• There are no items in your cart

ASTM D 698 : 2012 : R2021

Current
Current

The latest, up-to-date edition.

Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort (12,400 ft-lbf/ft3 (600 kN-m/m3))
Available format(s)

Hardcopy , PDF

Language(s)

English

Published date

07-05-2021

1.1These test methods cover laboratory compaction methods used to determine the relationship between molding water content and dry unit weight of soils (compaction curve) compacted in a 4 or 6-in. (101.6 or 152.4-mm) diameter mold with a 5.50-lbf (24.5-N) rammer dropped from a height of 12.0 in. (305 mm) producing a compactive effort of 12 400 ft-lbf/ft3 (600 kN-m/m3).

Note 1:The equipment and procedures are similar as those proposed by R. R. Proctor (Engineering News Record—September 7, 1933) with this one major exception: his rammer blows were applied as “12 inch firm strokes” instead of free fall, producing variable compactive effort depending on the operator, but probably in the range 15 000 to 25 000 ft-lbf/ft3 (700 to 1200 kN-m/m3). The standard effort test (see 3.1.4) is sometimes referred to as the Proctor Test.

1.1.1Soils and soil-aggregate mixtures are to be regarded as natural occurring fine- or coarse-grained soils, or composites or mixtures of natural soils, or mixtures of natural and processed soils or aggregates such as gravel or crushed rock. Hereafter referred to as either soil or material.

1.2These test methods apply only to soils (materials) that have 30 % or less by mass of particles retained on the 3/4-in. (19.0-mm) sieve and have not been previously compacted in the laboratory; that is, do not reuse compacted soil.

1.2.1For relationships between unit weights and molding water contents of soils with 30 % or less by mass of material retained on the 3/4-in. (19.0-mm) sieve to unit weights and molding water contents of the fraction passing 3/4-in. (19.0-mm) sieve, see Practice D4718/D4718M.

1.3Three alternative methods are provided. The method used shall be as indicated in the specification for the material being tested. If no method is specified, the choice should be based on the material gradation.

1.3.1Method A:

1.3.1.1Mold—4-in. (101.6-mm) diameter.

1.3.1.2Material—Passing No. 4 (4.75-mm) sieve.

1.3.1.3Layers—Three.

1.3.1.4Blows per Layer—25.

1.3.1.5Usage—May be used if 25 % or less (see 1.4) by mass of the material is retained on the No. 4 (4.75-mm) sieve.

1.3.1.6Other Usage—If this gradation requirement cannot be met, then Method C may be used.

1.3.2Method B:

1.3.2.1Mold—4-in. (101.6-mm) diameter.

1.3.2.2Material—Passing 3/8-in. (9.5-mm) sieve.

1.3.2.3Layers—Three.

1.3.2.4Blows per Layer—25.

1.3.2.5Usage—May be used if 25 % or less (see 1.4) by mass of the material is retained on the 3/8-in. (9.5-mm) sieve.

1.3.2.6Other Usage—If this gradation requirement cannot be met, then Method C may be used.

1.3.3Method C:

1.3.3.1Mold—6-in. (152.4-mm) diameter.

1.3.3.2Material—Passing 3/4-in. (19.0-mm) sieve.

1.3.3.3Layers—Three.

1.3.3.4Blows per Layer—56.

1.3.3.5Usage—May be used if 30 % or less (see 1.4) by mass of the material is retained on the 3/4-in. (19.0-mm) sieve.

1.3.4The 6-in. (152.4-mm) diameter mold shall not be used with Method A or B.

Note 2:Results have been found to vary slightly when a material is tested at the same compactive effort in different size molds, with the smaller mold size typically yielding larger values of density/unit weight (1, pp. 21+).2

1.4If the test specimen contains more than 5 % by mass of oversize fraction (coarse fraction) and the material will not be included in the test, corrections must be made to the unit mass and molding water content of the specimen or to the appropriate field-in-place density test specimen using Practice D4718/D4718M.

1.5This test method will generally produce a well-defined maximum dry unit weight for non-free draining soils. If this test method is used for free-draining soils the maximum unit weight may not be well defined, and can be less than obtained using Test Methods D4253.

1.6All observed and calculated values shall conform to the guidelines for significant digits and rounding established in Practice D6026, unless superseded by this standard.

1.6.1For purposes of comparing measured or calculated value(s) with specified limits, the measured or calculated value(s) shall be rounded to the nearest decimal or significant digits in the specified limits.

1.6.2The procedures used to specify how data are collected/recorded or calculated, in this standard are regarded as the industry standard. In addition, they are representative of the significant digits that generally should be retained. The procedures used do not consider material variation, purpose for obtaining the data, special purpose studies, or any considerations 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 analytical methods for engineering design.

1.7The values in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The values stated in SI units are provided for information only, except for units of mass. The units for mass are given in SI units only, g or kg.

1.7.1It is common practice in the engineering profession to concurrently use pounds to represent both a unit of mass (lbm) and a force (lbf). This implicitly combines two separate systems of units; that is, the absolute system and the gravitational system. It is scientifically undesirable to combine the use of two separate sets of inch-pound units within a single standard. This standard has been written using the gravitational system of units when dealing with the inch-pound system. In this system, the pound (lbf) represents a unit of force (weight). However, the use of balances or scales recording pounds of mass (lbm) or the recording of density in lbm/ft3 shall not be regarded as a nonconformance with this standard.

1.8This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.9This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

Committee
D 18
DocumentType
Test Method
Pages
13
PublisherName
American Society for Testing and Materials
Status
Current
Supersedes

ASTM F 1668 : 2016 Standard Guide for Construction Procedures for Buried Plastic Pipe
ASTM F 2396 : 2011 : R2019 Standard Guide for Construction of High Performance Sand-Based Rootzones for Athletic Fields
ASTM E 2277 : 2014(R2019) Standard Guide for Design and Construction of Coal Ash Structural Fills
ASTM E 2243 : 2013 : R2019 Standard Guide for Use of Coal Combustion Products (CCPs) for Surface Mine Reclamation: Re-contouring and Highwall Reclamation
ASTM D 653 : 2021 Standard Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
ASTM D 6836 : 2016 Standard Test Methods for Determination of the Soil Water Characteristic Curve for Desorption Using Hanging Column, Pressure Extractor, Chilled Mirror Hygrometer, or Centrifuge
ASTM A 798/A798M : 2017 Standard Practice for Installing Factory-Made Corrugated Steel Pipe for Sewers and Other Applications
ASTM D 5874 : 2016 Standard Test Methods for Determination of the Impact Value (IV) of a Soil
ASTM D 5080 : 2020 Standard Test Method for Rapid Determination of Percent Compaction
ASTM C 1479 : 2016 : R2021 Standard Practice for Installation of Precast Concrete Sewer, Storm Drain, and Culvert Pipe Using Standard Installations
ASTM D 7100 : 2011 : R2020 Standard Test Method for Hydraulic Conductivity Compatibility Testing of Soils with Aqueous Solutions
ASTM D 5567 : 1994 : R2018 Standard Test Method for Hydraulic Conductivity Ratio (HCR) Testing of Soil/Geotextile Systems
ASTM D 7762 : 2018 : EDT 1 Standard Practice for Design of Stabilization of Soil and Soil-Like Materials with Self-Cementing Fly Ash
ASTM D 6088 : 2006 : R2016 Standard Practice for Installation of Geocomposite Pavement Drains
ASTM D 5321/D5321M : 2021 Standard Test Method for Determining the Shear Strength of Soil-Geosynthetic and Geosynthetic-Geosynthetic Interfaces by Direct Shear
ASTM B 789/B789M : 2016 : R2021 Standard Practice for Installing Corrugated Aluminum Structural Plate Pipe for Culverts and Sewers
ASTM D 1633 : 2017 Standard Test Methods for Compressive Strength of Molded Soil-Cement Cylinders
ASTM D 4718/D4718M : 2015 Standard Practice for Correction of Unit Weight and Water Content for Soils Containing Oversize Particles
ASTM A 807/A807M : 2019 Standard Practice for Installing Corrugated Steel Structural Plate Pipe for Sewers and Other Applications
ASTM D 5856 : 2015 Standard Test Method for Measurement of Hydraulic Conductivity of Porous Material Using a Rigid-Wall, Compaction-Mold Permeameter (Withdrawn 2024)
ASTM C 1479M : 2016 : R2021 Standard Practice for Installation of Precast Concrete Sewer, Storm Drain, and Culvert Pipe Using Standard Installations (Metric) (Withdrawn 2023)
ASTM D 1556/D1556M : 2015 : EDT 1 Standard Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in Place by Sand-Cone Method (Withdrawn 2024)
ASTM D 1079 : 2020 Standard Terminology Relating to Roofing and Waterproofing
ASTM D 7380 : 2015 Standard Test Method for Soil Compaction Determination at Shallow Depths Using 5-lb (2.3 kg) Dynamic Cone Penetrometer
ASTM D 7208 : 2014 : EDT 1 Standard Test Method for Determination of Temporary Ditch Check Performance in Protecting Earthen Channels from Stormwater-Induced Erosion
ASTM B 790/B790M : 2016 Standard Practice for Structural Design of Corrugated Aluminum Pipe, Pipe-Arches, and Arches for Culverts, Storm Sewers, and Other Buried Conduits
ASTM D 3839 : 2014 : R2019 Standard Guide for Underground Installation of “Fiberglass” (Glass-Fiber Reinforced Thermosetting-Resin) Pipe
ASTM D 4792/D4792M : 2013 : R2019 Standard Test Method for Potential Expansion of Aggregates from Hydration Reactions
ASTM D 7830/D7830M : 2014 Standard Test Method for In-Place Density (Unit Weight) and Water Content of Soil Using an Electromagnetic Soil Density Gauge
ASTM D 7243 : 2011 : R2020 Standard Guide for Measuring the Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Paper Industry Sludges
ASTM D 4253 : 2016 : EDT 1 Standard Test Methods for Maximum Index Density and Unit Weight of Soils Using a Vibratory Table
ASTM D 4647/D4647M : 2013:R2020 Standard Test Methods for Identification and Classification of Dispersive Clay Soils by the Pinhole Test
ASTM D 7263 : 2021 Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Density and Unit Weight of Soil Specimens
ASTM D 560/D560M : 2016 Standard Test Methods for Freezing and Thawing Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures
ASTM D 7382 : 2020 Standard Test Methods for Determination of Maximum Dry Unit Weight of Granular Soils Using a Vibrating Hammer
ASTM D 7101 : 2013 : EDT 1 Standard Index Test Method for Determination of Unvegetated Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Ability to Protect Soil from Rain Splash and Associated Runoff Under Bench-Scale Conditions (Withdrawn 2022)
ASTM D 8151 : 2019 : EDT 1 Standard Practice for Obtaining Rainfall Runoff from Unvegetated Rolled and Hydraulic Erosion Control Products (RECPs and HECPs) for Acute Ecotoxicity Testing
ASTM D 6913/D6913M : 2017 Standard Test Methods for Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Soils Using Sieve Analysis
ASTM D 5918 : 2013 : EDT 1 Standard Test Methods for Frost Heave and Thaw Weakening Susceptibility of Soils (Withdrawn 2022)
ASTM D 8167/D8167M : 2018 : REV A Standard Test Method for In-Place Bulk Density of Soil and Soil-Aggregate by a Low-Activity Nuclear Method (Shallow Depth)
ASTM E 2399/E2399M : 2019 Standard Test Method for Maximum Media Density for Dead Load Analysis of Vegetative (Green) Roof Systems
ASTM D 2167 : 2015 Standard Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in Place by the Rubber Balloon Method (Withdrawn 2024)
ASTM C 361 : 2019 : REV A Standard Specification for Reinforced Concrete Low-Head Pressure Pipe
ASTM F 2747 : 2019 Standard Guide for Construction of Sand-based Rootzones for Golf Putting Greens and Tees
ASTM B 788/B788M : 2009 : R2020 Standard Practice for Installing Factory-Made Corrugated Aluminum Culverts and Storm Sewer Pipe
ASTM D 6539 : 2013 Standard Test Method for Measurement of the Permeability of Unsaturated Porous Materials by Flowing Air (Withdrawn 2022)
ASTM D 5030/D5030M : 2021 Standard Test Methods for Density of In-Place Soil and Rock Materials by the Water Replacement Method in a Test Pit
ASTM D 4829 : 2021 Standard Test Method for Expansion Index of Soils
ASTM D 7765 : 2018 : REV A Standard Practice for Use of Foundry Sand in Structural Fill and Embankments
ASTM D 7698 : 2021 Standard Test Method for In-Place Estimation of Density and Water Content of Soil and Aggregate by Correlation with Complex Impedance Method
ASTM D 6459 : 2019 Standard Test Method for Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Hillslopes from Rainfall-Induced Erosion
ASTM D 1452/D1452M : 2016 Standard Practice for Soil Exploration and Sampling by Auger Borings
ASTM E 2278 : 2013 : R2019 Standard Guide for Use of Coal Combustion Products (CCPs) for Surface Mine Reclamation: Revegetation and Mitigation of Acid Mine Drainage
ASTM D 5084 : 2016 : REV A Standard Test Methods for Measurement of Hydraulic Conductivity of Saturated Porous Materials Using a Flexible Wall Permeameter
ASTM D 6243/D6243M : 2020 Standard Test Method for Determining the Internal and Interface Shear Strength of Geosynthetic Clay Liner by the Direct Shear Method
ASTM D 559/D559M : 2015 Standard Test Methods for Wetting and Drying Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures
ASTM G 162 : 2018 Standard Practice for Conducting and Evaluating Laboratory Corrosion Tests in Soils
ASTM D 4914/D4914M : 2016 Standard Test Methods for Density of Soil and Rock in Place by the Sand Replacement Method in a Test Pit
ASTM D 6938 : 2017 : REV A : EDT 1 Standard Test Methods for In-Place Density and Water Content of Soil and Soil-Aggregate by Nuclear Methods (Shallow Depth)
ASTM C 1688/C1688M : 2014 : REV A Standard Test Method for Density and Void Content of Freshly Mixed Pervious Concrete (Withdrawn 2023)
ASTM D 6758 : 2018 : EDT 1 Standard Test Method for Measuring Stiffness and Apparent Modulus of Soil and Soil-Aggregate In-Place by Electro-Mechanical Method
ASTM D 6270 : 2020 Standard Practice for Use of Scrap Tires in Civil Engineering Applications
ASTM D 7277 : 2016 Standard Test Method for Performance Testing of Articulating Concrete Block (ACB) Revetment Systems for Hydraulic Stability in Open Channel Flow
ASTM D 2937 : 2017 : EDT 2 Standard Test Method for Density of Soil in Place by the Drive-Cylinder Method
ASTM D 7351 : 2019 Standard Test Method for Determination of Sediment Retention Device (SRD) Effectiveness in Sheet Flow Applications
ASTM D 2321 : 2020 Standard Practice for Underground Installation of Thermoplastic Pipe for Sewers and Other Gravity-Flow Applications
ASTM D 6780/D6780M : 2019 Standard Test Methods for Water Content and Density of Soil In situ by Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)
ASTM D 5101 : 2012 : R2017 Standard Test Method for Measuring the Filtration Compatibility of Soil-Geotextile Systems
ASTM A 796/A796M : 2021 Standard Practice for Structural Design of Corrugated Steel Pipe, Pipe-Arches, and Arches for Storm and Sanitary Sewers and Other Buried Applications
ASTM D 6460 : 2019 Standard Test Method for Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Earthen Channels from Stormwater-Induced Erosion

ASTM E 11 : 2020 Standard Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and Test Sieves
ASTM D 4753 : 2015 Standard Guide for Evaluating, Selecting, and Specifying Balances and Standard Masses for Use in Soil, Rock, and Construction Materials Testing
ASTM D 3740 : 2023 Standard Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as Used in Engineering Design and Construction
ASTM D 3740 : 2019 Standard Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as Used in Engineering Design and Construction
ASTM D 4753 : 2024 Standard Guide for Evaluating, Selecting, and Specifying Balances and Standard Masses for Use in Soil, Rock, and Construction Materials Testing
ASTM D 854 : 2014 Standard Test Methods for Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by Water Pycnometer (Withdrawn 2023)
ASTM D 4718/D4718M : 2015 : R2023 Standard Practice for Correction of Unit Weight and Water Content for Soils Containing Oversize Particles
ASTM E 691 : 2020 Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
ASTM E 11 : 2022 Standard Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and Test Sieves
ASTM E 691 : 2023 Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
ASTM D 653 : 2022 Standard Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
ASTM C 136/C136M : 2014 Standard Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates
ASTM E 691 : 2022 Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
ASTM D 653 : 2021 : REV A Standard Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
ASTM D 653 : 2021 Standard Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
ASTM D 653 : 2021 : REV B Standard Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
ASTM E 691 : 2021 Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
ASTM D 6026 : 1996 : EDT 1 Standard Practice for Using Significant Digits in Geotechnical Data
ASTM C 127 : 2015 Standard Test Method for Relative Density (Specific Gravity) and Absorption of Coarse Aggregate (Withdrawn 2024)
ASTM D 854 : 2023 Standard Test Methods for Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by the Water Displacement Method
ASTM D 2488 : 2017 : EDT 1 Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures)

View more information
US$69.00
Excluding Tax where applicable

Access your standards online with a subscription

Features

  • Simple online access to standards, technical information and regulations.

  • Critical updates of standards and customisable alerts and notifications.

  • Multi-user online standards collection: secure, flexible and cost effective.