Top 5 Most Important 'Types of Concrete Test' that you should know about

Top 5 Most Important 'Types of Concrete Test' that you should know about

Here we mentioned the MOST important test of concrete that should be known to you. These types of tests include slump test, hardness test, Durability test, Non-destructive test and many more.

Concrete is basically a composite material consists of fine & coarse aggregate, water, cement, and admixtures.

In order to to get high-quality concrete, it is necessary to check the concrete sample whether it is made as per requirement or not.

What do you mean by 'Good-quality concrete'?

Mainly there are three parameters by which we can figure out whether the concrete sample is suitable or not.

1. Strength(A good concrete should have min. compressive strength as per standard code).
2. Durability(It is a property of concrete by which it is capable of resisting its decay).
3. Workability(Workability can be defined as the ease with which the concrete can be mixed, transported etc).

➤ Importance of Concrete Testing

Obviously in the present time, Concrete plays an important role in construction or civil engineering.

There are lots of reason why we should ensure the quality(Hardness, durability, strength, elasticity etc).

There are lots of problems that could arise in concrete due to lack of concrete test.

Some of them are listed below:

• Cracks and voids in the finished concrete.
• The concrete of Low compressive strength.
• Bleeding...

As a civil engineer or site engineer, you cannot afford any mistake while making of concrete as per requirement.

Test of concrete should be done as mentioned in the standard code.

 There are some important tests that should be performed on concrete to assure its quality.

➤Some important types of concrete test

1. Workability test
2. compressive strength test
3. Non-destructive test
4. Destructive test
5. Durability test

➤ WORKABILITY TEST

Workability test of concrete is one of the important factors as this is related to the strength of concrete.

Workability of concrete is the ability to fill the mould properly with the vibrator but without compromising concrete's quality.

The Workability of concrete can be measured by the following test:

• SLUMP TEST
• VEE-BEE TEST
• COMPACTING FACTOR TEST

➠ Slump Test of Concrete

 Slump test of concrete is used to determine the consistency of a fresh concrete.

Slump test of concrete is the simplest way to find the workability of concrete.

This test is done using fresh concrete.

The dimensions of the cone used in this test are- 10 cm(Top diameter), 20 cm(Bottom diameter), 30 cm(height).

True, shear and collapse are the three types of the slump, where the True slump is considered as the most suitable one.

 The ideal height of true slump is 25-50 mm for the dry sample, 150-175 mm for the wet sample.

One thing you should keep in mind that the slump test has some limitation.

This is only limited to medium to low workability.

In case of high consistent concrete, this experiment fails.

Collapse slump defined as high workability and for shear slump the top portion of concrete shears off.

➠Vee-Bee Test

The vee-bee test is best suitable for low to very low workability concrete.

The objective of the vee-bee test is also the same as the slump test. Measurement of workability is done by time(sec) which is called as vee-bee seconds.

This experiment gives an idea about compatibility and mobility of concrete.

➠Compacting Factor Test

In this test, the compacting factor is the ratio of partially compacted concrete to fully compacted concrete.

Concrete with low-compactibility cannot be performed by slump test. This is where compacting factor test comes into the mind.

The value of compacting factor ranges from 0.7 to 0.95.

➤The concrete compressive strength of concrete

As we know the concrete is most suitable for taking the compressive load.

Thus, it is necessary that any concrete member could resist a good amount of compressive load.

In this test, we determine the maximum compressive strength of the concrete sample after 28 days of curing.

 As per standard code of India, 150 mm concrete cubes are used in this test.

One thing you must know is that the concrete sample should be submerged for 28 days and after every 7 days water should be renewed.

After 28 days of curing, the concrete specimen is placed on the machine plate.

Now load is applied gradually to the specimen until the collapse of the concrete cube.

This is how the procedure should be followed.

➤Destructive and Non-destructive Test of Concrete

These tests are performed to determine the compressive strength of the existing concrete structure where you cannot get your desired concrete sample.

This types of tests are done by the destructive or Non-destructive way.

In case of Non- destructive way, compressive strength is to be determined without harming the structure or any concrete member.

There is a various way to implement the Non-destructive test, Some are listed below:

• Rebound hammer test

• penetration and pullout techniques

• Surface hardness test

• Radio-active method...

Whereas Destructive test has the same aim but different approach.

Most common Destructive tests are listed below:

• Concrete core test

• Cube test

• Tensile strength test

➤Durability Test

In order to retain the sustainability of concrete, the durability of concrete is most essential.

To make the concrete durable, 

it's important that concrete should have some qualities like:

• Water resistance
• Chloride attack resistance
• Resistance to penetration of water.

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• REINFORCED CONCRETE
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• QUANTITY SURVEY
• ENGINEERING VIEW ON BURJ-AL-ARAB 

Conclusion:

The most important types of the concrete test have been discussed.As a site engineer we must produce high-quality work.

And by testing concrete, we can simply increase the quality of work.