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Civil Engineering Tests

Determination of Viscosity of the Bitumen

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT
To determine the viscosity of bituminous material.

CODE OF REFERENCE

  • ASTM D88-07: Standard test method for Saybolt viscosity
  • ASTM D7496-11: Standard test method for viscosity of emulsified asphalt by Saybolt Furol Viscometer.
  • AASHTO T72, “Standard Method of test for Saybolt Viscosity”, 2005.

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Proctor Compaction Test

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT
This test is performed to determine the relationship between the moisture content and dry density of a soil for a specified compactive effort.

CODE OF REFERENCE
IS 2720 (Part 2)- 1980 Methods of test for soils: Part 7
Determination of water content- dry density relation using light compaction.

IS 2720 (Part 2)- 1973 Methods of test for soils: (Part 2)
Determination of water content.
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Flakiness Index Test for Aggregates

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT:
To determine the Flakiness Index of the given sample of course aggregate.

CODE OF REFERENCE:
• IS 2386(Part 1):1963 Methods of Test for Aggregates of Concrete- Particle Size and Shape. Reaffirmed Dec 2016
• ASTM 4791-10: Standard Test Method for Flat Particles, Elongated Particles or Flat Elongated Particles in Coarse Aggregates, American Society for Testing and Materials.

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TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST ON COHESIVE SOILS

A number of methods are used for conducting the triaxial test on cohesive soils. The commonly used methods are described as below:

  • Consolidated-undrained test

A deaired, coarse porous disc or stone is placed on the top of the pedestal in the triaxial test apparatus. Then a filter paper disc is placed over the porous stone. The prepared cohesive soil specimen is then placed over the filter paper disc of the stone. The usual size of the specimen is about 37.5 mm diameter and 75.o mm height. A porous stone is also placed on the top of the specimen. After that a deaired vertical filter strip papers are placed at regular spacing around the entire periphery of the porous stone such that these assembly touch both the stones. The cohesive soil sample in then covered in a rubber membrane, in which it can slid over the specimen with the help of the attached membrane stretcher. The membrane stretcher is completely covered with the specimen using O-rings.

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Vane Shear Test

The undrained shear strength of soft clays can be determined in a laboratory by a vane shear test. The test can also be conducted in the field on the soil at the bottom of a bore hole. The field test can be performed even without drilling a bore hole by direct penetration of the vane from the ground surface if it is provided with a strong shoe to protect it.

The vane shear test instrument consist of a vertical steel rod with four thin stainless steel blades (or vanes) fixed at its bottom end. The IS: 2720-1980 code recommends that the height, H of the vane should be equal to twice the overall diameter, D. The diameter and the length of the rod are recommended as 2.6 mm and 60 mm respectively.
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Shrinkage Limit Method To Determine Specific Gravity

Shrinkage limit is defined as the smallest water content at which the soil is saturated. It is also defined as the maximum water content at which a reduction of water content will not cause a decrease in the volume of the soil mass. In other words, at this water content, the shrinkage ceases.

In the below block diagram, stage 1 represents a soil sample which is fully saturated with a water content greater than shrinkage limit. Stage 2 represents soil sample which has water content equal to shrinkage limit. Stage 3 represents the soil sample when it is oven dried, i.e., the water content is removed completely. The total volume V3 in stage 3 is same as the total volume V2in stage 2. Let Msbe the mass of solids.
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Laboratory tests for Specific Gravity Determination

Keywords: Pycnometer, specific gravity, density, density bottle, glass jar, dry soil.

The specific gravity of solid particles can be determined in the laboratory using the following methods:
1. Density bottle method
2. Pycnometer method
3. Measuring flask method
4. Gas jar method
5. Shrinkage limit method

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ULTRASONIC TESTING OF CONCRETE

By
KAUSHAL KISHORE
Materials Engineer, Roorkee

Fundamental principle
A pulse of longitudinal vibrations is produced by an electro-acoustical transducer, which is held in contact with one surface of the concrete under test. When the pulse generated is transmitted into the concrete from the transducer using a liquid coupling material such as grease or cellulose paste, it undergoes multiple reflections at the boundaries of the different material phases within the concrete. A complex system of stress waves develops, which include both longitudinal and shear waves, and propagates through the concrete. The first waves to reach the receiving transducer are the longitudinal waves, which are converted into an electrical signal by a second transducer. Electronic timing circuits enable the transit time T of the pulse to be measured.

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Testing Concrete Cores

By
KAUSHAL KISHORE
Materials Engineer, Roorkee

The examination and compression testing of cores cut from hardened concrete is a well – established method, enabling visual inspection of the interior regions of a member to be coupled with strength estimation. Other properties which can be measured is also given in this paper.

IS: 456-2000 specified that the points from which cores are to be taken and the number of cores required shall be at the discretin of the engineer-in-charge and shall be representative of the whole of concrete concerned in no case, however, shall fewer than three cores be tested. Core shall be prepared and tested as described in IS: 516.

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Non-destructive Testing Of Concrete By Rebound Hammer

By
Kaushal Kishore
Materials Engineer, Roorkee

INTRODUCTION
The standard method of determining strength of hardened concrete consists of testing concrete cubes in compression. The quality of entire concrete of a structure cannot be fully assessed by testing a few concrete cubes. The results obtained in testing cubes do not always reflect the actual strength of concrete in construction. In a whole day, concreting work cubes are cast in a few batches, the differences (unintentional and intentional) in the composition are not uncommon, their compaction and their hardening conditions always differ more or less from those of the structure. In addition, the number of test cubes is generally so small that they can only be considered as random tests. Some times, in case of failure of cubes, doubtful concrete, cracks, deterioration of concrete, etc. it becomes necessary to assess the quality and strength of concrete of the structure. As far back as early thirties, the necessity was felt to develop instruments by which in-situ strength of concrete may be obtained. Various non-destructive methods of testing concrete have been developed, which include, Firing method, Skramtayev’s method, Polakov’s method, Magnitostroy method, Fizdel ball hammer, Einbeck pendulum hammer, Ball indentation hammer, Rebound hammer, Pull out techniques, Windsor probe, Ultrasonic pulse velocity methods, Radioactive and nuclear methods, Magnetic and electrical methods. In all these methods of tests, due to simplicity, rebound hammer test based on surface hardness becomes most popular in the world for non-destructive testing of in-situ concrete.

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