UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20234

AASHTO MATERIALS
REFERENCE LABORATORY

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY

AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
 Letter Circular 1122
March 1980

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C.

AASHTO MATERIALS
REFERENCE LABORATORY

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY

AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
 .

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS

MATERIALS REFERENCE LABORATORY

1. INTRODUCTION

Testing laboratories that have had no previous contact with the

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

(AASHTO) Materials Reference Laboratory frequently inquire about its

purpose, function and services. This pamphlet has been assembled to

provide an informative reply to those inquiries regarding the origin,

development and responsibilities of the AASHTO Materials Reference

Laboratory (AMRL)

2. DEVELOPMENT OF THE AASHTO MATERIALS REFERENCE LABORATORY

2 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory was established at the

National Bureau of Standards on October 1, 1965, under the sponsorship

of the Subcommittee on Materials of the American Association of State

Highway and Transportation Officials. Its primary responsibility is to

promote uniformity in the testing of construction materials by the

laboratories of our Departments of Transportation or Highways, the

Federal Highway Administration, and the U. S. Forest Service. This is

an important objective because standardization in testing is an essen-

tial part of the process for controlling quality of construction in our

national transportation system.

2 . 2 FUNCTIONS OF THE AMRL

The principal functions of the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory

are considered to be (1) Inspection of apparatus and procedures used in

the testing of aggregates, soils, and bituminous materials; and (2)

1
Distribution of proficiency test samples and statistical analysis of

test results. The principal complementary activities are (1) Study of

testing problems and (2) Participation in the work of technical commit-

tees. The sponsors have clearly stipulated that in carrying out these

functions the AMRL shall not act as a referee in disputes concerning

the quality of materials, the suitability of testing apparatus, or the

ability of a testing laboratory to do testing work in a satisfactory

manner. Because of these prohibitions, all of the services rendered to

the participating laboratory are essentially advisory in nature.

3. LABORATORY INSPECTION SERVICES

Inspection of testing laboratories is considered to be the most

important function of the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory.

Utilization of the service is on a voluntary basis and visits are

scheduled only in those instances where a request has been received

from a responsible official of an eligible laboratory. To be eligible

the laboratory must be equipped to make the standard AASHTO tests for

soils, aggregates, and/or bituminous materials, or the equivalent there-

of. In general the ASTM standards are equivalent to the AASHTO standards,

particularly where requirements for apparatus are concerned. If the

laboratory is other than a primary testing facility operated by one of

the member departments of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Materials, the

management must also be willing to authorize payment of the current

prescribed inspection fee.

The inspection program is designed to provide for the reinspection

of regularly participating laboratories at intervals of less than two

years. It is customary to refer to each completed circuit of

2
laboratories as an inspection tour and presently a tour is approximately

eighteen months in duration. In order to make efficient use of both

men and equipment inspection itineraries are laid out in accordance

with long range plans, and in general only one visit is made to a given

locality during a tour. The inspectors travel widely and visits have

been made to laboratories in all fifty states, the District of Columbia,

Puerto Rico and Canada.

The inspection equipment carried by each inspector weighs approx-

imately 250 pounds and includes vacuum gages, calipers, micrometers,

scales, electronic timers, a portable balance, precision weights, a

tachometer, and an assortment of thermometers and miscellaneous items.

The inspectors transport themselves and their equipment from place to

place in station wagon or a van.

The inspection of a laboratory consists of an observation of the

procedures and an examination of the apparatus used in making the

physical tests of materials set forth in designated AASHTO methods of

test. Procedures are checked for conformance with specified practices.

Each piece of apparatus presented for inspection is checked to determine

whether it meets or fails to meet specification requirements and whether

it is in satisfactory operating condition.

3.1 INSPECTION OF A SOILS TESTING LABORATORY

The procedures for testing soils that are customarily observed

include Dry Preparation of Disturbed Soil and Soil Aggregate Samples

for Test (T87), Particle Size Analysis of Soils (T88) ,

Determining the

Liquid Limit of Soils (T89) ,

Plastic Limit of Soils (T90) ,
Determining

the Shrinkage Factors of Soils (T92), Moisture Density Relations of

3
 . ,

Soils Using a 5.5-lb. Rammer and a 12 in. Drop (T99), Specific Gravity

of Soils (T100) ,
Moisture Density Relations of Soil Cement Mixtures

(T134) Wetting-and-Drying Test Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures

?
(T135),

Freezing-and-Thawing Test of Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures (T136)

Plastic Fines in Graded Aggregates and Soils by Use of the Sand Equiv-

alent Method (T176), Moisture-Density Relations of Soils Using a 10-lb.

Rammer and an 18-in. Drop (T180) ,

Resistance R-Value and Expansion Pres-

sure of Compacted Soils (T190) ,

The California Bearing Ratio (T193),

Unconfined Compressive Strength of Cohesive Soils (T208) ,

One-Dimension-

al Consolidation Properties of Soils (T216), and Strength Parameters of

Soils by Triaxial Compression (T234)

In addition to the special purpose equipment used in performing

specific tests, the following general laboratory equipment is normally

examined: sample shipping containers, pulverizers, sample splitters,

sieves, mechanical sieving apparatus, testing ovens, scales, general

purpose balances, and balance weights.

3.2 INSPECTION OF AN AGGREGATE TESTING LABORATORY

The procedure for testing aggregates that are customarily observed

are Amount of Material Finer than 0.075 mm Sieve in Aggregate (Til),

Unit Weight of Aggregate (T19) ,

Organic Impurities in Sands for Concrete

(T21), Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregate (T27), Sieve Analysis

of Mineral Filler (T37), Specific Gravity and Absorption of Fine Aggre-

gate (T84), Specific Gravity and Absorption of Coarse Aggregate (T85),

Resistance to Abrasion of Small Size Coarse Aggregate by Use of the Los

Angeles Machine (T96), Soundness of Aggregate by Use of Sodium Sulfate

of Magnesium Sulfate (T104), Clay Lumps and Friable Particles in Aggre-

4
gate (T112) Lightweight Pieces in Aggregates (T 1
?
1 3) ,
and Reducing Field

Samples of Aggregates to Testing Size (T248).

The list of aggregate apparatus normally examined includes: Split-

ters, sieving devices, evaporating ovens, unit weight measures, water

baths, specific gravity balances, abrasion machines, heavy liquids and

exhaust hoods,

3.3 INSPECTION OF A BITUMINOUS TESTING LABORATORY

The inspection of a bituminous laboratory consists of an observation

of the procedures and an examination of apparatus used in making the tests

for asphalt cement, liquid asphalts, and/or bituminous paving mixtures

as set forth in the referenced AASHTO test mehtods.

3.3.1 ASPHALT CEMENT AND CUTBACK ASPHALT CEMENT

The procedures for testing asphalt cement that are customarily ob-

served include Solubility of Bituminous Material in Organic Solvents (T44)

Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup (T48), Penetration of Bitumi-

noua Materials (T49), Ductility of Bituminous Materials (T51), Softening

Point of Bituminous Materials (T53) ,

Water in Petroleum Products and

Other Bituminous Materials (T55) ,

Distillation of Cut-Back Asphaltic Pro-

ducts (T78) ,
Flash Point with Tag Open Cup (T79) ,
Then Film Oven Test (T179)

Kinematic Viscosity of Asphalts (T201), Absolute Viscosity of Asphalts

(T202), Specific Gravity by Pycnometer (T228) ,

Rolling Thin Film Oven

Test (T240), Residue of Specified Penetration ASTM D243, Specific Grav-

ity of Liquid Asphalts by Hydrometer Method ASTM D3142 and Specific Grav-

ity of Bituminous Materials by Nickel Crucible ASTM D3289.

In addition to the special purpose equipment used in performing

specific tests, the following general equipment is normally examined:

5
fume hoods, timing devices, thermometers, analytical weighing equipment,

muffle furnaces, thin film ovens, penetrometers, distillation apparatus,

viscometers, centrifuges, and controlled temperature baths.

3.3.2 EMULSIFIED ASPHALTS

The procedures for testing emulsified asphalts that are customarily

observed include Residue by Distillation, Residue by Evaporation, Part-

icle Charge, Saybolt Viscosity, Demulsibility ,

Settlement, Cement Mixing,

Coating Ability-Water Resistance, and Storage Stability. All of these

tests are described in AASHTO Standard T59.

The list of emulsion apparatus normally examined includes metal

stills, glass stills, traps, condensers, heat sources and solvents.

3.3.3 ASPHALT MIXTURES

The procedures for testing of bituminous mixtures that are custom-

arily observed include Mechanical Analysis of Extracted Aggregate (T30)

Quantitative Extraction of Bitumen From Bituminous Paving Mixtures

(T164), Effect of Water on Compacted Bituminous Mixtures (T165) ,

Specific

Gravity of Compacted Bituminous Mixtures (T166), Compressive Strength

of Bituminous Mixtures (T167) ,

Recovery of Asphalt from Solution by

Abson Method (T170) ,

Maximum Specific Gravity of Bituminous Paving

Mixtures (T209), Resistance to Flow by Marshall Method (T245), Resis-

tance to Deformation and Cohesion of Bituminous Mixtures by Hveem

Apparatus (T246) ,
and Preparation of Test Specimen by California

Kneading Compactor (T247).

In addition to special purpose equipment used in performing speci-

fic tests, the following apparatus is normally examined: ovens

balances, ignition dishes, muffle furnaces, controlled temperature baths,

6
testing machines, flow meters, vacuum systems and compactors.

3.4 REPORTS

While the inspection is in progress, the inspector brings to the

attention of laboratory personnel each departure from specification

requirements that is noted in order that on-the-spot corrections may be

made whenever possible. Other pertinent observations that may be of in-

terest to the laboratory are also mentioned. At the completion of the

inspection, a comprehensive oral report is presented to the laboratory

supervisor or his representative. At this time the special work sheets,

on which all observations were recorded, are made available for review

by members of the laboratory staff. Within a short time after the

inspection, a written confirmatory report is sent to the officials who

requested the visit and to such other persons as the laboratory may

designate. The report is treated in a confidential manner, but this

does not preclude subsequent distribution of copies to all interested

parties if the inspected laboratory is agreeable to such action. This

provision for the dissemination of inspection information is valued

because it makes it possible for an interested third party to assess

the capability of a given laboratory to do testing work in a satisfac-

tory manner.

4. PARTICIPATION IN THE INSPECTION PROGRAM

The AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory has completed ten

inspection tours (circuits) of the United States since its inception in

1965. The number of laboratories participating in these tours and their

various areas of interest are shown in the accompanying Table I. This

record reflects the fact that in addition to state and federal labora-

7
tories of few private laboratories wishing to avail themselves of the

consulting services of the AMRL have been covered as time permitted.

5, REFERENCE SAMPLE PROGRAM

Distribution of proficiency test samples is a second important

function of the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory. It is believed

that laboratories subscribing to these cooperative testing programs

find participation to be of great assistance to them in evaluating the

quality of their work.

(a) Bituminous Reference Sample Program

The Bituminous Reference Sample Program was inaugurated in 1966.

Pairs of samples are customarily distributed in March, June and

September. The March and September samples are asphalt cement.

The June samples are cut-back asphalts. Selective participation

is permissible.

(b) Aggregate Reference Sample Program

The Aggregate Reference Sample Program was inaugurated in 1968.

Pairs of samples are customarily distributed in April and

October. The April samples are of fine aggregate and the

October samples are of coarse aggregates. Selective partici-

pation is permissible.

(c) Soil Reference Sample Program

The Soil Reference Sample Program was inaugurated in 1967.

Pairs of samples are customarily distributed in February and

August

(d) Bituminous Concrete Reference Sample Program

The Bituminous Concrete Reference Sample Program was inaugurated

8
in 1974. A pair of samples is customarily distributed in December.

All four programs are open to any interested laboratory that

wishes to participate. However, requests for participation from new

applicants are handled on a "when and if available" basis due to physi-

cal limitations imposed by preparation facilities. Fees for registra-

tion are charged in accordance with a fee schedule established by the

AASHTO Subcommittee on Materials.

All four of these programs are carried forward in a similar manner.

At intervals of 3, 6, or 12 months quantities of two slightly different

materials are procured, specially prepared, and divided into individual

samples. A pair of samples (one from each material) is then distributed

to each laboratory. Specified tests are performed by the participants

and the results reported to the AMRL for review and summation. Approxi-

mately six weeks after the samples are distributed, a preliminary report

showing the tentative average values and standard deviations for each

determination, based on early returns, is sent to all participants.

Approximately nine weeks after distribution a detailed report is pre-

pared. This report containes average values and standard deviations

based on all available data, plus scatter diagrams, repeatability and

reproducibility values, and other statistical information.

A scatter diagram is plotted for each test method in a series by

taking the results received from each laboratory and plotting the value

for one sample on the X or horizontal axis against the value for the

other sample on the Y or vertical axis.

A substantial deviation of its test results from the average

results for all participants is of much concern to a laboratory. A

9
continuous tendency to obtain results that deviate substantially from

the average invariably stimulates corrective action by the laboratory

concerned

In the interest of focusing attention on deviations from the aver-

age, each laboratory is given a rating on each determination using a

rating scale based on the between laboratory standard deviation. These

ratings indicate the difference between the individual laboratory result

and the average for a particular test. However, summaries of the

ratings obtained by a given laboratory over a period of time give a

clear picture of that laboratory’s over-all proficiency.

In addition to helping improve uniformity in testing, the reference

sample programs are making a most important technical contribution as a

source of test data from which realistic precision statements can be

developed for some of the primary AASHTO methods of tests.

6. STUDY OF TESTING PROBLEMS

Another major function of the AMRL is the study of problems re-

lated to, or evolving from, the inspection and proficiency testing work.

A very important activity in this area is the annual preparation of a

list of possible improvements in methods of test for consideration by

the AASHTO Sub-Committee on Materials. Several such lists have been

presented and numerous changes have been made in the AASHTO Standards

as a result of this input.

7. PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK OF THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

Participation in the work of technical committees is an important

activity of the AMRL. These relationships are invaluable because they

make it possible for the AMRL to provide direct liaison between the

10
authors and the users of methods of test.

8. CLOSURE

The stated primary responsibility of the AASHTO Materials Reference

Laboratory is to promote uniformity in the testing of construction

materials. The continuing interest of participating laboratories in

the inspection and proficiency testing programs attests to the fact

that the desired results are being obtained.

Further information regarding the services described in this

pamphlet may be obtained by writing to the:

AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, DC 20234

Prepared by:

0. W. McIntosh and J. R. Dise

AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory

Office of Testing Laboratory Evaluation Technology

National Engineering Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

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