An introduction to fill classification and a commentary on some characteristics of fine (cohesive) fills

Central to selecting an appropriate soil for fill purposes is an accurate description and classification of the soil along with an understanding of the nature of the engineering required. In the UK this process is generally thought of under the overall process of ‘soil description’.

The description of soils is generally undertaken in accordance with BS EN ISO 14688-1 (BSI, 2002), based on field assessments of the material. In addition, Amendment 2 was incorporated into BS 5930 (BSI, 1999) in 2010 to align this document with current standards for field descriptions. The basis of soil description from the updated BS 5930 is illustrated in Figure 3.1.