An SSD condition is defined as the aggregate containing only small amounts of free water on the surface.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not Given
• D. Not Applicable

Answer: (B)

Saturated Surface Dry means all the pore spaces in the aggregate are filled with water, but there is no free water on the surface—the surface should appear dry. This condition is used so that moisture measurements reflect internal pore moisture without any extra water sitting on the surface that could skew weight and mixture calculations. Saying there are only small amounts of free water on the surface describes a condition where surface water would be present, which contradicts SSD. So the statement is false because SSD requires no free water on the surface, even though the pores are fully saturated.