poorly graded siltyclayey
SAND

SWC
SPC
SML. etc
SCL
SCI
SCH
SCV
SCE

Name

Well graded GRAVEL

Poorly graded/Uniform/Gap graded
GRAVEL

Very siltySAND. Subdivide as for

SC

SF

Gravelly SILT

Sandy SILT
(See note)
Sandy CLAY

GP

GF

Very clayey
SAND

Gravelly CLAY
( see note 4 )

GW

G.M
G.F
G.C

Silty SAND
clayey SAND

GW
G

Very clayey
Gravel

Slightly silty
or
clayey SAND

Subgroup
symbol
(see note
2)

15
To
35

Very clayey SAND of lowplasticity

of Intermediateplasticity
of highplasticity
of very highplasticity
of extremely high plasticity

MG

MLG. etc

Gravelly SILT. Subdivide as for CG

CG

CLG
CIG
CHG
CVG
CEG

MS

MLS. etc

Sandy SILT : subdivide as for CG

CS

CLS. etc

Sandy CLAY : SUBDIVIDE AS FOR

cg

FG
35
35 to
50
50 to
70
70 to
90
90

Gravelly CLAY of lowplasticity

of Intermediateplasticity
of highplasticity
of very highplasticity
of extremely high plasticity

FS

Is finer than 0.06mm

65% to 100% finesclays

More than 35% of the

materials

Figure 4.6.1

ORGANIC SOILS
PEAT

British Soil Classification System for Engineering Porposes

Sandy ( MSOIL )
CLAY
( see notes
5&6 )

ML. etc

CL
CI
CH
CV
CE

SILT. Subdivide as for C

F
35
35 to
50
50 to
70
70 to
90
90

CLAY of lowplasticity
of Intermediateplasticity
of highplasticity
of very highplasticity
of extremely high plasticity

Description O suffixed to
Organic matter suspected to be a significant
constitution. Example MHO :
Any group or sub-group symbol
Organic SILT of high plasticity
PI
Peat soils consist predominantly of plant remains which may be fibrous or
amorphous

NOTE 1. The name of soil group should always be given when describing soils, supplemented, if required, by
the group of symbol, although
For some additional applications ( e.g. Longitudinal sections ) it may be convention to use the group
symbol alone.
NOTE 2. The group symbol of sub-group symbol should be placed in bracket if Laboratory methods have not
been used for identification,
e.g. ( GC ).
NOTE 3. The designation FINE SOIL or FINE. F. may be used in place of SILT. M. or CLAY. C when it is not
possible or not required to
distinguish between them.
NOTE 4. GRAVELLY if more than 50% of coarse material to of gravel size. SANDY if more than 50% of coarse
material to of sand size.
NOTE 5. SILT (M-SOIL). M. is material plotting below the line, and has restriated plastic range in relation to its
liquid limit, and relatively low
cohesion. Fine soils of this type include clean silt-sized materials and rock floor, micaceous and diatomaceous
soils pumice and
volcanic soils, and soils containing halloyaite. The alternative term M-Soil avoids confusion with materials of
predominantly silt
size, which form only a part of the group. Organic soils also usually plot below the A-Line on the plasticity chart,
when they are
designated ORGANIC SILT. MO
NOTE 6.

CLAY. C. is material plotting above the A-line, and its fully plastic in relation to its liquid limit.