Department of Civil Engineering

Muslim Youth (MY) University,

Islamabad.

CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIAL

Lab Manual
 Table of Contents:

Sr. No. Description Page No.

1 Objectives of Laboratory 3

2 List of Experiments 4

3 List of Equipment’s 5

4 Layout of Laboratory 7

Prepared by: Checked by:

Engr.

Approved by:
 Objective of Civil Engineering Material
The basic aim of developing material lab is to understand different type of
materialrelated to civil engineering in general and to perform different test in order
to understand the behavior of material mention below

 Cement
 Bricks
 Fine aggregate
 Coarse aggregate

Performing test on these materials allow one use these materials in construction
according to standards
 LIST OF PRACTICALS
CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS Lab(CE-111)
1. To Carry out Sieve Analysis of Fine Aggregate Sample and Determination of Its Fineness
Modulus
(ASTM C136)
2. To Determine the Water Absorption of Bricks
(ASTM C20-00(2010))
3. To Determine the Specific Gravity and Water Absorption of Coarse Aggregate

(I S: 2386 Part 3)

4. To Determine Fineness of cement by sieve analysis method (Dry method)

(ASTM C786 / C786M – 10)
5. To Carry out Sieve Analysis of Coarse Aggregate Sample
(ASTM C136)
6. To Determine the Unit weight of Coarse Aggregate by Rodding Procedure
(AASHTO T190)
7. To Determine the Soundness of Cement
(ASTM C 151)
8. To Determine the Initial and Final Setting Time of Cement
(ASTM C 150, and B.S 12: 1978)
9. To Determine the Unit Weight of Coarse Aggregate by Loose Procedure.
(AASHTO T190)
10. To Determine Standard Consistency of Cement Paste

(ASTM C 187, C191 and B.S 12)

11. To Determine the Compressive Strength of Cement Using Mortar Cubes

(ASTM C109 / C109M – 13)
12. To Determine the Workability of Fresh Concrete by Slump Test
(ASTM C 143)
13. To Determine the Compressive Strength of Concrete Using Compression Testing
Machine
(ASTM C1314 - 12)
 Layout of Laboratory
Sink Rare
Entrance Lab
Engineer
Cabin
Curing
Tank W
O
Air Meter
R
K
I
Sieve Sets
W
N H

G I

T
Beakers
E

S
B
Specific P
Gravity O
Measuring
Apparatus A A

C R

Vicat
Apparatus E
Main
Entrance

Mortar Capping Manual Compressio Compactin

Cube Molds Stand Vibrator n Testing g Factor
Machine Apparatus
 EXPERIMENT NO.01
To Carry Out Sieve Analysis of Fine Aggregate Sample and Determination
of Its Fineness Modulus
Designation:
ASTM C 136

Equipment/Material:
A set of fine sieves, weighing balance, sieve shaker, sample of fine aggregates (500gms)
approx., brush for cleaning the sieves

Procedure:±
 Wash the sample on sieve # 200 and then dry it in oven at 110±5 ◦C for 24 hours.
 Nest to the sieves with top lid and bottom pan in approximate order in a sieve shaker.
 Put the material at top sieve and shake it for the least two minute. If hand is to be
resorted then shaking should be done with the varied motion backward and forward,
left to right circular clock-wise or anti-clockwise and with frequent jarring so that the
material moves over the sieve surface in frequent changing directions.
 Continue sieving till more material pass through sieves.
 Weigh the material retained on each sieve.
 Tabulate the observations/readings.
 Fineness modulus is equal to Sum of cumulative % retained/100 =
Details of Readings/Observations:
 Weight of sand taken = 500 gram.
 Weight of the pan = gram.

The Performa to Fill Observation Data:

SIEVE NO. WT. CUMULATIVE % CUMULATIVE

RETAINED WT RETAINED WT RETAINED
(grams) (grams)

#4
# 8
# 16
# 30
# 60
# 100
TOTAL
Precautions:
 Sieving should be done properly.
 Quartering should be done before sieving.

Comments:
 EXPERIMENT NO.02
To Determine the Water Absorption of Bricks
Designation:
ASTM C20 - 00(2010)

Equipment/Material:
Balance, water bath, dry oven, brick sample,

Procedure:
 Take bricks sample, which should be representative of field at least three in number
 Place it in dry oven for 24 hours at 1100c ±50c
 After 24 hour take the weight(W1) of oven dry brick sample
 Place the sample in water bath for 24 hour
 After 24 hour take the SSD weight(W2) of bricks

The Performa to Fill Observation Data:

Sr Weight of oven SSD weight of Water absorption %age Average water

no dry brick (W1) brick (W2) (( W2- W1/ W1)*100) absorption %age

1
2
3

Comments:
 EXPERIMENT NO.03
To Determine the Specific Gravity and Water Absorption of Coarse
Aggregate
Designation:
ASTM C 127

Equipment/Material:
Balance, bowl, sample of coarse aggregates, oven, distilled water

Procedure:
 Take approximately 1kg of coarse aggregate sample, thoroughly wash and oven dried
 Immersed aggregate sample in distilled water for 24 hours.
 Remove the test specimen from water and roll it in a large absorbent cloth until all visible 
films of water are removed. Wipe the larger particles individually.
 Weight the test sample in saturated‐surface dry (SSD) condition and record it as C.
Take care to remove all entrapped air before weighing it 
 Place SSD sample in vessel again and fill the vessel completely with water. Weight the
assembly and record it as A.
 Weight the vessel completely filled with water and record it as B.
 Dry the test sample to a constant mass at a temperature of 110±50c for 24
hours, cool in air at room temperature and weigh it and record this weight as D.
Details of Readings/Observations:
 Wt. of vessel + water + Sample = A = gm
 Wt. of vessel + water = B= gm
 Wt. of SSD sample =C = gm
 Wt. of oven dry sample=D= gm

The Performa to Fill Observation Data:

Sr. A B C D Specific Water

No. Gm gm gm gm Gravity Absorption
=D/(C- %age
(A-B)) =(C-D)/D
1
2
3

Precautions:
Take all the weight with care

Comments:
 EXPERIMENT NO.04

To Test the Fineness of Cement by Sieve Analysis Method (Dry Method)

Designation:
ASTM C786 / C786M – 10)

Equipment/Material:
Sieve number # 200, Portland cement, bowl or tray or plate, weight measuring machine or
balance

Procedure:
 Take 100gms of ordinary Portland cement = w1
 Shake cement for 15 minutes in # 200 sieve
 Small particle passing through holes of sieve and large particles left behind the sieve.
 Weight the sample passing #200 sieve =w2

Set of sieves

The Performa to Fill Observation Data:

Sr no Weight of total sample Weight of Fineness %age
(W1)
Sample W2/ W1 x 100
passing (W2)
1
2
3

Recommendations:
 If >90% then cement is fresh
 If<90% then cement is not fresh
Comments:

EXPERIMENT NO.05
To Carry Out Sieve Analysis of Coarse Aggregate Sample
Designation:
ASTM C 136

Equipment/Material:
A set of coarse sieves, weighing balance, sieve shaker, coarse aggregate, weighing balance ,
brush for clean the sieves

Procedure:
 The test is performed on the sample of coarse aggregates.
 Nest the sieve with top lid and bottom pan is approximate order in sieve shaker.
 Put the material at the top sieve and shake for the least 2 minute .If hand shaking is to be
resorted then shaking should be done with the varied motion backward and forward, left
to right circular clockwise or anti clock wise and with the frequent jarring so that the
material moves over the sieve surface in frequent changing directions.
 Continue sieving till more material pass through sieve
 Weight the material retain on the sieve.
 Tabulate the observation/reading.
Details of Readings/Observations:
 Sample no. =
 Source of supply =
 Total weight sample to be sieved =

The Performa to Fill Observation Data:

SIEVE SIZE WT.RETAINED Cummulative WT % Cummulative

(gms.) RETAINED WT RETAINED
1 in
¾ in
½ in
3/8 in
#4 in
Pan

Precautions:
 Sieving should be done properly.
 Quartering should be done before sieving.

Comments:
 EXPERIMENT NO.06

To Determine the Unit Weight of Coarse Aggregate by Rodding Method

Designation:
(AASHTO T 19)

Equipment/Material:

Balance, tamping road, straight edge, cylindrical metal container

Procedure:
 Measure the dimensions of the mould and calculate its volume
 Weight the empty mould
 Fill the mould one third full with aggregates and level off the top with the straight edge
 Compact the aggregates by rodding with the tamping rod with 25 stroke evenly
distributed over the surface
 Fill again the mould two third full and again compact by rodding with 25 stroke evenly as
before
 Finally , fill the mould to overflowing , compact with 25 strokes ,
 Stuck off surplus aggregates using the tamping rod as a straight edge
 Weight the mould filled with aggregate
 Repeat the same for two more times
 Take the average of the results
The Performa to Fill Observation Data:

Sr no Weight of Volume of Unit Weight of Coarse Average Unit

Compacted Coarse the Mould Aggregate (γ) Weight of Coarse
Aggregate (W) (V) lb/cft Aggregate (γ)
lb cft lb/cft
1
2
3

Precautions:
 At least 3-4 sample should be tested
 Wight should be taken carefully

Comments: