D2419-22 – Standard Test Method Technical Guide

🔬 Purpose and Scope of the Sand Equivalent Test

ASTM D2419-22 serves as a rapid field correlation test designed to evaluate the relative proportions of clay-size or plastic fines and dust in granular soils and fine aggregates. The specimen under test must be material that passes the 4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve. The resulting “Sand Equivalent” value provides a ratio of the desirable coarse (sand-sized) particles to the potentially undesirable clay or plastic fines present in the sample.

Interpretation of results requires careful consideration of the nature of the fines. As described in Note 1, when fine aggregates contain “clean dust of fracture” (clay-sized particles that are not clay minerals), the test result reflects the quantity of fines but not necessarily their specific deleterious properties. In these cases, supplementary testing methods such as the Methylene Blue Value (AASHTO T 330) or X-ray diffraction (XRD) may be required for a