UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (COET).

DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURAL AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

SC112: CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS

NAME:MRISHO,ADAM H
REG NO:2019-04-08063
COURSE:BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: ENG: LWITIKO HUMPHREY KALENGA
GROUP:A5

PRACTICAL #02:STRENGTH TESTS

PRACTICAL VENUE: CIVIL ENGINEERING LABORATORY (CELAB)
INTRODUCTION
Structures have to be strong enough to withstand the loads that they are supposed to
carry.Different loading types will give rise to different kinds of failure so it is significant that
the relevant strength is chosen to match the application.Standards provide methods of test for
different materials which may either be destructive or non-destructive.The results from the
tests may sometimes reflect the actual strength of the material.

STRENGTH TESTS
1.Objective:
The main objective is to determine the Strength Test of Concrete and steel.
2.Apparatus/Equipments:
Compression Machine; this machine was used to compress and split concrete to its ultimate
strength.
Tension Machine; this machine was used to tensile steel to its ultimate strength.
Bending Machine; this is the machine which was used to bend concrete to its ultimate
strength.
3.Materials:
In this practical, the materials used were cube concrete, cylindrical concrete, high tensile
steel and rectangular concrete.

Compressive strength
It is defined as the maximum load that a material can withstand per unit area of compression.
Procedures:
A cube concrete of known weight and dimensions was put on the compression machine, a
compression machine was then switched on, and it began to compress a cube concrete to its
ultimate strength, a point when it fell a part.

The ultimate load which was obtained is 850KN

Dimension of a cube concrete was 15cm × 15cm × 15cm.
Its weight was 8.321kg.

Results:
The ultimate load, F = 850KN
= 850 × 103 N
Weight 8.321Kg
= 8321g
Dimension = 15cm × 15cm × 15cm
 Cross Section Area, A = base × Height
= 15cm × 15cm
= 225cm2
= 22500mm2
Volume of concrete = 15cm × 15cm × 15cm
= 3375cm3
Gross Density of concrete = Weight of concrete/volume of concrete

= 8321g
3375cm3
= 2.465g/ cm3
Gross density of a cube concrete was 2.465g/ cm3.

Compressive strength of a concrete= Ultimate load, F

Cross Section Area
=850 × 103 N
22500mm2
= 37.78N/mm2
Therefore, the compression strength of a cube concrete is 37.78N/mm2

Bending Tensile Test

4.2.2.3 Procedures
A cylindrical concrete was put horizontal on a compression machine with two pegs, one at its
bottom and the other at its top. Then a compression machine was turned on but making sure
that the compression machine contacts the pegs. The compression continues until a
cylindrical concrete was split into two parts.
The following readings were obtained;

Results: Tensile load, F = 9.4kN

= 9400N
Concrete dimensions = width x thickness x length
= 100mm x 100mm x 500mm
Span length = 400mm

Bending tensile strength = Maximum Moment

Section Modulus
Maximum Moment = Ultimate load x Span length
4

= 9400N x 400mm
4
= 940000Nmm
 Section Modulus = width x (thickness)2
6
= 100mm x (100mm)2
6
= 166666.67mm3

Bending Tensile Strength = 940000Nmm

166666.67mm3
= 5.64N/mm2
Therefore, the Bending Tensile Strength is 5.64N/mm2

TO DETERMINE THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF HARDENED CONCRETE

AND ITS STRESS-STRAIN CHARACTERISTICS FROM A CYLINDRICAL
SPECIMEN.
Test Specimen;
Size Diameter, D = 150mm
Height = 300mm

Test results;
Load Average Average
(KN) Reading(mm) Deformation(mm)
0 0 0
20 1 0.002
40 2 0.004
60 2 0.004
80 3 0.006
100 4 0.008
120 5 0.010

Load Average deformation Stress Strain(%) x

(kN) (mm) (N/mm2) 10-5
0 0 0 0
20 0.002 1.1318 1.333
40 0.0035 2.2635 2.333
60 0.004 3.3953 2.667
80 0.006 4.5271 4
100 0.008 5.6588 5.333
 120 0.01 6.7906 6.667
8

Stress(N/mm2) 4

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Strain(×10-5)

The graph does not obey Hooke’s law because concrete is not a fully elastic material but it is
a viscous-elastic material which behaves as creep.
BENDING TENSILE TEST.
Objectives:
Determination of bending tensile strength of a concrete bar.
Equipment:
Compression machine
Material
Rectangular block
Procedure:
 The rectangular block was kept on two supports kept at the span of 400mm
 The steel rod was kept on two supports on the rectangular block
 Then the force was applied at the midst of the steel rod and then being
transferred to the block.
 The ultimate load read was 8.2kN

Results and calculations:

Length of the rectangular block = 500mm
Span between two supporters = 400 mm
Width of the rectangular block = 100 mm
Height of the rectangular block= 100 mm
Ultimate tensile load F= 8.2kN

Max .moment
Ultimate tensile strength ¿
Section modulus
 FL
¿
a b2
FL
Where Max moment ¿
6
8200× 50
¿
6
=68,333.33Nm
Z = ba2
6
=(100x1002)/6
=166666.67mm3
F=Mmax /Z

=41666.67/166666.67
=0.41N/mm2
Ultimate tensile strength is 0.41N/mm2
SPLITING TENSILE TEST
OBJECTIVES: Determination of tensile strength of cylindrical specimen in horizontal
direction by indirect method.
EQUIPMENTS: Compression machine
MATERIAL:
 Cylindrical block
 Point rods
PROCEDURE:
i. Diameter of the cylindrical block was measured, its value was 150mm
ii. Its length was measured, its value was 300mm
iii. Two point rods were kept on opposite sides of the cylindrical block corresponding to
the two plates of the compression machine.
iv. The machine was switched on and the value ultimate load was 100kN

RESULT AND CALCULATIONS:

Diameter D = 150 mm
Length L = 300 mm
Ultimate load F = 80 KN
2 Fu
F t=
πDL
2× 80000
¿
π ×150 ×300
= 1.13 N/mm2
Therefore, Tensile strength of cylindrical specimen is 1.13 N/mm2
 2. DETERMINATION OF DIRECT TENSILE STRENGTH OF A REINFORCING
STEEL BAR AND ITS MODULUS OF ELASTICITY.
Specimen;
- Type: high tensile steel bar, hot rolled/ mild steel
- Nominal diameter, D = 16mm
- Nominal area, An = Π d2/4
= π x162/4 mm2
= 201 mm2

- Length, L = 397mm
- Weight of steel = 605g
- Mass per meter, m = weight/ length
= 1.524g/mm

- Effective area, m/ (0.00785L) = 1.524g/mm

0.00002g/mm3
= 194mm2
Gauge length, Lo = 80mm
Load Extension
(kN) (mm)
0 0
20 5.5
40 7.6
60 9.3
80 11.3
100 12.8
120 15.7
140 24.3

Yield load, Fy = 124.2kN

Fy
Yield strength, fy =
A eff
124.2×10 3
=
194.131
= 639.77 N/mm2
Yield strength, fy is 639.77 N/mm2

Ultimate load, Fu = 149.6kN

Fu
Ultimate Tensile Strength, fu =
A eff
 149.6× 103
=
194.131
= 770.61N/mm2
Ultimate Tensile Strength, fu is 770.61N/mm2

Load
Stress, σ =
Area
Load
= ………………….. (1)
194.131
Extension
Strain, ε =
Gaugelength
Extension
= ………………….. (2)
80
On substituting different loading readings on equation (1) and different extension reading in
equation (2), the following readings are obtained;

Load Extension Stress Strain

(kN) (mm) (N/mm2) (× 10-3)
0 0 0 0
20 5.5 103.023 68.75
40 7.6 206.046 95
60 9.3 309.070 116.25
80 11.3 412.093 141.25
100 12.8 515.116 160
120 15.7 618.139 196.25
140 24.3 721.163 303.75
 800

700

600

500

Stress(N/mm2) 400

300

200

100

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Strain(×10-3)

From Young’s Modulus, E = Change in stress(slope)

Change in strain
From the graph,
Slope(E)= Change in stress
Change in strain
E= (412.093 ̶ 206.045)
(141.25 ̶ 95) ×10-3
E=221,000N/mm2
Therefore, young modulus of steel is 221,000 N/mm2

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS:
 In direct tensile test, the tensile strength is high because of a three dimensional state
at the ends.
 In splitting tensile test, stress distribution in a direction perpendicular
To the direction of the external compressive force cause reduction of the strength of
material.
 The bending of beam result in compressive stresses at the top and
tension at the bottom. The tensile strength of concrete is low because
the concrete is rich in compressive strength and weak in tensile strength

CONCLUSION:
The load applied did not vary proportionally to the applied.