Print this page Soil Properties and the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)
George E. Thomas, PE
Course Outline
This course covers the Unified Soil Classification System, procedures used to visually classification soils and the laboratory tests required to determine soil engineering properties such as permeability, shear strength, and compressibility under expected field conditions and includes typical engineering properties of various soil groups, this information is especially valuable when prospecting for earth materials for various engineering uses such as road construction or investigating foundations for structures.
This course is
based on chapter one of the Earth Manual, Third Edition, written by the U.S.
Department of Interior. This course includes a multiple choice quiz at the end,
which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
This course includes
a multiple choice quiz at the end,
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand the Unified Soil Classification System;
- Understand the terms and units of measure used in soil classification;
- Become familiar with soil exploration logs;
- Become familiar with the gravel, sand, silt and clay soils;
- Become familiar with cobbles and boulders;
- Become familiar with shale, crushed rock, and slag;
- Become familiar with equations used to soil engineering;
- How various charts and graphs are read to identify soil properties;
- Become familiar with Atterberg Limits;
- Become familiar with the various phases soils can obtain;
- Understand how specific gravity effects soil investigation;
- Become familiar with soil density and weight;
- Become familiar with laboratory tests required in determining soil properties;
- Become familiar with how soil consistency affects compressive strength;
- How moisture content affects various soil types;
- Become familiar with what causes volume changes in soil;
- Become familiar with compressive pressure and expansion characteristics of a soil type;
- Become familiar with permeability;
- Understand the plastic limit of a soil;
- Understand the liquid limit of a soil;
- Understand why lime is added to various soil conditions;
- How an engineering use chart for compaction is used;
- How soil properties can change and what is the cause of the change; and
- Become familiar
with soil workability and soil erodibility.
Intended Audience
Architects, Landscape Architects, Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, and Construction Contractors
Benefit to Attendees
The course will provide an understanding of the Unified Soil Classification System and discusses the various properties of soils relating to engineering uses.
Course
Introduction
Course Content
In this lesson, you are required to download and study the following course content in PDF format:
Soil Properties and the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
This course covers
procedures used to visually classification soils, field tests and the laboratory
testing required to determine soil engineering properties such as permeability,
shear strength, and compressibility under expected field conditions and includes
typical engineering properties of various soil groups, this information is especially
valuable when prospecting for earth materials for various engineering uses such
as road construction or investigating foundations for structures.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
