EducationVisual Classification of Soil
A SelectSmart.com Flowchart by soilmechanics12
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Put a sample of soil into your hand. Can half of the soil particles can be seen with the naked eye?
YES
The soil is coarse grained
Do 50% or less of the coarse grains pass through sieve number 4?
 
 

NO




NO

YES



Wet the soil and work it in your hand. Is your hand stained?
YES
The soil's main component is clay
The soil's main component is sand
The soil's main component is gravel
 


NO







 
The soil's main component is silt
Determine whether the soil is wet, moist or dry
Observe the particle shape (angular, sub-angular, sub-rounded or rounded)
Observe the colour of the soil









 
 
If the soil contains >12% of a secondary component, the soil has a dual/multiple name
If the soil contains 5-12% of a secondary component, it has 'some' of it
If the soil contains <5% of a secondary component, it has 'a trace of' it