Sand bulking — height method

Calculate the increase in loose sand volume from moist and inundated sand heights measured in the same container.

Observations and units

• Loose moist sand height h (cm)
• Inundated sand height h′ (cm)

Calculation

Bulking (%) = 100 × (h / h′ − 1) = 100 × (h − h′) / h′, with both heights measured in cm in the same container.

Method reference and limitations

IS 2386 (Part 3):1963, clauses 4.1–4.3.2.2; 4.4. Height method only (4.3.2), using the same sand without loss and the same container with uniform cross-section. Measure the sand surface, not the water level. Inundation is the method's approximation to dry loose volume; it is not a measured oven-dry mass or a precise mix-design correction. Independent determinations are shown separately without a prescribed mean. Clause 4.4 requires reporting to the nearest whole percent; unrounded arithmetic is retained separately. An inundated height above the moist height is rejected for procedure review, never clamped to zero. The 200 mL cylinder variant (4.3.3) has a separate volume-input worksheet; do not substitute its readings here. Automatic batching adjustments are not implemented.

Calculation and reporting rules audited within the documented profile; physical test execution and specification acceptance remain the operator’s responsibility. Independent qualified review is not recorded. No certificate or compliance decision.

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