Test Method of The Compressive Strength

MNS University of Engineering and Technology Multan
Lect # 4
4.1)
Test Method of the Compressive Strength (ASTM C 39) of Cylinder

and Cubical Specimens.
4.2)
Effect of Impurities in water and aggregate on the concrete strength
4.3)
Effect of water cement ratio upon the workability and strength
4.1)
Test Method of the Compressive Strength (ASTM C 39) of Cylinder and

Cubical Specimens.
The compressive strength of hardened concrete is determined from compression tests

on standard cylindrical specimens. Compressive strength tests are used during
concrete mix design to evaluate the performance of the materials and to establish
mixture proportions that will give the required strength. The tests are used also to
control the quality of the concrete in the field.
The compressive strength specified on the construction drawing and used in calculation
is measured by the compression test on 150 x 300 mm cylinders tested after 28 days of
moist curing.
According to ACI 5.6.2.4, the standard strength test means the average of the strength
of two 150 x 300 mm cylinder or at least three 100 x 200 mm cylinders, from the same
sample, tested at 28 days age. Alternatively for the local conditions, this strength test
may be taken identical to 80 % (75% is more safe value) of the average compressive
strength of two 150 x 150 x 150 mm cubes as per BS 5328-part 4-3.16 (not an ACI
provision)
The apparent strength of cubes is higher because of restraining effect of platen of the
machine. The local compressive stresses developed near the platen prevent the
splitting of concrete because of possible failure pattern resembling concrete in most of
the structural members.
Note: (During testing, the platens of the loading machine restrain the lateral expansion
of the concrete in parts of the specimen near its ends.This restraint is dependent on the
amount of friction developed. Under normal conditions, with friction, an element within
the specimen is subjected to a shearing stress as well as to compression. With an
increase of distance from the platen, the magnitude of the shearing stress decreases
and the lateral expansion increases.The restraining effect of the platens of the testing
machine extends over the entire height of the cube but leaves a part of the cylinder
unaffected due to this increase in aspect ratio. Therefore compressive strengths of
cubes are expected to be higher than those of cylinders made from the same concrete.)
Lecture Prepared by: Muhammad Riaz Ahmad (lecturer at MNS.UET Multan)
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4.1.1 Strength level of concrete is considered satisfactory if both of the following
are satisfied:
Every arithmetic average of any three consecutive strength test should not be
less than the minimum required compressive strength.
No individual strength test should give strength lesser than fc-3.5 MPa for fc35
Mpa. This limit is considered as 0.10fc when fc>35 Mpa
"Compressive strength" is defined as the average of the strengths of all cylinders of
the same age made from a sample taken from a single batch of concrete. At least two
cylinders, or preferably three, are required to constitute a test.
4.1.2 Requirements for Cylindrical Test Specimens:
(1) Length should be 2 times the diameter. Most commonly used: 12 inches in length &
6 inches in diameter.
(2) Diameter should be at least 3 times the maximum aggregate size.
(3) The ends should be ground or capped to provide smooth loading surfaces..
4.1.3 Test specimens can be:
(A) Molded from freshly mixed concrete and cured in the field (ASTM C 31) or in the
laboratory (ASTM C 192).
(B) cored from the hardened concrete in the field (ASTM C42).
(C) Made from cast-in-place cylinder molds (ASTM C873).
The equipment you will use to perform the compression test is a compression-testing
machine. An example of that machine, shown with a test cylinder in place, is illustrated
in figure 13-22.
4.1.4 Prepare, Curing and Testing according to the ASTM C192.
4.1.4.1 Preparation of Cylindrical Specimen:
Perform slump test on the fresh concrete.
Fill the Cylinder with three lifts of freshly mixed concrete, tamping each lift 25
times with the tamping rod. Also tap each lift lightly with a mallet 10 to 15 times.
Strike off the excess concrete with the tamping rod and finish to a smooth
surface with a steel trowel.
It is recommended that specimen be prepared and tested in groups of three.
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4.1.4.2 Curing the concrete specimen:
Allow the specimen to set for about 24 hours at normal room temperature, with
the top surface covered to prevent loss of moisture.
Strip the mold from the specimen and place in the curing facility until ready for
the testing.
4.1.4.3 The procedures for conducting the compression test:
1. Prepare the testing machine by cleaning the bearing plates and, if needed, cleaning
and lubricating.
Figure 4.1Compression-testing machine.

the spherical seat. Check the operation of the machine. Keep the previously prepared
test specimen moist by covering it during the period between removing the specimen
from the curing environment and testing. That applies to each specimen you will test.
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2. Determine the diameter of the test specimen to the nearest 0.25mm (0.01 inch) by
averaging two diameters measured at right angles to each other at mid height of the
cylinder. Measure the length, including caps, to the nearest 0.1 inch. Record the
dimensions on a prepared data sheet.
3. Place the specimen on the lower bearing block, bring the upper block almost to
contact. Carefully and slowly bring the spherical head into contact with the specimen,
rotating the movable portion gently by hand so that uniform seating is obtained.
4. Apply the test load continuously and load to the failure
Figure 4.2 Normal fracture of concrete test cylinder in compression.

5. Observe and record the maximum load during the test. Observe the type of fracture
and record any unusual features. The normal cone type of fracture is illustrated in figure
4.2.
4. Calculate the compressive strength of the concrete using the following formula:
Page 4
Where:
fc = compressive strength (in psi)
P= maximum load (in pounds)
A= cross-sectional area of specimen (in inches)
Figure 4.3 Flexural-strength testing assembly for 6-inch by 6-inch by 21-inch

concrete beam.
For each tested specimen, your test report should include the identification, diameter,
length, maximum load, compressive strength, irregular fracture or defect in caps or
specimen, and age of specimen at test. Report the average compressive strength of all
cylinders from the same concrete sample.
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4.2)
Effects of impurities in water and in aggregates on the performance and

durability of plain and reinforced concrete
Almost any natural water that is drinkable and has no pronounced taste or odor can be
used as mixing water for making concrete.
4.2.1 Drinkable Water is good for making concrete
Some waters that are not fit for drinking may be suitable for concrete making
provided that they satisfy the acceptance criteria laid by ASTM C 94 (Table 4.1 shown
below)
Table 4.1 Acceptance Criteria for Questionable Water Supplies (ASTM C 94)
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4.2.2 Effects of Impurities in Mixing Water
Excessive impurities in mixing water affect setting time and concrete strength and also
cause efflorescence (deposits of white salts on the surface of concrete), staining,
corrosion of reinforcement, volume changes, and reduced durability.
4.2.3 Use of Questionable Waters as Mixing Water

1) Sea Water
Seawater containing up to 35,000 ppm of dissolved salts is generally suitable as
mixing water for plain concrete
Seawater is not suitable for use in making steel reinforced concrete and prestressed
concrete due to high risk of steel corrosion
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2) Acid Waters
Acid waters may be accepted as mixing water on the basis of their pH values.
Use of acid waters with pH values less than 3.0 should be avoided.
Organic acids, such as tannic acid can have significant effect on strength at higher
concentrations.
3) Alkaline Waters
Waters with sodium hydroxide concentrations up to 0.5 % and potassium hydroxide in
concentrations up to 1.2 % by weight of cement has no significant effect on strength.
The possibility for increased alkali-aggregate reactivity should be considered before
using the alkaline water as mixing water.
Tannic acid can have significant effect on strength at higher concentrations.
4) Wash Waters
Wash waters may be reused as mixing water in concrete if they satisfy the limits in
Tables 4.1 and 4.2
Table 4.2 Chemical Limits for Wash Water used as Mixing water (ASTM C 94)
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5) Industrial Wastewaters
Industrial wastewaters may be used as mixing water in concrete as long as they only
cause a very small reduction in compressive strength, generally not greater than 10 %
to 15 %.
Wastewaters from paint factories, coke plants, and chemical and galvanizing plants
may contain harmful impurities. Thus such wastewaters should not be used as mixing
water without testing.
6) Sanitary Sewage
The sanitary sewage may be safely used as mixing water after treatment or dilution of
the organic matter.
7) Curing water:
Generally water satisfactory for the curing is also suitable for the mixing purposes.
However organic or iron water may causes the staining, particularly if water flows slowly
over concrete and evaporates rapidly. It is essential that curing water should be free
from substances that attacks the hardened concrete. For example concrete is attacked
by water conctaining CO2. Flowing pure water formed by ice formation of condensation
and containing little CO2, dissolves Ca(OH)2 and causes surface erosion. Curing with
sea water may leads attack to corrosion.
4.2.4 Effect of Impurities in Aggregates:
Besides reactive minerals, aggregates may contain other impurities, such as organic
matter, which are harmful to concrete.
Organic matter, such as that derived from decaying vegetation, is capable of
delaying setting and hardening of concrete. It is more likely to be found in fine
than in coarse aggregate and may be detected by the test.
In this test, sand in a bottle is inundated in a sodium hydroxide solution and allowed to
stand for 24 hours. The colour of the liquid above the sample is then compared with the
colour of a standard reference solution. If the colour of the liquid is lighter than that of
the reference solution, the amount of organic impurities present in the aggregate is not
significant. If the colour of the liquid is darker than that of the reference solution, the
aggregate contains organic compounds and further tests should be made to determine
if these are harmful. Normally, the strength of concrete made with the sand is used as a
gauge of the harmful effects of the impurities.
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Sugar has a strong retarding effect on the setting and hardening of concrete. In
severe cases of contamination, the resulting concrete may not set or may fail to
gain appreciable strength.
Silt, clay and dust may form a coating on aggregate particles, resulting in
weakened bond between the aggregate and the cement paste. Excessive
amounts of these fine materials may also increase unduly the water demand of
the concrete, resulting in loss of concrete strength and an increase in its
permeability.
Aggregates, particularly those dredged from the sea, or those washed with sea
water, may be contaminated by sea salt which contains a high proportion of
chloride ions. The amount of chlorides in concrete is of major concern because of
its influence on the corrosion of embedded steel. They also increase shrinkage
and reduce the sulphate resistance of concrete.
Aggregates that are chemically stable will neither react chemically with cement in a
harmful manner nor be affected chemically by normal external influences. Reactive
aggregates may result in serious damage to the concrete by causing abnormal
expansion, cracking and loss of strength.
4.2.5 Alkali-aggregate Reactions
Some aggregates containing reactive silica will react with the alkalies in cement sodium and potassium oxides - to form an alkali-silica gel which takes up water and
swells. This causes abnormal expansion and map-cracking of the concrete.
The following categorises the principal rock type into non-reactive and reactive types.
Aggregates known to be non-reactive from field experience and testing:
Greywacke
Schist
Basalt <50% SiO2
Quartz Sands
Phonolite
Rhyolitic pumice
Granite
Perlite
Vermiculite
Limestone
Aggregates or minerals known to be potentially reactive either from field experience or

laboratory testing:
Basalt >50% SiO2
Page 10
Christobalite
Andesite
Tridymite
Dacite
Quartzite
Rhyolite
Amorphous and Criptocrystalline silicas
(including Opal & Chalcedony)
Volcanic glass
4.3)
Effect of water cement ratio upon the workability and strength of

concrete.
4.3.1 Importance of w/c ration in concrete:

As the concrete is mixture of water, aggregates and cements. Hence water cement
ration is most important factor which affects the workability that finally results the
strength of concrete. As the ultimate goal of any design is to attain the required strength
so w/c ratio must be according to the design and specifications.
For normal construction the water cement ratio is usually 0.5
Adding to much water will reduce the strength of concrete and can cause
seggregation.
For different ratio of concrete the amount of water for 50kg of cement is
Concrete ratio
Water quantity
1:3:6
34 liter
1:2:4
30 liter
1:1.5:3
27 liter
1:1:2
25 liter
4.3.2 Water/cememt ration effects on workability:

Water content in given volume of concrete will have significant influence on the
workability. The higher the water content for cubic meter of concrete, the higher the
workability of concrete and less will be the strength of concrete.
Slump Test can be used to find out the workability of concrete.
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Table 4.3 Relation with workability, compactness factor, slump and concrete
strength:
Workability
Compactness factor
Slump (mm)
Strength
Very low
Low
0.78
0.85
0-25
25-50
Very high
High
Medium
High
0.92
0.95
50-100
100-175
Medium
less
4.3.3 Effect of water cement ration on strength of concrete.

Water cement ration is inversely related to concrete strength.
Following are the some problems related with the concrete strength due to high w/c
ratio.
1) Segregation
The separation of constituents in a heterogeneous mixture creating a nonuniform distribution of concrete mixture.
More w/c ratio results in segregation of concrete which causes the reduction in
the strength
2) Bleeding
Any increase in the amount of water or water-to-cementitious material ratio results in
more available water for bleeding. A one-fifth increase in water content of a normal
concrete mixture can increase bleeding rate more than two and a half times.
Bleeding in concrete may be considered as the physical migration of water towards the
top surface. It is not always favorable as it increases finishing time, decreases strength,
wear resistance and bond strength.
Page 12

Test Method of The Compressive Strength

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MNS University of Engineering and Technology Multan