DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOILS TXDOT DESIGNATION: TEX-108-E

Test Procedure for

DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOILS

TxDOT Designation: Tex-108-E

Effective Date: August 1999

1. SCOPE

1.1 This method determines specific gravity of soils that pass the 425 μm (No. 40) sieve.

1.2 The values given in parentheses (if provided) are not standard and may not be exact
mathematical conversions. Use each system of units separately. Combining values from
the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.

2. DEFINITIONS

2.1 Specific Gravity—Specific gravity is the ratio of the mass of a given volume of solid or
liquid to the mass of an equal volume of water at a specified temperature, commonly 4°C
(39°F).

3. APPARATUS

3.1 Volumetric flask, 500 mL.

3.2 Hot plate or sand bath.

3.3 Balance, Class G1 in accordance with Tex-901-K, with minimum capacity of 800 g.

3.4 Constant temperature water bath.

3.5 Mercury thermometer, calibrated between -15 and 43°C by 1°C intervals (-5 and 110°F
by 2°F intervals).

3.6 Bent wire or glass rod.

3.7 Aspirator or vacuum pump.

3.8 Weighing dishes.

4. MATERIALS

4.1 Soil binder, prepared in accordance with Tex-101-E, Part I.

CONSTRUCTION DIVISION 1–4 LAST REVIEWED: SEPTEMBER 2014

DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOILS TXDOT DESIGNATION: TEX-108-E

4.2 Distilled or deionized water.

5. PROCEDURES

5.1 Calibrating Apparatus:

Note 1—For accurate results and ease of calculations, calibrate the volumetric flask and
make all subsequent tests at one chosen temperature. Select any temperature between
10 and 27°C (50 and 80°F).

5.1.1 Fill the volumetric flask to the graduation mark with distilled or deionized water.

5.1.2 Place the flask in a water bath, maintained at a selected temperature (19°C [67°F] for
example) until the temperature of the flask and contents is constant.

5.1.3 Adjust the water to the precise level of the graduation mark with distilled or deionized
water at 19°C (67°F).

5.1.4 Remove flask from bath, carefully dry flask, and weigh. Weigh flask and water at 19°C
(67°F) to the nearest 0.05 g or better, and record as T under Section 6.

5.2 Determining Specific Gravity of Soil Binder:

5.2.1 Weigh out 50 g of air-dried soil prepared in accordance with Tex-101-E.

5.2.2 Determine the hygroscopic moisture content of a separate portion of the air-dried soil in
accordance with Tex-103-E.

5.2.3 Use the glass funnel to carefully place the soil sample into the volumetric flask and fill
flask about one-half full with distilled or deionized water.

5.2.4 Remove the entrapped air by either: gently boiling on a hot plate for 30 minutes (bubble
breaker will prevent loss of material); or subjecting the contents to a partial vacuum.

5.2.5 Apply a low vacuum and gradually increase the vacuum level to cause the water in the
flask to boil. Continue this vacuum level for approximately ten minutes.

5.2.6 Place flask and contents in water bath and adjust water level at the same temperature at
which the flask was calibrated.

5.2.7 Clean and dry flask.

5.2.8 Weigh to the nearest 0.05 g or better and record the mass of the flask, soil, and water to
fill to graduation mark as L under Section 6.

5.2.9 Record the temperature of the water.

CONSTRUCTION DIVISION 2–4 LAST REVIEWED: SEPTEMBER 2014

DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOILS TXDOT DESIGNATION: TEX-108-E

6. CALCULATIONS

6.1 Calculate the mass of the oven-dried soil (in grams):

M = 100( A ) / ( 100 + P )

Where:
M = mass of oven-dried soil, g
A = mass of air-dried soil, g
P = percent of hygroscopic moisture.

6.2 Calculate specific gravity:

G = ( M • D) /( M + T − L)

Where:
G = specific gravity
T = mass of flask and water to fill at temperature at which flask was calibrated, g
L = mass of flask, soil and water to fill at constant temperature, g
D = density of water at the temperature at which determination was made. (See Table 1
or Table 2.)

Table 1—Density of Distilled Water at Various Fahrenheit Temperatures

Temp., F Density Temp., F Density Temp., F Density

32 0.99987 56 0.99936 80 0.99663
33 0.99990 57 0.99929 81 0.99648
34 0.99993 58 0.99929 82 0.99632
35 0.99996 59 0.99913 83 0.99616
36 0.99997 60 0.99904 84 0.99600
37 0.99998 61 0.99895 85 0.99584
38 0.99999 62 0.99886 86 0.99567
39 1.00000 63 0.99876 87 0.99550
40 1.00000 64 0.99866 88 0.99533
41 0.99999 65 0.99856 89 0.99516
42 0.99998 66 0.99845 90 0.99498
43 0.99997 67 0.99834 91 0.99480
44 0.99995 68 0.99823 92 0.99462
45 0.99992 69 0.99811 93 0.99444
46 0.99989 70 0.99800 94 0.99425
47 0.99986 71 0.99788 95 0.99406
48 0.99982 72 0.99775 96 0.99387
49 0.99978 73 0.99761 97 0.99367
50 0.99973 74 0.99748 98 0.99347
51 0.99968 75 0.99735 99 0.99327

CONSTRUCTION DIVISION 3–4 LAST REVIEWED: SEPTEMBER 2014

DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOILS TXDOT DESIGNATION: TEX-108-E

Table 1—Density of Distilled Water at Various Fahrenheit Temperatures

Temp., F Density Temp., F Density Temp., F Density

52 0.99962 76 0.99721 100 0.99307
53 0.99956 77 0.99707 101 0.99287
54 0.99950 78 0.99693 102 0.99266
55 0.99943 79 0.99678 103 0.99245

Table 2—Density of Distilled Water at Various Centigrade Temperatures

Temp., C Density Temp., C Density Temp., C Density

0 0.99987 14 0.99927 28 0.99626
1 0.99993 15 0.99913 29 0.99597
2 0.99997 16 0.99897 30 0.99567
3 0.99999 17 0.99880 31 0.99537
4 1.00000 18 0.99862 32 0.99505
5 0.99999 19 0.99843 33 0.99473
6 0.99997 20 0.99823 34 0.99440
7 0.99993 21 0.99802 35 0.99406
8 0.99988 22 0.99780 36 0.99371
9 0.99981 23 0.99756 37 0.99336
10 0.99973 24 0.99732 38 0.99299
11 0.99963 25 0.99707 39 0.99262
12 0.99952 26 0.99681 40 0.99224
13 0.99940 27 0.99654 41 0.99186

7. REPORT

7.1 Report the specific gravity to the nearest 0.01.

CONSTRUCTION DIVISION 4–4 LAST REVIEWED: SEPTEMBER 2014