Most Soil Mechanics courses feature a lab course to go with them, either integral or separate. The textbook manufacturers are quick to take advantage of that with expensive books and software. ASTM specs are just about standard in the U.S., but trying to teach out of an ASTM spec is a trying business.
An alternative to this is Materials Testing, the print version of the U.S. Army’s FM 5-472. In addition to the soils tests, it features many other items, some of which are not geotechnical tests at all:
- Materials Testing Overview
- Soils Testing
- Bituminous Mixtures Testing
- Concrete Testing
- Soil Stabilization
The soils tests in particular are as follows:
- Moisture-Content Determination
- Specific-Gravity-of-Solids Determination (ASTM D 854-92)
- Grain-Size Analysis and Distribution (ASTM D 422-63 and ASTM 2217-85)
- Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index Determination (ASTM D 4318-95a)
- Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Modified Effort (Compaction Test) (ASTM D 1557-91)
- In-Place Density Determination
- CBR Tests
You can view the table of contents below.
Materials Testing is an excellent lab manual, supplementary textbook, or handy resource for the testing and improvement of soils, asphalt or concrete.
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