COMPACTION MEASUREMENTS BY NUCLEAR DEVICES

STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DEVELOP METHODS, PROCEDURES, AND CALIBRATION CURVES FOR USING NUCLEAR DEVICES TO MAKE FIELD DENSITY AND MOISTURE MEASUREMENTS. THE NUCLEAR ASPHALT DENSITY GAUGE MEASUREMENTS WERE COMPARED WITH THE SPECIFIC GRAVITIES OF CORES CUT FROM BITUMINOUS PAVEMENTS. ANALYSIS OF DATA COLLECTED INDICATED A STANDARD ERROR ESTIMATE OF 0.04. THE DATA INDICATE THAT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE VARIATION IS NOT EXPLAINED BY THE ESTIMATING EQUATIONS. THE NUCLEAR ASPHALT DENSITY GAUGE IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTROL OF BITUMINOUS PAVEMENT DENSITY. THE NUCLEAR SOIL DENSITY GAUGE MEASUREMENTS WERE COMPARED TO THE WET UNIT WEIGHTS MEASURED BY THE SAND CONE METHOD IN THE FIELD AND A CALIBRATED BOX MOLD IN THE LABORATORY. THE STANDARD ERRORS OF ESTIMATE WERE 4 TO 5 PCF FOR ALL ANALYSES. VERY GOOD CORRELATIONS WERE OBTAINED IN THE LIMITED LABORATORY STUDY. DATA INDICATE THAT THE NUCLEAR DENSITY GAUGE MEASUREMENTS ARE AFFECTED BY VARIATIONS IN MATERIAL COMPOSITION AND THAT A SEPARATE CALIBRATION CURVE FOR EACH SOIL IS NECESSARY. THE SURFACE NUCLEAR SOIL DENSITY GAUGE AND MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPACTION CONTROL FOR EMBANKMENT OR SUBGRADE SOILS. IF THIS TYPE OF GAUGE IS USED, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE AIR GAP PROCEDURE BE USED AND THAT SEPARATE CALIBRATION CURVES BE ESTABLISHED FOR EACH SOIL. THE NUCLEAR SOIL MOISTURE GAUGE MEASUREMENTS WERE COMPARED TO MOISTURE CONTENTS DETERMINED BY OVEN DRYING. THE STANDARD ERRORS OF ESTIMATE WERE 1.0 PCF OR LESS. DATA INDICATE THAT A SINGLE CALIBRATION CURVE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE CONTENT BY THE NUCLEAR GAUGE WOULD BE SATISFACTORY FOR MOST SOILS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr Rept No 34, 56 PP, FIGS, TABS, 5 REF, 2 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  Alabama State Highway Department

  11 South Union Street
  Montgomery, AL  United States  36130
• Authors:
  • Holman, F L
  • Eiland, E N
  • Mccullough, W F
• Publication Date: 1969-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Bituminous pavements; Calibration; Construction management; Core samples; Errors; Field density; Field tests; Moisture content; Nuclear tests; Oven drying; Specific gravity
• Uncontrolled Terms: Field measurements
• Old TRIS Terms: Construction control; Cores; Unit weight /saturated/
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216909
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 12 1970 12:00AM