Designation:D4959−07StandardTestMethodforDeterminationofWater(Moisture)ContentofSoilByDirectHeating1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationD4959;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.1.Scope*1.1Thistestmethodcoversproceduresfordeterminingthewater(moisture)contentofsoilsbydryingwithdirectheat,suchasusingahotplate,stove,blowtorch,etc.1.2ThistestmethodcanbeusedasasubstituteforTestMethodsD2216whenmorerapidresultsaredesiredtoexpediteotherphasesoftestingandslightlylessaccurateresultsareacceptable.1.3WhenquestionsofaccuracybetweenthistestmethodandTestMethodsD2216arise,TestMethodsD2216shallbetherefereemethod.1.4Thistestmethodisapplicableformostsoiltypes.Forsomesoils,suchasthosecontainingsignificantamountsofhalloysite,mica,montmorillonite,gypsum,orotherhydratedmaterials,highlyorganicsoilsorsoilsthatcontaindissolvedsolids,(suchassaltinthecaseofmarinedeposits),thistestmethodmaynotyieldreliablewatercontentvalues.1.5ThevaluesstatedinSIunitsaretoberegardedasstandard.1.6RefertoPracticeD6026forguidanceconcerningtheuseofsignificantfigures.Thisisimportantifthewatercontentwillbeusedtocalculateotherrelationshipssuchasmoistmasstodrymassorviceversa,wetunitweighttodryunitweightorviceversa,andtotaldensitytodrydensityorviceversa.Forexample,iffoursignificantdigitsarerequiredinanyoftheabovecalculations,thenthewatercontenthastoberecordedtothenearest0.1%.Thisoccurssince1plusthewatercontent(notinpercent)willhavefoursignificantdigits,While,ifthreesignificantdigitsareacceptable,thenthewatercontentcanberecordedtothenearest1%1.7Thisstandarddoesnotpurporttoaddressallofthesafetyconcerns,ifany,associatedwithitsuse.Itistheresponsibilityoftheuserofthisstandardtoestablishappro-priatesafetyandhealthpracticesanddeterminetheapplica-bilityofregulatorylimitationspriortouse.2.ReferencedD...
