Two new standards from the Geosynthetics committee of ASTM will help define properties that can be used in the design of geosynthetic reinforced pavement. I know in my practice in Arizona, ADOT simply allows a boost of Resilient Modulus (R-Value) of 10 when biaxial geogrids are used. Perhaps in time this will lead to a design method to account for the geosynthetic reinforcement in a more analytical way. [Source: Geosynthetics Magazine]
Standards and Codes
ASTM Updates August 2009
Another busy month for ASTM with 66 new, revised or otherwise updated standards related to geotechnical and geological engineering (although not as busy as last month). A couple that caught my eye include brand new standards for geospatial data requirements related to abandoned mines, a new standard for sampling of EPS or geofoam, updated standards for mortar and cement, flexural strength of concrete, LA Abrasion test for aggregates, acceptance testing of geosynthetic clay liners, electrical methods for leak detection of geomembranes with earth cover and classification of soils and soil-aggregate mixtures for highway construction purpose (AASHTO classification).
Those involved in the materials testing side of the business should take a close look at the full list as there are also a number of updated standards relating to various asphalt and and aggregate tests, capping of concrete cyllinders and other related testing standards.
For my practice, perhaps the most significant standard that was updated was D 2488 – Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure) which we rely on for our field USCS classifications. I’ll be curious to see what those changes entail. Click through for the full list.
Miscellaneous
ASTM Updates June 2009
D5434 – “Standard Guide for Field Logging of Subsurface Explorations of Soil and Rock” and D4429 – “Standard Test Method for CBR (California Bearing Ratio) of Soils in Place” are two standards revised this month that may be of interest to geotechnical engineers. Those in the construction services and materials testing business should take a look at a number of changes to relevant standards. This month there are also a few revised standards related to detection of different ions in water. I also see that there are a number of geothermal and solar standards that were reapproved this month, most of them seem to have been last modified in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Click through for the full list of new, revised and reapproved ASTM standards from June.
Available Resources
HP16 and HP18 Steel H-piles Now Available
Up until recently, the biggest steel H-Pile section you could get was an HP14 weighing up to 177 lb/ft. But ENR reports that manufacturers are now rolling steel H-Piles in 16 and 18 inch depths. […]