Concrete
Q&A
Compressive Strength of Cores
and Specification Compliance
Q.
Last winter, we placed concrete grade beams for The ACI Technical Committee Manual (ACI TCM-20)3
an industrial building. A technician from the provides guidance on decimal point and implied tolerances in
owner’s testing agency took test cylinders but left Section 11.6.7: “If tolerances are not stated explicitly, then
them unprotected in the cold weather for a week. At 28 days, tolerances are implied by the way the limit is written. For
the average cylinder compressive strength was 2750 psi. example, if a temperature is specified as 23°C, by the rules of
Because this was far below the specified fc′ of 6000 psi, the rounding, any temperature between 22.5°C and 23.5°C will
engineer required three cores to be taken to evaluate the round to 23°C and satisfy this requirement. However, if the
in-place concrete strength. The individual core compressive temperature is specified as 23.0°C, then the permitted range is
strengths were 4940, 4970, and 5370 psi, resulting in an from 22.95°C to 23.05°C. If a numerical limit is given as a
average strength of 5090 psi (84.8% of fc′). The engineer whole number, the implied tolerance is ±0.5, if a limit is given
rejected the concrete on the basis that the ACI 318-19 Code1 to the nearest 0.1 the implied tolerance is ±0.05, and so forth.
requires the average core strength to equal 85% of the These principles need to be considered when using decimal
specified strength. In this case, 0.85 fc′ = 5100 psi, so isn’t the points in numerical limits.”
average core strength of 5090 psi close enough? Based on ACI TCM-20, and the way the Code expresses
A.
the specified value as 85%, any value above 84.5% should be
ACI 318-19, Section 26.12.6.1(e), states: considered to be within specification compliance.
“Concrete in an area represented by core tests shall Lastly, ASTM E29, “Standard Practice for Using
be considered structurally adequate if (1) and (2) Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance
are satisfied: with Specifications,” is intended to be used in determining
(1) The average of three cores is equal to at least 85 percent compliance with specifications. The rounding method
of fc′. described in this standard would also indicate that an average
(2) No single core is less than 75 percent of fc′.” core test result of 84.8% would satisfy the Code-required 85%.
Section 26.12.6.1(f) of the Code also states that: “Additional
testing of cores extracted from locations represented by erratic References
core strength results shall be permitted.” 1. ACI Committee 318, “Building Code Requirements for Structural
NRMCA Publication No. 185, “Understanding Concrete Concrete (ACI 318-19) and Commentary (ACI 318R-19),” American
Core Testing,”2 provides a methodology to evaluate erratic Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2019, 623 pp.
core results using ASTM E178, “Standard Practice for 2. Suprenant, B.A., “Understanding Concrete Core Testing,” NRMCA
Dealing with Outlying Observations.” Based on this analysis, Publication No. 185, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association,
the 4940, 4970, and 5370 psi core tests are not erratic core test Alexandria, VA, 19 pp.
results. Thus, the reported core test results should be used in 3. ACI Technical Activities Committee, “Technical Committee
the analysis. Manual (ACI TCM-20),” American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills,
ASTM C39/C39M, “Standard Test Method for MI, 2020, 72 pp.
Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens,”
Note: Additional information on the ASTM standards discussed in this
requires the calculated compressive strength to be reported to
article can be found at www.astm.org.
the nearest 10 psi. For a 5000 psi strength level, the 10 psi
represents 0.2%. However, the required rounding could result Thanks to Bruce Suprenant, ASCC, St. Louis, MO, USA, for providing
in a higher or a lower value. the answer to this question.
80 DECEMBER 2020 | Ci | www.concreteinternational.com
