Concrete

A complete report detailing principles, properties, and experimentation in Concrete.

Group #4, Sec.# CR

Francisco Franco (Reporting Member)

Hector Salinas (Group Member)

Kristian Posada (Group Member)

Leonel Ramirez (Group Member)

Objective

- Determine the effect of fixed days on concrete strength gain.

- Prepare specimens for harden concrete test.

- Relate fresh concrete properties to hardened concrete properties.

- Obtain the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and modulus of rupture of

concrete.

- Familiarization of compressive strength.

Report submitted: November 1, 2021

The data in this report have been checked for accuracy by: Francisco Franco
Abstract

The concrete lab provided an extensive and descriptive approach to concrete

manufacturing, analysis and testing. From the specific, step by step, manner of adding different

materials, mixing for a period, stopping then mixing again, or even the procedures that

walkthrough carefully setting the specimen into a piece of equipment to observe the outcome,

there was a very well written guide to compliment the operation. Interestingly, the results were

rather expected in the sense that although a small sample, the concrete would hold up well to the

test that were conducted.

Furthermore, observing closely provided a newfound appreciation, an appreciation of

concrete’s role in the massive, industrial world of construction. Being that concrete is a go to

material used out in real world construction, a close encounter gave vital knowledge.

Introduction/Objectives

Concrete. Often the foundation of many structures is now the foundation of this lab.

Notably, the lab is split into two sections.

The first section is mainly to get a sense of comfort with mixing and making concrete.

After combining the samples, there is a feel of real wet concrete. Then the concrete is introduced

to an important test, the slump test, as well as measurements and moldings.

The second section is after the concrete samples were set to use, as for a number of days

the concrete was “cured”. The concrete is put through a series of challenges with the end goal

being to show the capabilities after curation. Ultimately coming to one conclusion, through

gathered data, it was evident that the longer the curation period of the concrete the better it

performed.
Materials and Equipment

Throughout the lab there were many different materials and pieces of equipment used to

conduct the desired experiment. Each having component having an important purpose, makes the

lab run efficiently and well ordered. These elements would include a few bowls, water, cement,

coarse aggregate, and fine aggregate for mixing. A device such as a watch or phone is

encouraged to keep track of time, but a clock will do just fine. A slump cone and slump tray,

along with a rod to strike the sample in the cone. A container the size of a bucket or a bucket.

Five cylinders made from a plastic like flexible material as a mold. A mold for the concrete

beam. A compression testing machine. Pieces of disposable wood that could keep a cylinder in

place, such as a wooden ruler. A marker, capable of marking material such as concrete. And

lastly a rule would be of use as measurements and making lines are part of the lab.

Procedure

Considering that the lab was divided into two sections, and the first section being the

introductory phase, the lab started slow. Beginning with a brief explain and overview of what is

to come, followed by identifying the materials and equipment that is to be used. Once knowing

exactly what is to be used, how to use it and how much to use, the materials are gathered. In our

group’s case it was 4.55 kilograms of cement, 2.96 kilograms of water, 13 kilograms of Coarse

aggregate, and 12.36 kilograms of Fine aggregate to make an estimate of .01301 meters cubed

batch of concrete.

The lab starts with mixing the materials, multiple bowls were strongly advised and used.

The Coarse aggregate is to be placed in a bowl alone. Followed by adding half the water. Begin

mixing and slowly add the Fine aggregate into the concoction. Add in the cement, continue
mixing and record the time. When timing a mixture, the beginning of the time is referred to as

the “start time”. Then add the remaining half of the water. Continue mixing the compound until

it is 3 minutes past the start time. Then allow a resting period of 3 minutes. Once again begin

mixing for a 2-minute interval. The mixing is then complete when the aggregates are fully

submerged in paste. Give one last mix of 30 seconds. Clean the bowls used during this process to

avoid any substances hardening onto the bowl. After making the fresh concrete, the slump test

was to follow. The slump test is to measure the consistency of the fresh concrete.

Begin with the dampening of the slump cone and placing upon the designated slump tray.

Hold cone firmly and begin pouring the fresh concrete into it. The slump cone should be filled in

three part, rodding each layer twenty-five times. Once full, level the surface by striking off the

excess concrete without contact with the cone that would cause a reaction in the cone like

vibration. Remove the cone, vertically, and place next to the sample to record the height in

comparison to the slump cone.

After the slump test, molding concrete into cylinders and beams is the next and final part

of the first section. To kick off the process, a mold is provided based on your group. A beam

mold was used, and the first step was to clean the mold as much as possible. Make sure the mold

is properly assembled and scoop concrete into the mold. The beam mold is to be filled in two

parts. With the scoop go along the concrete in the mold to ensure an even spread. Rod the

concrete sixty times per section, making sure to strike the mold evenly and deep enough to

penetrate about half an inch. After filling a section, pat the outside of the mold to ensure the

concrete seeps into any air pockets. And lastly leave to cure as directed by the instructor,

concluding the first part of the lab.

 The second part of the lab is acquiring our specimens and testing them to see how they do

once harden. Beginning with the test for compressive strength, wipe down the compressing

machine to ensure an outcome completely reliant on the specimen intended. For the compressive

strength test a cylinder will be used. Place said specimen on the lower plate of the machine and

align to the center. Operate the machine as advised by the instructor and bring the upper plate to

the top of the specimen and apply uniform seating. Then apply the load until the specimen falls.

Record the results for data.

The following test is called splitting tensile strength, once again using the cylinder as the

specimen and placing it in a manner of where it will be split. Begin with drawing diametric lines

on each end of the cylinder so that they are on the same axial plane. This will serve as a

reference to compare to after the test. Place a piece of wood under the specimen, in this lab’s

instance it was a wooden ruler, and align with the markings. The wood is to keep the specimen in

line for the test. Place another piece of wood on the upper portion of the specimen, then apply the

load when ready. Stop when the sample falls and record the peak load for further analysis.

The last test conducted in the lab was the Flexural Strength test. The beam is now the

sample used to run the test. Draw reference lines on all sides as instructed by the professor.

When ready place the sample on its s side with respect to the molding and make sure it is

centered. Apply the load until the beam ruptures. Then take measurements of the location of the

fracture’s origin. Record the data for further analysis. With all elements considered, that would

conclude the test ran in the lab. Next would be taking the data into account and finding the

results.
Results and Discussion

As previously mentioned, a hypothesis was that the concrete was to hold very well up

against all the tests. Although it may have been true to the naked eye, it is time to see just how

true that is when dealing with the numbers.

Beginning with the compression test, the calculations were found using a formula of

f’c=P/A. “f’c” being the compressive strength, P as the Maximum Load or Peak Load, and A as

the cross-sectional area bearing the load. Since the cylinder was standing, the cross-sectional

area is the area of a circle, pi*(radius^2). When using the formula for f’c the result will be in

‘psi” and to convert from psi to MPa you must divide the psi by 145. After placing the numbers

in their respective position, the table 2.b-1 1is completed for a 7-day cured sample.

Continuing with the second table, table 2.b-22, the calculations are the same except for

the fact that instead of the specimen being 7 days cured, the second table has a specimen of 21

days cured. As a result, the data shows that the specimen that cured 21 days performed notably

better than the one that cured for 7 days. Although it may seem like common sense, numbers and

calculation to support a claim is always beneficial. Considering the fact that the specimens were

made from the same fresh concrete, molded the same way and tested in the same manner, it can

be concluded that the longer the concrete cures, the more resistant to compression it gets.

The split test was calculated as well. To find the splitting tensile strength, T, the formula

T=(2P)/(pi*L*D). P being the maximum load or peak load, L and D being the length and

diameter of the sample. Interestingly, after gathering the results, because the split test was done

on its side whereas the compressive test was done with the specimen stood up, the calculations of

1
7 Days Cured Compressive Strength Test table found in the appendix.
2
21 Days Cured Compressive Strength Test table found in the appendix.
the 21-day old specimen are very similar to those of the 7-day compressive sample. The results

can be seen in table 2.b-33. It can be theorized that standing concrete such as pillars would

provide a better overall resistance than that of which would be laid down.

Conclusion

In closing, the lab was a complete and well scripted guide to concrete. Beginning with the

breakdown of how to make the concrete itself to understanding the test that determine the effects

of load upon a sample. The process of making the concrete was vital, as a baker needs to know

his bread as an engineer needs to know his materials such as concrete. It gave a better

understanding as to how a longer curation period has a major impact on the ability of the

concrete’s compressive strength. Lastly, the lab illustrated that concrete’s strength can be

determined through a series of test, those that would span over a multitude of specimen,

ultimately showcasing the capabilities of the concrete after curation.

3
21 Day Split Tensile Strength Table found in the Appendix.
Appendix

Table 2.b-1. [7 Days Cured Compressive Strength Test]

Sample Peak Load F’c

(psi) MPa
1 17,285 1,375.5 9.5
2 11,350 903.2 6.2
Average 14,317.5 1,139.35 7.85

Table 2.b-2. [21 Days Cured Compressive Strength Test]

Sample Peak Load F’c

(psi) MPa
1 18,810 1,496.9 10.3
2 18,750 1,492.1 10.3
3 10,585 842.3 5.8
Average 16,048.3 1,277.1 8.8

Table 2.b-3. [21 Day Split-Tensile Strength Test]

Sample Peak Load T

(psi) MPa
1 13390 266.39 1.84
2 14025 279.02 1.92
3 16610 330.45 2.28
Average 14675 291.95 2.01