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C n7,iTM11' , • s` +TI Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soi: • Rock' This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 2216; 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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval. 1. Scope 1.1 This test method covers the laboratory determination of the water (moisture) content of soil, rock, and similar materials by mass. For simplicity, the word "material' hereinafter also refers to either soil or rock, whichever is most applicable. 1.2 The water content of a material is defined by this standard as the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the mass of "pore" or "free" water in a given mass of material to the mass of the solid material. 1.3 The term "solid particles" as used in geotechnical engineering is typically assumed to mean naturally occurring mineral particles of soil and rock that are not readily soluble in water. Therefore, the water content of materials con- taining extraneous matter (such as cement, and the like) may require special treatment or a qualified definition of water content. In addition, some organic materials may be decom- posed by oven drying at the standard drying temperature for this method (110°C). Materials containing gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate or other compounds having significant amounts of hydrated water) may present a special problem as this material slowly dehydrates at the standard drying temperature (110°C) and at very low relative humidities, forming a compound (calcium sulfate hemihydrate) which is not normally present in natural materials except in some desert soils. In order to reduce the degree of dehydration of gypsum in those materials containing gypsum, or to reduce decomposition in highly organic soils, it may be desirable to dry these materials at 60"C or in a desiccator at room temperature. Thus, when a drying temperature is used which is different from the standard drying temperature as defined by this test method, the resulting water content may be different from standard water content determined at the standard drying temperature. NOTE I—Test Methods D 2974 provides an alternate procedure for determining water content of peat materials. 1.4 Materials containing water with substantial amounts of soluble solids (such as salt in the case of marine sediments) when tested by this method will give a mass of solids which includes the previously soluble solids. These materials re- quire special treatment to remove or account for the presence of precipitated solids in the dry mass of the t This method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D -I8 on Soil and Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.03 on Texture, Plasticity and Density Characteristics of Soils. Current edition approved June 15, 1992. Published August 1992. Originally published as D 2216 - 63 T. Last previous edition D 2216 - 90". 162 specimen, or a qualified definition of water content must be used. 1.5 This test method requires several hours for proper drying of the water content specimen. Test Method D 4643 provides for drying of the test specimen in a microwave oven which is a shorter process. 1.6 This standard requires the drying of material in an oven at high temperatures. If the material being dried is contaminated with certain chemicals, health and safety hazards can exist. Therefore, this standard should not be used in determining the water content of contaminated soils unless adequate health and safety precautions are taken. 1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 2. Referenced Documents 2.1 ASTM Standards: D 653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids2 D2974 Test Methods for Moisture, Ash, and Organic Matter of Peat and Other Organic Soils2 D 4220 Practice for Preserving and Transporting Soil Samples2 D4318 Test Method for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils2 D4643 Test Method for Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil by the Microwave Oven Method2 D4753 Specification for Evaluating, Selecting, and Speci- fying Balances and Scales for Use in Soil and Rock Testing2 E 145 Specification for Gravity -Convection And Forced - Ventilation Ovens3 3. Terminology 3.1 Refer to Terminology D 653 for standard definitions of terms. 3.2 Description of Term Specific to This Standard: 3.2.1 water content (of a material)—the ratio of the mass of water contained in the pore spaces of soil or rock material, to the solid mass of particles in that material, expressed as a percentage. 2 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08. 3 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.