Concrete technology lab manual

List of Index

Serial Name of experiment Page

number number

1 Determine fineness of cement by sieving.

2 Determine specific gravity, standard consistency, initial and final
setting times of cement
3 Determine compressive strength of cement
4 Determine silt content in sand.
5 Determine bulking of sand
6 Determine bulk density of fine and coarse aggregates
7 Determine water absorption of fine and coarse aggregates.
8 Determine Fineness modulus of fine aggregate by sieve analysis.
9 Determine elongation and flakiness index of coarse aggregates
10 Determine workability of concrete by slump cone test.
11 Determine workability of concrete by compaction factor test.
12 To prepare concrete mix of a particular grade and determine
compressive strength of concrete for 7 and 28 days
13 Demonstration of NDT equipment
 Experiment no.1 Determination of Fineness of Cement

Theory:
The fineness of cement has an important bearing on the rate of hydration, the rate of gain
of strength and the rate of evolution of heat. Finer cement offers a greater surface area for
hydration and leads to faster the development of strength. Different cements are ground to
different fineness. The particle size fraction below 3 microns has been found to have the
predominant effect on the strength at one day while 3–25-micron fraction has a major
influence on the 28 days strength. Increase in fineness of cement increases the drying
shrinkage of concrete.

Objective: To determine the fineness of cement by dry sieving.

Reference: IS 4031(Part -1):1988

Apparatus:
a) Standard balance with 100 gm weighing capacity.
b) IS: 90-micron sieve confirming to IS: 460 :1962 and a Brush.

Procedure:
1. Take a sample of cement and rub the cement with your hands. The test sample should be
free of lumps.
2. Now Take 100 gm of cement and note it as W1.
3. Pour 100 gm of cement in 90 µm sieve and close it with the lid.
4. Now place the sieve in Sieve shaking machine for two minutes. One can also shake the
sieve with hands by Agitating the sieve in planetary and linear movements for 15 minutes.
5. Next, weight the residue retained on the 90 µm sieve as W2.
6. Repeat the above experiment with three different samples of cement and average the values
for accurate results.

Result:
The percentage weight of residue over the total sample is reported.
W2
% Weight of Residue = *100
W1

The following table shows fineness of cement value,

Weight Cement
Serial Weight of Fineness of
Sample Retained on
no. Cement Sample Cement
90µm Sieve

Average

Limits:
The percentage residue should not exceed 10% of total Weight of the Sample

Precautions:
1. Sieving shall be done by holding the sieve in both hands and gentle wrist motion. This
shall involve no danger of spilling the cement, which shall be kept well spread out on the
screen.
2. The underside of the sieve shall be lightly brushed with a 25 or 40 mm bristle brush after
every five minutes of sieving.

3. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

4. The weighing should be done accurately.

5. Make sure that the sieving operation is done in all the direction for a minimum of 15
minutes.
Experiment number 2. Determine specific gravity, standard consistency, initial and final
setting times of cement.

Determination Of Specific Gravity of Cement

Theory: Specific gravity is defined as the ratio between weight of a given volume of
material and weight of an equal volume of water at a specified temperature. It is one of the
factors which plays important role in the density of cement. In case of cement, specific
gravity is determined by use of a Le Chatelier’s flask. Kerosene is used instead of water as
it does not react with cement. The specific gravity of OPC is generally around 3.15. If
the specific gravity of cement is more than 3.19 then it has more moisture content, which
will affect the mix and bonding.

Objective: Determination of specific gravity of cement using Le-Chatelier flask.

Reference: IS 4031 (Part-11):1988.

Apparatus: Le Chaterlier’s flask, weighing balance,

 Le Chatelier’s Flask

Material: Ordinary Portland cement; kerosene

Procedure:

1.Dry the flask carefully and fill with kerosene to a point on the stem between zero and 1
ml.
2.Record the level of the liquid in the flask as initial reading.
3. Put a weighted quantity of cement (about 60 g) into the flask so that level of kerosene
rise to about 22 ml mark, care being taken to avoid splashing and to see that cement does
not adhere to the sides of the above the liquid.
4.After putting all the cement to the flask, roll the flask gently in an inclined position
to expel air until no further air bubble rises to the surface of the liquid.
5.Note down the new liquid level as final reading.
Observations:
•Weight of cement used in gm (W1) : _______
•Initial reading of flask in ml (V1) : _______
•Final reading of flask in ml (V2): _______
•Volume of cement particle (V2 - V1) : _______
•Weight of equal volume of water in g. (W2) : _______
•Specific gravity of cement (W1/ W2): _______
Result and conclusion:
Specific gravity of the given cement: ___________.

Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. While pouring cement in the specific gravity bottle (or Le-Chatelier flask), care should be
taken to avoid splashing and cement should not adhere to the inside of the flask above the
liquid.

3. The kerosene oil should be completely free from water.

4. The specific gravity bottle should be kept in a constant temperature water bath sufficiently

long to ensure constant temperature

5. All air bubbles will be eliminated in filling the apparatus and inserting the stopper.

Consistency Test of Cement

The consistency of cement paste is defined as minimum percentage of water required in

cement for the complete chemical reaction. It plays a vital role in the determination of
compressive strength of concrete and workability test for concrete. A certain quantity of
water is necessary to react with cement to make a past with appropriate plasticity. This test
is conducted to calculate the amount of water to be added to the cement to get a paste of
standard consistency which is defined as that consistency which will permit the Vicat
plunger to penetrate to a po int 5 to 7 mm from the bottom of the Vicat mold.
This experiment is done with the help of Vicat apparatus . Typical values are in the
range of 26% to 33%. Standard consistency of cement increases with increase in fineness
of cement.

Objective: Determination of percentage of water by weight of cement required to prepare

a standard acceptable (consistent) cement paste.

Reference: IS 4031 (Part-4):1988.

Apparatus: Vicat apparatus conforming to IS: 5513-1998; Weighing balance;

Gauging trowel; measuring cylinder.

Material: Ordinary Portland cement; Water.

 Vicat Apparatus with Needle for Standard Consistency Test

Procedure:
1.Take 400 g of cement sieved through 90 micron IS sieve and keep it on a non-porous,
non-absorbent plate.
2.Add 100 ml of water (i.e. 25% by weight of cement) to the cement and mix
thoroughly with two trowels for 3 to 5 minutes till a uniform cement paste is
achieved.
3.Fill the paste in the mold and level with trowel. Shake or tap to remove air
bubbles.
4.Place the nonporous plate and the mold under the plunger.
5.Release the plunger gently to touch the surface of paste. Record the initial
reading.
6.Release the plunger quickly and allow penetrating into the paste. When the
plunger comes to rest, note the final reading.
7.Repeat the procedure with fresh paste varying the water percentage until the
plunger penetrates to a depth 5 to 7 mm from the bottom of the Vicat mold.

Observation table
Serial Water added Percentage Initial needle Final needle Height not
number (ml) water reading reading penetrated (in mm)

Result: Percentage of water required to achieve normal consistency of cement paste is

___________.
Determination of Setting Times of Cement

Setting time of cement paste is that the interval during which the cement paste losses its
plasticity after adding water in cement. Setting time of cement is calculated in two parts:
(1) Initial setting time of cement and (2) Final setting time of cement.
Initial setting time is regarded as the time elapsed between the moments that the water is
added to the cement to the time that the paste starts losing its plasticity and the hardening
of the cement starts. It is the time within which the cement can be molded in any desired
shape without losing its strength. Final setting time is the time when the paste becomes
completely hard that the annular attachment to the needle under standard weight only
makes an impression on the hardened cement paste.

For an Ordinary Portland Cement, the initial setting time should not be less than 30 minutes
while the final setting time should not be more than 600 minutes.

Objective: Determination of initial and final setting time of cement

Reference: IS 4031 (Part-5):1988
Apparatus: Vicat apparatus conforming to IS: 5513-1998; Weighing balance;
Gauging trowel; measuring cylinder; stop watch.

Material: Ordinary Portland cement; Water.

 Vicat apparatus and needle for Initial and Final setting time

Procedure:
1. Prepare a uniform cement paste by gauging 400 g of cement with 0.85 times the
water required to prepare a paste of standard consistency. The procedure of mixing
and filling the mould is same as standard consistency.
2.Start the stopwatch

Determination of initial setting time:

3.Place the test block confined in the mould and resting on the non-porous plate, under the
rod bearing the initial setting needle (with cross section 1 mm 2); lower the needle
gently until it comes in contact with the surface of the test block and quickly release,
allowing it to penetrate into the test block
4. Repeat this procedure at different location until the needle, when brought in contact
with the testblock and released as described above, fails to pierce the block beyond
5.0 ± 0.5 mm measured from the bottom of the mould. Note the time.
 5.The difference of time between operations (2) and (4) provides the initial setting
time of cement.

Determination of final setting time:

6.Replace the initial setting needle of the Vicat apparatus by the needle with an annular
attachment.

7.The cement shall be considered as finally set when, upon applying the needle gently to
the surface of the test block, the needle makes an impression thereon, while the
attachment fails to do so.

8.The interval of time between operation (2) and (7) provides the final setting
time of cement.

Observations:
•Weight of given sample of cement is ___________ g.
•The normal consistency of a given sample of cement is ___________ %
•Volume of water addend (0.85 times the water required to give a paste of
standard consistency) for preparation of test block ____________ ml

Time in minutes
Height in mm fails to penetrate

Initial setting time of cement (in min):

Final setting time (in min):

Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. Care should be taken to maintain the specified temperature and the time of mixing .
3. Gauging time should be strictly observed.

4. Care shall be taken to keep the needle straight and clean.

5. The initial and final setting time needles should be released gently.

6. Position of the Vicat mould should be shifted slightly after each penetration to avoid
penetration at the same place.
 Experiment no. 3 Determine compressive strength of cement

Theory: The compressive strength of cement mortar is one of the most important and
useful property. The compressive strength test is done on cement, when it is used as cement
mortar and concrete. This test is not made on plain cement due to excess shrinkage
and cracking of plain cement paste. The test is therefore carried out on blocks of
mortar made of cement, standard sand and water. As per IS 650: 1991, standard sand is
obtained from Ennore, Tamilnadu which has the following particle size distribution:
Smaller than 2 mm but greater than 1 mm: 33.33%Smaller than 1 mm but greater than 500
μ: 33.33%Smaller than 500 μ but greater than 90 μ: 33.33%. In the mortar, cement and
sand are used in the proportion of 1:3. For ordinary portland cement of 43 grade, the
average compressive strength after 3, 7 and 28 days should not be less than 23
N/mm2, 33 N/mm2 and 43 N/mm2 respectively.

Objective: Determination of compressive strength of cement.

Reference: IS 4031-1988 (Part-6) .

Apparatus: Vibration Machine, Poking Rod, Cube Mould of 70.6 mm size conforming
to IS: 10080-1982, Balance, Gauging Trowel, Watch, Graduated Glass
Cylinders, etc.Material: Ordinary portland cement (43 grade); Water; Grease, Standard
sand ( IS: 650-1966).

Procedure:
Preparation of cement mortar cubes:

1.Take 200gms of cement and 600 g of standard sand (i.e. ratio of cement to sand
is 1:3) in a non-porous enamel tray and mix them with a trowel for one minute.
𝑃
2.Add water quantity ( 4 + 3 )% of combined weight of cement and sand and mix

the three ingredients thoroughly until the mixture is of uniform colour. (‘P’ is the
consistency of cement). The time of mixing should be less than three minutes and
not more than four minutes.
3.Immediately after mixing fill the mortar into greased cube moulds of sizes 70.6
mm.
4.Compact the mortar either by hand compaction in a standard specified manner or on the
vibrating table.
5.Place the moulds in cabin at a temperature of 27º ± 2º C for 24 hours
6.Remove the specimen from the moulds and submerge them in clean water for curing.

Testing of cement mortar cubes:

7.Take the cube out of water at the end of 3 days/ 7 day / 28 day with dry cloth.
8.Place the cube in compressive testing machine and apply the load uniformly at the rate
of 14N/mm2 per minute.
9.Note the load at which the cube fails. Let it be ‘F’.
10.Calculate the compressive strength of the cube by using formula F /𝐴. Where A is the
area of loaded surface (i.e.50 cm2 ).
11.Repeat the same procedure (steps 7 to 10) for other two cubes.
12.Repeat the whole procedure (Step 7 to 11) to find the compressive strength of the cube
at the end of 3day/ 7 days/ 28 days.

Observations: (a) For 3 days strength:

S.No. Area ( mm2) Load ( N) Compressive strength
(N/mm2)

1. 5,00,000
2. 5,00,000
3. 5,00,000

Average Compressive strength (N/mm2)=

 Observations: (b) For 7 days strength:
S.No. Area ( mm2) Load ( N) Compressive
strength (N/mm2)

1. 5,00,000
2. 5,00,000
3. 5,00,000

Average Compressive strength (N/mm2)=

Observations: (c) For 28 days strength:

S.No. Area ( mm2) Load ( N) Compressive strength
(N/mm2)

1. 5,00,000
2. 5,00,000
3. 5,00,000

Average Compressive strength (N/mm2) =

Results: The type and grade of cement :

The compressive strength of cement ate the end of
i) 3 days: ___________ N/mm2.
ii) 7 days: ___________ N/mm2.
iii) 28 days: __________ N/mm2.

Conclusions: Average compressive strength of cement mortar at the end of 3 days, 7 days
and 28 days are _______ N/mm2, _______ N/mm2 and _______ N/mm2,
respectively. Thus the cement sample satisfies/ not satisfy the codal requirements for
the given type and grade of cement.
 Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. The molds should be oiled before the experiment.

3. The weighing should be done accurately.

4. The date of cube casting and expected concrete grade shall be marked with permanent
marker before putting cubes in water.

5. Increase the load gradually during testing.

6. The cement mortar cubes should be tested immediately after taking out of water and not
allowed to dry until they fail under testing.
 Experiment no 4. Determine silt content in sand.

Theory: Sand or fine aggregate is one of the most important construction materials at any
construction site. Sand should be tested for the presence of clay, silt, moisture and other
deleterious materials (salts, coal, mica) that may affect the strength of a structure and cause
avoidable rework. A good quality construction sand has a particle size measuring about
150 microns to 4.75mm. Particles smaller than this are classified as silt. Silt content in
sand must not exceed 8% as per is IS 2386-2. If the silt content on sand exceed 8 % that
that may result in a reduction in binding capacity of mixed materials, which also affects
the strength and durability of the final product. It is recommended to conduct silt content
test for every 20m3 of sand.

Objective: To determine silt content in sand

Reference: IS 2386-2 (1963)

Apparatus required: 200 ml measuring cylinder, tray

Material required: Sand

Procedure:

1. In 250 ml measuring cylinder pour the water mixed with common salt till it reaches 50
ml mark. Presence of salt increases the speed of settlement of course particles.
2. Then fill the cylinder with sand till 100 ml mark
3. Further add salt water till 150ml mark is reached
4. Place the stopper on mouth of the glass cylinder and shake it vigorously.
5. Place the measuring cylinder on a hard leveled surface and tap it all round so that sand is
leveled.
6. Wait for three hours for the silt to settle on top of the sand.
7. Measure the thickness of the silt layer and the height of the sand.
 Observation Table

Sr. Sample – 1 Sample – 2 Sample-3

Description
No:
Thickness of Sand
1
Layer

2 Height of Sand + Silt

Percentage of silt (%) =

Thickness of silt layer
3 x
Height of sand + Silt

100%

Average Silt content in sand :

Results:

Silt content of sand is: %

Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. Proper lighting shall be there while testing

3. The reading shall be taken accurately keeping eye in horizontal level.

 Experient no.5: Determine bulking of sand

Increase in the volume of sand due to presence of moisture is known as bulking of

sand. Bulking is due to the formation of thin film of water around the sand grains
and the interlocking of air in between the sand grains and the film of water . Due
to the bulking, fine aggregate shows completely unrealistic volume. To compensate the
bulking effect extra sand is added in the concrete so that the ratio of coarse to fine
aggregates will not change from the specified value. Maximum increase in volume
may be 20 % to 40 % when moisture content is 5 % to 10 % by weight. Fine sands show
greater percentage of bulking than coarse sands with equal percentage of moisture.

Objective: To ascertain the bulking phenomena of given sample of sand.

Reference: IS: 2386 (Part-3)-1963.
Apparatus: Beaker, 1000ml measuring jar, brush, scale, mixing tray.
Material: Fine aggregate, water.

Procedure:
1.Put sufficient quantity of dry sand into the beaker until it is about one-thirds full.
2.Level off the top of the sand and measure the height (H1) by pushing a steel rule
vertically down through the sand at the middle to the bottom. Measure weight of the
sand.
3.Add 2% of water; mix it thoroughly in the container. Smooth and level the top
surface measure the height (H2) of soil. Find the height percentage increment.
4.Repeat the same procedure with increasing amount of water by 2% until
percentage increment of sand height is reduced and attends original level.
5.Plot a graph of percentage increment of sand height against percentage of water.
 Typical bulking curve of sand

Observations:

Initial Height of sand in the Jar (H1) : _______ mm

Weight of fine aggregate : ________ g

S.No. % of water Volume of Height of sand H2−H1

Bulking = ∗ 100
H1
water (ml) (H2)

Results:
 From the tabulated results and the plotted graph is is observed that, the given sand
specimen under goes maximum bulking at _________% of moisture contain. Maximum
percentage of bulking is __________

Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. All lengths shall be measured properly with zero mark at proper level.

3. Water shall be properly measured with flask and proper mixing of sand water shall be
ensured.
 Experiment no.6: Determine bulk density of fine and coarse aggregates

Theory: Density is an important parameter for aggregate. For aggregates, density is

determined by multiplying the relative density (specific gravity) of the aggregate times
the density of water. The bulk density or unit weight of an aggregate is the mass or
weight of the aggregate that required to fill a container of a specified unit volume.

Mass
Bulk Density =
Volume

Reference : IS 383 :1970

AIM: To determine the bulk density of coarse and fine aggregates.

APPARATUS: Weighing balance , metallic cylindrical containers of 3 liter capacity (for

fine aggregate) Of 15 liter capacity (for aggregate up to 40mm) liter and 5 liter capacities,
temping rod .

Material : Fine and Course aggregate

Procedure For Compacted Bulk Density

1. Measure the volume of the cylindrical metal measure by pouring water into the metal
measure and record the volume “V” in litre.
2. Fill the cylindrical metal measure about one-third full with thoroughly mixed aggregate
and tamp it 25 times using tamping bar.
3. Add another layer of one-third volume of aggregate in the metal measure and give
another 25 strokes of tamping bar.
4. Finally fill aggregate in the metal measure to over-flowing and tamp it 25 times.
5. Remove the surplus aggregate using the tamping rod as a straightedge.
6. Determine the weight of the aggregate in the measure and record that weight “W” in kg.

Calculation For Compacted Bulk Density

Compacted unit weight or bulk density = W/V

Where,
W = Weight of compacted aggregate in cylindrical metal measure, kg
 V = Volume of cylindrical metal measure, litre

Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. Tamping shall be done properly though out the cylinder.

3. Top surface of cylinder shall be levelled properly after filling it with aggregate.
 Experiment no 7: Determine water absorption of fine and coarse aggregates.

Theory: water absorption percentage also provides an idea about strength of aggregate.
Aggregates having more water absorption are more porous in nature and generally
considered unsuitable. Usually, water absorption of coarse aggregate is about 0.5% by
weight whereas water absorption of fine aggregate is about 2.0% by weight. Water
absorption values are used to calculate the change in the weight of the aggregate while
proportioning and mixing of concrete. Extra water is added to cater the need of water
absorption.

Objective: To determine water absorption of fine aggregate.

Reference: IS: 2386 (Part-3)-1963.

Apparatus: 1000-ml measuring cylinder, temperature-controlled oven

Material: Fine aggregates (500 g)

Procedure:

1. Place 500 g of fine aggregate in a tray and cover it with distilled water at a

temperature of 22 to 32°C. Remove air entrapped in or bubbles on the surface of

the aggregate by gentle agitation with a rod. Keep the sample immersed under

water for 24 Hrs.

2. Carefully drain the water from the sample, by decantation through a filter paper.

Air dry the aggregate and solid matter retained on the filter paper, to remove the

surface moisture. When the material just attains a “free-running” condition,

weight the saturated and surface-dry sample (A).

5. Carefully drain the water from the sample, by decantation through a filter paper.

Oven-dry the aggregate in the tray at a temperature of 100 to 110oC for 24 hrs.
 During this period, stir the specimen occasionally to facilitate proper drying.

Cool the aggregates calculate its weight (B).

6. Calculate the specific gravity, apparent specific gravity and the water absorption

as follows:

Water absorption (in %) = 100 × [(A − B)/B]

Where, A = Weight in g of saturated surface-dry sample

B = Weight in g of oven dried sample only.

Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. The temperature of oven shall not be maintained above 110-degree Celsius.

3. During retrieving the sample from oven heat insulated gloves shall be used.

Objective: To determine water absorption of course aggregate.

Reference: IS: 2386 (Part-3)-1963.

Apparatus: Balance of capacity 5kg weight, box wire basket 200mm in diameter, water
container for immersing the wire basket, absorbent cloth for surface drying of

Material: coarse aggregates (5 Kg), the sample and thermos static drying oven.

Procedure

1.A sample of not less than 2 Kg of the aggregate shall be thoroughly washed to remove finer
particles and dust, drained and then placed in the wire basket and immersed in water with a
cover of at least 5 cm of water above the top of the basket.
2.. The basket and aggregate shall remain completely immersed during the operation and for a
period of 24 hours afterwards.
3. The basket and the aggregate shall then be removed from the water and allowed to drain for a
few minutes, after which the, aggregate shall be gently emptied from the basket on to one of the
dry clothes,.
4. The aggregate placed on the dry cloth shall be gently surface dried with the cloth, transferring
it to the second dry cloth when the first will remove no further moisture. The aggregate shall then
be weighed (weight A).
5. The aggregate shall then be placed in the oven in the shallow tray, at a temperature of 100 to
110°C and maintained at this temperature for 24 ± ½ hours. It shall then be removed from the
oven, cooled in the airtight container and weighed (weight B).
6. The water absorption shall be calculated as.
Water absorption (in%)= 100 x [(A - B)/B]

Where,
A = Weighting of the saturated surface - dry aggregate in air
B = Weight in g of oven dried aggregate in air

Result:

Water Absorption % :

Precautions:

1. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. The temperature of oven shall not be maintained above 110-degree Celsius.

3. During retrieving the sample from oven heat insulated gloves shall be used.
 Experiment no.8: Determine Fineness modulus of fine aggregate by sieve analysis

Theory: Aggregate is the inert, inexpensive materials dispersed throughout the cement
paste so as the produce a large volume of concrete. The size of fine aggregates
below 4.75 mm is known as fine aggregate. It serves the purpose of comparing one
aggregate with another in respect of fineness or coarseness. For classification of fine
aggregates, the following limits may be taken as guidance:
• Fine sand: Fineness modulus should lie in between 2.2 to 2.6
• Medium sand: Fineness modulus should lie in between 2.6 to 2.9
• Coarse sand: Fineness modulus should lie in between 2.9 to 3.2
Sand having a fineness modulus more than 3.2 is unsuitable for making satisfactory
concrete. The coarse aggregates have fineness modulus usually more than 5.

IS 383:2016 specifies four grading zones for fine aggregates. These four grading
zones become progressively finer from Grading Zone I to Grading Zone IV . The
ratio of fine to coarse aggregate reduces as the fine aggregate becomes finer from Grading
Zones I to IV. Fine aggregate belonging to Zone I, Zone II, Zone III is suitable for RCC
work as per IS 383:2016 while Zone IV is suitable for all sort of plastering work.

Objective: To determine fineness modulus of fine aggregate.

Reference: IS: 383-1970.

Apparatus: Set of sieves ( 4.75 mm, 2.36 mm, 1.18 mm, 600 micron, 300 micron &

150 micron, pan.) ; Balance; Pan

Material: Fine aggregates ( 1 Kg)

Procedure

1.Take 1 kg aggregate from the sample and put it in pan.

2.Sieve the aggregate using the appropriate sieves.

3.Record the weight of aggregate retained on each sieve.
4.Calculate the cumulative weight of aggregate retained on each sieve.
5.Calculate the cumulative percentage of aggregate retained.
6.Add the cumulative weight of aggregate and calculate the fineness modulus
using formula:
Σ𝐶
Fineness modulus for fine aggregates = 100.

C : Cumulative percentage of mass retained in a sieve.

7.Determine the grade of aggregates from the Table shown above.

Observations:

Results :
The fineness modulus of given samples of fine aggregate is __________.
The grading to which the given samples belong is __________.
Precautions:

1. Clean the sieves thoroughly before testing and after testing.

2. Fan shall be turn off while retrieving sample from sieves for weighing.
 Experiment no.9 : Determine elongation and flakiness index of coarse aggregates

Theory: Elongation and Flakiness index of aggregate test is conducted on coarse

aggregates sample to estimate the shape of aggregates. Flaky and elongated aggregates are
difficult to compact. Therefore, using flaky and elongated aggregates will reduce concrete
workability, which required more amount of water to produce a workable mix. Increasing
water content will reduce concrete strength and durability.. It is important to keep the
amount of flaky and elongated aggregate within permissible levels. Generally, flaky and
elongated aggregate are avoided or are limited to about 15 % by weight of the total
aggregate.

Flakiness Index
The flakiness index of aggregate is the % by weight of the particles (aggregates) whose
thickness is less than 3/5th(0.6 times) of their mean dimension.
Elongation Index
The Elongation index of aggregate is the % by weight of the particles (aggregates) whose
4
length is greater than 1 5 (1.8 times) of their mean dimension.”

Aim: To determine the Flakiness and elongation Index of given aggregates.

Reference : IS: 2386-Part 1-(1963)
Apparatus: IS sieves of sizes 63, 50, 40, 31.5, 25, 20, 16, 12.5, 10 and 6.3 mm, Weighing
balance , Thickness Gauge- For Flakiness Index , Length Gauge- For Elongation Index

Procedure For Flakiness Index Test Of Aggregate:-

1. Sieve the aggregate sample with sieves specified in Table1 .

2. Size of aggregate Thickness (mm) Thickness gauge Length Guage (mm)**

Passing thorough IS Retained on IS Sieve (mm)*
Sieve
63 50 33.9
50 40 27 81
40 31.5 19.50 58.5
31.5 25 16.95 -
25 20 13.50 40.5
20 16 10.80 32.4
16 12.5 8.55 25.6
12.5 10 6.75 20.2
10 6.3 4.89 14.75
* This Dimension is equal to 0.6 times mean Sieve Size
** This Dimension is equal to 1.8 times mean Sieve Size

Table 1. Dimensions (Length and Thickness) of Gauges

3. Take sufficient quantity of aggregate to provide the minimum number of 200 pieces of any
fraction to be tested.

4. Then to separate the flaky materials, gauge each fraction for thickness on a thickness gauge
of the pattern

5. The width of the slot used in the thickness gauge should be of the dimensions specified in
column 3 of Table 1 for the appropriate size of material.

6. Weigh the total amount of flaky material passing the gauge to an accuracy of at least 0.1
percent of the weight of the test sample.

Figure 1. Thickness gauge for Flakiness Index

 Passing through Retained on IS Flakiness Gauge Weight passing Percentage
IS Sieve (mm) Sieve (mm) (mm) on Flakiness Weight Passing
Gauge (g) (%)
63 50
50 40
40 31.5
31.5 25
25 20
20 16
16 12.5
12.5 10
10 6.3
Total
Table 2. Flakiness Index Table

Procedure For Elongation Index Test Of Aggregate:-

1. Sieve the aggregate sample with sieves specified in the given Table 1.

2. Take sufficient quantity of aggregate to provide the minimum number of 200 pieces of any
fraction to be tested.

3. Then to separate the elongated materials, gauge each fraction on a length gauge of the
pattern

4. The length gauge, used in the test, should be of the dimensions specified in column 4 of
Table 1 for the appropriate size of material.

5. Weigh the total amount of elongated aggregate retained by the length gauge to an accuracy
of at least 0.1 percent of the weight of the test sample.
 Figure 2. Length gauge for Elongation Index

Passing through Retained on IS Flakiness Gauge Weight retained Percentage

IS Sieve (mm) Sieve (mm) (mm) on Elongation Weight retained
Gauge (g) (%)
63 50
50 40
40 31.5
31.5 25
25 20
20 16
16 12.5
12.5 10
10 6.3
Total

Table 3. Elongation index table

Calculation.

The Flakiness Index on an aggregate :

 Total weight passing Flakiness Gauge
x 100 =_________(%).
Total weight of test sample

The Elongation Index on an aggregate:

Total weight retained on Elongation Gauge

x 100 =_________(%).
Total weight of test sample

PRECAUTIONS
1. All parts of equipment should be cleaned before and after use.
 Experiment no 10. Determine workability of concrete by slump cone test.

Theory: A concrete is said to be workable if it can be easily mixed, placed, compacted and
finished. Unsupported fresh concrete flows to the sides and a sinking in height
takes place. This vertical settlement is known as slump. The slump is a measure indicating
the consistency or workability of cement concrete. The slump increases as water-
content is increased. For different works different slump values have been
recommended. Slump test is adopted in the laboratory or during the progress of the work
in the field for determining consistency of concrete where nominal max., size of aggregates
does not exceed 40 mm. The slump cone experiment is conducted in an apparatus
called slump cone . This apparatus essentially consists of a metallic mould in the
form of a frustum of a cone having the internal dimensions as under: Bottom
diameter: 20 cm, Top diameter: 10 cm, Height: 30 cm and the thickness of the metallic
sheet for the mould should not be thinner than 1.6 mm.

Slump cone with base plate

Objective: To determine the workability of freshly mixed concrete by the use of

slump test.
Reference: IS: 7320-1974, IS: 1199-1959, SP: 23-1982
Apparatus: Slump cone, tamping rod, scale, trowel

Material: cement, sand, aggregate and water

Procedure:
1. Clean the internal surface of the mould thoroughly and place it on a smooth
horizontal, rigid and lock with bottom plate.

2.take a W/C ratio of 0.45 to 0.55 and prepare concrete mixture of 1:2:4 .

3.Fill the mould to about one fourth of its height with concrete.
4.Tamp the layer with the round end of the tamping rod with 25 strokes
disturbing the strokes uniformly over the cross section.
5.Fill the mould further in 3 layers each time by 1/4th height and tamping evenly each
layer as above. After completion of rodding of the topmost layer strike of the concrete
with a trowel or tamping bar, level with the top of mould.

6 unlock the cone and lift it vertically slowly and remove it.

7.The concrete will subside. Measure the height of the specimen of concrete after
subsidence.
8.The slump of concrete is the subsidence, i.e. difference in original height and
height up to the topmost point of the subsided concrete in millimeters.

Observations:
Water cement ratio
Slump ( mm)
 Result: The slump of concrete is: ________ mm.

Precautions :

1. The internal surface of the mould should be cleaned and free from moisture and greased
regularly.
2. The base plate or surface should be free from vibrations or shocking.
3. This test is done just after mixing .
4. Temping shall be done thoroughly all over the surface.
 Experiment no. 11 :Determine workability of concrete by compaction factor test.

Theory: This aggregate test is adopted to determine workability of concrete where

nominal size of does not exceed 40 mm. It is based on the definition, that
workability is that property of concrete, which determines the amount of work required
to produce full compaction. The test consists essentially of applying a standard amount
of work to standard quantity of concrete and measuring the resulting compaction. The
compaction factor is defined as the ratio of the weight of partially compacted concrete to
the weight of fully compacted concrete.. The relationship between degree of workability
and compaction factor are:

Degree of Very low Low Medium High

workability
Compaction Factor 0.75-0.80 0.80-0.85 0.85-0.92 >0.92

Compaction factor apparatus

Objective: To measure the workability of concrete by compaction factor test.

Reference: IS: 1199-1959, SP: 23-1982.

Apparatus: Compaction Factor Apparatus, tamping rod, metallic sheet, weighing

machine and scale.
Material: Cement, sand, coarse aggregate and water

Procedure:
1.Prepare a concrete mix for testing workability. Consider a W/C ratio of 0.45 to 0.55

and design mix of proportion about 1:2:4 . Weigh the quantity of cement, sand,

aggregate and water correctly. Mix thoroughly. Use this freshly prepared concrete for the
test.
2.Place the concrete into the upper hopper up to its brim.
3.Open the trap door of the upper hopper. The concrete will fall into the lower
hopper.
4.Open the trap door of the lower hopper, so that concrete falls into the cylinder
below.
5.Remove the excess concrete above the level of the top of the cylinder; clean the outside
of the cylinder.

6.Weight the concrete in the cylinder. This weight is of partially compacted concrete,

(W1).
7.Empty the cylinder and refill with concrete in layers, compacting each layer

well just like it is full compacted. Top surface may be struck off level.

8.Find weight of the concrete in the fully compacted state. This weight is the “Weight of
fully compacted concrete" (W2).

Observations:
•Weight of partially compacted concrete (W1) : _________ Kg
•Weight of fully compacted concrete (W2) : _________ Kg
•Compaction factor (F) =𝑊1/𝑊2: _________.
 Result: The compaction factor of concrete is: ________.

Precautions:

1. The internal surface of the mould should be cleaned and free from moisture and greased
regularly.
2. This test is done just after mixing .
 Experiment no 12.To prepare concrete mix of a particular grade and determine
compressive strength of concrete for 7 and 28 days.

Theory : The process of selecting suitable ingredients of concrete and determining their
relative amounts with the objective of producing a concrete of the required, strength,
durability, and workability as economically as possible is termed the concrete mix design.
The proportioning of ingredient of concrete is governed by the required performance of
concrete in plastic state and hardened state. The compressive strength of hardened
concrete which is generally considered to be an index of its other properties depends
upon many factors like quality and quantity of cement, water and aggregates, batching
and mixing, placing, compaction and curing.

Reference : IS:456-2000, IS-10262:2019

Procedure :

1. Step 1. The characteristic strength is defined as that value below which not more than 5
per cent results are expected to fall, in which case the Target mean strength for mix design.

Target mean strength:

Where, fck= Characteristic compressive strength at 28 days and S = Standard deviation

2. Selection of Water / Content Ratio: Consider from the specified table (Table-5) of IS: 456
for desired exposure condition as preliminary w/c ratio that has to be further checked for
limiting value ensuring durability.

3. Calculation of Water Content: IS: 10262-2009 allows use of water reducers/ super
plasticizers and also specifies the alteration in water content accordingly. Further water
adjustment was specified in terms slump variation (+3% for every 25mm slump over
50mm).
4. Calculation of Cement Content: The cement content per unit volume of concrete may be
calculated from free water-cement ratio and the quantity of water per unit volume of
concrete.

5. For the desired workability, the quantity of mixing water per unit volume of concrete and
the ratio of coarse aggregate to total aggregate by absolute volume are to be estimated
from Table 5 of IS 10262. From Table 5, volume of coarse aggregate corresponding to
20mm size aggregate and fine aggregate (Zone I) for water-cement ratio of 0.50 =0.60.
For every ±0.05 change in w/c, the coarse aggregate proportion is to be changed by 0.01.
If the w/c is less than 0.5 (standard value), volume of coarse aggregate is required to be
increased to reduce the fine aggregate content. If the w/c is more than 0.5, volume of
coarse aggregate is to be reduced to increase the fine aggregate content.

6. Calculation of Aggregate Content: Aggregate content can be determined from the

following equations,
 Where,

V = Absolute volume of fresh concrete, which is equal to gross volume (m 3) – volume of

entrapped air.

W= Mass of water (kg) per m3 of concrete

C= Mass of cement (kg) per m3 of concrete

Sc=Specific Gravity of cement

P= Ratio of coarse aggregate to total aggregate by total volume

fa,Ca= Total mass of fine and coarse aggregate per m3 of concrete respectively

Sfa , Sca Specific Gravities of saturated, surface dry fine aggregate and coarse aggregates
 Experiment number 13. Demonstration of NDT equipment’s

Non-destructive tests of concrete is a method to obtain the compressive strength and

other properties of concrete from the existing structures without damaging it or part of it.
This test provides immediate results and actual strength and properties of concrete
structure.

Methods of Non-Destructive Testing of Concrete

1. Rebound hammer method

2. Ultrasonic pulse velocity method

1. Rebound Hammer Method

The rebound hammer is a surface hardness tester for which an empirical correlation has
been established between strength and rebound number.

The only known instrument to make use of the rebound principle for concrete testing is
the Schmidt hammer, which weighs about 4 kg and is suitable for both laboratory and
field work. It consists of a spring-controlled hammer mass that slides on a plunger within
a tubular housing. The hammer is forced against the surface of the concrete by the spring
and the distance of rebound is measured on a scale. The test surface can be horizontal,
vertical or at any angle but the instrument must be calibrated in this position.

Several readings are taken, well distributed and reproducible, the average representing
the rebound number for the cylinder. This procedure is repeated with several cylinders,
after which compressive strengths are obtained.

Rebound hammer test

Limitations and Advantages
The Schmidt hammer provides an inexpensive, simple and quick method of obtaining an
indication of concrete strength, but accuracy of ±15 to ±20 per cent is possible only for
specimens cast cured and tested under conditions for which calibration curves have been
established.

The results are affected by factors such as smoothness of surface, size and shape of
specimen, moisture condition of the concrete, type of cement and coarse aggregate, and
extent of carbonation of surface.

2. Ultrasonic pulse velocity method

It measures the time of travel of an ultrasonic pulse passing through the concrete.
The fundamental design features of all commercially available units are very similar,
consisting of a pulse generator and a pulse receiver. Generally, slower soundwaves
correlate with low quality concrete that has defects and anomalies, and faster soundwaves
correlate with high quality concrete that has few anomalies.

Pulse velocity tests can be carried out on both laboratory-sized specimens and completed
concrete structures. The presence of reinforcing steel in concrete has an appreciable
effect on pulse velocity. It is therefore desirable and often mandatory to choose pulse
paths that avoid the influence of reinforcing steel or to make corrections if steel is in the
pulse path.

Applications and Limitations

The pulse velocity method is an ideal tool for establishing whether concrete is uniform.
It can be used on both existing structures and those under construction.
Usually, if large differences in pulse velocity are found within a structure for no apparent
reason, there is strong reason to presume that defective or deteriorated concrete is
present.
High pulse velocity readings are generally indicative of good quality concrete. A general
relation between concrete quality and pulse velocity is given in Table.

Table: Quality of Concrete and Pulse Velocity

PULSE VELOCITY CONCRETE QUALITY

>4.0 km/s Very good to excellent

Good to very good, slight

3.5 – 4.0 km/s
porosity may exist

Satisfactory but loss of

3.0 – 3.5 km/s
integrity is suspected

<3.0 km/s Poor and los of integrity exist.