Chapter 1

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1. The sample should be obtained by an appropriate, accepted or standard
procedure.
2. The sample shall be carefully identified as to origin.
3. Minimum amount shall be:

4. Include an appropriate remark if the sample is smaller than the minimum

required amount.
ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West
Conshohocken, PA, 2017, www.astm.org
1. Angularity

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual
Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2017, www.astm.org
2. Shape

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-
Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2017,
www.astm.org
3. Color - note the color of the soil, (also state if the sample is dry or moist) ,
and if the sample has varying colors or patches.
4. Odor – Describe if organic or unusual.
5. Moisture Condition –

6. HCl Reaction -

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West
Conshohocken, PA, 2017, www.astm.org
7. Consistency – Appropriate for intact, fine-grained soils

8. Cementation – For intact, coarse grains soils

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
9. Structure –

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
9. Range – describe the range of particle sizes within each component
(definition of sand and gravel)
10. Maximum Particle Size -
a. Sand Size - coarse, medium , fine
b. Gravel Size - coarse, fine
c. Cobble or Boulder
11. Hardness – Hard means particles do not crack, fracture or crumble under a
hammer blow.
12. Note additional comments.
13. Add the local or commercial name/ geologic interpretation if identified as
such.
14. May add the use other classification system

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
✓ Primarily vegetable tissue
✓ Dark brown to black in color
✓ Organic odor
✓ Not subject to identification procedures hereafter

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
1. Remove particles larger than 75 mm.
2. Estimate and note the percentage of cobbles and boulders.
3. Estimate and note the percentage of gravel, sand, and fines.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
1. Fine Grained – contains 50% or more fines
2. Coarse grained – contains less than 50% fines.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
Select representative sample. Remove particles larger than No. 40 sieve.

A. Dry Strength:

1. Select enough material to mold into a ball about 25mm in diameter until it
has a putty consistency.
2. From the molded material, make at least 3 specimens, about 12mm in
diameter. Allow to dry. (Should not exceed 60°C)
3. If the specimen contains natural dry lumps that are about 12mm in
diameter, these may be used.
4. Test the strength by crushing between fingers.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
5. Presence of high-strength water soluble cementing materials may cause
high dry strengths.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
B. Dilatancy:

1. From the specimen, select enough material to mold into a ball about 1⁄2 in.
(12 mm) in diameter. Mold the material, adding water if necessary, until it
has a soft, but not sticky, consistency.
2. Smooth the soil ball in the palm of one hand with the blade of a knife or
small spatula. Shake horizontally, striking the side of the hand vigorously
against the other hand several times. Note the reaction of water appearing
on the surface of the soil. Squeeze the sample by closing the hand or
pinching the soil between the fingers, and note the reaction as none, slow,
or rapid .

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
C. Toughness:

1. After the dilatancy test, shape the sample into an elongated pat and roll by
hand on a smooth surface or between the palms into a thread about 1⁄8 in. (3
mm) in diameter. Fold the sample threads and reroll repeatedly until it
crumbles at 1/8” diameter. This will crumble if it is near the plastic limit. Note
the strength of the thread. After crumbling, the prieces should be lumped
together and kneaded until the lump crumbles. Note the toughness of the
material during kneading.
2. Describe the toughness.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
D. Plasticity

1. Based on the toughness test, describe the plasticity.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
E. Identification of Inorganic Fine Grained Soils

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA,
2017, www.astm.org
F. Identification of Organic Fine Grained Soils

✓ Identify the soil as an organic soil, OL/OH, if the soil contains enough organic
particles to influence the soil properties.
✓ Usually have a dark brown to black color and may have an organic odor.
✓ Often, organic soils will change color.
✓ Organic soils normally will not have a high toughness or plasticity.
✓ The thread for the toughness test will be spongy.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
F. Identification of Organic Fine Grained Soils

✓ If the soil is estimated to have 15 to 25 % sand or gravel, or both, the words

“with sand” or “with gravel” (whichever is more predominant) shall be added
to the group name. If the percentage of sand is equal to the percentage of
gravel, use “with sand.”
✓ If the soil is estimated to have 30 % or more sand or gravel, or both, the words
“sandy” or “gravelly” shall be added to the group name. Add the word “sandy”
if there appears to be more sand than gravel. Add the word “gravelly” if there
appears to be more gravel than sand. If the percentage of sand is equal to the
percent of gravel, use “sandy.”

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ Gravel – % gravel > % sand
✓ Sand - % gravel ≤ % sand
✓ Clean gravel or clean sand - % fines ≤ 5 %
✓ Well-graded gravel or well graded sand - has a wide range of particle sizes and
substantial amounts of the intermediate particle sizes.
✓ Poorly-graded gravel or poorly graded sand - uniformly graded / gap or skip
graded
✓ The soil is either a gravel with fines or a sand with fines if % fines ≥ 15 %
✓ Clayey gravel or clayey sand – fines are clayey according to Procedure for
Identifying Fine-Grained Soils

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ Silty gravel or silty sand – the fines are silty as determine by Procedure for
Identifying Fine-Grained Soils
✓ If the soil is estimated to contain 10 % fines, give the soil a dual identification
using two group symbols.
✓ The first group symbol shall correspond to a clean gravel or sand (GW, GP, SW,
SP) and the second symbol shall correspond to a gravel or sand with fines (GC,
GM, SC, SM).
✓ The group name shall correspond to the first group symbol plus the words
“with clay” or “with silt” to indicate the plasticity characteristics of the fines.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ If the specimen is predominantly sand or gravel but contains an estimated
15% or more of the other coarse-grained constituent, the words “with gravel”
or “with sand” shall be added to the group name.
✓ If the field sample contains any cobbles or boulders, or both, the words “with
cobbles” or “with cobbles and boulders” shall be added to the group name.

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
 ✓ The report shall include the
information as to origin, and the
items indicated in Table 13.
Example:
Clayey Gravel with Sand and Cobbles, GC— About 50 %
fine to coarse, subrounded to subangular gravel; about 30
% fine to coarse, subrounded sand; about 20 % fines with
medium plasticity, high dry strength, no dilatancy,
medium toughness; weak reaction with HCl; original field
sample had about 5 % (by volume) subrounded cobbles,
maximum dimension, 150 mm. In-Place Conditions—
Firm, homogeneous, dry, brown Geologic Interpretation—
Alluvial fan

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ Other examples of soil descriptions and identification are given in Appendix X1
and Appendix X2.
✓ If desired, the percentages of gravel, sand, and fines may be stated in terms
indicating a range of percentages, as follows:
• Trace—Particles are present but estimated to be less than 5%
• Few—5 to 10 %
• Little—15 to 25 %
• Some—30 to 45 %
• Mostly—50 to 100 %

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ Other examples of soil descriptions and identification are given in Appendix X1
and Appendix X2.
✓ If desired, the percentages of gravel, sand, and fines may be stated in terms
indicating a range of percentages, as follows:
• Trace—Particles are present but estimated to be less than 5%
• Few—5 to 10 %
• Little—15 to 25 %
• Some—30 to 45 %
• Mostly—50 to 100 %
✓ If, in the soil description, the soil is identified using a classification group symbol
and name as described in Test Method D 2487, it must be distinctly and clearly
stated in log forms, summary tables, reports, and the like, that the symbol and
name are based on visual-manual procedures.
ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ Well-Graded Gravel with Sand (GW)—About 75 % fine to coarse, hard, subangular
gravel; about 25 % fine to coarse, hard, subangular sand; trace of fines;
maximum size, 75 mm, brown, dry; no reaction with HCl.

✓ Silty Sand with Gravel (SM)—About 60 % predominantly fine sand; about 25 %

silty fines with low plasticity, low dry strength, rapid dilatancy, and low
toughness; about 15 % fine, hard, subrounded gravel, a few gravel-size particles
fractured with hammer blow; maximum size, 25 mm; no reaction with HCl
(Note—Field sample size smaller than recommended).
In-Place Conditions—Firm, stratified and contains lenses of silt 1 to 2 in. (25 to
50 mm) thick, moist, brown to gray; in-place density 106 lb/ft3 ; in-place moisture
9%.
ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ Well-Graded Gravel with Sand (GW)—About 75 % fine to coarse, hard, subangular
gravel; about 25 % fine to coarse, hard, subangular sand; trace of fines;
maximum size, 75 mm, brown, dry; no reaction with HCl.

✓ Silty Sand with Gravel (SM)—About 60 % predominantly fine sand; about 25 %

silty fines with low plasticity, low dry strength, rapid dilatancy, and low
toughness; about 15 % fine, hard, subrounded gravel, a few gravel-size particles
fractured with hammer blow; maximum size, 25 mm; no reaction with HCl
(Note—Field sample size smaller than recommended).
In-Place Conditions—Firm, stratified and contains lenses of silt 1 to 2 in. (25 to
50 mm) thick, moist, brown to gray; in-place density 106 lb/ft3 ; in-place moisture
9%.
ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
✓ Jar Method – By shaking a mixture of soil and water in a test tube or jar then
allowing the mixture to settle

✓ Visual Method – Mentally visualizing the gravel size particles placed in a sack and
then doing the same with the sands and fines

✓ Wash Test – for relative percentages of sands and fines

ASTM D2488-17e1, Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures), ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, 2017, www.astm.org
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