CE 8311-CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS LABORATORY

MANUAL

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

I. TEST ON FINE AGGREGATES

1. Grading of fine aggregates

2. Test for specific gravity and test for bulk density

3. Compacted and loose bulk density of fine aggregate

II. TEST ON COARSE AGGREGATE

1. Determination of impact value of coarse aggregate

2. Determination of elongation index

3. Determination of flakiness index

4. Determination of aggregate crushing value of coarse aggregate

III. TEST ON CONCRETE

1. Test for Slump

2. Test for Compaction factor

3. Test for Compressive strength - Cube & Cylinder

4. Test for Flexural strength

IV. TEST ON BRICKS AND BLOCKS

1. Test for compressive strength of bricks and blocks

2. Test for Water absorption of bricks and blocks

3. Determination of Efflorescence of bricks

4. Test on tiles
 Ex. No. DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF
SOIL SOLIDS

Aim:

To determine the specific gravity of given soil solids.

Apparatus Required:

4.75 mm IS sieve

Pycnometer

Distilled Water

Weighing Balance

Microwave Oven

Procedure:

Dry the pycnometer and weigh it with its cap. (W1)

Take about 200gmof oven dried soil passing through 4.75mm sieve into the pycnometer
and weigh again (W2).

Add sufficient de-aired water to cover the soil and screw on the cap.

Shake the pycnometer well and remove entrapped air if any.

After the air has been removed, fill the pycnometer with water completely.

Thoroughly dry the pycnometer from out side and weigh it (W3).

Clean the pycnometer by washing thoroughly.

Fill the cleaned pycnometer completely with water up to its top with cap screw on.

Weigh the pycnometer after drying it on the outside thoroughly (W4).

Repeat the procedure for three samples and obtain the average value of specific gravity.

Formula:
 (𝑊2−𝑊1)
The specific gravity of given soil sample (G) = (𝑊4−𝑊1)−(𝑊3−𝑊2)

Where,

W1 - Weight of Empty Pycnometer

W2 - Weight of Pycnometer + Dry soil solid

W3 - Weight of Pycnometer + Dry soil solid+Water

W4 - Weight of Pycnometer + Water

Observation & Tabulation:

Sl. No. Sample Weight Weight Weight Weight Specific

(W1) gm (W2) gm (W3) gm (W4) gm gravity (G)

Average (G)

Calculations:
Result:

The specific gravity of given soil solid sample (G) is _______________

Limitations:

The limitation of specific gravity of soil solid is (G) 2.50 – 2.65 at 27ºC

DETERMINATION OF GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTION – SIEVE ANALYSIS

Ex.No.: Date:

Aim:

To determine the grain size distribution of given soil sample by sieve analysis.

Apparatus Required:

A set of IS sieve

Shaker

Tray

Weighing Balance

Microwave oven

Procedure:

Weigh 500gms of oven dry soil sample, of which grain size distribution has to be studied.

Take the soil sample into 75μ sieve.

 Wash the soil sample keeping it in the sieve. Washing of soil sample means: place the soil
the sieve and gently pour water over the soil so that it wets the soil and remove the fine
particles in the form of mud, leaving only the sand and gravel size particles in the sieve.

Transfer the soil retained in the sieve after washing into a tray. Invert the sieve into the tray
and pour water gently so that all the soil particles retained in the sieve are transferred into the
tray.

Keep the tray in the oven for 24 hours at 105ºc to dry it completely.

Weigh the oven dry soil in the tray (W)

The weight of the fine grained soil is equal to 500 – W

Clean the sieve set so that no soil particles were struck in them.

Arrange the sieves in order such that coarse sieve is kept at the top and the fine sieve is at
the bottom. Place the closed pan below the finest sieve.

Take the oven dried soil obtained after washing into the top sieve and keep the lid to close
the top sieve.

Position the sieve set in the sieve shaker and sieve the sample for a period of 10 minutes.

Separate the sieves and weigh carefully the amount of soil retained on each sieve, This is
usually done by transferring the soil retained on each sieve on a separate sieve of paper and
weighing the soil with the paper.

Enter the observations in the Table and calculate the cumulative percentage of soil retained
on each sieve.

Draw the grain size distribution curve between grain size on log scale on the abscissa and
the percentage finer on the ordinate.

Formula:

𝐷
Uniformity co-efficient (Cu) = 𝐷60
10

𝐷30 2
Co-efficient of curvature (Cc) = (𝐷
60 𝑋 𝐷10 )
Observation:

Weight of the soil taken for testing (W) =

Nos of IS sieve =

Graph:

The graph (Semi-log) draw between percentage of finer and size of the sieve

Result:

Uniformity co-efficient (Cu) =

Co-efficient of curvature (Cc) =

The finer / coarser percentage (F) =

IMPACT TEST

Aim:

To determine the aggregate impact value of given aggregates

Apparatus required:

Impact testing machine, cylinder, tamping rod, IS Sieve 125.mm, 10mm and 2.36mm,
balance.
Procedure:

1. The test sample consists of aggregates passing 12.5mm sieve and retained on 10mm
sieve and dried in an oven for 4 hours at a temperature of 100ºC to 110ºC.
2. The aggregates are filled upto 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 cylindrically measure is cut off by tamping rod using it
has a straight edge.
5. Then the entire aggregate sample in a measuring cylinder is weighed 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.
7. The hammer is raised until its lower face is 38cm above the upper surface of aggregate
in the cup and allowed to fall freely on the aggregates. The test sample is subjected to a
total of 15 such blows each being delivered at an interval of not less than one second.
The crushed aggregate is than removed from the cup and the whole of it is sieved on
2.366mm sieve until no significant amount passes. The fraction passing the sieve is
weighed accurate to 0.1gm. Repeat the above steps with other fresh sample.
8. Let the original weight of the oven dry sample be W1gm and the weight of fraction
passing 2.36mm IS sieve be W2gm. Then aggregate impact value is expressed as the %
of fines formed in terms of the total weight of the sample.

Observation and calculations:

Sl. No. Details of sample Trial - I Trial - II

1 Total weight of aggregate sample filling
the cylinder measure (W1) gm
2 weight of aggregate passing 2.36mm
sieve after the test (W2) gm
3 weight of aggregate retained 2.36mm
sieve after the test (W3) gm
4 (W1 - W2+ W3) gm
5 Aggregate impact value = (W2/
W1)*100
Result:

The impact value of given Aggregate is _____________%

SHAPE TEST (ELONGATION INDEX)

Aim:

To determine the Elongation index of the given aggregate sample

Apparatus required:

Length gauge, I.S.Sieve

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.

(x1 + x2 + x3 + ……)

Elongation index = ----------------------------- x 100

(W1 + W2 + W3 + …)

Observation and calculation:

No of pieces =

Size of aggregate Length Weight of the Weight of

Passing Retained on Gauge fraction aggregates in
through IS IS Sieve mm consisting of each fraction
sieve (mm) at least 200 retained on
pieces in gm length gauge
gm.
63 50 -
50 40 81
40 25 58.50
31.5 25 -
25 20 40.5
20 16 32.4
16 12.5 25.6
12.5 10 20.2
10 6.3 14.7
Result:

The elongation index of a given sample of aggregate is _____________%

Exp no: SHAPE TEST (FLAKINESS INDEX) Date:

AIM:

To determine the flakiness index of a given aggregate sample

APPARATUS REQUIRED:
The apparatus consist of a standard thickness gauge, IS Sieve of size 63, 50, 40, 31.5, 25, 20,
16, 12.5, 10 and 6.3 and a balance to weight the samples.

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 atleast
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+…………) }*100

Size of aggregate Thickness Weight of the Weight of
Passing Retained on gauge (0.6 fraction aggregates in
through IS IS Sieve mm times the consisting of each fraction
sieve (mm) mean sieve) at least 200 passing
mm pieces in gm thickness
gauge gm.
63 50 33.90
50 40 27.00
40 25 19.50
31.5 25 16.50
25 20 13.50
20 16 10.80
16 12.5 8.55
12.5 10 6.75
10 6.3 4.89

RESULT:

The flakiness index of the given sample of aggregates is ___________%.

Exp.No: AGGREGATE CRUSHING STRENGTH Date:

Aim

To determine the crushing value of aggregate

Apparatus required

i. Steel cylinder with open ends

ii. Cylindrical measure
iii. Steel tamping rod
iv. Balance
v. Compression testing machine

Procedure

1. Take a sample of about 6.5 kg aggregate for 150mm diameter and 1 kg for 75 mm diameter
cylinder, passing through 12.5mm and retained on 1mm sieve for 20mm down aggregate and
passing through 6.3mm sieve and retained on 4.75mm sieve for 10mm down aggregate to
provided two test sample.

2. Dry the aggregate the temperature of 100ºC to 110 ºC and then cool at room temperature.

3. Fill up the cylindrical measure in three equal depth layers by tamping each layer 25 times
by tamping rod.

4. Take weight (A) of aggregate sample.

5. Add the test sample in three layers. Compact each layer by 25 strokes of tamping rod.

6. Level the surface of the aggregate and insert the plunger.

7. Place the apparatus with the test sample and plunger in position between the platens of the
testing machine.

8. Apply uniform load, so that load is reached in 10 minutes. The total load shall be 40 tonnes
for 20mm down aggregate and 10 tonnes for 10 mm down aggregate.
9. Release the load and remove the whole material from the cylinder.

10. Sieve the material on 2.36 mm sieve for 20 mm down aggregate and on 1.18mm sieve for
10 mm down aggregate.

11. Take weight (B) of material passing through is 2.36 mm sieve for 20 mm down aggregate
and 1.18 mm sieve for 10mm down aggregate.

Aggregate Crushing value (%) = B/A * 100

Result

The aggregate crushing value is --------------------------

Exp No: SLUMP CONE TEST Date:

Aim

To measure the consistency of concrete by using slump cone

Apparatus required
 i. Slump cone
ii. Tamping rod
iii. Metallic sheet

Procedure

1. The internal surface of the mould is thoroughly cleaned and freed from superfluous
moisture and adherence of any old set concrete before commencing the test.

2. The mould is placed on a smooth, horizontal rigid and non – absorbent surface.

3. The mould is then filled in four layers each approximately ¼ of the height of the mould.

4. Each layer is tamped 25 times rod taking care to distribute the strokes evenly over the cross
section. After the top layer has been rodded, the concrete is struck off level with a trowel and
tamping rod.

5. The mould is removed from the concrete immediately by raising it slowly and carefully in
a vertical direction.

6. This allows the concrete to subside. This subside is referred as slump of concrete.

7. The difference in level between the height of the mould and that of the highest point of the
subsided concrete is measured. This difference in height in mm is taken as slump of concrete.

8. The pattern of slump indicates the characteristics of concrete in addition to the slump
value. If the concrete slumps evenly it is called true slump. If one half of the cone slides
down, it is called shear slump. In case of a shear slump, the slump value is measured as the
difference in height between the height of the mould and the average value of the subsidence.
Shear slump also indicates that the concrete is non-cohesive and shows the characteristic of
segregation.
Result

The slump value of the concrete is ___________

Exp No: COMPACTION FACTOR TEST Date:

Aim

To measure the workability of concrete by compaction factor test

Apparatus required

Compaction factor test apparatus

Procedure

1. The sample of concrete to be tested is placed in the upper hopper up to the brim. The trap-
door is opened so that the concrete falls into the lower hopper.

2. Then the trap-door of the lower hopper is opened and the concrete is allowed to fall in to
the cylinder. In the case of a dry-mix, it is likely that the concrete may not fall on opening the
trap-door

3. In such a case, a slight poking by a rod may be required to set the concrete in motion. The
excess concrete remaining above the top level of the cylinder is then cut off with the help of
plane blades.

4. The outside of the cylinder is wiped clean. The concrete is filled up exactly up to the top
level of the cylinder.

5. It is weighed to the nearest 10 grams. This weight is known as “weight of partially

compacted concrete”

6. The cylinder is emptied and then refilled with the concrete from the same sample in layers
approximately 5cm deep. The layers are heavily rammed or preferably vibrated so as to
obtain full compaction. The top surface of the fully compacted concrete is then carefully
struck off level with the top of the cylinder and weighed to the nearest 10 gm. This weight is
known as “weight of fully compacted concrete”

𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆

The compaction factor =
𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆
Observation and Calculation:

Mass of cylinder W1:

Mass with Mass with Mass with Mass with

Water partially fully Partially fully
Sl. (𝑾𝟐−𝑾𝟏)
Cement compacted compacted compacted compacted C.F=
no (𝑾𝟑−𝑾𝟏)
ratio concrete concrete concrete concrete
(W2) (W3) (W2 – W1) (W3 – W1)
1
2
3
4
5

Result:

The compaction factor of the given sample of concrete is_______________%