Compressive Strength Test of Concrete (ASTM C39 & IS 516)

Compressive strength test of concrete ASTM C39 vs IS 516

On almost every construction project, thousands of concrete cubes or cylinders are cast and tested. Yet obtaining an accurate result involves much more than simply placing a specimen in a compression testing machine. Factors such as specimen preparation, curing conditions, machine calibration, loading rate, and even the exact age of the specimen can significantly influence … Read more

Rice University Brings New Optionality to One of Concrete’s Oldest Problems

Texasslabguys.com Texas slab guys Jeff Price

Texas Slab Guys Explains a Concrete Breakthrough By Jeff Price, Founder & President, Texas Slab Guys For as long as reinforced concrete has existed, engineers have watched it fail in ways that feel almost inevitable. A coastal overpass develops rust stains along its soffits. A parking garage deck starts flaking at the rebar lines. A … Read more

Why Cement Mortar Need to be Consumed Within 30 min?

properties of mortar

Why cement mortar need to be consumed within 30 min just after it is mixed? Cement mortar is a mixture of cement, sand, and water used for various construction purposes such as plastering, masonry, and laying bricks. The reason why cement mortar needs to be consumed within 30 minutes after its preparation is due to … Read more

WHAT IS REVERSE OSMOSIS?

How to check quality of drinking water

WHAT IS REVERSE OSMOSIS? Reverse Osmosis is not a new concept. Its process was first observed in 1748 by Jean-Antoine Nollet who used a pig’s bladder as a membrane.  Do you know why was it put into use and for what purpose?  Reverse Osmosis is the most popular technique used to purify water. It was … Read more

10+ TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS ON DURABILITY OF CONCRETE [IS-456]

Durability of concrete

From High Strength to High Performance Concrete Durability of concrete is now becoming the major concern for engineers as concrete may deteriorate with time in several ways. The most common durability failures in an outdoor climate are due to reinforcement corrosion or frost attack. In special environments concrete may suffer from chemical attack by various … Read more

4 FUNDAMENTAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER DURING CONCRETE MIX PROPORTIONING

Self compacting concrete

The process of selecting concrete mixture proportions is a process of optimization of several desirable characteristics based on the project requirements. The characteristics to be optimized are economy, strength, durability, and placeability. 1. Economy. The primary reason for systematically determining mixture proportions is economy. The maximum economy can be achieved by minimizing the amount of … Read more

BULKING OF FINE AGGREGATE – WHAT, WHY & HOW?

Field test on sand

Bulking of Sand – What, Why & How? After watching this video you will be able to answer following questions. What is bulking of sand? Why bulking happens? What are the factors affecting bulking of sand? How to measure bulking of sand at site? What are the effects of bulking on concrete? How to apply … Read more

FIRE RESISTING PROPERTIES OF COMMON BUILDING MATERIALS

Fire resisting properties of common construction material-min

FIRE RESISTING PROPERTIES OF COMMON BUILDING MTERIALS Fire resisting properties of common building materials such as stone, brick, timber, cast-iron, glass, steel and concrete are mentioned below. 1. STONE The stone is a bad conductor of heat. But it suffers appreciably under the effects of fire. The stone is also liable to disintegrate into small … Read more