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Guidance on Materials Quantities for Mixtures and Specifications for Flowable Fill Under the Comprehensive Procurement Guideline Program

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Guidance on Materials Quantities for Mixtures

A mix design for the use of foundry sand and coal fly ash in flowable fill was developed for Ford Motor Company. The following table provides the recommended trial mixture from this specification.

Component Quantity per Cubic Yard
Cement 50 lbs.
Coal fly ash 250 lbs.
Foundry sand 2,850 lbs.
Water 500 lbs.

For more information, contact the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Exit or the American Coal Ash Association. Exit

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Specifications, Test Methods and Practices

EPA recommends that procuring agencies use ACI229R-94 and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards listed in the following table when purchasing flowable fill or contracting for construction that involves backfilling or other fill applications.

ASTM Specification Number Title
D 4832-95el Standard Test Method for Preparation and Testing of Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM) Test Cylinders
D 5239-92 Standard Practice for Characterizing Fly Ash for Use in Soil Stabilization
D 5971-96 Standard Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Controlled Low Strength Material
D 6103-07 Standard Test Method for Flow Consistency of Controlled Low Strength Material
D 6023-96 Standard Test Method for Unit Weight, Yield, Cement Content and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM)
D 5971-96 Standard Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Controlled Low Strength Material
D 6024-96 Standard Test Method for Ball Drop on Controlled Low Strength Material to Determine Suitability for Load Application

More than 20 states have specifications for flowable fill containing coal fly ash. They include California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

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