List of Standards: Boxes, Joints, Connectors and Testing

This is the second half of the standards index. It covers precast box sections, the terminology standard, external sealing bands, resilient manhole connectors, and the field acceptance tests. Pipe product standards are indexed at part one.

ASTM standards for box sections, joints, connectors and testing, with corresponding AASHTO designations
Specification designation	Product	Size range
ASTM C 789 AASHTO M 259 Table 1, 2, & 3	Precast Reinforced Concrete Box Sections for Culverts, Storm Drain, and Sewers	Span x Rise 3' x 12' 12' x 12'
ASTM C 822	Standard Definitions of Terms Relating to Concrete Pipe and Related Products	.
ASTM C 850 Table 1 & 2 AASHTO M 273	Precast Reinforced Concrete Box Sections for Culverts, Storm Drains, and Sewers with less than 2 ft. of Cover Subject to Highway Loading	Span x Rise 3' x 12' 12' x 12
ASTM C 877	External Sealing Bands for Non-Circular Concrete Sewer, Storm Drain and Culvert Pipe	.
ASTM C 923	Resilient Connectors Between Reinforced Concrete Manhole Structures and Pipes	.
ASTM C 924	Low-Pressure Air Test of Concrete Pipe Sewer Lines	.
ASTM C 969	Infiltration and Exfiltration Acceptance Testing of Installed Precast Concrete Pipe Sewer Lines	.
ASTM C 985	Non-Reinforced Concrete Specified Strength Culvert, Storm Drain and Sewer Pipe Lines	.
ASTM C 1103	Joint Acceptance Testing of Installed Precast Concrete Pipe Sewer Lines	.

Notes on individual standards

ASTM C 789 and ASTM C 850 both cover precast reinforced concrete box sections for culverts, storm drains and sewers over spans and rises in the 3 ft to 12 ft range. The distinction between them is cover: C 850 covers sections with less than 2 ft of cover subject to highway loading, where wheel loads reach the top slab most directly. That is why C 850 sections are heavier at the same span and rise, as the comparison at box section dimensions and weights shows. Specifying the wrong one of the pair on a shallow crossing is a real and not uncommon error.

ASTM C 822 is the terminology standard for concrete pipe and related products. It is the document to reach for when two parties to a specification are using a term differently — springline, laying length, D-load, bell, groove — and it is referenced from the sanitary sewer specification for exactly that purpose.

ASTM C 877 covers external sealing bands for non-circular concrete sewer, storm drain and culvert pipe, the practical sealing route for arch, elliptical and box sections where a compression gasket in a circular groove is not available; see joints.

ASTM C 923 covers resilient connectors between reinforced concrete manhole structures and pipes, which accommodate the differential settlement between a heavy structure and a bedded line; see manholes, catch basins and inlets.

ASTM C 924 covers low-pressure air testing of concrete pipe sewer lines — quick, requiring no water supply, and more sensitive than a water test, so results must be read against the standard's own criteria.

ASTM C 969 covers infiltration and exfiltration acceptance testing of installed precast concrete pipe sewer lines: the whole-reach test, typically manhole to manhole.

ASTM C 985 covers non-reinforced concrete specified strength culvert, storm drain and sewer pipe — the non-reinforced counterpart to the D-load approach, where strength is specified directly rather than by class.

ASTM C 1103 covers joint acceptance testing of installed lines using air or water at low pressure, applicable at 27 in. and larger where individual joints can be reached and tested one at a time. Full descriptions of all four test standards are at testing.

Obtaining the standards and the governing specifications

ASTM standards are published and sold by ASTM International; corresponding AASHTO material specifications are available through the AASHTO Store. Two further documents govern Illinois work directly and are not ASTM publications: the standard specifications for water and sewer main construction used in the state, and the state standard specifications for road and bridge construction. Sources for both are listed at reference links.