Many university libraries, corporate engineering departments, and government agencies maintain corporate subscriptions to the ASTM Compass platform, allowing employees and students free access.
The standard explicitly divides laboratory procedures into three distinct, mutually related test methodologies:
No. ASTM D2435 covers consolidation (time-dependent compression of saturated soils). ASTM D4546 specifically covers volume change due to wetting, not load.
. It measures load-induced strains on a specimen that has already undergone wetting-induced swell or collapse. Practical Applications ASTM D4546-21: Soil Swell Testing Methods | PDF - Scribd 15-Apr-2021 — Astm D4546-21 Pdf
governs the laboratory procedures used to measure the magnitude of one-dimensional, wetting-induced swelling or collapse of unsaturated soils. The standard evaluates how much a soil sample will expand (swell) or compress (collapse/hydrocompress) when subjected to a specific vertical load and subsequently flooded with water.
A soil sample is subjected to a specific seating load (typically 1–5 kPa). It is then saturated and allowed to swell or collapse freely while keeping the load constant.
Method A: Wetting-Induced Swell/Collapse Under Specific Stress ASTM D4546 specifically covers volume change due to
Released in 2021, this standard outlines the procedures for determining the magnitude of swelling a soil will undergo when wetted, or the magnitude of collapse it will undergo when wetted under load.
⚠️ Be cautious with free PDFs from unknown websites (e.g., docplayer, academia.edu). They are often outdated (pre-2021), scanned copies with missing figures, or copyright infringements.
% Swell/Collapse=(ΔHH0)×100% Swell/Collapse equals open paren the fraction with numerator cap delta cap H and denominator cap H sub 0 end-fraction close paren cross 100 Swell Index ( Cscap C sub s They are often outdated (pre-2021)
ASTM D4546-21 the current international standard for laboratory measurement of one-dimensional wetting-induced swell or collapse (hydrocompression) in unsaturated soils
The vertical stress required to prevent a soil specimen from swelling when inundated, or the pressure required to return a swollen sample back to its initial volume. If the structural load of a building is less than the soil's swell pressure, the building will lift. How to Access the ASTM D4546-21 PDF
: Used to determine the "Swell Pressure" (the pressure required to maintain constant volume) and the "Free Swell" (the strain under a nominal pressure).