2P- DP HUG. EJEMPLAR N®.. Aly Designation: 06938 - 10 ‘Standard Test Method for In-Place Density and Water Content of Soil and Soil- Aggregate by Nuclear Methods (Shallow Depth)' ‘hk sani sted ede ted esiason DSS: hewmen flowing he deo nines he yea of ‘signal opin ote cso ion he us ofa risan A nue needles Yuet appeal A Spe pon estes ane shnge since tel vse approval 1. Scope* 1.1 This test method describes the procedures for measuring in-place density and moisture of soil and sol-ageregate by use of nuclear equipment. The density of the material may be measured by direct transmission, backscatter, ot backscatter! airgap ratio methods. Measurements for water (moisture) content are taken at the sutface in backscatter mode regardless of the mode being used for density. It isthe intent of this subcommittee that this standard replace D2922 and D3017. 1.1.1 For limitations see Section 5 on Interferences, 1.2 The total or wet density of soil and sollaggregate is measured by the attenuation of gamma radiation where, in direct transmission, the source is placed ata known depth upto 300 mm (12 in.) and the detector (6) remains on the surface (ome gauges may reverse this orientation); of in backscatter oF backscatte/airgap the source and detectors) both remain on the surface. 12.1 The density ofthe test sample in mass per unit volume is calculated by comparing the detected rate of gamma radia- tion with previously established calibration data. 1.22 The dry density of the test sample is obtained by subtracting the water mass per unit volume from the test sample wet density (Section 11). Most gauges display this value directly 1.3 The gauge is calibrated to read the water mass per unit volume of soil or soi-aggregate. When divided by the density cof water and then multiplied by 100, the water mass per unit volume is equivalent 10 the volumetric water content. The ‘Water mass per unit volume is determined by the thermalizing or slowing of fast neutrons by hydrogen, a component of water. ‘The neutron source and the thermal neutron detector are both Tocated atthe surface of the material being tested, The water content most prevalent in engineering and construction activi- ties is known as the gravimetric water content, w, and is the ratio of the mass of the water in pore spaces tothe total mass of solids, expressed as a percentage. "mst tod is under te asceton of AST Caeite DI 0 Soi and Rock and isthe dec! respi af Sebeammse BISON on Spt Cntr Coal Ta ‘Curent dse approved May 1, 2010. PBlisiedJene 2010, Originally proved i 208 Lt previo eon proved in 2008 DeP3- G6 DO DismoDee 1.4 Two alternative procedures are provided. 1.41. Procedure A describes the direct transmission method in which the gamma source rod extends through the base of the [gauge into a pre-formed hole to a desired depth, The direct transmission is te preferred method. 1.42 Procedure B involves the use of a dedicated backseat ter gauge or the source rod in the backscatter position. This places the gamma and neutron sources and the detectors in the same plane. 1S ST Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values in inch-pound units (ft ~ 1b units) are provided for information only, 1.6 All observed and calculated values shall conform to the {guide for significant digits and rounding established in Practice 16026. 1.6.1 The procedures used to specify how data are collected, recorded, and calculated in this standard are regarded as the industry standard. In addition, they are representative of the significant digits that should generally be retained. The proce- ‘dures used do not consider material variation, purpose for ‘obtaining the data, special purpose studies, or any consider- ations for the user's objectives; and it is common practice to increase or reduce significant digits of reported data to be ‘commensurate with these considerations. It is beyond the scope ‘of this standard to consider significant digits used in analysis ‘methods for engineering design 17 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associared with ius use. It ie the responsbilcy of the user of this standard to establith appro priate safety and health practices and determine the applica: bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 2, Referenced Documents 2.1 ASTM Standards? 'DGS3 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids ‘DEBE Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Character. istics of Soil Using Standsed Effort (12 400 fi-tbfie (600 KN-mvim’)) >For elerced ASTA sand, vist the ASTM webu, waasmare. of oma AST Casement vices. Fx deal Bok of ATH ‘Stade vlune oman, rhe dae Dace Say ob *4 Summary of Changes section appears atthe end of 1 capris AST sanaAG)? 06938 - 10 1556 Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in Place by Sand-Cone Method 1557 Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Charac- teristics of Soil Using Modified Elfor (56,000 fbi £°Q2,700 kN-mim’)) 12167 ‘Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in lace by the Rubber Balloon Method (02487 Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System) 'D2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visval-Manual Procedure) 'D2216 Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Wa- ter (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass 12937 Test Method for Density of Soil in Place by the Drive-Cylinder Method 13740 Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as. Used in Engineering Design and Construction 104253 Test Methods for Maximum Index Density and Unit ‘Weight of Soils Using a Vibratory Table 4254 Test Methods for Minimum Index Density and Unit ‘Weight of Soils and Calculation of Relative Density ‘D643 Test Method for Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil by Microwave Oven Heating A718 Practice for Correction of Unit Weight and Water Content for Soils Containing Oversize Particles 4944 Test Method for Field Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil by the Caleium Carbide Gas Pressure Tester 14959 Test Method for Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil By Direct Heating Geotechnical 7013 Guide for Nuclear Surface Moisture and Density Gauge Calibration Facility Setup 3. Terminology 3.1 Definitions: See Terminology D653 for general defni- 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard: 3.2.1 nuclear gauge—a device containing one or more radioactive sources used to measure certain properties of soil and soil-aggregates, 32.2 wet density—same as bulk density (as defined in ‘Terminology D653); the total mass (solids plus water) per total volume of soil or soil-aggregat, 3.2.3 dry densitysame as density of dry soil or rock (as defined in Terminology D653); the mass of solid particles per the total volume of soil or soil- aggregate. 3.24 gamma (radiation) source—a sealed source of radio- active material tha emits gamma radiation as it decays. 3.2.5 neutron (radiation) source—a sealed source of radio- ‘active material that emits neuton radiation as it decays 3.2.6 Compton scattering—the interaction between a {gamma ray (photon) and an orbital electron where the gamma ray loses energy and rebounds in a different direction. 3.2.7 detector—a device to detect and measure radiation, 3.28 probe—a metal rod attached to a nuclear gauge in which a radioactive source or a detector is housed. The rod can bbe lowered (0 specified depths for testing. Probes containing only a radioactive source are commonly referred to as “Source Rods.” 3.2.9 thermalization—the process of “slowing down” fast ‘neutrons by collisions with light-weight atoms, such as hydro- en. 3.2.10 water content—the ratio of the mass of water con- tained in the pore spaces of soil or soil-aggregate to the solid ‘mass of particles in that material, expressed at a percentage (this is sometimes referred 10 in some scientific fields as gravimetric water content to differentiate it from volumetric ‘water coten) 3.2.11 volumetric water content—the volume of water as a Percent ofthe total volume of soil or rock material, 3.2.12 test count, n—the measured output ofa detector for 8 specific type of radiation fora given tet. 3.2.13 prepared blocks—blocks prepared of soil, solid rock, ‘concrete, and engineered materials, that have characteristic of various degrees of reproducible uniformity. 4. Significance and Use 4.1 The test method described is useful a a rapid, nonde- structive technique for in-place measurements of wet density and water content of soll and soil-aggregate and the determi- nation of dry density. 42 The test method is used for quality control and accep- tance testing of compacted soil and soil-aggregate mixtures as used in construction and also for ressarch and development. ‘The nondestructive nature allows repetitive measurements ata Single test location and statistical analysis of the results. 43 Density—The fundamental assumptions inherent in the ‘methods are that Compton scattering is the dominant interac- tion and that the material is homogeneous 4.4 Water Content—The fundamental assumptions inherent inthe test method are that the hydrogen ions presen in the soil or soil-aggregate are in the form of water as defined by the ‘water content derived from Test Methods D216, and thatthe ‘material is homogeneous. See 5.2) Nore 1—The qoaiy of the reat produced by this standad test method is dependent the competece af the personne pecfrming i andthe sia of the equipment and feces ed Agencies met the criteria of Praice D3740 are gerenlly considered capable of ‘competent and objective tesing/smpingnspeston, and he ike. Uses ‘of fs standard are cauond that compliance with Practice D3740 does ‘ot in elf ase reliable resus Reliable res depen on many factors; Practice DSTAD provices 4 means of evaluating sme ofthe factor 5. Interferences 3. In-Place Density Interferences S.l.1 Measurements may be affected by the chemical com- position ofthe material being tested 5.1.2 Measurements may be affected by non-homogeneous soils and surface texture (see 102). 5.1.3 Measurements in the Backscatter Mode are inluenced more by the density and water content ofthe matril in close proximity t the surfaceAy Deas: 5.1.4 Measurements in the Direct Transmistion mode are an ‘average ofthe density from the bottom of the probe in the soil or Soil aggregate back up to the surface ofthe gauge. 5.1.5 Oversize particles or large voids in the source-detector path may cause higher or lower density measurements. Where Jack of uniformity in the soil due to layeting, aggregate or voids is suspected, the test site should be excavated and Visually examined to determin ifthe test material is represen- tative of the in-situ material in general and if an oversize correction is required in accordance with Practice D4718, 5.16 The measured volume is approximately 0.0028 10.10 ft) for the Backscatter Mode and 0.0057 m¥(0.20 f¢?) for the Direct Transmission Mode when the test depth is 150 ‘mm (6 in.). The actual measured volume is indeterminate and varies with the apparatus and the density of the material, 5.17 Other radioactive sources must not be within 9 m 30 {of equipment in operation, 52 In-Place Water (Moisture es 5.2.1 The chemical composition ofthe material being tested an affect the measurement and adjustments may be necessary (Gee Section 10.6). Hydrogen in forms other than water and carbon will cause measurements in excess of the true valve ‘Some chemical elements such as boron, chlorine, and cadmium Will cause measurements lower than the tre value 5.2.2 The water content measured by this test method is not necessarily the average water content within the volume ofthe sample involved in the measurement. Since this measurement is by backscatter in all cases, the value is biased by the water content of the material closest to the surface. The volume of soil and soil-aggregate represented in the measurement is indeterminate and will vary with the water content of the ‘material. In general, the greater the water content of the ‘material, the smaller the volume involved in the measurement Approximately 50 % of the typical measurement resulis from ‘the water content of the upper 50 to 75 mm (2 to 3 in), 5.2.3 Other neutron sources must not be within 9 m G30 ft) of equipment in oper 6. Apparatus 6.1 Nuclear Density / Moisture Gauge—While exact details of construction of the apparatus may vary, the system shall consist of 6.1.1 Gamma Source—A sealed source of high-energy ‘gamma radiation such as cesium of radium, 6.1.2 Gamma Detector—Any type of gamma detector such asa Geiger-Mueler tube(s), 6.1.3 Fast Neutron Source—A sealed mixture of a radioac- tive material such as americium, radium and a target material such as berylium, of a neutron emitter such as californium- 252, 6.14 Slow Neutron Detector—Any type of slow neutron ‘detector such as boron trifluoride or helium-3 proportional 62 Reference Standard—~A block of material used for ‘checking instrument operation, correction of source decay, and to establish conditions for a reproducible reference count rate. 63 ‘Site Preparation Device—A plate, straightedge, or other suitable leveling tool that may be used for planing the test site -10 1 the required smoothness, and in the Direct Transmission ‘Method, guiding the drive pin to prepare a perpendicular hole. 64 Drive Pin—A pin of slightly larger diameter than the probe in the Direet Transmission Instrument used to prepare a hole inthe test site for inserting the probe. 64.1 Drive Pin Guide—A fixture that keeps the drive pin perpendicular to the test site. Generally part of the site reparation device. 65 Hammer—Heavy enough to drive the pin to the required pth without undue distortion of the hoe. 66 Drive Pin Extractor—A too] that may be used to remove the drive pin in a vertical direction so that the pin will not distor the hole in the extraction proces. 6.7 Slide Hammer, with a drive pin atached, may also be used both to prepare a hole in the material to be tested and to extract the pin without distortion to the hole. 7. Hazards 7.1 These gauges utilize radioactive materials that may be hazardous to the health of the users unless proper precautions fare taken. Users of these gauges must become familiar with applicable safety procedures and government regulations. 7.2. fective user instructions, together with routine safety procedures and knowledge of and compliance with Regulatory Requirements, are a mandatory part of the operation and storage ofthese gauges. 8. Calibration 8.1 Calibration of the gauge will be in accordance with ‘Annex Al and Annex A2 8.2 For further reference on gauge calibration, see Guide D7O13, Standard Guide for Nuclear Surface Moisture and Density Gauge Calibration Facility Setup. 9. Standardization 9.1 Nuclear moisture density gauges are subject to long term aging of the radioactive sources, which may change the telationship between count rates and the material density and Water content. To comect for this aging effect, gauges are calibrated as a ratio of the measurement count rate to a count ‘ate made on a reference standard ort an airgap count (forthe bbackscatterair-gap ratio method), 9.2 Standardization of the gauge shall be performed atthe start of each day's use, and a record of these data should be retained forthe amount of time required to ensure compliance with either subsection 9.2.2 or 9.2.3, whichever is applicable Pesform the standardization with the gauge located a least 9m 30 19 away from other nuclear moisture density gauges and Clear of large masses of water or other items which can afect the reference count rates. 9.2.1 Turn on the gauge and allow for stabil ing to the manufacturer's recommendations. 9.2.2 Using the reference standard, take «reading that is at least four times the duration of a normal measurement period (where a normal measurement period is typically one minute) to constitute one standardization check. Use the procedure recommended by the gauge manufacturer to establish the ‘compliance of the standard measurement tothe accepted range. ation aecord-