A Review of Relation between Cube Strength and Core Strength of

Hardened Concrete In The Light Of IS456:2000and IS516:1959

Rohit Rai1 Ambareesh Kumar2 Ashish Singh3 and Kanhaiya Lal Pandey4

ABSTRACT- This paper presents the relation between core compressive strength and cube compressive in polynomial
form and this relation was developed with the help of software MATLAB .This relation was found to be in much
agreement with that of relation in is code IS 516:1959.In this experiment 15 beams and cubes were casted of M25 and
cores were taken out from beams with the help of core cutter machine of core diameter 75mm. and compression testing
machine was used to test the strength. These all specimens were tested in structural and concrete laboratory of MMMEC,
Gorakhpur (UP).

.Key words: Cube, Core, Compressive Strength, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity.

1. INTRODUCTION

The main purpose of the determination of strength of concrete 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

standard specimens is to ensure that the potential strength of
the concrete in actual structure is satisfactory .Now, if the 2.1 Testing Of Hardened Concrete
strength of the standard compression test specimens is below
the specified values then either the concrete in the actual There exists various method of testing the strength of
structure is unsatisfactory ,or else the specimens are not truly hardened concrete. They can be broadly classified into 2
representative of the concrete in the structure .The latter types:
possibility should not be ignored in the disputes of the
acceptance ,or otherwise of a doubtful part of the structure the 1. Mechanical tests
test specimens may have been in correctly prepared, handled
or cured, or the testing machine could be at fault. The � Specimens are tested to the point of destruction. The
argument is often resolved by testing cores of hardened purpose of this is to determine the maximum loading a
concrete taken from the suspected part of the structure in order concrete structure can take before collapse. A common
to estimate the potential strength of concrete in the structure. mechanical test widely used is the compressive strength test.
Potential strength equivalent to 28-day strength of the standard
test specimens. In translating the core strength into potential 2. Non-destructive tests
strength we take into account differences in the type of
� These tests can be carried out on specimens as well as on
specimen and in curing conditions, age and degree of
the actual structure. As the specimen / structure is intact after
compaction between the core and the standard test specimen.
testing, such tests are good for monitoring the change of
In other situations, we may want to assess the actual strength properties in the structure over time. One such test is the
of concrete in a structure because we suspect, for instance, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Test.
frost damage at a very early age or we are not sure that the
It is important to know the influence of each test method on
correct concrete was used and no standard specimens were
the measured property of the concrete as different methods
made. We should remember, however that core taking
and techniques are used in different countries.
damages or mars the structure, so that test cores should be
taken only when other, non-destructive methods, are
inadequate. 2.2 Compressive Strength Tests

Compressive strength tests are most commonly used and are

1,2,3,4 simple to perform. As concrete is often designed to take
Research Scholar M.M.M Engineering College compressive loads, the compressive strength of concrete is
Gorakhpur(UP) therefore an important property. In Great Britain, Germany
and other European countries, cube specimens of 100 mm and
150 mm are used. During testing, cubes are placed
perpendicular to their as-cast positions. In the United States,
France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, cylinders are the
typical specimens. 2 common cylinder sizes are 100 mm in
diameter X 200 mm in length and 150 mm in diameter X 300
mm in length. During testing, the top surface of the cylinder is
in contact with the platens. Hence they need to be grinded or
capped to ensure that they are sufficiently flat.
2.3 Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Tests
The UPV test consists of the measurement of the time taken
by an ultrasonic pulse to travel the distance of the length of the
specimen. The ultrasonic wave velocity is then related to the
density of the concrete. Generally, a higher value of UPV
implies higher compressive strength when moisture conditions
are kept constant. This is because the pulse usually travels
faster through a water-filled void than an air-filled one.
2.4 Comparison of strength of standard cubes and
standard cylinders
Standard Cubes (L/D = 1) and standard cylinders (L/D = 2)
derived from the same batch of concrete display differences in
compressive strength. This is because of the difference in
influence of the platen’s restraining effects. According to BS
8110: Part 120:1983, the strength of a cylinder is
approximately 0.8 that of a cube. Nonetheless, research has
shown that the ratio of strength of a cylinder vs. cube
increases as the strength of concrete increases. At strengths of
more than 100 MPa, the ratio approaches 1.
2.5 Effect of Length / Diameter (L/D) ratio on the strength
of cylinders
Standard cylinders cast in moulds have a L/D ratio of 2, while
cored cylinders depend on the size of the coring tool and the
thickness or width of the slab or beam it is derived from.
Cylindrical cores of L/D ratio lesser than 2 tend to give higher
measured strength as compared to those with larger L/D ratio.
Table A1 in the appendix shows the correction factors for
strength of cylinders with different L/D ratio as provided by
ASTM C 42-90 and BS 1881:Part 120:1983. Higher strength
concrete however are less affected by the L/D ratio as found
by Murdock and Kesler (1957) (Figure A1). Neville (1998)
infers that there is comparatively little difference between the
strengths of cube and cylinder with h/d ratio of 1.
2.6 CODAL PROVSIONS
This method for determining the compressive strength of cores
are prescribed by BS EN 12504-1:2000, ASTM C 42-04 and
IS-516-1959.All are essentially similar .In the UK, the
preferred diameter of the core is 150mm, and the ratio of
diameter to diameter to the maximum size of aggregate should
not be less than 3;the length should be between 1 and 2 times
the diameter. Grinding is the preferred method of end
preparation but capping material may also be used. 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 and shall be
expressed to the nearest kg per sq. cm. Average of three values
shall be taken as the representative of the batch provided the
individual shall be taken as the representative of the batch
provided the individual variation is not more than ±15 percent
of the 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
shown in Fig. 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.
3. METHODOLGY
In this 15 cubes and 15 beams of sizes 150mm x150mm x150
mm were casted and size of beams were
150mm×150mm×750mm each from same batch of concrete of
M25 .Cubes and beams were cured for 28 days. And after that
cubes were taken out from moulds and beams were taken out
.The cores were taken out from beams from core cutter of size
75mm. Edges of the core are smoothened using grinding and
cutting wheels and epoxy motors is applied on both sides of
capping. This ensures the ends approximately 90 percent to the
axis and is within 0.05mm planeness. The core then subjected
to compression force on compression testing machine the
breaking point is observed. And cubes were also tested in
compression testing up to full fracture.
4. EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATION
4.1 Observation Table of cube tested:-
S.no Cube Strength(N/mm2)
1 31.25
2 30
3 22.4
4 33.48
5 24.38
6 23.06
7 33.5
8 24.875
 9 21.3 7 26.80
10 29.35
11 36.38 8 19.9
12 30.45
13 26.8 9 17.04
14 24.6 10 23.96
15 25.5
11 29.11
4.2Observation table of core strength:- 12 24.36

13 21.5
S.No Average Height(cm) Weight(kg) Crushing
diameter(cm) load(KN) 14 19.68

1 7.3 15.46 1.32 105 15 20.47

2 7.28 15.6 1.32 100
3 7.3 15.7 1.35 75
4 7.23 15.82 1.37 110
5 7.23 16.18 1.35 80 5. ANALYSIS WITH COMPUTER SOFTWARE

6 7.43 15 1.370 80 5.1Matlab analysis program-

7 7.55 15.84 1.370 120
8 7.57 15.72 1.310 90
9 7.73 15.2 1.30 80
10 7.29 16.1 1.31 100
11 7.54 16.3 1.38 130
12 7.23 15.26 1.33 100
13 7.287 16.6 1.34 90
14 7.63 15.9 1.30 90
15 7.053 15.9 1.31 80

4.3Core strength table:-

S.No Core strength(N/mm2)

1 25

2 24

3 17.92

4 26.79

5 19.48

6 18.45
6. RESULT 7. CONCLUSION

By using MATLAB we can find out the best fit curve It is seen that with the help of experiment and software
equation. we got a polynomial relation that could be used for
correlation between core strength and cube strength.
f(x) = p1*x^3 + p2*x^2 + p3*x + p4

Coefficients (with 95% confidence bounds):

8. REFERENCES
p1 = 0.0002494 (-0.00199, 0.002489)
1. A.M Neville and J.J.Brooks, Properties of concrete,
p2 = -0.01314 (-0.1686, 0.1423)
2th edition PEARSON publisher 2010.
p3 =1.45 (-2.104, 5.003)
2. Unnikrishan Pillai & Devdas Menon, Design of RCC
p4 = -0.7792 (-27.51, 25.95) rd
by 3 edition TMH publisher 2009.
So, we have this final expression for the relation between core 3. IS 456 (part 1):2000-Plain and reinforced concrete –
strength and cube strength code of practice (4threvision), BIS, New Delhi, 2000.
Core Strength=.0002494(Cube Strength) 3-0.01314(Cube 4. IS 516-1959 methods of tests for strength of concrete.
Strength)2+1.45 (Cube Strength) -0.7792 5. IS 1199-1959 methods of sampling and analysis of

GRAPHICAL INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS concrete.

6. Using MATLAB version 7.12.0(R 2011 a)
Graph showing relation between core strength and core
strength