What are the different methods of concrete testing?

When hiring a contractor or a company for your construction project, choosing a reliable and experienced company is essential. Only a good contractor can guide a client in the right direction and ensure the successful completion of the project.

Contractors know various methods to monitor the compressive strength of the concrete. They need experience to consider the impact of each technique and how much time is required to perform it. Some concrete testing methods are performed directly on the site, and others may require lab testing and the hiring of third parties. However, time is not the only factor to consider while collecting the concrete strength data. Data accuracy is just as important because it affects the quality of concrete.

Why must contractors stick to the testing?

Contractors must stick to the concrete testing to ensure the building or structure they have constructed is stable and safe.

However, some contractors only prefer old-school methods of slab testing because this is how things have worked for them so far.

But this doesn’t mean they should keep using less advanced methods in the present and future as well. There are faster, more accurate, and more advanced methods, apart from a basic cylinder break test. Here are the different tests to consider for concrete testing. Let us take a look at them now!

Best methods to test the compressive strength of concrete:

Rebound Hammer or Schmidt Hammer testing:

In this test, a spring release mechanism helps to activate the hammer that further impacts a plunger into the concrete surface. The rebound distance from the hammer to the concrete surface has values from 10 to 00. The measurements are then correlated to the strength of the concrete. The best part of using this method is that it is easy and can be performed directly on the construction site.

However, it is essential to pre-calibrate the equipment to get accurate measurements. Also, the observations and values can go wrong because of surface conditions like large aggregates or hidden items like rebar inside the concrete testing location.

Penetration Resistance Test:

In this test, a penetration device is used to drive a small pin into the concrete surface. A particular amount of force is required to penetrate the pin into the surface that is noted to relate with the depth of the hole created by the pin, and based on this, the co-relation strength of the concrete is determined d. This test can also be performed on the site and is relatively easy to achieve.

The results of this test get affected by the surface and material conditions. Also, it is essential to calibrate the device and obtain multiple concrete samples for the right readings and strength measurements.

Ultrasonic pulse velocity concrete testing:

This method is used to determine the velocity of an ultra-sonic pulse through a concrete s ab. The ease of pulses passing through the concrete slab helps to determine the elasticity of the concrete. It also helps to know concrete’s resistance to stress and its density. All this data is used to determine the strength of the s ab. Ultrasonic pulse velocity is a noninvasive and nondestructive technique that also helps to detect the flaws inside the concrete, such as cracks, voids, and honeycombing.

However, contractors need to be aware that readings can be influenced by the presence of constrains like moisture and hidden utilities.

Pull Out testing / ASTM C 900

This test is widely used and preferred by contractors for concrete testing. In this test, an anchor is cast inside the concrete or installed post-construct. Then it is pulled out of the concrete and, with the help of an anchor, pulled our device. The conical shape of concrete is pulled out along with the anchor. The force required to pull out the concrete is related to finding the compressive strength. The test is easy, affordable, and reliable and can be used in different locations within a construction project.

However, this test involves damaging the concrete, which means it is destructive in nature. Also, a large number of test samples are required at different locations to make sure the results are accurate.

Core drill concrete testing (ASTM C 42)

As the name suggests, the concrete slab is core drilled, and hard concrete samples are extracted from the concrete. These samples are put under the compressor machine, and the strength of the concrete is monitored and calculated. This test is said to be accurate because it physically measures the strength of the concrete.

It is important to note that core drill testing is a destructive concrete testing method. After the sample extraction, the core must be filled back, and a lab is required for the sample testing.

Conclusion:

In this post, we discussed about top five concrete testing meth ds. If you are a contractor or a homeowner, you can use any of these tests to determine the strength of concrete. There is the option of merging two methods to cross-check the results of each one. For example, concrete scanning and anchor bolt pullout strength testing can be done.

If you are looking to hire a concrete scanning, coring, and testing company, Concrete Insight is one of the best companies. To check their website, testimonials, and ratings, visit their website now!