Soil Test to Find Organic Matter Content in Soil Purpose Deleterious contents of soil such as organic matter affect its characteristics and behavior adversely and must therefore be within 2%. Procedure Take an air dried sample of soil and determine its moisture content. Using another sample, produce about 100 g of soil passing the 10 … Read more
Determination of Soluble Sulphate Content Purpose Sodium sulphate is present in some soils. The salt is easily hydrated and dehydrated under the influence of climatic changes. There are enormous volume changes during this process of hydration and dehydration, which influence the engineering properties of soils. Procedure Take the soil sample in a state in which … Read more
Test to Check Total Calcium Oxide in Lime Purpose The lime should have a purity of at least 70% by weight of CaO when tested as follows: Procedure Take one gram of powdered lime, accurately weighed, in a platinum crucible. Place it in an oven maintained at 105 + 20C until, on cooling and weighing, … Read more
Brick Manufacturing process Bricks are among the oldest and most enduring of mankind’s building materials. Bricks are made by shaping a plastic mass of clay and water, which is then hardened by drying and firing. Until comparatively recent times the clay was dug, the bricks were made and the kilns set or drawn by manual … Read more
Methods of Aggregate Sampling Due to the various sampling locations and the availability of equipment, there are several methods of taking aggregate samples. Uniformity of obtaining the sample cannot be emphasized enough, since it eliminates one variable in test results. The technician must remember that safety comes first. 1. PRODUCTION SAMPLING Bin Sample Sampling the … Read more
Aging of Bitumen Binders Bitumen, like any organic matter, is affected by factors like presence of oxygen, ultraviolet rays and changes in temperature. These factors are responsible for hardening of bitumen. Hardening results in Decrease in penetration value Increase in softening point temperature and Increase in penetration index (PI). For increased life of bituminous pavement … Read more
Quality Assurance for Cement Plastering Plastering is a process of applying one or more coats of mortar to a concrete surface, brickwork, stone masonry or lathing. It must be durable such that it resists the penetration of moisture and should be able to weather uniformly. It should also be pleasing in appearance. These properties depend … Read more
Factors influencing Corrosion of Reinforcement In reinforced cement concrete construction the corrosion of reinforcement takes place due to the presence of chlorides and sulphates beyond a critical limit and when sufficient alkalies is not obtained within the concrete to maintain steel in a positive condition. The following factors are responsible for corrosion of steel reinforcement … Read more
Bricks used in construction industry can have the following defects. So before using the bricks, it should be inspected properly for presence of any of the following defects. Different Types of Defects Found on Bricks 1. Over-burning of Bricks Bricks should be burned at temperatures at which incipient, complete and viscous vitrification occur. However, if … Read more
Aim This test method describes the procedure for determining the drying shrinkage or change in length of concrete specimen due to changes in moisture content. Apparatus A length measuring apparatus incorporating a dial gauge capable of measuring the length accurately to 0.005 mm. (see fig shown below) Drying oven capable of maintaining a temperature of … Read more
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