Field Testing
Field Testing
(OP)
Hi,
We are living in arid area where summer temperatue rises up to 40 degree cengrade. During construction of road after laying the layers and compacted at optimum moisture content the next day you find the moisture content is very low especially if materials are non plastic.(eg say omc is 10% and next day you find mc is 4%). It happen in one of the project the field density was taken the next day using nuclear gauge and because of evaporation the moisture was found to be very low compare to OMC although densities were okay. The contrctor was intructed to re- do the work again by scarifying, addition of water and compacting to the requred denity and OMC. Is it fair for contractor to repeat the work? The instruction was given by engineer representing the client.
Best Regards,
We are living in arid area where summer temperatue rises up to 40 degree cengrade. During construction of road after laying the layers and compacted at optimum moisture content the next day you find the moisture content is very low especially if materials are non plastic.(eg say omc is 10% and next day you find mc is 4%). It happen in one of the project the field density was taken the next day using nuclear gauge and because of evaporation the moisture was found to be very low compare to OMC although densities were okay. The contrctor was intructed to re- do the work again by scarifying, addition of water and compacting to the requred denity and OMC. Is it fair for contractor to repeat the work? The instruction was given by engineer representing the client.
Best Regards,





RE: Field Testing
The engineer was incorrect to require re-working. Once the specified compaction is achieved, you have no further need to compare to the optimum moisture.
RE: Field Testing
If you have a sandy (pervious) material in your area, and temperatures reach in excess of 40C (104F), it is definitely not uncommon to lose moisture, either through evaporation of drainage.
I'm also wondering why the field densities were taken the following day as well as the previous day on the same material. Seems like a waste of time (I am not saying money because chances are cut/fill operations were continuing and the inspector needed to be there that day anyway) to have the same lift tested two sequential days.
If it was a contractor up here (RI) I can almost guarantee he would have said something along the lines of "I'll add water, but I'm not going to scarify and recompact it and waste time and money".
RE: Field Testing
RE: Field Testing
Thank you for your valuable contribution.
Best regards
RE: Field Testing
RE: Field Testing
RE: Field Testing