According to IS 2185(Part 1): 2005 (reaffirmed in 2020)
• Physical Requirements of specimen
a. General
All units shall be sound and free of cracks or other defects which
interfere with the proper placing of the unit or impair the strength
or performance of the construction. Minor chiping resulting from
the customery methods of handling during delivery, shall not be
deemed grounds for rejection.
b. Dimensions
Overall dimensions shall be measured with a steel scale graduated
in 1 mm divisions.
151mm
101.5mm
45mm
17.5mm 262mm
Twenty full size units shall be measured for length, width and
height.
Length shall be measured on the longitudinal centre line of each
face, width across the top and bottom bearingsurfaces at
midlength, and height on both faces at midlength.
20mm
50mm
c.Block density
Three blocks taken at random from the samples selected in
accordance , shall be dried to constant mass in a suitable oven
heated to approximately 100’C. After cooling the blocks to room
temperature, the dimensions of each block shall be measured in
centimetres (to the nearest millimetre) and the overall volume
computed in cubic centimetres.
The block shall then be weighed in kilograms (to the nearest
10 g) and the density of each block calculated as follows :
The average for the-three blocks shall be taken as the average
density.
BLOCKS VOLUME MASS IN DENSITY
IN CM^3 KG IN KG/M^3
BLOCK 1 3947.68 8.1 2051.83
BLOCK 2 3844.75 7.9 2054.74
BLOCK 3 3883.75 8.02 2065.01
So the Average density of the three is 2057.19 kg/m^3.
d. Compressive strength
The testing machine shall be equipped with two steel bearing
blocks one of which is a spherically seated block that will transmit
load to the upper surface of the masonry specimen, and the other a
plane rigid block on which the specimen will rest. When the
bearing area of the steel blocks is not sufficient to cover the
bearing area of the masonry specimen, steel bearing
plates meeting the requirements shall be placed between the
bearing blocks and the capped specimen after the centroid of the
masonry bearing surface has been aligned with the centre of thrust
of the bearing blocks.
For the purpose of acceptance, age of the testing the specimens
shall be 28 days. The age shall be reckoned from the time of the
addition of water to the dry ingredients.
Procedure:
i)Positioning of Specimens
Specimens shall be tested with the centroid of their bearing
surfaces aligned vertically with the centre of thrust of the
spherically seated block of the testing machine. Except for special
units intended for use with their cores in a horizontal direction, all
hollow concrete masonry units shall be tested with their cores in a
vertical direction. Masonry units that are hundred percent solid
and special hollow units intended for use with their hollow cores
in a horizontal direction may be tested in the same direction as in
service.
ii) Speed of testing
The load up to one-half of the expected maximum load may be
applied at any convenient rate, after which the control of the
machine shall be adjusted as required to give a uniform rate of
travel of the moving head such that the remaining load is applied
in not less than one nor more than two minutes.
iii) Calculation and Report
The compressive strength of a concrete masonry unit shall be
taken as the maximum load, in Newtons, divided by the gross
cross-sectional area of the unit, in square milIimetres. The gross
area of a unit is the total area of a section perpendicular to the
direction of the load, including areas within cells and within re-
entrant spaces unless these spaces are to be occupied in the
masonry by portions of adjacent masonry.
BLOCK DENSITY IN KG/M^3 28 DAYS COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH IN N/MM^2
BLOCK 1 2051.83 19.02
BLOCK 2 2054.74 18.3
BLOCK 3 2065.01 21
Average compressive strength of blocks is 19.44 N/mm^2.
And according to IS 2185 (part 1):2005( reaffirmed in 2020) :
Our requirement is satisfied.
e.Water absorption
i) Procedure:
Saturation
The test specimens shall be completely immersed in water at room
-temperature for 24 h. The specimens shall then be weighed, while
suspended by a metal wire and completely submerged in water.
They shall be removed from the water and allowed to drain for
one minute by placing them on a 10 mm or coarser wire mesh,
visible surface water being removed with a damp
cloth and immediately weighed.
Drying
Subsequent to saturation, all specimens shall be dried in a
ventilated oven at 100”C to 115°C for not less than 24 h and until
two successive weighings at intervals of 2 h show an increment of
loss not greater than 0.2 percent of the last previously determined
mass of the specimen.
ii) Water Absorption
BLOCKS WET MASS IN DRY MASS IN WATER
KG KG ABSORPTION
IN %
BLOCK 4 8.417 8.09 4.05
BLOCK 5 8.19 7.8 5
BLOCK 6 8.01 7.66 4.6
Average water Absorption in percent comes out to be 4.55%.
