Concrete Laboratory Dr.

ODAY ALI AZEZ

Test no (3)
Test of Compressive Strength of Cement Mortar
Scope
This test method covers the determination of the compressive strength of the hydraulic
cement mortars.

Theory
Why cement is always tested for its strength at the laboratory before the utilization of
cement ?

Answer: Because the compressive strength of hardened cement is the most important of all
the properties.

Standard
ASTM C778-06 (Standard sand), ASTM C305-99 (Mechanical Mixing), and ASTM C109-
05 (Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars).

Apparatus
 Cube mould (50 mm * 50 mm)

 Sieve

 Mixer

 Electrical balance

 Vibration machine

 Compression test machine

 Trowel

Materials
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Concrete Laboratory Dr. ODAY ALI AZEZ

 Cement, Clean water, and Standard sand.

Standard sand

Sieve Passing %

1.18 mm (No. 16) 100

850 µm (No. 20) 100

600 µm (No.30) 96-100

425 µm (No.40) 65-75

300 µm (No.50) 20-30

150 µm (No.100) 0-4

Required quantities of materials for 6 and 9 cubes

Material 6 cubes 9 cubes

Cement 500 gm 740 gm

Sand 1375 gm 2035 gm

0.485 242 gm 359 gm

w/c
0.460* 230 gm 340 gm
* For air entraining

Procedure
Procedure for Mixing Mortars
1. Place the dry paddle and the dry bowl in the mixing position in the mixer.
Then introduce the materials for a batch into the bowl.
2. Place all the mixing water in the bowl.
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3. Add the cement to the water; then start the mixer and mix at the slow speed
for 30 s.
4. Add the entire quantity of sand slowly over a 30-s period, while mixing at
slow speed.
5. Stop the mixer, change to medium speed, and mix for 30 s.
6. Stop the mixer and let the mortar stand for 90 s. During the first 15 s, quickly
scrape down into the batch any mortar that may have collected on the side of
the bowl; then, cover the bowl with the lid.
7. Finish by mixing for 1 min at medium speed.
8. Upon completion of mixing, the mixing paddle shall be shaken to remove
excess mortar into the mixing bowl

Molding Test Specimens

1. Apply a thin coating of release agent to the interior faces of the mold and non-
absorptive base plates.
2. Complete the consolidation of the mortar in the molds by hand tamping.
3. Start molding the specimens within a total elapsed time of not more than 2
min and 30 s after completion of the original mixing of the mortar batch.
4. Place a layer of mortar about approximately one half of the depth of the mold
in all of the cube compartments.
5. Tamp the mortar in each cube compartment 32 times in about 10 s in 4 rounds,
each round to be at right angles to the other and consisting of eight adjoining
strokes over the surface of the specimen, as illustrated in Fig. 1.
6. The 4 rounds of tamping (32 strokes) of the mortar shall be completed in one
cube before going to the next.

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7. When the tamping of the first layer in all of the cube compartments is
completed, fill the compartments with the remaining mortar and then tamp as
specified for the first layer.
8. Cut off the mortar to a plane surface.

Storage of Test Specimens

1. Place the test specimens in the moist closet or moist room.

2. Keep all test specimens, immediately after molding, in the molds on the base
plates in the moist closet or moist room from 24 h with their upper surfaces
exposed to the moist air but protected from dripping water.
3. Immerse the specimens, in water in storage tanks.
4. Keep the storage water clean by changing as required.

Determination of Compressive Strength

1. Wipe each specimen to a surface-dry condition.
2. Remove any loose sand grains or incrustations from the faces that will be in
contact with the bearing blocks of the testing machine.
3. Apply the load to specimen faces that were in contact with the true plane
surfaces of the mold.

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4. Carefully place the specimen in the testing machine below the center of the
upper bearing block.
5. Prior to the testing of each cube, it shall be ascertained that the spherically
seated block is free to tilt.
6. Apply the load rate 900 to 1800 N/s.

Calculation
Record the total maximum load indicated by the testing machine, and calculate the
compressive strength as follows

P
fm 
A

Where:

fm = compressive strength in MPa,

P = total maximum load in N, and

A = area of loaded surface mm2

Note: Average compressive strength of all specimens from the same sample shall be
reported to the nearest 0.1 MPa.