Tensile Strength Test of Hydraulic Cement Mortars Purpose Determination of the tensile strength of hydraulic cement mortars using briquet specimens. Equipment and Materials 2 kg scale accurate to 0.1 gram Briquet molds Small steel trowels Clips for holding the test specimens Testing machine capable of applying the load at a rate of 2.67 ± 11 … Read more
Test for Density of Hydraulic Cement Purpose Determination of the density of hydraulic cement in connection with the design of Portland cement concrete mixtures Equipment and Materials Standard Le-Chatelier Flask as shown below Heavy rubber pad about 12 in. × 12 in. square Lead ring weight to fit around stem of the flask Funnel Thermometer … Read more
Test for Clay Lumps and Friable Particles Purpose Clay and friable particles may be present in the form of lumps in natural aggregates. If they are near the surface, these lumps can cause pitting under the influence of traffic. Specifications frequently limit these particles to a maximum of 1%. Equipment and Materials Weighing device accurate … Read more
Compressive Strength Test of Hydraulic Cement Mortar Purpose The following covers only that portion of ASTM Designation: C 109 that is required to determine the compressive strength of 50 mm (2 inches) of Portland cement mortar cubes. Equipment and Materials A 2kg scale accurate to 0.1 gram Six 50 mm (2 inch) cube molds Hard … Read more
Rodded Unit Weight of Coarse Aggregate Purpose Determination of the unit weight of coarse aggregates in a compacted condition. This test method is applicable to aggregates not exceeding 15 cm (6 inches) in nominal size. The unit weight so determined is necessary for the design of a concrete mixture by the absolute value method. Equipment … Read more
Quality Requirement of Fly Ash Bricks 1. General Quality Bricks shall be free from cracks and flaws and nodules of free lime. Bricks shall have smooth rectangular faces with sharp corners Bricks shall be uniform in colour The proportion of soil and fly ash shall be as per IS-2117-1991. Fly ash used to manufacture of … Read more
Advantages of Prestressed Concrete Most of the prestressed members are precast and therefore all the advantages or precast concrete hold true for prestressed concrete also. To know the advantages of precast concrete click here. In addition, there are advantages to be gained by prestressing when conditions are favorable to its use. Following additional advantages due … Read more
HOLLOW CONCRETE BLOCK MASONRY Concrete blocks having core void area larger than 25% of the gross area is termed as hollow concrete blocks. These blocks are manufactured in different shapes and sizes as shown in the following figure. Some of the standard sizes of hollow concrete blocks are as follow. Standard size hollow concrete block … Read more
Laboratory Vane Shear Test of Soil Aim To determine shear strength of clay soil using laboratory vane shear apparatus. Theory In soil, shear strength is contributed by the two properties. Cohesion, and Angle of internal friction In pure clays the shear resistance due to internal friction is negligible. Hence, the complete shear strength in clays … Read more
Tests on Aggregate Aggregate plays an important role in pavement construction. Aggregates influence, to a great extent, the load transfer capability of pavements. Hence it is essential that they should be thoroughly tested before using for construction. Not only that aggregates should be strong and durable, they should also possess proper shape and size to … Read more