Reference library
ASTM test methods, explained
What each standard measures, when a specification calls for it, and how it is run in the field or laboratory.
ASTM C31 · Field
Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field
Casting, initial curing, and transporting concrete cylinders on the jobsite, so the strength results later actually represent the concrete that was delivered.
ASTM C39 · Laboratory
Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
The laboratory break test that turns field-cast cylinders into the compressive strength numbers used for acceptance, form stripping, and post-tensioning decisions.
ASTM C42 · Field + Laboratory
Obtaining and Testing Drilled Cores and Sawed Beams of Concrete
Core drilling and testing of in-place hardened concrete: used when cylinders break low or a structure's as-built strength is disputed.
ASTM C78 · Laboratory
Flexural Strength of Concrete (Using Simple Beam with Third-Point Loading)
The beam break that gives modulus of rupture — the number pavement, slab-on-grade, and airfield specifications use instead of, or alongside, cylinder compressive strength.
ASTM C138 · Field
Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete
Measures fresh concrete unit weight to verify yield and provide a gravimetric cross-check on air content.
ASTM C143 · Field
Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete
The slump cone test — the fastest field check of concrete consistency and workability against the approved mix design.
ASTM C172 · Field
Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete
Governs how a representative composite sample is taken from the truck — every downstream fresh-property and strength result depends on doing this step correctly.
ASTM C173 · Field
Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Volumetric Method
The roll-a-meter air test, required for lightweight and porous-aggregate concrete where pressure meters read incorrectly.
ASTM C231 · Field
Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method
The Type B pressure meter test — the workhorse air-content check for normal-weight concrete exposed to freeze-thaw or specified air ranges.
ASTM C511 · Laboratory
Mixing Rooms, Moist Cabinets, Moist Rooms, and Water Storage Tanks Used in the Testing of Hydraulic Cements and Concretes
The specification that governs the curing environment itself — temperature, humidity, and lime-saturated water — so every cylinder and beam is cured under the same conditions the strength result assumes.
ASTM C856 · Laboratory
Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
Microscopic examination of hardened concrete to find the real cause of distress: alkali-silica reaction, freeze-thaw damage, sulfate attack, or too much water.
ASTM C1064 · Field
Temperature of Freshly Mixed Hydraulic-Cement Concrete
Verifies fresh concrete temperature against hot- and cold-weather placement limits at the point of delivery.
ASTM C1231 · Laboratory
Use of Unbonded Caps in Determination of Compressive Strength of Hardened Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
The practice that qualifies neoprene pad caps for cylinder breaks, replacing sulfur capping for most strength ranges while keeping results comparable to ASTM C39.
ASTM C29 · Laboratory
Bulk Density (Unit Weight) and Voids in Aggregate
Rodded and loose unit weight of aggregate — the value mix designers need to convert between mass and volume batching and to check void content of a coarse aggregate.
ASTM C117 · Laboratory
Materials Finer than 75-μm (No. 200) Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing
The wash test that measures the clay, silt, and dust clinging to aggregate — fines that a dry sieve misses and that drive water demand, bond, and durability problems in concrete and asphalt.
ASTM C127 · Laboratory
Relative Density (Specific Gravity) and Absorption of Coarse Aggregate
Bulk, SSD, and apparent specific gravity plus absorption of coarse aggregate — the properties every concrete and asphalt mix design is proportioned around.
ASTM C128 · Laboratory
Relative Density (Specific Gravity) and Absorption of Fine Aggregate
Specific gravity and absorption of sand and manufactured fines using the cone test for saturated-surface-dry condition — the companion to ASTM C127 for the fine fraction.
ASTM C131 · Laboratory
Resistance to Degradation of Small-Size Coarse Aggregate by Abrasion and Impact in the Los Angeles Machine
The Los Angeles abrasion test — steel spheres and a rotating drum that measure how much an aggregate breaks down under impact and wear, the toughness check for base course, ballast, and pavement aggregate.
ASTM C136 · Laboratory
Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates
Gradation analysis that confirms aggregate meets the specified size envelope for concrete, asphalt, base, and select fill.
ASTM C566 · Laboratory
Total Evaporable Moisture Content of Aggregate by Drying
Oven- or hot-plate-dried moisture content of stockpile aggregate, used to correct batch water and aggregate masses at the plant so the delivered mix hits its design water-cement ratio.
ASTM C1026 · Laboratory
Measuring the Resistance of Ceramic and Glass Tile to Freeze-Thaw Cycling
Cyclic freeze-thaw exposure of ceramic and glass tile specimens to determine whether a tile is suitable for exterior installation in freezing climates.
ASTM D75 · Field
Sampling Aggregates
How a representative aggregate sample is taken from a stockpile, conveyor belt, truck, or roadway — the practice that determines whether every gradation and quality test downstream means anything.
ASTM D421 · Laboratory
Dry Preparation of Soil Samples for Particle-Size Analysis and Determination of Soil Constants
The preparation practice that splits, air-dries, and pulverizes a soil sample ahead of gradation and Atterberg limit testing so the specimen tested represents the soil that was sampled.
ASTM D422 · Laboratory
Particle-Size Analysis of Soils
The combined sieve and hydrometer gradation of a soil — the legacy method many older project specifications still cite, now succeeded by ASTM D6913 and D7928.
ASTM D558 · Laboratory
Moisture-Density (Unit Weight) Relations of Soil-Cement Mixtures
The Proctor-style compaction curve for soil-cement and cement-treated base, giving the optimum moisture and maximum density that field compaction of stabilized layers is judged against.
ASTM D698 · Laboratory
Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil (Standard Proctor)
Establishes the standard-effort maximum dry density and optimum moisture content that field density tests are compared against.
ASTM D854 · Laboratory
Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by Water Pycnometer
Specific gravity of the soil solids themselves, measured in a water pycnometer — the value that void ratio, degree of saturation, and hydrometer calculations all depend on.
ASTM D1140 · Laboratory
Determining the Amount of Material Finer than 75-μm (No. 200) Sieve in Soils by Washing
The wash-sieve determination of the silt-and-clay fraction of a soil — the single number that decides whether a material classifies as coarse- or fine-grained and whether it qualifies as select fill.
ASTM D1557 · Laboratory
Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil (Modified Proctor)
The modified-effort Proctor used where specifications demand higher compaction energy — typical for pavements, heavy fills, and industrial slabs.
ASTM D2216 · Laboratory
Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock
Oven-dry moisture content — the reference method behind moisture corrections in nearly every soils test.
ASTM D2487 · Laboratory
Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)
The USCS group symbol and name — CL, SM, GP-GM, and so on — assigned from gradation and Atterberg results, which is how specifications, geotechnical reports, and fill acceptance criteria describe a soil.
ASTM D4318 · Laboratory
Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils
Atterberg limits testing that classifies fine-grained soils and flags expansive clays before they become foundation problems.
ASTM D4718 · Laboratory
Correction of Unit Weight and Water Content for Soils Containing Oversize Particles
The rock correction that adjusts a Proctor maximum density and optimum moisture for the gravel and cobbles scalped out of the laboratory specimen, so field percent compaction on rocky fill is computed against the right target.
ASTM D6913 · Laboratory
Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Soils Using Sieve Analysis
The current sieve gradation method for soils, with wash and dry procedures for coarse- and fine-grained materials — the successor to the sieve half of ASTM D422.
ASTM D6938 · Field
In-Place Density and Water Content of Soil by Nuclear Methods
Nuclear gauge testing of in-place density and moisture — the acceptance test behind nearly every lift of structural fill, utility backfill, and subgrade.
ASTM D7928 · Laboratory
Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Fine-Grained Soils Using the Sedimentation (Hydrometer) Analysis
The hydrometer test that sizes the silt and clay fraction too fine for sieves — the successor to the sedimentation half of ASTM D422 and the source of the clay-size percentage used in expansive-soil evaluation.
ASTM G51 · Laboratory
Measuring pH of Soil for Use in Corrosion Testing
Soil pH measured for corrosion assessment of buried steel, ductile iron, and reinforced concrete — one of the inputs to pipeline, pile, and MSE wall corrosivity evaluations.
ASTM G57 · Field + Laboratory
Measurement of Soil Resistivity Using the Wenner Four-Electrode Method
In-situ soil resistivity by the four-pin Wenner array — the field measurement behind corrosion-rate estimates, cathodic protection design, and grounding-grid design.
ASTM G187 · Laboratory
Measurement of Soil Resistivity Using the Two-Electrode Soil Box Method
Laboratory soil resistivity on a sampled specimen in a two-electrode soil box, tested as-received and saturated — the bench companion to the ASTM G57 field method for MSE backfill and pipeline corrosivity screening.
FAQ
About these test methods
What is the difference between a field test and a laboratory test?
Field tests are performed on the jobsite at the moment of sampling — slump, air content, temperature, in-place density. Laboratory tests are performed on specimens brought back under chain of custody — compressive strength, Proctor curves, gradation, Atterberg limits. Both are governed by ASTM designations, and a project specification usually requires both.
Which ASTM edition do you test to?
The edition referenced by your project specification. Where a specification cites a withdrawn method such as ASTM D422, we run it as written and can run the current replacement (D6913 and D7928) alongside it so the engineer has both.
Are these explainers a substitute for the standard?
No. Each page is a plain-language overview of what the test measures, how it runs, and what skews it — written for contractors, owners, and new technicians. Testing is performed to the published ASTM standard, which is the controlling document.
Can I request a method that is not listed?
Often, yes. The list reflects our laboratory scope; asphalt, masonry, and steel methods are available through partner laboratories and are quoted per project. Call (832) 464-8334 with the designation.
Which ASTM standards are on the concrete scope?
Fresh concrete: ASTM C172 sampling, C143 slump, C231 and C173 air content, C1064 temperature, C138 unit weight and yield, and C31 making and curing specimens. Hardened concrete: ASTM C39 compressive strength, C78 flexural strength, and C1231 unbonded caps. Aggregate: C29, C117, C127, C128, C131, C136, C566, and D75.
Which ASTM standards are on the soils scope?
ASTM D698 standard and D1557 modified Proctor, D6938 nuclear density and moisture, D2216 moisture content, D4318 Atterberg limits, D2487 USCS classification, D1140 and D6913 sieve analysis, D7928 hydrometer, D854 specific gravity, D558 soil-cement, D4718 oversize correction, and the G51, G57, and G187 pH and resistivity methods for MSE wall backfill.
What certifications qualify a technician to run these tests?
ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade I covers the fresh-concrete field methods (C143, C231, C173, C1064, C138, C172, C31). NICET Construction Materials Testing certifications in Soils, Concrete, and Asphalt cover field and laboratory soils and concrete work at Levels I through IV. Nuclear gauge operators for D6938 complete gauge safety and hazmat training under a radiation safety program.
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