Highway and Concrete Lab Manual

HIGHWAY AND CONCRETE
TECHNOLOGY LAB MANUAL
NAME
REG NO
YEAR & SEM
ACADEMIC YEAR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

LAKI REDDY BALI REDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MYLAVARAM
Lakireddy balireddy college of engineering-- lab manual
s.no Date Experiment name Marks Signature
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Contents
Department of civil engineering

S.no List of experiments Page no Reference code
Tests on cement
1. Fineness and Normal Consistency of Cement. 5,6 IS 12269-53

Initial Setting Time and Final Setting Time of
2. 8 IS 12269-53
Cement.
3. Specific Gravity and Soundness of Cement. 10,12 IS 12269-53
Tests on fresh concrete

Workability Test On Concrete By
1. 1. Slump Cone 13 IS 1199 - 1959
2. Compaction Factor
Tests on harden concrete
1. Compressive Strength of Cement. 17 IS 12269-53
2. Compressive Strength of Concrete. 19 IS 516- 1959

Non- destructive testing on concrete
3. 21 --
(Rebound hammer).
Tests on Aggregates
1. Bulking of sand 22 IS 383- 1970
2. Fineness Modulus of Fine and Coarse Aggregate 23 --

IS 2386 -1963
3. Shape tests (a). Flakiness index (b).Elongation index 26
(PART I)
IS 2386 -1963
4. Aggregate Impact test 30
(PART IV)
IS 2386 -1963
5. Aggregate Crushing value test 32
(PART IV)
IS 2386 -1963
3
6. Los Angeles Abrasion test 34

(PART IV)
Page
IS 2386 -1963
7. Deval’s Attrition test 37
(PART IV)
IS 2386 -1963
8. Specific gravity and water absorption tests 40
(PART III)
Tests on bituminous Materials

1.
Penetration test 43 IS 1203-1978

2.
Viscosity test 45 IS 1206-1978
3.
Softening point test 47 IS 1205-1978
4.
Ductility test 48 IS 1208-1978
5.
Flash and fire point tests 50 IS 1209-1978
6.
Specific gravity of bitumen 52 IS 1202-1978
7.
Bitumen content by centrifugal extractor 54 IS 1211-1978
Viva questions 56
4 Page

FINENESS OF CEMENT
AIM: To determine the fineness of the given sample of cement by sieving.
APPARATUS: IS-90 micron sieve conforming to IS: 460-1965, standard balance, weights
brush.
INTRODUCTION: The fineness of cement has an important bearing on the rate of hydration
and hence on the rate of gain of strength and also on the rate of evolution of heat. Finer cement
offers a greater surface area for hydration and hence the faster and greater the development of
strength. Increase in fineness of cement is also found to increase the drying shrinkage of
concrete. Fineness of cement is tested either by sieving or by determination of specific surface by
air-permeability apparatus. Specific surface is the total surface area of all the particles in one
gram of cement.
FINENESS BY SIEVING:
PROCEDURE:
1. Weigh accurately 100 g of cement and place it on a standard 90 micron IS sieve.
2. Break down any air-set lumps in the cement sample with fingers.
3. Continuously sieve the sample giving circular and vertical motion for a period of 15 minutes.
4. Weigh the residue left on the sieve. As per IS code the percentage residue should not exceed
10%.
CALCULATION:
weight of passing(g)
Fineness of cement=
weight of sample taken(g)
*100 %
OBSERVATIONS:
S.No weight of sample weight of weight of Fineness (%)
taken(g) residue(g) passing(g)
5 Page
Average fineness of cement =
RESULT: Fineness of given sample of cement =

NORMAL CONSISTENCY OF CEMENT
AIM: To determine the quantity of water required to produce a cement paste of standard
consistency.
APPARATUS: Vicat apparatus (conforming to IS: 5513 - 1976) with plunger (10 mm
in diameter) balance, weights, gauging trowel.
INTRODUCTION: The standard consistency of a cement paste is defined as that consistency

which will permit the vicat plunger to penetrate to a point 5 to 7 mm from the bottom of the vicat
mould. For finding out initial setting time, final setting time, soundness of cement and
compressive strength of cement, it is necessary to fix the quantity of water to be mixed in cement
in each case. This experiment is intended to find out the quantity of water to be mixed for a given
cement to give a cement paste of normal consistency and can be done with the help of vicat
apparatus.
PROCEDURE:
1. Prepare a paste of weighed quantity of cement (300 grams) with a weighed quantity of potable
or distilled water, starting with 26% water of 300g of cement.
2. Take care that the time of gauging is not less than 3 minutes, not more than 5 minutes and the
gauging shall be completed before setting occurs.
3. The gauging time shall be counted from the time of adding the water to the dry cement until
commencing to fill the mould.
4. Fill the vicat mould with this paste, the mould resting upon a non porous plate.
5. After completely filling the mould, trim off the surface of the paste, making it in level with the
top of the mould. The mould may slightly be shaken to expel the air.
6. Place the test block with the mould, together with the non-porous resting plate, under the rod
bearing the plunger (10mm diameter), lower the plunger gently to touch the surface of the test
block and quickly release, allowing it to penetrate into the paste.
7. This operation shall be carried out immediately after filling the mould.
6
8. Prepare trial pastes with varying percentages of water and test as described above until the
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amount of water necessary for making the standard consistency as defined above is obtained.
9. Express the amount of water as a percentage by weight of the dry cement.

PRECAUTIONS: Clean appliances shall be used for gauging. In filling the mould the operator
hands and the blade of the gauging trowel shall alone be used. The temperature of cement, water
and that of test room, at the time when the above operations are being performed, shall be 27 +
2C. For each repetition of the experiment fresh cement is to be taken.
OBSERVATIONS:
S. No Weight of cement Weight of water Plunger Consistency of
taken in gms taken in gms penetration cement in % by
(a) (b) (mm) weight b/a * 100
RESULT: Normal consistency for the given sample of cement is
7 Page

INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIMES OF CEMENT

(IS: 2269- 1989 and IS: 4031- 1988 part 5)
AIM: To determine the initial and final setting times for the given sample of cement.
APPARATUS: Vicat apparatus (conforming to IS: 5513-1976) with attachments, balance,

weights, gauging trowel.
INTRODUCTION: In actual construction dealing with cement, mortar or concrete, certain time
is required for mixing, transporting and placing. During this time cement paste, mortar, or
concrete should be in plastic condition. The time interval for which the cement products remain
in plastic condition is known as the setting time. Initial setting time is regarded as the time
elapsed between the moment that the water is added to the cement to the time that the paste starts
losing its plasticity. The final setting time is the time elapsed between the moment the water is
added to the cement, and the time when the paste has completely lost its plasticity and has
attained sufficient firmness to resist certain pressure. The constituents and fineness of cement is
maintained in such a way that the concrete remains in plastic condition for certain minimum
time. Once the concrete is placed in the final position, compacted and finished it should lose its
plasticity in the earliest possible time so that it is least vulnerable to damages from external
destructive agencies. This time should not be more than 10 hours which is referred to as final
setting time. Initial setting time should not be less than 30 minutes.
PROCEDURE: Preparation of Test Block:

1. Prepare a neat cement paste by gauging 300 grams of cement with 0.85 times the water
required to give a paste of standard consistency.
2. Potable or distilled water shall be used in preparing the paste.
3. The paste shall be gauged in the manner and under the conditions prescribed in determination
of consistency of standard cement paste.
4. Start a stop-watch at the instant when water is added to the cement.
5. Fill the mould with the cement paste gauged as above the mould resting on a nonporous plate.
6. Fill the mould completely and smooth off the surface of the paste making it level with the top
of the mould. The cement block thus prepared in the mould is the test block.
DETERMINATION OF INITIAL SETTING TIME:

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1. Place the test blocks confined in the mould and rest it on the non-porous plate, under the rod
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bearing initial setting needle, lower the needle gently in contact with the surface of the test block
and quickly release, allowing it to penetrate into the test block.
2. In the beginning, the needle will completely pierce the test block.
3. Repeat this procedure until the needle, when brought in contact with the test block and
released as described above, fails to pierce the block to a point 5.0 ± 0.5 mm measured from the
bottom of the mould shall be the initial setting time.

DETERMINATION OF FINAL SETTING TIME:

1. Replace the needle of the Vicat apparatus by the needle with an annular attachment.
2. 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 there on, while the attachment fails to
do so.
3. The period elapsed between the time when water is added to the cement and the time at which
the needle makes an impression on the surface of test block while the attachment fails to do so
shall be the final setting time.
PRECAUTIONS: Clean appliances shall be used for gauging. All the apparatus shall be free
from vibration during the test. The temperature of water and that of the test room, at the time of
gauging shall be 27 0C + 20 C. Care shall be taken to keep the needle straight.
OBSERVATIONS:
Time in minutes :
Height in mm fails to penetrate
RESULT:
Initial setting time for the given sample of cement =
Final setting time for the given sample of cement =

9 Page

SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF CEMENT

(IS: 2269 -1989 AND IS: 4031-1988)
AIM: To determine the specific gravity of given sample of hydraulic cement.
APPARATUS: Physical balances, specific gravity bottle of 50ml capacity, clean kerosene.
INTRODUCTION: Specific gravity is defined as the ratio between weight of a given volume of
material and weight of an equal volume of water. To determine the specific gravity of cement,
kerosene is used which does not react with cement.
PROCEDURE:
1. Clean and dry the specific gravity bottle and weigh it with the stopper (W1).
2. Fill the specific gravity bottle with cement sample at least half of the bottle and weigh with
stopper (W2).
3. Fill the specific gravity bottle containing the cement, with kerosene (free of water)
placing the stopper and weigh it (W3).
4. While doing the above do not allow any air bubbles to remain in the specific gravity
bottle.
5. After weighing the bottle, the bottle shall be cleaned and dried again.
6. Then fill it with fresh kerosene and weigh it with stopper (W4).
7. Remove the kerosene from the bottle and fill it with full of water and weigh it with
stopper (W5).
8. All the above weighing should be done at the room temperature of 27c + 10c.
OBSERVATIONS:
Description of item Trail1 Trail2 Trail3
Weight of empty bottle W1 g
Weight of bottle + Cement W2 g
Weight of bottle + Cement + Kerosene W3 g
Weight of bottle + Full Kerosene W4 g
Weight of bottle + Full Water W5 g
W 4−W 1
Specific gravity of Kerosene Sk =
W 5−W 1
10Page
W 2−W 1
Specific gravity of Cement Sc =
(W 4−W 1)−(W 3−W 2)
* Sk
Sc = (W2 - W1)* (W4 - W1) / ((W4 - W1)-(W3-W2))*(W5 - W1)
PRECAUTION:
1. Only kerosene which is free of water shall be used.
2. At time of weighing the temperature of the apparatus will not be allowed to exceed the
specified temperature.

3. All air bubbles shall be eliminated in filling the apparatus and inserting the stopper.
4. Weighing shall be done quickly after filling the apparatus and shall be accurate to 0.1 mg.
5. Precautions shall be taken to prevent expansion and overflow of the contents resulting from
the heat of the hand when wiping the surface of the apparatus.
RESULT: Average specific gravity of given sample of cement =
11Page

SOUNDNESS OF CEMENT
(IS 2269-1989 AND IS 4031-1988 PART 3)
AIM: To determine the soundness of the given sample of cement by "Le Chatelier" Method.
APPARATUS: Le Chatelier apparatus conforming to IS 5514-1969, Balance, Weights, Water

bath.
INTRODUCTION: It is essential that the cement concrete shall not undergo appreciable change
in volume after setting. This is ensured by limiting the quantities of free lime, magnesia and
sulphates in cement which are the causes of the change in volume known as unsoundness.
Unsoundness in cement does not come to surface for a considerable period of time. This test is
designed to accelerate the slaking process by the application of heat and discovering the defects
in a short time. Unsoundness produces cracks, distortion and disintegration there by giving
passage to water and atmospheric gases which may have injurious effects on concrete and
reinforcement. The apparatus for conducting the test consists of small split cylinder of spring
brass or other suitable metal of 0.5mm thickness forming a mould 30 mm internal diameter and
30mm high. On either side of the split mould are attached to indicators with pointed ends, the
distance from these ends to the center of the cylinder being 165 mm. The mould shall be kept in
good condition with the jaws not more than 50mm apart.
PROCEDURE:
1. Place the lightly oiled mould on a lightly oiled glass sheet and fill it with cement paste formed
by gauging cement with 0.78 times the water required to give a paste of standard consistency.
2. The paste shall be gauged in the manner and under the conditions prescribed in determination
of consistency of standard cement paste, taking care to keep the edges of the mould gently
together
3. While this operation is being performed cover the mould with another piece of glass sheet,
place a small weight on this covering glass sheet and immediately submerge the whole assembly
in water at a temperature of 27 ± 2°C and keep there for 24 hours.
4. Measure the distance separating the indicator points.
5. Submerge the moulds again in water at the temperature prescribed above.
6. Bring the water to boiling, with the mould kept submerged for 25 to 30 minutes, and keep it
boiling for three hours.
7. Remove the mould from the water allows it to cool and measure the distance between the
indicator points.
8. The difference between these two measurements represents the expansion of the cement.
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9. For good quality cement this expansion should not be more than 10mm.
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OBSERVATIONS:
Initial distance between the indicator points in mm =
Final distance between the indicator points in mm =
Expansion in mm = final length - initial length =
RESULT: Expansion in mm

WORKABILITY TESTS ON FRESH CONCRETE
A) SLUMP CONE TEST
OBJECT: To determine the workability or consistency of concrete mix of given proportion by

slump test.
APPARATUS: Iron pan to mix concrete, weighing machine, trowel slump, cone, scale and
tamping rod. The slump cone is a hollow frustum made of thin steel sheet with internal
dimensions, as the top diameter 10cm. The bottom diameter 20cm, and height 30cms. It stands
on a plane nonporous surface. To facilitate vertical lifting from moulded concrete it is provided
with a suitable guide attachment and suitable foot pieces and handles. The tamping rod is 16mm.
dia. 60 cm. long and is bullet pointed at the lower end.
THEORY: Unsupported concrete, when it is fresh, will flow to the sides and a sinking in height
will take place. This vertical settlement is called slump. Slump is a measu6, 0.7 and 0.8. For each
mix take 10 Kg. C.A., 5 Kg., FA and 2.5 Kg. Cement.
1) Mix the dry constituents thoroughly to get a uniform colour and then add water
2) The internal surface of the mould is to be thoroughly cleaned and placed on a smooth,
horizontal, rigid and non absorbent surface.
3) Place the mixed concrete in the cleaned slump cone in 4 layers each approximately 1/4 in
height of the mould. Tamp each layer 25 times with tamping rod.
4) Remove the cone immediately, rising it slowly and carefully in the vertical direction.
5) As soon as the concrete settlement comes to a stop, measure the subsistence of the concrete in
cms, which gives the slump.
Note: 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. Any slump specimen which collapses or shears off laterally gives incorrect results and at
this juncture the test is repeated only true slump should be measured.
OBSERVATIONS:
13
S.No W/c Ratio Slump in mm

Page
1. 0.5
2. 0.6
3. 0.7
4. 0.8
PRECAUTIONS:
1) The strokes are to be uniformly applied through the entire area of the concrete section.

2) The cone should be removed very slowly by lifting it upwards without disturbing the concrete.
3) During filling the mould must be firmly pressed against the base.
4) Vibrations from nearly machinery might also increase subsidence; hence test should be made
beyond the range of ground vibrations.
COMMENTS: This test is not a true guide to workability. For example, a harsh coarse mix
cannot be said to have same workability as one with a large portion of sand even though they
have the same slump.
RESULTS: Average slump in mm=
Recommended slumps of concrete mix of various works
S.No Description of work Recommended slump in cms

1. Road work 2.5 to 5.0
2. Ordinary beams to slabs 5.0 to 10.5
3. Columns thin vertical section & retaining Walls etc 7.5 to 12.5
4. Mass concrete(Runway, |Pavements) 2.5 to 5.0
14Page

(B)COMPACTION FACTOR TEST
OBJECT: To determine the workability of concrete mix of given proportion by compaction

factor test.
APPARATUS: Compaction factor apparatus, trowel weighing machine conical hoppers

mounted vertically above the cylindrical mould. The upper mould has internal dimensions as top
diameter 25 cm bottom diameter 12.5 cm and height 22.5 cm. The lower hopper has internal
dimensions, top 22.5cm bottom diameter 12.5cm and height 22.5cm. The cylinder has internal
dimensions as 15 cm diameter and 30cm height. The dimensions between bottom of the upper
hopper and top of the lower hopper, bottom of the lower hopper and top of cylinder are 20 cm,
each case. The lower ends of the hoppers are filled with quick release trap doors.
THEORY: This test is adopted to determine workability of concrete where nominal size of
aggregate 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. It shall be stated to
the nearest second decimal place.
PROCEDURE: Conduct test for W/c ratio 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8, for each mix take 10 kg of
coarse aggregate 5kg of fine aggregate and 2.5 Kg of cement.
1. Grease the inner surface of the hoppers and the cylinder.
2. Fasten the hopper doors.
3. Weigh the empty cylinder accurately (Wt. Kgs).
4. Fix the cylinder on the base with fly nuts and bolts
5. Mix coarse and fine aggregates and cement dry until the mixture is uniform in colour and then
with water until concrete appears to be homogeneous.
6. Fill the freshly mixed concrete in upper hopper gently with trowel without compacting.
7. Release the trap door of the upper hopper and allow the concrete of fall into the lower hopper
bringing the concrete into standard compaction.
8. Immediately after the concrete comes to rest, open the trap door of the lower hopper and allow
the concrete to fall into the cylinder, bringing the concrete into standard compaction.
9. Remove the excess concrete above the top of the cylinder by a trowel.
10. Find the weight of cylinder i.e cylinder filled with partially compacted concrete (W2 kgs)
11. Refill the cylinder with same sample of concrete in approx. 4 layers, tamping each layer with
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tamping for 25 times in order to obtain full compaction of concrete.

12. Level the mix and weigh the cylinder filled with fully compacted concrete (W3 Kg)
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13. Repeat the procedure for different for different a trowel.

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS:
Weight of cylinder = W1 Kgs.
S.No W/c Wt. With Wt. With Wt. With partially Wt. With fully Compaction
ratio partially fully compacted compacted factor
compaction compaction concrete concrete (W1- W2)/
W2 (Kgs) W3 (Kgs) (W2-W3) (Kgs) (W3- W1) (W3- W1)
(Kgs)
1. 0.5
2. 0.6
3. 0.7
4. 0.8
PRECAUTIONS:
1. The top hopper must be filled gently.
2. The mix should not be pressed or compacted in the hopper.
3. If the concrete in the hopper does not fall through when the trap door is released, it should be
freed by passing a metal rod. A single steady penetration will usually affect release.
COMMENTS: It is more sensitive, precise than slump test and is particularly useful to concrete
mixes of low workability.
Suggested ranges of values of compaction factors for different placing conditions.
S.No Placing condition Degree of Values of

workability workability
1. Concreting shallow section with Very low 0.75 to 0.80
vibration
2. Concreting of lightly reinforced section with Low 0.8 to 0.85
vibration
3. Concreting of lightly reinforced section Medium 0.85 to 0.92
without vibration or heavily reinforced with
vibration
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4. Concreting of heavily reinforced section High 0.92 to above

without vibration
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COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CEMENT

(IS: 4031(part 6) - 1988)
OBJECT: To determine the compressive strength of a given sample of cement.
APPARATUS: The standard sand to be used in the test shall conform to IS : 650-1966,
Vibration Machine, Poking Rod, Cube Mould of 70.6 mm size conforming to IS : 10080-1982,
Balance, Gauging Trowel, Stop Watch, Graduated Glass Cylinders, etc.
THEORY: The compressive strength of hardened cement is the most important of all the
properties. Therefore, it is not surprising that the cement is always tested for its strength at the
laboratory before the cement is used in important works. Strength tests are not made on neat
cement paste because of difficulties of excessive shrinkage and subsequent cracking of neat
cement.
PROCEDURE:
1. Preparation of test specimens - Clean appliances shall be used for mixing and the
temperature of water and that of the test room at the time when the above operations
are being performed shall be 27 ± 2°C. Potable/distilled water shall be used in
preparing the cubes.
2. The material for each cube shall be mixed separately and the quantity of cement,
standard sand and water shall be as follows:
Cement 200 g and Standard Sand 600 g
P
Water
4
+ 0.3 percent of combined mass of cement and sand, where P is the
percentage of water required to produce a paste of standard consistency determined as
described in IS : 4031 (Part 4)-1988 or Experiment No.1(a).
3. Place on a nonporous plate, a mixture of cement and standard sand. Mix it dry with a
trowel for one minute and then with water until the mixture is of uniform colour. The
quantity of water to be used shall be as specified in step 2. The time of mixing shall in
any event be not less than 3 min and should the time taken to obtain a uniform colour
exceed 4 min, the mixture shall be rejected and the operation repeated with a fresh
quantity of cement, sand and water.
4. Moulding Specimens - In assembling the moulds ready for use, treat the interior faces
of the mould with a thin coating of mould oil.
17
5. Place the assembled mould on the table of the vibration machine and hold it firmly in
position by means of a suitable clamp. Attach a hopper of suitable size and shape
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securely at the top of the mould to facilitate filling and this hopper shall not be
removed until the completion of the vibration period.
6. Immediately after mixing the mortar in accordance with step 1 & 2, place the mortar
in the cube mould and prod with the rod then compact the mortar by manual.
7. At the end of compaction, finish the top surface of the cube in the mould by
smoothing the surface with the blade of a trowel.
8. Curing Specimens - keep the filled moulds in moist closet or moist room for 24 ± 1
hour after completion of vibration. At the end of that period, remove them from the

moulds and immediately submerge in clean fresh water and keep there until taken out
just prior to breaking.
9. The water in which the cubes are submerged shall be renewed every 7 days and shall
be maintained at a temperature of 27 ± 2°C. After they have been taken out and until
they are broken, the cubes shall not be allowed to become dry.
10. Test three cubes for compressive strength for each period of curing mentioned under
the relevant specifications (i.e. 3 days, 7 days, 28 days)
11. The cubes shall be tested on their sides without any packing between the cube and the
steel plattens of the testing machine. One of the plattens shall be carried on a base and
shall be self-adjusting, and the load shall be steadily and uniformly applied, starting
from zero at a rate of 35 N/mm2 /min.
CALCULATION:
Calculate the compressive strength from the crushing load and the average area over which the
load is applied. Express the results in N/mm2 to the nearest 0.05 mm2.
Compressive strength in N/mm2 = P/A =
Where P is the crushing load in N
and A is the area in mm2 (5000 mm2)
PRECAUTIONS: Inside of the cube moulds should be oiled to prevent the mortar from
adhering to the sides of the mould.
RESULT: The average compressive strength of the given cement

at 3 days N/mm2
at 7 days N/mm2
at 28 days N/mm2
18Page

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CEMENT CONCRETE

(IS: 516 - 1959)
OBJECT: Determination of the compressive strength of cement concrete specimens.
APPARATUS: Testing Machine, two steel bearing platens with hardened faces (As per IS: 516-
1959).
THEORY: Tests shall be made at recognized ages of the test specimens, the most usual being 7
and 28 days, ages of 13 weeks and one year are recommended if tests at greater ages are
required. Where it may be necessary to obtain the early strength, test may be made at the ages of
24 hours + 1/2 hour and 12 hours + 2 hours. The ages shall be calculated from the time of the
addition of water to the dry ingredients.
Number of Specimens
At least three specimens, preferably from different batches, shall be made for testing at each
selected age.
PROCEDURE: Specimens stored in water shall be tested immediately on removal from water
and while they are still in the wet condition. Surface water and grit shall be wiped off the
specimens and any projecting fines removed. Specimens when received dry shall be kept in
water for 24 hours before they are taken for testing. The dimensions of the specimens to the
nearest 0.2 mm and their weight shall be noted before testing.
Placing the specimen in the Testing Machine The bearing surfaces of the testing machine shall be
wiped clean and any loose sand or other material removed from the surfaces of the specimens
which are to be in contact with the compression platens. In the case of the cubes, the specimen
shall be placed in the machine in such a manner that the load shall be applied to opposite sides of
the cubes as cast, that is, not to the top and bottom. The axis of the specimen shall be carefully
aligned with the center of thrust of the spherically seated platen. No packing shall be used
between the faces of the test specimen and the steel platen of the testing machine. As the
spherically seated block is brought to bear on the specimen, that movable portion shall be rotated
gently by hand so that uniform section may be obtained. The load shall be applied without shock
and increased continuously at a rate of approximately 140 Kg/sq cm/min. Until the resistance of
the specimen to the increasing load breaks down and no greater load can be sustained. The
19
maximum load applied to the specimen shall then be recorded and the appearance of the concrete
and any unusual features in the type of failure shall be noted.
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CALCULATION: The measured compressive strength of the specimen shall be calculated by

dividing the maximum load applied to the specimen during the test, by the cross sectional area,
calculated from the mean dimensions of section and shall be expressed to the nearest Kg/sq.cm.
Average of three values shall be taken as the representative of the batch provided the individual
variation is not more than + 15% of the average. Otherwise, repeat tests shall be made. In case of
cylinders, a correction factor according to the height to diameter ratio of specimen after capping
shall be obtained from the curve shown in fig. 1 of IS: 516-1959. The product of this correction
factor and the measured compressive strength shall be known as the corrected compressive

strength, this being the equivalent strength of a cylinder having a height/diameter ratio of two.
The equivalent cube strength of the concrete shall be determined by multiplying the corrected
cylinder strength by 5/4.
CALCULATION:
Calculate the compressive strength from the crushing load and the average area over which the
load is applied. Express the results in N/mm2 to the nearest 0.05 mm2.
Compressive strength in N/mm2 = P/A =
Where P is the crushing load in N
and A is the area in mm2 (5000 mm2)
PRECAUTIONS: Inside of the cube moulds should be oiled to prevent the mortar from
adhering to the sides of the mould.
RESULT: The average compressive strength of the given cement

at 3 days N/mm2
at 7 days N/mm2
at 28 days N/mm2
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NON-DESTRUCTIVE TEST ON CONCRETE USING REBOUND HAMMER
AIM:
This test is also known as the Schmidt hammer or impact hammer, and is a non-destructive
method of testing concrete. The test is based on the principle that the rebound of an elastic mass
depends on the hardness of the surface against which the mass impinges.
APPARATUS:
1- Rebound hammer.
2- Abrasive stone: consisting of medium-grain texture silicon carbide or equivalent material.
SELECTION OF TEST SURFACE:

Concrete members to be tested shall be at least 100 mm thick and fixed within a structure.
Smaller specimens must be rigidly supported. Areas exhibiting honeycombing, scaling, rough
texture, or high porosity should be avoided. Concretes should be approximately the same age and
moisture condition in order to be compared. Dry concretes give higher rebound numbers than
wet concrete, and the surface layer of concrete may be carbonated, yielding higher rebound
numbers.
PREPARATION OF TEST SURFACE:

A test area shall be at least 150 mm in diameter. Heavily textured, soft, or surfaces with loose
mortar shall be ground smooth with the abrasive stone. Smooth formed or towelled surface shall
be tested without grinding. Concretes over 6 months old may require grinding to a depth of 5 mm
if they are to be compared to younger concretes. Grinding to this depth is not feasible without
power equipment.
PROCEDURE:
1- Firmly hold the instrument in a position that allows the plunger to strike perpendicularly to the
surface tested. Gradually increase the pressure on the plunger until the hammer impacts.
2- After impact, record the rebound number to two significant figures.
3- Take ten readings from each test area. No two impact tests shall be closer together than 25
mm.
CALCULATION:
Discard readings differing from the average of 10 readings by more than 5 units and determine
the average of the remaining readings. If more than 2 readings differ from the average by 7 units,
21
discard the entire set of readings.

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BULKING OF SAND
AIM: To ascertain the bulking phenomena of given sample of sand.
APPARATUS: 1000ml measuring jar, brush.
INTRODUCTION: Increase in 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. When more water is added
sand particles get submerged and volume again becomes equal to dry volume of sand. To
compensate the bulking effect extra sand is added in the concrete so that the ratio of coarse to
fine aggregate 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.
PROCEDURE:
1) Take 1000ml measuring jar.
2) Fill it with loose dry sand upto 500ml without tamping at any stage of filling.
3) Then pour that sand on a pan and mix it thoroughly with water whose volume is equal to 2%
of that of dry loose sand.
4) Fill the wet loose sand in the container and find the volume of the sand which is in excess of
the dry volume of the sand.
5) Repeat the procedure for moisture content of 4%, 6%, 8%, etc. and note down the readings.
6) Continue the procedure till the sand gets completely saturated i.e till it reaches the original
volume of 500ml.
OBSERVATIONS:
S.No Volume of dry % moisture Volume of wet % Bulking (V2 –
loose sand V1 content added loose sand V2 V1) / V1
1. 500 ml 2%
2. 4%
3. 6%
4. 8%
5.
6.
22
GRAPH: Draw a graph between percentage moisture content on X-axis and percentage bulking
Page
on Y-axis. The points on the graph should be added as a smooth curve. Then from the graph,
determine maximum percentage of bulking and the corresponding moisture content.
PRECAUTIONS:
1) While mixing water with sand grains, mixing should be thorough and uniform.
2) The sample should not be compressed while being filled in jar.
3) The sample must be slowly and gradually poured into measuring jar from its top.
4) Increase in volume of sand due to bulking should be measured accurately.
RESULT: The maximum bulking of the given sand is -----------at -----------% of moisture
content.

FINENESS MODULUS OF FINE AND COARSE AGGREGATE
AIM: To determine the fineness modulus of given fine and coarse aggregates.
APPARATUS: IS test sieves, square hole perforated plate 80mm, 40mm, 20mm, 10mm, and
4.75mm for course aggregates – 2.36mm, 1.18mm, 600, 300, and 150 Microns for fine
aggregates. Weighing balance (Sensitivity 0.1 percent) sieve shaker, tray plates.
INTRODUCTION: Fine aggregate is sand used in mortars. Coarse aggregate is broken stone
used in concrete. The size of the fine aggregate is limited to maximum 4.75 mm beyond which it
is known as coarse aggregate. Fineness modulus is only a numerical index of fineness, giving
some idea about, the mean size of the particles in the entire body of concrete. Determination of
fineness modulus is considered as a method of standardization of grading of aggregates i.e. the
main object of finding fineness modulus is to grade the given aggregate for the most economical
mix and workability with minimum quantity of cement.
It is obtained by sieving known weight of given aggregate in a set of standard sieves and by
adding the percent weight of material retained on all the sieves and dividing the total percentage
by 100.
PROCEDURE:
Coarse aggregate:
1. Take 5Kgs of coarse aggregate (nominal size 20mm) from the sample by quartering.
2. Carry out sieving by hand, shake each sieve in order 80mm ,40mm, 20mm, 10mm, and
4.75mm over a clean dry tray for a period of not less than 2 minutes.
3. The shaking is done with a varied motion backward and forward, left to right, circular,
clockwise and anticlockwise and with frequent jarring.
4. So that material is kept moving over the sieve surface in frequently changing directions.
5. Find the weight retained on each sieve taken in order
Fine aggregate:
1. Take 1 Kg of sand from sample by quartering in clean dry plate.
2. Arrange the sieves in order of No. 4.75mm, 2.36mm, 600, 300 and 150 microns sieves keeping
sieve 4.75mm at top and 150 microns at bottom.
3. Fix them in the sieve shaking machine with the pan at the bottom and cover at the top.
4. Keep the sand in the top sieve no 4.75mm, carry out the sieving in the set of sieves and
23
arranged before for not less than 10 minutes.

5. Find the weight retained in each sieve.
Page

OBSERVATIONS:
Coarse aggregate: Wt. of course aggregate taken in ____________Kgs.
Cumulative
Weight % Weight % weight
S.No Sieve size % Weights
retained retained passing
retained
1. 80 mm
2. 40 mm
3. 20 mm
4. 10 mm
5. 4.75mm
Fine aggregate: Wt. of fine aggregate taken in___________ Kgs
Cumulative
Weight % Weight % weight
S.No Sieve size % Weights
retained retained passing
retained
1. 4.75 mm
2. 2.36mm
3. 1.18mm
4. 600microns
5. 300 microns
6. 150 microns
Fineness Modulus: Sum of Cumulative percentage Wt. retained /100
PRECAUTIONS:
1. The sample should be taken by quartering.
2. The sieving must be done carefully to prevent the spilling of aggregate.
RESULT: The fineness modulus of given fine aggregate:

24
The fineness modulus of given coarse aggregate

Page
COMMENTS: Limits of fineness modulus of aggregates.
Fineness modulus
Type of sand
range
Fine sand 2.2 – 2.6
Medium sand 2.6 – 2.9
Coarse sand 2.9 – 3.2

Maximum size of coarse Fineness modulus

aggregate range
20mm 6.0 – 6.9
40mm 6.9 – 7.5
75mm 7.5 – 8.0
150mm 8.0 – 8.5
25Page

FLAKINESS INDEX
AIM:
To determine the flakiness value of the given aggregates sample.
APPARATUS:
Standard thickness gauge,I.S sieves of sizes 63, 50, 40, 31.5, 25, 20, 16, 12.5, 10 and 6.3mm and
a balance to weigh the samples.
THEORY:
flakiness index: The flakiness index of aggregates is the percentage by particles whose least
dimension (thickness) is less than 3/5th (0.6) of their mean dimension. The test is not applicable
to sizes smaller than 6.3 mm.
PROCEDURE:
1. The sample is sieved with the sieves mentioned in the table.
2. A minimum of 200 pieces of each fraction to be tested are taken and weighed w1 (gm).
3. In order to separate flaky materials, each fraction is then gauged for thickness on thickness
gauge, or in bulk on sieve having elongated slots as specified in the table.
4. Then the amount of flaky materials passing the gauge is weighed to an accuracy of at least
0.1% of test sample
5. Let the weight of the flaky materials passing the gauge be w1gm. Similarly the weights of the
fractions passing and retained on the specified sieves be w1, w2, w3, etc, are weighed and the
total weight w1+w2+w3+…..= wg is found. Also the weights of the materials passing each of the
specified thickness gauge are found =w1, w2, w3…. And the total weight of the material passing
the different thickness gauges = w1+w2+w3…=wg is found.
6. Then the flakiness index is the total weight of the flaky material passing the various thickness
gauges expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the sample gauged.
Flakiness index= {(w1+w2+w3+…………..) / (W1+W2+W3+…………)} x100

27Page
OBSERVATION &CALCULATION:
Aggregate size Weight of

Weight of the
aggregates in
Thickness gauge (0.6 fraction
Passing Retain each fraction
S.no times the mean consisting of at
through through I.S passing
sieve) mm least 200 pieces
I.S.sieve mm .sieve mm thickness
in gm
gauge gm.
1 63 50
2 50 40
3 40 31.5
4 31.5 25
5 25 25
6 20 16
7 16 12.5
8 12.5 10
9 10 6.3
RESULT:
The flakiness index of the given sample of aggregates is ___________%.
28Page
(B)Elongation Index
AIM:
To determine the elongation index value of given aggregate sample.
APPARATUS:
Standard length gauge,I.S sieves of sizes 63, 50, 40, 31.5, 25, 20, 16, 12.5, 10 and 6.3mm and a
balance to weigh the samples.
THEORY:
The elongation index of an aggregate is the percentage by weight of particles whose greatest
dimension (length) is greater than one and four fifth (1.8 times) of their mean dimension. The
elongation test is not applicable to sizes smaller than 6.3 mm.
PROCEDURE:
1. The sample is sieved through is sieve specified in the table. A minimum of 200 aggregate
pieces of each fraction is taken and weighed.
2. Each fraction is the thus gauged individually for length in a length gauge. The gauge length is
used should be those specified in the table for the appropriate material.
3. The pieces of aggregate from each fraction tested which could not pass through the specified
gauge length with its long side are elongated particles and they are collected separately to find
the total weight of aggregate retained on the length gauge from each fraction.
4. The total amount of elongated material retained by the length gauge is weighed to an accuracy
of at least 0.1% of the weight of the test sample.
5. The weight of each fraction of aggregate passing and retained on specified sieves sizes are
found – w1, w2, w3, …………… and the total weight of sample determined =w1+ w2+w3+
……………..=wg. Also the weights of the material from each fraction retained on the specified
gauge length are found = x1, x2, x3…… and the total weight retained determined =
x1+x2+x3+……..=x gm.
6. The elongation index is the total weight of the material retained on the various length gauges,
expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the sample gauged.
Elongation index = { (x 1+ x 2+ x 3+… …)/(w 1+w 2+ w 3+…) } × 100

29Page
Aggregate size Weight of

Weight of the
aggregates in
Elongation gauge fraction
Passing Retain each fraction
S.no (1.8 times the mean consisting of at
through through I.S retained
sieve) mm least 200 pieces
I.S.sieve mm .sieve mm thickness
in gm
gauge gm.
1 63 50
2 50 40
3 40 31.5
4 31.5 25
5 25 25
6 20 16
7 16 12.5
8 12.5 10
9 10 6.3
RESULT:
The elongation index of a given sample of aggregate is _____________%.
30Page
IMPACT VALUE TEST

AIM:
To determine the aggregate impact value of given aggregate sample.
THEORY:
The property of a material to resist impact is known as toughness. Due to movement of
vehicles on the road the aggregates are subjected to impact resulting in their breaking down into
smaller pieces. The aggregates should therefore have sufficient toughness to resist their
disintegration due to impact. This characteristic is measured by impact value test. The aggregate
impact value is a measure of resistance to sudden impact or shock, which may differ from its
resistance to gradually applied compressive load.
APPARATUS:
Impact testing machine: the machine consists of a metal base. A detachable cylindrical steel cup
of internal diameter 10.2cm and depth 5cm. A metal hammer of weight between 13.5 to 14kg,
10cm in diameter and 5cm long. An arrangement for raising the hammer and allow it to fall
freely between vertical guides from a height of 38cm on the test sample in the cup.
1. A cylindrical metal measure having 7.5cm and depth of 5cm for measuring aggregates.
2. A tamping rod of circular cross section, 1cm in diameter and 23cm long, rounded at one
end.
3. I.S sieve of sizes 12.5mm, 10mm and 2.36mm.
4. Balance of capacity not less than 500gm to weigh accurate up to 0.01gm.
PROCEDURE:
1. The test sample consists of aggregates passing 12.5 mm sieve and retained on 10mm
sieve and dried in an oven for 4 hours at a temperature of 100 °c to 110 °c.
2. The aggregates are filled up to about 1/3 full in the cylindrical measure and tamped 25
times with rounded end of the tamping rod.
3. The rest of the cylindrical measure is filled by two layers and each layer being tamped 25
times.
4. The overflow of aggregates in cylindrical measure is cut off by tamping rod using it has a
straight edge.
5. Then the entire aggregate sample in a measuring cylinder is weighted nearing to 0.01gm.
6. The aggregates from the cylindrical measure are carefully transferred into the cup which
is firmly fixed in position on the base plate of machine. Then it is tamped 25 times.
31
7. The hammer is raised until its lower face is 38 cm above the upper surface of aggregates
in the cup and allowed to fall freely on the aggregates. The test sample is subjected to a
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total of 15 such blows each being delivered at an interval of not less than one second.
8. The crushed aggregate is then removed from the cup and the whole of it is sieved on 2.36
mm sieve until no significant amountpasses.
9. The fraction passing the sieve is weighed accurate to 0.1 gm. Repeat the above steps
with other fresh sample.
10. Let the original weight of the oven dry sample be w1 gm and the weight of fraction
passing 2.36 mm I.S sieve be w2 gm.
Then Aggregate Impact Value is expressed as the % of fines formed in terms of the total
weight of the sample.
S.N DETAILS OF SAMPLE TRIAL -1 TRIAL-2 AVERAGE

O
1. Total weight of aggregate sample filling
the cylinder measure, w1 gm
2. Weight of aggregate passing 2.36 mm
I.S. sieve, w2 gm
3. Weight of aggregate retained on 2.36
mm i.s sieve after the test, w3 gm
4. W1
Aggregate Impact Value, × 100
W2
=
PRECAUTIONS:
1. Place the plunger centrally so that it falls directly on the aggregate sample and does not touch
the walls of the cylinder in order to ensure that the entire load is transmitted on to the aggregates.
2. In the operation of sieving the aggregates through 2.36 mm sieve the sum of weights of
fractions retained and passing the sieve should not differ from the original weight of the
specimen by more than 1 gm.
3. The tamping is to be done properly by gently dropping the tamping rod and not by hammering
action. Also the tampering should be uniform over the surface of the aggregate taking care that
the tamping rod does not frequently strike against the walls of the mould.
RESULT:
The mean A.I.V is _________________%.
32 Page
CRUSHING VALUE
AIM: To determine the crushing value of given aggregate sample.
THEORY:
The important mechanical properties of stone aggregates for use of construction of road
pavements are (i).Satisfactory resistance to crushing under the roller during construction and
under the application of heavy wheel loads on the pavement during its service life.
(ii). Adequate resistance to impact under traffic movements on the pavement.
Crushing strength of the road aggregates may be determined by finding resistance to crushing of
coarse aggregates under applied load.
APPARATUS:
The apparatus required are as follows,
(I) Steel cylinder with open ends and internal diameter 150mm with plunger and a
piston.
(II) Cylindrical measure having internal diameter of 115mm and height 180mm
(III) Steel tamping rod with one rounded end and having diameter of 16mm and length
450mm and 6000mm
(IV) Weigh balance
(V) Compression testing machine capable of applying load up to 50tonnes
(VI) I.S. sieves of sizes 12.5, 10.0 and 2.36 mm.
PREPARATION OF TEST SAMPLE:

The sample of clean, dry coarse aggregates passing through standard test sieve of size 12.5mm
and retained on 10.0 mm test sieve is used. If aggregate is not dry ,it may be oven dried at a
temperature range 100 to 110 0c for four hours and then cooled to room temperature. About 6.5
kg of aggregates is required for preparing two test samples. The quantity of test sample obtained
by filling the cylindrical measure in three layers of approximately equal depth, each layer being
tamped 25 times by the rounded end of the tamping rod. After the third layer is tamped, the
aggregates at the top of the cylindrical measure are leveled off by using the tamping rod as a
straight edge. The test ample thus taken is then weighted the same weight of the sample is taken
in the repeat test.
33
PROCEDURE:
Page
1. The aggregate crushing test cylinder is placed in position on the base plate.
2. One third of the aggregates sample taken in the cylindrical measure is placed in the test
cylinder and tampered 25 times by the tamping rod. Similarly, the other two parts of test
specimen are added, each layer being subjected to 25 blows of the tamping rod.
3. After placing and tamping the third layer, the top surface of aggregates in the test mould
is leveled and the total depth of the aggregates in test cylinder is checked which is to be
100mm.
4. The plunger is inserted into the test cylinder so that it rests on the surface in level
position.
5. The cylinder with the test sample and plunger at a uniform rate of 4.0 tones per minute
until the total load is 40 tones and then the load is released.
6. Aggregates including the crushed portion are removed from the cylinder and sieved on a
2.36mm test sieve. The material which passes this sieve is collected and weighed.
Total weight of dry sample of aggregates taken =W1 g

Weight of the portion of crushed material passing 2.36mm test sieve = W2 g
Aggregate crushing value = {W2/ W1}* 100 =
PRECAUTIONS:
1. While placing the plunger on the mould care should be taken.
2. Aggregates should be tampered correctly in three layers.
3. Leveling of aggregates should be done correctly.
RESULT:
The mean of the crushing value obtained in the two tests is reported as the aggregate
crushing value ______________
34Page
ABRASION VALUE
AIM:
To determine abrasion value of given coarse aggregate sample by using los angeles
apparatus.
APPARATUS:
Los Angeles machine, Sieves (1.70mm), Balance (0-10kg), Oven (3000c).
THEORY:
The aggregates used in surface course of the highway pavements are subjected to wearing
due to movement of traffic. When the vehicles moves on the road, the soil particles present
between the pneumatic tyres and road surfaces causes abrasion of road aggregates.
PREPARATION SAMPLE:
Test sample is dried in oven for a period of four hours at a temperature of 100 to 110C.
PROCEDURE:
1. The required weight of test sample(A) is selected conforming to one of the grading
mentioned in Table I
2. The test sample and the abrasive charge is to be placed in the machine and rotated at a
speed of 30 to 33 rev/min.
3. For grading A, B, C & D [as per Table II of IS: 2386 (Part IV) - 1963] the machine is to
be rotated for 500 revolutions. For grading E, F& G the machine is rotated for 1000
revolutions.
4. At the completion of the test, the material is discharged from the machine and separation
of the sample is made on 1.70 mm. IS sieve.
5. The material coarser than 1.70 mm. IS sieve is washed, dried accurately weighed to the
nearest gram (B).
CALCULATION
35
The difference between the original weight and the final weight of the test sample is expressed as
Page
a percentage of the original weight of the test sample.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. Use hand gloves while removing containers from oven after switching off the oven.
2. Before testing, machine should be checked.

3. After test electric supply should be off.
4. Thoroughly clean & dry the container before testing.
5. The drum & the cover of the opening should be cleaned thoroughly before & after every
test.
RESULT:
The mean of the two results is reported to the nearest whole number as the aggregate
abrasion value of the tested material.
The abrasion value is ___________.
Table no: I
Passing Retained
sieve on sieve
A B C D E F G
size(mm size(mm
) )
80 63 - - - - 2.500 - -
63 50 - - - - 2.500 - -
50 40 - - - - 5.000 5.000 -
40 25 1.250 - - - - 5.000 5.000
25 20 1.250 - - - - - 5.000
20 12.5 1.250 2.500 - - - - -
12.5 10 1.250 2.500 - - - - -
10 6.3 - - 2.500 - - - -
6.3 4.75 - - 2.500 - - - -
4.75 2.36 - - - 5.000 - - -
Table no: II
Grading No steel balls Weight of charge ,g

A 12 5000+25
B 11 4585+25
36
C 8 3330+25
Page
D 6 2500+25
E 12 5000+25
F 12 5000+25
G 12 5000+25
Recommendations:
Sr.no Type of pavement layer Max permissible

abrasion value in %
1 Water bound macadam layer ,sub base course 60
2 Water bound macadam base course with 50
bituminous surfacing.
3 Bituminous bound macadam 50
4 Water bound macadam surfacing course 40
5 Bituminous penetration macadam 40
6 Bituminous surface dressing, cement concrete 35
surface course.
7 Bituminous concrete surface course 30
37Page
ATTRITION VALUE
AIM:
To determine attrition value of given coarse aggregates by using deval machine.
THEORY:
The aggregates used in surface course of the highway pavements are subjected to wearing
due to movement of traffic. When the vehicles moves on the road, the soil particles present
between the pneumatic tyres and road surfaces causes abrasion of road aggregates.
APPARATUS:
The apparatus shall consist of the following:a) Deval machine - The Deval
abrasion/attrition testing machine shall consistof one or more hollow cast iron cylinders closed at
one end andfurnished with a tightly fitting iron cover at the other. The insidediameter of the
cylinders shall be 20 cm and depth 34 cm. Thecylinders shall be mounted on a shaft at an angle
of 30 degreeswith the axis of rotation of the shaft.
b) Sieve - 1.70-mm IS Sieve, c)Sieve: 1.70, 4.75, 10, 12.5,20,25,40 mm IS Sieves.
PREPARATION SAMPLE:
Test sample is dried in oven for a period of four hours at a temperature of 100 to 110C.
PROCEDURE:
The sample should conform to any of the gradings shown in table 1.
38
1. Select the grading to be used in the test such that it conforms to the grading to be used in
Page
construction, to the maximum extent possible.

2. Place the aggregates on the cylinders and fix the cover.
3. Rotate the machine at a speed of 30 – 33 revolutions per minute. The number of
revolutions is 10000. The machine should be balanced and driven such that there is
uniform peripheral speed.
4. The machine is stopped after the desired number of revolutions and material is discharged
to a tray.
5. The entire stone dust is sieved on 1.70 mm is sieve.

6. The material coarser than 1.7mm size is weighed correct to one gram.
OBERVATION &CALCULATION:
Original weight of aggregate sample (w1) =
Weight of aggregate sample retained (w2) =
Weight passing 1.7mm is sieve (w1 - w2) =
Attrition value = [(w1 - w2) /w1] × 100
Note: This test is done with charges in cylinder then it is called as attrition test.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. Use hand gloves while removing containers from oven after switching off the oven.
2. The lid of the cylinder should be fixed very tightly.
3. Before testing, machine should be checked.
4. After test electric supply should be off.
5. Thoroughly clean & dry the container before testing.
6. The drum & the cover of the opening should be cleaned thoroughly before & after every
test.
RESULT:
The mean of the two results is reported to the nearest whole number as the aggregate
attrition value of the tested material.
The attrition value is ___________.
39
Table no: 1
Page
Grading Passing IS-sieve Retaining IS-sieve Weight of sample

(mm) (mm) (gm)
A 20 12.5 1250
25 20 1250
40 25 1250
50 40 1250
B 20 12.5 1250
25 20 1250
40 25 2500
C 20 12.5 2500
25 20 2500
D 12.5 4.75 2500
20 12.5 2500
E 10 4.75 2500
12.5 10 2500
Recommendations:
Sr.no Type of pavement layer Max permissible

abrasion value in %
1 Water bound macadam layer ,sub base course 60
2 Water bound macadam base course with 50
bituminous surfacing.
3 Bituminous bound macadam 50
4 Water bound macadam surfacing course 40
5 Bituminous penetration macadam 40
6 Bituminous surface dressing, cement concrete 35
surface course.
7 Bituminous concrete surface course 30
40Page
Specific Gravity and Water Adsorption of Aggregates

AIM:
To determine the specific gravity of aggregates and water adsorption value of aggregates.
THEORY:
The specific gravity of an aggregate is considered to be a measure of strength or quality
of the material. The specific gravity test helps in the identification of stone. Aggregates having
low specific gravity are generally weaker than those with high specific gravity.
Water absorption also gives an idea on the internal structure of aggregate. Aggregates having
more absorption are more porous in nature and are generally considered unsuitable, unless found
to be acceptable based on strength, impact and hardness tests
Water adsorption gives an idea of strength of aggregate. Aggregates having more water
adsorption are more porous in nature and are generally considered unsuitable unless they are
found to be acceptable based on strength, impact and hardness tests.
APPARATUS:
The apparatus required for these tests are:
1. A balance of at least 3 kg capacity, with a accuracy to 0.5 g.
2. An oven to maintain a temperature range of 100 to 1100 c.
3. A wire basket of not more than 6.3 mm mesh or a perforated container of convenient
size with thin wire hangers for suspending it from the balance.
4. A container for filling water and suspending the wire basket in it.
5. An airtight container of capacity similar to that of basket, a shallow tray and two dry
absorbent clothes.
6. Pycnometer of 100ml for aggregates finer than 6.3 mm and specific gravity bottle
PROCEDURE:
Procedure for aggregate coarser than 6.3 mm:
1. About 2 kg of aggregate sample is taken, washed to remove fines and then placed in
the wire basket. The wire basket is then immersed in water, which is at a temperature of
41
220 c to 320 c.
Page
2. Immediately after immersion the entrapped air is removed from the sample by lifting
the basket 25 mm above the base of the tank and allowing it to drop, 25 times at a rate of
about one drop per second.
3. The basket, with aggregate are kept completely immersed in water for a period of 24
± 0.5 hour.
4. The basket and aggregate are weighed while suspended in water, which is at a
temperature of 220 c to 320 c.
5. The basket and aggregates are removed from water and dried with dry absorbent cloth.
6. The empty basket is suspended back in water tank and weighed.
7. The surface dried aggregates are also weighed.
8. The aggregate is placed in a shallow tray and heated to about 110 0c in the oven for 24
hours. Later, it is cooled in an airtight container and weighed.
Procedure for specific gravity determination of aggregate finer than 6.3 mm:
1. A clean, dry pycnometer is taken and its empty weight is determined.
2. About 1000g of clean sample is taken into the pycnometer, and it is weighed.
3. Water at 27 0c is filled up in the pycnometer with aggregate sample, to just immerse
sample.
4. Immediately after immersion the entrapped air is removed from the sample by shaking
pycnometer, placing a finger on the hole at the top of the sealed pycnometer.
5. Now the pycnometer is completely filled up with water till the hole at the top, and after
confirming that there is no more entrapped air in it, it is weighed.
6. The contents of the pycnometer are discharged, and it is cleaned.
7. Water is filled up to the top of the pycnometer, without any entrapped air. It is then
weighed.
For mineral filler, specific gravity bottle is used and the material is filled upto
one-third of the capacity of bottle. The rest of the process of determining specific gravity
is similar to the one described for aggregate finer than 6.3 mm.
OBERVATION &CALCULATION:
Aggregate coarser than 6.3 mm table

Observation table for specific gravity and water absorption
S.NO DETAILS OBSERVED VALUES
1. Weight of saturated aggregate and basket in water: w1 g
2. Weight of basket in water: w2 g
3. Weight OF BASKET IN WATER: W2 G
42
4. Weight of oven dry aggregates in air: w4 g

Page
5. Apparent specific gravity: w4 / [w4 – (w1 - w2 )]

6. Bulk Specific Gravity: W4 / [W3 – (W1 - W2 )]
7. Water Absorption: [(W3 – W4 ) x 100]/ W4
2.Aggregate of size finer than 6.3 mm table
Observation table for specific gravity test (finer than 6.3 mm)
S.NO Details OBSERVED VALUES
1. Weight of pycnometer in air: w1 g
2. Weight of aggregates and pycnometer: w2 g
3. Weight of aggregates, pycnometer and water: w3 g
4. Weight of water and pycnometer in air: w4g
Apparent specific gravity:
5.
(w2 – w1) / [(w4 – w1) - (w3 - w2 )]
PRECAUTIONS:
While weighing the aggregates the value should be accurate.
LIMIT:
The specific gravity value of aggregates should be between 2.5 to 3.0.
The adsorption value of aggregates ranges from 0.1% to 2 %.
Specifications:
The specific gravity of aggregates normally used in road construction ranges from about 2.5 to
3.0 with an average value of about 2.68. Water absorption value ranges from 0.1 to about 2.0
percent for aggregates normally use in road surfacing.
Applications:
Specific gravity of aggregates is considered as an indication of strength. Material having higher
specific gravity is generally considered as having higher strength. Water absorption of aggregate
43
is a measure of porosity. This value is considered as a measure of resistance to frost action, and
as a measure of sustaining weathering action.
Page
RESULT:
The specific gravity of given aggregates ___________________.
The water adsorption percentage of given aggregates _____________.

PENETRATION TEST
AIM:
To determine the penetration value of given bitumen material.
THEORY:
Penetration is a measurement of hardness or consistency of bituminous material. It is the
vertical distance traversed or penetrated by the point of a standard needle in to the bituminous
material under specific condition of load, time and temperature.
APPARATUS:
Container:-A flat bottomed cylindrical metallic container 55 mm in diameter 35

mm or 57 mm in height.
Needle: A straight highly polished cylindrical hard steel needle with conical end having the shape
and dimensions as given in figure 7.2. The needle is provide with a shank approximately 3.0 mm
in diameter in to which it is immovably fixed.
Water bath: A water bath is maintained at 25 + 10C containing not less than 10 liters of water.
The simple is immersed to depth not less than 100mm from the top and supported on a
perforated shelf not less than 50mm from the bottom of the bath.
Penetrometer: It is an apparatus which allows the needle assembly of gross weight 100g to
penetrate without appreciable friction for the desire duration of time. The dial is accurately
calibrated to give penetration value in units one tenth of mm. Electrically operated automatic
penetrometers are also available. Typically sketch of penetrometer
Transfer tray: A small tray which can keep the container fully immersed in water during the test.
PROCEDURE:
1. Preparation of test specimen:

Soften the material to a pouring consistency at a temperature not more than 60 0c for tars
and 900c for bitumen above the approximate softening point and stir it thoroughly until it
is homogeneous and is free from air bubbles and water. Pour the melt into the container
to a depth at least 10mm in excess of the expected penetration. Protect the sample from
44
dust and allow it to cool in an atmospheric at a temperature between 15 0c to 30 0c for 1

Page
hour then place it along with the transfer dish in the water bath at 25±0.10c and allow it to
remain for 1 to 1 ½ hour.
2. Fill the transfer dish water from the water bath to depth sufficient to cover the container
completely, place the sample in it and put it upon the stand of the penetration apparatus.
3. Clean the needle with benzene, dry it and load with the weight. The total moving load
required is 100±0.25 gms, including the weight of the needle, carrier and super-imposed
weights.
4. Adjust the needle to make contact with the surface of the sample. This may be done by
placing the needle point in contact with its image reflected by the surface of the
bituminous material.
5. Make the pointer of the dial to read zero or note the initial dial reading.
6. Release the needle exactly five seconds.
7. Adjust the penetration machine to measure the distance is penetrated.
8. Make at least 3 readings at points on the surface of the sample not less than 10mm apart
and not less than 10mm from the side of the dish. After each test return the sample and
transfer dish to the water bath and wash the needle clean with benzene and dry it. In case
of material of penetration greater than 225 three determinations on each of the two
identical test specimens using a separate needle for each determination should be made,
leaving the needle in the sample on completion of each determinations to avoid
disturbance the specimen.
OBSERVATION & CALUCALATION:
Pouring temperature :
Period of cooling in atmosphere :
Period of cooling in water bath :
Room temperature :
Duration of releasing the penetration needle :
Test temperature:
Penetrometer dial
reading Test1 Test2 Test3
Initial
Final
45
PRECAUTIONS:
Page
1. There should be no movement of the container while needle is penetrating into the
sample
2. The sample should be free from any extraneous matter
3. The needle should be cleaned with benzene and dried before each penetration.
RESULT: Mean penetration value=_______________

VISCOSITY
AIM:
To determine the viscosity of given bituminous binder.
APPARATUS:
Tar viscometer, receiver, and thermometer.
THEORY:
Viscosity of a fluid is the property by virtue of which it offers resistance to flow.
Higher the viscosity, the slower will be the movement of the liquid. The viscosity affects the
ability if the binder spread, move into and fill up the voids between aggregates.
PROCEDURE:
1. Adjust the tar viscometer so that the top of the tar cup is leveled. Select the test
temperature from Table.1. Heat the water in water bath to the temperature specified
for the test and maintain it with in ±0.1®c of the specified temperature throughout the
duration of test. Rotate the stirrer gently at frequent intervals or perfectly
continuously.
2. Clean the tar cup orifice of the viscometer with a suitable solvent and dry thoroughly
3. Warm and stir the material under examination to 20®c above the temperature
specified for test and cool, while continuing the stirring.
4. When the temperature falls slightly above the specified temperature, pour the tar into
the cup until the leveling peg on the valve rod is just immersed when the latter is
vertical.
5. Pour into the graduated receiver 20ml of mineral oil, or one per cent by weight
solution of soft soap, and place it under the orifice of the tar cap.
6. Place the thermometer in the tar and stir until the temperature is within ±0.1®c of the
specified temperature. When this temperature has been reached, suspend the
thermometer coaxially with the cup and with its bulb approximately at the geometric
centre of the tar.
46
7. Allow the assembled apparatus to stand for 5 min during which period the
Page
thermometer reading should remain within 0.05®c of the specified temperature.

Remove the thermometer and quickly remove any excess of tar so that the final level
is on the central line of the leveling peg when the valve is in vertical position.
8. Lift the valve and suspend it on valve support.
9. Start the stopwatch when the reading in the cylinder is 25ml and stop it when it is
75ml. Note the time in seconds.
10. Report the viscosity as the time taken in seconds by 5oml of tar to flow out at the
temperature specified for the test.
Road tar type RT-1 RT-2 RT-3 RT-4 RT-5

Orifice,mm 10 10 10 10 10
Test
350c 350c 350c 350c 350c
temperature
Viscosity in sec 30-35 30-55 35-60 35-70 35-70
PRECAUTIONS:
1. The tar cap should be cleaned gently with non-corroding solvents such as light tar oils
free from phenols.
2. The orifice size should be tested at frequent intervals with a gauge having appropriate
diameters.
RESULT:
Test temperature = ___________________
Time taken to flow 50 ml of the binder =_______________________
Viscosity =________________ 47 Page
SOFTENING POINT
AIM:
To determine the softening point of given bituminous material.
APPARATUS:
RING AND BALL apparatus, thermometer, water bath and stirrer.
THEORY:
The softening point of bitumen or tar is the temperature at which the substance attains a
particular degree of softening. As per IS 334-1982, it is the temperature in 0c at which a standard
ball passes through sample of bitumen in a mould and falls through a height of 2.5cm, when
heated under water at specified conditions of test.
PROCEDURE:
1. Preparation of test sample: heat the material to a temperature between 75 0c – 100 0c

above its softening point; stir until, it is completely fluid and free from air bubbles and
water. Place the rings, previously heated to a temperature approximating to that of the
molten material, on a metal plate which has been coated with a mixture of equal parts of
glycerin and dextrin. After cooling for 30 min in air, level the material in the ring by
removing the excess with a warmed, sharp knife.
2. Assemble the apparatus with the rings, thermometer and ball guides in position.
3. Fill the bath with distilled water to a height of 50mm above the upper surface of the rings.
The starting temperature should be 5 0c.
4. Apply heat to the bath and stir the liquid so that the temperature rises at a uniform rate
5±0.5 0c per min.
5. As the temperature increases the bituminous material softens and the ball skins through
the ring, carrying a portion of the material with it.
6. Note down the temperature when any of the steel ball with bituminous coating touches
the bottom plate.
7. Record the temperature when the second ball also touches the bottom plate. Average of
the two readings to the nearest 0.5 0c is reported as the softening point.
PRECAUTIONS:
48
1. Distilled water should be used as the heating medium.

Page
2. During the conduct of test the apparatus should not be subjected to vibrations.
3. The bulb of the thermometer should be at about the same level as the rings.
RESULT:
Temperature when the ball touches bottom, 0c = 1.____________, 2.___________.
Softening point of bitumen=____________.
DUCTILITY
AIM:
To determine the ductility of given sample of bitumen.
APPARATUS:
Briquette mould, water bath, testing machine and thermometer.
THEORY:
Theductility test gives a measure of adhesive property of bitumen and its ability to
stretch. In a flexible pavement design, it is necessary that binder should from a thin ductile film
around the aggregates so that the physical interlocking of the aggregates is improved.
Binder material having insufficient ductility gets cracked when subjected to repeat traffic loads
and it provides pervious pavement surface.
PROCEDURE:
1. Melt the bituminous test material completely at a temperature of 75oc to 100oc above the
approximate softening point until it becomes thoroughly fluid.
2. After stirring the fluid pour it in the mould assembly and place it on a brass plate.
3. In order to prevent the material under test from sticking coat the surface of the plate and
interior surface of the sides of the mould with mercury or by a mixture of equal parts of
glycerin and dextrin.
4. After about30-40 minutes keep the plate assembly along with the sample in water bath
maintains the temperature of the water bath at 27oc for half an hour.
5. Remove the sample and mould assembly from the water bath and trim the specimen by
leveling the surface using a hot knife.
6. Replace the mould assembly in water bath maintained at27oc for 80 to 90 minutes.
7. Remove the sides of the mould.
8. Hook the clips carefully on the machine without causing any initial strain.
9. Adjust the pointer to read zero.
10. Start the machine and pull two clips horizontally at a speed of 50mm per minute.
11. Note the distance at which the bitumen thread of specimen breaks.
12. Record the observations in the Performa and compute the ductility value Report the
mean of two observations rounded to nearest whole number as the ‘Ductility value’.
49Page
PRECAUTIONS:
1. The plate assembly upon which the mould is placed shall be perfectly flat and level so
that the bottom surface of the mould touches it throughout.
2. In filling the mould, care should be taken not to disarrange the parts and thus distort the
briquette and to see that no air pocket shall be within the molded sample.
RESULT:
1 2 3
Initial reading
Final reading
Ductility
Ductility value=_______________.
50Page
Flash Point and Fire Point

AIM:
To determine flash point and fire point of given bituminous material.
APPARATUS:
Pensky Martensclosed tester, stove and thermometer.
THEORY:
The flash point of a material is the lowest temperature at which the application of test
flame causes the vapours from the material momentarily catches fire in the form of a flash under
specified conditions of test.
The fire point is the lowest temperature at which the application of test flame causes the
material to ignite and burn at least for 5 seconds under specified conditions of test.
PROCEDURE:
The standard Pesky-Martens tester and thermometers as prescribed in previous method is used
with slight modifications. The cover of the cup is replaced by a clip which encircles upper rim of
the cup and carries the thermometer and test flame .The test flame is fixed at the vertical axis of
and in level with the upper edge of the cup.
1. Clean and dry all parts of the cup and its accessories thoroughly.
2. Fill the cup with the material to be tested up to the level indicated by the filling mark.
3. Place the lid on the cup and set the latter in the stove.
4. Insert the thermometer.
5. Light and adjust the test flame so that it is of the size of bead of 4 mm in diameter. Apply
heat such that the temperature rises at a rate of 50c to 60c per minute.
6. Turn the stirrer at a rate of approximately 60 revolutions per minute.
7. Note the temperature at which a flash appears at any point on the surface of the material.
8. Continue heating the oil ignites and burns for 5 minutes. Record this temperature as fire
point.
9. The duplicate results should fall within the following range.
51Page
PRECAUTIONS:
1. The test flame should neither be larger than stipulated nor be applied more frequently
than specified as the surface layer may get super heated.
2. The bluish halo that sometimes surrounds the test flame should not be confused with the
true flash.
RESULT:
Flash point of given specimen =________________.
Fire point of given specimen=_________________.
52Page
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF BITUMEN

AIM:
To determine the Specific gravity of given Bituminous material.
THEORY:
The density of a bitumen binder is a fundamental property frequently used as an aid in

classifying the binders for use in paving jobs. In most applications, the bitumen is weighed, but
finally in use with aggregate system, the bitumen content is converted on volume basis. Thus an
accurate density value is required for conversion of weight to volume. The specific gravity is
greatly influenced by the chemical composition of binder.
The specific gravity is defined by ISI as the ratio of the mass of a given volume of the
bituminous material to the mass of an equal volume of water, the temperature of both being
specified at 27ºC±0.1ºC.
APPARATUS:
Specific gravity Bottle, Distilled water.
PROCEDURE:
1. The clean, dried specific gravity bottle is weighed let that be W1 gm.
2. Then it is filled with fresh distilled water and then kept in water bath for at least half an
hour at temperature 27°C ± 0.1°C.
3. The bottle is then removed and cleaned from outside. The specific gravity bottle
containing distilled water is now weighed. Let this be W2 gm.
4. Then the specific gravity bottle is emptied and cleaned. The bituminous material is heated
to a pouring temperature and the material is poured half the bottle, by taking care to
prevent entry of air bubbles. Then it is weighed. Let this be W3 gm.
5. The remaining space in specific gravity bottle is filled with distilled water at 27°C and is
weighed. Let this be W4 gm.
6. Then specific gravity of bituminous material is given by formula,
Specific Gravity =
(w 3−w 1)
(w 2−w 1)−( w 4−w 3)
53 Page
PRECAUTIONS:
1. Only freshly boiled and cooled distilled water shall be used

2. Precautions shall be taken to prevent expansion and over-flow of the contents resulting
from the heat of the hand when wiping the surface of the apparatus.
3. All air bubbles shall be eliminated in filling the apparatus and inserting the stopper.
4. Weighing shall be done quickly after filling the apparatus and shall be accurate to 0.1 mg.
RESULT:
The specific gravity of given bituminous binder is ___________________.
54Page
Bitumen content
AIM:
To determine quantity of bitumen in hot mix paving mixtures and pavement samples.
APPARATUS:
Centrifuge extractor and pavement sample.
THEORY:
The centrifuge extractor is used for the quantitative determination of bitumen in hot
mixed paving mixtures and pavement samples, essentially as a field test to exercise quality
control and ensure that the specified amount of bitumen has been used.
The bitumen content is calculated by difference of the weight of the extract aggregate,
moisture content and ash from the weight of the sample taken for the test.
PROCEDURE:
1. Weight a 100g sample of asphalt mix.

2. With the fork break the sample down to small pieces and heat the sample to about 115oc.
3. Place the sample in the bowl and weight it.
4. Cover the sample in the bowl benzene or trichloroethane and allow it to soak for one
hour.
5. Weight filter ring. Place it around the edge of the bowl and clamp a lid on the bowl.
6. Place a beaker under the outlet.
7. Place the bowl in a centrifuge and rotate it gradually to increase the speed up to 3600rpm.
Rotate until the solvent ceases to flow from the outlet.
8. Stop the centrifuge, add 200ml of trichloroethane or benzene and rotate it again.
9. Repeat the procedure (not lees then three washing) until the extract is no longer cloudy
and is light in color.
10. Remove the filter from the bowl and dry in air.
11. Brush the loose particles from the filter into the bowl.
12. Dry the filter to constant weight in an oven at 98oc to 105oc.
13. Dry the contents of the bowl on a steam bath and than to constant weight in an oven at
98oc to 105oc.
14. Obtain the weight of the filter and bowl with dry aggregates.
55
CALCULATION:
Page
Before test
Weight of bowl +sample (W1), g
Weight of bowl (W2), g
Weight of filter (W3), g
After test
Weight of bowl +sample (W4), g
Weight of filter (W5), g
Weight of sample (W1-W2), g
Weight of aggregates in bowl (W4– W2), g

Weight of aggregates in filter (W5– W3), g
Weight of aggregates WA = (W4-W2) + (W5–W3),
Weight of bitumen WB = (W1-W2) - WA
Bitumen content = (WB/ W A) X 100
PRECAUTIONS:
i) Separate the particles of the mixture as uniformly as possible taking care not to
fracture the mineral particles.
ii) The cover plate should be fixed tightly on the bowl.
RESULT:
BITUMEN CONTENT OF THE GIVEN SAMPLE= ____________.
56Page
Viva questions:
Elongation index
1. What do you mean by elongation index of an aggregate?
Ans. Flakiness Index is the percentage by weight of particles in it, whose least
dimension (i.e. thickness) is less than three-fifths of its mean dimension.
2. What do you infer from elongation index?
Ans. Elongated particles may have adverse effects on concrete and bituminous mix.
3. How the elongation index of the sample helps in deciding the design of a highway?
Ans. For instance, flaky and elongated particles tend to lower the workability of
concrete mix which may impair the long-term durability. For bituminous mix, flaky
particles are liable to break up and disintegrate during the pavement rolling process.
4. What minimum size of the aggregate?
Ans. 6.3mm
5. What is standard multiplication factor for elongation?
Ans. 1.8 times of mean dimension.
Flakiness index
1. What do you mean by flakiness index of an aggregate?
Ans. Elongation Index is the percentage by weight of particles in it, whose largest
dimension (i.e. length) is greater than one and four-fifths times its mean dimension.
2. What do you infer from flakiness index?
Ans. Flaky particles may have adverse effects on concrete and bituminous mix. For
instance, flaky and elongated particles tend to lower the workability of concrete mix
which may impair the long-term durability. For bituminous mix, flaky particles are
liable to break up and disintegrate during the pavement rolling process.
3. How the flakiness index of the sample helps in deciding the design of a highway?
Ans. For instance, flaky and elongated particles tend to lower the workability of
concrete mix which may impair the long-term durability. For bituminous mix, flaky
particles are liable to break up and disintegrate during the pavement rolling process.
4. What maximum size of the aggregate?
Ans. 63mm
5. What is standard multiplication factor for flakiness?
Ans. 0.6 times of mean dimension.
Impact test
1. How is aggregate Impact expressed?
Ans. The ratio of the weight of fines formed to the total sample weight in each test is
to be expressed as a percentage
2. What do you understand by dry and wet Impact value?
Ans. If we use completely oven dry aggregates then it is dry impact value.
57
3. Aggregate Impact value of material A is 15 and that of B is 35. Which one is better
for surface course?
Page
Ans. Material A
4. What are standard dimensions of test mould/cup ?
Ans. Internal diameter 102mm and depth 50mm.
5. What is height fall?
Ans. 380mm
Crushing
1. What property we will know by doing crushing test?
Ans. Strength
2. How much load should be applied on the aggregates?
Ans.40 tonnes /400kN

3. Give standard dimension of measuring cylinder
Ans. Internal diameter 115mm and height 180mm
4. Which size of aggregates are used for this test?
Ans.10mm retained and 12.5mm passed
5. What is the permissible limit for aggregates used in highway construction?
Ans. Not exceeding 30%
LOS ANGELES TEST

1. The abrasion value found from Los Angeles test for two aggregates A and B are 50%
and 38% respectively. Which aggregate is harder? Why? For what types of
constructions are these suitable?
Ans. Sample B is stronger because it has less abrasion value. Suitable for all types of
constructions.
2. Why Los Angeles abrasion test is considered superior to the other form of tests which
are used to determine the hardness of aggregates?
Ans. Because the outer layer of the aggregates are tested with charges.
3. Two materials have abrasion values 3 and 10 respectively. Which one is harder and
why?
Ans.3
4. What are dimensions of the cylinder?
Ans. Internal diameter of 350 mm and length of 500mm.
5. What is meant by charges?
Ans. Load applied on it are called charges.
ATTRITION TEST
1. Define attrition.
Ans. the process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness through sustained
attack or pressure.
2. How many revolution should we apply for attrition test?
Ans.10,000
3. How many grades of aggregates are divided for this test?
Ans. 7 grades
4. If we apply charges to the aggregates what happens?
Ans. It becomes abrasion test.
5. What is formula for calculation of attrition?
Ans. Ratio of weight of sample passing 1.7mm sieve to its original weight of
58
aggregate sample.
Page
Water absorption and specific gravity test

1. How does the Water absorption of the coarse aggregate affects the mix design of
concrete?
Ans. The water requirement of a concrete mix is the amount of water needed to
produce one cubic metre of concrete, of the desired workability
2. Permissible limit for highway aggregates
Ans. 0.5 to 2 %
3. Why water absorption value is important for aggregates?
Ans. It helps to know design the water cement ratio.

4. Define specific gravity.
Ans. Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a
reference substance; equivalently, it is the ratio of the mass of a substance to the mass
of a reference substance for the same given volume.
5. What are the factors affecting specific gravity test?
Penetration test
1. What are the applications of penetration test?
Ans. It is the vertical distance traversed or penetrated by the point of a standard
needle in to the bituminous material under specific conditions of load, time and
temperature. This distance is measured in one tenths of a millimetre.
2. What do you understand by the term 30/40 bitumen?
Ans. The penetration grade of bitumen binders are generally denoted as 30/40.
3. What are the precautions to be taken while conducting a penetration test?
Ans. The test condition should be at the temperature of 250c.
4. What are the standard dimension of needle and mould?
Ans. Needle height 5cms, conical end for penetration and cylinder of 35mm depth
and 55mm dia.
5. How we notate penetration value?
Standard notation for penetration value 85 . at 250c ,100g for 5sec.
Viscosity
1. Explain the term viscosity.
Ans. the state of being thick, sticky, and semi-fluid in consistency, due to internal
friction.
2. What are the uses of viscosity test?
Ans. The degree of fluidity at the application temperature greatly influences the
ability of bituminous material to spread, penetrate into voids and also coat the
aggregate and hence affect the strength and characteristics of resulting paving mixes
3. What are the precautions to be taken during viscosity test using orifice viscometer?
Ans. Operation of stop watch should be done carefully.
4. How many types of viscometers present for finding viscosity?
Ans. Orifice viscometer, rotary viscometer and tar viscometer.
5. What happen if the viscosity is high?
Ans. High temperature is required for converting into liquid state and the material has
high internal resistance.
6. What are units for viscosity?
59
Ans. cSt or Ct.

Page
Softening point test

1. What are the factors which affect the ring and ball test results?
Ans. External temperature.
2. What is softening point? If material A has softening point of 56 and B has 42 which
binder is good and why?
Ans. Whichever is high?
3. What is standard height of fall?
Ans. 25mm
4. What happens if the softening point is high?
Ans. The bitumen is resistance to temperature variation.
Ductility test
1. List the factors that affect the result of a ductility test
Ans. Test temperature, pouring temperature, rate of pulling and period of cooling.
2. What do you understand by the term repeatability and reproducibility?
Ans. Repeatability is the variability of the measurements obtained by one person
while measuring the same item repeatedly.
3. What do you understand by the term repeatability and reproducibility?
Reproducibility is the variability of the measurement system caused by differences
in operator behavior.Mathematically, it is the variability of the average values
obtained by several operators while measuring the same item.
4. Explain the significance of ductility test.
Ans.it is desirable that the bitumen binders used in the bituminous mixes form ductile
thin films around the aggregates.
Flash and fire

1. Define flash and fire points.
Ans. Fire Point: "The fire point is the lowest temperature at which the material gets
ignited and burns under specified condition of test". Aim: To determine the flash and
fire point of a given bituminous material.
2. What are the parameter that affects the result of flash and fire point tests?
Ans. External temperature.
3. Which apparatus is used for flash and fire test?
Ans. Apparatus: Pensky-Martens closed cup tester, thermometer, heating source,
flame exposure.
4. What is the necessity for finding flash and fire point?
Ans. The critical temperature of the fluids mainly bitumen.
Specific gravity of bitumen

1. What is the standard specific gravity value for bitumen?
Ans. The specific gravity of pure bitumen ranges from 0.97 to 1.02
2. What is the method applied for find specific gravity of bitumen?
Ans. The principle is that it is the ratio of mass of a given volume of bitumen to the
mass of an equal volume of water, both taken at a recorded/specified temperature.
60Page

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HIGHWAY AND CONCRETE

TECHNOLOGY LAB MANUAL

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

s.no Date Experiment name Marks Signature

Department of civil engineering

S.no List of experiments Page no Reference code

1. Fineness and Normal Consistency of Cement. 5,6 IS 12269-53

Tests on fresh concrete

1. Compressive Strength of Cement. 17 IS 12269-53

2. Compressive Strength of Concrete. 19 IS 516- 1959

1. Bulking of sand 22 IS 383- 1970

2. Fineness Modulus of Fine and Coarse Aggregate 23 --

6. Los Angeles Abrasion test 34

Tests on bituminous Materials

Department of civil engineering

Department of civil engineering

AIM: To determine the fineness of the given sample of cement by sieving.

Average fineness of cement =

RESULT: Fineness of given sample of cement =

Department of civil engineering

NORMAL CONSISTENCY OF CEMENT

INTRODUCTION: The standard consistency of a cement paste is defined as that consistency

9. Express the amount of water as a percentage by weight of the dry cement.

Department of civil engineering

RESULT: Normal consistency for the given sample of cement is

Department of civil engineering

INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIMES OF CEMENT

APPARATUS: Vicat apparatus (conforming to IS: 5513-1976) with attachments, balance,

PROCEDURE: Preparation of Test Block:

DETERMINATION OF INITIAL SETTING TIME:

Department of civil engineering

DETERMINATION OF FINAL SETTING TIME:

Initial setting time for the given sample of cement =

Final setting time for the given sample of cement =

Department of civil engineering

SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF CEMENT

AIM: To determine the specific gravity of given sample of hydraulic cement.

Sc = (W2 - W1)* (W4 - W1) / ((W4 - W1)-(W3-W2))*(W5 - W1)

Department of civil engineering

RESULT: Average specific gravity of given sample of cement =

Department of civil engineering

APPARATUS: Le Chatelier apparatus conforming to IS 5514-1969, Balance, Weights, Water

Department of civil engineering

WORKABILITY TESTS ON FRESH CONCRETE

A) SLUMP CONE TEST

OBJECT: To determine the workability or consistency of concrete mix of given proportion by

S.No W/c Ratio Slump in mm

Department of civil engineering

RESULTS: Average slump in mm=

Recommended slumps of concrete mix of various works

S.No Description of work Recommended slump in cms

Department of civil engineering

(B)COMPACTION FACTOR TEST

OBJECT: To determine the workability of concrete mix of given proportion by compaction

APPARATUS: Compaction factor apparatus, trowel weighing machine conical hoppers

tamping for 25 times in order to obtain full compaction of concrete.

13. Repeat the procedure for different for different a trowel.

Department of civil engineering

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS:

Weight of cylinder = W1 Kgs.

Suggested ranges of values of compaction factors for different placing conditions.

S.No Placing condition Degree of Values of

4. Concreting of heavily reinforced section High 0.92 to above

Department of civil engineering