MODULE 4

WEEK 6: EQUIPMENT USED IN CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE

1. Slump Cone: Concrete slump test or slump cone test is to determine the
workability or consistency of concrete mix prepared at the laboratory or the
construction site during the progress of the work. Concrete slump test is carried
out from batch to batch to check the uniform quality of concrete during
construction. The slump test is the most simple workability test for concrete,
involves low cost and provides immediate results. Due to this fact, it has been
widely used for workability tests since 1922. The slump is carried out as per
procedures mentioned in ASTM C143 in the United States, IS: 1199 – 1959 in
India and EN 12350-2 in Europe

2. Sieve Shakers (for Particle Size Analysis): Sieve analysis equipment is used to
characterize and classify granular materials like aggregates (sand, soils, coal, grains, and
many types of fine powders through a test called Sieve Analysis. Standard sieves that
meets the requirements of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and ISO
(International Organization for Standardization) are used in this analysis. The usual
process of conducting a sieve test to determine particle size distribution is to place a stack
of sieves on a device called a Sieve Shaker. A sample is loaded into the top sieve and the
 machine moves in vertical and horizontal directions. The test is completed when no
further material passes through the bottom sieve in the stack.

3. Weighing Balance (Electronic scale): These are used to measure the weights of
materials. (Example: weight of a soil sample)

4. Concrete Mixer: A concrete mixer is a machine that is used to mix homogeneously all
the concrete ingredients, i.e., cement, aggregate, sand, gravel, and water, in fixed
proportions to develop a good quality concrete. A standard concrete mixer adopts a
revolving drum for mixing the ingredients. This is one of the most important construction
tools and there are various types of concrete mixers available which makes concrete
production quick and economical.
Types of concrete mixers
 i. Batch mixers: Batch mixers are widely used machines for concrete mixing. Concrete
mix obtained by this mixer is collected batch by batch and time by time. So, it is
called as batch mixer. After pouring all the materials into pan or drum, it mixes all of
those for some time and finally discharges. This process is repeated until required
amount of concrete mix is obtained.
In general Batch mixers are two types:
 Drum Types Mixer

Tilting drum mixers Non-tilting drum mixer

 Pan Type Mixer

ii. Continuous mixers: Continuous mixer, the name itself telling its duty that the loading,
mixing and discharging of mix is continuously done until the work is complete or work
break occurs. The loading of materials is done continuously by screw feeders. Continuous
mixtures are used for very large projects such as dams, bridges, construction of high rise
buildings, etc.
5. Vibrating Poker: This is used as an internal means of vibratory compaction. Vibrating
poker is the most commonly used vibrator for concrete; usually applied to compact
concrete in beams, walls, columns, and slabs.

6. Concrete test moulds: Concrete moulds are made from either plastic or steel depending
on preference and standards. They are manufactured in accordance with dimensions and
tolerances stated in the standards. Commonly used concrete moulds are cube moulds,
cylindrical moulds and beam moulds.
Cube moulds are used to form specimens for concrete compressive strength testing. The
cubes have a dimension of 150x150x150 mm and 100x100x100 mm provided the largest
aggregate does not exceed 20 mm.
Concrete beam moulds are used for moulding concrete specimen for flexural strength
determination on concrete beams. Beam mould are of different dimensions depending on
the size of the beam to be tested (100x100x400 mm, 100x100x500 mm, 150x150x600
mm, 150x150x750 mm)
Fig: Concrete Cube Mould Fig: Concrete Beam Mould

7. Compression Testing Machine: The Compression Testing Machine is an apparatus that

is used to carry out mechanical test measuring the maximum amount of compressive load
a material can bear before fracturing. It establishes the compressive force or crush
resistance of a material and the ability of the material to recover after a specified
compressive force is applied and even held over a defined period of time by measuring
fundamental variables, such as, strain, stress, and deformation.

8. Asphalt Extractors: used for determining the quantitative amount of bitumen in

bituminous paving mixtures. It is a laboratory equipment used to carry out test on asphalt
to determine the asphalt binder content by extraction.
9. Marshall Stability Test Equipment: this is used by highway departments, contractors,
engineers, testing laboratories and other government agencies for accurate measurement
of stability and flow of bituminous mixtures. It measures the load and flow rate of asphalt
specimens, beginning with compaction into moulds using manual or automated Marshall
Compactors, and conditioned in a Water Bath at the specified temperature.

10. Laboratory Ovens: also referred to as laboratory furnaces, are also used for drying,
heating and testing environmental stresses, such as changes in temperature, light and
humidity. Construction materials test applications use laboratory ovens to dry materials at
controlled temperatures and to heat asphalt materials for handling and testing. It is
important to follow test protocol when heating aggregates, soils, and asphalt and avoid
high temperatures that may alter their properties.
11. Vacuum Pyknometer: This is used for determining the theoretical maximum specific
gravity of uncompacted bituminous paving mixtures. The Vacuum Pycnometer can also
be used for the calculation of the percent of air voids in compacted bituminous mixtures
and the amount of bitumen absorbed by the aggregates.

12. Travelling Beam Device used for checking for any irregularities in both concrete and
bituminous road surfaces. The unit consists essentially of a 3 metre long beam fixed on
two rigid wheels at the extremities. In the middle of the beam a sensing unit comprising a
wheel connected to an indicator provides a magnification of 4:1 and measures deviations
of the surface.
13. California bearing ratio (CBR) Test Equipment: The CBR test is one of the most
commonly used methods to evaluate the strength of a sub-grade soil, sub-base, and base
course material for design of thickness for highways and airfield pavement. The results
obtained by these tests are used with the empirical curves to determine the thickness of
pavement and its component layers. This is the most widely used method for the design
of flexible pavement.

14. Theodolites: Theodolite is a measurement instrument used by land surveyors and

engineers in surveying to determine horizontal and vertical angles with the tiny low
telescope that may move within the horizontal and vertical planes.
 Fig: Electronic Theodolite
15. Constant head apparatus: The constant head permeability test is a common laboratory
testing method used to determine the permeability of granular soils like sands and gravels
containing little or no silt. This testing method is made for testing reconstituted or
disturbed granular soil samples. The constant head permeability test involves flow of
water through a column of cylindrical soil sample under the constant pressure difference.
The test is carried out in the permeability cell, or permeameter, which can vary in size
depending on the grain size of the tested material.

16. Guelph Permeameter for obtaining accurate measurements of hydraulic conductivity, soil
absorptivity and soil matrix flux potential.