Cement & Concrete Testing Equipment

The actual tests performed on cement include: compression testing, air permeability testing, setting time testing, flexural strength testing, drying shrinkage / expansion testing, length change testing and many more. The most common cement testing methods are the initial and final setting times, air permeability testing, and compression testing.

The setting time of cement is measured in accordance with ASTM C191 using a Vicat needle. The needle is dropped over specified time periods according to two (2) standard methods of operation to check for the initial and final setting times. Method A allows for the use of the manually operated Vicat Apparatus, while method B included the operation of the automated Vicat Apparatus in accordance with qualification requirements for this method.

The fineness of hydraulic cement is measured using the ASTM C204 Air Permeability test This test involves a Blaine Air Permeability Apparatus. The measurement is determined by the specific surface expressed as total surface area in square centimetres per gram, or square metres per kilogram, of cement. Similar to the setting test, the Air Permeability test has two methods. Method A utilizes a manually operated Blain Apparatus, while Method B allows for a use of an Automated Blaine Apparatus in accordance with qualification requirements for this method.

Compression and tensile tests are the major strength tests conducted on concrete. This provides an overall picture of the quality of concrete based on the structure of cement-paste. The compression test measures the compressive strength using cube or cylinder cement specimens in accordance with ASTM C39 / C39M. After a thorough preparation of the concrete mold specimens, they are placed on an even surface platen of the Compression Tester and a steady force of 0.140 to 0.350 MPa per second is applied until a crush occurs. The strength of the cement will be calculated in megapascals by dividing the maximum load in Newtons by the average cross sectional area of the specimen in square millimeters.