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-5- <br />• <br />Field Density Tests <br />In order to evaluate the amount of bulking which occurs when <br />the overburden is excavated and dumped into loose piles, as is the <br />case when the mining is accomplished using a dragline, numerous field <br />density tests were made at various locations at the existing mine. <br />We attempted large sand cone density tests at four locations. These <br />tests were performed by excavating a small hole in the spoil pile <br />and filling the hole with sand, using sand to determine the volume <br />of the hole. Because of voids occurring in the spoil pile, this <br />type of test can be misleading. In our opinion, Test No. 2 was in- <br />fluenced by sand penetrating voids within the pile. In addition <br />to the sand cone procedure, nuclear moisture density tests were <br />• made using a Troxler Model 3411 B gage. The device used can be <br />extended into the test area 12 inches. The test area was levelled <br />and the test was run by inserting the probe into the ground in 2-inch <br />increments and making a reading at each 2-inch increment. Addition- <br />ally, because of the influence of voids on a nuclear test, the spoil <br />tests were checked by rotating the nuclear gage 90 degrees and <br />making four readings at each level. The results of these tests <br />are shown in tabular form in Table I. The reported density is <br />the average of a series of readings for the nuclear gage. <br />• <br />