Physical Properties - Lab.

Istanbul Technical University
Civil Engineering Department

Construction Materials Division
Materials Science
Physical Properties
Research Assistant Şervan Baran

Physical Properties
▪ Compacity-Porosity
▪ Apparent Specific Gravity
▪ Specific Gravity
▪ Water Absorption
▪ Capillary Water Absorption
Voids
▪ Materials such as concrete, composite materials, lightweight
materials contain voids of different types and sizes.
▪ These voids effect:
o Apparent specific gravity,

o Water absorption,
o Permeability,
of the material.
o Resistance to freezing,
o Strength,
o Thermal and acoustic insulation
Void Types
▪ The void size can be expressed by the
diameter of the largest sphere that can fit
Capillary into it.
pores
▪ Pore classification according to

their size:
Pores wholly
within the - Intermolecular pores: In the range of
solid
Pores open
a few angströms,
onto the
particle
- Micropores: < 0,1 µ,
surface - Capillary pores: 0,1 µ-2,5 mm,
- Macropores: > 2,5 mm
Void Types
Capillary
pores
▪ Some pores are wholly within the solid,

others open onto the surface of the
particle.
Pores wholly
within the
▪ Capillary pores and pores open onto
solid the particle surface are important for
Pores open water absorption and permeability.
onto the
particle
surface
Compacity
Va = v + Vs
• Va: Apparent volume,
• Vs: Solid volume,
V
• v: Pore volume.
Va
Vs
➢ Compacity: Fraction of the

solid volume over the total
volume.
Vs
k=
Va
Porosity
Va = v + Vs
• Va: Apparent volume,
• Vs: Solid volume,
V
• v: Pore volume.
Va
Vs
➢ Porosity: Fraction of the

volume of voids over the total
volume.
v
p=
Va
Compacity-Porosity
➢ Sum of porosity and compacity:
p + k =1
v Vs Va
+ = =1
Va Va Va
➢ Materials without voids such as metals, plastics, etc., porosity is

0 and compacity is 1.
Apparent Specific Gravity
▪ It is the weight per unit volume of the material

( voids, pores included).
▪ Ratio of the dry weight of the specimen to the
apparent volume of the specimen.

❖ For Regular Shaped Samples:
▪ The sample is dried in oven at 100-105 0C until its

weight change becomes constant, then it is weighted.
▪ The apparent volume is calculated using the sample
measured dimensions (by means of a calliper).
P0
= =
Va
➢ β : Apparent specific weight,

➢ P0 : Dry weight,
➢ Va: Apparent volume (axbxc)

❖ For Irregular Shaped Samples:
▪ The sample is dried in oven at 100-105 0C until its weight

change becomes constant, then it is weighted (P0).
▪ Then the sample is immersed in water; 48 hours later the
sample, which is water saturated and surface-dry, is
reweighted (P1).
▪ Water saturated sample is then weighted in water (P2).
▪ According to Archimedes' principle, P1-P2 difference is
equal to the weight of the displaced water. As the water
specific gravity is 1, this difference is equal to the sample
apparent volume.
P0
= =
P1 − P2
➢ β : Apparent specific gravity,
➢ P0 : Dry weight,
➢ P1: Saturated-surface-dry weight,
➢ P1-P2: Apparent volume.
Specific Gravity
▪ It is the dry weight of unit volume of the
specimen excluding all pores.
▪ For the specific gravity:

o to get rid of pores, the specimen is
ground,
o the ground specimen is sieved through
the sieve with opening of 74 µ,
o a part of the ground specimen is
weighted,
o the weighted sample is put into the
picnometer containing inert fluid,
o the volume change is the sample
volume.
Specific Gravity
dry weight Po Po
D = = = =
solid volume Vs final reading-initial reading
✓ During the experiment, the specific gravity of

the brick will be found out.
✓ For this purpose, 10 g of brick powder will be
used.
Specific Gravity– Apparent Specific Gravity
▪ Specific gravity is greater than apparent

specific gravity.
▪ If there isn’t any pores in the material, such as
in plastics or metals, the specific gravity is
equal to the apparent specific gravity.
Specific Gravity – Apparent Specific Gravity

Po P0
D = = = =
Vs Va
Po P0
Vs = Va =
 
P
0
Vs  
k= = =
Va P0 

Water Absorption
➢ When the specimen is immersed in water, it
absorbs water, all its open pores are filled with
water.
➢ Resistance to freezing is related to the pores,
open onto the particle surface and these pores
are measured by water absorption test.
1. Water absorption by weight

2. Water absorption by volume
Water Absorption Test

1. Water absorption by weight:
▪ The sample is dried in oven at 100-105 0C until its weight change becomes
constant,
▪ It is weighted (P0),
▪ Then the sample is immersed in water; 48 hours later the sample, which is
water saturated and surface-dry, is reweighted (P1).
Absorbed water quantity P1 − P0

Sw = = .100
Dry weight P0
➢ SW: Water absorption by weight,

➢ P0: Dry weight,
➢ P1: Saturated-surface-dry weight.

2. Water absorption by volume:
❖ For Regular Shaped Samples:
▪ The sample is dried in oven at 100-105 0C until its weight change becomes
constant,
▪ Then the sample is immersed in water; 48 hours later the sample, which is water
saturated and surface-dry, is reweighted in air (P1).
▪ The apparent volume is calculated using the sample measured dimensions (by
means of a calliper).

Sv = = .100
Apparent volume Va
➢ Sv: Water absorption by volume,
➢ P0: Dry weight,
➢ Va: Apparent volume.

2. Water absorption by volume:
❖ For Irregular Shaped Samples:
▪ The sample is dried in oven at 100-105 0C until its weight change becomes constant,
▪ Then the sample is immersed in water; 48 hours later the sample, which is water saturated
and surface-dry, is reweighted in air (P1),
▪ Water saturated sample is then weighted in water (P2).

Sv = = .100
Apparent volume P1 − P2
➢ P0: Dry weight
➢ P2: Water saturated weight in water,
➢ P1 - P2 : Apparent volume.
Water Absorption by Weight and by Volume
Sw β
P1 − P0 P1 − P0 P0
Sv = = . = S w .
P1 − P2 P0 P1 − P2

➢ Sw: Water absorption by weight,
➢ P1: Saturated-surface-dry weight in air,
➢ P0: Dry weight,
➢ β: Apparent specific gravity.
Saturation Degree
❑ Ratio of water absorption by volume to porosity:
Sv
S=
p
➢ S: Saturation degree,
➢ Sv: Water absorption by volume ,
➢ p: Porosity.
❑ This ratio reflects approximately how much percent of the open pores are
filled with water.
❑ Water in the open pores expands upon freezing. If pores are fully filled,
there is no space for ice to expand and cracks appear. Above 0oC, ice
defreezes, water passes through the cracks, when water freezes, cracks
expand. This alternating freezing and thawing causes progressive
damage.
❑ Saturation degree<80% and void ratio>20%:
it is resistant to freezing.
Permeability
• If a material has a thickness of 8-10 cm and its permeability coefficient is less than 10-7-10-8 cm/s,
then it can be qualified as impermeable.
• Darcy’s Law:
p
q = k.
l
➢ l: sample length parallel with the flow direction (sample thickness) [cm],
➢ p: pressure [cm water height],
➢ p/l: pressure gradient,
➢ k: coefficient of permeability [cm/s],
➢ q: discharge per unit time, per unit area [(cm3/cm2)/s].
Q
q=
A.t
Capillary Water Absorption
• Due to an interplay of the forces of adhesion and

surface tension, water exhibits capillary action
whereby water rises into a narrow tube against the
force of gravity.
• This water rise into the tube is proportional to the
surface tension and inversely proportional to the
tube diameter.
• As the water surface tension is constant, more
water rises with decreasing tube diameter.
Capillary Water Absorption Test

• Experiment:
✓ Find the sample dry weight (P0),
✓ Water proof material (paraffin, epoxy, etc.) is applied,
✓ Speciemn is located as shown,
✓ Specimen is weighted at 0., 1st., 4th., 9th., 16th., 25th., etc. minutes.
Capillary Water Absorption

Time (mn) Weight (g) Water Absorption, q2=(Q/A)2
Q (cm3)
0 P0 P0-P0 = 0 0
1 P1 P1-P0 = Q1 (Q1/A)2
4 P4 P4-P0 = Q4 (Q4/A)2
9 P9 P9-P0 = Q9 (Q9/A)2
16 P16 P16-P0 = Q16 (Q16/A)2
25 P25 P25-P0 = Q25 (Q25/A)2
Q (cm3)
q= ➢ q: absorbed water per unit area, in t time (cm3/cm2)
A (cm2) ➢ K: coefficient of capillarity (cm2/s)
q 2 = K .t ➢ t: time (s)
q = K .t
Determination of the Coefficient of Capillarity

8
q
7
q 6
K = 5
t 4
2
➢ K: coefficient of capillarity
(cm2/sn) 1
tg α = K
➢ t: time (s) 0
t
K =
 q. i ti
ti

Physical Properties - Lab.

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Physical Properties - Lab.

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Istanbul Technical University

Civil Engineering Department

Research Assistant Şervan Baran

▪ These voids effect:

o Apparent specific gravity,

▪ Pore classification according to

▪ Some pores are wholly within the solid,

➢ Compacity: Fraction of the

➢ Porosity: Fraction of the

➢ Materials without voids such as metals, plastics, etc., porosity is

Apparent Specific Gravity

▪ It is the weight per unit volume of the material

Apparent Specific Gravity

▪ The sample is dried in oven at 100-105 0C until its

➢ β : Apparent specific weight,

Apparent Specific Gravity

▪ The sample is dried in oven at 100-105 0C until its weight

▪ For the specific gravity:

✓ During the experiment, the specific gravity of

Specific Gravity– Apparent Specific Gravity

▪ Specific gravity is greater than apparent

Specific Gravity – Apparent Specific Gravity

1. Water absorption by weight

Water Absorption Test

Absorbed water quantity P1 − P0

➢ SW: Water absorption by weight,

Water Absorption Test

Absorbed water quantity P1 − P0

Water Absorption Test

Absorbed water quantity P1 − P0

Water Absorption by Weight and by Volume

➢ Sv: Water absorption by volume,

Capillary Water Absorption

• Due to an interplay of the forces of adhesion and

Capillary Water Absorption Test

Capillary Water Absorption

Determination of the Coefficient of Capillarity

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