CE226 (Construction Material and Testing)

INTRODUCTION
-The engineering structures are composed of materials. These materials are necessary for
the civil engineer to become familiar with the properties of such materials.
- The materials strength and mechanical properties are measured by the use of testing
machines.

Testing machines - these machines are designed to apply force and to measure these
forces applied.
Main Elements Of Testing Machines:
Loading system
Weighing system
Indicating system
Significant Tests Performed In Engineering Materials:
Tension or tensile tests
Compression tests
Flexure tests
Apparatus And Equipments Used In Test:
1. Sieve set - a device for separating wanted elements from unwanted material
Sieve analysis - analytical technique used to determine the particle size distribution of a
granular material
2. Balance - is a device to measure weight or mass
3. Graduated Beaker, Graduated Cylinder - are used to measure volumes of liquid for
scientific experimentation
4. Calculator - device that performs arithmetic operations on numbers
5. Slump cone - shape of the mould is a frustum of a cone, made of steel, plastic, etc.
Workability of a concrete:
Collapse
Shear type of slump
True slump
6. Moulds - hollow blocks of different shapes which used for casting the concrete
Cube moulds - a test to determine the compressive strength of concrete.
Beam mould - a flexure test is to measure flexural strength and flexural modulus.
Cylinder mould - for testing the compressive strength
7. Hydrometer - used for measuring the relative density of liquids based on the concept of
buoyancy.
8. Universal testing machine - is used to test the tensile strength and compressive
strength of materials.
9. Concrete mixer - is a device that homogeneously combines cement, aggregate
10. Pressure gauge - instrument for measuring the condition of a fluid
11. Tamping rod - round, straight steel rod used with slump cones
12. Thermometer - is an instrument that measures temperature.
13. Vicat apparatus - determining the normal consistency and time of setting of portland
cement
14. Stopwatch - is a handheld, measure the amount of time that elapses
15. Electric oven - can be used for sample drying, baking, annealing,
16. Funnel - channel substances into containers with a small opening
17. Wire basket - used for washing, rinsing, draining, dipping and easy handling of
aggregates
18. Steel pan - used as mixing pan and storage for drying purposes
19. Shovel - used to dig as well as to move loose, granular materials
20. Trowel - small hand tool used for digging, applying, mixing, smoothing, or moving small
amounts of viscous
21. Wheel barrow - a small cart with a single wheel at the front
22. First aid kit - you can treat ailments and injuries that can happen

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS

Mechanical properties of a materials - are those which affect the mechanical strength
and ability of a material to be molded in suitable shape
Typical Mechanical Properties Of A Material Includes:
Strength
Toughness
Hardness
Brittleness
Malleability
Ductility
Creep and Slip
Resilience
Fatigue
Strength - the property of a material which opposes the deformation or breakdown of
material in presence of external forces or loads
Toughness - absorb the energy and gets plastically deformed without fracturing
Hardness - the ability to resist to permanent shape
Brittleness - how easily it gets fractured to a force or load
Malleability - how a material gets deformed under compressive stress
Ductility - how a material gets deformed under tensile stress
Creep and slip - move slowly and deform permanently
Resilience - absorb the energy when it is deformed elastically by applying stress and
release the energy when stress is removed
Fatigue - weakening of material by repeated loading of the material

Physical properties of a material - observed without any change of the identity of

material
Physical Properties Of A Material Includes:
Density
Specific gravity
State changes of thermal expansion
Specific heat
Latent heat
Fluidity
Weld ability
Elasticity
Plasticity
Porosity
Thermal expansion
Electrical conductivity
Density - It is defined as “the mass per unit volume”
Specific gravity - It is defined as the ratio of density of material with respect to the density
of a reference material or substance
State change temperatures - has three states – solid, liquid and gas.
-the temperature at which the substance changes from one state to another state
Melting point - substance changes from solid state to liquid state
Boiling point - substance changes from liquid state to gaseous state
Freezing point - a liquid changes from liquid state to solid state
Coefficient of thermal expansion - expansion in material which increase in temperature
Specific heat - amount of heat required to increase the temperature of a unit mass of
material by 1°c
Latent heat - heat required/released by change in unit mass of material from one state to
another
Fluidity - that how easily a material can flow in liquid state
Weld ability - how easily the two pieces of material can be welded
Elasticity - regains its original dimensions on removal of load or force
Plasticity - load beyond the limit of elasticity, the material retains it molded state
Plasticity - load beyond the limit of elasticity, the material retains it molded state
Porosity - the quantity of voids in solid materials
Thermal conductivity - how easily the heat can be conducted by a material
Electrical conductivity - how easily the electricity can be conducted by the material

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.