CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

LAB MANUAL

Concrete Technology Lab (TW)

Subject Code 2015310

Prepared By
MR. RAVI KUMAR
HOD, Lecturer

Department of Civil Engineering

SANDIP FOUNDATION’S, SHRI RAM POLYTECHNIC

Neelam Vidya Vihar, Village - Sijoul, Post – Mailam, District – Madhubani,
BIHAR – 847235

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 Department of Civil Engineering

Vision
To establish an outstanding centre of regional and national reputation for providing a quality
engineering education to the Civil Engineering students from the rural area of Bihar.
Mission
M1 : To serve the people of Bihar and the country by providing a broad and high quality education to
its studentfor a successful professional career.
M2 : To conduct strong basic and applied research for national needs.
M3 : To serve the construction industry; civil engineering profession and rural community through
disseminationof knowledge and technical services.

Programme Educational Objectives (PEO)

PEO 1 :To train the students so that they can work and contribute to the infrastructure development
projects beingundertaken by Govt. and private or any other sector companies.
PEO 2 : To train students in such as a way that they can pursue higher studies so that they can
contribute to the teaching profession/ research and development of civil engineering and
other allied fields.
PEO 3 :To train students in a manner that they should function effectively in the multicultural and
multidisciplinary groups for the sustainable development and growth of civil engineering
projects

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MANDATORY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Students should report to the labs concerned as per the timetable.

2. Record should be updated from time to time and the previous experiment must be
signed by the faculty in charge concerned before attending the lab.
3. Students who turn up late to the labs will in no case be permitted to perform the
experiment scheduled for the day.
4. After completion of the experiment, certification of the staff in-charge concerned in
the observation book is necessary.
5. Students should bring a notebook of about 100 pages and should enter the
readings/observations/results into the notebook while performing the experiment.
6. The record of observations along with the detailed experimental procedure of the
experiment performed in the immediate previous session should be submitted and
certified by the staff member in-charge.
7. Not more than FIVE students in a group are permitted to perform the experiment on a
set up.
8. The group-wise division made in the beginning should be adhered to, and no mix up of
student among different groups will be permitted later.
9. The components required pertaining to the experiment should be collected from Lab-
in-charge after duly filling in the requisition form.
10. When the experiment is completed, students should disconnect the setup made by
them, and should return all the components/instruments taken for the purpose.
11. Any damage of the equipment or burnout of components will be viewed seriously
either by putting penalty or by dismissing the total group of students from the lab for
the semester/year.
12. Students should be present in the labs for the total scheduled duration.
13. Students are expected to prepare thoroughly to perform the experiment before coming
to Laboratory.
14. Procedure sheets/data sheets provided to the student groups should be maintained
neatly and are to be returned after the experiment.
15. DRESS CODE:
a. Students uniform - Formal dress with tuck in and shoes.
b. Apron in blue color for both boys and girls.
c. Wearing of jeans is strictly prohibited

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 INTRODUCTION TO CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

Definition

In its simplest form, concrete is a mixture of paste and aggregates (rocks). The paste, composed
essentially of Portland cement and water, coats the surface of the fine (small) and coarse (larger)
aggregates. Through a series of chemical reactions called hydration, the paste hardens and gains
strength to form the rock-like mass known as concrete. Within this process lies the key to a
remarkable trait of concrete: it's plastic and malleable when newly mixed, strong and durable
when hardened. These qualities explain why one material, concrete, can build skyscrapers,
bridges, sidewalks and superhighways, houses and dams.

Concrete in practice:

Concrete is a composite with properties that change with time. During service, the quality of
concrete provided by initial curing can be improved by subsequent wetting as in the cases of
foundations or water retaining structures. However, concrete can also deteriorate with time due
to physical and chemical attacks. Structures are often removed when they become unsafe or
uneconomical. Lack of durability has become a major concern in construction for the past 20 to
30 years.

In some developed countries, it is not uncommon to find large amount of resources, such as 30 to
50% of total infrastructure budget, applied to repair and maintenance of existing structures. As a
result, many government and private developers are looking into lifecycle costs rather than first
cost of construction. Durability of concrete depends on many factors including its physical and
chemical properties, the service environment and design life. As such, durability is not a
fundamental property.

One concrete that performs satisfactory in a severe environment may deteriorate prematurely in
another situation where it is consider as moderate. This is mainly due to the differences in the
failure mechanism from various exposure conditions. Physical properties of concrete are often
discussed in term of permeation the movement of aggressive agents into and out of concrete.
Chemical properties refer to the quantity and type of hydration products, mainly calcium silicate

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hydrate, calcium aluminate hydrate, and calcium hydroxide of the set cement. Reactions of
penetrating agents with these hydrates produce products that can be inert, highly soluble, or
expansive. It is the nature of these reaction products that control the severity of chemical attack.
Physical damage to concrete can occur due to expansion or contraction under loading.

Course objectives

The objective of concrete laboratory is to determine the physical properties of building

construction materials like cement, fine and coarse aggregate.
The tests include determination of specific gravity, fineness, normal consistency, setting
times, workability and soundness of cement, fineness modulus of fine and coarse aggregate,
strength of cement mortar, cement concrete. Students can design the mix, make the
specimens and test the same for their respective strengths.

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 01

Determine fineness of cement by Blaine’s air permeability apparatus or by sieving.

Theory:

The fineness of cement has an important bearing on the rate of hydration and hence on the rate of
gain of strength and also on the rate of evolution of heat. Finer cement offers a greater surface
area for hydration and hence the faster and greater the development of strength. Increase in fineness
of cement is also found to increase the drying shrinkage of concrete. Fineness of cement is tested
either by sieving or by determination of specific surface by air-permeability apparatus. Specific
surface is the total surface area of all the particles in one gram of cement.

Aim: To determine the fineness of the given sample of cement by sieving.

Apparatus: IS-90 micron sieve conforming to IS: 460-1965, standard balance, weights, and brush.

Procedure:

 Weigh accurately 100 g of cement and place it on a standard 90 micron IS sieve.

 Break down any air-set lumps in the cement sample with fingers.
 Continuously sieve the sample giving circular and vertical motion for a period of 15 minutes.
 Weigh the residue left after 15 minutes of sieving.

Limits:

As per IS code the percentage residue should not exceed 10%.

Result:

The fineness of a given sample of cement is %

Viva Voce:

1. What is size of the sieve that is used in fineness test?

2. What is the necessity to do the fineness test?
3. What is the specific limit of fineness test?

Or

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1.2. AIM: The aim is to determine the fineness or surface area per gram of the cement.

PRINCIPLE:

The fineness of cement is measured as specific surface. Specific surface is expressed as the total surface
area in square meters of all the cement particles in one kilogram of cement. The higher the specific
surface is, the finer cement will be.
APPARATUS:
Measuring instruments

Name Range Accuracy

Blaine air permeability

Refer to IS:5516
apparatus

Balance 3g 1 mg

Timer 30 min. 0.2 sec

Blaine Air Permeability Apparatus

PROCEDURE:

1. Put a filter paper into the cell then weight 2.84g of cement sample into it.
2. Put another filter paper on it and compress with the plunger.
3. Attach the cell on top of the U-tube manometer.
4. Evacuate the air in the manometer through the side tube using the aspirator bulb until the oil
reaches level 1.
5. Close the side valve and monitor the oil as it start to fall.
6. Using a stop watch, measure the time taken for the oil to fall from level 2 to level 3.
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 Blaine =k√t
where k is 523.0547
Example: when t is obtained a 29
sec S=523.0547√29
S=2817 cm²/gm

TECHNICAL DISCUSSION:
Fineness of cement affects hydration rate hence the rate of strength gain. The smaller the particle
size, the greater the surface area-to-volume ratio, and thus, the more area available for water-
cement interaction per unit volume. Therefore finer cement reacts faster with water and the rate of
development of strength and corresponding heat of hydration is high. Fineness test is used to
check the proper grinding of cement and measures the surface area of the cement particles per unit
mass.

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 02
NORMAL CONSISTENCY OF
CEMENT

Theory and Scope:

Vicat plunger to penetrate to appoint 5 to 7 mm from the bottom of the vicat mould in this test. It
is expressed as amount of water as a percentage [by weight] of dry cement. Standard consistency
is also called normal consistency.

A certain minimum quantity of water is required to be mixed with cement so as to complete

chemical reaction between water and cement less water than this quantity required wood not
complete chemical reaction thus resulting in reaction strength and more water increases water
cement ratio and it reduces the strength. So correct proportion of w/c is required.
Aim:
To determine the percentage of water required for preparing cement paste of standard
consistency, used for other tests.
Apparatus:

Vicat apparatus with plunger, I.S. Sieve No. 9, measuring jar, weighing balance

Procedure:
 The vicat apparatus consists of a D- frame with movable rod. An indicator is attached to
the movable rod, which gives the penetration on a vertical scale.
 A plunger of 10 mm diameter, 50 mm long is attached to the movable rod to find out
normal consistency of cement.
 Take 300 gm of cement sieved through I.S. Sieve No. 9 and add 30% by weight (90 ml)
water to it. Mix water and cement on a non-porous surface thoroughly with in 3 to 4
minutes.
 The cement paste is filled in the vicatmould and top surface is leveled with a trowel. The
filled up mould shall be placed along with its bottom non-porous plate on the base plate
of the vicat apparatus centrally below the movable rod. The plunger is quickly released
into the paste. The settlement of plunger is noted. If the penetration is between 33 mm to
35 mm from top (or) 5 mm to 7 mm from the bottom, the water added is correct. If the

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 penetration is less than required, the process is repeated with different percentages of
water till the desired penetration is obtained.

Observation and Calculation:

S.No. Amount of water Penetration of Remark

mixed Plunger from
top

Result: The normal consistency of cement =

Vicat Apparatus

Viva Voce:
1. What is normal or standard consistency of a cement paste?
2. What are the factors affecting the result of the test?
3. What do you understand by the term flash setting?
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Reference:
1. Indian Standard Methods of Physical Tests for cements IS: 4031, Indian Standards
Institution.
2. Indian Standard Specifications for ordinary and low heat Portland cement IS: 269, Indian
Standards Institution.
3. Neville. A. M, Properties of concrete, 3rd edition, Pitman publishing company, 1981.

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 03

INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIMES OF CEMENT

Theory and Scope:

Setting means becoming finer and harder, changing from semi liquid state to plastic state and form
plastic state to solid state. Mortar or concrete when mixed is in semi liquid state.
The chemical action between cement and water starts, and the mixture goes into plastic state.

Initial setting time is that time period between the time water is added to cement and time at
which 1 mm square section needle fails to penetrate the cement paste, placed in the Vicat’s
mould 5 mm to 7 mm from the bottom of the mould.

Final setting time is that time period between the time water is added to cement and the time at
which 1 mm needle makes an impression on the paste in the mould but 5 mm attachment does
not make any impression.

Aim:
To determine the initial and final setting times for the given sample of cement.

Apparatus:
Vicat apparatus with mould, I.S. sieve No. 9, Initial and final setting time needles, measuring
jar, weighing balance, etc.
Procedure:
Preparation of Test Block:

 Prepare a neat cement paste by gauging 300 grams of cement with 0.85 times
the water required to give a paste of standard consistency.
 Potable or distilled water shall be used in preparing the paste.

 The paste shall be gauged in the manner and under the conditions prescribed in
determination of consistency of standard cement paste.
 Start a stop-watch at the instant when water is added to the cement.
 Fill the mould with the cement paste gauged as above the mould resting on a
nonporous plate.

 Fill the mould completely and smooth off the surface of the paste making it level
with the top of the mould. The cement block thus prepared in the mould is the test
block.

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DETERMINATION OF INITIAL SETTING TIME:

 Place the test blocks confined in the mould and rest it on the non-porous plate,
under the rod bearing initial setting needle, lower the needle gently in contact with
the surface of the test block and quickly release, allowing it to penetrate into the
test block.
 In the beginning, the needle will completely pierce the test block.

 Repeat this procedure until the needle, when brought in contact with the test
block and released as described above, fails to pierce the block to a point 5 to 7
mm measured from the bottom of the mould shall be the initial setting time.

DETERMINATION OF FINAL SETTING TIME:

 Replace the needle of the Vicat apparatus by the needle with an annular attachment.

 The cement shall be considered as finally set when, upon applying the needle gently
to the surface of the test block, the needle makes an impression there on, while the
attachment fails to do so.

 The period elapsed between the time when water is added to the cement and the time at
which the needle makes an impression on the surface of test block while the attachment
fails to do so shall be the final setting time.

PRECAUTIONS:
 Clean appliances shall be used for gauging.
 All the apparatus shall be freefrom vibration during the test.
 The temperature of water and that of the test room, at the time of gauging shall be 27 C +
2 C. Care shall be taken to keep the needle straight.

Result: 1. Initial setting time of cement=

2. Final setting time of cement=

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 Vicat Apparatus

Viva Voce:
1. What is Initial setting time of cement?
2. What is Final setting time of cement?
3. Explain why you are performing this experiment?
Reference:
1. Indian Standard Methods of Physical Tests for cements IS: 4031, Indian Standards
Institution.
2. Indian Standard Specifications for ordinary and low heat Portland cement IS: 269, Indian
Standards Institution.

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 04
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF CEMENT
Theory and Scope:
Specific gravity is defined as the ratio between weight of a given volumeof material and weight
of an equal volume of water. To determine the specific gravity of cement, kerosene is used
which does not react with cement.

Aim: To determine the specific gravity of cement using Specific gravity bottle.
Apparatus: Specific gravity bottle, 100ml, capacity balance capable of weighing accurately
upto 0.1gms.
Procedure:
 Clean and dry the specific gravity bottle and weigh it with the stopper (W1).
 Fill the specific gravity bottle with cement sample at least half of the bottle and weigh
with stopper (W2).
 Fill the specific gravity bottle containing the cement, with kerosene (free of water)
placing the stopper and weigh it (W3).
 While doing the above do not allow any air bubbles to remain in the specific gravity
bottle.
 After weighing the bottle, the bottle shall be cleaned and dried again.
 Then fill it with fresh kerosene and weigh it with stopper (W4).
 Remove the kerosene from the bottle and fill it with full of water and weigh it with
stopper (W5).
 All the above weighing should be done at the room temperature of 27 0C + 10C.
Observations:
Description of item Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Weight of empty bottle W1 g

Weight of bottle + Cement W2 g

Weight of bottle + Cement +

Kerosene W3 g
Weight of bottle + Full Kerosene
W4 g
Weight of bottle + Full
Water W5 g

Specific gravity of Kerosene Sk = W4 - W1 / W5 - W1…………………

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 Specific gravity of Cement Sc = W2 - W1 / ((W4 - W1)-(W3-W2))*Sk……………………….
Sc = (W2 - W1)* (W4 - W1) / ((W4 - W1)-(W3-W2))*(W5 - W1)……………………….

(W 2−W 1)∗(W 4−W 1)

Specific Gravity of cement =
(W 4−W 1)−(W 3−W 2)∗(W 5−W 1)

Note: Specific Gravity of kerosene =0.79

Precautions:
1. Only kerosene which is free of water shall be used.
2. At time of weighing the temperature of the apparatus will not be allowed to exceed
the specified temperature.
3. All air bubbles shall be eliminated in filling the apparatus and inserting the stopper.
4. Weighing shall be done quickly after filling the apparatus and shall be accurate to 0.1 mg.
5. Precautions shall be taken to prevent expansion and overflow of the contents resulting
from the heat of the hand when wiping the surface of the apparatus.

Result: Specific Gravity of Cement=

Viva Voce:
1. What is Specific Gravity of cement?
2. Explain why you are performing this experiment?

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 05

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF

CEMENT

Theory and Scope:

The compressive strength of cement mortar is determined strength of cement mortar is
determined in order to verify whether the cement conforms to IS specification (IS: 269-1976)
and whether it will be able to develop the required compressive strength of concrete. According
to IS: 269-1976, the ultimate compressive strength of cubes of cement sand mortar of the ratio
1:3, containing (P/4+3.0) percent of water should be as.

Aim:
To determine the compressive strength of 1:3 Cement sand mortar cubes after 3 days and 7 days
curing.

Apparatus:
Universal Testing Machine or Compression Testing Machine, cube moulds, vibrating machine,
crucible for mixing cement and sand measuring cylinder, trowels, non-porous plate and balance
with weight box.

Procedure:
 Calculate the material required. The material for each cube shall be mixed separately and
the quantities of cement and standard sand shall be as follows:
Cement = 200 gm.
Standard Sand = 600
gm.
Water = (P/4+3.0) percent = 84 gm.
The time of mixing (gauging) in any event shall not be less than 3 minutes and if
the time taken to obtain a uniform colour exceeds 4 minutes the mixture shall be rejected
and the operation is repeated with a fresh quantity of cement, sand and water.

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 Place the assembled mould on the table of the vibrating machine and firmly hold it in the
vibrating machine and firmly hold it in position by means of suitable clamps. Securely

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 attach the hopper at the top of the mould to facilitate filling and this hopper shall not be
removed until completion of the vibration period.
 Immediately after mixing the mortar as explained above, fill the entire quantity of mortar
 in the hopper of the cube mould and compact by vibration. The period of vibration shall
be 2 minutes at the specified speed of 12000+400 cycles per minute.
 Remove the mould from the machine and keep it at a temperature of 27+ 2 0C in an
atmosphere of at least 90 percent relative humidity for 24 hours after completion of
vibrations.
 The cubes are removed from the mould and immediately submerge it in clean and fresh
water and keep there until taken out just prior to breaking. The water is which the cubes
are submerged shall be renewed after every 7 days and be maintained at a temperature of

27+ 20C, keep the cubes wet till they are placed in machine for testing.
 Test the specimens at the required periods, test three cubes at the periods mentioned
below, the periods being reckoned from the completion of vibration. The compressive
strength shall be the average of the strengths of the three cubes for each period.
a) Ordinary Portland Cement: 3 and 7days.
b) Rapid Hardening Portland Cement: 1 and 3 days. c)
Low Heat Portland Cement: 3, 7 and 28 days.
The cubes shall be tested on their sides, the load being applied at the rate of 35 N/mm 2/
minute.

Observation and Calculations:

Ordinary Portland cement

3-day strength 7-day strength

S.No. Strength in Strength in
Load in KN Load in KN
N/mm2 N/mm2
1
2
3
Average

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Result:
Compressive strength of Cement=

Viva Voce:

1. What you understand by term ultimate strength of cement?

2. What precautions do you take during determination of compressive strength?
3. What is the significance of this test?
References:

1. Neville A.M, properties of concrete, 3rdEdn. Pitman Publishing Company, 1981.

2. Gambhir .M.L, Concrete Manual, 4thEdn.,DhanpatRai Sons, Delhi

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 06
SOUNDNESS OF
CEMENT
Theory and Scope:
Unsoundness of cement means, that the cement having excess lime, magnesium sulphates, etc.
due to excess of these items there will be volume changes and large expansions, there by reduces
the durability of the structures.

Aim: -To find out the soundness of cement.

Apparatus: - Le-Chatelier Apparatus Cement, Water , Glass plate.
Procedure:
 The cement is gauged with 0.78 times the water required for standard consistency (0.78P)
in a standard manner and filled in to the Le-Chateliermould kept on the glass plate.
 The mould is covered on the top with another glass plate.
 The whole assembly is immersed in water at temperature of 27oC to 32oC and kept there
for 24 hrs.
 Measure the distance between the indicator points.
 Submerge the mould again in water, heat the water up to boiling point in 30 minutes and
keep it boiling for 3 hrs.
 Remove the mould from hot water and allow it to cool and measure the distance between
the indicator points.
 The distance between these two measurements gives the expansion of cement.
 This must not exceed 10mm for OPC, RHC, LHC, etc.
 If the expansion is more than 10mm, the cement is unsound.

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Result:
Soundness of given cement =

Viva Voce:
1. What is the significance of this test?
2. What is the specific limit of soundness test?

Reference:
1. Indian Standard Methods of Physical Tests for cements IS: 4031, Indian Standards
Institution.
2. Indian Standard Specifications for ordinary and low heat Portland cement IS: 269, Indian
Standards Institution.

3. Neville. A. M, Properties of concrete, 3rd edition, Pitman publishing company, 1981.

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 07

BULKING OF SAND
Theory and Scope:
The volume of fine aggregate may increase by 1% to 5% due to presence of moisture.
This property of increase in volume of fine aggregate due to moisture is called bulking.

Aim:
To find out the bulking factor of fine aggregate.

Apparatus:
Container, Sand, Water, Mixing Pan.

Procedure:

 Take about 6 liters of dry compacted sand and weigh it and dump it into a mixing pan.

 Add a certain known percentage of water by weight of dry sand.

 Mix rapidly and thoroughly till a uniform colour is obtained and fill the container with
the wet sand without any tamping.

 Now strike off the top surface and weigh and thus find the weight of wet sand.

 Repeat the experiment No. of times increasing in water content from 1% to 20%.

Calculations: -

W1=Wt. of 1m3 of compacted dry sand.

W2=Wt. of dry sand contained in 1m3 of wet loose sand.

W3=Wt. of 1m3 of wet sand

X = Percentage of water added

W3=Wt. of dry sand + Wt. of

water
x
W3= W2 (1+ )
100
w3
W2=
1 X
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100

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 W1 W2
% of bulking = x100
W1
W1
Bulking factor =
W2

Result:
Bulking of given Sand =----------------% of water

Viva Voce:
1. What is the significance of this test?

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 EXPERIMENT NO.08

FINENESS MODULUS OF FINE AGGREGATE AND COARSE AGGREGATE

Theory:
Fineness modulus is a numerical index used to know the mean size of particle in the total
Quantity of aggregate. Fineness modulus is to grade the given aggregate for most economical
mix and workability with less assumption of cement lower FM gives uneconomical mix and
higher FM gives harsh mix. It is defined the average cumulative % retained by 100 was known
as fineness modulus
Aim: To determine the fineness of modulus of fine aggregate and coarse aggregate.
Apparatus: Indian standard test sieves set, weighting balance, sieves shaker pan,
tray. Procedure:
 Arrange the test services with larger openings at top and smaller openings at bottom and
finally below all keep a pan
 Take 1 kg of sand in to a tray and break the lumps, if any in case of fine aggregate and
1kg of samples in the case of coarse aggregate and mixed aggregate.
 Keep the sample in the top sieve and keep the total set in the top sieve and keep the total
Set in the shaker. Continue sieving for a period not less than 10 minutes.
 Weigh the material retained on each sieve property.

Precautions:

 Sample should be taken by quartering.

 Careful sieving must be done to prevent any spilling of

aggregateGraph: Draw a graph between IS sieve size (in log scale) and

%passing.Specification: The following limits may be taken as guidance.

Fine sand : F.M—2.2—2.6

Medium sand : F.M—2.6—2.9
Coarse sand : F.M—2.9—3.2

Observations:

Weight of sample for fine aggregate=

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Weight of sample for coarse aggregate=

Observation: Fine aggregate:

S.no. IS sieve size Wt. retained % retained % passing Cumulative
Gm %
Retained
1 4.75mm
2 2.36mm
3 1.18mm
4 600 μ
5 300 μ
6 150 μ

Coarse aggregates:

S.no. IS sieve size Wt. retained % retained % passing Cumulative

Gm %
Retained
1 80mm
2 40mm
3 20mm
4 10mm
5 4.75mm
6 2.36mm
7 1.18mm
8 600 µ
9 300 µ
10 150 µ

Result:

Fineness modulus of fine aggregate =

Fineness modulus of coarse

aggregate=

Viva Voce:
1. What is the significance of this test?
2. What are the sieve sizes using to find out fineness modulus test?
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 EXPERIMENT NO: 09

WORKABILITY TESTS ON FRESH

CONCRETE

a. SLUMP CONE TEST

Aim:

To assess the workability of given concrete mix by slump test.

Reference Standards
IS : 1199-1959 – Methods of Sampling and Analysis of Concrete.

Equipment & Apparatus

 Slum cone
 Graduated cylinder
 Balance
 Vibrator
 Vee bee apparatus
 stop watch
Procedure:
 Place the fresh concrete mix in the clean slump cone in four equal layers, tamping each
layer 25 times with the tamping rod in a uniform manner the cross section. For the 2 nd
and subsequent layers the rod should penetrate into
 the under lying layers during such tamping. 3
 Strike - off the top of concrete flush with the mould with a trowel so that it is exactly
filled.
 Remove the metallic cone by raising it slowly and carefully in a vertical direction.
 As soon as the concrete settlement stop measure the subsidence of concrete in mm. This
substance is slump.
TABLE 1

Sl no Degree of Slump Compactio Situation

workability (mm) nFactor

1. Very Low 0-25 0.78 Roads vibrated by power operated machines. Concrete may
be compacted with hand
2. Low 25-50 0.85 Road vibrated by hand operatedmachine For more workability
mix concrete may be manually compacted in roadusing
rounded Or irregular shapes. Massconcrete Foundations
without vibration orlightly Reinforced sections withvibrations.

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 3. Medium 50-100 0.95 For less workable concrete’s,manually Compacted flat
slabs usingcrushed Aggregate. Normal reinforced
concrete Manually compacted and highlyreinforced
Section with vibration.
4. High 100-175 0.95 For section with congestedreinforcement. Not
normally suitable for vibration.

Safety & Precautions:

 Use hand gloves, safety shoes & apron at the time of test.
 After test switch off the machine.
 Keep all the exposed metal parts greased.
 Keep the guide rods firmly fixed to the base & top plate.
 Equipment should be cleaned thoroughly before testing & after testing.

Result:

Slump = mm

Viva Voce:
1. What is the significance of this test?
2. What are the dimensions of slump cone?

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 b. Compaction Factor test

Aim:

To assess the workability of given concrete mix by compaction factor test.

Reference Standards

IS : 1199-1959 – Methods of Sampling and Analysis of Concrete.

Equipment & Apparatus

 Compaction factor apparatus
 Graduated cylinder
 Balance
 Vibrator
 Vee-Bee apparatus
 stop watch
 spatula
 Trowel
 Tamping rod

Procedure:

 Keep the compaction factor apparatus on a level ground and clean the inner surface of the
hopper and cylinder. Fasten the hopper trap door.
 Weigh the empty cylinder accurately (W1). Fix the cylinder on the base with fly – nut
and bolt in such a way that central axes of the hoppers and cylinder lie in one vertical
line.
 Fill the freshly mixed concrete in the upper hopper gently and carefully with a hand
scoop without any compacting effort. After 2 minutes release the trap door so that the
concrete may fall in to the lower hopper bringing concrete to some degree of compaction.
 Immediately after the concrete has come to rest in this hopper open its trap door and
allow the concrete to fall into the cylinder.
 Remove the excess concrete above the top of the cylinder by a pair of trowels with blades
kept horizontal. Clean the cylinder from all the sides properly and weigh it to find the
weigh of this partially compacted concrete (W2).
 Refill the cylinder with the same sample of concrete in approximately 5 cm thick lawyers
using mechanical vibration so as to expel all the air in it order to obtain full compaction.
Level up the top and weigh this cylinder to get the weight of fully compacted concrete
(W3}.

Page | 30
Observations and Calculations:

Note: The proportion of various in gradients in the concrete mix are, cement, sand, coarse
aggregate, water and admixtures, if any.

W2 – W1
Compaction factor (CF) =---------------=
W3 –W1

Safety & Precautions:

 Use hand gloves, safety shoes & apron at the time of test.
 After test switch off the machine.
 Keep all the exposed metal parts greased.
 Keep the guide rods firmly fixed to the base & top plate.
 Equipment should be cleaned thoroughly before testing & after testing.

Result:

Compaction factor of concrete=

Viva Voce:
1. What is the significance of this test?
2. What are the dimensions of cylinder?

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 10

TEST FOR COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CEMENT CONCRETE

Aim:

The tests are required to determine the strength of concrete and therefore its suitability
for the job.

Reference Standards
IS : 516-1959 – Methods of tests for strength of concrete.

Equipment & Apparatus

 Compression testing machine (2000 KN)

 Curing tank/Accelerated curing tank
 Balance (0-10 Kg)

Fig: Compressive Strength Test on Concrete

Procedure:

 Representative samples of concrete shall be taken and used for casting cubes 15 cm x 15
cm x 15 cm or cylindrical specimens of 15 cm dia x 30 cm long.
 The concrete shall be filled into the moulds in layers approximately 5 cm deep. It would
be distributed evenly and compacted either by vibration or by hand tamping. After the top
layer has been compacted, the surface of concrete shall be finished level with the top of
the mould using a trowel; and covered with a glass plate to prevent evaporation.

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  The specimen shall be stored at site for 24+ ½ h under damp matting or sack. After
that, the samples shall be stored in clean water at 27+2 0C; until the time of test. The
ends of all cylindrical specimens that are not plane within 0.05 mm shall be capped.
 Just prior to testing, the cylindrical specimen shall be capped with sulphur mixture
comprising 3 parts sulphur to 1 part of inert filler such as fire clay.
 Specimen shall be tested immediately on removal from water and while they are still
in wet condition.
 The bearing surface of the testing specimen shall be wiped clean and any loose
material removed from the surface. In the case of cubes, the specimen shall be placed
in the machine in such a manner that the load cube as cast, that is, not to the top and
bottom.
 Align the axis of the specimen with the steel plates, do not use any packing.
 The load shall be applied slowly without shock and increased continuously at a rate of
approximately 140 kg/sq.cm/min until the resistance of the specimen to the increased
load breaks down and no greater load can be sustained. The maximum load applied to
the specimen shall then be recorded and any unusual features noted at the time of
failure brought out in the report.
Calculation:

Compressive strength is calculate using the following formula

Compressive strength (kg/cm2) = Wf / Ap

Where
Wf = Maximum applied load just before load, (kg)
Ap = Plan area of cube mould, (mm2)

Safety & Precautions:

 Use hand gloves, safety shoes & apron at the time of test.
 After test switch off the machine.
 Keep all the exposed metal parts greased.
 Keep the guide rods firmly fixed to the base & top plate.
 Equipment should be cleaned thoroughly before testing & after testing.

Page | 33
Result:

The Compressive strength of concrete = N/mm2.

Viva Voce:
1. What is the significance of this test?
2. Define casting and curing.

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 EXPERIMENT NO: 11
Determine silt content in sand
Aim
To find out the Silt content in sand

Apparatus

1. A measuring cylinder (250ml)

2. Water
3. Sand
Procedure for the Test

1. Firstly, a 50ml solution of 1% salt and water is prepared in the measuring cylinder. The
addition of salt increases the settlement time of silt.
2. The sample of sand to be tested is then added to the cylinder until the level reaches 100ml.
3. 50ml of the solution of salt and water is again added to the measuring cylinder.
4. Close the open end of the measuring cylinder and shake it well.
5. After a period of 3-4 hours, you will notice a layer of silt settled over the sand.
6. Now note down the volume V1 of the silt layer settled over the sand.
7. Note down the volume V2 of the settled sand.
8. Repeat the procedure a couple more times to get the average.

Measurement jar
Percentage of Silt Content = (V1/V2) x 100

V1 - Volume of silt layer

V2 - Volume of sand layer
For example, for a given sand sample, if V1 comes out to be 9 and V2 is 130, the % silt content would be
6.9 %.

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The permissible value of silt content in Sand is 8%, hence the sand sample is ok and can be used for
construction purposes.

Observation table

S.no Description Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3

1 Volume of sample Sand (V2)

2 Volume of silt layer (V1)

3 Percentage of silt

Average

Page | 36
 EXPERIMENT NO: 12

Bulking of Sand
Theory:
Increase in volume of sand due to presence of moisture is known as bulking of sand. Bulking is due to
the formation of thin film of water around the sand grains and the interlocking of air in between the sand
grains and the film of water. When more water is added sand particles get submerged and volume again
becomes equal to dry volume of sand. Due to the bulking, fine aggregate shows completely unrealistic
volume. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that consideration must be given to the effect of bulking in
proportioning the concrete by volume. If cognizance is not given to the effect of bulking, in case of
volume batching, the resulting concrete is likely to be under-sanded and harsh. It will also affect the
yield of concrete for given cement content. To compensate the bulking effect extra sand is added in the
concrete so that the ratio of coarse to fine aggregates will not change from the specified value. Maximum
increase in volume may be 20 % to 40 % when moisture content is 5 % to 10 % by weight. Fine sands
show greater percentage of bulking than coarse sands with equal percentage of moisture
Objective:
To ascertain the bulking phenomena of given sample of sand. Reference: IS: 2386 (Part-3)-1963.
Apparatus:
Beaker, 1000ml measuring jar, brush, scale, mixing tray. Material: Fine aggregate, water.
Procedure:
1. Put sufficient quantity of dry sand into the beaker until it is about one-thirds full.
2. Level off the top of the sand and measure the height (H1) by pushing a steel rule vertically down through the
sand at the middle to the bottom. Measure weight of the sand.
3. Add 2% of water; mix it thoroughly in the container. Smooth and level the top surface measure the height
(H2) of soil. Find the height percentage increment.
4. Repeat the same procedure with increasing amount of water by 2% until percentage increment of sand height
is reduced and attends original level.
5. Plot a graph of percentage increment of sand height against percentage of water. (Note: A typical bulking
of sand graph looks like Figure )

Figure : A typical curve showing bulking of sand

Page | 37
Observations:

Initial Height of sand in the Jar (H ) : mm

1

Weight of fine aggregate : g

Sl. No. % of Water Volume of Height of page bulking
water sand (H ) =
2
(in ml) 𝐻2−𝐻1/𝐻1×
100

Results and discussions:

From the tabulated results and the plotted graph is is observed that, the given sand specimen under goes
maximum bulking at % of moisture contain. Maximum percentage of bulking is .

Precautions: (Discuss about the precautions to be taken while conducting this experiment)

Questions:

1. What is meant by bulking of sand? Why it happens?

2. What is the significance of bulking of sand experiment?

3. Define bulking factor?

4. What is the effect of moisture on bulking?

Page | 38
 EXPERIMENT NO: 13

SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND WATER ABSORPTION OF FINE AGGREGATES

Theory:
Specific gravity of an aggregate is defined as the ratio of the mass of solid in a given volume of sample to
the mass of equal volume of water at 4𝑜𝑜 𝐶𝐶. However, all rocks contain some small amount of void and
the apparent specific gravity includes this voids. The specific gravity of aggregates is an indirect measure
of material’s density and its quality. A low specific gravity may indicate high porosity and therefore poor
durability and low strength.

Some of the pores contained by aggregates are permeable while others are impermeable.
Accordingly, two types of specific gravities are defined absolute specific gravity and apparent specific
gravity. If both the permeable and impermeable voids are excluded to determine the true volume of
solids, the specific gravity is called true or absolute specific gravity of the aggregate. But true specific
gravity has not much of practical use as volume of impermeable internal pores is too difficult to
determine.

In contrast, for the determination of apparent specific gravity the impermeable internal pore is added
to the effective volume of the aggregates (does not include the permeable pores). Mathematically:
Apparent Specific Gravity=mass of aggregate mass of water occupying the volume equal to that of solids
ofaggragate excluding permeable pores

The apparent specific gravity is realistic one to use for concrete mix proportioning. The apparent
specific gravity of most rocks lie between 2.6 to 2.7. Apparent specific gravity can be determined on the
basis of surface dry condition (SSD) or oven dry condition (OD), according to the moisture condition of
the aggregate.

In saturated surface dry (SSD) situation, the pores of the aggregate are fully filled with water and the
surface is dry. This condition can be obtained by immersing coarse aggregate in water for 24 h followed
by drying of the surface with a wet cloth. When the aggregate is under the SSD condition, it will neither
absorb water nor give out water during the mixing process. Hence, it is a balanced condition and is used
as the standard index for concrete mix design.

In contrast, the oven dry condition is obtained by keeping the aggregate in an oven at a temperature
of 110o 𝐶𝐶 for 24 hrs. Due to heating, all the water from internal permeable pores gets evaporated and
hence it reaches a constant weight. When the aggregate is under OD condition, it will absorb water during
the concrete mixing process until the internal pores are fully filled with water.

Similarly, water absorption is also provides an idea about strength of aggregate. Aggregates having more
water absorption are more porous in nature and generally considered unsuitable. Usually, water
absorption of coarse aggregate is about 0.5% by weight whereas water absorption of fine aggregate is
about 2.0% by weight. Moreover, water absorption values are used to calculate the change in the weight
of the aggregate while proportioning and mixing of concrete. Extra water is added to cater the need of
water absorption.

Page | 39
 Objective: To determine specific gravity and water absorption of fine aggregate.

Reference: IS: 2386 (Part-3)-1963.

Apparatus: Pycnometer, 1000-ml measuring cylinder, thermostatically controlled oven, taping rod, filter
papers and funnel.

Material: Fine aggregates (500 g)

Procedure:

1. Place 500 g of fine aggregate in a tray and cover it with distilled water at a temperature of 22 to
32°C. Remove air entrapped in or bubbles on the surface of the aggregate by gentle agitation
with a rod. Keep the sample immersed under water for 24 Hrs.

2. Carefully drain the water from the sample, by decantation through a filter paper. Air dry the
aggregate and solid matter retained on the filter paper, to remove the surface moisture. When the
material just attains a “free-running” condition, weight the saturated and surface-dry sample (A).

3. Place the aggregate in the pycnometer and fill the remaining space by distilled water. Eliminate
entrapped air by rotating the pycnometer on its side, covering the hole in the apex of the cone
with a finger. Weight the pycnometer with this condition (B).

4. Empty the contents of the pycnometer into a tray. Ensure that all the aggregate is transferred.
Refill the pycnometer with distilled water to the same level as before and measure the weight at
this condition (C).

5. Carefully drain the water from the sample, by decantation through a filter paper. Oven-dry the
aggregate in the tray at a temperature of 100 to 110 Co for 24 hrs. During this period, stir the
specimen occasionally to facilitate proper drying. Cool the aggregates calculate its weight (D).

6. Calculate the specific gravity, apparent specific gravity and the water absorption as follows:

Specific gravity={𝐷/[𝐴−(𝐵−𝐶)]}..........................................(1)
Apparent Specific gravity={𝐷/[𝐷−(𝐵−𝐶)]}......................(2)
Water absorption (in %)=100×[(𝐴−𝐷)/𝐷].......................(3)
Where, A = Weight in g of saturated surface-dry sample
B = Weight in g of pycnometer containing sample and filled with distilled water
C = Weight in g of pycnometer filled with distilled water only
D = Weight in g of oven dried sample only.

Page | 40
Observations:

Weight in g of saturated surface-dry sample (A)

Weight in g of pycnometer containing sample and filled with distilled water (B)
Weight in g of pycnometer filled with distilled water only (C)

Weight of oven dried- sample only (D)

Specific gravity ={𝐷/[𝐴−(𝐵−𝐶)]}

Apparent Specific gravity={𝐷/[𝐷−(𝐵−𝐶)]}

Water absorption (in %)=100×[(𝐴−𝐷)/𝐷]

Results and discussions:

Following results are obtained for the provided fine aggregate specimen:

a) Specific gravity : .

b) Apparent specific gravity : .

c) Water absorption : %.

Questions:

1. What is the purpose of conducting water absorption test?

2. What are the limitations in determination of specific gravity using pycnometer?

3. Define unit weight, bulk density?

4. Provide proofs of equations 1, 2 and 3

Page | 41
 EXPERIMENT NO: 14

SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND WATER ABSORPTION OF COARSE AGGREGATES

Objective: To determine specific gravity and water absorption of coarse aggregate.

Reference: IS: 2386 (Part-3)-1963.

Apparatus: Balance of capacity 5kg weight, box wire basket 200mm in diameter, water container for
immersing the wire basket, absorbent cloth for surface drying of the sample and thermos static
drying oven.

Material: coarse aggregates (5 Kg),

Procedure:

1. A sample of not less than 2 Kg of the aggregate shall be thoroughly washed to remove finer
particles and dust, drained and then placed in the wire basket and immersed in distilled water at a
temperature between 22°C to 32°C with a cover of at least 5 cm of water above the top of the
basket.
2. Immediately after immersion the entrapped air shall be removed from the sample by lifting the
basket containing it 25 mm above the base of the tank and allowing it to drop 25 times at the rate
of about one drop per second.
3. The basket and aggregate shall remain completely immersed during the operation and for a period
of 24 ± l/2 hours afterwards.
4. The basket and the sample shall then be jolted and weighed in water at a temperature of 22°C
to 32°C (weight A).
5. The basket and the aggregate shall then be removed from the water and allowed to drain for a few
minutes, after which the, aggregate shall be gently emptied from the basket on to one of the dry
clothes, and the empty basket shall be returned to the water and weighed in water ( weight B ).
6. The aggregate placed on the dry cloth shall be gently surface dried with the cloth, transferring it to
the second dry cloth when the first will remove no further moisture. The aggregate shall then be
weighed (weight C).
7. The aggregate shall then be placed in the oven in the shallow tray, at a temperature of 100 to 110°C
and maintained at this temperature for 24 ± l/2 hours. It shall then be removed from the oven, cooled
in the airtight container and weighed (weight D).
8. The specific gravity, apparent specific gravity and water &sorption shall be calculated as.
Specific gravity={𝐷[𝐶−(𝐴−𝐵)]⁄}.................................(1)
Apparent Specific gravity={𝐷/[𝐷−(𝐴−𝐵)]}...........................(2)
Water absorption (in %)=100×[(𝐶−𝐷)/𝐷].....................(3)
Where,
A = Weight in g of aggregate and basket in
water B = Weight in g of empty basket in water
C = Weight in g of the saturated surface - dry aggregate in air
D = Weight in g of oven dried aggregate in air.

Page | 42
Observations

Weight of aggregate and basket in water (A)

Weight of empty basket in water (B)

Weight of the saturated surface - dry aggregate in air (C)
Weight of oven dried aggregate in air (D)
Specific gravity=[𝐷/(𝐶− 𝐴+𝐵)]
Apparent Specific gravity=[𝐷/(𝐶−𝐷)]
Water absorption (in %)=100×[(𝐶−𝐷)/𝐷]

Results and discussions:

Following results are obtained for the provided coarse aggregate specimen:

a) Specific gravity : .

b) Apparent specific gravity : .

c) Water absorption : %.

Precautions: (Discuss about the precautions to be taken while conducting this experiment)
-
-
-

Questions:
1. What is the relationship between specific gravity of aggregate and the strength?
2. What are the other methods available for determination of specific gravity and water absorption of
coarse aggregate?

Page | 43