CE226 (Construction Material and Testing) Typical Mechanical Properties Of A Material Includes:

INTRODUCTION • Strength
-The engineering structures are composed of materials. These • Toughness
materials are necessary for the civil engineer to become familiar with • Hardness
the properties of such materials. • Brittleness
- The materials strength and mechanical properties are measured by • Malleability
the use of testing machines. • Ductility
• Creep and Slip
Testing machines - these machines are designed to apply force and to • Resilience
measure these forces applied. • Fatigue
Main Elements Of Testing Machines: Strength - the property of a material which opposes the deformation
1. Loading system or breakdown of material in presence of external forces or loads
2. Weighing system Toughness - absorb the energy and gets plastically deformed without
3. Indicating system fracturing
Significant Tests Performed In Engineering Materials: Hardness - the ability to resist to permanent shape
1. Tension or tensile tests Brittleness - how easily it gets fractured to a force or load
2. Compression tests Malleability - how a material gets deformed under compressive stress
3. Flexure tests Ductility - how a material gets deformed under tensile stress
Apparatus And Equipments Used In Test: Creep and slip - move slowly and deform permanently
1. Sieve set - a device for separating wanted elements from unwanted Resilience - absorb the energy when it is deformed elastically by
material applying stress and release the energy when stress is removed
 Sieve analysis - analytical technique used to determine the Fatigue - weakening of material by repeated loading of the material
particle size distribution of a granular material
2. Balance - is a device to measure weight or mass Physical properties of a material - observed without any change of the
3. Graduated Beaker, Graduated Cylinder - are used to measure identity of material
volumes of liquid for scientific experimentation Physical Properties Of A Material Includes:
4. Calculator - device that performs arithmetic operations on numbers  Density
5. Slump cone - shape of the mould is a frustum of a cone, made of  Specific gravity
steel, plastic, etc.  State changes of thermal expansion
Workability of a concrete:  Specific heat
1. Collapse  Latent heat
2. Shear type of slump  Fluidity
3. True slump  Weld ability
6. Moulds - hollow blocks of different shapes which used for casting  Elasticity
the concrete  Plasticity
 Cube moulds - a test to determine the compressive strength  Porosity
of concrete.  Thermal expansion
 Beam mould - a flexure test is to measure flexural strength  Electrical conductivity
and flexural modulus. Density - It is defined as “the mass per unit volume”
 Cylinder mould - for testing the compressive strength Specific gravity - It is defined as the ratio of density of material with
7. Hydrometer - used for measuring the relative density of liquids respect to the density of a reference material or substance
based on the concept of buoyancy. State change temperatures - has three states – solid, liquid and gas.
8. Universal testing machine - is used to test the tensile strength and -the temperature at which the substance changes from one
compressive strength of materials. state to another state
9. Concrete mixer - is a device that homogeneously combines cement,  Melting point - substance changes from solid state to liquid
aggregate state
10. Pressure gauge - instrument for measuring the condition of a fluid
 Boiling point - substance changes from liquid state to gaseous
11. Tamping rod - round, straight steel rod used with slump cones
state
12. Thermometer - is an instrument that measures temperature.
 Freezing point - a liquid changes from liquid state to solid
13. Vicat apparatus - determining the normal consistency and time of
state
setting of portland cement
Coefficient of thermal expansion - expansion in material which
14. Stopwatch - is a handheld, measure the amount of time that
increase in temperature
elapses
Specific heat - amount of heat required to increase the temperature of
15. Electric oven - can be used for sample drying, baking, annealing,
a unit mass of material by 1°c
16. Funnel - channel substances into containers with a small opening
Latent heat - heat required/released by change in unit mass of
17. Wire basket - used for washing, rinsing, draining, dipping and easy
material from one state to another
handling of aggregates
Fluidity - that how easily a material can flow in liquid state
18. Steel pan - used as mixing pan and storage for drying purposes
Weld ability - how easily the two pieces of material can be welded
19. Shovel - used to dig as well as to move loose, granular materials
Elasticity - regains its original dimensions on removal of load or force
20. Trowel - small hand tool used for digging, applying, mixing,
Plasticity - load beyond the limit of elasticity, the material retains it
smoothing, or moving small amounts of viscous
molded state
21. Wheel barrow - a small cart with a single wheel at the front
Plasticity - load beyond the limit of elasticity, the material retains it
22. First aid kit - you can treat ailments and injuries that can happen
molded state
Porosity - the quantity of voids in solid materials
Thermal conductivity - how easily the heat can be conducted by a
GENERAL PROPERTIES OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS
material
Mechanical properties of a materials - are those which affect the
Electrical conductivity - how easily the electricity can be conducted by
mechanical strength and ability of a material to be molded in suitable
the material
shape
TESTING OF AGGREGATES
Aggregates - Granular material ingredients of concrete and bituminous
mixes. Aggregates may be divided generally into:
 Fine aggregates
 Coarse aggregates

Fine aggregates - natural and manufactured sand and some crushed

stone with most particles passes through a 3/8 inch sieve
Course aggregates - includes gravel and crushed rock generally range
between 3/8 to 1.5 inches in diameter

For Proper Selection Of Aggregates Consideration Should Be Given To

Such Characteristics As:
 Size
 Strength
 Durability
 Cleanliness or freedom for dirt
Common Tests To Evaluate Physical Characteristics Of Aggregates
 Unit weight
 Specific gravity
Unit weight – known as specific weight. It is the weight per unit
volume of a material
Specific gravity - the ratio of density of material with respect to the
density of water

Specific Gravity For Fine Aggregates:

W1 = wt in air of saturated surface-dry sample
W2 = wt of pycnometer filled with water
W3 = wt of pycnometer, water, sample in bottle

Specific Gravity For Coarse Aggregates:

W1 = wt in air of saturated surface-dry sample
W2 = wt of sample in water

Absorption - condition where water is taken from the substance

Absorption For Fine And Coarse Aggregates:
W0 = wt in air of oven-dry sample
W1 = wt in air of saturated surface-dry sample

Sieve Analysis - Particle-size distribution of aggregates

Fineness Modulus - empirical figure obtained by adding the total
percentage of the sample of an aggregate retained on each sieve and
dividing the sum by 100.