Designation: D 698 – 00a
Standard Test Methods for
Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using
Standard Effort (12,400 ft-lbf/ft3(600 kN-m/m3))1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 698; 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 These test methods covers laboratory compaction meth-
ods used to determine the relationship between water content
and dry unit weight of soils (compaction curve) compacted in
a 4 or 6-in. (101.6 or 152.4-mm) diameter mold with a 5.5-lbf
(24.4-N) rammer dropped from a height of 12 in. (305 mm)
producing a compactive effort of 12,400 ft-lbf/ft3(600 kN-m/
m3).
NOTE 1—The equipment and procedures are similar as those proposed
by R. R. Proctor (Engineering News Record—September 7, 1933) with
this one major exception: his rammer blows were applied as “12 inch firm
strokes” instead of free fall, producing variable compactive effort depend-
ing on the operator, but probably in the range 15,000 to 25,000 ft-lbf/ft3
(700 to 1,200 kN-m/m3). The standard effort test (see 3.2.2) is sometimes
referred to as the Proctor Test.
NOTE 2—Soils and soil-aggregate mixtures should be regarded as
natural occurring fine- or coarse-grained soils or composites or mixtures
of natural soils, or mixtures of natural and processed soils or aggregates
such as silt, gravel, or crushed rock.
1.2 These test methods apply only to soils (materials) that
have 30 % or less by mass of particles retained on the 3⁄4-inch
(19.0-mm) sieve.
NOTE 3—For relationships between unit weights and water contents of
soils with 30 % or less by mass of material retained on the 3⁄4-in.
(19.0-mm) sieve to unit weights and water contents of the fraction passing
3⁄4-in. (19.0-mm) sieve, see Practice D 4718.
1.3 Three alternative methods are provided. The method
used shall be as indicated in the specification for the material
being tested. If no method is specified, the choice should be
based on the material gradation.
1.3.1 Method A:
1.3.1.1 Mold—4-in. (101.6-mm) diameter.
1.3.1.2 Material—Passing No. 4 (4.75-mm) sieve.
1.3.1.3 Layers—Three.
1.3.1.4 Blows per layer—25.
1.3.1.5 Use—May be used if 20 % or less by mass of the
material is retained on the No. 4 (4.75-mm) sieve.
1.3.1.6 Other Use—If this method is not specified, materials
that meet these gradation requirements may be tested using
Methods B or C.
1.3.2 Method B:
1.3.2.1 Mold—4-in. (101.6-mm) diameter.
1.3.2.2 Material—Passing 3⁄8-in. (9.5-mm) sieve.
1.3.2.3 Layers—Three.
1.3.2.4 Blows per layer—25.
1.3.2.5 Use—Shall be used if more than 20 % by mass of
the material is retained on the No. 4 (4.75-mm) sieve and 20 %
or less by mass of the material is retained on the 3⁄8-in.
(9.5-mm) sieve.
1.3.2.6 Other Use—If this method is not specified, materials
that meet these gradation requirements may be tested using
Method C.
1.3.3 Method C:
1.3.3.1 Mold—6-in. (152.4-mm) diameter.
1.3.3.2 Material—Passing 3⁄4-inch (19.0-mm) sieve.
1.3.3.3 Layers—Three.
1.3.3.4 Blows per layer—56.
1.3.3.5 Use—Shall be used if more than 20 % by mass of
the material is retained on the 3⁄8-in. (9.5-mm) sieve and less
than 30 % by mass of the material is retained on the 3⁄4-in.
(19.0-mm) sieve.
1.3.4 The 6-in. (152.4-mm) diameter mold shall not be used
with Method A or B.
NOTE 4—Results have been found to vary slightly when a material is
tested at the same compactive effort in different size molds.
1.4 If the test specimen contains more than 5 % by mass of
oversize fraction (coarse fraction) and the material will not be
included in the test, corrections must be made to the unit mass
and water content of the specimen or to the appropriate field in
place density test specimen using Practice D 4718.
1.5 This test method will generally produce a well defined
maximum dry unit weight for non-free draining soils. If this
test method is used for free draining soils the maximum unit
weight may not be well defined, and can be less than obtained
using Test Methods D 4253.
1.6 The values in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the
standard. The values stated in SI units are provided for
information only.
1.6.1 In the engineering profession it is customary practice
1 This standard is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 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 10, 2000. Published September 2000. Originally
published as D 698 – 42T. Last previous edition D 698 – 00.
1
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
to use, interchangeably, units representing both mass and force,
unless dynamic calculations (F = Ma) are involved. This
implicitly combines two separate systems of units, that is, the
absolute system and the gravimetric system. It is scientifically
undesirable to combine the use of two separate systems within
a single standard. This test method has been written using
inch-pound units (gravimetric system) where the pound (lbf)
represents a unit of force. The use of mass (lbm) is for
convenience of units and is not intended to convey the use is
scientifically correct. Conversions are given in the SI system in
accordance with IEEE/ASTM SI 10. The use of balances or
scales recording pounds of mass (lbm), or the recording of
density in lbm/ft3 should not be regarded as nonconformance
with this standard.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, 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:
C 127 Test Method for Specific Gravity and Absorption of
Coarse Aggregate2
C 136 Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse
Aggregate2
D 422 Test Method for Particle Size Analysis of Soils3
D 653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
Fluids3
D 854 Test Methods for Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by
Water Pycnometer3
D 1557 Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Charac-
teristics of Soil Using Modified Efforts (56,000 ft-lbf/
ft3(2,700 kN-m/m3)) Drop3
D 2168 Test Methods for Calibration of Laboratory
Mechanical-Rammer Soil Compactors3
D 2216 Test Method for Laboratory Determination of Water
(Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass3
D 2487 Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering
Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)3
D 2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils
(Visual-Manual Procedure)3
D 3740 Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies
Engaged in the Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock
as Used in Engineering Design and Construction3
D 4220 Practices for Preserving and Transporting Soil
Samples3
D 4253 Test Methods for Maximum Index Density and Unit
Weight of Soils Using a Vibratory Table3
D 4718 Practice for Correction of Unit Weight and Water
Content for Soils Containing Oversize Particles3
D 4753 Specification for Evaluating, Selecting and Speci-
fying Balances and Scales For Use in Soil, Rock, and
Construction Materials Testing3
D 4914 Test Methods for Density of Soil and Rock in Place
by the Sand Replacement Method in a Test Pit3
D 5030 Test Method for Density of Soil and Rock in Place
by the Water Replacement Method in a Test Pit3
D 6026 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Geotechni-
cal Data4
E 1 Specification for ASTM Thermometers5
E 11 Specification for Wire-Cloth Sieves for Testing Pur-
poses6
E 177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in
ASTM Test Metods7
E 319 Practice for the Evaluation of Single-Pan Mechanical
Balances6
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
Determine the Precision of a Test Method6
IEEE/ASTM SI 10 Standard for Use of the International
System of Units (SI): the Modern Metric System8
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions: See Terminology D 653 for general defini-
tions.
3.2 Description of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 oversize fraction (coarse fraction), Pc in %—the
portion of total sample not used in performing the compaction
test; it may be the portion of total sample retained on the No.
4 (4.75-mm), 3⁄8-in. (9.5-mm), or 3⁄4-in. (19.0-mm) sieve.
3.2.2 standard effort—the term for the 12,400 ft-lbf/ft3(600
kN-m/m3) compactive effort applied by the equipment and
methods of this test.
3.2.3 standard maximum dry unit weight, gdmax in lbf/ft3
(kN/m3)—the maximum value defined by the compaction
curve for a compaction test using standard effort.
3.2.4 standard optimum water content, w, in %—the water
content at which a soil can be compacted to the maximum dry
unit weight using standard compactive effort.
3.2.5 test fraction (finer fraction), PF in %—the portion of
the total sample used in performing the compaction test; it is
the fraction passing the No. 4 (4.75-mm) sieve in Method A,
minus 3⁄8-in. (9.5-mm) sieve in Method B, or minus 3⁄4-in.
(19.0-mm) sieve in Method C.
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 A soil at a selected water content is placed in three
layers into a mold of given dimensions, with each layer
compacted by 25 or 56 blows of a 5.5-lbf (24.4-N) rammer
dropped from a distance of 12-in. (305-mm), subjecting the soil
to a total compactive effort of about 12,400 ft-lbf/ft3 (600
kN-m/m3). The resulting dry unit weight is determined. The
procedure is repeated for a sufficient number of water contents
to establish a relationship between the dry unit weight and the
water content for the soil. This data, when plotted, represents a
curvilinear relationship known as the compaction curve. The
values of optimum water content and standard maximum dry
unit weight are determined from the compaction curve.
2 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.02.
3 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08.
4 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.09.
5 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.03.
6 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
7 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 15.09.
8 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.04.
D 698
2
5. Significance and Use
5.1 Soil placed as engineering fill (embankments, founda-
tion pads, road bases) is compacted to a dense state to obtain
satisfactory engineering properties such as, shear strength,
compressibility, or permeability. Also, foundation soils are
often compacted to improve their engineering properties.
Laboratory compaction tests provide the basis for determining
the percent compaction and water content needed to achieve
the required engineering properties, and for controlling con-
struction to assure that the required compaction and water
contents are achieved.
5.2 During design of an engineered fill, shear, consolidation,
permeability, or other tests require preparation of test speci-
mens by compacting at some water content to some unit
weight. It is common practice to first determine the optimum
water content (wo) and maximum dry unit weight (gdmax) by
means of a compaction test. Test specimens are compacted at
a selected water content (w), either wet or dry of optimum (wo)
or at optimum (wo), and at a selected dry unit weight related to
a percentage of maximum dry unit weight (gdmax). The
selection of water content (w), either wet or dry of optimum
(wo) or at optimum (wo) and the dry unit weight (gdmax) may be
based on past experience, or a range of values may be
investigated to determine the necessary percent of compaction.
5.3 Experience indicates that the methods outlined in 5.2 or
the construction control aspects discussed in 5.1 are extremely
difficult to implement or yield erroneous results when dealing
with certain soils. 5.3.1-5.3.3 describe typical problem soils,
the problems encountered when dealing with such soils and
possible solutions for these problems.
5.3.1 Oversize Fraction—Soils containing more than 30 %
oversize fraction (material retained on the 3⁄4-in. (19-mm)
sieve) are a problem. For such soils, there is no ASTM test
method to control their compaction and very few laboratories
are equipped to determine the laboratory maximum unit weight
(density) of such soils (USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Denver,
CO and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, MS).
Although Test Methods D 4914 and D 5030 determine the
“field” dry unit weight of such soils, they are difficult and
expensive to perform.
5.3.1.1 One method to design and control the compaction of
such soils is to use a test fill to determine the required degree
of compaction and the method to obtain that compaction,
followed by use of a method specification to control the
compaction. Components of a method specification typically
contain the type and size of compaction equipment to be used,
the lift thickness, and the number of passes.
NOTE 5—Success in executing the compaction control of an earthwork
project, especially when a method specification is used, is highly
dependent upon the quality and experience of the “contractor” and
“inspector.”
5.3.1.2 Another method is to apply the use of density
correction factors developed by the USDI Bureau of Reclama-
tion (1,2)9 and U.S. Corps of Engineers (3). These correction
factors may be applied for soils containing up to about 50 to
70 % oversize fraction. Each agency uses a different term for
these density correction factors. The USDI Bureau of Recla-
mation uses D ratio (or D – VALUE), while the U.S. Corps of
Engineers uses Density Interference Coefficient (Ic).
5.3.1.3 The use of the replacement technique (Test Method
D 698–78, Method D), in which the oversize fraction is
replaced with a finer fraction, is inappropriate to determine the
maximum dry unit weight, gdmax, of soils containing oversize
fractions (3).
5.3.2 Degradation—Soils containing particles that degrade
during compaction are a problem, especially when more
degradation occurs during laboratory compaction than field
compaction, as is typical. Degradation typically occurs during
the compaction of a granular-residual soil or aggregate. When
degradation occurs, the maximum dry-unit weight increases (4)
so that the laboratory maximum value is not representative of
field conditions. Often, in these cases, the maximum dry unit
weight is impossible to achieve in the field.
5.3.2.1 Again, for soils subject to degradation, the use of
test fills and method specifications may help. Use of replace-
ment techniques is not correct.
5.3.3 Gap Graded—Gap-graded soils (soils containing
many large particles with limited small particles) are a problem
because the compacted soil will have larger voids than usual.
To handle these large voids, standard test methods (laboratory
or field) typically have to be modified using engineering
judgement.
NOTE 6—The quality of the result produced by this standard is
dependent on the competence of the personnel performing it, and the
suitability of the equipment and facilities used. Agencies that meet the
criteria of Practice D 3740 are generally considered capable of competent
and objective testing/sampling/inspection, and the like. Users of this
standard are cautioned that compliance with Practice D 3740 does not in
itself assure reliable results. Reliable results depend on many factors;
Practice D 3740 provides a means of evaluating some of those factors.
6. Apparatus
6.1 Mold Assembly —The molds shall be cylindrical in
shape, made of rigid metal and be within the capacity and
dimensions indicated in 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 and Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.
See also Table 1. The walls of the mold may be solid, split, or
tapered. The “split” type may consist of two half-round
sections, or a section of pipe split along one element, which can
be securely locked together to form a cylinder meeting the
requirements of this section. The “tapered” type shall an
9 The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end of
this standard. FIG. 1 4.0-in. Cylindrical Mold
D 698
3
internal diameter taper that is uniform and not more than 0.200
in./ft (16.7- mm/m) of mold height. Each mold shall have a
base plate and an extension collar assembly, both made of rigid
metal and constructed so they can be securely attached and
easily detached from the mold. The extension collar assembly
shall have a height extending above the top of the mold of at
least 2.0 in. (50.8-mm) which may include an upper section
that flares out to form a funnel provided there is at least a 0.75
in. (19.0-mm) straight cylindrical section beneath it. The
extension collar shall align with the inside of the mold. The
bottom of the base plate and bottom of the centrally recessed
area that accepts the cylindrical mold shall be planar.
6.1.1 Mold, 4 in.—A mold having a 4.000 6 0.016-in.
(101.6 6 0.4-mm) average inside diameter, a height of 4.584 6
0.018 in. (116.4 6 0.5 mm) and a volume of 0.0333 6 0.0005
ft3 (944 6 14 cm3). A mold assembly having the minimum
required features is shown in Fig. 1.
6.1.2 Mold, 6 in. —A mold having a 6.000 6 0.026-in.
(152.4 6 0.7-mm) average inside diameter, a height of 4.584 6
0.018 in. (116.4 6 0.5 mm), and a volume of 0.075 6 0.0009
ft3 (2124 6 25 cm3). A mold assembly having the minimum
required features is shown in Fig. 2.
6.2 Rammer—A rammer, either manually operated as de-
scribed further in 6.2.1 or mechanically operated as described
in 6.2.2. The rammer shall fall freely through a distance of 12
6 0.05 in. (304.8 6 1.3 mm) from the surface of the specimen.
The mass of the rammer shall be 5.5 6 0.02 lbm (2.5 6 0.01
kg), except that the mass of the mechanical rammers may be
adjusted as described in Test Methods D 2168; see Note 7. The
striking face of the rammer shall be planar and circular, except
as noted in 6.2.2.1, with a diameter when new of 2.000 6 0.005
in. (50.80 6 0.13 mm). The rammer shall be replaced if the
striking face becomes worn or bellied to the extent that the
diameter exceeds 2.000 6 0.01 in. (50.80 6 0.25 mm).
NOTE 7—It is a common and acceptable practice in the inch-pound
system to assume that the mass of the rammer is equal to its mass
determined using either a kilogram or pound balance and 1 lbf is equal to
1 lbm or 0.4536 kg. or 1 N is equal to 0.2248 lbm or 0.1020 kg.
6.2.1 Manual Rammer—The rammer shall be equipped
with a guide sleeve that has sufficient clearance that the free
fall of the rammer shaft and head is not restricted. The guide
sleeve shall have at least four vent holes at each end (eight
holes total) located with centers 3⁄4 6 1⁄16-in. (19.0 6 1.6-mm)
from each end and spaced 90 degrees apart. The minimum
diameter of the vent holes shall be 3⁄8-in. (9.5-mm). Additional
holes or slots may be incorporated in the guide sleeve.
6.2.2 Mechanical Rammer-Circular Face —The rammer
shall operate mechanically in such a manner as to provide
uniform and complete coverage of the specimen surface. There
shall be 0.10 6 0.03-in. (2.5 6 0.8-mm) clearance between the
rammer and the inside surface of the mold at its smallest
diameter. The mechanical rammer shall meet the calibration
requirements of Test Methods D 2168. The mechanical rammer
shall be equipped with a positive mechanical means to support
the rammer when not in operation.
6.2.2.1 Mechanical Rammer-Sector Face—When used with
the 6-in. (152.4-mm) mold, a sector face rammer may be used
in place of the circular face rammer. The specimen contact face
shall have the shape of a sector of a circle of radius equal to
2.90 6 0.02-in. (73.7 6 0.5-mm). The rammer shall operate in
such a manner that the vertex of the sector is positioned at the
center of the specimen.
6.3 Sample Extruder (optional) —A jack, frame or other
device adapted for the purpose o