ASTM International

Standard Test Method for Density of Soil in Place by the Drive-Cylinder Method
 N D2937

Annotation

This test method covers the determination of in-place density of soil by the drive-cylinder method. The test method involves obtaining a relatively intact soil sample by driving a thin-walled cylinder and the subsequent activities for the determination of in-place density. When sampling or in-place density is required at depth, Test Method D1587 should be used.

This test method is not appropriate for sampling organic soils which can compress upon sampling, very hard natural soils and heavily compacted soils which cannot be easily penetrated by the drive sampler, soils of low plasticity which will not be readily retained in the cylinder, or soils which contain appreciable amounts of gravel (particles coarser than 4.75 mm (3?16 in.)). The presence of particles coarser than 4.75 mm (3?16 in.) may introduce significant errors in density measurements by causing voids along the wall of the cylinder during driving, and when coarse materials have to be dislodged by the trimming of the sample obtained by the cylinder.

This test method is limited to the procedures necessary for obtaining specimens suitable for determining the in-place density and water content of certain soils. The procedures and precautions necessary for selecting locations and obtaining intact samples suitable for laboratory testing or otherwise determining engineering properties is beyond the scope of this test method.

The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The inch-pound units given in parentheses are mathematical conversions, which are provided for information purposes only and are not considered standard.

It is common practice in the engineering/construction profession to concurrently use pounds to represent both a unit of mass (lbm) and a unit of 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. As stated, this standard includes the gravitational system of inch-pound units and does not use/present the slug unit for mass. 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 nonconformance with this standard.