CIE 111: Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory
links:

CMT
program

The concrete memo contains material from four different labs:

1. Aggregate

To design a concrete mix, the properties of the materials to be used must be determined.   Tests are performed to determine bulk specific gravity, absorption capacity and dry rodded unit weight.

aggregate prelab assignment

Objectives:

• Demonstration of common testing procedures with aggregates.
• Practice with aggregate moisture states.

2. Concrete Mix Design

An analytical lab to confirm proper material properties and design the mix.

mix design prelab assignment

Objectives:

• Practice mix design procedure, a key concept in the class.
• Ensure that a reasonable mix design is produced.

3. Concrete Mix

Time to make the concrete!  Students make concrete according to the mix design.   In addition to slump and air content testing, cylinders and a beam are cast for later testing.

mix prelab assignment

Objectives:

• Demonstration of common mixing and testing procedures with concrete.
• Practice with real concrete.
• The fun of creating with concrete.

4. Concrete Strength

Time to break the concrete!  Three cylinders are tested in compression to failure and the beam is tested in bending.  A strainometer is used on one cylinder to record compressive displacements.  Non - destructive Schmidt hammer tests are also performed for comparison.

strength prelab assignment

Objectives:

• Demonstration of common testing procedures of cured concrete.
• Demonstration of the difference between non destructive testing and destructive testing
• Practice calculating and plotting stress - strain data with Microsoft Excel.
• The fun of breaking concrete.  The reinforced beam is not a standard concrete test, done only to show how the reinforcing and concrete work together for entertainment.