3 (d) WORKABILITY OF CONCRETE – FLOW TABLE TEST

1. Aim: To determine the workability of concrete mix of given proportions by flow table test.

2. Apparatus: a. The table, which consists essentially of a board covered by a steel plate with a
total mass of 16 kg .This board is hinged along one side to a base board, each board being a
700 mm square. The upper board can be lifted up to a stop so that the free edge rises 40mm
.Appropriate marking indicate the location of the concrete to be deposited on the table.
b. A frustum of a cone, 200mm high with a bottom diameter of 200 mm and a top diameter of
130 mm
c. A tamping bar, made of a suitable hardwood, having a square section of side 40+1 mm
and at least 200mm long.
d. Weights and weighing device.
e. Tools and containers for mixing.
f. Rule of min length 700mm.

3. Procedure :
1- Prepare a concrete mix using mix proportions of 1:2:3 and w/c=65%
2- Moist the table top and the frustum of the cone.
3- Try lifting and dropping the table then, keep the table horizontal.
4- Hold the mold firmly in place and fill in two layers, each approximately one half the
volume of the mold. Rod each layer with 10 strokes with the wooden tamper.
5- Before lifting the mould , excess concrete is removed, the surrounding table top is
cleaned.
6- After an interval of 30 seconds, the mould is vertically, slowly removed within 3
seconds.
7- The table top is lifted slowly and allowed to drop, avoiding a significant force against
the stop, 15 times, each cycle taking not less than 3.5 and not more than 5 sec.
8- In consequence, the concrete spreads and the maximum spread parallel to the two
edges of the table is measured.
9- The average of these two values, given to the nearest mm, represents the flow.
10-A value of 400 mm indicates a medium workability, and 500 mm a high workability.
 1. (c) SPLITTING TENSILE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE
1. Aim: Determination of the splitting tensile strength of cylindrical concrete specimens.

2. Apparatus: Weights and weighing device, Tools, containers and pans for carrying
materials & mixing. A circular cross-sectional rod (φl6mm & 600mm length), Testing
machine, Three cylinders (φ150mm & 300mm in height), A jig for aligning concrete cylinder
and bearing strips.

2. Procedure:

1. Prepare three cylindrical concrete specimens following same steps as test No.3
2. After molding and curing the specimens for seven days in water, they can be tested.
3. Two bearings strips of nominal (1/8 in i.e 3.175mm) thick plywood, free of imperfections,
approximately (25mm) wide, and of length equal to or slightly longer than that of the
specimen should be provided for each specimen.
4. The bearing strips are placed between the specimen and both upper and lower bearing
blocks of the testing machine or between the specimen and the supplemental bars or plates.
5. Draw diametric lines an each end of the specimen using a suitable device that will ensure
that they are in the same axial plane. Center one of the plywood strips along the center of
the lower bearing block.
6. Place the specimen on the plywood strip and align so that the lines marked on the ends of
the specimen are vertical and centered over the plywood strip.
7. Place a second plywood strip lengthwise on the cylinder, centered on the lines marked on
the ends of the cylinder.
8. Apply the load continuously and without shock, at a constant rate within , the range of 689
to 1380 kPa/min splitting tensile stress until failure of the specimen.
9. Record the maximum applied load indicated by the testing machine at failure. Note the type
of failure and appearance of fracture.

4. Computations: Calculate the splitting tensile strength of the specimen as follows:

2P
T
dL
Where: T: splitting tensile strength, kPa
P: maximum applied load indicated by testing machine, kN
L: Length, m
d: diameter, m

Note: This test is not a true tension test, but it fails in tension and used to indicate the
tensile strength of concrete.

Result: The tensile strength of concrete sample is found to be _____ MPa

 4.(d) YOUNG'S MODULUS OF CONCRETE

1. Aim: To determine the young's modulus of concrete

2. Apparatus: Cylindrical moulds of 15 cm dia and 30 cm height, Longitudinal Compression

meter, Compression Testing Machine, Ingredients of concrete, oil etc.

3. Procedure:

1. Take by weight the in ingredients of concrete in proportions 1:2:4 and mix thoroughly in dry
state.
2. Add water to the dry mix maintaining water cement ratio 0.5 and mix it thoroughly.
3. Clean the mould, remove all the gritty material and apply oil to the internal surface of the
mould.
4. Fill the concrete in the mould in three layers, each layer being tamped 35 times with the help
of tamping rod or compaction may also be achieved by keeping the mould filled with concrete
on vibrating table till the time slurry comes at the top of the cube.
5. Allow the concrete to set and remove the mould after final setting. kept the concrete block
then under water for curing at a temperature of 27°±2° C and 90% humidity for a period of
required age of the concrete.
6. After completion of curing period, take out the block, clean, and dry the surface of the block
and attach longitudinal compression meter.
7. keep the block in the Compression testing machine (CTM) apply compressive load gradually
and measure the deformations by using longitudinal compression meter at suitable intervals
till the specimen fails.
8. Find the stress and strains for series of readings and draw stress strain curve and obtain
young's modulus of concrete by using initial tangent modulus and secant modulus, compare
the result with IS 456.
 4. Observations:

S.No Load in Longitudinal Stress in Strain Remarks

N (a) Compression MPa
meter reading in
mm (b)
1 10

2 20

3 30

4 40

5 50

6 60

5. Graph : Strain is on X- axis and Stress is on Y-axis

6. Results:

Young's modulus of concrete

a. Initial tangent modulus=

b. Secant modulus =

c. Short term modulus as per IS 456.=

7. Inference:
 NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
PULSE WAVE VELOCITY

1. Aim: To measure quality of concrete and estimate its strength using ultrasonic pulse wave
velocity method

2. Apparatus: Ultrasonic Pulse Wave velocity Apparatus with its accessories.

3. Theory: Ultrasonic Pulse Wave consists of measuring the time of travel of ultrasonic pulses
passing through the concrete to be tested; the pulse travel rate depends on the density of the
concrete in the UPV. Test the time taken by the waves to travel for a specific length is measured
and velocity is computed. From this velocity the quality of concrete and strength of concrete can
be estimated.
Ways of measure the pulse wave through concrete
a) Direct transmission (opposite faces)
b) Indirect transmission (same face)
c) Surface transmission (adjacent transmission)

4. Procedure:
1) Mark two points on the location where the testing has to be done
2) Clean the surface and apply grease or smoothening agent
3) Measure the distance between the two marked points
4) Keep the transducer and receiver of the UPV machine on points and measure the time
taken for the waves to pass through the specimen
5) Calculate the velocity of waves
5. Observations and Calculations:

Distance (or) the thickness of column =

Velocity (m/sec). Time (μ sec)

6. Result:

7. Inference:
 4.(b) FLEXURAL STRENGTH OF CONCRETE

1. Aim: Determination of flexural strength of concrete specimen

2. Apparatus: Flexural testing machine, beam moulds of 15 cm x 15 cm x 70 cm , weighing
machine, tools and containers for mixing, vibrating table etc.
3. Procedure :
1. Sampling of Materials - Samples of aggregates for each batch of concrete shall be of the
desired grading and shall be in an air-dried condition. 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.
2. Proportioning - The proportions of the materials, including water, in concrete mixes used for
determining the suitability of the materials available, shall be similar in all respects to those to be
employed in the work.
3. 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.
4. 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 test
specimens.
5. Mould - The standard size shall be 15 × 15 × 70 cm. Alternatively, if the largest nominal size
of the aggregate does not exceed 19 mm, specimens 10 × 10 × 50 cm may be used.
6. 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.
7. 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° ± 2°C for 24 hours ± ½ hour from
the time of addition of water to the dry ingredients.
8. 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.
9. The specimen shall then be placed in the machine in such a manner that the load shall be
applied to the uppermost surface as cast in the mould, along two lines spaced 20.0 or 13.3 cm
apart.
10. The axis of the specimen shall be carefully aligned with the axis of the loading device. No
packing shall be used between the bearing surfaces of the specimen and the rollers.
11. 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.
12. The load shall be increased until the specimen 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 :Test
Figure be noted.
setup

Observations:
S.No Age of Size of specimen Span Maximum Position of Modulus
specimen (mm x mm x (mm) load (N) fracture’ of
mm) a’ (mm) Rupture
(MPa)
1
2
3

Calculations :

The flexural strength of the specimen shall be expressed as the modulus of rupture fb, which, if
‘a’ equals the distance between the line of fracture and the nearer support, measured on the
centre line of the tensile side of the specimen, in cm, shall be calculated to the nearest 0.5 kg/sq
cm as follows:
𝑃×𝑙
𝑓𝑏 =
𝑏 × 𝑑2
When ‘a’ is greater than 20 cm for 15 cm specimen, or greater than 13.3 cm for a 10.0 cm
specimen, or
3𝑃 × 𝑎
𝑓𝑏 =
𝑏 × 𝑑2
When ‘a’ is less than 20 cm but greater than 17 cm for 15 cm specimen, or less than 13.3 cm but
greater than 11 cm for a 10 cm specimen.
Where
b= measure width in cm of the specimen
d= measured depth in cm of the specimen at the point of failure
l= length in cm of the span on which the specimen was supported and
p= maximum load in kN applied to the specimen
Result:
The average modulus of rupture of concrete sample is found to be _____