FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

PAHANG LABORATORY MANUAL

COURSE STRUCTURAL AND MATERIAL LABORATORY

COURSE CODE ECS268

LEVEL OF OPENNESS 1

CATEGORY PARTIALLY OPEN ENDED

DEGREE OF OPEN-ENDED (%) 33.33

PERIOD OF ACTIVITY 2 WEEK

Concrete mix design, workability test, compacting factor test for fresh
TITLE
concrete, casting and curing of cube concrete.

1.1 Introduction
In this laboratory activity your group is required to carry out tests to determine
concrete mix design, mixing a fresh concrete, workability and compacting
factor of fresh concrete.

1.2 Objective
To determine the concrete mix design and produce fresh concrete
To determine the workability or consistency of a concrete mix of given
proportion by slump and compaction factor test.

PREAMBLE 1.3 Learning Outcomes

At the end of the laboratory activities, students would be able to:
1. Identify the right tools to carry out the appropriate concrete mix
design, mixing fresh concrete, workability and compacting factor of
fresh concrete.
2. Analyze test data and present the solution in the proper technical
format.
3. Work in a group to undertake the task and produce the relevant
technical report.

2.0 Problem Statement

Determination of the concrete mix design, proper concrete mixing, workability
and compacting factor determination of fresh concrete is one of the important
things of a major use in construction of buildings.
PROBLEM STATEMENT You are required to carry out concrete mix design according to BS5328:1981,
casting a fresh concrete according to BS 1881-125:1986, workability using
Slump test according to BS EN12350-2:2009, compacting factor test
according to BS 1881-103:1993 for fresh concrete and casting a cube
concrete according to BS 1881: part 3 using the appropriate apparatus
available in the laboratory.

©FKA, UiTM, PAHANG SEPT 2017

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
PAHANG LABORATORY MANUAL

3.1 Apparatus
Mixing Fresh Concrete
Drum mixer, weighing machine, sand, aggregate, cement and water,
bucket, trowel, scope.

Slump Test
Iron pan, weighing machine, trowel, slump cone, scale and tamping
rod.
Compacting Factor Test
Iron pan, weighing machine, trowel, compaction factor apparatus,
scale and tamping rod.

Casting cube concrete

Mould, oil, and curing tank.

3.2 Procedures
Mixing Fresh Concrete
1. Calculate all the required cement, sand, gravel and water
required to produce concrete G30 using Mix design Process
according to (BS5328:1981)
WAYS & MEANS
2. Weight all the material according to mix proportion for cement,
sand and coarse aggregate for a specified volume of concrete.
3. Note the room temperature and relative humidity
4. Wipe the laboratory pan mixer with a clean cloth to prevent
cement and fine aggregate being stuck to the inner surface of
the pan while mixing.

5. Mix the dry constituents thoroughly to get a uniform color &

then add water.

6. Feed sand into the laboratory pan mixer, a part of coarse

aggregate, cement than the water and finally the reminder of
the coarse aggregate so as to break up any modules of mortar.

7. Let the mixing time be 1.5 – 2 minutes after al ingredients are

added. Ensure about 20 revolutions of the pan mixing.

8. Stop the mixer.

©FKA, UiTM, PAHANG SEPT 2017

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
PAHANG LABORATORY MANUAL

Slump Test
1. The slump cone shall be in the form of a frustum of a cone, having the
following dimensions as in Figure 1:

Figure 1: Slump Cone

2. The internal surface of the mould is to be thoroughly cleaned and

placed on a smooth, horizontal, rigid and non absorbent surface.

3. Place the mixed concrete in the cleaned slump cone in 4 layers each

approximately ¼ in height of the mould. Tamp each layer 25 times

using tamping rod.

4. Remove the cone immediately, rising it slowly and carefully in the

vertical direction.

5. As soon as the concrete settlement comes to a stop, measure the

height of the concrete in cm. The difference between the height of

slump cone and height of concrete after settlement is the slump.

©FKA, UiTM, PAHANG SEPT 2017

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
PAHANG LABORATORY MANUAL

Compacting Factor Test

The compacting factor apparatus is shown in Figure 2. The height of the
apparatus is about 1.2 m

Figure 2: Compacting Factor Apparatus

1. Fasten the hopper doors.

2. Weigh the empty cylinder in kg (W1).
3. Fix the cylinder on the base with fly nuts and bolts.
4. Mix coarse aggregate, fine aggregates and cement dry until the
mixture is uniform in color and then with water until concrete appears
to be homogeneous.
5. Fill the freshly mixed concrete into upper hopper gently with trowel
without compacting.
6. Release the trap door of the upper hopper and allow the concrete to
fall into the lower hopper for bringing the concrete into a standard
compaction.
7. Immediately after the concrete comes to rest, open the trap door of the
lower hopper and allow the concrete to fall into the cylinder.
8. Remove the excess concrete above the top of the cylinder by a trowel.
9. Find out the weight of the cylinder filled with partial compacted
concrete in kg (W2).
10. Refill the cylinder with the same sample of concrete in approximately 4
layers, tamping each layer with tamping rod for 25 times in order to

©FKA, UiTM, PAHANG SEPT 2017

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
PAHANG LABORATORY MANUAL

obtain full compaction of concrete. This process can also do by using

vibrating table
11. Level the mix and weight the cylinder filled with fully compacted
concrete (W3).

Casting of cube concrete

1. Clean the cube mould and spread a thin layer of oil on the surface of
the inner side.
2. Fill the cube mould in layer approximately 1/3 of the depth of 3 layers
each cube. Compact each layer by hand or vibrator. When compaction
by hand, apply strokes of the bar in a uniform manner over the iron
section of the mould. When compacting by vibration, compact each
layer by means of electric, pneumatic hammer, or vibrating table until
the specified condition is attained.
3. After the top layer has been compacted, finished the surface of the
concrete in level with the top of the mould by means of the trowel.
Cover the mould with damp sack and store the test cube.
4. After 24 ± ½ hours of storage in moist air, demould the specimen.
Mark the specimen for later identification in a suitable manner.
Immediately submerge the specimen in water contained in curing
tanks, unless required for the test within 24 hours.
5. Do not allow the specimen to become dry at any time until they are
taken to be tested.

3.3 Data Acquisition

Slump Test
Water/cement ratio:

Trial No. Slump

(cm)

Average

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FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
PAHANG LABORATORY MANUAL

Compacting Factor Test

Weight of cylinder = kg (W1) .

Water/cement ratio:

Trial No. W2 W3 (W2 – (W3 – W1) Compaction factor

W3) (W2 – W3)

(W3 - W1)

4.0 Results, Analysis and Conclusion

The group is required to submit the technical report of the laboratory results
highlighting the apparatus used, the procedures undertaken for the test, data
RESULTS acquisition process, analysis carried out and the relevancy of the set-out
output to address the given problem. The format of the technical report is left
to the creativity and discretion of the group.
The report must be submitted 7 days after the completion of the test.

©FKA, UiTM, PAHANG SEPT 2017