<p><p><strong>Reference(s):</strong></p><p><em>Byrne et al. (1998)<br>Gomez (2009)<br>Lazarte et al. (2015)</em></p><p><strong>Method Summary</strong></p><p>The specific gravity test is conducted on grout prior to and during grouting as a quality control measure and is used to confirm the water content (i.e., water-cement ratio) of the grout. Confirming the water-cement ratio of grout is an important quality control measure because water content is one of the prime determinants of grout properties and strength. Specific gravity is determined with a calibrated mud balance following the American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 13b-1 <em>Recommended Practice Standard Procedure for Field Testing Water-Based Drilling Fluids</em>.</p><p><strong>Accuracy and Precision</strong></p><p>Testing the grout’s water content is highly accurate and precise.</p><p><strong>Adequacy of Coverage</strong></p><p>Tests are snapshots of the grout water-cement ratio that can be repeated frequently as needed.</p><p><strong>Implementation Requirements </strong></p><p>The procedures for this test are quick and inexpensive.</p><p><strong>General Comments</strong></p><p>Measuring the specific gravity prior to and during grouting verifies that the grout is being prepared as the design specifies. Achieving the required specific gravity allows the grout to exhibit desired strength properties critical to a successful project. Specific gravity testing is timely, simple, and provides real-time results. In addition, specific gravity testing is a more reliable indicator of grout consistency and quality because the test is more sensitive to water-cement ratio. For these reasons, specific gravity is preferred to cube testing. Specific gravity testing is applicable to performance and method approach specifications.</p></p>