2. Quantitative description and identification of soils

2.1 Purpose of identification

Identifying a soil means determining a set of physical, mechanical or chemical properties that can be used to characterize it. These properties are determined by simple, rapid tests known as "identification tests".

Identification tests lead to a precise, quantified description of the soil, and not just a descriptive one. A quantified definition is necessary because soils with very similar appearances can exhibit very different behaviors (mechanical, in particular).

Identification tests provide the basis for various soil classification systems. Their results can also be used to estimate orders of magnitude of soil mechanical properties by means of correlations, enabling rough pre-sizing of structures at the...