Lab Services: Soil testing

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Test Method Title

Standard Test Methods for Bulk Density of Peat and Peat Products.

Reference Number

ASTM D4531

Material

Soil

Test Property

Density

Description of Test

These test methods provide uniform procedures for determining the bulk density of in situ peat and processed peat products. The bulk density is of use in the calculation of in situ stresses for engineering analysis and in quantifying the amount of material present when considering peat as a resource. In the latter case, it is necessary to consider the moisture condition for which the bulk density was determined; a more useful parameter to consider may well be the dry density, rd. Method A, the core method, covers the determination of the bulk density of an undisturbed core of peat taken with a piston sampler or other suitable core sampler. Method B, the paraffin wax method, covers the determination of the bulk density of undisturbed clods or irregular pieces of wet peat and compressed peat products.

Preferred Test Sample Size

Number of Test Specimens

1

Test Specimen Size

2.87 in diameter x 50mm height or an intact clod

Keywords

bulk density, core sampling, paraffin-wax displacement method, peat, peat products