Determining the Density and Unit Weight of Soil in Place by the Rubber-Balloon Method - Soil Properties: Testing, Measurement, and Evaluation - page 221

Again, as stated in Chapter 14, test holes are relatively small, and it is
important that no soil be lost during excavation and that volume deter-
minations be done very carefully to ensure accurate evaluations of
in-place density and unit weight. To get an accurate moisture content of
the soil, excavation should be done as rapidly as possible, and the soil
container should be capped and sealed quickly to prevent loss of natural
soil moisture.
The methods for determining the in-place dry unit weight of soil in
Chapters 14 and 15 are destructive testing methods, in that a sizable
hole must be dug in the ground or compacted soil. Chapter 16 presents
a nondestructive method for making such determinations.

SUMMARY

REFERENCE

[1] ASTM, 2007 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, West Conshohocken,

PA, 2007. Copyright, American Society for Testing and Materials,
100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.

Reprinted with permission.