Determining the Moisture Content of Soil (Microwave Oven Method) - Soil Properties: Testing, Measurement, and Evaluation - page 55

(9) When routine testing of similar soils is contemplated, the drying
times and number of cycles may be standardized for each oven.
When standardized drying times and cycles are utilized, periodic
verification to assure that the results of the final dry mass determi-
nation are equivalent to the procedure in (7) should be performed.

Note 5 —Incremental heating, together with stirring, will min-
imize overheating and localized drying of the soil, thereby
yielding results more consistent with results obtained by
Method D 2216. The recommended time increments have been
suitable for most specimens having particles smaller than a
No. 4 sieve and with a mass of approximately 200 g; however,
they may not be appropriate for all soils and ovens, and ad-
justment may be necessary.

Note 6 —Water content specimens should be discarded after
testing and not used in any other tests due to particle break-
down, chemical changes or losses, melting, or losses of organic
constituencies.

Inasmuch as the microwave oven method for determining moisture con-
tent differs from the conventional oven method only in the manner in
which soil specimens are dried, data collected are the same as indicated
in Chapter 4.

DATA

See Chapter 4.

CALCULATIONS

See Chapter 4.

NUMERICAL
EXAMPLE

[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.

REFERENCE