Faculty Of Civil Engineering Technology (FCET) VST 111/6 - BUILDING TECHNOLOGY I

Laboratory Module 5: Concrete Mixing and Sampling

1.0 OBJECTIVES

1. To understand the cement hydration, material properties, and procedure for making concrete and
sampling process.

2.0 APPARATUS

1. Fine aggregates
2. Coarse aggregates
3. Water
4. Weighing machine
5. Trowel
6. Concrete mixer
7. Molds

3.0 THEORY

3.1 Introduction

The gravel particulate should not be more than 5mm in diameter (a screening apparatus will be available)
and should be clean of vegetable matter and dirt. Portland cement will be provided.

WARNING: You will be mixing the concrete by small scope. Inevitably, some of the mixture will splash onto
your clothes. Wear work clothes to the lab, or bring an oversized T-shirt to protect your clothing. Cement is
insidiously difficult to remove from clothing.

You will make 1 set of concrete mixture, consisting of cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and water.
The mixtures will be tested for slump test, compressive strength for 7 days and 28 days and etc.

4.0 PROCEDURE

4.1 You will be preparing one (1) concrete mixture based 1: 2: 4 ratio of Portland cement, fine and coarse
aggregate, and water. Each group will investigate the importance of a specific element in the mixture. For
example, the importance of water in the mixture (proposed; 10 of kg cement, 20 kg of fine aggregate, 40
kg of coarse aggregate, water content 5.5 kg).

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering Technology (FCET) VST 111/6 - BUILDING TECHNOLOGY I

Portland Cement Fine Aggregate Coarse Aggregate

1: 2.0 : 4.0

4.2 A basic mixture of mortar can be made using the volume proportion of 1 cement: 2 fine aggregates:
4 coarse aggregates (by weight). Most of the student activities can be conducted using the basic
mixture. Mix the dry ingredients and slowly add water until the concrete is workable. The mixture
may need to be modified depending on the aggregate used to provide a concrete of the right
workability. The mix should not be too stiff or too sloppy. It is difficult to form good test specimens if
it is too stiff. It is too sloppy, water; may separate (bleed) from the mixture.
4.3 Remember that water is the key ingredient, too much water result in weak concrete. Too little
water results in a concrete that is unworkable. (Suggested water cement ratio: 0.5)
4.4 For sampling method, the sample is taken in one or two ways (Figure 1);

i. For purposes of accepting or rejecting the load: Sampling after 0.2 m3 of the load has
been poured

ii. For routine quality checks: Sampling from three places in the load.

Figure 1: Sampling methods

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering Technology (FCET) VST 111/6 - BUILDING TECHNOLOGY I

5.0 RESULTS

Type of Fine aggregate (%) Course aggregate (%) GROUP

mixture
Natural Recycle Natural Recycle
CONTROL 100 0 100 0 A1

GR 1 90 10 100 0 A2
GR 2 80 20 100 0 A3

GR 3 70 30 100 0 A4
GR 4 60 40 100 0 A5

GR 5 50 50 100 0 A6
CONTROL 100 0 100 0 B1

GR 10 100 0 90 10 B2
GR 11 100 0 80 20 B3

GR 12 100 0 70 30 B4
GR 13 100 0 60 40 B5

GR 14 100 0 50 50 B6

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