Designation: D7765 12

Standard Practice for

Use of Foundry Sand in Structural Fill and Embankments1

This standard is issued under the fixed designation D7765; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope
1.1 This practice covers methods to use foundry sand as
embankment and structural fill.
1.2 It includes recommended construction (Section 5), compaction control (Section 6), and freeze-thaw durability (Section
7) practices.
1.3 The engineer should be aware that foundry sand is a
by-product of metal casting industries. Various state, county,
and local environmental laws and regulations may apply if
foundry sand is used as an alternative embankment or fill
material. It is advised that foundry sand users contact state,
county, and local environmental regulators to determine what
requirements or limitations may exist.
1.4 This standard applies to both green foundry sand and
chemically bonded foundry sand.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.7 This guide offers an organized collection of information
or a series of options and does not recommend a specific
course of action. This document cannot replace education or
experience and should be used in conjunction with professional
judgment. Not all aspects of this guide may be applicable in all
circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of
a given professional service must be judged, nor should this
document be applied without consideration of a projects many
unique aspects. The word Standard in the title of this
document means only that the document has been approved
through the ASTM consensus process.

1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and
Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.14 on Geotechnics of
Sustainable Construction.
Current edition approved June 1, 2012. Published August 2012. DOI: 10.1520/
D7765-12.

2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:2
C837 Test Method for Methylene Blue Index of Clay
D653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
Fluids
D698 Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort (12 400 ft-lbf/ft3 (600
kN-m/m3))
D1556 Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in
Place by Sand-Cone Method
D1557 Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Modified Effort (56,000 ft-lbf/ft3
(2,700 kN-m/m3))
D1883 Test Method for CBR (California Bearing Ratio) of
Laboratory-Compacted Soils
D2216 Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water
(Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass
D2974 Test Methods for Moisture, Ash, and Organic Matter
of Peat and Other Organic Soils
D4327 Test Method for Anions in Water by Suppressed Ion
Chromatography
D5080 Test Method for Rapid Determination of Percent
Compaction
D5918 Test Methods for Frost Heave and Thaw Weakening
Susceptibility of Soils
D6026 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Geotechnical
Data
D6938 Test Method for In-Place Density and Water Content
of Soil and Soil-Aggregate by Nuclear Methods (Shallow
Depth)
G51 Test Method for Measuring pH of Soil for Use in
Corrosion Testing
G187 Test Method for Measurement of Soil Resistivity
Using the Two-Electrode Soil Box Method
3. Terminology
3.1 For definitions related to geotechnical properties, see
Terminology D653.

2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.

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D7765 12
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 active clay content, nthe clay fraction that still can
be hydrated.
3.2.2 binders, nadditives used to hold the sand in the
required shape during the casting process. Binders may be
inorganic, such as bentonite clay and sodium silicate, or
organic such as phenolic-urethanes and epoxy-resins.
3.2.3 chemically bonded sand, nfoundry sand that contains non-bentonite binders.
3.2.4 foundry sand, na narrowly graded fine sand with
subangular to rounded grains that is a by-product of the steel
and aluminum casting industry.
3.2.5 green foundry sand, na mixture of foundry sand,
bentonite and seacoal. Most of foundry sand generated is green
foundry sand that contains bentonite clay and carbonaceous
additives, such as seacoal. Bentonite content of the green
foundry sands is the key characteristics affecting their behavior.
3.2.6 seacoal, na carbonaceous material added to foundry
sand to provide a reducing environment during casting and to
help ease the release of the cooled metal from the mold.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 Earthwork associated with highway construction provides an opportunity for high volume reuse of green foundry
sands discarded by the foundry industry. This practice covers
methods and recommendations to use of foundry sand as
embankment and structural fill.
4.2 This practice describes the unique construction considerations that may apply to foundry sands. The behavior may
vary due to specific composition of the material and local
conditions.
4.3 The use of foundry sand in embankment and structural
fill may be regulated by state and local codes. These codes
should be consulted.
4.4 This practice is intended for use with green foundry
sands where bentonite is used as the binder. It may not be
applicable for chemically bonded foundry sands.
5. Construction Practices
5.1 The following practices are recommended when constructing foundry sand embankment and structural fill.
5.1.1 Foundry sand should be conditioned for dust control
and to prevent erosion by the addition of from 10 to 15 percent
water by mass at the source site prior to delivery. This
conditioning may include subsequent storage (stockpiling) of
the foundry sand for a period of 24 h or more, after the addition
of water, until the water is evenly dispersed. If the supplier can
demonstrate that water is evenly distributed throughout the
foundry sand, then stockpiling may not be required.
5.1.2 Delivery of foundry sand should be in closed or
covered trucks.
5.1.3 Large-scale storage (stockpiling) of foundry sand at
the site is permissible provided that the water content is
maintained at 10 to 15 percent by mass for dust control.

5.1.4 Foundry sand material should be spread into loose lifts

of approximately 20 cm thickness. The engineer may consider
thicker lift dimensions if it can be satisfactorily demonstrated
with a test section that adequate compaction can be achieved
over the full depth of the thicker lift.
5.1.5 If necessary for proper compaction, water should be
added to the foundry sand by the use of water distribution tank
trucks. The water and foundry sand should be mixed using a
rototilling mixer or other approved method. At the time of
compaction, the foundry sand should have a moisture content
that will result in an after compaction dry density that complies
with the requirements of the project specifications. The dry
density is a function of the clay content.
5.1.6 The first pass in the compaction process should be
accomplished by the method known as tracking. This involves
the use of a bulldozer track to accomplish initial compaction.
The bulldozer is moved progressively across the foundry sand
until the entire area is tracked.
5.1.7 The foundry sand should subsequently be compacted
using pneumatic tired compaction equipment. Smooth steel
drum and vibratory steel drum compactors are not as effective
as pneumatic tired compactors for compacting foundry sand.
5.1.8 The foundry sand embankment should be compacted
as required by the specifying agency. The dry density is a
function of the clay content. Foundry sand with no clay should
have a dry density equal to or greater than 1602 kg/m3 with an
optimum water content of approximately 9 %. Increasing clay
content will increase dry density and optimum water content.
5.1.9 At the completion of each days work, the surface of
the foundry sand embankment should be sealed. This means
that it should be graded after compaction to the specification
requirement and rolled with a smooth steel roller so that rain
will flow off the foundry sand instead of puddling.
5.1.10 The contractor should use water or other dust palliatives, if necessary, to control the generation of dust due to
drying of the foundry sand.
6. Compaction Control
6.1 The use of foundry sand as structural fill and embankment material can present compaction-related issues that may
be different from those encountered with conventional sandy
materials. Bentonite content of the green foundry sands is the
key characteristics affecting their constructability and performance behavior. The active clay content can be determined by
using methylene blue titration following Test Method C837. A
description of the issues and recommended practices for
mitigation are presented below.
6.1.1 The moisture-density relationship for foundry sand
will vary depending on the sand type and the amount of clay.
Hydration of dehydrated clay in foundry sands takes at least 1
week.3 Accordingly, in performing laboratory tests for index,
compaction, and mechanical property, these characteristics
should be recognized and an appropriate hydration time should
be allowed after adding water to simulate the expected condition in the field. Green sand compacted according to Test
3
Kleven, J. R., Edil, T. B., and Benson, C. H. Evaluation of Excess Foundry
System Sands for Use as Subbase Material, Journal of the Transportation Research
Board, No. 1714, National Research Council, Washington D. C., 2000, pp. 40-48.

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D7765 12
Methods D698 with the exception of extending the hydration
period to 1 week from 24 h will give a moisture density curve
with a well-defined maximum dry density peak with an
optimum water content between 9 and 14 percent.3 The
expected maximum dry density will fall between 1602 kg/m3
and 1860 kg/m3 using Test Methods D698.3 It is recommended
that the water content be within 1 % of the optimum water
content to achieve densities greater than 95 % standard proctor
or 90 % modified Proctor. Chemically bonded foundry sand
and green sand with no clay will have similar dry densities to
the green sand with clay, but the moisture density curve is
comparatively flatter with a poorly defined peak. The optimum
water content will be between 10 and 15 percent. While the
water content is not as critical for compaction, it is still
recommended that the field water content be maintained within
1 % of the optimum water content.
6.1.2 Compaction techniques may vary among jurisdictions.
However, a loose lift thickness for foundry sand of 20 cm is
generally preferred. A defined and effective rolling pattern
should be developed. Foundry sand is best compacted using
pneumatic tired compaction equipment. Smooth steel drum and
vibratory steel drum compactors are not as effective as pneumatic tired compactors for compacting foundry sand.
6.1.3 Acceptance of each lift should be based on in-place
density as a percentage of maximum dry density at 61 % of
optimum water content as determined by Test Method D1556
or D6938, or an equivalent method. It should be noted that a
nuclear density gauge calibrated for well graded sand will
likely give an inaccurate value for foundry sand due to its
narrow range of particle sizes. It is recommended that Test
Method D6938 and other tests be carried out to determine a
correction factor for the nuclear density gauge, or that the
gauge be recalibrated for foundry sand both for moisture and
density using Test Method D2216 and Test Method D1556,
respectively. From a practical point of view, the nuclear density
gauge will be used on other materials besides foundry sands, so
a correction factor is the preferred method. The usual value for
the acceptance of the lift is 95 percent of the maximum dry
density as determined by Test Methods D698 or 90 percent of
the maximum dry density as determined by Test Methods
D1557.
6.1.4 When the contractor demonstrates a consistent ability
to achieve acceptable compaction as demonstrated by repeatable percent compaction measurements in accordance with
Test Method D5080, the engineer may elect to allow a
procedural acceptance technique to be used. In this approach a
test strip is established and the strip or lift is compacted. After
each pass, where a pass is defined as all areas of the lift being
compacted by the compaction equipment one time, a test of the
density of the lift is made. The actual density of the lift is
compared with the maximum dry density value as determined
by Test Methods D698 or Test Methods D1557.
6.1.5 If other materials are blended with the foundry sand, it
is likely that the gradation will change, and that this will result
in changes to the moisture-density relationships. An effective

method of offsetting this variability problem is to use Test

Method D5080 for rapid determination of percent compaction.
This test method describes the procedure for rapidly determining the percent compaction and the variation from optimum
moisture content of an in-place soil for use in controlling
construction of compacted earth. These values are obtained by
developing a three-point compaction curve at the same moisture content as the in-place soil without knowing the value of
the moisture content. The soil used for the compaction curve is
normally the same soil removed from the location of the
in-place density test. On a given day, when an in-place density
test is performed, a companion sample of foundry sand is
taken. The acceptance of the compaction for the days production is based on these values. If there is a high degree of
variability in the foundry sand, it may be necessary to establish
a practice of performing rapid percent compaction on a
morning and afternoon basis, or even more frequently.
6.2 Appropriate testing for strength and other design-related
parameters as dictated by the intended end-use considerations
should be made on foundry sands and the foundry sands
blended with other materials at the specified field densities.
7. Electrochemical Limits
7.1 Durability of metallic inclusions in the fill, such as
metallic pipes and steel reinforcement elements, requires that
the fill material does not exceed certain electrochemical limits.
The recommended electrochemical limits are as follows:4
Property

Standard

Test Procedure

Resistivity
pH
Organic Content
Chloride
Sulfates

Ohm-cm > 3000

>5 <10
#1 %
<100 ppm
<200 ppm

Test
Test
Test
Test
Test

Method G187
Method G51
Methods D2974
Method D4327
Method D4327

8. Freeze-Thaw Durability
8.1 The potential for frost susceptibility may be evaluated in
the laboratory by the use of Test Method D5918. This test
method involves the compaction of a soil specimen and then
freezing it at one end while free liquid water is in contact with
the other end of the specimen. The specimen is subjected to a
conditioning cycle and then two freeze-thaw cycles. The
specimen is measured for heave and then it is tested for
California Bearing Ratio (Test Method D1883) after freezethaw cycling. The California Bearing Ratio value is compared
with a control test where the specimen is not subjected to
freeze-thaw. The reduction in the CBR due to freeze-thaw can
be used as a guide to adjust the structural properties used in
design.
9. Keywords
9.1 compaction; embankment; fly ash; foundry sand; freezing; structural fill
4
Corrosion/Degradation of Soil reinforcements for Mechanically Stabilized
Earth Walls and Reinforced Slopes, Federal Highway Administration Publication
No. FHWA-NHI-00-044, September 2000.

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D7765 12
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