Laboratory 4

CE 324P
Fall 2015

Concrete
Testing

Properties &
Behavior of
Engineering
Materials

COMPRESSIVE, FLEXURAL, AND TENSILE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE

Concrete cylinders and/or beams are generally cast during construction from the same concrete
being used in the structure. Destructive strength tests are typically performed on these specimens.
These test specimens are stored in a temperature-controlled moist room until the specified age of
testing, which is usually 28 days. In this lab you will determine the compressive, flexural, and
tensile strengths of the concrete mixtures that you prepared during Lab 3. Strengths will be
determined at 7 and 28 days after casting.
FACTORS AFFECTING STRENGTH OF CONCRETE
The strength of concrete is affected by many factors. Key among them are:

Mixture Proportions
Age
Uniformity
Degree of Consolidation
Nature of Load
Curing Conditions
Temperature

In addition, there are many factors related to the testing conditions which affect the strength of
concrete including:

Sample Moisture Condition

Roughness of Loading Surface
Loading Rate
End Restraint
Aspect Ratio of Test Specimen
Size of Test Specimen

It should be noted that the compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths determined from destructive
tests of cylinders and beams are not necessarily the same as the strength of the concrete in the
actual structure. The cylinders and beams are cured in a temperature-controlled moist room and
are tested 28 days after the concrete is placed. The concrete in the structure, on the other hand, is
exposed to the natural environment and may have a higher or lower strength than the laboratory
specimen depending on the temperature and moisture of the natural environment. Furthermore, the
structure is expected to have a life of 50 to 100 years and the strength of the concrete at this time
will be necessarily different than at 28 days. The standard laboratory tests are, therefore, intended
to provide an assessment of the quality of the concrete during construction, not to predict the longterm in-service properties.

OVERVIEW OF DESTRUCTIVE TESTS

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CYLINDRICAL CONCRETE SPECIMENS
(ASTM C39, 2015)
You will determine the compressive strength of cylinders that you cast during Lab 3 during two
lab sessions by applying an axial load to the specimen at a rate of 35 7 psi/sec until failure.
One of the most important factors affecting the results of this test is the aspect ratio
(height/diameter (H/D)) of the cylinder. The influence of the aspect ratio is shown in Fig. 1. The
shaded areas represent regions of the sample that are restrained from expanding by the test machine
platens. Therefore, the shaded area is in a state of triaxial compression, even though the load is
only applied axially. When concrete is confined triaxially, the apparent compressive strength
increases. Therefore, a cylinder with an aspect ratio of 1 will be able to resist higher loads than a
cylinder with an aspect ratio of 2 since the cylinder with an aspect ratio of 2 will have a zone of
unconfined compression. ASTM defines standard cylinders as having an aspect ratio of 2, so that
the end restraint does not influence the test results.

Diameter

Restrained
Depth

Height

H/D=1.0

H/D=1.5

H/D=2.0

Figure 1: Relationship between Cylinder Aspect Ratio and End Restraint

FLEXURAL STRENGTH OF CONCRETE (ASTM C78, 2015)

The most common procedure used to determine the flexural strength of concrete is described in
ASTM C78 (2015). A standard beam is placed on simple supports and is subjected to transverse
loads at the third points of the span (Fig. 2). Under this loading condition, the top of the beam is
subjected to compressive stresses and the bottom of the beam is subjected to tensile stresses.
Because the tensile strength of concrete is less than the compressive strength, a crack will form
when the stress along the bottom fiber reaches the tensile strength of the concrete.
The tensile stress along the bottom fiber may be calculated from the applied load. The tensile stress
along the bottom fiber at failure is known as the modulus of rupture (MOR), fr. In this lab manual
it is also referred to as flexural strength. ASTM procedures also exist for beams subjected to a
single load at midspan (ASTM C293, 2010). The third-point loading method (ASTM C78, 2015)
is more common because the bending moment is constant between the load points.
The standard beam specimens are required to have a square cross-section and the distance between
supports is equal to three times the depth of the cross-section. The relationship between flexural
stress, , and applied moment, M, is:
Mc
I

(1)

where c is the distance from the neutral axis to the extreme fiber and I is the moment of inertia.
The maximum moment Mmax occurs between the point loads, as shown in Fig. 2:
M max

PL
6

(2)

where P is the total applied load and L is the span.

The moment of inertia for a rectangular cross section, I, is:

bh3
12

(3)

where b is the width of the cross section and h is the overall depth. Substituting Eq. 2 and Eq. 3
into Eq. 1 and taking c equal to h/2 gives the relationship for the modulus of rupture, fr:

fr

PL

(4)

bh2

L/3

L/3

L/3
P/2

P/2

compressive
h = L/3

tensile
Longitudinal
Stress

Moment Diagram

Figure 2: Setup for Flexure Test and Assumed Distribution of Stress

Load should be applied to the beam at a constant rate such that the extreme fiber stress increases
at a rate between 125 and 175 psi/min (2-3psi/sec).
ACI 318 defines the relationship between the modulus of rupture (fr) and the specified compressive
strength (f'c) as:

f c f r 12

f c

(5)

SPLIT TENSILE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE SPECIMENS (ASTM C496, 2011)

Another means of assessing the tensile strength of concrete is the split-cylinder test, also known
as the Brazilian test. In this test, a uniform line load is applied along the length of a cylindrical
specimen creating the stresses as shown in Fig. 3. The load at which the specimen splits apart is
then used to estimate the tensile strength, fsp:
f sp

2P
DL

(6)

where P is the applied load, D is the diameter of the cylinder, and L is the length of the cylinder.

Load

Tension

Steel Bar

Compression

Wood

Wood
Plane of Tensile Failure

Variation of Horizontal
Stress across Plane of
Tensile Failure

Figure 3: Setup for Split-Cylinder Test and Assumed Distribution of Stress

Load should be applied at a constant rate such that the tensile stress increases at a rate between
100 and 200 psi/min (10-20lbs/sec) (1.67-3.33psi/sec).
The tensile strength determined from the split-cylinder test is typically within the following range:
4 f c f sp 8 f c

(7)

where the tensile and specified compressive strengths are given in units of psi.

COMPRESSIVE STRESS-STRAIN CURVES

Concrete is composed of aggregate and hardened cement paste. Although the compressive stressstrain curve for aggregate is nearly linear, the stress-strain curve for concrete is linear only for low
stress levels. Figure 4 shows the stress-strain relationships for three cylinders that were cast from
the same batch of concrete. The slope of the curve reduces dramatically for stresses larger than
one-half the compressive strength.
6,000

5,000

Stress (psi)

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0
0

0.0005

0.001

0.0015

0.002

0.0025

0.003

Strain

Figure 4: Measured Compressive Stress-Strain Relationship

MODULUS OF ELASTICITY OF CONCRETE (ASTM C469, 2014)

Because the compressive stress-strain relationship for concrete is nonlinear, ASTM C469 (2014)
defines the chord modulus of elasticity using two specific data points (Fig. 5):

( f c 2 f c1 )
( c 2 c1 )

(8)

where E is the chord modulus of elasticity; fc2 is the stress corresponding to 40% of the compressive
strength of the concrete; fc1 is the stress corresponding to longitudinal strain c1; c2 is the
longitudinal strain corresponding to stress fc2; and c1 is 0.000050 in./in. The chord modulus and
compressive stress are expressed in psi in Eq. 8. The chord modulus of elasticity should be
reported to the nearest 50,000 psi (50 ksi).

Figure 5: Points Used to Define the Chord Modulus of Elasticity

The ACI Building Code (ACI 318, 2005) provides an equation to estimate the modulus of elasticity
of concrete Ec given the specified compressive strength f c :

Ec 33 w1.5 f c

(9)

where w is the unit weight of concrete in pcf and Ec and

f c

are in psi.

SHAPE OF STRESS-STRAIN CURVE

The shape of the stress-strain curve is a result of the nature of the failure mechanisms within
concrete. Because concrete is a brittle material, failure is a result of cracking. This cracking results
because concrete is a heterogeneous material. Cracks begin to form at a stress level of about 1/3
f c . The first cracks formed are called bond cracks and occur at the interface between the paste
and the coarse aggregate. With increasing stress, more bond cracks develop. At stress levels of
about 3/4 f c cracks begin to extend into the paste. The extent of paste cracking increases with
increasing stress until large continuous cracks develop and the concrete reaches its capacity in
compression.
This process of progressive cracking, also known as micro-cracking, is reflected in the shape of
the stress-strain curve.

REFERENCES
American Concrete Institute. (2008). Guide for Modeling and Calculating Shrinkage and Creep
in Hardened Concrete. (ACI 209.2R-08). Farmington Hills, MI.
American Concrete Institute. (2014). Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. (ACI
318-14). Farmington Hills, MI.
ASTM International. (2015). Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical
Concrete Specimens (ASTM C39 15a). West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM International. (2015). Standard Test Method for Flexural Strength of Concrete (Using
Simple Beam with Third-Point Loading) (ASTM C78 15a). West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM International. (2010). Standard Test Method for Flexural Strength of Concrete (Using
Simple Beam With Center-Point Loading) (ASTM C293 - 10). West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM International. (2014). Standard Test Method for Static Modulus of Elasticity and
Poisson's Ratio of Concrete in Compression (ASTM C469-14). West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM International. (2011). Standard Test Method for Splitting Tensile Strength of Cylindrical
Concrete Specimens (ASTM C496 - 11). West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM International. (2014). Standard Practice for Use of Unbonded Caps in Determination of
Compressive Strength of Hardened Concrete Cylinders (ASTM C1231 14). West
Conshohocken, PA.
Cover Image: http://expeditionworkshed.org/workshed/compression-failure-high-strengthconcrete-cylinder/

NOTATIONS
b width of beam, in
c distance from neutral axis to extreme fiber, in
D diameter of cylinder, in
E chord modulus of elasticity, psi
Ec estimated modulus of elasticity, psi
fc specified compressive strength at 28 days (design strength), psi
fc1 stress corresponding to c2, a strain of 0.00005 in/in, psi
fc2 stress corresponding to 40% of compressive strength, psi
fcm7 measured average compressive strength at 7 days, psi
fcm28 measured average compressive strength at 28 days, psi
fcmt average compressive strength at t days, psi
fcr required average compressive strength at 28 days, psi
fr average modulus of rupture or flexural strength, psi
fsp average splitting tensile strength, psi
h height of beam, in
I moment of inertia, in4
L length of cylinder, in
M moment, lb-in
P applied load, lb
t age, days
w unit weight of concrete, pcf
c2 strain produced by stress fc2
stress, psi

OVERVIEW OF LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

We will devote two weeks to testing of concrete specimens. A brief overview of the activities is
listed below:
Week 1 (7 days after casting specimens)
Measure stress-strain curve for one cylinder (in compression)
Compressive tests of two cylinders
Flexure tests of two beams
Split-cylinder tests of two cylinders
Week 2 (28 days after casting specimens)
Measure stress-strain curve for one cylinder (in compression)
Compressive tests of three cylinders
Split-cylinder tests of two cylinders
Keep track of all the data from your group. You will share this data with the other groups in your
lab section.

LABORATORY PROCEDURES

A. Compressive Strength Tests (ASTM C1231, 2014)

1. Remove three cylinders from the moisture room and test as quickly as possible.
2. Wipe the ends of the cylinder. Dust the neoprene pads in the loading caps lightly with
baby powder. Place one cap on each end of the cylinder.
3. Position the cylinder in the testing machine in the orientation that it was cast. Center the
specimen relative to the loading head.
4. Load each specimen at a rate of 440 lb/sec. (35 psi/sec for Humboldt machine)
5. Record the failure load for each cylinder.
B. Flexural Strength Tests (ASTM C78, 2015)
1. Remove the beams from the moisture room and test as quickly as possible.
2. Measure the distance between supports and the distance between loading points.
3. Turn the specimen on its side with respect to its molded position and center it on the support
blocks.
6. Load each specimen at a rate of 12 lb/sec.
4. Record the failure load for each beam.
5. Sketch the typical mode of failure.

10

C. Split Cylinder Tests (ASTM C496, 2011)

1. Remove the beams from the moisture room and test as quickly as possible.
2. Place the cylinder in the loading apparatus on its side between two thin wood strips.
3. Position the loading apparatus in the testing machine and center with respect to the loading
head.
4. Bring specimen into contact with loading head, making sure that the load will be applied
along diametrically opposite lines.
5. Load each specimen at rate of 25 lb/sec. (2-3 psi/sec for Humboldt machine)
6. Sketch the typical mode of failure. Estimate the percent aggregate that fractured along the
failure plane.

D. Elastic Modulus (ASTM C469, 2014)

1. Test three cylinders in compression to determine the average compressive strength at 28
days (note, would have been done during part A of this lab).
2. Measure the longitudinal gage length of the compressometer.
3. Position the compressometer around a new cylinder and support the cylinder on on wooden
blocks. Tighten the screws of the compressometer into the concrete. Remove the
temporary supports.
4. The loading increment for your test will be the average maximum load resisted by the three
cylinders tested in step 1 divided by 20. Round the loading increment to the nearest 500
lb.
5. Important Do not load the cylinder beyond 50% of the average maximum load while the
compressometer is attached to the specimen.
6. Position the cylinder and compressometer on the lower platen of the testing machine.
Center the cylinder.
7. Load the cylinder to approximately 50% of the average maximum load and unload without
collecting data. (Press the Pause key when the applied load reaches approximately onehalf the expected failure load to stop the loading process. Press the Stop key to unload the
specimen.)
8. Change the loading rate to approximately one-quarter the rate you used for the previous
tests, 110 lb/sec.
9. Zero the dial gage attached to the compressometer.
10. Begin loading the cylinder. One person is responsible for reading the load indicator on the
testing machine, and calling out each time that the load reaches a specified load level. The
other members of the group are responsible for reading the displacement indicator.
11. Press the Pause key when the applied load is equal to approximately 50% of the average
maximum load. Press the Stop key to unload the specimen.
12. Remove the specimen from the test machine. Attach the temporary supports to the
compressometer. Loosen the screws and remover the compressometer.
13. Change the loading rate back to the original value (440 lb/sec or 35 psi/sec for Humboldt).
Place the specimen in the test machine and test to failure.

11

DATA SHEETS LAB 4 CONCRETE TESTING

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CYLINDERS

(4 x 8 cylinders)
Cylinder Age
ID
(days)

Mix 1: 3,000 psi at 3

slump

Applied Load (lb)

Mix 2: 6,000 psi. at
3 slump

Mix 3: 6,000 psi at 5

slump

1
2

3
4
5

28

6
SPLIT CYLINDER TESTS
(4 x 8 cylinders)
Cylinder Age
ID
(days)

Mix 1: 3,000 psi at 3

slump
Load (lb)

% Fracture

Mix 2: 6,000 psi. at 3

slump
Load (lb)

% Fracture

Mix 3: 6,000 psi at 5

slump
Load (lb)

% Fracture

1
7
2
3
28
4

FLEXURAL TESTS
(12 x 4 x 4 Beams)

Beam ID
1
2

Age
(days)

Mix 1: 3,000 psi at

3 slump

Applied Load (kN)1

Mix 2: 6,000 psi. at 3
slump

Convert the load to lb before calculating fr.

12

Mix 3: 6,000 psi at 5

slump

ELASTIC MODULUS
(Stress-Strain Data)

Loading
Increment

Age of Cylinder:

7 days

Gage Length:

in.

Mix 1: 3,000 psi at 3

slump
Load (lb)

Displacement
(in)

Mix 3: 6,000 psi at 3

slump
Load (lb)

Displacement
(in)

Mix 3: 6,000 psi at 5

slump
Load (lb)

Displacement
(in)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Note:

The displacement measured by the compressometer is two times the average

displacement experienced by the cylinder. Therefore,
longitudinal strain = measured displacement / (gage length * 2).

13

ELASTIC MODULUS
(Stress-Strain Data)

Loading
Increment

Age of Cylinder:

28 days

Gage Length:

in.

Mix 1: 3,000 psi at 3

slump
Load (lb)

Displacement
(in)

Mix 3: 6,000 psi at 3

slump
Load (lb)

Displacement
(in)

Mix 3: 6,000 psi at 5

slump
Load (lb)

Displacement
(in)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Note:

The displacement measured by the compressometer is two times the average

displacement experienced by the cylinder. Therefore,
longitudinal strain = measured displacement / (gage length * 2).

14

LAB 4 COMPRESSIVE, FLEXURAL AND TENSILE STRENGTH OF

CONCRETE
Laboratory Assignment
For the laboratory assignment, you must provide the requested data and answer all questions. Follow the
guidelines for preparing laboratory assignments in the CE 324P Technical Writing Guide. A sample
assignment is included on Canvas to provide an example of the format and style. This assignment will be
graded by your laboratory TA only.

Submit a hard copy of the following to your laboratory TA in lab:

Cover sheet
Solutions to the Questions posed on the next page.
References
Appendices (include at least the following appendices)2
o Measured Data (a neat copy of the data sheet is adequate)
o Notations (define all notations used in the calculations)
o Engineering calculations
o Include at least example calculations for each step for which a sample calculation
was not included in the solutions section
o Hand calculations and sketches should be done in pencil, not ink
o Always show the formula before inserting numerical values and reference the
source of the equation used (if it is an equation you derived, present the
derivation in an additional appendix)
o Keep track of significant figures
o State any assumptions
o Make note of any errors in testing

Please make sure that you mention each appendix in the solutions section of the laboratory assignment. The
appendices must be discussed in order. Therefore, if you need to mention notations before measured data, you
may change the order of the appendices from that suggested here.
2

15

Questions
Use the data measured in the laboratory to address the following:
1. In one table, summarize the average compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths for all the concrete
mixtures tested in your laboratory section. Include all available measured strengths (7 and 28 days).
'

2. Calculate f r / f c' and f sp / f c' (here, f c is the 28 day specified compressive strength). Discuss if
the values are within the expected ranges given in Eq. 5 and 7, respectively. ACI recommends using
the equations with
8): f r /

f c' , but for sake of comparison, also calculate the ratios with fcmt (defined in Question

f cmt and f sp /

f cmt . A total of 6 values shall be calculated, f r /

day beam breaks, f sp /

f c' and f sp /

f c' and f r /

f cmt for 7 day split tensile breaks, and f sp /

f cmt for 7
f c' and

f sp / f cmt for 28 day split tensile breaks. Are these values within the expected ranges? If any of the
six calculated values are out of the expected range, suggest why that might be. Discuss any differences
between f r and

f sp .

3. The ACI Building Code (318, 2014) relates the required average compressive strength,

f cr'

to the

specified compressive strength, fc as follows:

If fc 3000 psi,

f cr' f c' 1000 .

If 3000 fc 5000 psi,

If fc 5000 psi,

f cr' f c' 1200 .

f cr' 1.1 f c' 700 .

Using the data from the three mixtures tested in your laboratory, calculate

f cr' .

4. Explain how you plan to change the mixture designs in the future, if required. If the average measured
strength is less than

f cr' ,

you must redesign the mixture to increase the compressive strength. If the
'

average measured strength exceeds f cr , you may decide to redesign the mixture to reduce the
compressive strength, which will also reduce the cost of the mixture. Show a full mix redesign for one
mix, if necessary. For the redesigned mix use the costs from Lab 3 to recalculate the cost of 1yd3 of
concrete using the new proportions.
5. For this question do the following:
a. Plot the measured 7-day and 28-day compressive strengths versus the actual w/c for Mix 1
and Mix 3in your laboratory section. Discuss the effects of w/c and age on strength.
b. Using a column chart, plot the measured 7-day and 28-day compressive strengths versus
age (7 and 28 days) for all 3 mixes. Discuss the effects of w/c ratio, age, and slump.

16

6. Plot the measured slump versus w/c ratio for all three mixtures.
Discuss the effects of slump on w/c. Discuss if any trends or conclusions on w/c ratio can be made from
knowing the slump.
7. Compare the percentage of coarse aggregates that fractured in the split cylinder tests for the three
different concrete mixtures (for both 7 and 28 days). Discuss any observed trends in the percentage of
fractured aggregates for the different concrete mixtures and different ages.
8. ACI Committee 209 (2008) developed the following relationship to describe the variation of concrete
compressive strength with time:

f cmt f cm 28

4 0.85t

(10)

where fcmt is the estimated compressive strength of the concrete at time t, t is the age of the concrete in
days, and fcm28 is the average measured concrete compressive strength at 28 days. Compare the
measured 7-day strength to the 7-day predicted strength from Eq. 10 for all three mixtures in your
laboratory section. Discuss your results.
9. Make two plots, one for 7 and another for 28 day breaks, of the relationship between longitudinal stress
and strain for each mixture (i.e., your plot should have 3 lines, one for each mixture). Determine the
modulus of elasticity E for each mix at 7 and 28 days by creating a linear trend line. Estimate the
modulus of elasticity Ec of the concrete using Eq. 9 at 7 and 28 days. Compare the two values from the
slope of trend lines and Eq. 9. Note that Eq. 9 utilizes

f c'

as defined as 28 day compressive strength.

'

For the 7 day estimate of Ec using Eq. 9 use the average 7 day compression strength as your f c value
and discuss if the Eq. 9 holds for this case. Plot modulus of elasticity, E, at 28 days, as a function of
w/c ratio and discuss any correlations.

17