Recent advances in the design of nuclear equipment and a better understanding of the nuclear principles involved have led to increasingly widespread use of nuclear gages in earth construction control work. This report describes surface-type nuclear equipment, procedures, and various test methods used for making shallow-depth moisture and density determinations in place on soil and soil-aggregate mixtures. In general, a 6-in. direct transmission density test using a properly operating nuclear gage and an up-to-date factory calibration curve will yield test results slightly better than those of conventional density tests. The nuclear test is simpler to perform than conventional tests and requires only about 15 min to obtain both a density and moisture test result. (Modified author abstract).