Posts

Ways to set up a light weight Deflectometer

The ideal equipment to determine the loading capacity and to analyze soil compaction for construction activity, light weight delflectometers assist construction firms to turnaround projects quickly.  Setting it up is a relatively simple task, involving a few aspects that need to be followed for securing accurate results. Profiled below are a few dos and don’ts during setting up of an LWD.  Avoid setting up in locations inundated with water It is important to bear in mind to avoid the load test on irregular terrain, and in areas with water stagnant or during rains. These factors are most likely to cause a negative impact to the final results. Setting up – The installation can be performed over the following steps ·         Ensure that you position the instrument and the load plate with the sensor on the actual spot where the test needs to be carried out; following which the equipment has to be connected to the measuring computer...

Tips for Developing Statistical Limits for Light Weight Deflectometers

Light Weight Deflectometers have come to replace the conventional methods used for compaction testing. Offering faster and more accurate measurements without causing a considerable drain on resources, the LWDs have turned out to be a boon to the paving industry. Having received enhanced traction among the industry, it is important to develop statistical limits for the LWD. Here is a quick look at some of the tips that will help to develop the limits that are important to understand the maximum permissible deflections. Proper preparation of the test area The material being tested should ideally be in full contact with the undersurface of the load plate . Material that is found to be loose and protruding needs to be removed. Areas that are not found to be even, need to be leveled by filling in fine sand. The test for developing the statistical limits should ideally be conducted when the temperature is not very cold, as this may cause errors in the readings recorded. It is importa...

Know About the Types of Soils for Light Weight Deflectometer Testing

Different soil types have unique features with optimal moisture content. Soil types are generally categorized by size of the grain that is regulated by passing through a series of sieves to determine the different grain sizes. We drill down through stratum to understand more about the different types of soil that are used in testing by light weight deflectometers. Combination types of soil Naturally found soil types are generally a combination of several types. Aggregate soil typically incorporates a wide range of particles of differing sizes from the maximum to the minimum in order to fill in the voids. As a result, it forms a dense composition making it suitable for compaction. Cohesive and granular are the soil types that are used in light weight deflectometer testing . 1.       Cohesive Soil – Cohesive soil consists of the smallest particles which are categorized as clay and silt soil types. Clay size ranges from .00004 to 002 inches and the siz...

Basic requirement for Soil compaction test

Typically, tests are conducted in order to figure out the optimal moisture content in the soil. Proctor test and field test are the basic requirements for soil compaction test. These tests are actually carried out to check the maximum density of the soil. We take a good look at some of the basic requirements for soil compaction tests . Procter test - Proctor test involves collecting a small quantity of soil sample from the jobsite. A standard load is dropped over several repetitions on the sample soil. Finally the soil is weighed and then oven-dried for at least 12 hours to examine the water content. This test is used to determine the maximum density of soil and it also evaluates the effects of moisture on soil density. Soil reference value is indicated as a percentage of density and these values are determined before carrying out any soil compaction process. Modified proctar values are quite high since they consider higher density ranges required for certain construction project...