NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF

SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
December 12, 2022

“COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST”

Submitted by:
Alejo, Jean Alliah Pervado
Ancheta, Ma. Czarina Pangilinan
Balmelero, Jan Lester Geronimo
Baronda, Ma. Theresa Villareal
Bondoc, Jared Villamor
Buenaventura, John Eidref Cajucom
Caballero, Jervis Yambot
Cabungcal, Maryl Veluz
Caling, Arnel Gian Magsanoc
BSCE – 3J

Submitted to:
Engr. Jommel Gonzales
INTRODUCTION:
Since concrete is one of the most often used building materials, it needs to
be strong enough to support loads, which is why we use the compressive test to
determine how strong a certain material is.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT:

The main purpose of this test is to determine the compressive strength of a
cast-in-place of cube/cylindrical concrete specimen and its suitability with
accordance to 2013 DPWH Standard Specification and ASTM C39.

APPARTUS/EQUIPMENT:
1. Universal Testing Machine
2. Concrete Cylinder/Cube Specimen (Cured)
a. Fine and Coarse Aggregate
b. Portland Cement
c. Tampering Rod with hemispherical tip
d. Concrete Cylinder/Cube Mold
e. Bitumen Material/use oil/
3. Digital Weighing Scale (10kg. capacity-sensitive to the extent of 0.1% of
total sample)
PROCEDURE
1. Prepare the cube/cylindrical concrete mold and clean the internal and
outside surface of the mold;
2. Sample casting mold should be in a cylindrical specimens of 15 cm diameter
x 30 cm long;
3. Apply some oil (bitumen material/motor oil/crude oil is highly
recommended) in internal surface of the mold to avoid sticking of cement
paste;
4. Randomly get fresh concrete at the first, middle and last discharge of the
mixture;
5. Make sure to hold tight handle of the mold so that it will not move before
and after pouring of concrete mixture;
6. Pour the fresh concrete in the mold in three equal layers;
7. Each layer should be tampered circularly 25 times using tampering rod.
Take note, don’t let tampering rod to reach the bottom surface of each
layer, it can cause segregation which may affect the output;
8. When the mold is completely filled with concrete (completed 3 layers), hold
the tampering rod horizontally and roll it to the top surface of the mold to
ensure that no excess of concrete will remain around it;
9. To prevent evaporation of sample, cover the upper surface with glass plate;
10. The specimen shall be stored at the laboratory (or in any room with same
temperature) for 24hr and 30mins under curing (use matting method);
11. After that, demold the sample into the mold and submerge it into
potable/clean water at 27ºC+2ºC until time of test;
12. Make sure that the head of the water surface and top surface of the mold
should not be greater than 50mm;
13. Make sure that the Universal Testing Machine is clean before conducting
test;
14. When the testing day comes, remove the specimen from the water and
conduct testing while the specimen is in wet condition;
 15. Specimen shall be free in any unnecessary loose material and be wiped
clean. Follow the steel patter at the bottom of the machine and place the
specimen at the center to ensure that the specimen is align with the axis;
16. In machine controller of the UTM, set it on stress-strain diagram and fill up
the form as its stated in the window;
17. The load shall be applied slowly at a rate of 140kg./cm2/min until the
specimen breaks (observe the line graph in the monitor);
18. When specimen breaks, stop the operation of the machine and remove the
unnecessary debris under break specimen;
19. Take a photo on the break specimen and notice its type of fracture; and
20. Record and gather all the data in the monitor.

Tabulation of Data:
Table 3.0 and 3.1 are example data gathered from the concrete mixture that is subject for compressive
strength test. The equipment use in this test is based on the present apparatus available in CE
Laboratory that conforms with the ASTM Specification.
The volume and designated size of fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, cement and water content used in
this test are all based in Class A Concrete Mixture as prescribed by the ASTM Specification.

Given below in Table 6.0 are details of Concrete Mix Design, which is the basis of Compressive
Strength Test Results in Table 6.1. It is important to record or specify the dimension of the specimen,
number of curing days with its corresponding correlation-factor (percentage) shown in table 6.2 to
clearly state and explain of why you came out with specific “Acquired Compressive Strength”. You’ll
notice that Table 3.0 to Table 3.1 are related to one another. Lastly, “type of fracture” were also
included, to ensure that the gather result will matches to its type of fracture.
 Table 3.0: Details of Concrete Mix use in Compressive Strength Test

VOLUME OF VOLUME OF
CLASS OF FINE COARSE CEMENT DESIGNED
SAMPLE CONCRETE AGGREGATE AGGRREGATE CONTENT SIZE OF
NO. MIXTURE (VFA) (VCA) (CC) AGGREGATE
m³ m³ kg mm.

A 3 10 to 15
1
2 A 0.0096* 0.0144* 6.4 25

3 A 0.0090* 0.0135* 6.0 25

* Given data sample

Table 3.1: Example of Compressive Strength Test Results

CORRE-
NO. OF ACQUIRED TYPE
IDENTI DIMENSIO LATIO
DAYS COMPRESSIV OF
FICATIO N OF THE N Remarks
CURE E STRENGTH FRACT-
NO N SPECIMEN) FACTO
D (ACS) URE
. R (CF)
(days) (%) MPa (psi) .
COLUMN 150mm dia.
1-C AND x 300 mm 7 71 20.7 (3,000) SHEAR Passed
2B height
1
150mm dia.
COLUM
2 SLAB S-2 x 300 mm 14 80 15.0 (2,174) Failed
NAR
height
FOOTING 150mm x
3 F-3 TO F5 150mm x 28 100 23.1 (3,334) CONIC Passed
150mm

One of the common practices of most technician and civil engineers is presuming that required
and acquired compressive strength of concrete specimen should always be the same or to make it the
same value, wherein a possible lapses and error may occur or same as having a deceptive result just to
manipulate.
Let’s cite some example, we have one (1) concrete specimen that is made from 28-Days Mix Design. The
28th day concrete specimen should have a 100% required compressive strength of 3000psi and the
strength projection in 28th day must be 3000psi also.

Unfortunately, we need to test the specimen on its 14th day. Will you reflect that its psi is
3000psi still? Take note that you can never compare the strength of the mixture being cured completely
or within 28 days to that cured only in 14 days, thus adjustment must be made and Table
6.2 will serve as reference.

In as easy way, strength projection will come in using the correlation-factor based on respective
cured days prior to testing. In the given example, instead of getting a 100% (3000psi), which is the
originally required psi, it will be adjusted to 80% design compressive (refers to Table 6.2), which is to be
the new required psi meaning it is only 2400psi. In other words, the cured concrete specimen test on its
14th day should attain only 2400psi to be considered to pass the test.

Table 6.2 (28-Day Concrete Beam Mix Design Strength Projection) will be the basis of “Strength
Projection” corresponding to the given cured days. Formulas for calculation are as follows:

CALCULATIONS:
1. Calculate the Volume of the Fine Aggregate:
𝐹=

2. Calculate the Volume of the Coarse Aggregate.

𝐶=

3. Calculate the Water – Cement Content Ratio.

𝐶= w𝐶
𝐶𝐶

4. Calculate the Required Compressive Strength::

R𝐶S = (D𝐶S ) x (𝐶𝐹 )

5. Determine if the Compressive Strength of structure is passed or failed.

If A𝐶S > R𝐶S ∴ Passed if A𝐶S < R𝐶S∴
𝐹𝑎ile𝑑
 Tabulation of Data:

Details of Concrete Mix use in Compressive Strength Test

VOLUME OF VOLUME OF
CLASS OF FINE COARSE CEMENT
SAMPLE CONCRETE AGGREGATE AGGRREGATE CONTENT
NO. MIXTURE (VFA) (VCA) (CC)
m³ m³ kg

A 0.03 0.045 20
1
2 A 0.03 0.045 20

3 A 0.03 0.045 20

Compressive Strength Test Results

CORRE-
NO. OF ACQUIRED TYPE
IDENTI DIMENSION LATION
DAYS COMPRESSIVE OF
FICATION OF THE FACTOR Remarks
CURED STRENGTH FRACT-
NO SPECIMEN) (CF)
(ACS) URE
. (days) (%)
MPa (psi) .

CUBE 1 15x15x15 6 68 6.3MPa Type 4 Failed

cm (9137.38 psi) SHEAR
1

2 CUBE 2 15x15x15 15 88 11.7MPa Type 4 Failed

cm (1696.942 psi) SHEAR

3 CUBE 3 15x15x15 22 96 10.30Mpa Type 4 Failed

cm (1493.889 psi) SHEAR
Calculations :
For Volume of Fine Aggregate:
20(0.54) m³
360
= 0.03

For Volume of Coarse Aggregate:

20(0.81) m³
360
= 0.045