What is the purpose of inserting the shovel to the full depth of the material when sampling in-place roadway material?

Inserting the shovel to the full depth of the material when sampling in-place roadway material serves the critical purpose of ensuring complete and representative sampling. This practice is essential for obtaining a sample that accurately reflects the properties of the entire material layer. When a sample is taken from the surface only, it may not represent the underlying layers that could have different characteristics, such as compaction, moisture content, or particle size distribution.

By sampling at the full depth, an inspector captures variations in the layer that may affect the material's performance in construction, such as stability and load-bearing capacity. The resulting sample can then be subjected to testing that provides valuable information to inform decisions related to pavement design, quality assessment, and compliance with specifications. Thus, thorough and representative sampling is paramount for effective evaluation and monitoring of roadway materials.