Compressive Strength Test Procedure:

TOOLS/APPARATUS

Compression test machine, moulds, mixer, trowel, tamping rod (steel bar 16 mm diameter and 60
cm long)

SAMPLE PREPARATION

Samples are taken from the concrete patches used in site or prepared with the same mixture as used
in the field.

Specimen size: 3 cylinders [15 cm x 30 cm] or 3 cubes [15 cm x 15cm x 15 cm]

Minimum three specimens should be tested at each selected age. The Average of there specimens
gives the strength of concrete.

Concrete Mixing:

 by laboratory batch mixer, or

 by hand: First, mix the cement and fine aggregate until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
Then, add the coarse aggregate and mix until the coarse aggregate is uniformly distributed.
Finally, add water and mix until the concrete appears to be homogeneous and of the
required consistency.

Pouring Concrete into moulds:

1- Clean the moulds properly and finish it with oil so that concrete will not stick into the mould and
make latter cleaning difficult.

2- Put concrete in the moulds layer by by layer. Each layer is around 5 cm thick. Each layer is
compacted with a tamping rod [35 stroke]

3- Level the top surface with a trowel

Curing:

Test specimens are kept in the moulds and stored in moist air for 24 hours and then, the specimens
are removed from the moulds and submerged in fresh water for the specified curing period.

TEST PROCEDURE

1- Get the specimen out of water after curing time and wipe out excessive water from the surface.

2- Measure the dimensions of the specimen are that will be subjected to load.

3- Place the specimen in the appropriate location in the test machine. Note the load will be applied
to the face perpendicular to the direction of casting.

4- Align the specimen centrally on the base plate of the machine.

5- Make the movable portion of machine touches the specimen top surface.

6- Apply the load gradually at the rate of 140 kg/cm2/minute until the specimen fails

7- Record the maximum load.

CALCULATION OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

Cube size =15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm

Area of the specimen subjected to load=150 x 150 = 2250 mm2

Maximum load at failure at 7 or 28 days = ………. N

Characteristic compressive strength(f ck) at 7 or 28 days days = Failure Load / Area = ………….. N/mm2

Average compressive strength of the 3 concrete cubes = [strength of cube 1 + strength of cube 2 +
strength of cube 3] / 3 = ………….N/ mm2 (at 7 or 28 days)

Splitting Tensile Test

The tensile strength of concrete is one of the basic and important properties which
greatly affect the extent and size of cracking in structures.

Moreover, the concrete is very weak in tension due to its brittle nature. Hence. it is
not expected to resist the direct tension. So, concrete develops cracks when tensile
forces exceed its tensile strength.

Therefore, it is necessary to determine the tensile strength of concrete to determine

the load at which the concrete members may crack.

Furthermore, splitting tensile strength test on concrete cylinder is a method to

determine the tensile strength of concrete.The procedure based on the ASTM C496
(Standard Test Method of Cylindrical Concrete Specimen) which similar to other
codes lik IS 5816 1999.

Finally, different aspects split cylinder test of concrete specimen will be discussed in
the following sections.
 Apparatus for Splitting Tensile Test of
Concrete
Testing Machine
Testing machine shall meet the following requirements:

o Firstly, it shall conform to the requirements of Test Method C 39/C 39M.

o Secondly, testing machine should be able to apply the load continuously and
without shock.
o Thirdly, it should be able to apply loads at a constant rate within the range 0.7 to 1.4 MPa/min (1.2
to 2.4 MPa/min based on IS 5816 1999) splitting tensile stress until the specimen fails.

Fig.1:Split cylinder testing machine

Plate or Supplementary Bearing Bar

o It is employed when the diameter or the largest dimension of the upper bearing face or the lower
bearing block is less than the length of the cylinder to be tested.

o Plate width is 50mm

o it shall be used in such manner that the load will be applied over the entire length of the specimen.
 Fig.2: Supplementary steel bar

Bearing Strips
o Two bearing strips are used.

o bearing strip size is 3.2 mm thick, 25 mm wide, and of a length equal to, or slightly longer
than, that of the specimen
o The bearing strips placed between the specimen and both the upper and lower bearing blocks of
the testing machine or between the specimen and supplemental bars or plates if needed.

Fig.3:Bearing strip, Plywood

 Sampling of Concrete Cylinders
Concrete specimen moulds
o It shall be made of steel, and 3 mm thick.

o The mould shall be capable of being opened longitudinally to facilitate the removal of the specimen
and is provided with a means of keeping it closed while in use.

o The mean internal diameter of the mould is 15 cm ± 0.2 mm and the height is 30 +/- 0.1 cm.

o The moulds are provided with a metal base plate mould.

o Moulds need to be coated with a thin film of mould oil before use, in order to prevent adhesion of
concrete.

Fig.4:Cylindrical mould

Tamping Rod
o Used for manual compaction of concrete specimen

o It shall be a round, straight steel rod with at least the tamping end rounded to a hemispherical tip of
the same diameter as the rod.
o Both ends rounded, if preferred.

o Tamping rod diameter is 16 mm and its length is 600 mm.

Fig.5:Tamping rod

Concrete pouring and compaction

o After the mixture is prepared, it is poured into the oiled mould in layers approximately 5 cm deep.

o Then, each layer is compacted either by hand or by vibration.

o For manual compaction, use tamping bar.

o Distributed bar stroke uniformly in order to compact it properly.

o Minimum tamping bar stroke for each layer is 30.

o Penetrate strikes in to the underlying layer

o Apply the rode for the entire depth of bottom layer

o complete top layer compaction

o Lastly, the surface of the concrete should be finished level with the top of the mould,using a trowel
and covered with a glass or metal plate to prevent evaporation.

Fig.6:concrete specimen
 Curing of Specimen
o Casted specimen should be stored in a place at a temperature of 27° +/- 2°C for 24 +/- 0.5 hrs from
the time addition of water to the dry ingredients.

o After that, the specimen should be marked and removed from the mould and immediately
submerged in clean fresh water or saturated lime solution and kept there until taken out just prior to
the test.

o The water or solution in witch the specimens are kept should be renewed every seven days and
should be maintained at a temperature of 27° +/- 2°c.

o For design purpose, the specimen cured for 28 days.

o At last, for each reading, three specimen shall be casted and tested. Then, the average tensile
strength will be taken.

Fig.7:curing concrete specimen

Procedure of Splitting Tensile Test

o Initially, take the wet specimen from water after 7, 28 of curing; or any desired age at which tensile
strength to be estimated.

o Then, wipe out water from the surface of specimen

o After that, draw diametrical lines on the two ends of the specimen to ensure that they are on the
same axial place.

o Next, record the weight and dimension of the specimen.

o Set the compression testing machine for the required range.

o Place plywood strip on the lower plate and place the specimen.

o Align the specimen so that the lines marked on the ends are vertical and centered over the bottom
plate.

o Place the other plywood strip above the specimen.

o Bring down the upper plate so that it just touch the plywood strip.

o Apply the load continuously without shock at a rate within the range 0.7 to 1.4 MPa/min (1.2 to
2.4 MPa/min based on IS 5816 1999)

o Finally, note down the breaking load(P)

Fig.8:testing cylindrical concrete specimen

Calculations
Calculate the splitting tensile strength of the specimen as follows:

T= 2P/ pi LD

Where:

T = splitting tensile strength, MPa

P: maximum applied load indicated by the testing machine,N

D: diameter of the specimen, mm

L: length of the specimen,mm

 Fig.9:dimension of split cylinder specimen and imposed loads

Report
Report the following information:

o Identification number

o Diameter and length, mm

o Maximum load, N

o Splitting tensile strength calculated to the nearest 0.05 MPa

o Estimated proportion of coarse aggregate fractured during test

o Age of specimen

o Curing history

o Defects in specimen

o Type of fracture

o Lastly, type of specimen

Result
Splitting tensile strength of given concrete =……………….N/mm²