Category Archives: Mold Assemblies
Clean Molds & End Plates Matter
“My boss is always on my case to keep the molds clean. They’re a pain! Does it really matter?” Yes, clean molds and end plates matter. If your molds look like the ones below, you have some work to do. Required for Certification A proper annual verification/calibration of a gyratory compactor includes checking the mold…
Read MoreMold End Plate Pockets
Pockets in my mold end plates? Why would I need that? And, what are they, anyways? Why are pockets important? The ram heads [ram foot on a Pine gyro] shall stay perpendicular to their axis (AASHTO T312 Section 4.3). The surface of the ram foot shall be perpendicular to the direction in which the ram…
Read MoreEnd Plate Orientation
Proper end plate orientation really does matter. The base plates for the Pine 125X, G1 and G2 Superpave gyratory compactor molds have lips that rest on a ledge at the bottom of the mold. An upside down plate will lead to density differences if you are compacting to height. Top plates for the Pine 125X…
Read MoreMind the Gap in Mold Assemblies
“Surely the size of the gap between and end plate and the mold wall can’t matter when it comes to producing consistent specimens” one might think. But you might want to reconsider. Monitor your mold and end plate wear and strive to keep all your mold assemblies consistent in size to produce consistent specimens. AASHTO…
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