SOHAM CONSULTING SERVICES

Building Materials Testing

Cement Testing

Cement is a water-based binder used to bind other building materials together. It is used in the production of mortar and concrete during the construction process. The reason cement is one of the most common construction ingredients among other is its ability to hold the structure together. Compressive strength is one of the most important properties of concrete and mortar. The strength of the binder (cement) therefore has a significant effect on the performance characteristics of the mixture and ensures the overall quality of the finished product.



Physical Test

The Following tests are conducted on Cement.

1 Fineness By Dry Sieving IS 4031 (Part-1)

2 Fineness By Specific Surface By Blaine Air Permeability IS 4031 (Part-2)

3 Soundness By Le-Chatelier Method IS 4031 (Part-3)

4 Soundness By Autoclave Method IS 4031 (Part-3)

5 Normal Consistency IS 4031 (Part-4)

6 Initial Setting Time IS 4031 (Part-5)

7 Final Setting Time IS 4031 (Part-5)

8 Compressive Strength of Hydraulic/Masonry Cement IS 4031 (Part-6 & 7)

9Drying Shrinkage IS 4031 (Part-10)

10 Density IS 4031 (Part-11)

Chemical Test

Chemical analysis of hardened concrete can provide information about the mix constituents and possible causes of deterioration. Standard methods can be used to find the cement content and the original water/cement ratio, but many other properties can also be established; Cement Content and Aggregate Cement Ratio, Cement Content and Pulverized fuel ash/fly ash (PFA) content, Cement Content and Slag content, Water/Cement Ratio, Aggregate Grading, Determination of the presence of High-Alumina Cement (HAC) are some of the tests we conduct under chemical analysis.

Test Method: IS: 4032

1 Potassium Oxide IS 4032

2 Sodium Oxide IS 4032

3 Alumina as Al2O3 IS 4032

4 Calcium Oxide as Cao IS 4032

5 Chloride as Cl IS 4032

6 Ferric Oxide as Fe2O3 IS 4032

7 Insoluble Residue IS 4032

8 Loss On Ignition IS 4032

9 Mangnesia as MgO IS 4032

10 Silica as Sio2 IS 4032

11 Sulphuric Anhydride as So3 IS 4032


Aggregate Testing.

Construction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse to medium grained particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined materials.



Physical Test

The Following tests are conducted on Coarse Aggregate.

1 10% Fines Value For Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 4)

2 Abrasion Value Of Coarse Aggregate By Los Angeles Machine IS 2386 (PART 4)

3 Alkali Aggregate Reactivity For Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 7)

4 Angularity Number For Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 1)

5 Unit Weight And Voids ( Bulk Density) Of Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 3)

6 Aggregate Crushing Value Of Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 4)

7 Elongation Index For Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 1)

8 Deleterious Materials For Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 2)

9 Flakiness Index For Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 1)

10 Unit Weight And Voids ( Bulk Density) Of Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 4)

11 Fractured Particles Test On Coarse Aggregate ASTM D 5821

12 Sieve Analysis Of Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 1)

13 Resistance To Disintegration (Soundness) Of Coarse Aggregate By Magnesium Sulphate Solution IS 2386 (5)

14 Resistance To Disintegration (Soundness) Of Coarse Aggregate By Sodium Sulphate Solution IS 2386 (PART 5)

15 Specific Gravityof Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 3)

16 Stripping Value Test For Coarse Aggregate IS 6241

17 Water Absorption Of Coarse Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 3)

18 Aggregate Impact Value Of Soft Coarse Aggregate IS 5640

The Following tests are conducted on Fine Aggregate.

1 Bulking Of Sand For Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 3)

2 Estimation Of Deleterious Materials & Inorganic Impurities For Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 2)

3 Fineness Of Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 1)

4 Aggregate Moisture Content Of Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 3)

5 Materials Finer Than 75 Micron For Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 1)

6 Sieve Analysis Of Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 1)

7 Soundness Of Fine Aggregate By Magnesium Sulphate Solution IS 2386 (PART 5)

8 Soundness Of Fine Aggregate By Sodium Sulphate Solution IS 2386 (PART 5)

9 Specific Gravity of Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 3)

10 Unit Weight And Voids ( Bulk Density) Of Fine Aggregate IS 2386 (PART 3)

Chemical Test

The Following tests are conducted on Coarse Aggregate.

1 Chloride Of Coarse Aggregate IS:14959 (PART 2)

2 Ph Value Of Coarse Aggregate DOTD TR 122- 11

3 Sulphate Of Coarse Aggregate IS 4032

The Following tests are conducted on Fine Aggregate.

1 Chloride Of Coarse Aggregate IS:14959 (PART 2)

2 Ph Value Of Coarse Aggregate DOTD TR 122- 11

3 Sulphate Of Coarse Aggregate IS 4032

Bricks Testing

Bricks are categorized as the building blocks of any structure building. Thus, the quality of each and every brick needs to be good in order to avoid any serious damage in the building. A brick is a single unit made from Clay bearing soil, lime and sand or it may also be made up of concrete material. Bricks are named depending upon their composition.

1 Acid Resistance Test IS 4860

2 Compressive Strength Of Acid Resistant Bricks IS 4860

3 Flexural Strength Of Acid Resistant Bricks IS 4860

4 Resistance To Wear Of Acid Resistant Bricks IS 1237

5 Water Absorption Of Acid Resistant Bricks IS 4860

6 Compressive Strength For Burnt Clay/ Burnt Clay Fly Ash/ Heavy Duty Burnt Clay Building Bricks IS 3025-32

7 Efflorescence For Burnt Clay/ Burnt Clay Fly Ash/ Heavy Duty Burnt Clay Building Bricks IS 3495 (PART 3)

8 Water Absorption For Burnt Clay/ Burnt Clay Fly Ash/ Heavy Duty Burnt Clay Building Bricks IS 3495 (PART 2)

9 Dimensions Test And Tolerances For Burnt Clay/ Burnt Clay Fly Ash Building Bricks IS 1077

10 Compressive Strength For Burnt Clay/ Burnt Clay Fly Ash/ Heavy Duty Burnt Clay Building Bricks IS 2180

11 Dimensions Of Heavy Duty Bricks IS 2180

12 Dimensions Test And Tolerances For Pulverized Fuel Ash-Lime Bricks IS 12894

Tiles, Granite & Marble Testing

Tiles

Tiles are the construction materials or the manufactured pieces of materials like stone, ceramics, glass, or metals. Their major application is for covering the floors, roofs, walls, tabletops etc.

Tiles are categorized on the basis of the applied manufacturing process and their application.

Cement concrete Flooring tiles

1 Resistance to wear IS 1237

2 Water Absorption IS 1237

3 Wet Transverse Strength IS 1237

Ceramic Tiles

4 Crazing Resistance IS 13630 (PART 9)

5 Breaking Strength IS 13630 (PART 6)

6 Modulus Of Rupture IS 13630 (PART 6)

7 Resistance To Deep Abrasion IS 13630 (PART 12)

8 Scratch Hardness IS 13630 (PART 13)

9 Water Absorption IS 13630 (PART 2)

Ceramic Unglazed Vitreous Acid Resistance

10 Acid Resistance IS 4457

11 Modulus Of Rupture IS 4457

12 Resistance To Deep Abrasion IS 4457

13 Water Absorption IS 4457

Chequred Tiles

14 Resistance to wear IS 13801

15 Water Absorption IS 13801

16 Wet Transverse Strength IS 13801

Granite & Marble

Granite is an igneous rock, which means it was once molten and formed as it cooled deep within the earth. The minerals contained in granite usually appear as small flecks throughout the stone. Marble, on the other hand, was once limestone that changed due to intense heat and pressure.

The following tests are conducted on Granite & Marble:

1 Water Absorption Test IS 1124, IS 13030

2 Hardness Test IS 13630 (PART-13)

3 Modulus Rapture Test IS 1578 (PART-5)

4 Dimension Testing IS 1130, IS 3316

5 Thermal Shock Test IS 13630 (Part-5)

6 Breaking Strength IS 13630 (PART 6)

7 Chemical Resistance Test

Lime, Fly ash, Silica fume, Micro silica & GGBS

Lime

Lime in which the constituents like silica, alumina and iron oxide are present as calcium compounds capable of reacting with water and giving rise to strength giving compounds.

A lime whose chemical and physical characteristic and method of processing make it suitable for construction purpose, also known as construction lime and Building lime Lime obtained by hydrating Class A, B and E lime, and containing all the hydraulic components that is lime combined with silica, alumina and iron as hydroxide is known as Hydrated Hydraulic lime.

A dry powder obtains by treating quick lime with water enough to satisfy its chemical affinity for water under the condition of its hydration is known as Hydrated lime.

The following tests are conducted on Lime:

1 Ball test for building lime IS 1624

2 Determination of compressive strength of building lime IS 6932 (part- 7)

3 Determination of fineness of hydrated lime IS 6932 (part- 4)

4 Determination of hydrochloric acid IS 1624

5 Impurity test for building lime IS 1624

6 Plasticity test on blotting paper for building lime IS 1624

7 Determination of popping and pitting of building lime IS 6932 (part- 10)

8 Determination of final setting time of building lime IS 6932 (part- 11)

9 Determination of initial setting time of building lime IS 6932 (part- 11)

10 Determination of soundness of building lime IS 6932 (part- 9)

11 Visual examination test IS 1624

12 Workability test for building lime IS 1624

Fly Ash

A finely divided residue that result from the combustion of ground or pulverized or crushed or lignite fired boiler by any suitable process, such as by cyclone separation or electrostatic precipitation, bottom ash from the boilers shall not be added to the fly ash. Fly ash collected at later stages of electrostatics precipitator is finer than the fly ash collected at initial stages of electrostatics precipitator.



The following tests are conducted on Fly ash:

1 Compressive Strength Of Fly Ash IS 1727 (CLAUSE 10)

2 Consistency Of Fly Ash IS 4031 (PART 4)

3 Drying Shrinkage Of Fly Ash IS 1727 (CLAUSE 12)

4 Fineness By Sieving Of Fly Ash IS 1727

5 Initial And Final Setting Time Of Fly Ash IS 4031(PART5)

6 Moisture Content Of Fly Ash IS 1727

7 Soundness (Autoclave Method) Of Fly Ash IS 4031 (PART3)

8 Soundness (Le-Chatelier Method) Of Fly Ash IS 4031 (PART 3)

9 Specific Gravity Time Of Fly Ash IS 1727 (CLAUSE 7.1)

10 Fineness By Blaine Air Permeability Apparatus Of Fly Ash IS 1727 (CLAUSE 7.1)

11 Particles Retained On 45 Micron Is Sieve Test For Fly Ash IS 1727 (CLAUSE 6.2.5)

Chemical Tests

1 Sodium Oxide (Na2o) IS 3812 (PART -2)

2 Alumina IS 1727 (CLAUSE 5.8)

3 Calcium Oxide IS 1727

4 Ferric Oxide IS 1727 (CLAUSE 5.6)

5 Loss On Ignition IS 1727 (CLAUSE 5.3)

6 Magnesium Oxide IS 1727 (CLAUSE 5.9)

7 Silicon Dioxide (Sio2)/ Silica IS 3812 (PART -1)

8 Sulphuric Anhydride IS 1727 (CLAUSE 5.10)

9 Chloride IS 1727

Silica Fume

Very fine pozzolanic materials, composed mostly of amorphous silica produced by electric are furnaces as a byproduct of the production of elemental silicon or Ferro-silicon alloys.

Silica fume shall confirm the requirement as per IS 15388.

1 Compressive Strength Of Silica Fume IS 1727

2 Oversize Retained On 45 Micron Is Sieve Of Silica Fume IS 1727

3 Specific Gravity Of Silica Fume IS 1727

4 Potassium Oxide Of Silica Fume IS 4032

5 Sodium Oxide Of Silica Fume IS 4032

6 Loss On Ignition Of Silica Fume IS 1727

7 Moisture Content Of Silica Fume IS 15388

8 Silica Content Of Silica Fume IS 1727

GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag)

Blast furnace slag is a non-metallic product consisting essentially of glass containing silicates and alumino-silicates of lime and other bases, which is developed simultaneously with iron in blast furnace. Granulated blast furnace slag is obtained by further processing the molten slag by rapidly chilling or quenching with water or steam.

GGBS shall comply with the requirement as per IS 16714.


1 Fineness By Blain Air Permeability IS 4031 (PART-2)

2 Slag Activity Index IS 16714

1 Acidity of water IS 3025 Part-22

2 Alkalinity of Water IS 3025 Part-23

3 Alumina Of GGBS IS 4032

4 Calcium Oxide Of GGBS IS 4032

5 Chloride Of GGBS IS 4032

6 Insoluble Residue Of GGBS IS 4032

7 Magnesia Oxide Of GGBS IS 4032

8 Magnesia Of GGBS IS 4032

9 Moisture Content Of GGBS IS 16714

10 Silica Of GGBS IS 4032

11 Sulphuric Sulphur Of GGBS IS 4032

12 Sulphuric Anhydride Of GGBS IS 4032

Admixture Testing

A material other than water, aggregates, and hydraulic cement and additives like pozzolana or slag and fiber reinforcement used as an ingredient of concrete or mortar and added to the batch immediately before or during its mixing to modify one or more of the properties of concrete in the plastic or hardened state.

Admixture shall comply with the requirement as per IS 9103.

1 Ash Content Of Admixture Is:9103 (annex: e-2)

2 Chloride Ion Content Of Admixture Is 6925

3 Dry Material Content Of Admixture Is:9103 (annex: e-1)

4 Ph Value Of Admixture Is:9103 (annex: e-1)

5 Relative Density/ Specific Gravity Of Admixture Is:9103 (annex: e-3)

Paint & Coating Test

Paint

A pigmented material, which when applied in a liquid form to, a surface, forms after a time a dry adherent film.

The following main types are recognized


Coating

A liquid, liquefiable for mastic composition, that is converted to a solid protective, decorative or functional adherent film after application as a thin layer.

The following tests are conducted on Paint & Coating

1 Abrasion Resistance Test IS 101 (PART-5, SEC-2)

2 Alkali Resistance Of Paint IS 427, IS 428

3 Chemical Resistance Test IS 13630 (PART-8)

4 Coating Hardness Test IS 101 (PART-5)

5 Coating Thickness Test IS 6745

6 Condensing Humidity Test: IS: 101 (P-6)

7 Drying Time Test: IS: 101 (P-3)

8 Falling Weight Test: IS 3025 Part-23

9 Flexibility Test: IS 3025 Part-32

10 Free Falling Sand Abrasion Test: ASTM D968

11 Hardness Test ASTM D3363 / ASTM D1474

12 Penetration Resistance Test IS 3025 Part-32

13 Scratch Resistance Test ISO 1518

14 Water Resistance Test IS 101(P-7)

Autoclave Aerated Concrete Blocks (AAC Block)

Autoclaved aerated concrete blocks are used for both load bearing and non load bearing internal walls or as backing to brick masonry and panel walls, inner leaf of cavity walls or as panel walls in steel or reinforced concrete frame construction when protected from weather by rendering or by some other efficient treatment.

1 Compressive strength test IS 6441 (Part-5)

2 Density test IS 6441 (Part-1)

3 Dimension test IS 6441 (Part-1)

4 Moisture content test IS 6441 (Part-1)

5 Drying shrinkage test IS 6441 (Part-1)

Paver Block Testing

Recommended grades of paver blocks to be used for construction of pavements having different traffic categories are given in Table 1 of IS 15658. Since zero slump concrete is used in production of paver blocks, the quality of blocks produced will depend upon various parameters like the capacity of compaction and vibration of machine, grade of cement used, water content, quality of aggregates used, their gradation and mix design adopted, additives used, handling equipment employed, curing methods adopted, level of supervision, workmanship and quality control achieved, etc.

Paver Block shall comply with the requirement as per IS 15658.

1 Compressive strength test IS 15658

2 Abrasion Resistance IS 15658

3 Flexural Strength IS 15658

4 Tensile Splitting Strength IS 15658

5 Water Absorption IS 15658

6 Dimensions & Visual Inspection IS 15658

7 Thickness of wearing layer IS 15658

Foam Cellular Block

Cellular Concrete - The cellular concrete referred here is concrete which contains stable air or gas cells uniformly distributed in the mix. It is a product consisting of Portland cement, silica, po zzolana or pastes containing blends of these ingredients and having homogeneous void or cell structure, attained with preformed stable foam. The air cells are usually added at the mixer as stable preformed foam metered from a calibrated nozzle and thoroughly blended into the mix. In preformed foam cellular concrete the density control is achieved by substituting macroscopic air cells for all or part of the fine aggregate. Normal weight coarse aggregate is usually not used.

1 Compressive strength test IS 2185 (Part-4)

2 Block Density IS 2185 (Part-4)

3 Dimension And Tolerances IS 2185 (Part-4)

4 Water Absorption IS 2185 (Part-4)

5 Drying Shrinkage IS 2185 (Part-4)

6 Thermal Conductivity IS 2185 (Part-4)