This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles

for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

Designation: D5779/D5779M − 14

Standard Test Method for

Field Determination of Rapid Specific Gravity of Rock and
Manmade Materials for Erosion Control1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5779/D5779M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the
year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope* 2. Referenced Documents

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the rapid 2.1 ASTM Standards:2
specific gravity of rock or man-made materials for erosion C670 Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements
control. for Test Methods for Construction Materials
D653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units Fluids
are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in D3740 Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies
each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each Engaged in Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as
system shall be used independently of the other. Combining Used in Engineering Design and Construction
values from the two systems may result in non-conformance D4753 Guide for Evaluating, Selecting, and Specifying Bal-
with the standard. ances and Standard Masses for Use in Soil, Rock, and
1.3 All observed and calculated values shall conform to the Construction Materials Testing
guidelines for significant digits and rounding established in D4992 Practice for Evaluation of Rock to be Used for
Practice D6026, unless superseded by this standard. Erosion Control
D6026 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Geotechnical
1.3.1 For purposes of comparing measured or calculated
Data
value(s) with specified limits, the measured or calculated
D6473 Test Method For Specific Gravity And Absorption of
value(s) shall be rounded to the nearest decimal or significant
Rock For Erosion Control
digits in the specified limits.
1.3.2 The procedures used to specify how data are collected/ 3. Terminology
recorded or calculated, in this standard are regarded as the
industry standard. In addition, they are representative of the 3.1 Definitions—For definitions of common technical terms
significant digits that generally should be retained. The proce- in this standard, refer to Terminology D653.
dures used do not consider material variation, purpose for 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
obtaining the data, special purpose studies, or any consider- 3.2.1 rapid specific gravity—the ratio of the mass in air of a
ations for the user’s objectives; and it is common practice to unit volume of relatively impermeable rock or man-made
increase or reduce significant digits of reported data to be material, to the mass of an equal volume of water measured
commensurate with these considerations. It is beyond the scope under a variety of temperatures.
of this standard to consider significant digits used in analytical
methods for engineering design. 4. Summary of Test Method
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the 4.1 An air-dried specimen (block, chunk, or slab) of rock or
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the manmade material, such as concrete or masonry rubble from
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- paving and building demolition, is weighed in air and then
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- weighed again while immersed in water. Using the masses, the
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. field rapid specific gravity is calculated. The determined
specific gravity can then be used to determine a mass per unit
volume.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and
Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.17 on Rock for Erosion
2
Control. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved Jan. 15, 2014. Published February 2014. Originally contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
approved in 1995. Last previous edition approved in 2008 as D5779 – 08ε1. DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/D5779_D5779M-14. the ASTM website.

*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard

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 D5779/D5779M − 14
5. Significance and Use other device accurate to within 1 % of the mass may be used.
5.1 Riprap and armor material are composed of pieces of The balance shall be equipped with suitable apparatus for
natural rock or manmade material that are placed on construc- suspending the sample container in water from the center of the
tion projects, shorelines, streambeds, bridge abutments, pilings platform or pan of the balance.
and other structures to minimize the effects of erosion. The 7.2 Specimen Container—A wire basket, sling, or pan to be
ability of rock or manmade material to withstand deterioration attached to the scale and capable of holding the specimen and
from weathering affects both the effectiveness of the project suspending it in water.
and its cost. The specific gravity and absorption provide useful 7.3 Water Bath—A vessel filled with a volume of water
information that can be used in evaluating possible deteriora- large enough to submerge the specimen and specimen con-
tion of rock or manmade material. tainer without touching any of the vessel’s sides.
5.2 Test specimens equal in size to the proposed design size 7.4 An example apparatus is shown in Fig. 1.
would provide the best correlations between laboratory tests
and actual field performance; however, this is usually neither 8. Sampling
practical nor economically feasible.
8.1 Rock source sampling shall be guided by Practice
5.3 This test method has been used to evaluate different D4992. Manmade material source sampling shall be guided,
types of rocks and manmade material. There have been rare where applicable, by the general principles outlined in Practice
occasions when test results have provided data that have not D4992. A source that is macroscopically uniform in color,
agreed with the durability of rock or manmade material under texture, mineralogy, or some other visual property shall be
actual field conditions. represented by a sample consisting of a minimum of five
5.4 The results of this test is not to be used as the sole basis specimens. A macroscopically non-uniform source shall be
for determination of durability, but should be used in conjunc- represented by a minimum of eight specimens.
tion with the results of other tests. 8.2 Rock and manmade material types that comprise less
NOTE 1—The quality of the result produced by this standard is than 5 % of the total source, as determined from their
dependent upon the competence of the personnel performing it, and the macroscopic properties, may be ignored, unless their presence
suitability of the equipment and facilities used. Agencies that meet the will greatly affect the test results and subsequent proposed use.
criteria of Practice D3740 are generally considered capable of competent
and objective testing/sampling/inspection/etc. Users of this standard are 8.3 Sample the rock or man-made material types in their
cautioned that compliance with Practice D3740 does not in itself assure approximate proportion to the types that occur at the source.
reliable results. Reliable results depend on many factors; Practice D3740
provides a means of evaluation some of those factors 9. Specimens
6. Interferences 9.1 Specimens shall be clean and without soil particles or
other adherent materials. Specimens shall have all loose parts
6.1 The limitations of this test are threefold. and adherent material removed by brushing with a stiff brush
6.1.1 First, this is a field test method using simple apparatus (including the use of water, as necessary) and shall be allowed
and limited specimen inundation durations to measure rapid to air dry until all surfaces are visually dry.
specific gravity. Though this method produces test results
quickly, the results may not be as accurate as a more highly
controlled method. For laboratory determination of specific
gravity see Test Method D6473.
6.1.2 Second, certain rock types and manmade materials
with small, interconnected pore space could internally entrap
air when, during rapid total immersion, water migrates from
three dimensions. Capillary tension draws the water inward,
but as it does so the air may become entrapped preventing the
water from migrating into the center of the rock. Incremental
submersion or vacuum saturation methods may aid in lessening
air entrapment in this type of material and is beyond the scope
of this procedure.
6.1.3 Third, the test specimens may not be representative of
the quality of the larger rock and manmade material samples
used in construction. Careful examination of the source and
proper sampling are essential in minimizing this limitation.

7. Apparatus
7.1 Balance—A balance or scale conforming to the require-
ments of Guide D4753 readable (with no estimation) and
accurate to 1 % or better of the mass of the test specimen. For
masses over 50 kg [110 lb] a load-cell, spring scale, or some FIG. 1 Example Apparatus

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 D5779/D5779M − 14
9.2 Air dry specimens until all surfaces are visually dry. Summation of Specific Gravities
Average Rapid Specific Gravity 5
9.3 Each specimen shall be a minimum of 2.2 kg [5.0 lb] in Number of Tested Specimens
mass. The maximum mass shall be limited only by the capacity (2)
of the scale and the size of the water-filled tank. Small pieces NOTE 6—The average specific gravity may be calculated for a specimen
of combined small pieces. The specific gravity of individual pieces shall
of rock and manmade material shall be combined to produce a not be required.
specimen having a minimum of 2.2 kg [5.0 lb] mass.
NOTE 2—Evaluation of the properties of rock and manmade materials 12. Report: Test Data Sheet(s)/Form(s)
are best performed by testing the largest possible specimens. 12.1 Record the following information:
10. Procedure 12.1.1 Source of the samples, its location, the date sampled
and tested, and the geological formation if known,
10.1 Perform the test in the field at any temperature above 12.1.2 Description and type of materials,
the freezing temperature of water. 12.1.3 Name of the individuals performing the test,
10.2 Determine the air-dry mass of each specimen and 12.1.4 Rapid specific gravities of all specimens to the
record its mass to the nearest 1 %. nearest 0.1 specific gravity unit,
10.3 Determine the tare value of the specimen container 12.1.5 Average rapid specific gravity for the source to the
while the container is immersed in water without the specimen. nearest 0.1 specific gravity unit,
12.1.6 The range in test values if multiple tests are made on
10.4 Determine the mass of each air dried specimen and the same specimens or samples,
record the mass to the nearest 1 %. 12.1.7 Type of equipment used to perform the test, that is,
10.5 Place each test specimen, one at a time, in the balance with basket in tank, crane with sling and load cell, and
suspended specimen container ensuring it is completely im- so forth, and
mersed in water. Take care to remove all entrapped air before 12.1.8 Photograph of specimens and equipment used in
determining its mass in water by shaking the immersed testing. This is optional.
container.
10.6 Determine the mass of each immersed specimen and 13. Precision and Bias3
record the mass to the nearest 1 %. The specimen container 13.1 Precision—The following estimates of precision are
shall be immersed to the same level (depth) as when determin- based on the results of testing conducted by six laboratories on
ing the tare value to reduce error caused by the mass of the five different kinds of dolomite and limestone.
equipment above and below the water level. 13.1.1 Single-Operator Precision—The single-operator
NOTE 3—Care should be taken to ensure that any material detached
standard deviation of a single test result has been found to be
from its parent specimen during the immersion process shall remain with 0.008.4 Therefore, results of two properly conducted tests by
its parent specimen throughout the balance of testing. The detached the same operator should not differ by more than 0.02.4
material shall be treated and its mass determined, as with the parent 13.1.2 Multilaboratory Precision—The multilaboratory
specimen. standard deviation of a single test result has been found to be
NOTE 4—Specific gravities of large specimens can be made using
power equipment, slings, and load cells or some other means of deter- 0.027.4 Therefore, results of two properly conducted tests in
mining its mass. different laboratories on the same material should not differ by
more than 0.08.4
11. Calculation
13.2 Bias—There is no accepted reference value for this test
11.1 Rapid Specific Gravity—Calculate the air-dried rapid method; therefore, bias cannot be determined.
specific gravity for each specimen of rock or manmade
material to the nearest 0.1 as follows: 14. Keywords
Mass in Air 14.1 riprap; rock; rock material properties; specific gravity
Rapid Specific Gravity 5 (1)
Mass in Air 2 Mass in Water
NOTE 5—For those circumstances requiring results reportable to 0.01
specific gravity unit, a laboratory determination using Test Method D6473
may be used. 3
Supporting data have been filed at ASTM International Headquarters and may
be obtained by requesting Research Report RR:D18-1006. Contact ASTM Customer
11.2 Average Rapid Specific Gravity—Calculate the average Service at service@astm.org.
rapid specific gravity of the rock or manmade material source, 4
These numbers represent, respectively, the (ls) and (d2s) limits as described in
sample, or both, to the nearest 0.1 as follows: Practice C670.

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 D5779/D5779M − 14
SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Committee D18 has identified the location of selected changes to this standard since the last issue
(D5779 – 08ε1) that may impact the use of this standard. (Approved Jan. 15, 2014.)

(1) Revised the title to better reflect content. (4) Revised Note 1 to conform to D18 policy.
(2) Revised the standard into a dual measurement system with (5) Added Section 6.
the units of measurement now stated in either inch-pound units (6) Updated Section 11 and 12 for wording.
or SI units. (7) Revised Fig. 1 for clarity.
(3) Revised Sections 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 for clarity.

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