Sand Tests

Quality of sand On site, sand is one of the most important basic components of
concrete and is called fine aggregate. The main purpose of mixing sand (fine
aggregate) in concrete is to fill the spaces between the coarse aggregates. While the
spaces between the fine aggregates are filled with cement. Sand increases the volume
of concrete and helps to increase the workability of concrete.

Sand consists of weathering and erosion of rocks. Sand from different areas
(underground sand, river sand, sea sand) is used in construction depending on
availability. Good fine aggregates used in construction should be well graded (all
particles of approximately the same size).

The fine aggregate used in construction must pass through a 4.75 mm sieve and be
held with a 150 micron sieve.

The tests listed below are simple tests that you can quickly perform on site to find out
the quality of the sand. These tests involve examining the properties of sand that affect
its durability and quality.

The presence of clay in the sand makes it cohesive, and a good quality of sand should
contain less clay in it.

The presence of excess clay can be determined in two ways:-

 To test for clay in the sand, take a glass of water and add some sand to it. Shake
the cup vigorously and allow the sand to settle. Check for a visible clay layer on
top of the sand. Good quality sand should contain less than 8% clay in it.
 Grab some dry sand and drop it. If sand sticks to your palm, it contains a lot of
clay.

Sand agglomeration (sand volumetric increase)

Caking in the sand occurs when dry sand interacts with atmospheric moisture. The presence of
moisture content forms a thin layer around the sand particles. This layer generates the force
that makes the particles move sideways from each other. This leads to an increase in the
volume of sand.
The agglomeration of sand depends on the classification and gradation of sand. Softer sand will
experience a greater volumetric increase than coarse and medium sand. Thus, agglomeration in
sand is high for fine sand and low for coarse sand. Increased agglomeration in the sand leads
to an impact on the concrete mix and results in harsh behavior during pouring, i.e. lessgellet.

The percentage of volumetric increase and moisture content can be determined by

following this method:-

1. Take a simple container and fill with a sample of sand.

2. Measure the exact height of the sand using the scale and write it down (v1).
3. Empty the container of sand and clean it.
4. Fill the container with water to the same height as the previous sand v1.
5. Add the previous sand to the container filled with water and wait a while for it
settles.
6. Calculate the height of the sand settled in the water (v2).
7. Calculate the percentage of volume increase of sand = ((v1 - v2) / v2) × 100
 Rem

ember that some methods are so approximate that they can be implemented on site with the

simplest tools
 Cement Tests

Checking the quality of cement on site, cement is the most commonly used material in
any construction. It represents the binder that binds large aggregate and sand together
in concrete. It is also used in bonding brick units in walls, clamshell work, etc. Certainly,
there are many tests and theories that are used in verifying the quality of cement in a
laboratory or laboratory, but most of them require special equipment and tools to verify
the quality of cement.

It is not easy to check all the properties of cement on site but there are some
preliminary field tests that can give us a rough idea of how good and viable the cement
is.

1- Packing date (MFG date)

Many studies have reported that because the strength of cement decreases over time.
According to the specifications of some building codes, cement must be retested if it
has been stored for more than three months in warehouses and warehouses.

In the following, we review the percentage of force loss at different time intervals.

 Cement life 3 months: 20%-30% strength loss

 Cement life of 6 months: 30% - 40% strength loss
 Cement life of 12 months: 40%-50% strength loss
It is clear from this that the strength of cement decreases over time. That is, the
strength and resistance of cement are inversely proportional to time (time here
expresses the period between production or packaging and the time of use of cement),
i.e. the storage period.
2- Cement color

The color of cement should be uniform. The ideal color for cement is gray with a light
light green shade. The color of cement gives an indication of an excess of clay or lime.

3- Check for lumps (lumpy cement)

Clumps are formed due to the presence of moisture in the cement. Cement undergoes
a chemical reaction when it reacts with atmospheric moisture, a process called
hydration. Moisture is a great enemy of cement. Cement becomes useless once
hydrated with water (in liquid or vapor form).

4- Scrubbing test (softness)

Take a sample of cement and rub it between your fingers, you should feel soft while
rubbing. If it is rough, it indicates that the cement is mixed with sand.

5- Cement Flotation Test

Take a sample of cement and throw it into the water, good quality cement should sink
and should not float on the surface of the water.

6- Hand Input (Temperature Test)

Insert your hand into a cement bag or bag. This should give you a qualitative coolness.
This means that rehydration reactions have not yet occurred.

7- Cement hardening or doubt test

Cement is also called hydraulic cement because it is also found underwater. Take 100
grams of cement and make a hard paste by adding some water. Then form the dough
and place it on a glass plate. Immerse this board in the bucket of water and leave for a
while. Note that the shape should not change during doubting and hardening and
cracks do not occur. Good cement must be able to harden and achieve strength in
water.
8. Strength Test

Make a block of cement 25 mm (width) × 25 mm (thickness) and 200 mm long

(length). Immerse the mass after solidification in water for 7 days. Place the submerged
mass on two supports 150 mm apart, and then load the block with a weight of 34 kg. A
block made of good cement should not show any sign of failure or collapse.

9- Cement odor test

Take a sample of cement and sniff it. If you get an earthy smell, this means that the
cement contains a high amount of clay or silt.

10- Specific weight of cement

Knowing the specific weight of cement is crucial if the cement is stored for more than
three months.

To find the specific weight of cement:-

1. Bring test instruments: flask or flask of known size, kerosene, cement sample,
microscale.
2.  The test flask or flask must be free of moisture content, which means that the
vial is completely dry.
3. Now, weigh the empty vial and let it weigh W1.
4. Take 50 g of cement and add it to the flask.
5. Now weigh the vial and let the weight be W2.
6. Now pour kerosene into the sample up to the neck of the vial.
7. Mix well and note that no air bubbles are left in the flask.
8. Make a note of the weight as W3.
9. Empty the vial and fill it with kerosene to the tip of the bottle and record the
weight W4.
10.Knowing the specific weight of kerosene = 0.79 g/cc, calculate the specific
weight of cement from the equation:

11.
12.A good cement should have a specific weight (Sg) between 3.1-3.6 g / cm³.