‘STRUCTURAL CONCRETE BUILDING CODE/COMMENTARY CODE 2.6.4 — Field-cured specimens 9.6.4.1 — It required by the building oficial, results of strength tests of cylinders cured under field conditions. shall be provided. 5.6.4.2 — Held-cured cylinders shall be cured under field conditions in accordance with ASTM C31. 5.6.4.3 — Field-cured test cylinders shall be molded at the same time and trom the same samples as labo- ratory-cured test cylinders. 5.6.4.4 — Procedures for protecting and curing ‘concrete shall be improved when strength of tield- ‘ured cylinders at test age designated for determina- tion of ff Is less than 8 percent ot that ot companion laboratory-cured cylinders. The 85 percent limitation shall not apply it tield-cured strength exceeds J by more than 600 psi. 5.6.5 — Investigation of low-strength test results. 5.6.5.1 — It any strength tast (see 5.6.2.4) of laboratory-cured cylinders falls below f; by more than the values gven in 5.6.3.3(b) or it tests of held-cured cylinders indicate deficiencies in protection and curing (see 5.6.4.4), steps shall be taken to ensure that load- carrying capacity of the structure is not jeopardized, 5.6.5.2 — If the likelihood of lowrstrenath conorete is confirmed and calculations indicate that load-carrying capacity is significantly reduced, tests of cores drilled ‘rom the area in question in accordance with ASIM C42 shall be permitted. In such cases, three cores shall be taken tor each strength test that talls below the values given in §.6.3.3(b). 5.6.5.3 — Cores shall be obtained, moisture condi- tioned by storage in watertight bags or containers, transported 1o the laboratory, and tested in accor- dance with ASIM C42. Cores shall be tested no earlier than 48 hours and not later than 7 days after coring unless approved by the licensed design protes- sional. The specifier of tests referenced in ASTM C42 shall be the licensed design protessional, 31873 COMMENTARY (NVLAP), Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL), or their equivalent 5.6.4 — Field-cured specimens RS.6.4.1 — Strength tesis of eylinders cured under field conditions may be required to check the adequacy of curing and protection of concrete in the structure. RS.6.4.4 — Positive guidance is provided in the Code ‘concerning the interpretation of fests of field-cured cylinders, Research has shown that cylinders protected and cured 10 simulate good field practice should test not less than ahout 85 percent of standard laboratory moist-cured cylinders. Mis percentage has been set as a rational hasis for judging the adequacy of field curing, The comparison is made between the actual measured strengths of companion job- cured and laboratory-cured cylinders, not between job- ccured cylinders and the specified value of 2. However, results for the job-cured cylinders are considered satisla tory it the job-cured cylinders exceed the specitied f by ‘more than 500 psi, even though they fail to reach 85 percent of the strength of companion laboratory-cured cylinders, 5.6.5 — Investigation of low-strength test results Instructions are provided concerning the procedure to be followed when strength tests have failed to meet the speci- fied acceptance criteria, For obvious reasons, these instru tions cannot be dogmatic. The building official should upply judgment as to the significance of low test results and ‘whether they indicate need for concern, IF further investigation js deemed necessary, such investigation may include nondestructive tests or, in extreme cases, strength sts of ccores taken from the structure. Nondestructive tests of the concrete in place, such as by probe penetration, impact hammer, ultrasonic pulse velocity or pullout may be useful in determining whether or not a portion of the structure actually contains low-strength concrete. Such tests are of value primarily for comparisons, within the same job rather than as quantitative measures of strength. For cores, if required, conservatively safe acceptance criteria are provided that should ensure structural adequacy {or virally any type of construction.*7*"” Lower strength may, of course, be tolerated under many circumstances, but this again becomes a matter of judgment on the part of the building olticial and licensed design professional, When the core tests performed in accordance with 5.6.5.4 fail to31874 CODE 5.6.5.4 —Concrete in an area represented by core tests tere nasa praise a raored ainctraly sooeuato “siorage of TSS SSS SRT at eae BS pro Gt f, ana TO SMG COTE 1SSS MIs PEC o ‘schiona teang-c-cotes oraved Tom Toatons_ shall be -penmitted. 5.6.5.5 — If criteria of 5.6.5.4 are not met and if the structural adequacy remains in doubt, the responsible authority shall be permitted to order a strength evaluation in accordance with Chapter 20 tor the questionable portion ofthe structure, or take other appropriate action, 5.6.6 — Steel fiber-reinforced concrete 5.6.6.1 — Acceptance of steel fiber-reinforced conerete used in beams in accordance with 11.4.6.4(!), shall be determined by testing in accordance with ASIM C1609, In addition, strength testing shall be in, accordance with 5.6.1 MANUAL OF CONCRETE PRACTICE COMMENTARY provide assurance of structural adequacy, it may be pruc- tical, particularly in the ease of floor or roof systems, forthe building official to require load test (Chapter 20). Short of Toad tests, if time and conditions permit, an effort may be made to improve the strength of the concrete in place by supplemental wet curing. Effectiveness of such a treatmes should be verified by further strength evaluation using procedures previously discussed. ‘The use of a water-cooled bit results in a core with a moisture ‘gradient between the exterior surface and the interior. This ‘gradient lowers the apparent compressive strength of the core!" ‘The restriction on the commencement of core testing provides a minimum time for the moisture gradient to dissipate, The maximum time between coring and testing is intended to ensure timely testing of cores when strength of concrete is in question. Research®! has also shown that procedures for soaking or drying cores that were required before ACI 318-02 affect measured compressive strength, and result in conditions that are not representative of structures that are dry or wet in service. Thus, to provide reproducible moisture conditions that are representative of in-place conditions, a common moisture conditioning procedure that permits dissipation of moisture gradients is, prescribed for cores. ASTM C2 permits the specifier of tests to modify the default duration of moisture conditioni before testing. Core tests having an average of 85 percent of the specified sirength are realistic, To expect core tests to be equal tof is, ‘not realistic, since differences in the size of specimens, conditions of obtaining samples, and procedures for curing, do not permit equal values to be obtained. ‘The code, as stated, concerns itself with assuring structural safety, and the instructions in 5.6 are aimed at that objective. Itis not the function of the Code to assign responsibility for sirengih deficiencies, whether or not they are such as 10 require corrective measures, Under the requirements of this section, cores taken to confirm structural adequacy will usually be taken at ages. later than those specitied for determination of f. RS.6.6 — Steel fiber-reinforced concrete 5.6.6.1 — The performance criteria are based on results| from flexural tesis"'* conducted on steel fiber-reinforced cconeretes with fiber types and contents similar to those used the tests of beams that served as the Basis for 11 4.6.10