Designation: C70 − 13 American Association State

Highway and Transportation Officials Standard

AASHTO No.: T142

Standard Test Method for

Surface Moisture in Fine Aggregate1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C70; 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.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.

1. Scope 3.2 The accuracy of the test method depends upon accurate
1.1 This test method covers field determination of the information on the bulk specific gravity of the material in a
amount of surface moisture in fine aggregate by displacement saturated surface-dry condition.
in water. 4. Apparatus
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the 4.1 Balance, having a capacity of 2 kg or more and sensitive
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the to 0.5 g or less.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- 4.2 Flask—A suitable container or flask, preferably of glass
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. or noncorrosive metal. The container may be a pycnometer, a
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the volumetric flask, a graduated volumetric flask, or other suitable
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this measuring device. The volume of the container shall be from
standard. two to three times the loose volume of the sample. The
container shall be so designed that it can be filled to the mark,
2. Referenced Documents or the volume of its contents read, within 0.5 mL or less.
2.1 ASTM Standards:2 5. Sample
C128 Test Method for Density, Relative Density (Specific 5.1 Select a representative sample of the fine aggregate to be
Gravity), and Absorption of Fine Aggregate tested for surface moisture content. It shall weigh not less than
C566 Test Method for Total Evaporable Moisture Content of 200 g. Larger samples will yield more accurate results.
Aggregate by Drying
C670 Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements 6. Procedure
for Test Methods for Construction Materials 6.1 The surface water content may be determined either by
mass or volume. In each case the test shall be made at a
3. Significance and Use temperature range of 18 to 29°C.
3.1 This test method is not widely used. However, it is a 6.2 Determination by Mass—Determine the mass of the
convenient procedure for field or plant determination of container, in grams, filled to the mark with only water. Before
moisture content of fine aggregate if specific gravity values are placing the sample into the container, adjust the level of the
known and if drying facilities are not available. It can be used water so that it will be sufficient to cover the sample without
to adjust the aggregate mass for moisture content and to going over the original mark. Introduce the weighed sample of
determine surface moisture contribution to mixing water in fine aggregate into the container and remove the entrapped air.
portland cement concrete. Fill the container to the original mark, and determine the mass
in grams. Calculate the amount of water displaced by the
sample, as follows:
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C09 on M d 5 M c 1M s 2 M (1)
Concrete and Concrete Aggregatesand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
C09.20 on Normal Weight Aggregates. where:
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2013. Published February 2013. Originally
approved in 1970. Last previous edition approved in 2006 as C70 – 06. DOI: Md = mass of water displaced by the sample, g,
10.1520/C0070-13. Mc = mass of container filled to the mark with water, g,
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or Ms = mass of sample, g, and
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM M = mass of container and sample, filled to the mark with
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.
water, g.

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 C70 − 13
6.3 Determination by Volume—Measure a volume of water, Pa = absorption of the fine aggregate, %, determined in
in millilitres, sufficient to cover the sample and place in the accordance with Test Method C128.
container. Introduce the weighed sample of fine aggregate into
Total moisture content, on a dry aggregate basis, is the sum
the container and remove the entrapped air. Determine the
of the surface moisture, Pd, and the absorption, Pa.
combined volume of the sample and the water by direct reading
when a graduated flask is used. When a pycnometer or 8. Report
volumetric flask of known volume is used, fill the container to 8.1 Report surface moisture test results as determined by
the known volume mark with an additional measured volume this method to the nearest 0.1 %.
of water. The flask or pycnometer volume is then equal to the
combined volume of sample and water. Calculate the amount 9. Precision and Bias
of water displaced by the sample, as follows: 9.1 This procedure is estimated to be less precise than
Vs 5 V2 2 V 1 (2) properly conducted moisture content tests by drying (Test
Method C566). Accurate specific gravity information is essen-
where: tial to the bias of this method. Test Method C566 can be used
Vs = volume of water displaced by the sample, mL, to verify the level of bias.
V2 = combined volume of sample and water, mL, and
V1 = total volume of water in the flask or pycnometer 9.2 Precision—These estimates of precision are based on
required to cover the sample and bring the level up to results from the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory
the known volume mark, mL. (AMRL) Proficiency Sample Program, of testing conducted on
Fine Aggregate Proficiency Sample Numbers 99 and 100. The
7. Calculation precision limits are based on test results submitted by 144
7.1 Calculate the percentage of surface moisture in terms of laboratories that tested two fine aggregate test samples of
the saturated surface-dry fine aggregate (see Appendix X1), as approximately 500 g mass with average surface moisture
follows: contents of 2.323 % and 2.075 % respectively.
9.2.1 Single-Operator Precision—The single-operator stan-
P 5 @ ~ M d 2 V d ! / ~ M s 2 M d ! # 3 100 (3) dard deviation of a single test result has been found to be
where: 0.50 %.3 Therefore, results of two properly conducted tests by
P = surface moisture in terms of saturated surface-dry fine the same operator should not differ by more than 1.39 %.
aggregate, %, 9.2.2 Multilaboratory Precision—The multilaboratory stan-
Vd = mass of the sample (Ms in 6.2) divided by the bulk dard deviation of a single test result has been found to be
specific gravity of the fine aggregate in a saturated 0.82 %.3 Therefore, results of two properly conducted tests in
surface-dry condition, determined as prescribed in Test different laboratories on the same material should not differ by
Method C128, and more than 2.31 %.3
Md = mass of water displaced, g, and 9.3 Bias—Since there is no accepted reference material
Ms = mass of sample, g suitable for determining the bias of this test procedure, no
7.2 Calculate the percentage of surface moisture in terms of statement on bias (other than that in 9.1) is made.
dry aggregate if the absorption of the aggregate is known as 10. Keywords
follows:
10.1 fine aggregate; fine aggregate moisture; surface mois-
P d 5 P @ 11 ~ P a /100! # (4)
ture
where:
3
These numbers represent, respectively, the (1s) and d2s) limits as described in
Pd = surface moisture in terms of dry fine aggregate, %, and
Practice C670.

APPENDIX

(Nonmandatory Information)

X1. DEVELOPMENT OF EQUATIONS

X1.1 These equations are readily derived from basic rela- X1.1.1 If G is bulk specific gravity of the saturated, surface-
tionships. For convenience express P in terms of the ratio r, dry fine aggregate, then
that is, the ratio of the mass of surface moisture to the mass of Ms Ms
the saturated, surface-dry sample. It follows that: Md 5 1M s 2 (X1.2)
G ~ 11r ! 11r
M s 2 @ M s / ~ 11r ! # where the first term gives the water displaced by the
r5 (X1.1)
M s / ~ 11r ! saturated surface-dry fine aggregate and the second that dis-
placed by the surface moisture.

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 C70 − 13
X1.1.2 From Eq X1.2: Ms 5 V d G (X1.4)
Ms Md 2 M s X1.1.3 Substituting for Ms/(1 + r) and Ms in Eq X1.1 and
5 (X1.3)
11r 1 simplifying,
21
G
r 5 ~ M d 2 V d! / ~ M s 2 M d! (X1.5)
By definition,

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