Inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity are classified as what?

Inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity are classified as CL. This classification comes from the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), where CL denotes inorganic clays characterized by their low to medium plasticity.

In this system, plasticity refers to the ability of a soil to deform without cracking or changing volume. CL soils typically display properties that range from non-plastic to plastic in such a way that they exhibit reasonable workability but are not overly deformable.

This classification is essential for engineers and soil scientists in understanding the behavior of soils in construction and stability contexts, as it helps predict aspects such as compressibility, shear strength, and susceptibility to changes with moisture variations. Understanding these aspects ultimately aids in the proper design and implementation of foundations and other geotechnical structures.