GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REFEREE TESTING
Special Provision No. 100S61
1.0
July 2012
Scope
This special provision describes the common requirements for referee testing related to laboratory and field
testing of engineering materials and associated costs. Individual specifications and special provisions provide
details on the referee process for specific materials where applicable.
2.0
Definition
Referee Testing: means testing of a material property or attribute for the purpose of resolving acceptance.
3.0
Referee Testing Requirements
Referee testing may be invoked by the Contractor provided that the associated contractual conditions have
been met. The Contractor shall identify in writing the material and specific property or properties, attribute(s)
and lot or sublot(s) for which the referee testing is being requested.
Referee testing shall be carried out by a laboratory designated by the Owner from a referee roster maintained
for this purpose, unless otherwise specified elsewhere in the Contract Documents.
Referee test results shall be binding on both the Contractor and the Owner.
4.0
Observation
The Contractor and Owner may send a maximum of two representatives each to observe the referee testing.
The Contract Administrator shall notify the Owner and Contractor a minimum of three Business Days in
advance of the date of referee testing. Provided that such notice was given, referee testing shall be carried out
regardless of the absence of one or more observers.
Observers shall follow the referee laboratory protocols for access to the premises and testing equipment and
shall not unnecessarily impede the progress of the testing. Observers shall be permitted to validate sample
identification and view sample condition. Subject to safety requirements, test method and equipment
limitations, they shall also be permitted to observe test procedures, take notes, view equipment readings and
review completed work sheets while in attendance.
Concerns with sample condition or sample identification shall be made known prior to commencement of the
referee testing. Comments on deviations from the applicable test method shall be made at the time of testing.
Unresolved concerns shall be specific in nature and submitted in writing, to the referee laboratory’s
designated representative and the other observer(s) present, at the time of testing.
5.0
Referee Testing Costs
Referee testing costs shall be the sum of all applicable testing costs, as shown in Table 1, for all tests included
in each referee testing request plus a standard shipping and handling charge, unless otherwise specified
elsewhere in the Contract Documents. The standard shipping and handling charge shall be $300 per delivery
trip from the Owner’s Quality Assurance laboratory to the referee laboratory. Responsibility for payment of
referee testing costs shall be as specified elsewhere in the Contract Documents.
July 2012
Page 1 of 3
SSP 100S61
No compensation shall be made to the Contractor for any costs incurred in observing the referee testing or for
travelling to and from the referee laboratory.
TABLE 1
Category
Test
Material Finer than 75µm Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing (LS-601)
Sieve Analysis of Aggregates (LS-602)
Resistance of Coarse Aggregate to Degradation by Abrasion and Impact in the Los
Angeles Abrasion Machine (LS-603)
Relative Density and Absorption of Coarse Aggregate (LS-604)
Relative Density and Absorption of Fine Aggregate (LS-605)
Soundness of Aggregate by Use of Magnesium Sulphate (LS-606)
Percent Crushed Particles in Processed Coarse Aggregate (LS-607)
Percent Flat and Elongated Particles in Coarse Aggregate (LS-608)
Petrographic Analysis of Coarse Aggregate (LS-609)
Organic Impurities in Sands for Concrete (LS-610)
Insoluble Residue of Carbonate Aggregates (LS-613)
Freezing and Thawing of Coarse Aggregate (LS-614 or CSA A23.2-24A)
Potential Alkali-Carbonate Reactivity of Carbonate Rocks by Chemical Composition
(LS-615 or CSA A23.2-26A)
Petrographic Examination of Fine Aggregate (LS-616)
Percent Particles with Two or More Crushed Faces and Uncrushed Particles in Processed
Coarse Aggregate (LS-617)
Aggregates Resistance of Coarse Aggregate to Degradation by Abrasion in the Micro-Deval Apparatus
(LS-618 or CSA A23.2-29A)
Resistance of Fine Aggregate to Degradation by Abrasion in the Micro-Deval Apparatus
(LS-619 or CSA A23.2-23A)
Accelerated Detection of Potentially Deleterious Alkali-Silica Reactive Aggregate by
Expansion of Mortar Bars (LS-620 or CSA A23.2-25A)
Amount of Asphalt Coated Particles in Coarse Aggregate (LS-621)
One Point Proctor Test (OPT) (LS-623)
Open-Graded Drainage Layer (OGDL) Core Porosity Test (LS-627)
Uncompacted Void Content of Fine Aggregate (LS-629)
Amount of Contamination of Coarse Aggregate (LS-630)
Presence of Plastic Fines in Aggregates (LS-631)
Specific Gravity and Absorption, Fine Aggregate (AASHTO T84)
Specific Gravity and Absorption, Coarse Aggregate (AASHTO T85)
Plastic Fines in Graded Aggregates and Soils by Use of the Sand Equivalent Test
(AASHTO T176)
Flat Particles, Elongated Particles or Flat and Elongated Particles in Coarse Aggregate
(ASTM D 4791)
Percentage of Fractured Particles in Coarse Aggregate - One face (ASTM D 5821)
Percentage of Fractured Particles in Coarse Aggregate - Two faces (ASTM D 5821)
July 2012
Page 2 of 3
Cost per
Test *
$95
$265
$335
$230
$270
$515
$130
$270
$650
$115
$350
$540
$650
$780
$155
$480
$480
$2500
$140
$180
$225
$285
$150
$150
$335
$230
$245
$275
$125
$155
SSP 100S61
Category
Test
Grading or Verifying the Performance Grade (PG) of an Asphalt Binder (AASHTO R029)
per sample
Percent Ash Content by Mass of Asphalt Cement Residue (LS-227)
Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery (MSCR) of Asphalt Binder – Average Percent
Recovery at 3.2kPa, Non-recoverable Creep Compliance at 3.2kPa, and Percent Difference
in Non-recoverable Creep Compliance Between 0.1 and 3.2kPa (AASHTO TP 70-09)
Average Critical Crack Tip Opening Displacement (LS-299), Low Temperature Limiting
Grade and Grade Loss (LS-308)
Average Critical Crack Tip Opening Displacement (LS-299)
Pavement Lift Thickness - Single Layer (LS-294) per core
Bituminous Asphalt Cement Content and Aggregate Gradation (LS-282/LS-292) per sublot
Asphalt Cement Content, Aggregate Gradation, and Percent Gmm at Ndes
(LS-282/LS-292, LS-313, LS-264) per sublot
Percent Compaction (LS-287) per sublot
Draindown test only (LS-310) per sublot
Correction Factor for Use of Ignition Furnace (LS-292) per calibration
Bulk Relative Density of Both Coarse and Fine Aggregate Containing no RAP or RST
Aggregates (LS-604, LS-605)
Bulk Relative Density of Both Coarse and Fine Aggregate that Incorporate Extracted RAP
and/or RST Aggregates (LS-604, LS-605, LS-282)
Tack Coat: Percent Residue and Penetration of Residue (LS-200, LS-216) per sample
Compressive Strength Testing of Concrete Cylinders (LS-407, LS-426) per test
(2-150mm diameter cylinders or 3-100mm diameter cylinders)
Air Void System Parameters of Hardened Concrete (LS-432)
Concrete Rapid Chloride Permeability (LS-433)
Non-volatile content and relative density of chemical admixtures (including
superplasticizers), (LS-413, LS 414)
Relative density and pH of air entraining admixtures (LS 414, LS 415)
Moisture Content of Soils (LS-701)
Particle Size Analysis of Soils (LS-702)
Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit and Plasticity Index of Soils (LS-703/704)
Soils
Relative Density of Soils (LS-705)
Moisture-Density Relationship of Soils Using 2.5kg Rammer and 305mm Drop (LS-706)
Moisture-Density Relationship of Soils Using 4.5kg Rammer and 457mm Drop (LS-707)
Permeability of Granular Soils (LS-709)
* excluding shipping and handling charge
July 2012
Page 3 of 3
Cost per
Test *
$910
$250
$500
$3000
$1000
$25
$275
$550
$125
$175
$1100
$700
$1000
$250
$80
$650
$600
$500
$500
$45
$730
$205
$515
$335
$335
$645
SSP 100S61