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If the percentages of sand, clay, and silt in the soil sample are known, then the triangle can be used to determine the soil texture classification. For example, if a soil is 70 percent sand and 10 percent clay then the soil is classified as a sandy loam. The same method can be used starting on any side of the soil triangle.
clean sand SW well-graded sand, fine to coarse sand SP poorly graded sand sand with >12% fines SM silty sand SC clayey sand Fine grained soils 50% or more passing the No.200 (0.075 mm) sieve silt and clay liquid limit < 50 inorganic: ML silt CL lean clay organic: OL organic silt, organic clay: silt and clay liquid limit ≥ 50 inorganic MH ...
Soil types by clay, silt and sand composition as used by the United States Department of Agriculture. Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > 63 micrometres (0.0025 in)), silt (particle size > 2 micrometres (7.9 × 10 −5 in)), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < 2 micrometres (7.9 × 10 −5 in)).
Both extremes in soil have their advantages and shortcomings. Sand particles are relatively large (by definition from 2- to 5-hundredths of a millimeter across). Clay particles are very small (by ...
Silt is mineralogically like sand but with its higher specific surface area it is more chemically and physically active than sand. But it is the clay content of soil, with its very high specific surface area and generally large number of negative charges, that gives a soil its high retention capacity for water and nutrients. [11]
Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel when dry, and lacks plasticity when wet. Silt can also be felt by the tongue as granular when placed on the front teeth (even when mixed with clay particles). Silt is a common material, making up 45% of average ...
Distinctions in soils are used in assessing soil which is to have a structure built on them. Soils when wet retain water, and some expand in volume (smectite clay). The amount of expansion is related to the ability of the soil to take in water and its structural make-up (the type of minerals present: clay, silt, or sand). These tests are mainly ...
Silt-Clay Materials (>35% passing the 0.075 mm (No. 200) sieve) Group Classification A-1 A-3 A-2 ... fine sand silty or clayey gravel and sand silty soils