Control Tests for

Concrete
CVLE 321

By
Prof. Adel El Kordi
&
Dr. Meheddene
Machaka

Structural Engineering
Department
Faculty of Engineering
Beirut Arab University
 Laboratory and Field Tests for
Freshly Mixed Concrete
 Sampling
 Consistency
 Temperature
 Air content
 Density
 Preparation of strength specimen
 Setting Time

2
Sampling
ASTM C 172 (AASHTO T 141)
Sampling Freshly Mixed
Concrete
Requirements:
 Sample size  28 L (1 ft3)
 Less than 15 min between first
and last portion of sample
 Sample should not be taken
from first or last portion of batch
discharge

3
Tests Used to Measure Consistency
 Slump test
ASTM C 143 (AASHTO T 119)
 K-Slump Tester
ASTM C 1362
 Compacting factor
 Vebe Consist meter
ASTM C 1170
 Thaulow test
 Kelly ball penetration test
ASTM C 360-92—now discontinued

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Slump Test

5
Frequency of Testing — Slump
 First batch of concrete each day

 Whenever the consistency of

concrete appears to vary

 Whenever strength-test cylinders

are made at jobsite

6
Temperature Measurement

ASTM C 1064
(AASHTO T 309)
Temperature of
Freshly Mixed
Portland Cement
Concrete

7
Density (Unit Weight) and Yield
ASTM C 138
(AASHTO T 121)
Density (Unit Weight), Yield,
and Air Content
(Gravimetric) of Concrete

ASTM C 1040
(AASHTO T 271)
Density of Unhardened and
Hardened Concrete in
Place By Nuclear Methods
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 Air Content
 Pressure method
ASTM C 231
(AASHTO T 152)
 Volumetric method
ASTM C 173
(AASHTO T 196)
 Gravimetric method
ASTM C 138
(AASHTO T 121)
 Air indicator
method 9
AASHTO T 199
 Frequency of Testing — Air Content

 Made often enough at point of

delivery to ensure proper air
content.
 Whenever strength-test
cylinders are made at jobsite
 Record of concrete
temperature should be kept

10
Molding of Strength Specimen

Time Limit:  Field-molded specimen

Start molding ASTM C 31
 15 min after  Laboratory molded specimen
sampling ASTM C 192
11
 Strength Specimen Sizes
Cylinders :
 Max. aggregate size of 50 mm (2 in.):
 150 × 300 mm (6 x 12 in.)—Stand. Cyl.

 Max. Aggregate size > 50 mm (2 in.):

 Diameter = 3 x max. aggr. / Height = 2
x diameter
 High-Strength Concrete:
 100 x 200 mm (4 x 8 in.)

Flexural Beams
 Max. aggregate size of 50 mm (2 in.):
 150 × 150 mm (6 x 6 in.)—Stand.

Beam
 Length:  500 mm (20 in.)
 Max. Aggregate size > 50 mm (2 in.):
12
 Cross sect. = 3 x max. aggr. / Length = 3 x

depth + 50 mm (20 in.)

Frequency of Testing - Strength
 ACI 318 and ASTM C 94 require that
strength tests be taken —
 of each class of concrete placed
each day not less than once a day
 nor less than once for each

115 m3
 Average strength of two 28-day test
cylinders is required

13
Cylinder Strengths 150 x 300 mm (6 x 12 in.) vs. 100 x 200 mm (4 x 8
in.)

The difference between the two cylinder sizes is insignificant.

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Curing Test Specimen

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 Curing test specimens

Standard testing procedures require that specimens

be cured under controlled conditions, either in the
laboratory or in the field. Controlled laboratory curing:
1- In a moist room
2- In a limewater storage tank. Limewater must be
saturated with hydrated lime

16
The initial and final time of setting is determined as the time when the penetration
resistance equals 3.4 Mpa and 27.6 MPa , respectively. Typically, initial set occurs between 2
and 6 hours after batching and final set occurs between 4 and 12 hours.
Time of Setting

ASTM C 403 (AASHTO T

197) 17
 Additional Tests for Freshly
Mixed Concrete

1. Accelerated compression tests ASTM C 684

2. Chloride content NRMCA method
3. Cement content ASTM C 1078
4. Water content ASTM C 1079 (discontinued
1998)
5. Bleeding of concrete ASTM C 232 (AASTO T
158)

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 Bleeding of concrete

ASTM C 232 or (AASHTO T 158)

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 Testing Hardened Concrete

1. Compressive strength ASTM C 39 (AASHTO T

22)
2. Flexural strength ASTM C 78 and C 293
3. Tensile strength ASTM C 496
4. Air content ASTM C 457
5. Density, absorption and voids ASTM C 642
6. Portland cement content ASTM C 1084

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 Testing Hardened Concrete (cont.)
7. SCM and organic admixture content
8. Chloride content
9. Petrographic analysis ASTM C 856
10.Length Change—drying shrinkage ASTM C 157
11.Modulus of Elasticity and Poisson’s Ratio ASTM C
469 12.PH testing methods
13. Permeability
14. Moisture content

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Strength Test of Hardened Concrete
Can be performed on:
 Cured specimen molded

from samples of fresh

concrete
 Cored or sawed in-situ

specimen
 Cast-in-place

cylinders

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Core Test

23
 Precautions that should be on cylinder concrete
compression strength test ASTM 617

1- Capping Cylindrical Concrete Specimens

2- L/D = 2
3- Cured under control conditions
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Unbonded Caps

ASTM C 1231
Use of Unbonded Caps in
Determination of
Compressive Strength of
Hardened Concrete
Cylinders

25
Testing Compressive Strength

Sulfur mortar cap Unbonded caps

ASTM C 617 ASTM C 1231 26
Testing Compressive Strength

27
 Tensile Strength
 Tensile strength of concrete should be high
enough to resist cracking from shrinkage and
temperature changes.
 It can be measured using the following test
a) From Compression Test
b) Splitting tensile Test
c) Flexural Test
 Normally tensile strength is assessed using
flexural or split-cylinder test.
28
  Splitting tensile Test test (ASTM 496)
1. A cylinder specimen with dimension of
10x20 cm or 15x30 cm, placed with it’s axis
in a horizontal plane.
2. Then it is subjected to a uniform load along
the length of the specimen.

Front Elevation
Side Elevation Of The Cylinder LOAD
The load will split to 2 parts (P), so the splitting
tensile strength can be calculated as
ft = 2P / ΠLd
L = length of the cylinder
d = diameter
of the cylinder

4. The type and shape of coarse

aggregate particles also affect the
tensile strength.
5. Split Cylinder Test to determine the tensile
strength of concrete by splitting cylinders of the
concrete in a compression testing machine.
 Flexural test
1. Most common method for measuring the
tensile strength of concrete
2. A concrete beam with span length equal to 3
times the beam depth ( the length of the beam
should be at least 2 in. (50mm) larger than
the span) is subjected to 3rd point loading
(ASTM C78).
3. This produces tensile stresses at the bottom of
the beam and compressive stresses at the
top.
 Since concrete is weaker in tension than
compression, the specimen fails where it
breaks into 2 following the formation of a
nearly vertical crack called a flexural crack,
near the section of maximum moment.
 From the failure load, the tensile strength
called the modulus of rupture (MOR) is then
calculated as follows
bending stress = MY = strength in
tension
I
Testing Flexural Strength

33
Compressive Vs. Flexural Strength

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Effect of Core Conditioning on Strength of drilled cores

35
 Evaluation of Compression Test Results
From Cylinders ACI 318
Compress. strength satisfactory if —
1. The average of all sets of three
consecutive strength tests equal to or
exceed ƒc′ (Specified 28-day
compressive strength)
2. No individual strength test (average of 2-
cylinders) is more than 3.5 Mpa below
the specified strength.
If results do not meet criteria
 Strength evaluation by drilled cores

36
Evaluation of Compressive Strength of Cores
Concrete represented by the cores are
considered structurally adequate if —

1. Ave. strength of 3-cores is at least 85% of

ƒc′ (Specified 28-day compressive
strength)
2. No single core less than 75% of ƒc′

37
Air Content
ASTM C 457

38
Saturated Surface-Dry Density (SSD-
Density)
M1 
DSSD  M M
1 2
where
DSSD is density in the SSD condition
M1 is the SSD mass in air, kg
M2 is the apparent mass immersed in
water, kg

is the density of water, 1000 kg/m3

39
 Void Content and Absorption
ASTM C 642

Absorption
Compressive Vol. of Absorption after im-
Cement, strength at 90 perm. after im- mersion and
kg/m3 w/cm days, MPa voids, % mersion, % boiling, %
445 0.29 76.7 8.0 3.13 3.27
327 0.50 38.2 12.7 5.45 5.56
245 0.75 28.4 13.3 5.81 5.90

Concretes moist cured for 7 days

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 Permeability
Permeability
Compressive 90 days
Cement, strength at RCPT, ponding, Water Air,
kg/m3 w/cm 90 days, MPa coulombs % Cl , m/s
m/s
ASTM C 39 ASTM C 1202 AASHTO API RP API RP
AASHTO T 22 AASHTO T 277 T 259 27 27

3.19 x
445 0.29 76.7 852 0.022 —
10-10
1.94 x 1.65 x
327 0.50 38.2 4315 0.076
10-12 10-9
Concretes moist cured for 7 days
8.32 x 1.45 41x
245 0.75 28.4 5915 0.085
10-12 10-9
 Durability Tests
 Frost resistance
ASTM C 666, C 671, C 682
 Sulfate resistance
 Alkali-aggregate Reactivity
ASTM C 227, C 289, C 295, C 441, C
586,
C 1260, C 1293
 Corrosion Resistance
 Abrasion Resistance
ASTM C 418, C 779, C 944, C 1138
42
 Carbonation ASTM C 856

The depth of carbonation is determined by spraying phenolphthalein

solution on a freshly broken concrete surface. Noncarbonated areas turn red
or purple, carbonated areas stay colorless.
43
Nondestructive Test Methods (NDT)
 Rebound Hammer
 Penetration
 Maturity
 Pullout
 Break-Off
 Dynamic or Vibration
 Other

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Schmidt Rebound Hammer
ASTM C 805

45
 Schmidt Rebound Hammer

The results of a Schmidt rebound hammer test

(ASTM C 805) are affected by:
1 Surface smoothness
2 size, shape, and rigidity of the specimen
3Age and moisture condition of the concrete 4-
Type of coarse aggregate
5- Degree of carbonation of the concrete
surface.

46
Cold Bend Testing for Steel Reinforcement Bar
ASTM A615

47
Windsor Probe
ASTM C 803

48
Pullout Test
ASTM C 900

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-1-
Nondestructive Tests for Concrete
Concrete Recommended NDT Possible NDT
properties methods methods
Penetration probe
Rebound
Strength
hammer Pullout
methods Break
off
Penetration probe
General
Rebound hammer Ultrasonic pulse echo
quality and
Ultrasonic pulse velocity Visual examination
uniformity
Gamma radiography
Radar
Thickness Gamma radiography
Ultrasonic pulse echo
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Stiffness Ultrasonic pulse velocity Proof loading
-2-
Concrete Recommended NDT Possible NDT
properties methods methods
Gamma radiography
Density Neutron density gage
Ultrasonic pulse velocity
Rebar size Covermeter X-ray radiography
and location Gamma radiography Ultrasonic pulse echo
Corrosion Electrical potential
state of rebar measurement
Presence of Acoustic impact Infrared, X-ray,
subsurface Gamma radiography Ultrasound, Radar,
voids Ultrasonic pulse velocity Resonant frequency
Struct. integr. Proof loading (load- Proof testing using
of con. deflection) acoustic emission
struct.
Density Gamma radiography Neutron density gage
51