Laboratory Soil Classification: Quality Control for Engineering Design and Inspection

Sieves are an integral part of soil classification.

Sieving a soil sample of a known dry weight by shaking it through a stack of sieves of designated sizes produces what's known as a grain size distribution curve. This provides information about what proportion of the soil is composed of fines, sand, and gravel. Combined with Atterberg Limits or hydrometer tests to determine the nature of the fines (silt and/or clay), this process provides an industry standard classification, which in turn qualifies or disqualifies the soil for a variety of applications on a given jobsite based on specification.

The ability to predict soil behavior is essential to engineering design and construction planning, and is equally critical to an effective quality assurance program during field inspection.

Soil classification provides an easy check on whether the right material is being used or if something has changed and further testing is required. Accurate soil classification is a vital aspect of keeping a project on schedule and error free, and is just one of many services our lab provides.