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    Flexural Strength of Concrete

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    vikas
    Flexural strength is a measure of how much stress a concrete beam or slab can withstand before cracking or failing in bending. It is determined by loading concrete beams and measuring the modulus of rupture. Flexural strength is typically 10-20% of compressive strength. While flexural strength testing is useful for design and mix development, it is too sensitive to testing variations to reliably accept or reject concrete in the field. Due to the difficulties in specimen handling and curing on job sites, compressive strength testing of concrete cylinders is preferred for field control and acceptance.

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    Flexural Strength of Concrete

    Uploaded by

    vikas
    814 views3 pages
    Flexural strength is a measure of how much stress a concrete beam or slab can withstand before cracking or failing in bending. It is determined by loading concrete beams and measuring the modulus of rupture. Flexural strength is typically 10-20% of compressive strength. While flexural strength testing is useful for design and mix development, it is too sensitive to testing variations to reliably accept or reject concrete in the field. Due to the difficulties in specimen handling and curing on job sites, compressive strength testing of concrete cylinders is preferred for field control and acceptance.

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    Flexural strength is a measure of how much stress a concrete beam or slab can withstand before cracking or failing in bending. It is determined by loading concrete beams and measuring the modulus of rupture. Flexural strength is typically 10-20% of compressive strength. While flexural strength testing is useful for design and mix development, it is too sensitive to testing variations to reliably accept or reject concrete in the field. Due to the difficulties in specimen handling and curing on job sites, compressive strength testing of concrete cylinders is preferred for field control and acceptance.

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    814 views3 pages

    Flexural Strength of Concrete

    Uploaded by

    vikas
    Flexural strength is a measure of how much stress a concrete beam or slab can withstand before cracking or failing in bending. It is determined by loading concrete beams and measuring the modulus of rupture. Flexural strength is typically 10-20% of compressive strength. While flexural strength testing is useful for design and mix development, it is too sensitive to testing variations to reliably accept or reject concrete in the field. Due to the difficulties in specimen handling and curing on job sites, compressive strength testing of concrete cylinders is preferred for field control and acceptance.

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    of 3

    CIP #16 - Flexural Strength of Concrete

    WH AT is Flexural Strength?

    Flexural strength is one measure of the tensile


    strength of concrete. It is a measure of an
    unreinforced concrete beam or slab to resist
    failure in bending. It is measured by loading 6 x
    6-inch (150 x 150 mm) concrete beams with a
    span length of at least three times the depth. The
    flexural strength is expressed as Modulus of
    Rupture (MR) in psi (MPa) and is determined
    by standard test methods ASTM C 78 (third-point
    loading) or ASTM C 293 (center-point loading).

    Flexural MR is about 10 to 20 percent of


    compressive strength depending on the type,
    size and volume of coarse aggregate used.
    However, the best correlation for specific
    materials is obtained by laboratory tests for given
    materials and mix design. The MR determined by third-point loading is lower than the MR determined
    by center-point loading, sometimes by as much as 15%.

    WHY Test Flexural Strength?


    Designers of pavements use a theory based on flexural strength. Therefore, laboratory mix design
    based on flexural strength tests may be required, or a cementitious material content may be selected
    from past experience to obtain the needed design MR. Some also use MR for field control and
    acceptance of pavements. Very few use flexural testing for structural concrete. Agencies not using
    flexural strength for field control generally find the use of compressive strength convenient and reliable
    to judge the quality of the concrete as delivered.

    HOW to Use Flexural Strength?


    Beam specimens must be properly made in the field. Pavement concrete mixtures are stiff ( to 2inch slump). Consolidate by vibration in accordance with ASTM C 31 and tap sides to release air
    pockets. For higher slump, after rodding, tap the molds to release air pockets and spade along the
    sides to consolidate. Never allow the beam surfaces to dry at any time. Immerse in saturated
    limewater for at least 20 hours before testing.

    Specifications and investigation of apparent low strengths should take into account the higher
    variability of flexural strength results. Standard deviation for concrete flexural strengths up to 800 psi
    (5.5 MPa) for projects with good control range from about 40 to 80 psi (0.3 to 0.6 MPa). Standard
    deviation values over 100 psi (0.7 MPa) may indicate testing problems. There is a high likelihood that
    testing problems, or moisture differences within a beam caused from premature drying, will cause low
    strength.
    Where a correlation between flexural and compressive strength has been established in the
    laboratory, core strengths by ASTM C 42 can be used for compressive strength to check against the
    desired value using the ACI 318 criteria of 85% of specified strength for the average of three cores. It
    is impractical to saw beams from a slab for flexural testing. Sawing beams will greatly reduce
    measured flexural strength and should not be done. In some instances, splitting tensile strength of
    cores by ASTM C 496 is used, but experience is limited on how to apply the data.
    Another procedure for in-place strength investigation uses compressive strength of cores calibrated
    by comparison with acceptable placements in proximity to the concrete in question:
    Method to Troubleshoot
    Flexural Strength
    Using Compressive
    Strength of Cores
    Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 3
    MR,
    psi

    730 688
    (OK) (?)

    731
    (OK)

    Core,
    psi

    4492 4681 4370

    Estimate Flexural Strength


    of Lot 2:
    4681 x [(730+731) /
    (4492+4370)] = 771 psi (OK)

    WHAT are the Problems with Flexure?


    Flexural tests are extremely sensitive to specimen preparation, handling, and curing procedure.
    Beams are very heavy and can be damaged when handled and transported from the jobsite to the
    lab. Allowing a beam to dry will yield lower strengths. Beams must be cured in a standard manner,
    and tested while wet. Meeting all these requirements on a jobsite is extremely difficult, often resulting
    in unreliable and generally low MR values. A short period of drying can produce a sharp drop in
    flexural strength.
    Many state highway agencies have used flexural strength, but are now changing to compressive
    strength or maturity concepts for job control and quality assurance of concrete paving. The data point
    to a need for a review of current testing procedures. They also suggest that, while the flexural strength
    test is a useful tool in research and in laboratory evaluation of concrete ingredients and proportions, it
    is too sensitive to testing variations to be usable as a basis for the acceptance or rejection of concrete
    in the field (Reference 3).
    NRMCA and the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) have a policy that compressive
    strength testing is the preferred method of concrete acceptance and that certified technicians should
    conduct the testing. ACI Committees 325 and 330 on concrete pavement construction and design and

    the Portland Cement Association (PCA) point to the use of compressive strength tests as more
    convenient and reliable.
    The concrete industry and inspection and testing agencies are much more familiar with traditional
    cylinder compression tests for control and acceptance of concrete. Flexure can be used for design
    purposes, but the corresponding compressive strength should be used to order and accept the
    concrete. Any time trial batches are made, both flexural and compressive tests should be made so
    that a correlation can be developed for field control.

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