Technical Committees / Committee D18 / Overviews


Committee D18 on Soil and Rock
Staff Manager: Robert Morgan 610-832-9732

Committee Overview
GENERAL OVERVIEW

ASTM Committee D18 was formed in 1937. D18 meets twice a year, in January and June, with about 150 members attending over four days of technical meetings capped by a symposium on relevant topics in the geotechnical or geoenvironmental industry. The Committee, with a current membership of approximately 900, has jurisdiction over 300 standards published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volumes 4.08 and 4.09. D18 has 20 technical subcommittees that maintain these standards. Information on this subcommittee structure and D18’s portfolio of approved standards and Work Items under development is available from the List of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items. These standards have and continue to play a preeminent role in the geotechnical and geoenvironmental industries.

ACTIVITIES, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES

Committee D18 standards on soil sampling and mechanical testing are used throughout the world, and the committee’s standards development activities primarily support the construction and environmental industries. Construction projects typically begin with a geotechnical analysis of the soil, with D18 standards playing a key role in determining the classic soil mechanic properties of the building site. Foundation studies and the determination of the strength and compressibility of the soil type are necessary tasks at every construction site, and D18 standards are relied on the most by geotechnical engineering firms to evaluate these conditions.

In addition to the construction industry, D18 standards share a similar purpose in the environmental industry. Understanding the behavior of soils located adjacent to a landfill is critical to protecting the environment and understanding the hydrologic properties of the soil assists with determining the movement of contaminants through the soil. D18 standards play a key role in testing these parameters in a variety of soil types. Subsurface analysis of geologic conditions, as well as ground-water monitoring and investigation, are areas in which Committee D18 has been a huge provider of standards for the environmental community. More than 100 standards in this area were developed in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) and the U.S. Navy. Many of these standards have been adopted at national and state levels as part of a sound environmental strategy.

Geotechnical Testing Journal

The Geotechnical Testing Journal is the premier publication for papers on soil and rock testing. This peer-reviewed journal is published six times a year and is available online. Geotechnical Testing Journal informs the profession of new developments in soil and rock testing and related fields, and it provides a forum for the exchange of information, particularly that which leads to the development of new test procedures or improves existing procedures; it also invites active participation of the profession in the work of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and Rock.

Papers cover sampling, nomenclature, and practices relating to the determination of properties and behavior of soil and rock for engineering purposes. Topics include new testing equipment, new procedures for both field and laboratory application, and evaluation of existing ASTM standards and test results. The journal also includes technical notes, letters to the editor, discussion of previously published papers, and book reviews. All papers are peer-reviewed.

Symposia and Special Technical Publications (STPs)

Committee D18 is a frequent sponsor of symposia, and the presented papers are published in a peer-reviewed STP. Please click on the Symposia link to learn more about the future schedule.

PARTICIPATING AS A MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE

ASTM International opens its doors to all technical experts with an interest in the standardization process. As a member of ASTM Committee D18, you will be exposed to the robust resources and member benefits included below that have helped make ASTM a worldwide standards development leader for more than a century:

  • Network with industry professionals worldwide
  • Receive one free volume of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards (in print or CD)
  • Use Internet-based Standards Development Forums and E-Balloting
  • Receive discounts on all ASTM publications
  • Keep up to date through a free subscription to ASTM’s monthly magazine - Standardization News
  • Benefit from reduced fees for attendance at ASTM symposia and technical workshops
  • And more

Members can participate from anywhere because of ASTM’s customized web-based systems. The best way to contribute as a member is to (1) participate in task group activities that are of interest (both virtually and in person), and (2) vote on ballots and provide feedback and recommendations. To participate in standards activities, start by identifying Work Items of interest by reviewing the List of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items. Contact task group leaders for those areas of interest by reviewing the Work Item summary pages and securing contact information available through the on-line roster in the member area. To make the most of your voting and participation overall, be sure to stipulate which specific subcommittees you wish to participate in when you join. You will then receive notices of ballots that open within these groups.

STAKEHOLDERS

ASTM policy requires that there be a balance of interests at the standards development table. The standards development process is open, enabling all stakeholders from the industry to have a voice in shaping a standard. The only requirement is that the producer interests cannot outnumber the user representatives. This is not a problem in Committee D18 as the majority of members are user and general interest members. Geotechnical engineers, professional geologists, and soil scientists volunteer their time to participate and develop marketplace relevant standards for the industry. In Committee D18, members come from geotechnical and environmental consulting firms, government agencies, and academia.

RELATIONSHIP WITH INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, AND REGULATION

Committee D18 standards are referenced extensively in International Building Codes and environmental regulatory documents at the federal and state level. Committee D18 has strong participation from the USEPA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as well as from a variety of state and local agencies. This participation ensures that standards will be developed with regulatory needs in mind.