CONCRETE CORE TEST

When compressive strength tests of laboratory-cured cylinders fail to meet the specified acceptance
criteria, core tests are commonly used to verify the strength and to obtain acceptance of the in-place
concrete. While the process of core testing may seem straightforward, there are many details contractors
must consider to achieve accurate results.

As discussed in “Avoid the False Alarm for Low-Strength Concrete” (January 2013 Concrete Contractor),
ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete requires that no strength test (average of
two or three laboratory-cured cylinders) falls below the specified strength (fc’) by more than 500 psi
when fc’ is 5,000 psi or less, or falls below fc’ by more than 10 percent when fc’ is more than 5,000 psi. If
any strength test fails this criterion, the building code requires an investigation of the low-strength test
results to ensure the load carrying capacity of the structure has not been jeopardized. Frequently, low-
strength concrete investigations include core testing of the questionable concrete to assess the strength
and acceptability of the in-place concrete.

ACI 318 provides the following concrete acceptance criteria when using cores:

Concrete in an area represented by core tests shall be considered structurally adequate if the average of
three cores is equal to at least 85 percent of fc’ and if no single core is less than 75 percent of fc’.
Additionally testing of cores extracted from locations represented by erratic core strength results shall be
permitted.

Core versus cylinder strengths

Drilled cores and laboratory-cured cylinders are different and used for different purposes. Laboratory-
cured cylinder strengths represent the quality of concrete as delivered which is influenced by concrete
batching, mixing and transportation, sampling, making and curing of cylinders, and testing. Core
strengths represent the quality of the in-place, or in-situ, concrete which, in addition to concrete
batching, mixing, transportation and testing is influenced by jobsite practices such as placing,
consolidating and curing. Strengths of cores are also influenced by the drilling operation, core handling
and moisture conditioning before testing. Due to these differences, in-place concrete strengths
represented by cores are typically less than cylinder strengths.

Jobsite factors

The level of concrete consolidation has a considerable effect on concrete strength. As concrete
consolidation increases and the amount of entrapped air voids decreases, compressive strengths
increase. Reduction in compressive strength per change in unit weight may vary between 200 and 260
psi per 1 pound per cubic foot.
Of course, consolidation techniques for in-place concrete and cylinders are not the same and different
levels of consolidation between cores and cylinders contribute significantly to strength differences. Also,
ASTM C423 now requires the density or unit weight of cores to be calculated before strength testing.
Knowing the core density may help determine if a low-strength core test was due to defective concrete
or poor consolidation of the in-place concrete.

Another major reason why core strengths are typically less than cylinder strengths is less favorable
curing conditions (i.e., moisture and temperature conditions) for strength development of in-place
concrete as compared to the “standard” cure requirements for laboratory-cured cylinders. For concrete
mixtures with strengths less than 5,000 psi, ASTM C314 requires cylinders to be stored up to 48 hours
(initial curing) in a temperature range from 60 to 80° F with the balance of the 28-day cure period at a
temperature of 73.5 3.5° F. For specified strengths of 6,000 psi and higher, the initial curing temperature
is 68 to 78° F. In most cases, curing temperatures for in-place concrete is variable and less favorable than
“standard” cure temperatures resulting in lower strengths for cores as compared to cylinders. See Figure
1.

Core location and orientation

Strengths are affected by the location and drilling orientation of cores relative to the structural element.
In general, concrete at the bottom of an element is stronger than concrete near the top of an element or
near the top of a lift because of the effects of bleeding and settlement of the coarse aggregates. Bleed
water decreases strength in the upper portions of walls, columns, beams and slabs by increasing the
water to cementitious materials (w/cm) ratio. Figure 2 illustrates the top-to-bottom strength variation for
a wall and also shows concrete is typically weaker along edges of a unit of deposit or formed joints.

As shown in Figure 3, bleeding creates a weak cement-aggregate bond, or planes of weakness, under
coarse aggregate particles. Planes of weakness are always horizontal in concrete. When the planes of
weakness are located parallel to the applied load (P) of the testing machine as shown for Core B (drilled
perpendicular to the casting direction) strength can be reduced 10 percent or more as compared to Core
A (drilled parallel to the casting direction). ASTM C42 requires these factors to be considered when
planning a core test program.

Core handling

Always exercise care when drilling and handling cores, especially to preserve the moisture content of
cores. The amount and distribution of moisture in cores will affect strengths. ASTM C42 requires special
handling with regard to moisture preservation and conditioning both in the field and in the lab before
testing. In the field, wipe off drill water from the cores upon extraction and allow the surface moisture to
evaporate (up to one hour). Then place cores into separate plastic bags and seal them to prevent
moisture loss. In the lab, ASTM C42 requires a testing facility worker to store cores in sealed plastic bags
for at least five days after end preparation to reduce moisture gradients.

As with most construction activities, advanced planning is required for a successful coring operation and
low-strength investigation. When possible, minimize the number of cores removed from the structure to
avoid the Swiss cheese appearance and remember that proper repair of the core holes is part of the
investigation too.

References

1. ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, American Concrete Institute,
www.concrete.org

2. NRMCA Publication No. 185 “Understanding Concrete Core Testing,” Bruce Suprenant, 1994, National
Ready Mixed Concrete Association, www.nrmca.org

3. ASTM C42-13 Standard Test Methods for Obtaining and Testing Drilled Cores and Sawed Beams of
Concrete, ASTM International, www.astm.org

4. ASTM C31-12 Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field, ASTM
International, www.astm.org

Significance and Use

3.1 This test method provides standardized procedures for obtaining and testing specimens to
determine the compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strength of in-place concrete.
3.2 Generally, test specimens are obtained when doubt exists about the in-place concrete quality
due either to low strength test results during construction or signs of distress in the structure.
Another use of this method is to provide strength information on older structures.
3.3 Concrete strength is affected by the location of the concrete in a structural element, with the
concrete at the bottom tending to be stronger than the concrete at the top. Core strength is also
affected by core orientation relative to the horizontal plane of the concrete as placed, with
strength tending to be lower when measured parallel to the horizontal plane. 3 These factors shall
be considered in planning the locations for obtaining concrete samples and in comparing strength
test results.
3.4 The strength of concrete measured by tests of cores is affected by the amount and distribution
of moisture in the specimen at the time of test. There is no standard procedure to condition a
specimen that will ensure that, at the time of test, it will be in the identical moisture condition as
concrete in the structure. The moisture conditioning procedures in this test method are intended
to provide reproducible moisture conditions that minimize within-laboratory and between-
laboratory variations and to reduce the effects of moisture introduced during specimen
preparation.
3.5 The measured compressive strength of a core will generally be less than that of a
corresponding properly molded and cured standard cylinder tested at the same age. For a given
concrete, however, there is no unique relationship between the strengths of these two types of
specimens (see Note 3). The relationship is affected by many factors such as the strength level of
the concrete, the in-place temperature and moisture histories, the degree of consolidation, batch-
to-batch variability, the strength-gain characteristics of the concrete, the condition of the coring
apparatus, and the care used in removing cores.
NOTE 3—A procedure is available for estimating the equivalent cylinder strength from a
measured core strength.4
NOTE 4—In the absence of core strength requirements of an applicable building code or of other
contractual or legal documents that may govern the project, the specifier of tests should establish
in the project specifications the acceptance criteria for core strengths. An example of acceptance
criteria for core strength is provided in ACI 318, 5 which are used to evaluate cores taken to
investigate low strength test results of standard-cured cylinder during construction. According to
ACI 318, the concrete represented by the cores is considered structurally adequate if the average
strength of three cores is at least 85 % of the specified strength and no single core strength is less
than 75 % of the specified strength.

3.6 The “specifier of the tests” referenced in this test method is the individual responsible for
analysis or review and acceptance of core test results.
NOTE 5—For investigation of low strength test results, ACI 318 defines the specifier of the tests
as the licensed design professional.

3.7 The apparent compressive strength of concrete as measured by a core is affected by the
length-diameter ratio (L/D) of the core as tested and this must be considered in preparing core
specimens and evaluating test results.
1. Scope
1.1 This test method covers obtaining, preparing, and testing cores drilled from concrete for
length or compressive strength or splitting tensile strength determinations. This test method is
not applicable to cores from shotcrete.
NOTE 1—Test Method C1604/C1604M is applicable for obtaining, preparing, and testing cores
from shotcrete.
NOTE 2—Appendix X1 provides recommendations for obtaining and testing sawed beams for
flexural performance.
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as
standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system
shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in
non-conformance with the standard.
1.3 The text of this standard references notes and footnotes that provide explanatory material.
These notes and footnotes (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be considered as
requirements of the standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use.
It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health
practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately)

ASTM Standards
C39/C39M Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
C78/C78M Test Method for Flexural Strength of Concrete (Using Simple Beam with Third-Point
Loading)
C174/C174M Test Method for Measuring Thickness of Concrete Elements Using Drilled
Concrete Cores
C496/C496M Test Method for Splitting Tensile Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
C617/C617M Practice for Capping Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
C642 Test Method for Density, Absorption, and Voids in Hardened Concrete
C670 Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements for Test Methods for Construction
Materials
C823/C823M Practice for Examination and Sampling of Hardened Concrete in Constructions
C1231/C1231M Practice for Use of Unbonded Caps in Determination of Compressive Strength
of Hardened Concrete Cylinders
C1542/C1542M Test Method for Measuring Length of Concrete Cores