UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE

A UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE (UTM) IS USED TO TEST THE MECHANICAL

PROPERTIES (TENSION, COMPRESSION, ETC.) OF A GIVEN TEST SPECIMEN BY
EXERTING TENSILE, COMPRESSIVE, OR TRANSVERSE STRESSES. THE MACHINE HAS
BEEN NAMED SO BECAUSE OF THE WIDE RANGE OF TESTS IT CAN PERFORM OVER
DIFFERENT KINDS OF MATERIALS. DIFFERENT TESTS LIKE PEEL TEST, FLEXURAL
TEST, TENSION TEST, BEND TEST, FRICTION TEST, SPRING TEST, ETC. CAN BE
PERFORMED WITH THE HELP OF UTM.
I. A UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE CONSISTS OF TWO MAIN PARTS:
1. LOADING UNIT - THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE TEST SPECIMEN AND THE
EXERTION OF THE LOAD IS HELD.
2. CONTROL UNIT – THE VARIATIONS IN THE APPLICATION OF THE LOAD AND THE
CORRESPONDING TEST RESULT ARE OBTAINED.
IN THE FIGURE, THE LEFT UNIT WITH TABLE AND CROSSHEAD FORM THE LOADING
UNIT. THE RIGHT UNIT WITH A LOAD INDICATOR ARRANGEMENT IS THE CONTROL
UNIT.

1. THE LOADING UNIT OF A UTM CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS:

i. LOAD FRAME - THE LOAD FRAME OF A UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE CAN BE
MADE EITHER BY SINGLE SUPPORT OR BY DOUBLE SUPPORT. THE LOAD
FRAME CONSISTS OF A TABLE (WHERE THE SPECIMEN IS PLACED FOR THE
COMPRESSION TEST), UPPER CROSSHEAD, AND LOWER CROSSHEAD.
ii. UPPER CROSSHEAD AND LOWER CROSSHEAD - THE UPPER CROSSHEAD IS
USED TO CLAMP ONE END OF THE TEST SPECIMEN. THE LOWER CROSSHEAD
IN THE LOAD FRAME IS THE MOVABLE CROSSHEAD WHOSE SCREWS CAN BE
LOOSENED FOR HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT AND TIGHTENED. BOTH THE
CROSSHEADS HAVE A TAPERED SLOT AT THE CENTER. THIS SLOT HAS A PAIR
OF RACKED JAWS THAT IS INTENDED TO GRIP AND HOLD THE TENSILE TEST
SPECIMEN.
iii. ELONGATION SCALE - THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE LOWER AND UPPER
TABLE IS MEASURED BY AN ELONGATION SCALE WHICH IS PROVIDED ALONG
WITH THE LOADING UNIT.
2. THE CONTROL UNIT OF A UTM CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS:
 i. HYDRAULIC POWER UNIT - THIS UNIT CONSISTS OF AN OIL PUMP THAT
PROVIDES NON-PULSATING OIL FLOW INTO THE MAIN CYLINDER OF THE LOAD
UNIT. THIS FLOW HELPS IN THE SMOOTH APPLICATION OF LOAD ON THE
SPECIMEN. THE OIL PUMP IN A HYDRAULIC POWER UNIT IS RUN BY AN
ELECTRIC MOTOR AND SUMP.
ii. LOAD MEASURING UNIT - THIS UNIT HAS A PENDULUM DYNAMOMETER UNIT
THAT HAS A SMALL CYLINDER WITH A PISTON WHICH MOVES WITH THE NON-
PULSATING OIL FLOW. THE PENDULUM IS CONNECTED TO THE PISTON BY
PIVOT LEVER. THE PIVOT LEVER DEFLECTS BASED ON THE LOAD APPLIED TO
THE SPECIMEN. THIS DEFLECTION IS CONVERTED TO THE LOAD POINTER AND
DISPLAYS AS THE LOAD ON THE DIAL.
THE RANGE OF LOAD APPLICATION CAN BE ADJUSTED BY MEANS OF A KNOB IN
THE LOAD MEASURING UNIT (0-100 KN; 0-250 KN; 0-500 KN AND 0-1000 KN). THE
ACCURACY OF MEASURING UNIT CONTROLS THE OVERALL ACCURACY OF THE
MACHINE.
iii. CONTROL DEVICES - THE CONTROL DEVICES CAN BE ELECTRIC OR
HYDRAULIC. ELECTRIC CONTROL DEVICES MAKE USE OF SWITCHES TO MOVE
THE CROSSHEADS AND SWITCH ON/OFF THE UNIT. A HYDRAULIC CONTROL
DEVICE CONSISTS OF TWO VALVES, RIGHT CONTROL VALVE AND LEFT
CONTROL VALVE OR RELEASE VALVE. A RIGHT CONTROL VALVE IS USED TO
APPLY LOAD ON THE SPECIMEN. THE LEFT CONTROL VALVE IS USED TO
RELEASE THE LOAD APPLICATION AS SHOWN IN FIGURE.

II. UTM MACHINE WORKING PROCEDURE AND REQUIREMENTS:

1. SAMPLE PREPARATION: BEFORE TESTING CAN COMMENCE, PROPER SAMPLE
PREPARATION IS ESSENTIAL. THE MATERIAL SAMPLE MUST BE CAREFULLY
SELECTED AND MACHINED TO SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS ACCORDING TO THE
TEST REQUIREMENTS. THE SAMPLE’S GEOMETRY AND SIZE PLAY A
SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE ACCURACY OF THE TEST RESULTS.
2. MOUNTING THE SAMPLE: THE PREPARED SAMPLE IS THEN SECURELY
MOUNTED ONTO THE UTM USING SPECIALIZED GRIPS OR FIXTURES. THESE
GRIPS ENSURE THAT THE SAMPLE REMAINS STATIONARY DURING TESTING
AND THAT FORCE IS APPLIED UNIFORMLY.
3. INITIALIZING THE TEST PARAMETERS: OPERATORS INPUT THE NECESSARY
TEST PARAMETERS INTO THE UTM’S CONTROL SOFTWARE. THESE
PARAMETERS INCLUDE THE TYPE OF TEST (TENSION, COMPRESSION,
BENDING, ETC.), THE TESTING SPEED, AND THE LOAD RANGE. MODERN UTMS
ARE OFTEN EQUIPPED WITH INTUITIVE SOFTWARE INTERFACES THAT MAKE
PARAMETER INPUT STRAIGHTFORWARD.
4. APPLYING LOAD: ONCE THE PARAMETERS ARE SET, THE UTM BEGINS
APPLYING LOAD TO THE MATERIAL SAMPLE. THE LOAD APPLICATION CAN BE
DONE AT A CONSTANT RATE OR FOLLOWING A SPECIFIC TESTING STANDARD.
AS LOAD IS APPLIED, THE UTM RECORDS THE CORRESPONDING
DEFORMATION OR DISPLACEMENT OF THE SAMPLE.
5. RECORDING DATA: DURING THE TEST, THE UTM CONTINUOUSLY RECORDS
DATA SUCH AS LOAD, DISPLACEMENT, AND TIME. THIS DATA IS CRUCIAL FOR
GENERATING LOAD-DEFORMATION CURVES, WHICH PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO
THE MATERIAL’S BEHAVIOR UNDER STRESS.
6. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS: AFTER THE TEST IS COMPLETE, THE RECORDED
DATA IS ANALYZED TO DETERMINE VARIOUS MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE
MATERIAL. THESE PROPERTIES INCLUDE YIELD STRENGTH, ULTIMATE TENSILE
STRENGTH, MODULUS OF ELASTICITY, AND MORE. THE RESULTS OBTAINED
FROM UTM TESTS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR QUALITY CONTROL, MATERIAL
SELECTION, AND DESIGN OPTIMIZATION.

III. COMMON TYPES OF MATERIALS TESTING FOR CONCRETE

 1. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST
THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE IS A COMMON PERFORMANCE
MEASURE USED BY ENGINEERS TO DESIGN BUILDING AND OTHER
STRUCTURES. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH IS DEFINED AS THE ABILITY OF THE
CONCRETE TO WITHSTAND SPECIFIC COMPRESSIVE FORCES. THE TEST WILL
HELP TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CONCRETE PERFORMS TO THE
APPROPRIATE STANDARDS.
2. DRYING SHRINKAGE TEST
DRYING SHRINKAGE OCCURS WHEN THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE CONTRACTS
DUE TO MOISTURE/WATER LOSS. THIS CAN ADVERSELY IMPACT THE
DURABILITY, AESTHETICS, AND SERVICEABILITY OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES.
COMMON TYPE OF MATERIALS TESTING FOR STEEL
1. ASTM A370 IS ONE OF THE MOST BROADLY RECOGNIZED AND ENCOMPASSING
STANDARDS FOR MEASURING THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF METALS. IT IS USED
BY MANY INDUSTRIES SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION AND AUTOMOTIVE
MANUFACTURING WHERE SAFETY IS DEPENDENT ON THE QUALITY OF
MATERIALS. IN ADDITION TO TENSION TESTS, THE STANDARD ALSO OUTLINES
CHARPY IMPACT, BEND, AND BRINELL AND ROCKWELL HARDNESS TESTS ON
METALS.
COMMON TYPE OF MATERIALS TESTING FOR WOOD
1. ASTM D198 IS THE MOST WIDELY USED SPECIFICATION FOR TESTING WOOD. IT
COVERS COMPRESSION, FLEXURE, TENSION, TORSION AND SHEAR TESTING
ON FULL SIZED WOOD SPECIMENS. 2X4 TIMBER BOARDS ARE TESTED UNDER
THIS STANDARD. UNIVERSAL GRIP OFFERS A CUSTOMIZABLE WOOD TESTING
PACKAGE WHICH UTILIZES A GALDABINI UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE. BY
CHANGING THE GRIPS, DIFFERENT TESTS CAN BE PERFORMED INCLUDING
BEND TESTING.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MATERIALS TESTING FOR CONCRETE / STEEL / WOOD /
CABLES USING UTM’S TO CIVIL ENGINEERING:
1. QUALITY ASSURANCE:
MATERIAL TESTING IS THE CORNERSTONE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN
CONSTRUCTION. BY SUBJECTING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TO
RIGOROUS TESTING, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES CAN ENSURE THAT
THE MATERIALS THEY USE MEET THE NECESSARY STANDARDS AND
SPECIFICATIONS. AS A RESULT, THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT CAN
MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT LEVEL OF QUALITY THROUGHOUT
2. QUALITY CONTROL:
MATERIAL TESTING IS NOT LIMITED TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITE BUT ALSO
EXTENDS TO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.
MANUFACTURERS USE MATERIAL TESTING TO MONITOR THE QUALITY OF
THEIR PRODUCTS, ENSURING THAT THEY CONSISTENTLY MEET INDUSTRY
STANDARDS. THIS QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS CONTRIBUTES TO THE
OVERALL QUALITY AND RELIABILITY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.
3. SAFETY ASSURANCE:
THE SAFETY OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE
DURING CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS FOR FUTURE OCCUPANTS. ENSURING
THAT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS POSSESS THE REQUIRED STRENGTH AND
DURABILITY IS CRITICAL TO PREVENTING STRUCTURAL FAILURES, WHICH CAN
LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND EVEN LOSS OF LIFE. BY CONDUCTING
MATERIAL TESTING, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN
THE SAFETY OF THEIR PROJECTS.
4. COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS:
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS HEAVILY REGULATED, WITH SPECIFIC
STANDARDS AND CODES IN PLACE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND
PERFORMANCE OF STRUCTURES. REGULATORY BODIES OFTEN REQUIRE
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO UNDERGO MATERIAL TESTING AS PART OF THE
 PERMITTING AND APPROVAL PROCESS. COMPLIANCE WITH THESE
REGULATIONS IS NOT ONLY A LEGAL OBLIGATION BUT ALSO AN ETHICAL
RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ARE
CONSTRUCTED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS.
5. COST SAVINGS:
MATERIAL FAILURES OR THE USE OF SUBPAR MATERIALS CAN RESULT IN
COSTLY CONSTRUCTION DELAYS, REWORK, AND EVEN LEGAL LIABILITIES.
WHILE THERE IS AN INITIAL COST ASSOCIATED WITH MATERIAL TESTING, IT
OFTEN LEADS TO SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS IN THE LONG RUN BY
PREVENTING COSTLY ERRORS.
6. EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE:
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS VARY IN THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND
SUITABILITY FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS. MATERIAL TESTING PROVIDES
CRITICAL DATA THAT HELPS BUILDERS SELECT THE RIGHT MATERIALS AS
STRUCTURES ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE A LONG SERVICE LIFE. BY USING
MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN TESTED AND APPROVED FOR THEIR INTENDED
USE, CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS CAN OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY AND
DELIVER BETTER PERFORMANCE.
SCHEDULE OF MINIMUM TESTING REQUIREMENTS GOVERNING ITEMS OF WORK OF
THE DPWH (STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR PUBLIC WORKS STRUCTURES
(BUILDINGS, PORTS AND HARBORS, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE STRUCTURES
AND WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS), VOLUME III, 2019 EDITION)
AN ESTABLISHED POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT IS THAT ALL MATERIALS SHALL BE
TESTED AND APPROVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS,
PRIOR TO INCORPORATION INTO THE WORK. IN ORDER THAT THIS POLICY CAN BE
FULLY IMPLEMENTED, THE SCHEDULE OF MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR TESTING
MATERIALS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HAS BEEN PREPARED AS A GUIDE AND
REFERENCE FOR THE ENGINEERS.
THE MINIMUM TESTING REQUIREMENTS (MTR) IS PREPARED TO SPECIFY THE TYPE
AND FREQUENCY OF TESTS TO BE UNDERTAKEN FOR MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS
CONTAINED IN THE DPWH STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
MTR SHALL STRENGTHEN THE QUALITY CONTROL OF THE CONTRACTORS AND THE
QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT.

GUIDELINES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MTR

1. QUALITY TESTS
QUALITY TESTS INCLUDE THE CHEMICAL AND/OR PHYSICAL TESTS REQUIRED TO BE
CONDUCTED ON A MATERIAL OR PRODUCT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DPWH
STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS. QUALITY TESTS ARE LISTED DOWN IN ANNEX A -
QUALITY TESTS ON CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, WITH ITS CORRESPONDING
STANDARD TEST METHOD SHOWN IN ANNEX B – REFERENCE STANDARDS.
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, ALL QUALITY TESTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SATISFIED. TESTS
SHALL BE DONE BASED FROM THE FREQUENCY SPECIFIED IN THE MTR. WHERE, THE
NUMBER OF TIMES THE REQUIRED TESTS MUST BE DONE RELATIVE TO THE
QUANTITY SPECIFIED IN THE MTR PER SIZE, TYPE, LAYER, BATCH, LOT, SHIPMENT OR
SOURCE.
FOR CASES WHERE NOT ALL OF THE REQUIRED TESTS IN QUALITY TEST LIST CAN BE
PERFORMED, THE ORIGINAL MILL CERTIFICATE (OMC) WILL SERVE AS SUPPLEMENTAL
DOCUMENT.
2. ORIGINAL MILL CERTIFICATE (OMC)
OMC IS A QUALITY ASSURANCE DOCUMENT GENERATED BY THE RAW MATERIAL
MANUFACTURER AND PROVIDED WITH THE MATERIAL TO INTERMEDIATE SUPPLIERS
AND ULTIMATELY TO A FINISHED GOODS MANUFACTURER. IT CERTIFIES THE
MATERIALS’ COMPLIANCE WITH THE STANDARD SPECIFICATION SUCH AS ASTM,
AASHTO, PNS, ACI, ETC.
THE OMC PER BATCH PRODUCTION MUST BE SUPPLIED BY THE
SUPPLIER/CONTRACTOR. FOR CASES WHERE ORIGINAL PRODUCT AUTHENTICATION
CERTIFICATE (RED RIBBON) IS NOT POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN, SUPPLIER MAY OPT TO
PROVIDE AN AUTHENTICATION CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA). FOR MULTIPLE COPIES OF SUCH DOCUMENT, A CERTIFIED
TRUE COPY WILL ALSO BE ACCEPTED.
OMC IS A SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENT FOR MATERIALS WHERE NOT ALL OF ITS
REQUIRED TESTS CAN BE SATISFIED OR PERFORMED.
3. OTHER THAN TEST
THESE ARE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE
SUBMITTED/PRODUCED/ACCOMPLISHED BY THE CONTRACTOR AS PART OF ITS
QUALITY CONTROL MEASURE SUCH AS WELDING REPORT, INSPECTION REPORT OF
CASTING, GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION REPORT, OR CONCRETE MONITORING
RECORD. THE ATTACHED STANDARD FORMAT FOR THESE DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE
STRICTLY COMPLIED.
4. ENGINEER’S CERTIFICATE (EC)
EC IS PART OF DPWH’S QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SHALL BE ISSUED PROVIDED THAT
THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE MATERIAL/PRODUCT SATISFIED/PASSED THE
REQUIREMENTS STIPULATED IN THE DPWH STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS.

IV. WHEN EVALUATING THE RESULTS OF CONCRETE, STEEL, WOOD, AND CABLES
USING UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINES (UTM) AND OBSERVING THEIR
CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE AT THE POINT OF FAILURE, SEVERAL
FACTORS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR EACH MATERIAL:
CONCRETE:

 RESULTS FROM UTM: CONCRETE SPECIMENS ARE TYPICALLY SUBJECTED TO

COMPRESSION TESTS USING A UTM TO DETERMINE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH.
THE RESULTS INCLUDE THE MAXIMUM LOAD SUSTAINED BY THE CONCRETE
SPECIMEN BEFORE FAILURE AND THE CORRESPONDING STRAIN.
 CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE AT FAILURE: CONCRETE FAILURE IN
COMPRESSION TYPICALLY INVOLVES CRUSHING OR FRACTURING. AT THE
POINT OF FAILURE, THE CONCRETE MAY EXHIBIT SIGNIFICANT CRACKING,
SPALLING, OR CRUSHING, DEPENDING ON ITS QUALITY, MIX DESIGN, AND
CURING CONDITIONS.

STEEL:

 RESULTS FROM UTM: STEEL SPECIMENS ARE COMMONLY TESTED UNDER

TENSION TO DETERMINE TENSILE STRENGTH, ELONGATION, AND YIELD
STRENGTH. UTM PROVIDES DATA ON THE LOAD APPLIED AND THE
CORRESPONDING DEFORMATION.
 CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE AT FAILURE: STEEL FAILURE UNDER
TENSION OFTEN INVOLVES NECKING OR REDUCTION IN CROSS-SECTIONAL
AREA FOLLOWED BY FRACTURE. THE APPEARANCE AT FAILURE MAY INCLUDE
LOCALIZED DEFORMATION, ELONGATION, AND EVENTUAL RUPTURE ALONG
THE SPECIMEN'S LENGTH.
WOOD:

 RESULTS FROM UTM: WOOD SPECIMENS ARE TESTED UNDER TENSION,

COMPRESSION, OR BENDING TO ASSESS MECHANICAL PROPERTIES SUCH AS
TENSILE STRENGTH, COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, MODULUS OF ELASTICITY,
AND FLEXURAL STRENGTH. UTM MEASURES LOAD AND DEFORMATION DURING
TESTING.
 CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE AT FAILURE: WOOD FAILURE DEPENDS ON
VARIOUS FACTORS INCLUDING SPECIES, GRAIN ORIENTATION, MOISTURE
CONTENT, AND DEFECTS. IN TENSION, FAILURE MAY INVOLVE SPLITTING OR
FIBER PULL-OUT, WHILE IN COMPRESSION, IT MAY INVOLVE CRUSHING OR
BUCKLING. THE APPEARANCE AT FAILURE MAY INCLUDE SPLINTERING,
CRACKING, OR SHEARING OF WOOD FIBERS.

CABLES:

 RESULTS FROM UTM: CABLES, TYPICALLY MADE OF MATERIALS LIKE STEEL OR

ALUMINUM, ARE TESTED UNDER TENSION TO DETERMINE TENSILE STRENGTH,
YIELD STRENGTH, AND ELONGATION. UTM RECORDS THE APPLIED LOAD AND
CORRESPONDING ELONGATION.
 CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE AT FAILURE: CABLE FAILURE MAY INVOLVE
PLASTIC DEFORMATION FOLLOWED BY FRACTURE. THE APPEARANCE AT
FAILURE MAY INCLUDE NECKING, REDUCTION IN DIAMETER, AND EVENTUAL
RUPTURE. IN CASES OF WIRE ROPE CABLES, INDIVIDUAL WIRE STRANDS MAY
START TO SEPARATE OR BREAK BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE.

REFERENCES:
https://theconstructor.org/practical-guide/universal-testing-machine-components-functions/2449/
https://medium.com/@heicoin0/what-is-universal-testing-machine-utm-machine-working-
procedure-1d8f324cdd18
https://www.douglaspartners.com.au/knowledge-sharing/concrete-testing-three-tests-that-can-
verify-the-quality-of-concrete/
https://www.universalgripco.com/wood#:~:text=ASTM%20D198%20is%20the%20most,are
%20tested%20under%20this%20standard.
https://www.instron.com/en/testing-solutions/astm-standards/astm-a370-standard-for-testing-
metal-elasticity-strength-elongation-reduction
https://prycoglobal.com/blog/importance-of-material-testing-in-construction/
https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/sites/default/files/issuances/DO_049_s2021.pdf