UNSPSC 41113814: Soil plastic limit tester

A tester that measures the plastic limit of soil.

UNSPSC 41113814 Soil plastic limit tester (Commodity) describes laboratory and field instruments for testing soil properties during construction and utility infrastructure projects, though recent solicitations show a broader scope than the nominal code name suggests—state and local buyers are acquiring soil compaction equipment, cone penetrometer test (CPT) systems, and comprehensive materials testing services including concrete and asphalt analysis alongside discrete soil testing instruments. Issuing bodies include state transportation departments (Texas Department of Transportation, Michigan Department of Transportation), county utilities and public works departments (Henry County, Georgia; City of Augusta, Georgia), and municipal utility authorities (Keys Energy Services, City of Key West, Florida). Work ranges from annual soil testing contracts with estimated quantities (65 Modified Proctor tests, 650 in-place soil density tests over five years in Augusta) to one-time capital purchases of specialized equipment and multiyear on-call materials testing frameworks structured around task orders and fee schedules.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia and the Upper Midwest, with secondary activity in Texas and Florida. Representative solicitations include the Texas Department of Transportation's October 2026 IFB for a Proctor Soil Compactor with Soil Analyzer (solicitation 601340000067218, response due October 27, 2026); City of Augusta's RFP 26-176 for five-year geotechnical testing services to the Utilities Department (response due September 11, 2026, estimated 65 Modified Proctor tests and 650 in-place density tests); Henry County, Georgia's RFQ #27-08 for on-call materials and field testing services (response due September 9, 2026, GDOT prequalification mandatory); and Michigan Department of Transportation's award in July 2026 of a truck-mounted Cone Penetrometer Test sounding unit to Applied Research Associates, Inc. for $1,011,529.00 (RFP 260000002268). Keys Energy Services, City of Key West, Florida, solicited electrical insulating oil testing services twice in September 2026 (solicitations 0426 and 1026, responses due February 2026 and April 2026 respectively), a tangential use case that diverges from the code's nominal scope but reflects how geotechnical-inspection codes may be misapplied in procurement systems.