A new method of specimen reconstitution is presented that is appropriate for element testing of sands containing either plastic or nonplastic fines. The method allows reconstitution of homogeneous, saturated specimens of sands containing fines whose stress-strain response closely resembles the stress-strain response of natural soil deposits formed underwater (e.g., alluvial and offshore submarine deposits, hydraulic fills, and tailings dams). A procedure is described to evaluate the maximum void ratio (emax) of sands containing fines under conditions that more appropriately represent soil deposition at its loosest state in aquatic environments. For soils deposited in water, the data obtained with the procedure proposed in this paper suggest that ASTM D 4254 overestimates the emax of sands containing plastic fines and underestimates the emax of sands containing nonplastic fines. Copyright © 2008 by ASTM International.