Concrete is a widely used building material due to its durability, strength, and low cost. However, its quality and properties may vary depending on several factors such as mix proportions, curing conditions, and environmental factors. To ensure that the concrete meets the desired specifications and performance, it is important to conduct concrete testing using appropriate equipment. In this blog post, we will discuss the essential equipment required for concrete testing.

- Fresh Concrete Testing Equipment: To guarantee that freshly mixed concrete meets the required standards for constructing durable pavements and structures, opt for quality equipment. Solutions for assessing air content include air meters. If you are looking to measure flowability of self-consolidating concrete, this can be achieved using a tool like the J-ring. The Slump test method is used for the determination of the consistency and workability of fresh concrete.

- Concrete Sample Molds: There are different types of molds that are used for testing the compressive strength of concrete, such as cylinder, beam, and cube molds. Cylinder molds can be made of plastic, cast-iron, or zinc-plated steel and come in various sizes from 2x4in to 6x12in. Moreover, concrete cube molds are available for compressive strength or as sample containers for set-time testing. When it comes to beam molds, these are designed in different sizes and shapes for various applications and can be used multiple times to cast flexural strength samples that meet the standards of ASTM and AASHTO.

- Concrete Mixers: In accordance with ASTM/AASHTO standards, concrete mixers are used to prepare samples of concrete, asphalt, cement, and grout mix designs for laboratory testing. These mixers come in various forms, such as portable, stationary, or batch, and cater to different requirements. These machines are designed to provide efficient and reliable mixing of materials to ensure accurate and consistent test specimens for laboratory analysis.

- Concrete Strength Testing Equipment measures compressive or flexural strength of concrete to ensure it meets the required specifications. UTEST concrete compression testing machines range in various load capacities from 1100 kN (245000 lbf) to 3000 kN (670000 lbf). If you require compression machine accessories for a range of strength testing procedures on cylinders, beams, and cube molds, contact Measur. Other popular strength testing equipment includes capping compound, melting pots, portable beam tester, and cylinder capping pads.

- Cement Testing Equipment plays a crucial role in determining the quality of cement. This equipment enables you to evaluate various properties of cement such as consistency, setting time, compressive strength, flexural strength, soundness, fineness, specific gravity, and heat of hydration. The primary objective of using this equipment is to ensure that the cement utilized in construction meets the necessary specifications as per the ASTM and AASHTO standards. Some of the essential equipment used in cement testing include the Automatic Vicat apparatus, Grout flow cones, Blaine air permeability, test sand, Cube Molds, and Prism Molds. Additionally, the Vebe Consistometer is used to assess the consistency of cement by means of the Vebe time.

Other apparatus such as the Le Chatelier apparatus to assess the soundness of cement, and the Blaine air permeability apparatus to determine the fineness of cement, are also available for purchase at Measur.

- Concrete Curing Equipment is crucial in achieving the maximum strength of concrete by providing ideal temperature and moisture conditions as per the specifications outlined in ASTM/AASHTO standards. The equipment includes Perfa-Cure curing boxes, water baths, fogging fans, along with several other options for regulating and monitoring the moisture and temperature of concrete specimens.

- Non-Destructive Testing Equipment: By utilizing NDT equipment, we can evaluate the quality of the concrete and assess its condition without causing any damage to the structure. It allows for early detection of potential issues, which can lead to timely repairs, ensuring the longevity and safety of the structure. Concrete test hammers are one of the essential products that offer a quick estimate of the in-place strength of hardened concrete. Additionally, Measur offers concrete maturity monitoring sensors allowing construction professionals to receive concrete maturity data in the palm of their hand.

- Coring and Sawing are commonly used techniques for obtaining and modifying samples of hardened concrete for conducting compressive strength testing, petrographic analysis, and chemical tests. Measur offers a range of electric or gas-powered core drills that can extract cylindrical samples from concrete, which are ideal for testing. In addition to core drills, masonry saws such as the UTEST universal cutting machine are also available for cutting concrete samples to size under wet or dry conditions. This ensures that the samples extracted are precise and accurate, making them suitable for further testing.

- Specimen Measurement Instruments are used to measure the length, diameter, and circumference of concrete test specimens accurately. A few options are available including digital calipers with 6in or 12in (152 or 305mm) capacity, and diameter measuring tapes. These instruments provide precise measurements, enabling accurate test results.

By utilizing accurate measurement instruments, we can ensure that the test specimens meet the required specifications and standards, giving us a better understanding of the quality and strength of the concrete.