Barishal Engineering College

Department of Civil Engineering

CE 304: Engineering Material Lab

Experiment-5: Compressive Strength of Cylindrical and Cubes Concrete Specimens

Introduction:
The compressive strength of concrete is one of the most important and useful
properties of concrete. In most structural applications concrete is employed primarily to
restst compressive stresses. Nevertheless, strength usually gives an overall picture of the
quality of concrete because it is directly related to the structure of the hardened cement
paste. Values obtained will depend on the size and shape of the specimen, batching,
mixing procedures, the methods of sampling. molding, and fabrication and the age,
temperature, and moisture conditions during curing.
The test method covers determination of compressive strength of cylindrical
specimens such as molded cylinders and drilled cores. It is limited to concrete having a
unit weight in excess of 50 Ib/ft3 (800 kg/m3). The test method consists of applying a
compressive axial load to molded cylinders or cores at a rate which is within a prescribed
range until failure occurs. The compressive strength if the specimen is calculated by
dividing the maximum load attained during the test by the cross-sectional area of the
specimen.
The results of the test method may be used as a basis for quality control of
concrete proportioning, mixing, and placing operations; determination of compliance
with specifications; control for evaluating effectiveness of admixtures and similar uses.
The test method conforms to the ASTM standard requirements of specification
C39 for cylinder and BS1881 for cube.

Apparatus;
Testing Machine: The testing machine shall be of a type having sufficient and capable of
providing the rates of loading as required.

a)Design- The machine must be power operated and must apply the load continuously
rather than intermittently, and without shock.

b)Accuracy- The percentage of error for the loads within the proposed range of use of the
testing machine shall not exceed# 1.0% of the indicated load.

i) The testing machine shall be equipped with two steel bearing blocks with hardened
faces (Note-1). one of which is a spherical seated block that will bear on the upper
surface of the specimen, and the other a solid block on which the specimen shall rest.
Braring faces of the blocks shall have a minimum dimension at least 3% greater that the
diameter of the specimen to be tested. When the diameter of the bearing face of the
spherically seated block exceeds the diameter of the specimen by more than1/2 in. (13
mm), concentric circles not more than1/32 in. (0.8 mm) deep and not more than3/64 in.
(1.2 mm) wide shall be inscribed to facilitate proper centering.
Note-1: It is desirable that the bearing faces of blocks used for compression testing of
comcrete have a Rockwell hardness of not less than 55 HRC.
ii) Bottom bearing blocks shall conform to the following requirements:

The bottom bearing block is specified for the purpose of providing a readily machinable
surface for maintenance of the specified surface conditions (Note-2). The top and bottom
surfaces shall be parallel to each other. The block may be fastened to the platen of the
testing machine. Its least horizontal dimension shall be at least 3% greater than the
diameter of the specimen to be tested.

Final centering must be made with reference to the upper spherical block. When the
lower bearing block is used to assist in centering the specimen, the center of the
concentric rings, when provided, ir the center of the block it self must be directly below
the center of the spherical head. Provision shall be made on the platen of the machine to
assure such a position.

The bottom bearing block shall be at least 1 in. (25 mm) thick when new, and at least 0.9
in. (22.5 mm) thick after any resurfacing operations.
Note-2: If the testing machine is so designed that the platen itself can be readily
maintained in the specified surface condition, a bottom block is not required.

iii) The spherically seated bearing block shall conform to the following requirements:

The maximum diameter of the bearing face of the suspended spherically seated block
shall not exceed the values given below:

Diameter of Test Specimens, in Maximum Diameter of bearing Face in, (mm)

(mm)
2 (51) 4 (102)
3 (76) 5 (127)
4 (102) 6.5 (165)
6 (152) 10 (254)
8 (203) 11 (279)

Note-3: Square bearing faces are permissible, provided the diameter of the largest
possible inscribed circle does not exceed the above diameter.

The center of the sphere shall coincide with the surface of the bearing face within a
tolerance of # 5% of the radius of the sphere. The diameter of the sphere shall be at least
75% of the diameter of the specimen to be tested.

The ball and the socket must be so designed by the manufacturer that the steel in the
contact area does not permanently deform under repeated use, with loads up to 12000 psi
(82.7M pa) on the test specimen.
 Fig.1- Schematic Sketch of a Typical Spherical Bearing Block.

Note-4: The preferred contact area is in the form of a ring (described as preferred
‘bearing” area) as shown on Fig.1.

▪ The curved surfaces of the socket and of the spherical portion shall be kept clean and
shall be lubricated with a petroleum- type oil such as conventional motor oil, not with a
pressure type grease. After contacting the specimen and application of small initial
load, further tilting of the spherically seated block is not intended and is undesirable.

▪ If the radius if the sphere is smaller than the radius of the largest specimen to be tested,
the portion of the bearing face extending beyond the sphere shall have a thickness not
less than the difference between the radius of the sphere and radius ot the specimen.
The least dimension of the bearing face shall be at least as great as the diameter of the
sphere ( see Fig.1).

▪ The movable portion of the bearing block shall be held closely in the spherical seat, but
the design shall be such that the bearing face can be rotated freely and tilted at least 40
in any direction.

iv) Load Indication- If the load of a compression machine used in concrete is registered
on a dial, the dial shall be provided with a graduated scale that can be read to at least the
nearest 0.1% of the full scale load. The dial shall be readable within 1% of the indicated
load at any given load level within the loading range. In no case shall the loading range of
a dial be considered to include loads below the value that is 100 times the smallest
change of load that can be read on the scale. The scale shall be provided with a
graduation line equal to zero and so numbered. The dial pointer shall be of sufficient
length to reach the graduation marks; the width of the end of the pointer shall not exceed
the clear distance between the smallest graduations. Each dial shall be equipped with a
zero adjustment that is easily accessible from the outside of the dial case, and with a
suitable device that at all times until reset, will indicate to within 1% accuracy the
maximum load applied to the specimen.

Specimens:
a) Specimens shall not be tested if any individual diameter of a cylinder differs from any
other diameter of the same cylinder by more than 2%.

b) Neither end of compressive test specimens when tested shall depart from
perpendicularity to the axis by more than 0.50 (approximately equivalent to 1/8 in. in 12
in. (3 mm in 300 mm). The ends of compression test specimens that are not plane within
0.002 in. (0.050 mm) shall be capped to meet that tolerance. The diameter used for
calculating the cross sectional area of the test specimen shall be determined to the nearest
0.01 in. (0.25 mm) by averaging two diameters measured at right angles to each other at
about mid-height of the specimen.

c) The number of individual cylinders measured for determination of average diameter

may be reduced to onr for each ten or three specimens per day, whichever is greater, if all
cylinders are known to have been made from a single lot of reusable or single-use molds
which consistently produce specimens with average diameters within a range of 0.02 in.
(0.51 mm) when the average diameters do not fall within the range of 0.02 in. or when
the cylinder tested must be measured and the value used in calculation to the unit
compressive strength of that specimen. When the diameters are measured at the reduced
frequency, the cross-sectional areas of all cylinders tested on that day shall be computed
from the average of the diameters of the three or more cylinders representing the group
tested that day.
d) The length shall be measured to the nearest 0.05 D (D being the diameter for the
cylinder and the diagonal for cube) when the length to diameter ratio is less than 1.8, or
more than 2.2, or when the volume of the cylinder is determined from measured
dimensions.

Materials:
For a mix ratio 1:2:4, the materials required for 6 cylinders at different water-cement are:
Cement : 3/8 cft.
Fine-Aggregate : 3/4 cft.
Coarse-Aggregate : 1 ½cft.

For the same mix ratio the specimen sizes are:

Cylinder: 6”×12” cylindrical specimen.
Cube : 6”× 6”× 6” cubic specimen.
Mix the materials in machine for 3 minutes followed by 3 minutes rest, and then followed
by 2 minutes final mixing.
Procedure:

Cylindrical specimens:

▪ Fill each mold with concrete in four layers, tamping each layer 25 times with 5/8 in.
steel tamping rod. If vibrator is used, its frequency should not be greater than 7000/
minutes if it is an internal electric vibrator. In case of an external vibrator, the
frequency will be 3600/ mm.

▪ While filling the molds, occasionally stir and scrape together the concrete remaining
in the mixing pan to keep the materials from separating. Fill the molds completely,
smooth off the tops evenly.

▪ Cover the cylinders immediately and place in the moist storage for 24 + 8 hours at a
temperature of 23 + 1.70C, then remove the specimens from molds and immerse in
saturated lime water until testing.

Cubic specimens:

▪ Fill each mold in three layers tamping each layer 35 times with 25 sq. mm, 380 mm
long and 1.8 kg compacting bar, or vibrator (if possible).

▪ After filling the specimens shall be stored in moist condition (free from vibration) in
at least 90% relative humidity and 20 + 2 oc temperature for 16 to 24 hrs. Then
remove the specimens and immerse in saturated lime water until testing.

Fig, 2- Sketches of Type of Fracture.

Method of Testing:
a) Compression tests of moist-cured specimens shall be made as soon as practicable after
removal from moist storage.

b) Test specimens shall be kept moist by any convenient method during the period
between removal from moist storage and testing. They shall be tested in the moist
condition.
c) All test specimens for a given test age shall be broken within the permissible time
tolerances prescribed as follows:

Test Age Permissible Tolerance

+
24 h 0.5 h or 2.1 %
3 days 2 h or 2.8 %
7 days 6 h or 3.6 %
28 days 20 h or 3.0 %
90 days 2 days or 2.2 %

d) Placing the Specimen- Place the plain (lower) bearing block, with its hardened face up,
on the table or platen of the testing machine directly under the spherically seated (upper)
bearing block. Wipe clean the bearing faces of the upper and lower bearing block and of
the test specimen and place the test specimen on the lower bearing block. Carefully align
the axis of the specimen with the centre to thrust of the spherically seated block. As the
spherically seated block is brought to bear on the specimen, rotate its movable portion
gently by hand so that uniform seating is obtained.

e) Rate of Loading- Apply the load continuously and without shock. For hydraulically
operated machines, the load shall be applied at a rate of movement ( platen tp crosshead
measurement) corresponding to a loading rate on the specimen within the range of 20 to
50 psi / sec. (0.14 to 0.34 MPa / sec). The designated rate of movement shall be
maintained at least during the latter half of the anticipated loading phase of the testing
cycle.

f) During the application of the first half of the anticipated loading phase a higher rate of
loading shall be permitted.

g) Make no adjustment in the rate of movement of the platen at any time while a
specimen is yielding rapidly immediately before failure.

h) Apply the load until the specimen fails, and record the maximum load carried by the
specimen during the test. Note the type of failure and the appearance of the concrete.

Calculation:
Calculate the compressive strength of the specimen by dividing the maximum load
carried by the specimen during the test by the average cross-sectional area and express
the result to the nearest 10 psi (69 kPa).
If the specimen length to diameter ratio is less than 1.8, multiply the obtained result by
the appropriate correction factor shown in the following table:

L/D 1.75 1.50 1.25 1.00

Factor 0.98 0.96 0.93 0.87(Note 5)

Note-5: These correction factors apply to lightweight concrete weighing between 100 and
120 Ib / ft3 (1600 and 1920 kg /m3) and to normal weight concrete. They are applicable to
concrete dry or soaked at the time of loading. Values not given in the table shall be
determined by interpolation. The correction factors are applicable for nominal concrete
strengths from 2000 to 6000 psi (13.8 to 41.4 MPa).

Report:
1. The report shall include the following:
▪ Identification number
▪ Diameter, cross-sectional area
▪ Maximum load in pounds-force or Newtons
▪ Compressive strength to the nearest 10 psi or 69 kPa
▪ Type of failure
▪ Age of specimen

2. Draw the followings in plain graph paper

▪ Compressive strength (for cylinder) vs. water-cement ratio at different ages
▪ Compressive strength vs. age for cylindrical specimen at different water-cement ratio
▪ Compressive strength (for cube) vs. water-cement ratio at different ages
▪ Compressive strength vs. age for cubic specimen at different water-cement ratios

Question:
1. What is the effect of age of concrete and the water-cement ratio upon strength curve?

2. Discuss the effect of rate of loading upon the compressive strength.

3. Discuss the effect of capping upon the compressive strength.

4.What is the effect upon the compressive strength if 1/d ratio is other than 2 ?

5. Cube strength is greater than cylinder strength-justify your answer.

 Data Sheet
Experiment No. 9
Compressive Strength of Cylindrical and Cube Concrete Specimens

Date of Casting…………………………………………..
Type of Coarse Aggregate………………………...
Slump Value ……………………………. W/C…………….. S/A…………….

Proportion: - Cement: Fine Aggregate: Coarse Aggregate……………………….

Compressive/Tensile Avg. Comp. /Ten.

Age of Strength Strength
Number of Diameter Height Area Tested Crushing
Specimens
(Testing Date)
Specimens (mm) (mm) (mm2) for Load (kN) N/mm2 N/mm2
psi psi
(MPa) (MPa)
Cyl-1 CS
7-Day Cyl-2 CS
Cyl-3 CS
Cyl-4 CS
14-Day Cyl-5 CS
Cyl-6 CS
Cyl-7 CS
Cyl-8 CS
Cyl-9 CS
Cyl-10 TS
28-Day
Cyl-11 TS
Cube-1 CS
Cube-2 CS
Cube-3 CS

Name :
_______________________ Reg. No :
Signature of the Teacher Gr. No. & Sec :
Date :
Discussion: