Abstract

This practice provides guidance in preparing precision and bias statements for ASTM test methods pertaining to construction materials. Test method shall conform to the maximum acceptable range of individual measurements. In order to be valid the indexes of precision to be included in the precision statement as guides for the operator must be based on estimates of the precision of the test method obtained from a statistically designed inter-laboratory series of tests. This series of tests must involve a sufficient number of laboratories, materials, and replicate measurements so that the results obtained provide reliable estimates of the true precision characteristic of the test method. The procedures described in this practice are based on the assumption that the proper estimates of precision have already been obtained. In any test method, tolerances are placed on the accuracy of measuring equipment. All tests made with a given set of equipment which has an error within the permitted tolerance will produce results with a small consistent bias, but that bias is not inherent in the test method and is not included in the bias statement for the test method. There are two conditions which permit the bias of a test method to be estimated: a standard reference sample of known value has been tested by the test method, and the test method has been applied to a sample which has been compounded in such a manner that the true value of the property being measured is known, such as may be the case, for example, in a test for cement content of concrete.

This abstract is a brief summary of the referenced standard. It is informational only and not an official part of the standard; the full text of the standard itself must be referred to for its use and application. ASTM does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents of this abstract are accurate, complete or up to date.

1. Scope

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

C109/C109M Test Method for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (Using 2-in. or [50-mm] Cube Specimens)

C802 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Test Program to Determine the Precision of Test Methods for Construction Materials

E177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in ASTM Test Methods

Keywords

acceptable range; bias; coefficient of variation; difference limit; multilaboratory precision; single-operator precision; standard deviation; test determination; test result;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 91.100.01 (Construction materials)

DOI: 10.1520/C0670

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM C670