Republika ng Pilipinas

National Irrigation Administration

(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

BACK TO OFFICE REPORT

INTENSIVE MATERIAL TESTING AND QUALITY CONTROL TRAINING

NIA – Lower Agno River Irrigation System Improvement Project
LARISIP Conference Room and Material Testing Laboratory
Tomana East, Rosales, Pangasinan
October 7-11, 2019

Participants of the 5-day seminar with workshop were the officials and
employees from Regional Office and from other IMOs of NIA Region I.

Prior commencement of the seminar, participants were asked to register and eat
their breakfast at 8:00 AM.

Engr. Ponciano B. Guina, Jr. Manager of the Administrative & Finance

Division, welcomed and acknowledged all the participants and lecturers and gave his
sincerest gratitude to the participants for attending to the said seminar.

Engr. Herbert A. Rabusa, Manager of the Construction Management Division

shared an inspirational message and told their journey on how Material Testing started in
their office and how it became a solely section that is now headed by Engr. Rommeljon M.
Leonen, Principal Engineer C.

Engr. Joselito C. Mercado, Assistant Project Manager also extended his

gratitude to all of the participants and lecturers. He also gave a fair share of motivational
message on how important Material Testing is especially in the construction of large-scale
structures.

Topics covered during the seminar were as follows:

 Day 1 - Lecture in Test Soil and Preparation of Reports

Engr. Renz Marion S. Ontimare, Engineer II – DPWH-BRS, discussed the
overview of MTQC, Material Testing and Quality Control and Engineering
Classification and Properties of Soil.

 Material Testing and Quality Control

 Material Testing and Quality Control is necessary for it can minimize

future setbacks and holdups. Eliminating risks and problems
beforehand can lead to a high quality and efficient work.
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

 Engineering Classification of Soil

Engineering Classification of Soil

Engineering Soil Classification Engineering Properties

Coarse Grained Soil Good load bearing qualities
Permeable, hence they drain easily
Comparatively incompressible when
subjected to static loads
Not subject to changes in strength and
volume due to variation in water content.
However, loose granular materials will
undergo a considerable reduction in volume
when subjected to vibratory loads.
Fine Grained Soil Poor loading sustaining qualities
Highly impermeable
Compressible under a sustained load
Subject to changes in strength and volume
due to variation in water content
Organic Soil Inferior than fine grained soil (unsuitable or
unpredictable material

 In order to classify the characteristics of a soil it must be tested and

classification will be determined by, AASHTO Soil Classification
System, Unified Soil Classification System and United States
Department of Agriculture Soil Classification System.

 Soil Sampling and Quality Tests

 Soil Sampling can be done by the method of Quartering or by the use

of Mechanical Splitter.
 Moisture Content is the ratio of the mass of water in soil to the mass
of water in the dry soil after it has been dried to a constant mass at a
temperature of 110±5°C. The determination of the Moisture Content of
soil must be done in the laboratory and in the field.
 The Particle Size Analysis of Soils is an important criterion in
classification of sub-grade materials, it is related to permeability and
capillarity of cohesionless soils. It can be done by using Sieve Tower,
Hydrometer or a combined usage of two said apparatuses.
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

 Liquid Limit Test is use to determine the moisture content of the soil
wherein it behaves and flows like water. It is performed with the use of
the Casagrande Apparatus.
 Plastic Limit Test is for the determination of the Plasticity Index of
the soil. It is performed by molding the soil until it reaches a 0.50 mm
thickness until it breaks or crumbles.
 Compaction Test of Soil Mass involves the application of energy and
addition of water as lubricant. It helps in the reduction of pore spaces
and increase density by rearrangement of particle grains. Thus, making
the mass more stable and impermeable which are desirable
characteristics of foundation.
 Field Density Test is a test determination of density of soil in placed
embankment, sub-base, base and gravel surface courses in road
construction. It can be performed with the use of Sand Cone Method.
 Abrasion Test evaluates the structural strength of granular
aggregates on soil. It gives an indication of quality as determined by
resistance to impact and wear.
 California Bearing Ratio Test (CBR) is the most common method of
assessing the strength and stiffness of both sub-grade and
pavement materials.

 Day 2 – Soil Testing and Preparation of Reports

Engr. Renz Marion S. Ontimare, Engineer II – DPWH-BRS, discussed and
showed the proper way of performing the various Soil Quality Tests.

 The appropriate way of testing is very essential in Quality Control for

it is the first steps in obtaining a high quality of work and can prevent
major and minor setbacks in the future.
 Make sure to use the correct apparatus to minimize fail results and
alterations that can lead to do the testing again which waste a lot of
time and effort and delay in results.
 Awareness of the Minimum Testing Requirements on Soils and Soil
Aggregates is necessary for it will be easier to specify which kind and
number of tests for each materials or item of works. Also, materials
used in the laboratory testing should represent those delivered at the
project site.
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

MINIMUM TESTING REQUIREMENTS

ITEM OF WORK TESTS SAMPLE

REQUIRED
1 Grading Test For every layer of 200
1 Plasticity Test mm of compacted
1 Laboratory Compaction Test depth/based on the
Embankment results of compaction
trials; at least one
group of three in-situ
density tests for each
500 sq. m. of fraction
thereof
1 Grading Test For every 300 cu.m. of
1 Plasticity Test fraction thereof
1 Grading Test For every 1500 cu.m.
1 Plasticity Test of fraction thereof
Aggregate Subbase Course 1 Abrasion Test
1 Laboratory Compaction Test

1 California Bearing Ratio For every 2500 cu.m.

of fraction thereof
1 Grading Test For every 300 cu.m. of
1 Plasticity Test fraction thereof

1 Grading Test For every 1500 cu.m.

Aggregate Base Course 1 Plasticity Test of fraction thereof
1 Abrasion Test
1 Laboratory Compaction Test

1 California Bearing Ratio For every 2500 cu.m.

of fraction thereof
1 Grading Test For every 300 cu.m. of
1 Plasticity Test fraction thereof
Crushed Aggregate Base Course
1 Fractured Face For every 1500 cu.m.
of fraction thereof
1 Grading Test For every 300 cu.m. of
1 Plasticity Test fraction thereof
Aggregate Surface Course
1 Fractured Face For every 1500 cu.m.
of fraction thereof
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

 The interpretation of test results is the responsibility of the Materials

Engineer assigned in the project. However, Projects
Inspectors/Engineers must also be knowledgeable and aware on how to
interpret and evaluate test results and they must not always depend on
their Materials Engineer; hence, they have the great responsibility in
the implementation of the project.
 The composition and properties of a material is individually verified
when it is subjected to a quality test to verify if it meets or fails the
specification requirement prior to incorporation into the work.
 When the contents of the test reports after proper interpretation shows
that it fails or meets the specifications requirement, the Project
Engineer thru the advice of the Materials Engineer shall immediately
act to whether utilized or not the delivered materials to avoid delay in
the project implementation.
 The rejection or utilization of a material depends on the outcome of
test results. A material may fail in one or more of its properties but still
can be utilized into the work thru the application of alternative
measures and Engineers should have good judgment and in-depth
knowledge on the properties of the materials. Engineers should
familiarize in the significant properties of materials so that they can
immediately decide in the acceptance or rejection. Incorrect
interpretation of material test reports can cause delay in the project
interpretation, additional cost and failure of the structure.

 Day 3 – Properties of Concrete, Steel Reinforcements and Miscellaneous

Materials
Engr. Jayson R. Margallo, Engineer II – DPWH-BRS, discoursed the
Properties of Concrete, Steel Reinforcements and Miscellaneous Materials.

 Concrete
o Stone like material obtained by permitting a carefully proportioned
mixture of cement, gravel or other aggregate and water to harden in
forms of the shape and dimensions of the desired structure.
o In Sampling of Fresh Concrete, make sure that the sample which test
specimens are the representative of the entire batch. The elapsed time
between obtaining first and final portions of samples shall not exceed
15 minutes. Slump tests will be done within 5 minutes after obtaining
the final portion of the sample. Molding of specimens will be executed
withing 15 minutes after fabricating the sample.
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS
 Use Type I Portland Cement
 Portland Pozzolan Cement Type IP is allowed provided:
o conformance to AASHTO M 240/ASTM C 595,
Portland Cement Specifications for Blended Hydraulic Cement
o trial mixes shall meet the provisions
 If partially set or which contains lumps of caked 
REJECTED
 samples of cement: AASHTO T 127
 consist of natural sand, stone screenings or other inert
materials
 having hard, strong and durable particles
 from different sources of supply shall not be mixed or
Fine Aggregate stored in the same pile
 free from organic impurities
 passing #200: ≤ 3%
 clay lumps or shale: ≤ 1%
 weight loss (Soundness test): ≤ 10%

 crushed stone, gravel, blast furnace slag

 hard, strong, durable pieces and free from any adherent
coatings
 passing #200: ≤ 1%
 clay lumps or shale: ≤ 0.25%
Coarse Aggregate  soft fragments: ≤ 3.5%
 weight loss (Soundness test): ≤ 12%
 mass percent of wear (AASHTO T 96): ≤ 40
 slag density: ≥ 1120 kg/m3 (70 lb/ft3)

 clean and free of oil, salt, acid, alkali, grass or other

substances injurious to the finished product
Water  water which is drinkable may be used without test
 tested in accordance with and shall meet the
requirements of Item 714, Water
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

 Reinforcing Steel Bar

o A steel product of plain, round or deformed cross-section for concrete
reinforcement.
 Classification
 Deformed Steel Bar – Surface of which is procided with
lugs or prostrusions called deformation
 Plain Steel Bar – Withour surface deformation
 Grade
 Grade 280 (40) bars – furnished only in 3 sizes 3
through 6 (10 mm through 19 mm)
 Grade 420 (60) – furnished in all sizes from 10 mm to
57 mm
 Grade 520 (75) bars – furnished only in sizes through
18 (19 mm through 57 mm)
 Length
 Available length are 5.0, 6., 7.5, 9.0, 10.5, and 12.0
meters.
 Sizes
 Available sizes are 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm,
25mm, 28mm, 32mm, 36mm, 40mm and 50mm in
diameter.

MINIMUM TESTING REQUIREMENT

Quality Test (QT) One (1) for every 10,000 kgs or

fraction thereof of each size

Test Specimen 1 – meter representation of the

size of steel bar intended for test.

Testing Equipment Universal Testing Machine with

100 tons or 200,000 lbs capacity
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

 Reinforced Concrete Culvert Pipe (RCCP)

CLASSES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE PIPE

D-Load to D-Load to
produce a 0.03 produce the Concrete Strength, Concrete Strength,
Class mm crack, ultimate load Mpa MPa
Newton/lm/mm Newton/lm/mm Wall A Wall B
of diameter of diameter

I 40.0 60.0 27.6 Mpa (4000 psi) 27.6 Mpa (4000psi)

II 50.0 75.0 27.6 Mpa (4000 psi) 27.6 Mpa (4000 psi)
III 65.0 100.0 27.6 Mpa (4000 psi) 27.6 Mpa (4000 psi)
IV 100.0 150.0 34.5 Mpa (5000 psi) 27.6 Mpa (4000 psi)
V 140.0 175.0 41.4 Mpa (6000 psi) 41.4 Mpa (6000 psi)

o Basis of Acceptance
 Load Bearing Test – shall be determine by the results of:
 Three – edge bearing tests to produce a 0.3 mm crack and the ultimate
load (strength) of the pipe.
 Absorption Test on selected samples of concrete from the wall of the
pipe
 Visual inspection of the finished pipe to determine its conformance
with the accepted design and its freedom from defects.
 Quality Control of RCCP and Significance
 RCP are tested to assure uniformity of quality
 To check compliance with design and other specification requirements.
o Sampling and Testing Requirements
 One (1) quality Test – every 50 pcs. Of fraction thereof
o Alternative Requirements:
 1 – set consisting of 4 cylindrical samples for not more than 25 pipes cast in
the field.
 1 – Inspection Report for each size for not more than 25 pipes cast in the
field.
 For cement, fine aggregate and water – testing is sample for Structural
Concrete.
 External Load Crushing Strength Test
 Absorption Test
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

 Day 4 – Laboratory Works and Site Visit at LARISIP On-Going Project

Participants together with the Lecturer, Engr. Jayson R. Margallo, Engineer II
DPWH-BRS, and Training/ Support Staff of LARISIP visited the on-going project of
LARISIP and performed the Slump Test, Cylinder Mold, Field Density Test, and
California Bearing Ratio Test.
o Slump Test
 Slump is measurement of concrete’s workability, of fluidity. It’s an
indirect measurement of concrete consistency or stiffness. The
slumped concrete takes various shapes and from its form it can be
determined and termed as Collapse, Shear and True Slump.

o Cylinder Mold
 The mold must be made of steel and is watertight, it is 150 mm in
diameter and 300 mm in height constructed in the form of right
circular cylinders and the top open to receive the concrete.
o Field Density Test (FDT)
 FDT is done by digging a hole and get the excavated sample to the
laboratory. In order to determine the volume of the hole use Ottawa
Sand or any Calibrated Sand passing 2.0 mm No. 10 sieve and
retained on 0.075 mm (No. 200) sieve, pour the Sand in the hole
using a container and a cone with known volume.
o California Bearing Ratio Test (CBR)
 The soil sample must weigh approximately 7 kgs. With a material
passing the 19.0 mm sieve and a load up to 44.5 N at a rate of 1.3
mm per minute will be applied to the sample.
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

 Day 5 – Lecture on NIA’s Quality Assurance & Quality Control (Morning) and
Awarding of Certificates of Appearance and Certificate to the Participants,
Lecturers and Training/Support Staff (Afternoon).
Engr. Rommeljon M. Leonen, Principal Engineer C, discussed the Quality
Assurance and Quality Control in the several Item of Works of National Irrigation
Administration.
o Embankment Construction and Compaction
 Test Reports and Requirements
 Embankments shall be constructed to the lines, grades and
dimensions shown on the Drawings or as established by the
Engineer
 Thickness of the layers shall not exceed 15 cm. after
compaction.
 Moisture Content of the material before compaction shall
have plus or minus 3% of the Optimum Moisture Content
(OCM) as determined by ASTM Designation D698.
 The degree of compaction of each layer will be determined
by the standard field density test (ASTM D-1556)

o Structural Backfill
 Test Reports and Requirements
 All spaces to be Backfilled or filled shall be cleared of all
rubbish and other objectionable Matter.
 The excavation pit to be backfilled shall be dewatered and all
mud and loose materials shall be removed before backfilling.
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979

o Roads
 Test Reports and Requirements
 Road surfacing materials shall meet this requirement:


The portion of the filler passing the No. 4 sieve, including
blending filler for top coarse materials shall have a plasticity
of 6-20 as determined by ASTM Designation D424-39.
o Reinforcing Steel Bars
 Test Reports and Requirements
 All reinforcing steel bars to be furnished by the Contractor
shall be Grade 40 of PS 275, deformed type and conforming
to the requirements of ASTM A-615.

o Concrete
 Test Reports and Requirements
 All the applicable provisions of the latest revision of the ACI
Building Code (ACI-318-63) and American Society for
Testing Materials (ASTM) shall govern in all cases not
specifically provided for herein.
 Republika ng Pilipinas
National Irrigation Administration
(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig)
Regional Office No. 1
ILOCOS NORTE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Office Address: Brgy. San Pablo, San Nicolas Telefax No. (077) 770-3858
Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2901 TIN 000-916-415-109
Telephone Nos.: (077) 676-1979


Concrete shall be composed of Portland cement, fine and
coarse aggregates, water, and if necessary, admixtures or
agents approved by NIA. The design of concrete mixtures
and consistency shall be as specified in this Section.
o Rubble Masonry
 Test Reports and Requirements
 Rubble stones shall consist of field stones that are clean,
sound, durable, resistant to the action of water, and must have
specific gravity of at least two and six tenths (2.6), and
diameters ranging from 15 centimeters to 60 centimeters,
sixty per cent (60%) which comprises the bigger sizes.
 Concrete binder shall be Class "A" concrete with 37.50
millimeters maximum size of aggregates.
 The thickness of mortar should be such that each rubble could
be embedded at least 50 % of its longest dimension in the
mortar so that when the next layer of mortar is poured the
rubble which has been embedded is not disturbed.
 Rubble masonry shall be cured by water for five days.

The Training was culminated by Engr. Herbert A. Rabusa, Manager

Construction Management Division, and Engr. Joselito C. Mercado, Assistant Project
Manager of LARISIP with their gratitude towards the participants, lecturers and the
Training/Support Staff.

Prepared by:

NELSON C. BATRINA JESSABEL M. VALDEZ

Engineer A – NISRIP Engineering Assistant A

RENZ TRICIA S. DULDULAO

Engineer A – NISRIP