This document provides an overview of materials testing services for soil, aggregate, concrete, and masonry. It describes common laboratory and field tests for evaluating the properties and quality of construction materials, including tests for soil particle size and compaction, concrete slump and strength, and masonry compressive strength. The document emphasizes that materials testing should be performed by properly trained personnel according to standardized test methods and that test results should be reported in a timely manner.

1. ATLANTIC TESTING LABORATORIES
Construction Materials
Engineering & Testing
New York State County Highway
Superintendents Association
August 30, 2011

2. Construction Materials
Engineering & Testing
Soil/Aggregate
Concrete
Masonry

3. QA/QC Program
Materials Testing
Special
Inspection

4. Construction Materials
Engineering & Testing
Quality Control-Verify materials in
accordance with contract documents
Tests performed in accordance with
applicable standards (e.g. ASTM,ACI,
AASHTO, NYSDOT)
Correlation between quality materials and
quality project
Options

5. Soil Properties
Shear Strength
Compressibility/Consolidation
Permeability

6. Soil - Laboratory
Particle-Size Analysis of Soils (with and without
hydrometer) (ASTM D422)
Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using
Standard (ASTM D698) and Modified effort (ASTM
D1557)
Atterberg Limits (ASTM D4318):
Liquid Limit
Plastic Limit
Plasticity Index
Expansion Index (ASTM D4829)

9. Soil-Laboratory Compaction
Values
Optimum Optimum Dry
Moisture (%) Density (pcf)
Gravel 4-8 130-150
Sand 6-13 100-135
Silt 10-18 90-130
Clay 15-30 80-130

10. Soil - Laboratory
Permeability Testing
Rigid Wall
(ASTM D2434)
Flex Wall
(ASTM D5084)

11. Aggregate-Laboratory
Pre-qualification testing to identify quality
aggregates for subsequent approval and production
Evaluate aggregate properties against federal,
state, or private standards

12. Aggregate-Laboratory
Aggregate Soundness (ASTM C88, NYSDOT)
Specific gravity and absorption of aggregate (ASTM
C127/128)
Resistance of coarse aggregates to freezing & thawing
(NYSDOT)
Unit weight and voids in aggregate (ASTM C29)
Flat and Elongated Particles (ASTM D4791)

13. Aggregate-Laboratory

14. Aggregate-Laboratory

15. Soil - Field
Aggregate Sampling (ASTM D75)
Density of Soil and Soil-Aggregate In-place
by:
Nuclear Method (ASTM D2922)
Other: Sand Cone (ASTM D1556) and Rubber
Balloon Method (ASTM D2167)

16. Soil - Field

17. Soil - Field
Field Compaction
Soil Type, Material Gradation, Water Content, Lift
Thickness, Compactive Effort
% = Field Dry Density/Laboratory Dry Density
Compaction Issues
Problem Soils
Oversize Particles
Degradation
Gap-Graded

18. Soil Properties

19. Soil - Field

20. Soil - Field

21. Soil - Field

22. Soil - Field

23. Soil - Field

24. Soil - Field

25. Concrete Properties
Strength
Durability
Permeability

26. Concrete-Mix Design
Starts in the Laboratory-Develop Economical, Workable
Mix to Meet Project Requirements
Proportioning
Strength, Environment, Unit Weight
W/C Ratio, Entrained Air
Aggregates
Other Admixtures
Performed Under Controlled Laboratory Conditions
Compressive Strength Based on 28-Day Curing Time

27. Concrete - Field
Sampling Freshly Mixed
Concrete
Slump of Hydraulic Cement
Concrete
Air Content of Freshly
Mixed Concrete
Unit Weight of Freshly
Mixed Concrete
Temperature of Freshly
Mixed Concrete
Fabrication of compressive
strength specimens

28. Concrete - Field
Sampling of Freshly Mixed Concrete
(ASTM C172)
Representative composite sample
Collected from middle portion of
batch
1 cu. ft. for compressive strength
specimens
Sampling Point

29. Concrete - Field

30. Concrete - Field
Slump of Hydraulic Cement Concrete
(ASTM C143)
Measures concrete consistency
Started within 5 min. after sample
collection
Not indicative of water content or
concrete strength

31. Concrete - Field
Self Consolidating Concrete
(SCC)
ASTM C1611 - Slump Flow
ASTM C1621 - Passing Ability
ASTM C1610 - Static
Segregation

32. Concrete - Field
Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete
ASTM C231-Pressure Method
Normal and Heavy Weight
ASTM C173-Volumetric Method
Light Weight
Entrained and entrapped air
Too little air reduces freeze-thaw
resistance
Excessive air reduces strength and
durability
Can be affected by concrete
temperature and pumping to
placement

33. Concrete - Field
Unit Weight of Freshly Mixed Concrete
(ASTM C138)
Indicative of a change in concrete
properties
Concrete yield
Important for light and heavy weight
concrete

34. Concrete - Field
Temperature of Freshly Mixed Concrete
(ASTM C1064)
Measured in container or formwork
Used to evaluate curing and
strength development

35. Concrete - Field
Fabrication of Compressive Strength
Specimens (ASTM C31)
Used for strength determination
Started within 15 minutes of
sample collection
Mold sizes
Laboratory vs. field cured
specimens

36. Concrete - Field

37. Concrete - Laboratory
Material finer than 75 microns (ASTM C117)
Dry Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse
Aggregates (ASTM C136)
Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete
Specimens (ASTM C39)

38. Concrete - Laboratory

39. Concrete - Laboratory

40. Concrete - Laboratory
Other Tests:
Flexural Strength
(ASTM C78)
Cement Testing
(ASTM C150)
Rapid Chloride
Permeability
(ASTM C1202)

41. Concrete-In-Place Evaluation
Coring (ASTM C42)
Rebound hammer (ASTM C805)
Windsor probe (ASTM C803)
Maturity method (ASTM C1074)

42. Concrete-Coring

43. Concrete-Rebound Hammer

44. Concrete-Maturity

45. Concrete-Maturity
5,000
4,500
Day 14
Average
4,000 Day 28
Compressive Strength (psi)
Average
3,500
3,000 Day 7
2,500
Average
2,000
Day 3
1,500 Average
1,000
Day 1
500 Average
Average
0
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
Maturity (ºC-Hours)

46. Masonry - Laboratory
Water Retention and Air Content Determination (ASTM
C91)
Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Mortars (ASTM C109)
Sampling and Testing CMUs and Related Units (ASTM
C140)
Mortar Water Content (ASTM C140)
Mortar Aggregate Ratio (ASTM C780)
Compressive Strength of Molded Masonry Mortar
Cylinders and Cubes (ASTM C780)
Compressive Strength of Masonry Prisms (ASTM C1314)

47. Masonry - Laboratory

48. Masonry - Laboratory

49. Masonry - Field
Sampling and Testing of Grout (ASTM C1019)
Slump of Freshly Mixed Grout
Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Volumetric
Method
Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method
Compressive Strength of Molded Masonry Cylinders and
Cubes (ASTM C780)
Fabricate mortar and grout compressive strength cubes,
cylinders, or specimens
Collect samples of concrete masonry units, field mixed mortar,
or mortar batch materials for laboratory testing

50. Final Comments
Properly trained, certified, and approved testing
personnel
Performed in accordance with the appropriate test
procedures
Timely reporting of test results

51. Question & Answer

52. Question and Answer
What organization publishes standards for the
sampling, testing, and evaluation of
soil/aggregate, concrete, and masonry
construction materials?
Answer: ASTM

53. Question and Answer
What are two of the most common laboratory
tests performed on soils for use as fill in
building construction?
Answer: Particle Size Analysis and Laboratory
Compaction

54. Question and Answer
What is the most common test method for
evaluating the in-place density of fill materials?
Answer: Nuclear Density

55. Question and Answer
What are three of the most common tests
performed on fresh, plastic concrete?
Answer: Slump, Air, and Temperature

56. Question and Answer
True or False: Non-Destructive Test methods,
such as the rebound hammer, may be used
as the sole basis for the acceptance or
rejection of suspect hardened concrete?
Answer: False

57. Question and Answer
True or False: Clay soils typically have a
higher optimum dry density than gravel soils.
Answer: False

58. Question and Answer
True or False: Air-entraining admixtures are
added to plastic concrete to provide
freeze/thaw protection.
Answer: True

59. Question and Answer
What are two methods for evaluating masonry
materials during construction?
Answer: Individual components and Prisms

60. Question and Answer
The design compressive strength of concrete is
based on a cure time of ______ days?
Answer: 28 days

61. Question and Answer
True or False: An increase in the air content of
concrete will increase the concrete’s
compressive strength?
Answer: False