Section 27-676. Satisfactory bearing material

The following materials, or
  any combination of them shall be considered  as  generally  satisfactory
  bearing materials; hard sound, medium hard, intermediate, and soft rock;
  hardpan; granular soils of G and S groups; dense or medium silt soils of
  groups ML and MH; and hard or medium clay soils of groups CL and CH.
 
           (For Table 11-1 see chapter 839  of the  laws of 1986)
 
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     2                                                            |
     3           COPY OF Chapter 839 of the laws of 1986          |
     4          MAY BE OBTAINED FROM:                             |
     5          NYS LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION          |
     6          CONTACT: LEGISLATIVE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM'S HELPLINE  |
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  FIELD INDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR FINE-GRAINED SOILS OR FRACTIONS
 
    These  procedures  are  to be performed on the minus No. 40 sieve size
  particles, approximately 1/64 in.  For  field  classification  purposes,
  screening  is  not  intended, simply remove by hand the coarse particles
  that interfere with the tests.
 
    Dilatancy (reaction to shaking)
    After removing particles larger than No. 40 sieve size, prepare a  pat
      of moist soil with a volume of about one-half cubic inch. Add enough
      water if necessary to make the soil soft but not sticky.
    Place  the  pat  in  the open palm of one hand and shake horizontally,
  striking vigorously against the other hand  several  times.  A  positive
  reaction  consists  of the appearance of water on the surface of the pat
  which changes to a livery  consistency  and  becomes  glossy.  When  the
  sample  is  squeezed  between the fingers, the water and gloss disappear
  from the surface, the pat stiffens, and finally it cracks  or  crumbles.
  The   rapidity  of  appearance  of  water  during  shaking  and  of  its
  disappearance during squeezing assist in indentifying the  character  of
  the fines in a soil.
    Very  fine  clean  sands  give the quickest and most distinct reaction
  whereas a plastic clay has no  reaction.  Inorganic  silts,  such  as  a
  typical rock flour, show a moderately quick reaction.
 
    Dry Strength (crushing characteristics)
    After  removing particles larger than No. 40 sieve size, mold a pat of
      soil to the consistency of putty, adding water if  necessary.  Allow
      the pat to dry completely by oven, sun, or air-drying, and then test
      its  strength  by  breaking  and crumbling between the fingers. This
      strength is a measure of the character and quantity of the colloidal
      fraction contained in the soil.  The  dry  strength  increases  with
      increasing plasticity.
    High  dry  strength  is  characteristic  for  clays of the CH group. A
  typical inorganic silt possesses only very slight  dry  strength.  Silty
  fine sands and silts have about the same slight dry strength, but can be
  distinguished  by  the feel when powdering the dried specimen. Fine sand
  feels gritty whereas a typical silt has the smooth feel of flour.

    Toughness (consistency near plastic limit)
    After  particles  larger  than  the  No.  40 sieve size are removed, a
      specimen of soil about one-half inch cube in size, is molded to  the
      consistency of putty. If too dry, water must be added and if sticky,
      the  specimen  should  be  spread out in a thin layer and allowed to
      lose some moisture by evaporation. Then the specimen is  rolled  out
      by hand on a smooth surface or between the palms into a thread about
      one-eighth  inch in diameter. The thread is then folded and rerolled
      repeatedly.  During  this  manipulation  the  moisture  content   is
      gradually  reduced  and  the  specimen  stiffens,  finally loses its
      plasticity, and crumbles when the plastic limit is reached.
    After the thread crumbles, the pieces should be lumped together and  a
  slight kneading action continued until the lump crumbles.
    The tougher the thread near the plastic limit and the stiffer the lump
  when it finally crumbles, the more potent is the colloidal clay fraction
  in  the soil. Weakness of the thread at the plastic limit and quick loss
  of coherence of  the  lump  below  the  plastic  limit  indicate  either
  inorganic clay of low plasticity, or materials such as kaolin-type clays
  and organic clays which occur below the A-line.
    Highly  organic  clays have a very weak and spongy feel at the plastic
  limit.