scope:

This chapter presents criteria for soil and rock identification and classification based on internationally accepted standards as well as information on their physical engineering properties. Common soils and rocks are discussed as well as special materials, such as expansive and collapsing soils, permafrost, limestone and related materials, coral and coral formations, quick clays, and other materials (i.e. man-made fills, chemically reactive and lateritic soils, calcareous sands, and submarine soils).