Determination of Concrete Characteristics Using Destructive and Non-Destructive Tests

Mechanical resistance and deformation are important characteristics of concrete, because they play a great role not only for the stability, but also for the durability of the structures. When concrete is subjected to the action of a rapidly increasing load, it behaves like a brittle material. On the one hand, its rupture is not preceded by significant deformations and on the other hand, its tensile strength is much weaker than its compressive strength. The tensile strength even vanishes completely if shrinkage cracks have developed. This paper presents an experimental study in order to determine some characteristics of the concrete made for the production of reinforced concrete beams. To this end, cylindrical specimens of dimensions 16 x 32 cm were prepared in the laboratory using local materials for mechanical characterization by destructive and non-destructive tests. Splitting test was carried out to determine experimentally the tensile strength of concrete. Schmid rebound hammer and compression machine were used to determine the compressive strength of concrete, as well as its longitudinal elastic modulus (Young’s modulus) at the age of 28 days. The results obtained by the various tests were compared to validate the measured values. Indeed, the concrete resistance measurements from the rebound hammer test were compared with those obtained by the compression test. Likewise, the concrete tensile strength values of the splitting test were compared with those found from the compression test.

Keywords: Concrete; Cylindrical specimens; Splitting test; Schmid rebound hammer; Elastic modulus; Compressive strength