Unified Soil Classification System

The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) is a way for people who study soil (like geologists and engineers) to describe soils so that everybody understands what they mean. It's kind of like a secret language that they use to talk to one another about soil.

Imagine you're at the beach and you're digging in the sand. The USCS will help describe what kind of sand it is. Is it coarse or fine? Does it stick together or easily crumble? The USCS uses words like "silty," "clayey," and "sandy" to explain the different qualities of soil.

The USCS also uses letters and numbers to classify soils into different groups. For example, soils that are mostly sand would belong to the "S" group, while soils that are mostly clay would belong to the "C" group. Numbers are used to help describe things like how much sand, silt, or clay is in the soil.

This way, if someone says they're studying an "MH" soil, everybody knows that it's a silt that's a little bit sandy and holds together pretty well. It makes it easier for everyone to know what they're talking about, even if they're from different places or speak different languages.