JOHN IAN M.

SUBIL BSCE-ST 3

BASIC EQUIPMENT FOR MATERIAL TESTING

1. Slump cone - Concrete slump test or slump cone test is to determine the workability or
consistency of concrete mix prepared at the laboratory or the construction site during the
progress of the work.

Procedure for Concrete Slump Cone Test

➢ Clean the internal surface of the mold and apply oil.

➢ Place the mold on a smooth horizontal non- porous base plate.
➢ Fill the mold with the prepared concrete mix in 4 approximately equal layers.
➢ Tamp each layer with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the tamping rod in a uniform manner
over the cross section of the mold. For the subsequent layers, the tamping should penetrate
into the underlying layer.
➢ Remove the excess concrete and level the surface with a trowel.
➢ Clean away the mortar or water leaked out between the mold and the base plate.
➢ Raise the mold from the concrete immediately and slowly in vertical direction.
➢ Measure the slump as the difference between the height of the mold and that of height point
of the specimen being tested.

2. Masonry trowel – used for mixing small volume of concrete mixes. For the preparation of
concrete samples. An elongated triangular-shaped flat metal blade, used by masons for leveling,
spreading, and shaping cement, plaster, and mortar.

3. Tamping rod- used in the consolidation of fresh concrete specimens in test applications for the
slump, air content, and strength in accordance with many ASTM and AASHTO standards. The
stainless-steel rods are corrosion-resistant, with hemispherical tips at both ends.

4. Vicat Apparatus- has a reversible stainless-steel plunger and needle assembly for 300g total
weight. It is used to determine consistency and initial/final set times of cements and mortar
pastes. This unit can be modified for testing to determine a false set.
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Cement Consistency Test with Vicat Apparatus

➢ Take 400 grams of Cement.

➢ Assuming that consistency would be 29.5% since we are taking OPC. This is trial and error method.
➢ Take 29.5% of water that means (400×29.5%) = 118 Grams of water.
➢ Mix the water with cement and wait for 3-5 Minutes.Mix the cement well as shown in the video.
➢ Now fill the Vicat mould with the cement paste.
➢ Ensure to compact the paste well after filling the mould.
➢ Fill the cement paste to the top of the mould. Remove the excess paste by the trowel.
➢ Now place the mould at the Vicat apparatus.
➢ Now remove the plunger and allow it to penetrate through the paste.
➢ After Removing wait for 3 seconds.
➢ Note down the reading on the Vicat measuring scale.
➢ The test result should be – 5-7 mm measurement in Vicat apparatus.

5. Gillmore Needle Apparatus- is used to determine initial and final set times of Portland cement,
masonry cement, hydraulic hydrated lime, and certain mortars in accordance with ASTM C266 and
other standards.

6. A universal testing machine- is used to assess the strength of materials. A universal testing
machine offers enhanced control and stability during a material testing process. A universal
testing machine also helps ensure accuracy and repeatability. The strength or mechanics of
materials is an area of materials science focused on calculating material stresses and strains. A
number of tensile strength and compressive strength materials tests exist, including but not
limited to tear, elongation, elasticity, plasticity, 3-point bend, deflection, deformation, fatigue,
fracture and failure tests. The range of tests is so wide that it allows for testing a wide range of
materials under very different conditions (e.g., different speeds, loading rates, forces, etc.

Tensile test procedures

➢ Prepare specimens - with a scribing machine in the original gauge range within the circle (or with
small steel hit a small punch), the gauge is divided into equal length of 10 cells. With the vernier
caliper in the original gauge of the specimen at both ends and the middle of the two perpendicular
to the direction of each measured diameter, whichever is the arithmetic mean as the diameter of
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the section, and then use the three cross-sectional diameters of the minimum value to calculate
the original cross-sectional area of the specimen (Take three valid numbers).
➢ Adjust the test machine - According to the tensile strength σb of the low carbon steel and the
original cross-sectional area to estimate the maximum load of the specimen, configure the
corresponding pendulum and select the appropriate measuring force dial. Start the test machine,
so that the table up about 10mm to eliminate the impact of the table system weight. Adjust the
active pointer at zero, driven pointer and active pointer closer, adjust the automatic drawing
device.
➢ Install the specimen - the specimen is first clamped in the upper chuck, and then the lower chuck
to move to the appropriate clamping position, the final clamping the lower end of the specimen.
➢ Check again measured - please instruct the instructor to check the above steps to complete the
situation. Start the test machine, preload a small amount of load (load corresponding to the stress
cannot exceed the proportion of the material limit), and then unloaded to zero to check the work
of the test machine is normal.
➢ Test Procedure - start the test machine, slowly and evenly load, carefully observe the force
pointer rotation and drawing device drawing the situation. Note that the yield value is captured
and recorded to calculate the yield point stress σS. The yield stage is observed to observe the slip
phenomenon. After the yield stage, the loading speed can be faster. Will reach the maximum
value, pay attention to observe the "necking" phenomenon. Immediately after the test piece is
stopped, record the maximum load value.
➢ Remove the test piece and the recording paper
➢ Measure the distance from the vernier caliper
➢ Measure the minimum diameter d1 of the necking with a vernier caliper
➢ The end of the experiment - please instruct the instructor to check the test record. Will test
equipment, tools, recovery, clean up the test site.
➢ Finally, organize your data, complete test report

7. Soil scope – used to dig soil samples.

8. Digital weighing scale – used to weight soil samples.

9. Drying oven – used to dry soil samples for the sieve analysis test.

10. Evaporating dish – used for the evaporation of the solution. It is put in the drying oven with soil
samples.
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11. Moisture cans/Tins – is used to determine moisture contents in soil and other material. These
are made from aluminum or stainless steel.

12. Rubber mallet – used to break large mass of samples into desired particles.

13. Set of sieves – are mesh made of metal, fiber, or cloth, assembled to provide defined openings.
Sieves are used to screen and separate powder into various size fractions.

14. Sieve shakers - are used for separation and size determination of particles. A typical sieve shaker
separates particles by passing them through a series of chambers with mesh filters and agitating
the sample in order to obtain complete separation.

15. Los Angeles Abrasion Machine - used to measure the degradation of mineral aggregate of
standard gradings resulting from a combination of actions including abrasion or attrition, impact
and grinding in a rotating steel drum containing a specified number of steel spheres. The test is
widely used as an indicator of the relative quality of various sources of aggregate having similar
mineral compositions.

16. Slake Durability Apparatus - the Slake durability apparatus is used to determine the durability of
rocks and the probable amount of deterioration of weak rocks, over a period of time, after
simulated exposure to nature's continual wetting and drying cycles.
JOHN IAN M. SUBIL BSCE-ST 3

17. Void Content Apparatus, Fine Aggregates- used to determine the uncompacted void content of
a fine aggregate sample. Indicates the angularity, sphericality, and workability of fine aggregate
in a mixture.

18. Void Content Apparatus, Coarse Aggregates- used to determine the void content of
uncompacted coarse aggregate used in HMA applications. When used on aggregate of a known
size, the void content provides the user with an indication of the angularity, sphericity and surface
texture as compared to other coarse aggregate of the same grading.

19. Falling sand test- the falling sand test determines the abrasion resistance of coatings, such as
paint, varnish, lacquer and related products.

20. Elongation Index for Aggregate Classification- for determining elongation index. Particle is
elongated when its length (longest dimension) is more than 1.8 of the mid-size of the sieve
fraction.

21. Flakiness Gauge for Classification of Aggregate- for determining flakiness index. Particle is flaky
when its thickness (smallest dimension) is less than 0.6 of the mid-size of the sieve fraction. Gauge
has seven, labeled slots for manual evaluation of particles in the seven openings. The mass of all
flaky particles (passing appropriate slots) as percent of the sample is the flakiness index. Gauge is
enameled sheet metal with clearly marked sieve fraction ranges for each slot.
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22. Flakiness Sieves Set- complete set of flakiness sieves. These sieves are used to determine if
aggregate is flaky. Aggregate is considered flaky if its thickness is less than 0.6 of nominal size.

23. Proportional Caliper Device- use to determine the percentage of flat particles, elongated
particles, or both flat & elongated particles in coarse aggregates. Steel construction for strength
& durability, plated for corrosion resistance. 6" x 16" (152.4 x 406.4mm) base plate with four
rubber feet for stability, and for convenience in tabletop testing. Ratio desired is obtained by
selecting one of four adjustable positions: 2 = l:2; 3 = 1:3; 4 = 1:4; or 5 = 1:5. It is recommended
that the desired procedure be reviewed carefully prior to conducting the test. Ship wt. 8 lbs. (4kg).

24. Weight per Gallon Cup- weight per Gallon Cups are used to quickly and accurately determine the
weight per gallon, and also the specific gravity of paints, etc. Capacity of 83.2cc. Includes cover.

25. Speedy® Moisture Tester- the Series 2000 Speedy® moisture tester is a portable system for
measuring the moisture content of a wide range of materials including soils, aggregates, dust and
powders (and liquids).