INTERNSHIP REPORT

A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the award of degree

Of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

IN

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Submitted by
ROSHAN PAWARA
PRN NO. 72249496D

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

DHOLE PATIL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING,

KHARADI.

2024– 2025

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

DHOLE PATIL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, KHARADI.

PUNE
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the “Internship report” submitted by ROSHAN SAHEBRAO PAWARA

(Prn No. 72249496D) is a Bonafede record of work done by him and submitted during 2024 – 2025

academic year, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the

degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY in CIVIL ENGINEERING..

2024-2025

Department Internship co-ordinator Head of the Department

prof. OMKAR GANGATIRE Dr. Gopal Alapure
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am highly indebted to coordinator prof. OMKAR GANGATIRE and HOD Dr. Gopal Alapure,
for the facilities provided to accomplish this internship.

I would like to thank prof. SomnathVarade s, College internship coordinator and prof. Poonam Patil
, Department internship coordinator for their support and advices to get a complete internship in
above said organization.

I am extremely grateful to my department staff members and friends who helped me in successful
completion of this internship.
 A STUDY ON “VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TESTS”

Submitted to

पत्ता - पिपल्स बँक ATM शेजारी, निमझरी नाका, शिरपुर

Submitted by ROSHAN PAWARA PRN 72249496D

An internship report submitted as a part of the training Taken at Arunoday construction

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

DHOLE PATIL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING,
KHARADI.

PUNE.
ii
 ABSTRACT

This study presents the compendia of the observation made during the one month of our
study. This report mainly resolves around the materials used and the tests on each
building components. To understand the process of application, sustainable masonry
product development is discussed in detail. In order to evaluate the feasibility of the
material, the necessary test evaluation method is also learned. The developed end product
performance evaluation is also learned by desired tests as recommended by standards
(IS). In this report we estimate the quantities required for the construction of building.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Any endeavor cannot lead to result unless and until a proper platform is provided
for the same. We express our thanks to ARUNODAY CONSTRUCTION. for giving us
the opportunity to undertake this summer internship program.

We sincerely thank Management for their constant guidance, valuable

suggestions and encouragement throughout the progress of summer internship program.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all projects team for their
precious guidance and administration staff for their help.

And last but not the least we would like to thank our parents and colleagues for
their motivational support.

ROSHAN PAWARA PRN.72249496D

iv
 DECLARATION

We hereby declare that the summer Internship report titled “VARIOUS

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TESTS” is bonafide work carried out by us
under guidance of project team at ARUNODAY CONSTRUCTION. . Further we
declare that this report has not previously formed the basis of award of any associate ship
or other similar degrees or diplomas, has not been submitted anywhere else.

DATE:
ROSHAN PAWARA PRN NO. 72249496D

OBJECTIVES OF SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

1. To familiarize with proper planning, design and field operations.

2. Plan should include construction methods to be adopted for different

construction activities.

3. To get exposure with the management and communication functions

performed with in a construction project.

4. Construction projects are executed based on the drawing and specifications.

v
 CONTENTS (1-4)

Title :-
Certificate :-
Company profile :-
1. MATERIALS AND TESTS (5-23)
 SAND 5
I. Bulking of sand 6
II. Sieve analysis 7
III. Fineness modulus 8
 COARSE AGGREGATE 9
I. Specific gravity 10
II. Water absorption 11
 CEMENT 11
I. Fineness test 12
II. Strength test 12
III. Specific gravity test 13
 BRICK 13
I. Compressive strength 13
II. Water absorption test 13
III. Efflorescence 13
 STONE 14
 CONCRETE 16
I. Slump cone test 20
II. Compressive strength 21
III. Water permeability 21
IV. Rapid penetration test 21
V. Water absorption test 21
VI. Modulus of elasticity & Setting time 21
 EQUIPMENT USED 22
• CONCLUSION 23
vi
1
2
VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TESTS

Building construction methods and materials have an enormous impact on fire behavior and
firefighter safety. In this course, you will learn about various types of building construction, the
importance of the fire resistance for structural support elements, and the risks associated with
performing fire- suppression activities inside and around buildings involved in fire. You will
also learn about the importance of teamwork among fire protection and design professionals.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the benefits of cross-disciplinary cooperation among fire protection and

design professionals.

• Explain the elements of building construction as they apply to construction codes.

• Describe the elements of building construction as they apply to firefighter safety.

• Anticipate fire behavior based on structural elements and thermal effects on each of
the following types of construction:

• Protected noncombustible building construction

• Unprotected noncombustible building construction
• Masonry construction
• Heavy timber construction
• Wood frame construction

3
VARIOUS BUILDING MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTIONS:

1. INE AGGREGATE

2. COARSE AGGREGATE

3. FCEMENT

4. BRICK

5. STONE

4
1) SAND:

Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral
particles. It is defined by size, being finer than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to
a textural class of soil or soil type; i.e., a soil containing more than 85 percent sand-sized particles
by mass.

The composition of sand varies, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most
common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings is
silica, usually in the form of quartz. The second most common type of sand is calcium carbonate,
for example, aragonite,

Sand is a non-renewable resource over human timescales, and sand suitable for making concrete
is in high demand.
COMPOSITION

The exact definition of sand varies. The scientific Unified Soil Classification System used in
engineering and geology corresponds to US Standard Sieves and defines sand as particles with a
diameter of between 0.074 and

4.75 millimeters. By another definition, in terms of particle size as used by geologists, sand
particles range in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1/16 mm) to 2 mm. An individual particle in this
range size is termed a sand grain. Sand grains are between gravel (with particles ranging from 2
5
mm up to 64

6
mm by the latter system, and from 4.75 mm up to 75 mm in the former) and silt (particles smaller
than 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm).

TESTS ON FINE AGGREGATE

1. BULKING OF SAND
When sand is damp, the water coating on the surface of each sand particle causes separation of
particles from one another due to surface tension. This causes sand to bulk. Bulked sand occupies
more volume and hence if volumetric measuring is done while proportioning it, bulking
correction is necessary.

The bulking test is done as follows:

1. The sand is filled, in loose condition in a box of measured height (H cm).

2. The box is then flooded with water and Roding is done to make the sand settle and
consolidate. Care should be taken that sand does not overflow during the flooding and
compaction.
3. The sand is then leveled in the box and the drop in height is measured (h cm).
4. Bulking is calculated as: Bulking % = h/H x 100%

Dry sand occupies the same volume as fully saturated sand. The bulking will vary from load to
load and day to day depending on the fineness of sand and its surface moisture content. It is
therefore, very essential to make bulking corrections by checking the actual bulking of sand
proposed to be used by volumetric batching for mortar or concrete.
2. SIEVE ANALYSIS

7
 Moisture contents %age Bulking % by
by wt. volume
Sieve analysis is done
to 2 15 check the
gradation of
aggregate. The
test is 3 20 done as follow.
4 25
1. Take
required
5 30 amount of
aggregate
sample (for
coarse aggregate take approx.
2.5 kg and for fine aggregate take 0.5 kg)
2. Arrange the required no of sieves as per the contract or job requirement in a descending manner.

3. Shake vigorously the sieve set for at least 2 minute.

4. Then measure the weight of aggregate on each sieve and express it as the percentage of passing.

Grading limit of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate is given below for reference.

7
 3. FINENESS MODULUS

Fineness modulus is generally used to get an idea of how coarse or fine the aggregate is. More
fineness modulus value indicates that the aggregate is coarser and small value of fineness modulus
indicates that the aggregate is finer.

1. Sieve the aggregate using the appropriate sieves (80 mm, 40 mm, 20 mm, 10 mm, 4.75 mm,
2.36 mm, 1.18 mm, 600 micron, 300 micron & 150 micron)
2. Record the weight of aggregate retained on each sieve.
3. Calculate the cumulative weight of aggregate retained on each sieve.
4. Calculate the cumulative percentage of aggregate retained.
5. Add the cumulative weight of aggregate retained and divide the sum by 100. This value is
termed as fineness modulus

Compare the test value with the values given in the following table and you can get an idea about how
coarse or fine the sand is.

Only sand between FM 2.6 to 2.9 is considered suitable for nominal mix proportion

2) COARSE
Type of Sand Fineness Modulus Value
AGGREGATE:
Very fine sand Below 2.2
AGGREGATE
Fine sand 2.2 to 2.6 CLASSIFICATION
Medium sand 2.6 to 2.9 [BASED ON SHAPE]
Coarse sand 2.9 to 3.2
According to shape
Very coarse sand Above 3.2 aggregate is classified
the
as

• Rounded aggregate
• Irregular or partly rounded aggregate
• Angular aggregate
• Flaky aggregate
• Elongated aggregate
8
 • Flaky and elongated aggregate

1. ROUNDED AGGREGATE
The aggregate with rounded shape has the minimum percentage of voids ranging from 32 to 33%. It
gives minimum ratio of surface area to given volume and hence requires minimum water for
lubrication. It gives good workability for the given amount of water and hence needs less cement for a
given water cement ratio. The only disadvantages is that the interlocking between its particles is less
and hence the development of bond is poor. This is why rounded aggregate is not suitable for high
strength concrete and for pavements subjected to tension.

2. IRREGULAR OR PARTLY ROUNDED AGGREGATE

The aggregate with irregular shape has higher percentage of voids ranging from 35 to 37%. It gives
lesser workability than rounded aggregate for the given water content. Water requirement is higher and
hence more cement is needed for constant water cement ratio. The interlocking between aggregate
particles is better than rounded aggregate but not adequate to be used for high strength concrete and
pavements subjected to tension.

3. ANGULAR AGGREGATE
The aggregate with angular shape has the maximum percentage of void ranging from 38 to 45%.
It requires more water for lubrication and hence it gives least workability for the given water
cement ratio. For constant water cement ratio and workability the requirement of cement increase.
The interlocking between the aggregate particles is the best and hence the development of bond is
very
9
good. This is why angular aggregate is very suitable for high strength concrete and for pavements
subjected to tension.

4. FLAKY AGGREGATE
The aggregate is said to be flaky when its least dimension is less than 3/5th (or 60%) of its mean
dimension. Mean dimension is the average size through which the particles pass and the sieve size
on which these are retained. For example, mean size of the particles passing through 25 mm sieve
and retained on 20 mm sieve is (20+25)/2 = 22.5 mm. if the least dimension is less than 3/5 x
(22.5)
= 13.5mm, then the material is classified as flaky. Flaky aggregate tends to be oriented in one
plane which affects the durability.

TESTS ON AGGREGATE
Aggregate plays an important role in pavement construction. Aggregates influence, to a great
extent, the load transfer capability of pavements. Hence it is essential that they should be
thoroughly tested before using for construction. Not only that aggregates should be strong and
durable, they

Should also possess proper shape and size to make the pavement act monolithically. Aggregates
are tested for strength, toughness, hardness, shape, and water absorption.

In order to decide the suitability of the aggregate for use in pavement construction, following tests
are carried out:

1. SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND WATER ABSORPTION TEST

The specific gravity and water absorption of aggregates are important properties that are required
for the design of concrete and bituminous mixes. The specific gravity of a solid is the ratio of its
mass to that of an equal volume of distilled water at a specified temperature. Because the
aggregates may contain water-permeable voids, so two measures of specific gravity of aggregates
are used:

1. Apparent specific gravity

2. Bulk specific gravity.

Apparent Specific Gravity

1
0
Gapp, is computed on the basis of the net volume of aggregates i.e. the volume excluding waterpermeable
voids. Thus

1
1
Gapp = [(MD/VN)]/W
Where,
MD is the dry mass of the aggregate,
VN is the net volume of the aggregates excluding the volume of the absorbed matter, W
is the density of water.

Bulk Specific Gravity

Gbulk is computed on the basis of the total volume of aggregates including water permeable voids. Thus
Gbulk = [(MD/VB)]/W
Where,
VB is the total volume of the aggregates including the volume of absorbed water.

Water Absorption:
The difference between the apparent and bulk specific gravities is nothing but the water
permeable voids of the aggregates. We can measure the volume of such voids by weighing the
aggregates dry and in a saturated surface dry condition, with all permeable voids filled with
water. The difference of the above two is MW.

MW is the weight of dry aggregates minus weight of aggregates saturated surface dry
condition. Thus,

Water Absorption = (MW/MD) x 100

The specific gravity of aggregates normally used in road construction ranges from about 2.5 to
2.9. Water absorption values ranges from 0.1 to about 2.0 percent for aggregates normally used in
road surfacing.

2) CEMENT
Types of Cement:

Rapid Hardening Cement:

Definition:
It is also known as High-Early-Strength cement. It is manufactured with such adjustments in the
proportion of raw materials so that the cement produced attains maximum strength with-in 24-72 hours.

1
2
Properties:
Two essential properties of Rapid Hardening Cement are following.

(i) It contains relatively more tri-calcium silicate. This is done by adding a greater proportion
of limestone in the raw materials compared to that required for ordinary cement.

(ii) It is more fine-grained (Air permeability 3250 cm2/gm) than the ordinary cement. This
factor helps in quicker and complete hydration of cement particles during setting and
helps in gaining early strength.

However, the setting time and ultimate strength of Rapid Hardening Cement is same as of Ordinary
Cement.

TESTS ON CEMENT

The physical tests which are generally performed to determine the

acceptability of cements are:

1. Fineness Test
2. Strength Test
3. Specific Gravity Test
4. Setting test

1. Fineness Test

Fineness is the mean size of cement grain. Fineness test is done to measure the mean size of cement grain.

The finer the cement the surface area for hydration will be large and it increases the strength of cement.
But the fineness varies in different types of cement.
Following three methods are applied to test the fineness of cement

• Sieve method
• Air Permeability method
• Sedimentation method

2. Strength Test
1
3
Cement has two types of strength – compressive strength and tensile strength.

To know the compressive strength and tensile strength of cement following tests are performed – Cement

mortar cube test (for compressive strength)

• Briquette test (for tensile strength)

• Split tensile test (for tensile strength)

3. Specific Gravity Test

Specific gravity of cement is a comparison of weight of a cement volume to the weight of same
volume of water.

4. Setting Test

A thick paste of cement with water is made on a piece of glass plate and it is kept under water for
24 hours. It should set and not crack.

1
4
 3) BRICK

Classification and Characteristics of Bricks as per IS 1077-1973 Tests

for the acceptance of bricks for building construction are:

1. Compressive strength test

2. Water absorption test
3. Efflorescence test

1. Compressive Strength Test on Bricks

The compressive strength of a common brick should be 50 kg/sq.cm

2. . Water Absorption Test on Bricks

If the water absorption capacity of a brick is more, its strength will be comparatively low. For first class
bricks, the water absorption capacity should not be more than 20% by weight.

3. . Efflorescence Test on Bricks

This test is performed to know the presence of any alkaline matter in the bricks.

1
5
4. STONE
Stone is a ‘naturally available building material’ which has been used from the early age of
civilization. It is available in the form of rocks, which is cut to required size and shape and used
as building block.

Properties of Stones

The following properties of the stones should be looked into before selecting them for engineering
works:

a. Structure: The structure of the stone may be stratified (layered) or uncertified.

Structured stones should be easily dressed and suitable for super structure. Uncertified
stones are hard and difficult to dress. They are preferred for the foundation works.

b. Texture: Fine grained stones with homogeneous distribution look attractive and
hence they are used for carving. Such stones are usually strong and durable.

c. Density: Denser stones are stronger. Light weight stones are weak. Hence stones
with specific gravity less than 2.4 are considered unsuitable for buildings.

d. Strength: Strength is an important property to be looked into before selecting stone as

building block. Indian standard code recommends, a minimum crushing strength of 3.5
N/mm2 for any building block. Table shows the crushing strength of various stones.
Due to non-uniformity of the material, usually a factor of safety of 10 is used to find the
permissible stress in a stone. Hence even laterite can be used safely for a single storey
building, because in such structures expected load can hardly give a stress of 0.15
N/mm2. However in stone masonry buildings care should be taken to check the stresses
when the beams (Concentrated Loads) are placed on lateral wall.

1
6
 e. Hardness: It is an important property to be considered when stone is used for flooring
and pavement. Coefficient of hardness is to be found by conducting test on standard
specimen in Dory’s testing machine. For road works coefficient of hardness should
be
at least 17. For building works stones with coefficient of hardness less than 14 should not
be used.

f. Porosity and Absorption: All stones have pores and hence absorb water. The reaction of
water with material of stone causes disintegration. Absorption test is specified as
percentage of water absorbed by the stone when it is immersed under water for 24
hours. For a good stone it should be as small as possible and in no case more than 5.

g. Toughness: The resistance to impact is called toughness. It is determined by impact

test. Stones with toughness index more than 19 are preferred for road works.
Toughness indexes 13 to 19 are considered as medium tough and stones with
toughness index less than 13 are poor stones.

h. Resistance to Fire: Sand stones resist fire better. Argillaceous materials, though poor
in strength, are good in resisting fire.

CONCRETE:

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse
aggregates mixed with water which hardens with time. Portland cement is the mostly used type of
cement for production of concrete.

There are different types of binding material is used other than cement such as lime for lime concrete and
bitumen for asphalt concrete which is used for road construction.

Various types of cements are used for concrete works which have different properties and
applications. Some of the type of cement is Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), rapid hardening

1
7
cement, Sulphate resistant cement etc.

1
8
Table of Contents:

Materials are mixed in specific proportions to obtain the required strength.

Strength of mix is specified as M5, M10, M15, M20, M25, M30 etc., where M signifies Mix and
5, 10, 15 etc. as their strength in kN/m2. In United States, concrete strength is specified in PSI
which is Pounds per Square Inch.

Water cement ratio plays an important role which influences various properties such as
workability, strength and durability. Adequate water cement ratio is required for production of
workable concrete.

When water is mixed with materials, cement reacts with water and hydration reaction starts. This
reaction helps ingredients to form a hard matrix that binds the materials together into a durable
stone-like material. Concrete can be casted in any shape. Since it is a plastic material in fresh
state, various shapes and sizes of forms or formworks are used to provide different shapes such as
rectangular, circular etc.

Various structural members such as beams, slabs, footings, columns, lintels etc. are constructed with
concrete.

ACI 318 Building code requirements for structural concrete and ACI 301 Specifications for
Structural Concrete are used in United States as standard code of practice for concrete
construction.

There are different types of admixtures which are used to provide certain properties. Admixtures
or additives such as pozzolans or super plasticizers are included in the mixture to improve the
physical properties of the wet mix or the finished material.

Various types of concrete are manufactured these days for construction of buildings and
structures. These have special properties and features which improve quality of construction as

1
9
per requirement.

2
0
Components of Concrete:

Components of concrete are cement, sand, aggregates and water. Mixture of Portland cement and
water is called as paste. So, concrete can be called as a mixture of paste, sand and aggregates.

Sometimes rocks are used instead of aggregates.

The cement paste coat the surface of the fine and coarse aggregates when mixed thoroughly and
binds them. Soon after mixing the Components, hydration reaction start which provides strength
and a rock solid concrete is obtained.

What is Grade of Concrete?

Grade of concrete denotes its strength required for construction. For example, M30 grade signifies
that compressive strength required for construction is 30MPa. The first letter in grade

“M” is the mix and 30 is the required strength in MPa. .

Based on various lab tests, grade of concrete is presented in Mix Proportions. For example, for
M30 grade, the mix proportion can be 1:1:2, where 1 is the ratio of cement, 1 is the ratio of sand
and 2 is the ratio of coarse aggregate based on volume or weight of materials.

The strength is measured with concrete cube or cylinders by civil engineers at construction site.
Cube or cylinders are made during casting of structural member and after hardening it is cured for 28
days. Then compressive strength test is conducted to find the strength.

Compressive Strength
Concrete Grade Mix Ratio
MPa (N/mm2) Psi

Normal Grade of Concrete

2
1
 M5 1 : 5 : 10 5 MPa 725 psi

M7.5 1:4:8 7.5 MPa 1087 psi

M10 1:3:6 10 MPa 1450 psi

M15 1:2:4 15 MPa 2175 psi

M20 1 : 1.5 : 3 20 MPa 2900 psi

Standard Grade of Concret e

M25 1:1:2 25 MPa 3625 psi

M30 Design Mix 30 MPa 4350 psi

M35 Design Mix 35 MPa 5075 psi

M40 Design Mix 40 MPa 5800 psi

M45 Design Mix 45 MPa 6525 psi

M50 Design Mix 50 MPa 7250 psi

Regular grades of concrete are M15, M20, M25 etc. For plain cement concrete works, generally M15
is used. For reinforced concrete construction minimum M20 grade of concrete are used.

2
2
 M55 Design Mix 55 MPa 7975 psi

M60 Design Mix 60 MPa 8700 psi

M65 Design Mix 65 MPa 9425 psi

M70 Design Mix 70 MPa 10150 psi

How to Make Concrete

Concrete is manufactured or mixed in proportions w.r.t. cement quantity. There are two
types of concrete mixes, i.e. nominal mix and design mix. Nominal mix is used for normal
construction works such as small residential buildings. Most popular nominal mix are in the
proportion of 1:2:4.

Design mixed concrete are those for which mix proportions are finalized based on various
lab tests on cylinder or cube for its compressive strength. This process is also called as mix
design. These tests are conducted to find suitable mix based on locally available material to obtain
strength required as per structural design. A design mixed offers economy on use of ingredients.

Once suitable mix proportions are known, then its ingredients are mixed in the ratio as selected. Two
methods are used for mixing, i.e. Hand mixing or Machine Mixing.

Based on quantity and quality required, the suitable method of mixing is selected. In the
hand mixing, each ingredients are placed on a flat surface and water is added and mixed with hand
tools. In machine mixing, different types of machines are used. In this case, the ingredients are
added in required quantity to mix and produce fresh concrete. Once it is mixed adequately it is
transported to casting location and poured in formworks. Various types of formworks are
available which as selected based on usage. Poured concrete is allowed to set in formworks for
specified time based on type of structural member to gain sufficient strength. After removal of
formwork, curing is done by various methods to make up the moisture loss due to evaporation.
Hydration reaction requires moisture which is responsible for setting and strength gain. So, curing
is generally continued for minimum 7 days after removal of formwork.
Types of Concrete Construction:

Concrete is generally used in two types of construction, i.e. plain concrete construction and
reinforced concrete construction. In PCC, it is poured and casted without use of any
reinforcement.

20
This is used when the structural member is subjected only to the compressive forces and not
bending. When a structural member is subjected to bending, reinforcements are required to
withstand tension forces structural member as it is very weak in tension compared to
compression. Generally, strength of concrete in tension is only 10% of its strength in
compression. It is used as a construction material for almost all types of structures such as
residential concrete buildings, industrial structures, dams, roads, tunnels, multi storey buildings,
skyscrapers, bridges, sidewalks and superhighways etc.

Example of famous and large structures made with concrete are Hoover Dam, Panama Canal and
Roman Pantheon. It is the largest human made building materials used for construction.

Steps of Concrete Construction

The construction steps are:

1. Selecting quantities of materials for selected mix proportion

2. Mixing

3. Checking of workability
4. Transportation

5. Pouring in formwork for casting

6. Vibrating for proper compaction

7. Removal of formwork after suitable time
8. Curing member with suitable methods and required time.

TESTS
1. Slump test before leaving the batching plant and on arrival on site
This is to determine the workability of concrete in terms of slump test. After batching the
concrete, a sample of fresh concrete shall be taken to test for slump tests and the samples for
compressive strength test be taken too. This is to make sure that the batched concrete is
complying with the mix design before it’s released from the batching plan

21
Upon arrival on site, a sample of fresh concrete shall be tested with slump test again, but
temperature shall be checked with the calibrated thermometer beforehand. Three cubes or
cylinders of samples shall be taken for compressive strength tests, these will be the samples from
the site.

The plus or minus sign is the symbol of tolerance of slump. Let say for example the slump of approved
concrete design mix for your suspended slab is 150 mm +/- 25.

2. Compressive strength test

Three samples of cubes or cylinders shall be taken for compressive strength test, but it is not
commonly three samples, sometimes it is two depend on the specification. You might ask why
sometimes there is extra of one sample? Good that you asked. This one sample extra shall be
tested “if!” the two cubes or cylinders samples are tested from the three and if it is failed and the
remaining sample is passed. If the consultant is not satisfied with the result (definitely not!) and
he wishes to test the extra one. It shall be tested in 60 days.

3. Water Permeability test

A water permeability test is one of the tests to determine the durability of concrete. Three
cubes shall be taken from fresh concrete and tested in accordance to the German Standard DIN
1048 at 28 days age. This kind of test shall be taken from substructures concrete elements like
foundations, concrete water tank, retaining wall etc. The frequency of the water permeability test
can be found in this article The Frequency of Various Tests.

4. Rapid Chloride Ion Penetration Test

Like water permeability test, this is also one of the tests to determine the durability of concrete.
Three cubes shall be taken from fresh concrete delivered on site and tested at 28 days age. The
test shall be done in accordance to ASTM C1202-97

5. Water Absorption Test

Here is the other test that would determine the durability of concrete. The three cube sample shall be
taken from the delivered fresh concrete and kept it in the curing tank for 28 days or after

22
24 hours the concrete sample would be remolded and it will be sent directly to the approved third

23
 party laboratory to ensure its curing. The size of cube sample is 150 mm and tested in accordance to
BS 1881-122.

6. Modulus of elasticity
Modulus of elasticity of concrete is defined as the ratio of stress applied on the concrete to the
respective strain caused. The accurate value of modulus of elasticity of concrete can be determined by
conducting a laboratory test called compression test on a cylindrical concrete specimen. In the test, the
deformation of the specimen with respect to different load variation is analyzed. These observations
produce Stress-Strain graph (load-deflection graph) from which the modulus of elasticity of concrete is
determined.

7. Setting time
The action of changing mixed cement from a fluid state to a solid state is called “Setting of Cement”.

Initial Setting Time is defined as the period elapsing between the time when water is added to the cement
and the time at which the needle of 1 mm square section fails to pierce the test block to a depth of about 5
mm from the bottom of the mold.

Final Setting Time is defined as the period elapsing between the time when water is added to cement and
the time at which the needle of 1 mm square section with 5 mm diameter attachment makes an impression
on the test block.

• EQUIPMENTS USED

Vi Cat apparatus Compression Testing Machine

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 Slump Cone Fineness modulus

CONCLUSION

As an undergraduate of the AITAM College, we would like to say this training program is an
Excellent opportunity for us to get to ground level and experience the things that we would have never
gained through going straight into a job we are grateful to the AITAM and IVRCL LIMITED
(Hyderabad) for giving us this wonderful opportunity.
The main objective of the internship is to provide an opportunity to undergraduate to identify,
observe and practice how civil engineering is applicable and the real site it is not only to get experience on
technical practices but also to observe management practices and to interact with the field workers.

The only chance that an undergraduate has to have this experience in the industrial training period.
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