METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TESTING HIGHWAY MATERIALS 59 
PREPARATION OF SPECIMEN FOR TEST 
5. A socket shall be attached to each end of the rope for the tension test. 
In preparing the rope for socketing the ends are first served or wound around 
with fine soft wire for a length of about one-half inch at the ends and also at a 
distance from the ends equal to the lengths of the basket of the socket. The 
ends of the rope are then slipped through the socket and the serving wire removed 
from the end only. Unlay the strands, separate the individual wires, and 
straighten them. Cut out the hemp center, if any. Cleanse the wire thoroughly 
with kerosene or gasoline and wipe dry. Tin the wires by dipping first in a mild 
zinc-chloride solution and then in molten zinc. When removed from the latter. 
they should be knocked with a stick or hammer to remove the excess zinc. 
Repeat the tinning until all the wires are thoroughly coated. Pull the frayed 
ends back into the basket of the socket and spread the wires evenly in the socket 
and even with the top of the basket. Put fire clay or asbestos fiber around the 
rope at the bottom of the socket, heat the socket for a short time with a blow- 
torch, and pour in molten pure zinc (not Babbitt or lead i . 
6. Put the sockets through the heads of the testing machine and place pins 
through the eyes of the sockets, using steel blocks on each side of the socket, if 
necessary, to secure a firm 1 tearing (pins should be as large as possible). Apply 
the load slowly to give the strands and wires opportunity to properly bed upon 
one another during the application of the load. Continue loading until fracture 
of one or more strands of the rope occurs. 
7. The uniformity of the galvanizing or spelter coating, if any. shall be deter- 
mined in accordance with the method for uniformity of spelter coating. 
40. METHODS OF SAMPLING BITUMINOUS MATERIALS 
(A. S. T. M. standard method U), serial designation D 140—25) 
1. Samples may be taken for either of two purposes : 
(a) To represent as nearly as possible an average of the bulk of the material 
sampled. 
(b) To ascertain the maximum variation in characteristics which the mate- 
rial may possess in either case they shall be obtained by methods hereinafter 
described. 
2. (a) Care shall be taken that the samples are not contaminated with dirt 
or any other extraneous matter and that the sample containers are perfectly 
clean and dry before filling. 
(b) Immediately after filling, the sample containers shall be tightly closed 
and properly marked for identification on the container itself or on a linen 
tag attached to the container. 
3. (a) Whenever practical, bituminous materials shall be sampled at the 
point of manufacture, and at such time as to allow the tests, controlling accept- 
ance or rejection, to be made in advance of shipment. 
(6) When impracticable to take samples at the point of manufacture they 
should be taken from the shipment immediately upon delivery. 
4. For routine laboratory examination of acceptability of a given lot, not less 
than 1 quart of material should be submitted, winch should be representative 
of the average sample collected as hereinafter described. 
5. Containers for liquid bituminous materials shall be small-mouth cans with 
cork-lined screw caps. Containers for semisolid and solid materials shall be 
friction-top cans. 
SAMPLING AT PLACE OF MANUFACTURE 
6. The inlet and outlet to the storage tank shall be sealed and a 1-gallon 
sample drawn from the top. middle, and bottom contents. The sample may be 
taken from drain cocks on the side of the tank, if such are available. Enough 
material should be discarded to insure a representative sample. Otherwise, 
samples may be taken by lowering weighted bottles or cans into the material. 
The bottle or can should be fitted with a stopper which can be removed by 
a string or wire attached to it after it has been lowered to the proper depth. 
The three samples from bulk storage shall be tested separately for consistency 
in order to detect stratification. They may then be combined and thoroughly 
mixed for other tests that may be required. 
