ASTM_D_6026_-_21.pdf

Designation:D602621Standard Practice forUsing Significant Digits and Data Records in GeotechnicalData1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6026;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope*1.1 Using significant digits in geotechnical data involves theprocesses of collecting,calculating,and recording either mea-sured values or calculated values(results)or both.This practiceis intended to promote uniformity in recording significantdigits for measured and calculated values involving geotech-nical data.1.2 The guidelines presented are industry standard and arerepresentative of the significant digits that should be retained ingeneral.The guidelines do not consider material variation,thepurpose for obtaining the data,special purpose studies,or anyconsiderations for the users objectives,and it is commonpractice to increase or reduce significant digits of reported datato be commensurate with these considerations.1.3 It is beyond the scope of this practice to considersignificant digits used in analysis methods for engineeringdesign.1.4 This practice accepts a variation of the traditionalrounding method that recognizes the algorithm common tomost hand-held calculators and computers,see 6.2.3.Thetraditional rounding method(see 6.2)is in accordance withPractice E29,ASTM Manual 7,or IEEE/ASTM SI 10.NOTE1Calculators and computers often present and use many digitsin their output and calculations,which may not all be significant.It is theresponsibility of the programmer and user to make sure that the measuredand calculated values are handled,interpreted and reported properly usingthese guidelines.1.5 This practice offers a set of instructions for performingone or more specific operations.This document cannot replaceeducation or experience and should be used in conjunctionwith professional judgment.Not all aspects of this practice maybe applicable in all circumstances.This ASTM standard is notintended to represent or replace the standard of care by whichthe adequacy of a given professional service must be judged,nor should this document be applied without consideration ofa projects many unique aspects.The word“Standard”in thetitle means only that the document has been approved throughthe ASTM consensus process.1.6 This international standard was developed in accor-dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-ization established in the Decision on Principles for theDevelopment of International Standards,Guides and Recom-mendations issued by the World Trade Organization TechnicalBarriers to Trade(TBT)Committee.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D653 Terminology Relating to Soil,Rock,and ContainedFluidsD2435/D2435M Test Methods for One-Dimensional Con-solidation Properties of Soils Using Incremental LoadingD4186/D4186M Test Method for One-Dimensional Consoli-dation Properties of Saturated Cohesive Soils UsingControlled-Strain LoadingE29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data toDetermine Conformance with SpecificationsE456 Terminology Relating to Quality and StatisticsE833 Terminology of Building EconomicsIEEE/ASTM SI 10 Standard for Use of the InternationalSystem of Units(SI):The Modern Metric SystemMNL7 ASTM Manual 7 on Presentation of Data and ControlChart Analysis3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor common definitions of soil and rockterms in this standard,refer to Terminology D653.3.2 This terminology standard contains many definitionsthat are applicable to this standard in a grouping namedMeasurement Grouping.These terms are:accuracy,bias,estimation,meaningful number/digit or significant number/digit,observation/observed value or data point/recorded value,precision,resolution or readability,sensitivity,signal noise ornoise.1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil andRockand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.91 on StandardsDevelopment and Review.Current edition approved June 15,2021.Published June 2021.Originallyapproved in 1996.Last previous edition approved in 2013 as D6026 13.DOI:10.1520/D6026-21.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standardCopyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United StatesThis international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for theDevelopment of International Standards,Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barrier