Percometer

The Percometer is a reliable, accurate, lightweight and easy-to-use instrument for measuring the dielectric value (er), electrical conductivity (J) and temperature of materials indoors and outdoors. Dielectric value is an indication of the volumetric moisture content and the state of molecular bonding in a material. Electrical conductivity is a reflection of ionic concentration, water content and temperature. The ability of the Percometer to measure these values has made it an extremely versatile tool in a multitude of tasks.

The Pecometer has been very successful in providing data for The Tube Suction Test (TST) which was developed by the Finnish National Road Administration and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) for assessing the moisture susceptibility of granular base materials. Moisture susceptibility represents the potential of a soil to develop or retain water through capillary action, which can produce a detrimental or unstable condition under road surfaces and related structures, such as bridges. In this type of study the Percometer is capable of reading differences in the soil's relative dialectric value, which is impacted by the capillarity of rising water in the soil. The water rising due to capillarity transforms the soil's relative dielectric value. The dielectric value (DV) is a measure of the unbound water within a soil sample. Unbound water directly influences material strength and the ability of a soil to resist the effects of repeated freeze-thaw cycling. The Tube Suction Test reveals the state of water bonding within the soil particles and should not be considered as a simple measure of moisture content. The Percometer is used today by the laboratories, geoservice and road data service units of the Finnish Road Enterprise, and in the Geotechnical Laboratory of the Tampere University of Technology. In the United States and Canada, Percometers are used by, among others, the Texas Transportation Institute, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Office of Minnesota Road Research and the University of Saskatchewan. Other uses of the Percometer include:

Dialectric Values
Moisture Damage
Asphalt Air Voids
Soil Moisture
Frozen/Unfrozen
Frost Susceptibility
Salinity/Sulfates
Conductivity

Data Sheet: H-4112_percometer.pdf

Surface Probe (60mm dia.)

εr (1 to 40) with an accuracy of +/- (0.1 + 1%) Electrical conductivity (0 to 9999mS/cm) Temperature (-40 to +80°C) Recommended applications: Laboratory use, Tube Suction Test, detection of moisture in structures with even surfaces (e.g. behind shower room tiling)

Surface Probe (60mm dia.)

εr (1 to 200) with an accuracy of +/- (0.25 + 2%) Electrical conductivity (0 to 9999mS/cm) Temperature (-40 to +80C) Recommended applications: Laboratory use (high Er)

Long Tube Probe TFL (L = 100 cm)

εr (range: 1 to 15) with an accuracy of +/- (0.05 + 1%) Electrical conductivity (range: 0 to 9999mS/cm) Temperature (range: -40 to +80°C) Recommended applications: Field measurements.

Short Tube Probe TFS (L = 18 cm)

εr (range: 1 to 15) with an accuracy of +/- (0.05 + 1%) Electrical conductivity (0 to 9999mS/cm) Temperature (-40 to +80C) Recommended applications: Laboratory tests, e.g. triaxal testing of aggregates