Concrete Laboratory
Provides engineering evaluation for building materials such as cement, aggregate, concrete and other cementitious materials based products. The laboratory is capable of carrying out all routine tests for compliance to National Standards. This laboratory is also equipped with various equipment for non-routine laboratory tests as well as on-site tests such as strain monitoring, tests for durability and performance related properties, assessment of materials and structures, etc. The tests conducted, amongst others include:
- Compressive strength of concrete cubes
- Compressive strength of concrete cylinders
- Compressive strength of concrete cores
- Compressive strength of bricks
- Flexural strength of concrete beams
- Tensile splitting strength of concrete cylinders
- Performance and durability related properties for cementitious based materials
- Microstructural properties of cementitious based materials (porosity and pore size distribution)
- Physical and mechanical properties of aggregates
- Tests for cement
- Tests for mixing water
- Various non-destructive and semi-destructive tests for assessment of concrete strength and durability
Major facilities include:
- Fully automatic concrete compression machines (2000 and 3000 kN capacity)
- Beam flexural testing machine
- Aggregate testing facilities
- Cement testing facilities
- Ultrasonic pulse velocity test apparatus
- Corrosion potential test kit
- Covermeter with built in microprocessor
- Crack detection microscope and crack measurement facilities
- Gas and water permeability apparatus
- Porosity test by vacuum saturation apparatus
- Mercury intrusion porosimetry apparatus
- Carbonation tank
- Steam curing tank
- Pull-out test kit
- Resonance tester
- Rebound hammer
- Mechanical and electronic strain gauges
- Concrete core sampler and cutter
- Micro core sampler complete with trimmer and on-site testing machine
