Labowork

– Title Intro (explaining what you are doing and your scope)
– Tools used
– Raw data
– Analysis
– Conclusion
– If necessary give recommendations
– Reference

Standard consistent of cement

This is the amount of water that will make a standard paste that will allow us to penetrate with a
standard plunger 5-7mm from bottom

Cement should not be used after

Methodology
Apparatus
– V cut apparatus
– Detachable plunger
– Mould
– Flat plate
– Trowel for mixing
– Mixing tray
– Measuring cylinder
– Weighing Balance (capacity 1000g)
– Stopwatch
– Squeeze bottle

Test procedure
Bs EN 196 is the standard for testing concrete

1. Weigh 400g of cement

2. Add water in the range of 25-35% of the weight of cement (in our case 25% of 400 = 100)
3. Once you add water immediately start the stop watch
4. Start mixing for not less than 3 minutes and not more that 5 minutes(gauge time).between
min 3 and 5 you should do testing
5. Record the penetration as your standard consistency
6. If it fails repeat with a different volume of water
Percentage water Cement g Water cm3 Penetration mm
25 400 120 35
35 400 140 10
 35.5 400 142 5
36 400 144 3
37 400 148 9
Setting -Time cement take to harden

Initial setting
Final setting

Initial setting - very important

Between initial and final setting it will take 30-600 minutes

Experiment 2 INITIAL SET TIME

Methodology
Apparatus
– V cut apparatus
– Needle 1mm diameter
– Mould
– Flat plate
– Trowel for mixing
– Mixing tray
– Measuring cylinder
– Weighing Balance (capacity 1000g)
– Stopwatch
– Squeeze bottle

Procedure
1. Weigh 400 g of cement
2. Add o.87p of water where p is the standard consistency which in our case is 35.5
3. Once you add water immediately start the stop watch
4. Start mixing for not less than 3 minutes and not more that 5 minutes
5. Wait for 2hrs once sample is ready after the 5 minutes of mixing then test it

Final setting

Apparatus
– V cut apparatus
– Anular needle
– Mould
– Flat plate
– Trowel for mixing
– Mixing tray
– Measuring cylinder
– Weighing Balance (capacity 1000g)
 – Weighing Balance (capacity 1000g)
– Stopwatch
– Squeeze bottle

SPECIFIC GRAVITY

This is the ratio of two materials one being a standard while the other is the the substance tested
Ratio of mass of fine aggregate to mass of equal volume of water
Water is used as a standard to obtain specific gravity of other materials

Methodology

Apparatus

1. Pycnometer capacity of 1L weighs 649g

2. Balance
3. Absorbent cloth
4. Oven 105 +- 5
5. Scoop
6. Water container/Squeeze bottle
7. Stirring rod

Procedure

– Soak your sample overnight to fill the pores

– Use an absorbent cloth to dry the surface of your sample
– Weigh 500 g of the saturated surface dry (SSD) sample this will be weight A
– Add the SDD to the pycnometer and fill with water then stir
– Take the weight of the pycnometer the sample and water together 1837g. This will be
weight B
– Empty the contents of the pycnometer into a dry container of weight 1693g
– Fill the pycnometer full of water and weigh it 1541g
– Oven dry it in the oven our value must be less than 500 this will be weight D

Procedure

Get the weight of the basket in air 439.5g

Weight 2000g of saturated material
Add you material in the basket to get 2439.5
Submerge the basket in water and weigh 390
Submerge your sample and measure the weight in water 1606g
Empty the sample in another container and oven dry final results should be under 2000
If the deviation from 2000 is big the sample is porous and not suitable for construction
If deviation is small the sample is not porous and is thus suitable for construction

GRADING
This is the is sorting/ separating material by different sizes of particles

Equipment
1. Oven
2. Balance with accuracy of 0.1
3. Set of sieves from 37.5-0mm coarse agg if 37.5-5 fine agg is 10-0
4. Wire brush
5. Scoop
6. Containers for oven drying

Procedure

– Start by oven drying the sample so as to retain the actual mass of the aggregate
– Allow the sample to cool
– Weigh 2024 grams of the sample
– The more the sample the more accurate the results
– Pour all sample into the sieve
– Shake for about 10 minutes

Sieve Mass of Mass of Retained %re- %passing

Cumula-
size sieve sieve material tained tive %
+retained
material
37.5 930 930 0 0 0 100
20 985 1576 591 29.2% 29.3 70.8
14 1084 2239.5 1155.5 57.09% 86.29 13.71
10 817 1011.5 194.5 9.61% 95.9 4.1
5 834 915 81 4.00% 99.9 0.1
Pan 712 713 1 0.049 99.95 0.05

Causes of error
Lose material during sieving
Inaccurate balance
Moisture

Plotting semi log curve

Particle size x axis is on log scale
% Passing y axis Normal scale

CONCRETE WORK

Concrete has different classes / strengths

Class 20 mostly for slabs
Class 25 Form work columns
Class 30 Industrial

Once you design you go do test mixes

Crushing
7791 g cube is 150 by 150
Max load 508.124kn
Maximum strength 22.584mpa

Cube 2
7590
Cylinder 100 diameter by 200
3840
3842
3850
Formulae for calc and confirm answers

Flectural
100 by 100 by 350 but note 300
D1 100
D2 100
3pl/2d1d2 squared