SIEVE ANALYSIS OF FINE, COARSE AND ALL IN AGGREGATE Aim: To determine the fineness modulus and particle size

distribution of the given sample of fine, coarse and all in aggregate.

Apparatus: Set of nine IS sieves are ranging from 40mm to 0.15mm, weight balance, receiving pan.

Introduction: The general size of aggregates used for the concrete range from 80mm to 0.15mm. Aggregates of particle size ranging from 4.75mm to 0.15mm are called as fine aggregates. Generally it is very qualitative to designate as fine or coarse without any basis and has no significance in engineering aspect, so the parameter called as fineness modulus is introduced which is used for qualitative analysis of the given sample. Fineness modulus: it is defined as degree of fineness or coarseness of an aggregate. Fineness modulus = (sum of % cumulative weights retained from 40 to 0.15mm)/100

Finer the aggregate lesser the fineness modulus and coarser the aggregate more is the fineness modulus.

Procedure: The sieves are mounted one over the other with largest on the top and the smallest at the bottom and a pan is fitted to the bottommost sieve. A weight of sample is poured on topmost sieve and the sample is sieved in all possible directions either mechanically or manually without any wastage of material. It would be more efficient if the sieving is done mechanically. Then, the weight retained, cumulative weight retained, % cumulative weight retained , % finer than , for every sieve is calculated and all the values are tabulated.

Precautions: There must be no wastage of aggregates while sieving

Range of values: Fineness modulus 2.2 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.9 3.2 Less than 9.0 Type of aggregate Fine sand Medium sand Coarse sand Coarse aggregate

Graphs: A graph is drawn between the size of aperture on X- axis and % finer of Y- axis. As the size of apertures 40mm, 20mm, they are conveniently taken on logarithmic scale.

Significance: Aggregates form 80% of concrete and so the gradation of particle size is very important for packing of particles the sizes of aggregates is very important in case of construction of slabs, beams etc.

STANDARD CONSISTENCY OF CEMENT

Aim: To determine the standard consistency of cement Apparatus: Vicats Apparatus, The plunger G.

Theory: The standard consistency of a cement paste is defined as that consistency which will permit a Vicats plunger, 10mm in diameter and 50 mm in length, to penetrate to a depth of 33-35 mm from the top of the mould i.e., the plunger penetrates up to a distance of 5-7 mm from the bottom of the Vicat mould. The standard consistency of a cement paste is also called normal consistency. The parameter, standard consistency, is used to find out the initial setting time, final setting time and soundness of cement. Procedure: Consistency of standard cement paste: The procedure covers the determination of the quantity of water required to produce a cement paste of standard consistency. Before testing the cement

for soundness, the quantity of water to be mixed to give a normal consistency is determined. It is done in a Vicats apparatus. About 300g of cement sample is weighed accurately and taken in a crucible. To start with, about 25% (by weight of cement) of water is added to the sample. After about 30 seconds it is thoroughly mixed with the gauging trowels for at least one minute to make it into a paste. The kneaded paste is formed into a ball and then pressed into the Vicat mould, nesting upon a non-porous plate. After completely filling the mould, the surface of the paste is smoothed off, making it level with the top of the mould, with the help of the blade of the gauging trowel. The mould is so placed with its larger diameter resting on the glass plate. During this process the paste should not be compressed. The mould may be slightly shaken to expel the air. The mould with the glass plate below it, is then placed under the rod bearing the plunger and then quickly released, allowing it to sink into the paste. The reading on the graduated scale is noted. If the rod penetrates by 3335 mm, the paste is said to be normal consistency. The time taken between adding water to the dry cement and the filling of the mould should be between 3 and 5 minutes. Trial pastes are made with varying percentages of water to determine the percentage at which the desired penetration for standard consistency is obtained. The amount of water thus mixed is expressed as a percentage by weight of dry cement. Standard consistency of cement paste is defined as that consistency which will permit the Vicat plunger to penetrate into the cement paste to a point 5 to 7 mm above the bottom of the Vicat mould, when the cement paste is tested. Precautions: (1) The gauging time i.e. the time taken for mixing the paste and filling the mould should be with in 3 to 5 minutes. (2) The mould should be filled uniformly to avoid air voids. (3) The cement and the quantity of water should be accurately weighted. (4) In filling the mould, the operators hands and the blade of the trowel shall alone be used.

(5) The temperature of cement and water and that of the test room, at the time of testing , shall be from 25C to 29C.

DETERMINATION OF SETTING TIMES OF CEMENT

Aim: To determine the initial and final setting times of cement. Introduction: The chemical reaction of cement and water, in the mix, is relatively slow and requires time and favourable temperature for its completion. This time, known as setting time may be divided into three distinct phases. The first phase, designated as time of initial set, requires from 30 minutes to about 60 minutes for completion. During this phase, the mixed concrete decreases its plasticity and develops pronounced resistance to flow. It is a stage in the process of hardening after which any cracks that may appear or develop will not reunite. The second phase, known as final set, may vary between 5 to 6 hours after the mixing operation. During this phase, concrete appears to be relatively soft solid with out surface hardness. The third phase consists of progressive hardening and increases in strength. For placing concrete conveniently, the initial setting of cement should not be too quick and after being laid, hardening of concrete should be rapid to render the structure usable as early as possible. The concrete is finally set when it attains sufficient strength and hardness. For Ordinary Portland Cement, the initial setting time should not be less than 30 min and the final set not greater than 600 minutes. Theory: The test is performed to determine the initial and final setting times of cement in order that the concrete may be placed in position conveniently. The setting time may be controlled by varying the quantity of gypsum in the cement during its manufacture and the period of its aeration. Initial Setting Time: The period elapsing between the time when water is added to the cement and the time at which the needle fails to pierce the test block by 50.5mm is taken as initial setting time. Final Setting Time: The period elapsing between the time when water is added to the cement and the time at which the needle makes an impression on

the surface of the test block while the attachment fails to do so is taken as the final setting time .

Apparatus: Vicats Apparatus, needle C. Procedure:

Preparation of Test Block: Prepare a neat cement paste by gauging the cement with 0.85 times the water required to give a paste of standard consistency. The paste shall be gauged in the manner and under the conditions as prescribed in finding out the normal consistency of cement. Start a stopwatch at the instant when water is added to the cement. Fill the Vicats mould, with the cement paste gauged as above, the mould resting on a non-porous plate. Fill the mould completely and smooth off the surface of the paste making it level with the top of the mould. The cement block thus prepared in the mould is the test block. Determination of Initial Setting Time: Place the test block confined in the mould and resting on the non-porous plate, under the rod bearing the needle (C) ; lower the needle gently in contact with the surface of the test block and quickly release, allowing it to penetrate into the test block. Repeat this procedure until the needle , when brought in contact with the test block and released as described above, fails to pierce the block for about 5 mm measured from the bottom of the mould. The period elapsing between the time when water is added to the cement and the time at which the needle fails to pierce the test block by about 5mm shall be the initial setting time. Determination of Final Setting Time: Replace the needle of the Vicat apparatus by the needle with an annular attachment (F). The cement shall be considered as finally set when, upon applying the needle gently to the surface of the test block, the needle makes an impression thereon, while the attachment fails to do so. In the event of a scum

forming on the surface of the test block, use the underside of the block for the determination. Precautions: The setting time is affected by the percentage of water added to the paste and its temperature, the amount of kneading the paste, and the temperature and humidity of air. (1) Clean appliances shall be used for gauging. The temperature of water and that of the test room, at the time of gauging, shall be within 27 2C (or 814F). (2) During the test, the block shall be kept at a temperature of 27 2 C (Or 814 F) in an atmosphere of at least 90 percent relative humidity and away from draughts. (3) The needle must be cleaned after each penetration. (4) The needle should not penetrate the paste at the same spot. (5) The mould should be moved a little each time before the needle is brought to the surface of the paste.

TESTS ON WORKABILITY OF CONCRETE

PART I

SLUMP TEST
Aim: To assess the workability of concrete mix.

Apparatus:

A slump test apparatus is shown in

It consists of a frustum of cone and is hollow at top and bottom.

Procedure: The slump cone is placed on a water tight leveled platform and fresh concrete is placed in it in four equal layers. Each layer is tamped with twenty five strokes of the rounded end of the tamping rod of steel or other suitable material, 16 mm diameter and 600 mm long. After completely filling, the cone should be lifted vertically. Lacking the support, concrete subsides (slumps). The difference between the height of the mould and that of the highest point of the specimen should be measured in millimeters and recorded as slump. If concrete subsides evenly and is called a true slump. The second case is a shear slump where one-half of the cone slides down. The shear slump is

measured as a difference in height between the height of the mould and the average value of subsidence. If the sample shows shear slump, the experiment shall be repeated. If in a repeated test also, the specimen shows shear slump, the slump should be measured and recorded as a shear slump. Shear slump indicates that the concrete is non-cohesive and shows the characteristic of segregation. The collapse indicates a leaner mix. The slump is usually 25 to 50 mm for low-workability, 50 to 100 mm for medium workability and 100 to 150 mm for high workability. Normal fresh concrete used for reinforced concrete is usually of a medium workability. The slump test is not a true guide of workability as the same slump can be obtained for different workabilities of concrete. However, it is useful on a day to day check on site. Too high or a too low slump gives immediate warning. Because of simplicity it is a widely accepted test all over the world.

PART II
COMPACTION FACTOR TEST
Aim: To determine the workability of given concrete mix by compaction factor test

Introduction: Compaction factor test, developed at the Road Research Laboratory, U.K., is more precise and sensitive than the slump test. It is primarily designed for laboratory work but can also be used in the field. It is particularly useful for concrete mixes of low workability as are normally used when concrete is to be compacted by vibration; such concrete may constantly fail to slump.

Apparatus: A compaction factor apparatus is shown in figure.

The essential dimensions of the apparatus are listed in table.

Detail

Dimension (mm)

Upper hopper, A Top internal diameter Bottom internal diameter Internal height 275 250 125

Lower hopper, B Top internal diameter Bottom internal diameter Internal height 225 125 225

Cylinder, C Top internal diameter Bottom internal diameter Distance between bottom of upper top of lower hopper Distance between bottom of lower hopper and top of cylinder 200 200 285 150

Procedure: The specimen concrete is gently placed in the upper hopper and leveled. The trap-door is then opened and concrete is allowed to fall in the lower hopper. Sticked concrete in upper hopper at sides is gently pushed into the lower one. The trap-door of the lower hopper is opened so that the concrete falls in the cylinder. The excess of concrete remaining above the level of the top of the cylinder should be cut off and removed. The mass of concrete in the

cylinder should be measured to the nearest 10 gm. This is known as the mass of partially compacted concrete.

The cylinder should be refilled with concrete from the same specimen in layers of 50 mm deep, each layer being rammed or preferably vibrated so as to obtain full compaction. The mass of concrete in the cylinder should be measured and it is known as the mass of fully compacted concrete.

The compaction factor is defined as: (mass of partially compacted concrete / mass of fully compacted concrete)

The mass of fully compacted concrete can also be worked out considering the proportions of ingredients, their densities, their densities and the volume of the cylinder. However, this will hardly make any difference in results. A compaction factor of about 0.85 represents low workability, 0.92 medium workability and 0.95 high workability. This test measures the inherent characteristics of concrete. It is in fact very close to workability requirements and thus it is one of the best methods to find out the workability.

Significance: Degre e of worka bility Very low 0-25 0.78 0.80 Roads vibrated by power operated machines at the more workable end of this group, concrete may be compacted in certain cases with had operated machines Low 25-50 0.85 0.87 Roads vibrated by hand operated machines. At the more workable end of this group concrete may be manually compacted in roads using aggregate of rounded or irregular shape. Mass concrete foundations without or lightly reinforced sections with vibration. Mediu m 50100 0.92 0.935 At the less workable end of this group manually compacted flat slabs using crushed aggregates. Normal reinforced concrete manually compacted and heavioy reinforced sections with vibration. High 100175 0.95 0.96 For sections with congested reinforcement not normally suitable for vibration. Slum p(mm ) Compaction Factor Small Apparatus Large Apparatus Use for which concrete is suitable

TESTS ON HARDENED CONCRETE PART - I

COMPRESSION TEST ON CUBE AND CYLINDER Procedure:
Making and curing compression test specimens in the laboratory.

This procedure specifies the making and curing compression test specimens of concrete in the laboratory where accurate control of the quantities of materials and test conditions are possible and where the maximum nominal size of aggregate does not exceed 38 mm. The method is especially

applicable to the making of preliminary compression tests to ascertain the suitability of the available materials or to determine suitable mix proportions.

Sampling of Materials: Representative samples of the materials of concrete for use in the particular concrete construction work shall be obtained by careful sampling. Test samples of cement shall be made up of a small portion taken from each of a number of bags son the site. Test samples of aggregate shall be taken from larger lots by quartering.

Preparation of Materials: All materials shall be brought to room temperature, preferably 270 30C before commencing the tests. The cement samples, on arrival at the

laboratory, shall be thoroughly mixed dry either by hand or in a suitable mixer in such a manner as to ensure the greatest possible blending and uniformity in the material, care being taken to avoid the intrusion of foreign matter. The cement shall then be stored in a dry preferably in airtight metal containers.

Samples of aggregates for each batch of concrete shall be of the desired grading and shall be in an air-dried condition. In general, the aggregate shall be separated into fine and coarse fractions and recombined for each concrete batch in such a manner as to produce the desired grading. IS Sieve 480 shall be normally used for separating the fine and coarse fractions, but where special grading are being investigated. Both fine and coarse fractions shall be further separated into different sizes.

Proportioning: The proportions of the materials, including water, in concrete mixes used for determining the suitability of the materials available, shall similar in all respects to those to be employed in the work. Where the proportions of the ingredients of the concrete as used on the site are to be specified by volume, they shall be calculated from the proportions by weight used in the test cubes and the unit weights of the materials.

Weighing: The quantities of cement, each size of aggregate, and water for each batch shall be determined by weight, to an accuracy of 0.1 percent of the total weight of the batch.

Mixing Concrete: The concrete shall be mixed by hand, or preferably, in a laboratory batch mixer, in such a manner as to avoid loss of water or other materials. Each batch of concrete shall be of such a size as to leave about 10 percent excess after moulding the desired number of driest specimens.

Machine mixing: When the mixing drum is charged by a power loader, all the mixing water shall be introduced into the drum before the solid materials; the skip shall be loaded with about one-half of the coarse aggregate, then with the fine aggregate, the with the cement and finally with the remaining coarse aggregate on top. (If all-in-aggregate is used, the skip shall be loaded first with about one-

half of the aggregate, then with the cement and finally with the remaining aggregate on top) Where the mixing drum is hand-loaded it shall be charged with the dry materials in a similar manner, and the water shall be added immediately before the rotation of the drum is started. The period of mixing shall be not less than 2 minutes after all the materials are in the drum, and shall continue till the resulting concrete is uniform in appearance. When using pan mixers the concrete shall be heaped together before sampling.

Hand mixing: The concrete batch shall be mixed on a water-tight, non-absorbent platform with a shovel, trowel or similar suitable implement, using the following procedure:

a)

The cement and the fine aggregate shall be mixed dry until the mixture is thoroughly blended and is uniform in colour,

b)

The coarse aggregate shall then be added and mixed with the cement and fine aggregate until the coarse aggregate is uniformly distributed throughout the batch, and

c)

The water shall then be added and the entire batch mixed until the concrete appears to be homogeneous and has the desired consistency. If repeated mixing is necessary, because of the addition of water in increments while adjusting the consistency, the batch shall be discarded and a fresh batch made without interrupting the mixing to make trial consistency tests.

Workability: Each batch of concrete shall be tested for consistency immediately after mixing, by one of the methods described in IS:1199-1959. Provided that care is taken to ensure that no water or other material is lost, the concrete used for the consistency tests may be re-mixed with the remainder of batch before making the test specimens. The period of re-mixing shall be as short as

possible yet sufficient to produce a homogeneous mass.

Size of Test Specimens:

Tests specimens cubical in shape shall be 15 x 15 x15cm. If the largest nominal size of the aggregate does not exceed 2 cm, 10cm cubes may be used as an alternative. Cylindrical test specimens shall have a length equal to twice the diameter. They shall be 15cm in diameter and 30 cm long. Smaller test specimens shall have a ratio of diameter of specimen to maximum size of aggregate of not less than 3 to 1, except that the diameter of the specimen shall be not less than 7.5 cm for mixtures containing aggregate more than 5 percent of which is retained on IS Sieve 480.

Moulds

Cube Moulds: The mould shall be of metal, preferably steel or cast iron, and stout enough to prevent distortion. It shall be constructed in such a manner as to facilitate the removal of the moulded specimen without damage, and shall be so machined that, when it is assembled ready for use, the dimensions and internal faces shall be accurate within the following limits:

The height of the mould and the distance between opposite faces shall be the specified size 0.2 mm. The angle between adjacent internal faces and between internal faces and top and bottom planes of the mould shall be 90 0 0.50. The interior faces of the mould shall be plane surfaces with a permissible variation of 0.03 mm. Each mould shall be provided with a metal base plate having a plane surface. The base plate shall be of such dimensions as to support the mould during the filling without leakage and it shall be preferably attached to the mould by springs or screws. The parts of the mould when assembled shall be positively and rigidly held together, and suitable methods of ensuring this, both during the filling and on subsequent handling of the filled mould, shall be provided.

In assembling the mould for use, the joints between the sections of mould shall be thinly coated with mould oil and a similar coating of mould oil shall be applied between the contact surfaces of the bottom of the mould and the base plate in order to ensure that no water escapes during the filling. The interior surfaces of the assembled mould shall be thinly coated with mould oil to prevent adhesion of the concrete. Cylinders: The cylindrical mould shall be of metal which shall be not less than 3 mm thick. Each mould shall be capable of being opened longitudinally to

facilitate removal of the specimen and shall be provided with a means of keeping it closed while in use. The ends shall not depart from a plane surface, perpendicular to the axis of the mould, by more than 0.05 mm. When

assembled ready for use, the mean internal diameter of the mould shall be 15.0 cm 0.2 mm and in no direction shall be internal diameter be less than 14.95 cm or more than 15.05 cm. The height shall be 30.0 cm 0.1 cm. Each mould shall be provided with a metal base plate and with a capping plate of glass or other suitable material. The base plate and the capping plate shall be at least 6.5 mm thick and such that they do not depart from a plane surface by more than 0.02 mm. The base plate shall support the mould during filling without leakage and shall be rigidly attached to the mould. The mould and base plate shall be coated with a thin film of mould oil before use, in order to prevent adhesion of the concrete.

Tamping Bar: The tamping bar shall be a steel bar 16 mm in diameter, 0.6 m long and bullet pointed at the lower end.

Compacting: The test specimens shall be made as soon as practicable after mixing, and in such a way as to produce full compaction of the concrete with neither segregation nor excessive laitance. The concrete shall be filled into the mould in layers approximately 5 cm deep. In placing each scoopful of concrete, the scoop shall be moved around the top edge of the mould as the concrete slides from it, in order to ensure a symmetrical distribution of the concrete within the mould. Each layer shall be compacted either by hand or by vibration as

described below. After the top layer has been compacted, the surface of the concrete shall be finished level with the top of the mould, using a trowel and covered with a glass or metal plate to prevent evaporation.

Compacting by hand: When compacting by hand, the standard tamping bar shall be used and the strokes of the bar shall be distributed in a uniform manner over the crosssection of the mould. The number of strokes per layer required to produce specified conditions will vary according to the type of concrete. For cubical specimens, in no case shall be concrete be subjected to less than 35 strokes per layer for 15 cm cubes or 25 strokes per layer for 10 cm cubes. For

cylindrical specimens, the number of strokes shall not be less than thirty per layer. The strokes shall penetrate into the underlying layer and the bottom layer shall be rodded throughout its depth. Where voids are left by the tamping bar, the sides of the mould shall be tapped to close the voids.

Compacting by Vibration: When compacting by vibration, each layer shall be vibrated by means of an electric or pneumatic hammer or vibrator or by means of a suitable vibrating table until the specified condition is attached.

Note: The mode and quantum of vibration of the laboratory specimen Shall be as nearly the same as those adopted in actual concreting operations.

Capping specimens:

The ends of all cylindrical test specimens that are not plane within 0.05 mm shall be capped; Capped surfaces shall not depart from a plane by more than 0.05 mm and shall be approximately at right angles to the axis of the specimens. The planeness of the cap shall be checked by means of a straight edge and feeler gauge, making a minimum of three measurements on different diameters. Caps shall be made as thin as practicable and shall not flow or fracture when the specimen is tested. Capping shall be carried out according to one of the following methods.

1. Neat Cement: Test cylinders may be capped with a thin layer of stiff, neat Portland cement paste after the concrete has ceased settling in the moulds, generally for two to four hours or more after moulding. The cap shall be formed by means of glass plate not less than 6.5 mm in thickness or a machined metal plate not less than 13 mm in thickness and having a minimum surface dimension at least 25 mm larger than the diameter of the mould. It shall be worked on the cement paste until its lower surface rests on the top of the mould. The cement for capping shall be mixed to a stiff paste for about two to four hours before it is to be used in order to avoid the tendency of the cap to shrink. Adhesion of paste to the capping plate may be avoided by coating the plate with a thin coat of oil or grease.

2. Sulphur: Just prior to testing, the cylindrical specimens may be capped with a sulphur mixture consisting of 1 part sulphur to 2 or 3 parts of inert filler, such as fire-clay. The specimens shall be securely held in a special jig so that the caps formed have true plane surfaces. Care shall be taken to ensure that the

sulphur compound is not over-heated, as it will not then develop the required compressive strength. Sulphur caps shall be allowed to harden for at least 2 hours applying the load.

3. Hard Plaster: Just prior to testing, specimens may be capped with hard plaster having a compressive strength of at least 420 kg/sq cm in one hour. Such

plasters are generally available as proprietary material.

The cap shall be

formed by means of a glass plate not less than 13 mm in thickness, having a minimum surface dimension at least 25 mm larger than the diameter of the mould. The glass plate shall be lightly coated with oil to avoid sticking.

Note:

Ordinary plaster of Paris will not serve the purpose of the capping

material due to its low compressive strength.

As soon as possible after the concrete is mixed, a mortar shall be gauged using a cement similar to that used in the concrete and sand which passes IS Sieve 30 but is retained on IS Sieve 15. The mortar shall have a water/cement ratio not higher than that of the concrete of which the specimen is made, and shall be of a stiff consistence. If an excessively wet mix of concrete is being tested, any free water which has collected on the surface of the specimen shall be removed with a sponge, blotting paper or other suitable absorbent material before the cap is formed. The mortar shall then be applied firmly and

compacted with a trowel to a slightly convex surface above the edges of the mould, after which the capping plate shall be pressed down on the cap with a rotary motion until it makes complete contact with the rim of the mould. The plate shall be left in position until the specimen is removed from the mould.

Curing: The test specimens shall be stored in a place, free from vibration, in moist air of at least 90 percent relative humidity and at a temperature of 27 0 20C for 24 hours hour from the time of addition of water to the dry ingredients. After this period, the specimens shall be marked and removed from the moulds and, unless required for test within 24 hours, immediately submerged in clean, fresh water or saturated lime solution and kept there until taken out just prior to test. The water or solution in which the specimens are submerged shall be renewed every seven days and shall be maintained at a temperature of 270 20C. The specimens shall not be allowed to become dry at any time until they have been tested.

Securing

and

preparing

specimens

of

hardened

concrete

for

compression test. This deals with the procedure for securing and preparing compression test specimens obtained from hardened concrete after the concrete has been laid in position. The test specimens shall be procured from hardened concrete according to the method described in 4 of IS: 1199-1959 Cores to be tested for compression strength shall have ends that are reasonably even, perpendicular to the axis and of the same diameter as the body of the specimen. A core which, before capping, has a maximum height of less than 95 percent of the diameter, or after capping, a height less than its diameter shall not be used.

Capping: The ends of the specimen shall be capped before testing. The material used for the capping shall be such that its compressive strength is greater than that of the concrete in the core. Caps shall be made as thin as practicable and shall not flow or fracture before the concrete fails when the specimen is tested. The capped surfaces shall be at right angles to the axis of the specimen and shall not depart from a plane by more than 0.05 mm. After checking for irregularities, the core shall be placed in water at a temperature of 24 0 to 300 C for 48 hours before testing. The overall height of the specimens, with capping shall be measured to the nearest millimeter.

TEST FOR COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE SPECIMEN

Apparatus

Testing Machine: The testing machine may be of any reliable type, of sufficient capacity for the tests and capable of applying the load at the rate specified above. The permissible error shall be not greater than 2 percent of the maximum load. The testing machine shall be equipped with two steel bearing platens with hardened faces. One of the platens (preferably the one that normally will bear on the upper surface of the specimen) shall be fitted with a ball seating in the form of a portion of a sphere, the center of which coincides with the central point of the face of the platen. The other compression platen shall be plain rigid as, and preferably larger than the nominal size of the specimen to which the load is applied. The bearing surface of the platens, when new, shall not depart from a plane by more than 0.01 mm at any point, and they shall be maintained with a permissible variation limit of 0.02 mm. The movable portion of the spherically seated compression platen shall be held on the spherical seat, but the design shall be such that the bearing face can be rotated freely and fitted through small angles in any direction.

Age at Test: Tests shall be made at recognized ages of the test specimens, the most usual being 7 and 28 days. Ages of 13 weeks and one year are recommended

if tests at greater ages are required. Where it may be necessary to obtain the early strengths, tests may be made at the ages of 24 hours hour and 72 hours 2 hours. The ages shall be calculated from the time of the addition of water to the dry ingredients.

Number of Specimens: At least three specimens, preferably from different batches, shall be made for testing at each selected age.

NOTE - When a full investigation is being carried out, it is advisable for three separate batches to be made for each given variable. An equal number of specimens for each variable should be made.

Procedure: Specimens stored in water shall be tested immediately on removal from the water and while they are still in the wet condition. Surface water and grit shall be wiped off the specimens and any projecting fins removed. Specimens when received dry shall be kept in water for 24 hours before they are taken for testing. The dimensions of the specimens to the nearest 0.2 mm and their weight shall be noted before testing.

Placing the Specimen in the Testing Machine: The bearing surfaces of the testing machine shall be wiped clean and any loose sand or other material removed from the surfaces of the specimen, which are to be in contact with the compression platens. In the case of cubes, the specimen shall be placed in the machine in such a manner that the load shall be applied to opposite sides of the cubes as cast, that is, not to the top and bottom. The axis of the specimen shall be carefully aligned with the center of thrust of the spherically seated block is brought to bear on the specimen, the movable portion shall be rotated gently by hand so that uniform seating may be obtained. The load shall be applied without shock and increased continuously at rate of approximately 140 kg/sq cm/min until the resistance of the specimen to the increasing load breaks down and no greater load can be sustained. The

maximum load applied to the specimen shall then be recorded and the appearance of the concrete and any unusual features in the type of failure shall be noted.

Calculation: The measured compressive strength of the specimen shall be calculated by dividing the maximum load applied to the specimen during the test by the cross-sectional area, calculated from the mean dimensions of the section (Ref: 4.5.1. of IS:1199-1959) and shall be expressed to the nearest kg per sq. cm. Average. Otherwise repeat tests shall be made.

A correction factor according to the height/diameter ratio of specimen after capping shall be obtained from the curve. The product of this correction factor and the measured compressive strength shall be known as the corrected compressive strength, this being the equivalent strength of a cylinder having a height/diameter ratio of two. The equivalent cube strength of the concrete shall be determined by multiplying the corrected cylinder strength by 5/4.

Report: The following information shall be included in the report on each test specimen:

a) identification mark, b) date of test, c) age of specimen, d) curing conditions, including date of manufacture of specimen in the field,

e) weight of specimen, f) dimensions of specimen, g) cross-sectional area, h) maximum load, i) compressive strength, and j) appearance of fractured faces if concrete and type of fracture, if these are unusual.

PART II

SPLIT TEST ON CYLINDER

In this test, a concrete cylinder, of the type used for compression tests, is placed with sits axis horizontal between the platens of a testing machine, and the load is increased until failure by indirect tension in the form of splitting along the vertical diameter takes place.

If the load is applied along the generatrix, then an element on the vertical diameter of the cylinder is subjected to a vertical compressive stress of: (2P/LD)[(D2/(r (D-r)))-1] and a horizontal tensile stress of 2P/(LD)

Where

P = compressive load on the cylinder L = length of the cylinder D = diameter, and

R and (D r) = distance of the element from the two loads respectively.

However, immediately under the load, a high compressive stress would be induced and, in practice, narrow strips of a packing material, such as

plywood, are interposed between the cylinder and the platens. Without packing strips, the recorded strength is lower, typically by 8 percent. The code

prescribes plywood strips, 3 mm (1/8 in.) thick and 25 mm (1 in.) wide. With such an arrangement, the distribution of the horizontal stress on a section containing the vertical diameter. The stress is expresse d in terms of 2P/(LD), and it can be seen that a high horizontal compressive stress exists in the vicinity of the loads but, as this is accompanied by a vertical compressive stress of comparable magnitude, thus producing a state of biaxial stress, failure in compression does not take place.

During the splitting test, the platens of the testing machine should not be allowed to rotate in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, but a slight movement in the vertical plane containing the axis should be permitted in order to accommodate a possible non-parallelism of the generatrices of the cylinder. This can be achieved by means of a simple roller arrangement interposed between one platen and the cylinder. Cubes and prisms can also be subjected to the splitting test, the load being applied through loading pieces resting against the cube on centerlines of two opposing faces. The cube test, covered by BS 1881: part 117:1983, gives the same result as the splitting test on a cylinder. viz: the horizontal tensile stress is equal to 2P/(a2) where a is the side of the cube. This means that only the concrete within a cylinder inscribed in the cube resists the applied load.

An advantage of the splitting test is that the same type of specimen can be used for both the compression and the tension tests. Therefore, the splitting cube test is of interest only in countries where the cube and not the cylinder is used as a standard compression specimen; few data are available on the performance of the splitting cube test.

The splitting test is simple to perform and gives more uniform results than other tension tests. The strength determined in the splitting test is

believed to be close to the direct tensile strength of concrete, being 5 to12 percent higher. It has been suggested, however, that, in the case of mortar and

lightweight aggregate concrete, the splitting test yields too low a result. With normal aggregate, the presence of large particles near the surface to which the load is applied may influence the behavior.

It may be noted that according to ACI 318-89 (Revised 1992) splitting tensile strength should not be used for the purpose of establishing compliance.

Effect of height/diameter ratio on strength of cylinders

Standard cylinders are of height h equal to twice the diameter d, but sometimes specimens of other proportions are encountered. This is

particularly the case with cores cut from insitu concrete: the diameter depends on the size of the core-cutting tool whereas the height of the core varies with the thickness of the slab or member. If the core is too long, it can be trimmed to the h/d ratio of 2 before testing but, with too short a core, it is necessary to estimate the strength of the same concrete as if it had been determined on a specimen with h/d = 2.

Murdock and Kesler found that the correction depends also on the level of strength of the concrete. High strength concrete is less affected by the height/diameter ratio of the specimen, and such a concrete is also less influenced by the shape of the specimen; the two standard correction factors for strength of cylinders with different ratios of height to diameter.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Height to diameter ratio Strength correction factor

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.00

1.00

1.00

1.75 1.50 1.25 1.00

0.98 0.96 0.93 0.87

0.97 0.92 0.87 0.80

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The factors should be related as there is comparatively little difference between the strengths of a cube and of a cylinder with h/d =1. The influence of strength on the conversion factor is of practical significance in the case of low strength concrete, if cores with h/d smaller than 2 are tested. Using, the strength that would be obtained with an h/d ratio of 2 would be overestimated: yet, it is in the case of concrete of low strength, or suspected of having too low a strength, that a correct estimate of strength is often particularly important.

The general pattern of influence of h/d on the strength of low- and medium-strength concrete. For values of h/d smaller than 1.5 the measured strength increases rapidly due to the restraining effect of the platens of the testing machine. When h/d varies between about 1.5 and 4, strength is affected only little and, for h/d values between 1.5 and 2.5, the strength is within 5percent of the strength of standard specimens (h/d = 2). For values of h/d above 5, strength falls off more rapidly, the effect of the slenderness ratio becoming apparent.

It seems thus that the choice of the standard height/diameter ratio of 2 is suitable, not only because the end effect is largely eliminated and a zone of uniaxial compression exists within the specimen, but also because a slight departure from this ratio does not seriously affect the measured value of strength. No correction is required for values of h/d between 1.94 and 2.10.

The influence on strength of the ratio of height to the least lateral dimension applies also in the case of prisms.

Of course, if the end friction is eliminated, the effect of h/d on strength disappears but this is very difficult to achieve in a routine test. The general pattern of the influence of packing between the platen and the specimen on the strength of cylinders with different values of h/d.

The end effect decreases more rapidly the more homogeneous the material; it is thus less noticeable in mortars and probably also in lightweight aggregate concrete of low or moderate strength where a lower heterogeneity arises from the smaller difference between the elastic moduli of the cement paste and the aggregate than is the case with normal weight aggregate. It has been found that, with lightweight aggregate concrete, the value of the ratio of strengths of a standard cylinder to a cylinder with a height-diameter ratio of 1 is between 0.95 and 0.97. This has, however, not been confirmed in Russian tests on concrete made with expanded clay aggregate where ratio of about 0.77 was reported. Strengths of a standard cylinder to a cylinder with a heightdiameter

PART III
FLEXURE TEST ON STANDARD PRISMATIC BEAM

Preparing and Curing Flexure Test Specimens in the Laboratory: The procedure for preparing and curing flexure test specimens of concrete in the laboratory where accurate control of the quantities of materials and test conditions is possible, provided the maximum nominal size of the aggregate does not exceed 38mm. the method is specially applicable to the making of preliminary flexure tests to ascertain the suitability of the available material or to determine suitable mix proportions.

Sampling of material: Preparation of materials, proportions, weighing, mixing of concrete shall be done in the same way as in the case of making compression test specimens in the laboratory.

Size of specimens: The standard size shall be 15 X 15 X 70 cm. Alternatively, if the largest nominal size of the aggregate does not exceed 19mm, specimens 10 X 10 X 50 may be used.

Apparatus: The mould shall be of metal, preferably steel or cast iron and the metal shall be of sufficient thickness to prevent spreading or warping. The mould shall be constructed with the longer dimension horizontal and in such a manner as to facilitate the removal of the moulded specimens without damage. The mould shall be so machined that when assembled ready for use the dimensions shall be accurate within the following limits:

1. The height of the mould shall be either 15.0 0.005 cm or 10.0 0.005 cm, and the corresponding internal width of the mould shall be 15.0 0.02 cm or 10.0 0.02cm respectively. The angle between the interior faces and the top and bottom planes of the mould shall be 90 0 0.50. The internal surfaces of the mould shall be plane surfaces with a permissible variation of 0.02mm in 15.0cm and 0.1mm overall. 2. Each mould shall be provided with a metal base plate and two loose top plates of 4.0 X 0.6 cm cross section and 5.0 cm longer than the width of the mould. The base plate and top plate shall have plane surfaces with a permissible variation of 0.05mm. The base plate shall support the mould without leakage during the filling, and shall be rigidly attached to the mould. 3. The parts of the mould when assembled shall be positively and rigidly held together, and suitable methods of ensuring this, both during the filling and on subsequent handling of the filled mould, shall be provided. 4. In assembling the mould for use, the joints between the sections of the mould shall be thinly coated with mould oil and similar coating of mould oil shall be applied between the contract surfaces of the bottom of the mould and the base plate in order to ensure that no water escapes during the filling. The interior faces of the assembled mould shall be thinly coated with mould oil to prevent adhesion of the concrete.

Specimen making procedure, curing, age at test, and number of specimens shall be the same as test for compression.

Test For Flexural Strength of Moulded Flexure Test Specimens

Apparatus: The testing machine may be of any reliable type pf sufficient capacity for the test and capable of applying the load at the rate specified below. The permissible errors shall be not greater than 0.5% of the applied load where a high degree of accuracy is required and not greater than 1.5% of the applied load for commercial type of use. The bed of the testing machine shall be provided with two steel rollers, 38mm in diameter, on which the specimen is to be supported, and these rollers shall be so mounted that the distance from centre to centre of supports is 40 cm. The load shall be applied through two similar rollers mounted at the third points of the supporting span, which is, spaced at 13.3 cm centre to centre. The load shall be divided equally between the two loading rollers, and all rollers shall be mounted in such a manner that the load is applied axially and without subjecting the specimen to any torsional stresses or restraints. One suitable arrangement which complies with these requirements is indicated in figure.

Procedure: Test specimens stored in water at a temperature of 240 to 300 for 48 hours before testing shall be tested immediately on removal from the water

whilst they are still in a wet condition, the dimensions of each specimen shall be noted before testing. No preparation of the surfaces is required. Placing the specimen in the testing machine The bearing surfaces of the supporting and loading rollers shall be wiped clean, and any loose sand or other material removed from the surfaces of the specimen where they are to make contact with the rollers. The specimen shall then be placed in the machine in such a manner that the load shall be applied to the upper most surface as cast in the mould, along two lines spaced at 13.3 cm apart. The axis of the specimen shall be carefully aligned with axis of the loading device. No packing shall be used between the bearing surfaces of the specimen and the rollers. The load shall be applied without shock and increasing continuously at a rate such that the extreme fibre stress increases at approximately 7 kg/sq.cm/min, that is, at a rate of loading of 400 kg/min for the 15.0 cm specimens and at a rate of 180 kg/min for the 10.0 cm specimens. The load shall be increased until the specimens fails, and the maximum load applied to the specimen during the test shall be recorded. The appearance of the fractured faces of concrete and any unusual features in the type of failure shall be noted.

CALCULATION: The flexural strength of the specimen shall be expressed as the modulus of rupture

fb = ( p x l ) / ( b x d2 )
Where, b = measured width in cm of the specimen, d = measured depth in cm of the specimen was supported, and p = maximum load in kg applied to the specimen.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF CEMENT

Aim: To determine the specific gravity and unit weight of cement

Apparatus: Density bottle, balance sensitive to 0.001 g, wash bottle with kerosene, mould

THEORY: Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the weight of given volume of cement at a given temperature to weight of an equal volume of distilled water at the same temperature. In other words is also defined as the ration of unit weight of cement to that of water. G = s / w In case of cement, kerosene is used instead of water to avoid setting of cement Unit weight of cement is defined as weight of cement per unit volume = (w2 w1)/V

g/cc

Procedure: Specific gravity: 1. Take a clean and dry density bottle. 2. Weigh the bottle (w1 g) with its hopper 3. Fill the empty density bottle to one third of its volume with cement and weigh. Note the reading as W 2 gm. 4. Fill the remaining portion of density bottle with kerosene; see that all the voids are filled with kerosene. Weigh it and note the reading as w3 g.

5. Empty the bottle and clean it with kerosene. 6. Fill the bottle completely with kerosene and weigh it as w4 g. 7. Calculate the specific gravity by using the formula

G = (W 2-W 1) / [(W 2-W 1)-(W 3-W 4)] x 0.9 Where 0.9 is specific gravity of kerosene Unit weight: 1. Take the empty mould and measure the internal dimensions of the mould. Weight it as W 1 gm. 2. Calculate the volume of the mould (V). 3. Fill the mould with cement and weigh it and note the reading as W 2 g. 4. Calculate unit weight by using formula = (w2 w1)/V g/cc

Precautions: 1. Weighing must be done with accuracy of 0.01 g 2. All the voids of cement must be completely filled with kerosene.

Significance: It gives an idea about the suitability of cement as a construction material. Higher values of specific gravity indicate cement of more strength.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF FINE AGGREGATE

Aim: To determine the specific gravity of the given Fine Aggregate.

Apparatus: Pycnometer, mould, weighing balance sensitive to 1g.

Thoery: Various sands are commonly used as fine aggregate and obtained from river beds or by crushing the rock. Fly ash is also sometimes used as a part of fine aggregate. The sand obtained from river beds, is, of coarse, the best as it contains particles of varying size and easy to procure. The use of sand from sea-shore is generally avoided for normal works. Sand should not contain more than 5% dirt, if it is natural sand and 2% in case of crushed sand. The lower size limit of sand is 0.07mm or little less. Particles between 0.06mm and 0.02mm are classified as silt and the particles having size less than 0.02mm are termed concrete Specific gravity is generally defined as the ratio of the mass of a given volume of material to the mass of an equal volume of water. However, several variations of this definition exist depending upon the material considered and the purposes for which the value of specific gravity are to be clay. Silt and clay are undesirable particles for

used. In general specific gravity (G) of a substance is defined as the ratio of unit weight of the substance(s) to that of water (w ) G = s / w Procedure: Using Pycnometer (IS 2386 - Part III 1963)

1. Find the weight of Pycnometer, brass cap and washer. Note it as W 1 2. Fill the Pycnometer up to 2/3rd with sand and find the weight. Note it as W 2. 3. Fill the Pycnometer containing Fine Aggregate with water to the brim. Any trapped air shall be eliminated by rotating the Pycnometer on its side, the hole in the apex of the cone being covered with a finger. Now the combined weight is noted as W 3. 4. The content of the Pycnometer shall be emptied and is then filled with water. Weight of water along with Pycnometer is noted as W 4.

Formula: Specific gravity of the Fine Aggregate is obtained from the following expression: G= (W 2-W 1) / [(W 2-W 1)-(W 3-W4)] Precautions: Air voids should be completely removed. The temperature should be uniform throughout the experiment. Distilled water is to be used.

Significance: Specific gravity of Fine Aggregate is useful in mix design, to estimate the quantities and proportions per cu.m. of concrete that are to be added.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF COARSE AGGREGATE

Aim: To determine the specific gravity of the given coarse aggregate.

Apparatus: (a) Balance : A balance or scale of capacity not less than

3 kg, readable and accurate to 0.5g. (b) Oven : A well ventilated oven thermostatically

controlled to maintain a temperature of 100 to 110 C. (c) Cloths 75x45 cm. (d) Tray (e) Container : A shallow tray of area not less than 325 cm2. : An airtight container large enough to take the sample. : Two dry soft absorbent cloths, each not less than

Theory:
The aggregates consist of about 75% of volume and they greatly influence of the concrete. They give body to concrete, reduce the shrinkage effect of concrete and make them durable. Usually, the aggregates are fairly inexpensive commodity at the quarry and the cost of aggregates is greatly influenced by the transport charges. Aggregates shall be chemically inert mineral particle. They shall be strong, hard and durable. Aggregates are classified as fine and coarse. IS:383 defines fine aggregate as the aggregates, most of which will pass through 4.75mm IS sieve and contain only so much coarser material as is permitted for various grading zones. The coarse aggregate are those, most of which will retain on 4.75 IS sieve and contain only so much finer material as is permitted by the specification. The maximum size of coarse aggregate should be such that it can be conveniently mixed, placed and compacted where it is required. The size of aggregate as large as 160mm in limited quantity(not more than 20% by volume of concrete) and mass concrete (cast-in-place concrete having a high portion of large coarse aggregate and low cement content which resist the applied load

by virtue of its mass) works. The use of large size of aggregate reduces shrinkage and requires less quantity of cement and water for the given strength of concrete. For reinforced concrete works, aggregate having a maximum size of 20mm are generally considered satisfactory. Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the mass of a given volume of material to the mass of an equal volume of water. However, several

variations of this definition exist depending upon the material considered and the purposes for which the value of specific gravity are to be used. When considering aggregate for Portland cement concrete, the most common definition for specific gravity is based upon the bulk volume of the individual aggregate in a saturated, surface-dry (SSD) condition. In general specific gravity (G) of a substance is defined as the ratio of unit weight of the substance (s) to that of water (w ) G = s / w

Procedure:
(1) IS code Method Indian Standard Specification IS: 2386(part iii) of 1963 gives various procedures to find out the specific gravity of different sizes of aggregates. The following procedure is to find the specific gravity of coarse aggregate:

(a) A sample aggregate not less than 2 kg is taken. It is thoroughly washed to and dust adhering to aggregate. (b) It is then placed in a wire basket and immersed in distilled water at a temperature between 22C to 32C .Immediately after immersion, the entrapped air is removed from the sample by lifting the basket containing it 25 mm above the base of the tank and allowing it to drop 25 times at the rate of about one drop per second. Care should be taken that the basket and aggregate remain completely immersed in water. remove the fine particles

(c) They are kept in water for a period of 24 hours afterwards. The basket and aggregate are then jolted and weighed (weight A1) in

water at a temperature 22C to 32C. (d) The basket and the aggregate are then removed from water and allowed to drain for a few minutes and then the aggregate is taken out from the basket and placed on dry cloth and further dried. (e) The empty basket is again immersed in water, jolted 25 times and weighed in water (weight A2). (f) The aggregate is exposed away from the direct sunlight for not less than 10 minutes until it appears completely surface dry. (g) Now the aggregate is weighed in air (weight B) and then the aggregate is kept in the oven at a temperature for of 24 hours.

(h) It is then cooled in an air-tight container, and weighed ( weight c).

Formula: Specific gravity of the coarse aggregate is obtained from the following expression: Specific gravity of coarse aggregate = C / (B-A)

(2) Pycnometer Method

1. Find the weight of Pycnometer, brass cap and washer. Note it as W 1 2. Fill the Pycnometer up to 2/3rd with coarse aggregate and find the weight. Note it as W 2. 3. Fill the Pycnometer containing aggregate with water to the brim. Any trapped air shall be eliminated by rotating the Pycnometer on its side, the hole in the apex of the cone being covered with a finger. Now the combined weight is noted as W 3. 4. The content of the Pycnometer shall be emptied and is then filled with water. Weight of water along with Pycnometer is noted as W 4.

Formula: Specific gravity of the coarse fine aggregate is obtained from the following expression: G= (W 2-W 1) / [(W 2-W 1)-(W 3-W 4)]

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CEMENT

Aim: To determine the strength of cement

Apparatus: vibration machine, zone I sand, zone II sand, zone III sand, cement and weighing machine.

Introduction: Cement: Cement is a material that has cohesive and adhesive properties the presence of water such cements are called hydraulic cements. Sand: Sand is an inorganic material. It consists of small angular or rounded or sharp grains of silica (SiO2). Sand is formed by decomposition of sand stone under the effect of weathering agencies. The sand used in this test shall conform to IS 6500-1955. Shall consist of grey or white angular grains of broken quartz containing very small amounts of elongated or flattered grains. Shall pass through IS sieve 85 and more than 10% by weight shall pass through IS sieve 60. Shall be free from silt and organic impurities.

The sand used is available in Ennore near Madras. The zone I, zone II, and zone III sands are used. Maintaining constant volume, the solution being held at a temperature just short of boiling for 10 minutes. Filter and wash with dilute hydrochloric acid (1:99) and finally with hot water till free from chlorides. Ignite the residue in a tared crucible at 900 to 10000C, cool in a desiccator and weigh.

Reproducibility of results:

Make blank determinations on the reagents for each constituent in the cement and apply corrections where necessary. In all cases, make check determinations and repeat if satisfactory checks are not obtained. The difference between check determinations shall not exceed 0.2 percent for silica and alumina, and 0.1 percent or other constituents.

The standard sand to be used in the test shall conform to IS: 650-1955.

Description of vibration machine The vibration machine consists of a frame mounted on coil springs to carry the cube mould, and a revolving shaft provided with an eccentric. By means of a balance weight beneath the base plate attached rigidly to the frame, the centre of gritty of the whole machine, including the cube and mould is brought either to the centre of the eccentric shaft, or within a distance of 25mm below it. In consequence of this, the revolving eccentric imparts an equal circular motion to all parts of the machine and mould, the motion being equivalent to equal vertical and horizontal simple harmonic vibrations 90 0 out of phase. The minimum running speed of the machine is well above its natural frequency on its supporting springs, so that the amplitude of vibration is independent of the speed. The motor should preferably be of the synchronous type, and the drive should be by means of an endless belt running on a crowned pulley on the motor and a crowned pulley on the vibration. The machine shall be constructed to comply with the following essential requirements: 1) weight of machine on its supporting 30 kg, approximately springs (Excluding weight of solid eccentric, but including weight of mould, mould clamp, hopper and cement cube) 2) Out of balance moment of eccentric shaft .0016129 kg-m. 3) Normal running speed of eccentric shaft 12000 rev/min.

Preparation Of Test Specimens Size of specimens: the test specimens shall be in the form of cubes having a length of 7.06 cm. the area of face equals 50 cm2. Cube moulds Moulds for the 7.06 cm. cube specimens shall be of metal not attacked by cement mortar, and there shall be sufficient material in the sides of the mould to prevent spreading and warping. The moulds shall be rigidly constructed in such a manner as to facilitate the removal of the moulded specimen without damage. The moulds shall be machined so that when

assembled ready for use the dimensions and internal faces shall be accurate to the following limits: The height of the moulds and the distance between the opposite faces shall be 7.06 cm. the angle between adjacent interior faces and between interior faces and top and bottom planes of the mould shall be 900.5 0. The interior faces of the moulds shall be plane surfaces with a permissible variation of 0.127 mm. each mould shall be provided with a base plate having a plane surface machined to a tolerance 0.127mm. and made of non-absorbent material, preferably metal not attacked by cement mortar. The base plate shall be of such dimensions as to support the mould during the filling without leakage.

The weight of the cube mould shall be such that the total weight of the machine a d cube mould does not vary from the total approximate weight of 30kg given under. The parts of the mould when assembled shall be positively held together and suitable methods of ensuring this, both during the filling and on a subsequent removal of the filled mould from the vibration machines, shall be provided in order to prevent the molded specimen form the damage.

Mix proportions and mixing: Clean appliances shall be used for mixing and the temperature of the water and that of the test room at the time when the above operations are being performed shall be 272oC. Place on a non-porous plate a mixture of cement and standard sand in the proportion of 1:3 by weight. Mix it dry with a towel for one minute and then with water until the mixture is of uniform colour. The quantity of water to be used shall be as specified in code. The time of mixture shall in any event be not less than 3minutes and should the time taken to obtain a uniform colour exceed 4 minutes the mixture shall be rejected and the operation repeated with a fresh quantity of cement, sand and water. The material for each cube shall be mixed separately and the quantities of cement, standard sand and water shall be as follows: Cement 185g

Standard sand Water

555g

((P/4)3) %

Where, P is percentage of water required to produce a paste of standard and consistency determined.

Moulding Specimens In assembling the moulds ready for use, cover the joints between the halves of the mould with a thing film of petroleum jelly and apply a similar coating of petroleum jelly between the contact surfaces of the bottom of the mould and its base plate in order to ensure that no water escapes during vibration. Treat the interiors faces of the mould with a thing coating of mould oil. Place the assembled mould on the table of the vibration machine and firmly hold it in position by means of a suitable clamp. Securely attach a hopper of suitable size and shape at the top of the mould to facilitate and this hopper shall not be removed until completion of the vibration period. Immediately after mixing the mortar place the entire quantity of the mortar in the hopper of the cube mould and compact by vibration. The period f vibration shall be two minutes at the specified speed of 12000 400 rev/min. Curing specimens: Keep the cubes at a temperature of 27 020C in an atmosphere of at least 90% relative humidity for 24 hours completion of vibration. At the end of the period remove them from the moulds and immediately submerge in clean water and keep there until taken out just prior to breaking. The water in which the cubes are submerged shall be renewed every 7 days and shall be maintained at a temperature of 27020C. after they have been taken out and until they are broken the cubes shall not be allowed to become dry.

Testing: Test three cubes for compressive strength at the periods mentioned below, the periods being reckoned from the completion of vibration. The compressive strength shall be the average of the strengths of the three cubes for each period respectively.

Ordinary Portland cement

3 and 7 days

Rapid hardening Portland cement 1 and 3 days Low heat Portland cement 7 and 28 days

The cubes shall be tested on their sides without any packing between the cube and the steel plattens of the testing machine. One of the platens shall be carried on a base and shall be self adjusting, and the load shall be steadily and uniformly applied, starting from zero at a rate of 350 kg/cm 2 per minute.

TESTS ON COARSE AGGREGATE DETERMINATION OF FLAKINESS INDEX

Aim: This method of test lays down the procedure for determining the flakiness index of coarse aggregates.

Apparatus: the apparatus shall consist of the following:

Balance: the balance shall be of sufficient capacity and sensitivity and

shall have an accuracy of 0.1% of the weight of the test sample. Metal gauge: the metal gauge shall of the pattern as shown in figure. Sieves: IS sieves of sizes as shown in the table.

Sample: A quantity of aggregate shall be taken sufficient to provide the minimum number of 200 pieces of any fraction to be tested.

Theory: The flakiness index of the aggregate is the percentage by weight of particles in it whos least dimension (thickness) is less than three fifths of their mean dimension. The test is not applicable to sizes smaller than 6.3mm.

The test is conducted by using a metal thickness gauge, of the description as shown in the figure. The sufficient quantity of aggregate is taken such that a minimum number of 200 pieces of any fraction can be tested each fraction is gauged in turn for thickness on metal gauge. The total amount passing in the gauge is weighed to an accuracy of 0.1% of the weight of the sample taken. The flakiness index is taken as the total weight of the material passing the various thicknesses of gauges expressed as the percentage of the total weight of the sample taken.

Procedure:

1) Sieving: the sample shall be sieved with the sieves specified in the table. 2) Separation of flaky material: each material shall be gauged in turn for thickness of the metal gauge of the pattern as shown in figure or in bulk on sieves having elongated slots. The width of the slot used in the gauge or sieve shall of the dimensions specified in column 3 of the table for the appropriate size of the material. 3) Weighing of the flaky material: the total amount passing the gauge shall be weighed to an accuracy of at least 0.1% of the weight of the test sample taken.

Table: DIMENSIONS OF THICKNESS AND LENGTH GAUGES

Size of aggregates gauge# Passing through IS sieve retained on IS sieve

Thickness gauge*

Length

63 50 40 31.5 25 20 16 12.5 10

50 40 25 25 20 16 12.5 10 6.3

33.90 27.00 19.50 16.95 13.50 10.80 8.55 6.75 4.89

81.0 58.5 40.5 32.4 25.6 20.2 14.7

* This dimension is equal to 0.6 times the mean sieve size. # This dimension is equal to 1.8 times the mean sieve size.

Weighing of flaky material: The total amount passing the gauge shall be weighed to an accuracy of at least 0.1% of the weight of the sample.

Results: The Flakiness Index is the total weight of the material passing the carious thickness gauges or sieves, expressed as a percentage of total weight of sample gauged.

DETERMINATION OF ELONGATION INDEX

Aim: To determine the elongation index of coarse aggregate.

Apparatus:

Balance- the balance shall be of sufficient capacity and sensitivity and shall have an accuracy of 0.1% of the weight of the test sample.

Metal gauge- the metal gauge shall be of the pattern as shown in figure. IS Sieves as shown in the table above.

Theory: The elongation index of an aggregate is the percentage by weight of particles whose greater dimension is greater than 1.8 times the mean dimension. The elongation index is not applicable to size less than 6.3mm. This test is conducted using metal length gauge of the description shown. Sufficient quantity of aggregate is taken to provide maximum number of 200 pieces of one fraction to be tested. Each fraction shall be

gauged individually for length of metal gauge. the gauge length used shall be that specified by the column(4) of the table above for the appropriated size of material the total amount retained by the gauge shall be weighed to an accuracy of at least 0.1% of the weight of the test sample taken. The elongation index is the total weight of the material retained on the Various length gauges expressed as a percentage of the total weight of sample gauged

Procedure: Sieving The test sample shall be dried to constant weight at a temperature of 1105C and weighed to the nearest 0.1%. The test sample after being dried and weighed shall be placed in the container and sufficient water added to cover it. The contents of the container shall be agitated vigorously. The agitation shall be sufficiently vigorous to result in complete separation from the coarse particles of all particles finer than 75 and bring the finer material into suspension. Care shall be taken to avoid, as much as possible, the decantation of the coarse particles of the sample. The operation shall be repeated until the wash water is clear. The wash water containing the suspended and dissolved solids shall be immediately poured over the nested sieves arranged with coarser sieve on the top. All material retained on the nested sieves shall be returned to the washed sample. The washed aggregate shall be dried to constant weighed at temperature not exceeding 110C and weighed to the nearest 0.1%.

Separation of Elongated Material:

Each fraction shall be gauged individually for length on a metal length gauge of the pattern shown in figure. The gauge length used shall be that specified by the table above for the appropriate size of the material.

Weighing of Elongated Material: The total amount retained by the length gauge shall be weighed to an accuracy of at least 0.1% of the weight of the test sample.

Result: The elongation index is the total weight of the material retained on the various length gauges, expressed as percentage of the total weight of the sample gauged.

CRUSHING TEST ON COARSE AGGREGATE

Aim: To determine the aggregate crushing value of given coarse aggregate

Apparatus: The apparatus for the standard test shall consist of the following: a) A 15cm diameter open-ended steel cylinder, with plunger and baseplate of the general form and dimensions. The surfaces in contact with the aggregate shall be machined and case-hardened or otherwise treated so as to have diamond pyramid hardness number of not less than 650 VH. b) A straight metal tamping rod of circular cross-section 16 mm in diameter and 45 to 60 cm long, rounded at one end. c) A balance of capacity 3 kg, readable and accurate to one gram. d) IS sieves of size 12.5,10 and 2.36 mm. e) A compression testing machine capable of applying a load of 40 tonnes and which can be operated to give a uniform rate of loading so that the maximum load is reached in 10 minutes. The machine may be used with or without a spherical seating. f) For measuring the sample, cylindrical metal measure of sufficient rigidity to retain its form under rough usage and of the following internal dimensions: Diameter Height 11.5 cm 18.0 cm

Procedure:

Preparation of test sample The material for the standard test shall consist of aggregate passing a 12.5 mm IS sieve and retained on a 10 mm IS sieve, and shall be thoroughly separated on these before testing. The aggregate shall be tested in a surface dry condition. If dried by heating, the periods of drying shall not exceed four hours, the temperature shall be 100 to 1100C and the aggregate shall be cooled to room temperature before testing. The quantity of aggregate shall be such that the depth of material in the cylinder, after tamping as described below shall be 10 cm. The appropriate quantity may be found conveniently by filling the cylindrical measure in three layer of approximately equal depth, each layer being tamped 25 times with the rounded end of the tamping rod and finally leveled off, using the tamping rod as a straight-edge. The weight of material comprising the test sample shall be determined (Weight A) and the same weight of sample shall be taken for the repeat test.

Test Procedure The cylinder of the test apparatus shall be put in position on the base-plate and the test sample added in thirds, each third being subjected to 25 strokes from the tamping rod. The surface of the aggregate shall be carefully leveled and the plunger inserted so that it rests horizontally on this surface, care being taken to ensure that the plunger inserted so that it rests horizontally on this surface, care being taken to ensure that the plunger does not jam in the cylinder. The apparatus, with the test sample and plunger in position, shall then be placed between the platens of the testing machine and loaded at as uniform a rate as possible sot that the total load is reached in 10 minutes. The total load shall be 40 tonnes. The load shall be released and the whole of the material removed from the cylinder and sieved on a 2.36 mm IS sieve for the standard test, or the

approximate sieve as per IS: 2386. The fraction passing the sieve shall be weighed (weight B). In all of these operations, care shall be taken to avoid loss of the fines.

Calculation: The ratio of the weight of fines formed to the total sample weight in each test shall be expressed as a percentage, the result being recorded to the first decimal place: Aggregate crushing value = (B/A) x 100 Where, B = weight of fraction passing the appropriate sieve, and A = weight of surface dry sample.

AGGREGATE IMPACT VALUE

Aim: To determine the aggregate impact value of coarse aggregate.

Apparatus: The apparatus shall consist of the following:

a) An impact testing machine should comply with the following: 1) Total weight neither more than 60 kg nor less than 45 kg. 2) The machine shall have a metal base weighing between 22 and 30 kg with a plane lower surface of not less than 30 cm diameter, and shall be supported on a level and plane concrete or stone block or floor at least 45 cm thick. The machine shall be prevented from rocking either by fixing it to the block or floor or by supporting it on a level and plane metal plate cast into the surface of the block or floor. 3) A cylindrical steel cup of internal dimensions: Diameter 102mm Depth 50mm

4) A metal tup or hammer weighing 13.5 to 14.0 kg, the lower end of which shall be cylindrical in shape, 100.0 mm in diameter and 5 cm long. With a 2mm chamfer at the lower edge, and case hardened. The hammer shall slide freely between vertical guides so arranged that the lower (cylindrical) part of the hammer is above and concentric with the cup. 5) Means for raising the hammer and allowing it to fall freely between the vertical guides from a height of 380 5.0 mm on to the test sample in the cup, and means for adjusting the height of fall within 5mm. 6) Means for supporting the hammer whilst fastening or removing the cup. b) Sieves: The sieves of sizes 12.5, 10 and 2.36 mm. c) Measure: A cylindrical metal measure, tared to the nearest gram, of sufficient rigidity to retain its form under rough usage, and of the following internal dimensions: Diameter Depth 75mm 50mm

d) Tamping rod: A straight metal tamping rod of circular cross-section 10mm in diameter and 230 mm long, rounded at one end. e) Balance: A balance of capacity not less than 500g, readable and accurate to 0.1g. f) Oven: A well ventilated oven thermostatically controlled to maintain a temperature of 100 to 1100C.

Procedure: Preparation of the test sample The test sample shall consist of aggregate the whole of which passes a 12.5 mm IS sieve and is retained on a 10mm IS sieve. The aggregate comprising the test sample shall be dried in a oven for a period of four hours at a temperature of 100 to 1100C and cooled. The measure shall be filled about one third full with aggregate and tamped with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the tamping rod. A further similar quantity of aggregate shall be added and a further tamping of 25 strokes given. The measure shall finally be filled to overflowing, tamped 25 times and the surplus aggregate struck off, using the tamping rod as a straight edge. The net weight of aggregate in the measure shall be determined to the nearest gram

(Weight A) and this weight of aggregate shall be used for the duplicate test on the same material.

Test Procedure 1) The impact machine shall rest without wedging or packing upon the level plate, block or floor, so that it is rigid and the hammer guide columns are vertical. 2) The cup shall be fixed firmly in position on the base of the machine and the whole of the test sample placed in it and compacted by a single tamping of 25 strokes of the tamping rod. 3) The hammer shall be raised until its lower face is 380 mm above the upper surface of the aggregate in the cup, and allowed to fall freely on to the aggregate. The test sample shall be subjected to a total of 15 such blows each being delivered at a interval of not less than one second. 4) The crushed aggregate shall then be removed from the cup and the whole of it sieved on the 2.36mm IS sieve until no further significant amount passes in one minute. The fraction passing the sieve shall be weighed to an accuracy of 0.1g (weight B). The fraction retained on the sieve shall also be weighed (weight C) and if the total weight (B+C) is less than the initial weight (weight A) by more than one gram, the result shall be discarded and a fresh test made.

Calculations: The ratio of the weight of fines formed to the total sample weight in each test shall be expressed as a percentage, the result being recorded to the first decimal place: Aggregate impact value = (B/A) x 100; Where, B = weight of fraction passing 2.36mm IS sieve, and A = weight of oven dried sample.

BULKING OF SAND
Aim: To determine the amount of bulking of sand.

Apparatus: A 250 ml measuring cylinder, sand for which the bulking is to be determined and water.

Introduction:

Definition of bulking of sand: When dry sand comes in contact with moisture, thin film is formed around the particles, which causes them to get apart from each other. This results in increasing the volume of sand. This phenomenon is known as bulking of sand.

Sand brought on to a building site or other works may contain an amount of moisture, which will cause it to occupy a larger volume than it would occupy if dry. If the sand is measured by loose volume, it is necessary in such a case to increase the measured volume of sand, in order that the amount of sand put into the concrete may be the amount intended for the nominal mix used (based on dry sand). It will be necessary to increase the volume of sand by percentage bulking. The correction to be made is only a rough approximation, because the system of measurement by loose volume is rough method at the best, but a correction of the right order can easily be determined and should be applied in order to keep the concrete uniform.

Theory: When mixes are specified by volume, the sand is assumed to be dry. The volume of a given weight of sand, however, varies according to its moisture content. Equal weights of dry and inundated sand have practically the same volume but the same weight of sand in a damp condition can occupy a volume as much as 40% greater. This phenomenon is known as 'bulking'. Unless allowance is made for bulking when batching by volume, the mortar

may contain too little sand. This is one of the reasons why measurement by weight is preferable. Bulking occurs far more with fine sands. Where the volume of sand is specified on dry, loose measurement, and the sand on the job is damp, it is necessary to allow for bulking. Unless allowance is made for bulking when batching by volume, the mortar may contain too little sand. This is one of the reasons why measurement by weight is preferable. Bulking occurs far more with fine sands

Demonstration of the phenomenon of bulking with an example:

It

may be demonstrated by filling a gauge box with dry sand. If the sand is flooded with water the level will sink a little, but not to any great extent. When the box is similarly filled with damp sand and the surface is flooded the drop in level will be very much greater.

Some simple methods for determining the bulking of sand:

1)

A simple method of determining this is to carefully fill a 6"xl2" cylinder

level full of the damp sand, without tamping, then carefully dry out this sand, after which, place it back in the cylinder. The distance the surface of the dry sand is below the top of the cylinder, divided by the depth of the sand will give the percentage of damp sand to be added to obtain the specified volume. If this distance is, say 2", then (2 divided by 10) 20% bulking must be added to the sand volume.

2)

Another method is to pour enough water into a sand-filled cylinder until

the sand is completely saturated and settled and the cylinder is level full of water. The distance from the top of the cylinder to the top of the saturated sand is closely the same as in the preceding paragraph.

I.S.Code method for determining the percentage of bulking of sand:

Underlying assumption in quantifying the bulking of sand: Two procedures may be adopted to determine the percentage of bulking. But both depend on the fact that the volume of inundated sand is the same as if the sand were dry. Procedure as specified in I.S: 2386 (Part 3) 1963, 4.3.2:

Put sufficient quantity of the sand loosely into a container until it is about twothirds full. Level off the top of the sand and pushing a steel rule vertically down through the sand at the middle to the bottom, measure the height. Suppose this is h cm.

Empty the sand out of the container into another container where none of it will be lost. Half fill the first container with water. Put back about half the sand and rod it with a steel rod, about 6 mm in diameter, so that its volume is reduced to a minimum. Then add the remainder of the sand and rod in it the same way. Smooth and level top surface of the inundated sand and measure its depth at the middle with the steel rule.

Observations: % of Sr.No. Water added 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Amount Total % of Initial Final % of Change water Volume Volume water in added (ml) (ml) added Volume (ml) 0 0 300 0 0 6 2 300 365 21.667 6 4 300 370 23.33 6 6 300 400 33.33 6 8 300 375 25 6 10 300 355 18.33 6 12 300 320 6.667 6 14 300 300 0

NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF CONCRETE

Introduction The nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of reinforced concrete poses a difficult problem for Civil Engineers. Compared to metal and composite materials, NDE of concrete is a relatively immature discipline. There are two main areas where concrete inspection technology lags behind. The first is the heterogeneous nature of concrete which makes detection of defects difficult to separate from naturally occurring (and generally safe) inclusions. The second reason for the immature nature of concrete NDE is the fact that universal failure criteria do not exist for concrete structures. In short, from an NDE perspective, it is still uncertain what to look for and how to see it. The research described here is an attempt to make some progress in the interpretation of test data which can be used to assess the integrity of structural concrete bridge elements. While some specific field applications are discussed, a large part of the research program here is to establish baseline measurements by which NDE techniques may be developed for concrete structures. This basic research is necessary because of the general lack of understanding of how concrete responds to different NDE methods. For this study, the deterioration of concrete was broadly classified into two stages. The first is the distributed microcracking and the accompanying increase in porosity which precedes major cracking, and the second is the major cracking which leads to delamination, spalling, and other large scale, visible damage. The causes for deterioration were broadly classified by mechanical stresses and fatigue, chemical or environmental attack, and corrosion of reinforcing steel. The specific objectives of the Test described here were to 1) develop a test to evaluate the deterioration of concrete bridge decks, and 2) explore a new application of acoustic emission technology to determine the onset of

corrosion in reinforcing steel. As a part of these objectives, some basic ultrasonic properties of concrete were also explored.

Brief Review Of Existing Technology A number of NDE techniques have been applied to concrete over the last 25 years. These techniques are relatively unsophisticated as compared to aerospace applications; however, they have been shown to be somewhat useful in certain field applications. The list of techniques described below is by no means a comprehensive list, but should serve as a introduction to some basic applications.

Pulse Velocity This technique exploits the relationship between the quality of concrete and the velocity of an ultrasonic pulse through the material. Fairly extensive research has been done in an attempt to correlate the pulse velocity with the compressive strength. The idea is that pulse velocity is a function of material density and stiffness, both of which have been correlated with compressive strength. In practice, however, the results have been mixed. The number of variables which affect concrete compressive strength is large. Water-cement ratio, aggregate size and shape, size of sample, and cement content all directly relate to strength. However, not all of these variables affect the pulse velocity. Thus it is difficult to universally apply pulse velocity methods to concrete. It has been generally accepted that pulse velocity can be a good indicator of strength gain of concrete at early ages (up to a few days). Pulse velocity techniques can also be applied in order to evaluate uniformity of the concrete in a structure. This type of measurement is generally qualitative in nature, and yields little quantitative information

The Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Method An Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (U.P.V.) unit measures the time it takes an ultrasonic pulse to travel from the transmitting transducer, through the material under test (e.g. concrete), and then to a receiving transducer. Changes in the transit time (and resultant velocity) indicate such conditions as flaws, voids, and cracks, quality and homogeneity, changes in properties due to damage (such as fire), and estimation of strength and elastic modulus. Three basic test configurations are generally used. The best and preferred method is direct transmission (Fig. a). The semi-direct (Fig. b) and indirect (Fig. c) methods are alternatives when access to only one side of a structure is available. However, in the indirect method, the receiving transducer only sees about 1-2% of the transmitted signal as compared to the direct method.

Fig. a. Direct transmission

Fig. b. Semi-direct

Fig. c. In-direct

Velocity Of Longitudinal Pulses In Elastic Solids It can be shown that the velocity of a pulse of longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations travelling in an elastic solid is given by:

V2 = E

(1-v)

p (1+v) (1-2v)

where E is the dynamic elastic modulus where p is the density where v is Poisson's ratio. Effect Of Size And Shape Of Specimen Tested

The above equation may be considered to apply to the transmission of longitudinal pulses through a solid of any shape or size provided the least lateral dimension (i.e. the dimension measured perpendicular to the path travelled by the pulse) is not less than the wavelength of the pulse vibrations. The pulse velocity is not affected by the frequency of the pulse so that the wavelength of the pulse vibrations is inversely proportional to this frequency. Thus the pulse velocity will generally depend only on the properties of the materials and the measurement of this velocity enables an assessment to be made of the condition of the material. Frequency Of Pulse Vibrations

The pulse frequency used for testing concrete or timber is much lower than that used in metal testing. The higher the frequency, the narrower the beam of pulse propogation but the greater the attenuation (or damping out) of the pulse vibrations.

Metal testing requires high frequency pulses to provide a narrow beam of energy but such frequencies are unsuitable for use with heterogeneous materials because of the considerable amount of attenuation which pulses undergo when they pass through these materials.

The frequencies suitable for these materials range from about 20 kHz to 250kHz, with 50 kHz being appropriate for the field testing of concrete. These frequencies correspond to wavelengths ranging from about 200 mm (for the lower frequency) to about 16 mm at the higher frequency.

Upv Testing Equipment

Concrete Ultrasonic Testing Equipment (Model CUTE-102A) is a portable apparatus for Non destructive evaluation of concrete quality by Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) measurement method. It is used to measure the transmission time of ultrasonic pulses in the test specimen, from which the velocity can be computed. A set of UPV readings can be used for further interpretations of structural concrete.

Applications

1. Estimation of In-Situ strength of concrete as well precast concrete products 2. Confirming the uniformity as well as quality of concrete to enable timely corrective actions before commencing serviceability of concrete. Thus a versatile equipment for quality control and assurance 3. Estimation of depth of crack or investigation of internal defects of concrete 4. Estimation of defective layer of concrete sub-grades 5. Diagnosis of deterioration of concrete due to various conditions such as environmental impact, attack of chemicals, alkali-aggregate reaction, etc.

6. Estimation of damages due to fire, thermal shocks, and mechanical shocks. 7. Estimation of endurance under freezing and thawing test on concrete.

Outline

The instrument generates pulses of ultrasonic frequency, which are coupled into the concrete specimen under test by the transmitting transducer. The receiving transducer is used to detect these pulses and to convert them back into electrical pulses. Suitable coupling media are used to minimize losses due to acoustic mismatch at the transducer-specimen interfaces. A 10 MHz quartz time base ensures accurate measurement of pulse transit time (T) with a resolution of 0.1 microseconds. The path length (L) can be measured with a tape and hence the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) in the specimen under test can be computed as :

V = L/T

The equipment is used for estimation of properties of concrete such as strength, uniformity, crack depths, etc.

SCHMIDTS HAMMER TEST (REBOUND HAMMER TEST)

Purpose:

The Ball-Impact-Tester model IHC has been designed accord Prof Baumann, to determine the Brinell Hardness of Metals and Cement-Concrete, as well as the Compression Strength of Cement-Concrete which has a relation to its Hardness.

Advantages:

IHC is intended for non-destructive testing of the quality of concrete in the finished structure (ordinary buildings, as well as bridge constructions or roads). With the Ball-Impact-Tester, it is the strength of the mix (concrete without coarse aggregate particles) close to the surface which is tested. Since the strength of concrete is determined by the strength of the mix, the strength

obtained by the Impact-Hardness-Tester is more realistic strength of the concrete of the structure than obtained by conventional Crushing Testers.

Conventionally the strength of concrete is determined by crushing cubes of concrete on expensive Compression Strength Testers. But then, the conditions under which these cubes are cast differ (intentionally as well as incidentally) from those under which the structure has been constructed. As such the results cannot be accepted to be representing the original strength The Baumann-Steinrueck principle of ball-impact-testing obviously is the best answer to the above-mentioned deficiencies. This method offers an

inexpensive, non-destructive, on-the-spot testing of the quality of cement concrete. Without damaging the structure, all parts, even the largest

structures, can be tested in a very short time so that it becomes possible to determine any deviations in the quality of concrete over different sections of the structure.

Since this method does not destroy the test-piece, the curing-process continues ahead after casting and can be closely watched and accurately valued at any time for the quality determination of the aggregate.

Accuracy:

The co-relation between the Ball-Impact-Hardness Number and the Strength of concrete has been derived from a great number of ball impact tests on cubes, each cube being crushed in the compression machine immediately after carrying out tests with Ball-Impact-Tester. In case of concrete of medium and good quality, the uncertainty inherent in this co-relation is very small.

Under normal conditions, the accuracy in determining the Strength of concrete with Ball-Impact-Tester is considerably greater than by means of crushing a few test cubes. Very often, the Strength of a concrete structure is not

specified as the stresses but mainly as its resistance to wear (as in the case of road pavements) or erosion (as in the case of hydraulic structures) or to climatic influences. Therefore, in all such cases, the surface hardness

determined with the Ball Impact Tester is obviously a better measure of quality of the concrete than crushing strength obtained with Compression Tester.

Diagram 462-1 serves for quick reading of the Compression Strength. The average values indicated in this diagram are for 28 days old concrete and carry an admissible tolerance of 50%. The table of P. 4 gives the average and minimum strengths in 90%. The table on P.4 gives the average and minimum strengths in 89% of the cases. These tables are valid for tests carried out while holding the tester horizontally.

Acceptance:

Baumann-Steinrueck method of testing the concrete quality by Ball-ImpactTester has been accepted internationally and is included in many International Standards. Our product IHC conforms to the German Standard DIN 4240.

Technical Data:

Ball Impact Tester IHC consists of: (a) Main Tester with spring-loading arrangementFull-load Energy50 Kg cm Half-load Energy: 12.t kg cm Ball-Indentor with Brinell Ball of 10 mm 4. (b).. Range (-10 mm) Reading Accuracy 0.1 mm. Magnification: 5-8 X (C) Test Blocks-2 Nos. Test Blocks duly tested, with Brainell Hardness Nos. marked on them to heck the accuracy of IHC periodically.

(d) Instructions Manual with Tables and Graph.

All the above components are enclosed in a portable attractive box. When not in use, please put the Tester and all components in Box for protection.

Size of Box: 16 x 38x8 cm.

Net Weight of Tester only: 2.6 kg Gross Weight with Box: 1.7 kg

Operating instructions: Adjust the Tester to Full-Impact 1/1 position. In this case the Impact-Energy is 50 kg cm. The diameter of indentation produced should be within 0.3 0.7 the dia. Of Ball i.e., between 3 to 7 mm. If the diameter of Indentation is more than 6.3 mm, then adjust eh Tester to Half-Impact market 1/2 In this position the Impact Energy is only 12.8 kg cm. Adjustment of Energy can be done with the help of a lever on the front cap of the Tester. To change from Full-Impact to Half-Impact and Vice-versa, press the Plunger inside by pressing the Tester against a hard object e.g., floor. Change the lever and shoot the instrument a couple of times, by pressing it further till the catch releases the Plunger and shoot. Then it is ready for testing on specimens.

To test, hold the instrument vertically over the specimen with ball in contact with the specimen. Exert pressure on the top cap thereby pressing the Ball Indentor against the specimen and into the Testwer. The spring of the Tester gets compress3ed and develops the required load. At the proper position, the Release-Catch releases the Hammer of the Tester which provides the required Impact-Energy with which the Indentor hits the specimen and produces the Indentation. Take some 10 Indentations for each position. Measure the diameters of indentations with bse Magnifiscope (accuracy 0.1 mm) Take 2 diagonal readings of each indentation and they should agree with each other within 20%. If not, it means that the impact was not perpendicular to surface and so take new indentation. Calculate average diameter of all readings and read the Compression Strength from Tables (see Tables on P.4 for compression strength of concrete, on P.5 & P.6 for Hardness of Metals and Diag 462-1 for quick readings of compression strength).

Surfaces of concrete open to weathering action become uneven and contain dried concrete mud and therefore are not suitable for testing since the hardness of such surfaces differs from that of actual concrete. Surfaces of supports and girders are therefore preferred. In case of uneven surfaces, it is recommended to use a grinding stone and grind between 5 to 10 mm depth to obtain a better surface.

Compression strength W (of 28 days old concrete) Corresponding to the dia. d of the indentation.
W 90% represents the minimum strength, which is obtained in 90% of the tests; only in 10% cases, the minimum strength could be below these figures.

The readings refer to indentation made by holding the instrument in horizontal position.

When the instrument is kept vertically, the readings are affected by the gravity and the following corrections should be made:

When holding the instrument downwards: Add 5% When holding the instrument upwards: Subtract 5%

HALF IMPACT

FULL IMPACT Dia of

Average strength Min. strength Average strength Min. strength W Kg/Cm2 W 90% W W 90% Indentation d in mm 4.0 840 700 210 180 4.1 760 630 190 160 4.2 690 560 170 140 4.3 620 500 150 130 4.4 560 450 130 120 4.5 510 410 120 100 4.6 470 370 100 90 4.7 430 340 90 80 4.8 390 310 80 70 4.9 360 260 70 60 5.0 330 250 65 55 5.1 300 230 60 50 5.2 280 210 55 40 5.3 260 190 50 35 5.4 240 170 45 -5.5 220 160 40 -5.6 200 140 5.7 192 130 5.8 180 120 5.9 166 106 6.0 160 100 6.1 145 87 6.2 140 80 6.3 126 69 6.4 120 60 6.5 111 56 6.6 105 50 6.7 98 44 6.8 95 -6.9 86 -7.0 80 --

Brinell Hardness Tables

For 10 mm. Ball and Half Impact Energy
Diameter Diameter Diameter Brinell of Brinell of Brinell Hardness Indentation Hardness Indentation Hardness 10/3000/30 Half 10/3000/30 Half 10/3000/30 Kg/mm2 Impact Kg/mm2 Impact Kg/mm2 Mm Mm 68 66.4 64.8 63.2 61.6 60 58.6 57.2 55.8 54.4 53 51.8 520.6 49.4 48.2 47 45.9 44.8 43.7 42.6 41.5 40.6 39.7 38.8 37.9 37 36.2 35.4 34.6. 33.8 33 32.3 31.6 30.2 3.80 3.82 3.84 3.86 3.88 3.90 3.92 3.94 3.96 3.98 4.00 4.02 4.04 4.06 4.08 4.10 4.12 4.14 4.16 4.18 4.20 4.24 4.24 4.28 4.30 4.32 4.34 4.36 4.38 4.40 4.42 4.44 4.46 4.48 29.5 28.9 28.3 27.7 27.1 26.5 26 25.5 25 24.5 24 23.5 23 22.5 22 21.5 21 20.5 20 19.5 19 18.5 18 17.5 17 16.5 16 15.5 15 14.5 14 13.5 13 12.5 4.50 4.52 4.54 4.56 4.58 4.60 4.62 4.64 4.66 4.68 4.70 4.72 4.74 4.76 4.78 4.80 4.82 4.84 4.86 4.88 4.90 4.92 4.94 4.96 4.98 5.00 14.5 14.2 14.0 13.7 13.5 13.2 13.2 12.7 12.5 12.2 12.0 11.8 11.6 11.4 11.2 11.0 10.8 10.6 10.4 10.2 10.1 9.9 9.8 9.6 9.4 9.3

Diameter Brinell of of Hardness Indentation

Indentation 10/300/30 2 Half Impact Kg/mm Mm 2.40 192 2.42 185 2.44 180 2.46 174 2.48 168 2.50 163 2.52 158 2.54 153 2.56 148 2.58 144 2.60 140 2.62 136 2.64 132 2.66 128 2.68 124 2.70 120 2.72 117 2.74 113 2.76 110 2.78 106 2.80 107 2.82 99 2.84 96 2.86 93 2.90 91 2.92 89 2.94 87 2.96 84 2.98 82 3.00 79 3.02 77 3.04 75 3.06 73 3.08 70 Half Impact Mm 3.10 3.12 3.14 3.18 3.20 3.22 3.24 3.26 3.28 3.30 3.32 3.34 3.36 3.38 3.40 3.42 3.44 3.46 3.48 3.50 3.52 3.54 3.56 3.58 3.60 3.62 3.64 3.66 3.68 3.70 3.72 3.74 3.76 3.78.