Unified Soil Classification System group symbol. For example, GW-GM corresponds to "well-graded gravel "with silt"." If the soil has more than 15% by weight retained on a #4 sieve (R > 15%), there is a significant amount of gravel, and the suffix "with gravel" may be added to the group name, but the group symbol does not change. For example, SP-SM could refer to "poorly graded SAND with silt" or "poorly graded SAND with silt and gravel." Unified Soil Classification System The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) is a soil classification system used in engineering and geology to describe the texture and grain size
Granular material behaviors when excited (e.g. vibrated or allowed to flow). As such granular materials under excitation can be thought of as an example of a complex system. When the average energy of the individual grains is low and the grains are fairly stationary relative to each other, the granular material acts like a solid. In general, stress in a granular solid is not distributed uniformly but is conducted away along so-called force chains which are networks of grains resting on one another. Between these chains are regions of low stress whose grains are shielded for the effects of the grains above