CE 40/L Construction Materials and Testing Chapter I - INTRODUCTION

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

The Role of Testing

- all branches of engineering especially those dealing with structures and machines, are
concerned with materials, the properties of which must be determined by tests
- in mass production, inspection and control of quality of manufactured products depend
on sampling and testing
- specifications and acceptability of material purchased involved an understanding of
methods of testing and inspection

Basic subjects in the study of material testing:

1. Technique of testing - How do commonly used types of equipment operate? Is the

apparatus in widespread use? What are the common variants of ordinary apparatus?
What limitations are imposed by the apparatus on the accuracy that can be obtained?
Lacking first-class equipment, how one can get rough but significant results from
crude tests in the field?

2. Physical and mechanical principles involved in the testing apparatus and procedure -
Are the assumed conditions satisfied? What is most likely to go wrong or produce
incorrect results? What refinements can be made to obtain greater accuracy?

3. Theory of measurements - What is the precision of the results? Which of the

measurements involved control the precision of the final results? Are the time and
effort wasted securing needless precision in some of the measurements?

4. Variability of materials - How many tests are necessary to give a significant value?
What range in strength (or other property) may be expected from a given material as it
is used under job conditions?

5. Interpretation of results - What is the significance of the test results? Can the
numerical results be applied directly to design or similar uses, or are they of value only
for comparison with other results?

Testing of Materials

Objectives of testing:

1. To supply routine information on the quality of a product ----- commercial or control

testing.
- it checks the acceptability of materials under purchase
- it takes control of production or manufacture
- it requires accuracy but does not need high degree of refinement

2. To develop new or better information on known materials or to develop new materials -----
materials research and developmental work
- it obtains new understanding of known materials
- it discovers the properties of new materials
Nena G. Zara 1
CE 40/L Construction Materials and Testing Chapter I - INTRODUCTION

- it develops meaningful standards of quality or test procedures

- it requires skill, ingenuity and resourcefulness

3. To obtain accurate measures of fundamental properties or physical constants ----- scientific

measurement
- it requires accumulation of an orderly and reliable store of information
- it needs precision, care and patience

 Experiments - outcome is uncertain and new insights are to be gained

 Tests - indicate a more or less established procedure with limits of the results
generally defined

Nena G. Zara 2