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ENG-G007 Concrete Laboratory

The material testing facilities in the Concrete Laboratory include those for the determination of physical and durability properties of materials, as well as simulated weathering and corrosion tests. The testing facilities and experienced technical staff provide a valuable resource for teaching, research, testing and failure analysis of construction materials, including concrete, mortars, cement, and aggregates. Most tests to British, Irish and European standards can be carried out on construction materials. Tests to determine strength, modulus of elasticity, constituent proportions, durability qualities, time-dependent effects (e.g. shrinkage, creep) can be carried out both on fresh or hardened concrete, as well as other construction materials. Furthermore, real-time data on long term properties of insitu concrete elements are continuously being collected from embedded sensors in concrete elements employed in buildings. Specialist testing equipment is also available such as SEM, flourecent microscope with image capturing facilities, freeze-thaw facilities, temperature control room, and so on.

The Concrete Laboratory contains equipment to carry out the following procedures and tests:

Sand and aggregate
Sampling of materials using riffle boxes
Particle size distribution making use of sieves, sieve shaker, electronic balance
Determination of relative density
Determination of flakiness and elongation in aggregates
Determination of bulk density
Aggregate impact test
Aggregate crushing value
10% fines test
Determination of aggregate cleanness
Determination of organic impurities
Moisture content oven method and using the “Speedy” moisture content apparatus

Concrete manufacture
Concrete mixers - pan/drum type
Electro magnetic vibrating table · cube moulds
Steel (100mm and 150mm)
Plastic (100mm and 150mm)
Cylinder (150mm)
Beam moulds (100mm and 150mm)
Batch moulds (4’’)

Testing of fresh concrete
Workability
Slump test
Vibro consistometer
Compaction factor
Air content test
Flow table*
Analysis of freshly mixed concrete
Bulk density of fresh concrete

Testing of hardened concrete
Curing Tanks
Normal curing 20°C /-2°C
High Temperature for rapid curing
Concrete Testing Machine (Cubes, cylinders and prisms)
Compression testing machine (3000kN capacity)
Concrete flexure testing machine
Determination of the secant compression elastic modulus on concrete and mortar specimen system
Determination of the strength (compression and tension) of concrete and mortar specimen system
Cylinder capping apparatus
Concrete strain gauge (for 150mm dia. cylinder)
Demec strain gauges
Vibrating wire strain gauge meter
Gauge Technique strain logger for VW gauges
Gauge Technique temperature logger for VW gauges
Campbell Scientific automatic data logging equipment for VW gauges
Ultrasonic test (“Pundit”)
Rebound test hammer
Electromagnetic Cover meter
Creep rigs
Concrete coring drill and bits
Germann Instruments Rapid Chloride Test
Proceq Canin corrosion analysing instrument
AutoClam permeability and sorbtivity measurement
Carbonation test coring bits and Rainbow indicator (carbonation)
Humidity of flooring
Shrinkage testing
Freeze-thaw facilities

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