UnitWeight

UnitWeight
SignificanceandUse

Oftenusedtodeterminebulkdensityvalues
usedinselectingproportionsforconcrete
mixes
Alsousedformass/volumerelationshipsfor
conversionsinpurchaseagreements
Alsousedannuallyforinventorycontroland
verification

UnitWeight
Definition

UnitWeightistheweightperunitvolumeofa
material.
UnitWeight= WeightofMaterial
VolumeofMaterial
Example:
U.W.=103.2lbs =103.2pcf
1cf

LooseUnitWeight

LooseUnitWeight

LooseUnitWeight

LooseUnitWeight

LooseUnitWeight

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

Fornominalmaximumsizeof1(37.5mm)or
less,useroddingprocedure.
Fornominalmaximumsizegreaterthan1
(37.5mm),usejiggingprocedure.
Recordweightofemptybucket(tothenearest
0.1lbsor0.05kg).
Dryaggregatesampletoaconstantmass.
Fillbucketfullwithdriedaggregate.
Levelsurfacewithfingers.

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

Rod1staggregatelayer.
Use25strokesofthetampingrod.
Evenlydistributethestrokesoverthesurface.
Donotallowrodtostrikebottomofbucketforcibly.

Fillbucketfullwithdriedaggregate.
Repeatlevelingandroddingprocedure.
Usemorevigorouseffortthanon1stlayer,but
Donotcausetampingrodtopenetratetoprevious
layer.

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

Fillbuckettooverflowing.
Repeatlevelingandroddingprocedure.
Levelfinalaggregatesurfacewithfingersora
straightedge.
Makeanyslightprojectionsoflargerpiecesof
aggregateapproximatelybalancethelargervoidsin
thesurface.

Recordweightofbucketandsample.
Calculateunitweightand%voidsofdryrodded
aggregate.

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

DryRodded UnitWeight
TestProcedure

10

UnitWeight
BucketCalibration
Volumeofbucketmustbecalibratedatleastonce
peryear.
Placeathinlayerofgreasearoundtherimofthebucketto
preventwaterleakage.
Recordcombinedweightofemptybucketandplateglass
(tothenearest0.1lbs or0.05kg).

UnitWeight
BucketCalibration
Bucketvolumecalibration,contd
Fillbucketwithwaterandcoverwithplateglass.
Leavenobubblesorexcesswater.
Wipeoffanyoverflowwater.
Recordcombinedweightofbucket,water,andplateglass
(tothenearest0.1lbs or0.05kg).

11

UnitWeight
BucketCalibration
Bucketvolumecalibration,contd.
Recordtemperatureofwater(tothenearest1For 0.5
C).
UseTable1todeterminecorrectunitweightofwaterat
therecordedtemperature.
Calculatethevolumeofthebucket(sameasvolumeofjust
thewater).

UnitWeight
BucketCalibration

Table1
WaterTemperature, F

UnitWeight ofWater,pcf

60

62.366

65

62.336

70

62.301

73.4

62.274

75

62.261

80

62.216

85

62.166

12

UnitWeight
BucketCalibration

Bucketvolumecalibration,contd.
A=Weightofemptybucket+plate
B=Weightofwaterfilledbucket+plate
C=UnitWeightofwateratmeasured
temperature
BucketVolume=

B A

UnitWeight
BucketCalibration

Example:
Weightofemptybucket+plate=1.8lbs
Weightofwaterfilledbucket+plate=34.2lbs
Temperatureofwaterinbucket=70F
UWofwaterat70F=62.301pcf (fromTable1)

BucketVolume=(34.2lbs 1.8lbs)
62.301pcf
BucketVolume=0.52cf

13

AdjustedUnitWeight
%Moisture

Recordweightofwetaggregatesample
Drysampletoaconstantmass
Calculate%moistureofsample:
%Moisture=(WetWt. DryWt.)x100
DryWt.

AdjustedUnitWeight
%Moisture

Example:
Weightofwetsample=125.0lbs
Weightofdrysample=117.9lbs
%M=(125.0lbs 117.9lbs)x100
117.9lbs
%Moisture=6.0%

14

AdjustedUnitWeight
%Moisture

Adjustthedryrodded unitweightfor
moisture
Example:
Dryrodded unitweight=101.2pcf
%Moisture=6.0%
AdjustedU.W.=101.2pcf x1.06
AdjustedU.W.=107.3pcf

15