Running a Proctor Test 1

[cpdonahue]

I have a question regarding best practices for lab testing. My lab will sometimes have several people working in the lab together, and they may run a proctor together. I don't know how they split up the work, whether they take turns beating each point, or whether the same person always beats the point and the other does the weighing, mixing, etc. Does ASTM or another publication speak to this at all?

 

[EireChch]

It should not matter if different lab technicians work on the same proctor. They should all be doing it in a standardized way.

Thats the purpose of the standard!

 

[dirtsqueezer]

I might add that it would lend to consistency having the same lab tech run the whole proctor. Less chance for human error there being less humans involved. I believe that would apply to all proctors from a lab. My lab had a concrete tech and a soils tech, so all the proctors were run by the same person, which also lent better consistency in each and every proctor run. Even if there is a mishap the error is easily be identified if the work was consistently preformed by a single person with respect to accountability and just the fact that humans sometimes make mistakes. The error wouldn't have been with the ASTM, obviously, and a simple review of procedure would be sufficient.

I would recommend a single tech do all of them. That way if you trust that tech's work, you can expect more reliability as the only other part is procedure and that is their specialty. This is what I have seen that works.

 

[morecoffeeplz]

If the lab is using a mechanical hammer, it shouldn't matter if several techs are involved. However, if the points are being pounded by hand by different techs, it can have an effect on the results (unless they are taking turns pounding lifts).