University of Southeastern Philippines

College of Engineering

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TESTING LABORATORY

CE 412
REPORT
SECTION
JOHN LORD M. CASTILLO
CE 4-1 GRADE

LAB EXP. 15
ASTM COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF BRICKS
DATE
________

I. SAMPLE SOURCE
Local Hardware

II. APPARATUS USED

Brick Sample
Universal Testing Machine

III. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Bricks are mainly used in the construction of wall, floor, cornices, and arches.
Brick chips are also used as a substitute for stone chips in the concrete mix where a
stone is not available or an economic solution is preferred. In all the above-mentioned
cases, compression load governs. Due to this, the compressive strength of bricks is a
very important parameter.
It is necessary to know the Compressive strength of brick before using them in
any construction work. When bricks are used in any structure, say buildings, the
bottom most layer of the brick will be subjected to highest compressive stress.
The minimum crushing / compressive strengths of burnt bricks tested flat-wise
prescribed are: (i) Common building bricks—35 kg/sq. cm, (ii) Second class bricks—
70 kg/sq. cm, (iii) First class bricks— 105 kg/sq. cm.

IV. PROCEDURES
1. Wipe clean the bearing faces of the upper and lower bearing blocks and the test
specimen.
2. Place the specimen on the lower bearing block.
3. Carefully align the axis of the specimen with the center of thrust of the spherical
seated upper blocked.
4. Bring the upper block to bear on the specimen. Adjust the load to obtain uniform
seating.
5. Apply the load at a loading rate more or less 6kN/s.
6. Apply the load (at the designated rate) until the specimen falls (or until the graph
on the computer falls).

1
 V. ILLUSTRATION (DOCUMENTATION OF ACTUAL LAB
EXPERIMENT/PICTURES AND ILLUSTRATION)

Testing of Brick Sample

VI. RESULTS (TABLE FORM) AND CALCULATION

SAMPLE TYPE OF READING (kN) COMPRESSIVE
FAILURE STRENGTH (psi)
#2 Splitting 611.4 3387.17

VII. OBSERVATION AND CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED

Since this activity was done simultaneously with the testing of the concrete hollow
blocks, observation and challenges of the two activity were quite the same. The only
difference was that we did not anticipate that we would need to get the area of the
bricks before the testing could be carried out and the shapes of the cross-sectional
areas of the bricks were very irregular so it was quite hard to be determined.
However, we were able to overcome this predicament after some time.

VIII. LESSONS LEARNED AND PERSONAL REFLECTION

I have learned in this activity that it is also essential for us to have the ability of being
able to think ahead of everything we are doing to be able to avoid small mistakes in
the future.

IX. GROUP MEMBERS WITH PICTURE FOR THIS EXPERIMENT

Angob, Claudette Stephanie
Buladaco, Khriztle Vonn
Barba, Frances Nicole
Castillo, John Lord
Balili, Droisi John
Ausa, Joana Mae
Bonso, Lloyd

CHECKED BY: MERLINDA L. LEMIN

DATE: __________________ INSTRUCTOR
SIGNATURE