WHY Test Concrete?
Concrete testing is carried out for many reasons:
- Evaluation new materials or products
- Check compliance before, during or after construction
- Assess condition for change of use or service life prediction
- Failure investigation
WHAT Can Be Tested?
Concrete testing means more than cubes or cores:
- Component materials; cement, pfa, ggbs, admixtures, coarse and fine aggregates, fibres, reinforcement, water
- Fresh Concrete, mortar and grout
- Hardened Concrete; cast specimens : cubes , cylinders, prisms
- Existing structures; drilled core or dust samples, sawn specimens, insitu non-destructive testing of structural members
WHICH Tests?
Concrete testing is loosely covered by four main headings:
- Physical/Mechanical
- Workability/Consistency
- Compressive/flexural/tensile strength
- Modulus of elasticity
- Density/water absorption/permeability
- Moisture/thermal movement
- Chemical
- Composition (cement content, w/c ratio)
- Presence of contaminants, eg chlorides
- Visual and Microscopical Examination
- Identification of components
- Identification of deterioration processes
- Durability
- Soundness
- Bond strength/adhesion
- Cover to reinforcing steel
- Carbonation depth
WHO should test?
Concrete testing is best carried out by someone that is:
- Experienced in planning, concrete testing and interpretation of test data
- Independent to avoid bias (no matter how unintentional)
- Accredited for a wide range of tests
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