What is ASTM E2835-11 International Standard for

Calibration of LWD?
Light weight deflectometers are reliable field testing devices that are used to
determine soil's compaction quality. They are some of the most important
testing devices for various construction projects, like road and highway
construction. Soil and its aggregate layers must provide a stable and stif
foundation to ensure that the road can last long. LWDs can be helpful during
inspections and construction as they determine if the pavement foundation
materials are compacted enough to suit the soil conditions. LWDs are
portable, lightweight, and easy to use, and they can provide a more accurate
measurement of the rigidity of unbound materials during construction. To
ensure the quality of a LWD, it must undergo testing and pass certain
calibration standards.
ASTM E2835-11 is an American standard for calibrating light weight
deflectometers. It is internationally recognized as a test method to measure
deflections with a portable impulse plate load test device. ASTM E2835-11
ensures that light weight deflectometers can operate under the toughest
conditions in construction sites. Hence, all LWDs with an ASTM E2835-11
calibration certificate should be able to withstand rain, extreme
temperatures, vibrations, and dust.
If you find anything wrong with your light weight deflectometer, repairs and
recalibration should be done according to ASTM E2835-11 standards. A LWD
must come with a calibration certificate that is based on the ASTM E2835-11
international standard. Moreover, it must be accredited by the German
Federal Road Research Institute.
The ASTM E2835-11 standard test method determines the plate deflection
resulting from impulse load application. Deflection is measured at the top of
load plate's center. A load plate that is in perfectly uniform contact with an
unbound material underneath the plate depicts a load plate deflection that is
similar to the deflection of the surface of the unbound material. Despite that,
even unbound materials typically cannot achieve a completely uniform
contact at all times. A test surface must be smooth and clean without any
protruding material or loose granules. Fine sand must by applied as a thin
layer over the test point on a gravel surface.
The applied load may afect the volume of the materials for the pavement
foundation. In this sense, the volume is the function of the magnitude of the
plate size, rigidity, and load. Likewise, the volume can pertain to the
stifness, sheer strength, loading rate, and bufer stifness of the materials
used for the pavement foundation. Hence, you must be careful when
analyzing results. Data from the portable impulse plate load test can be

retrieved under diferent conditions other than when a heavy moving wheel
load goes over the surface of the pavement after completion of the
construction project.
About The Author:
TERRATEST GmbH is world leader in development and manufacturing of Light
Weight Deflectometers for dynamic load plate test. They ofer the worlds
first light weight deflectometer TERRATEST 5000 BLU with Bluetooth and
voice navigation. For more information about their products visit their
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