Construction Materials Testing Laboratory

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Tests Required In The Construction Laboratory in Saudi Arabia

These Tests are according to MOT Specification Nov-1998(KSA)
* for the clearance please check the MOT Specification Nov-1998(KSA)

Earth Works:

Embankment and Sub-Grade:
Classification - MRDTM 210 (All Required Tests)
Proctor - MRDTM 212 or MRDTM 214 if appropriate
California Bearing Ration (CBR) - MRDTM 213

Quality assurance:

Maximum Density
Optimum Moisture
Moisture Content Range
Field Density
Moisture Content
Plate Load Test(Optional)

Rock Fill Embankment:

Maximum particle size 2/3 loose layer thickness
Passing 0.6 mm (No. 30 Sieve) 25% maximum
Uniformity coefficient, Cu 5 minimum
Cu = D60/D10
where,
D60 = the particle size at which 60% passes
D10 = the particle size at which 1 0% passes

Maximum Thickness of Layer Minimum Roller Mass on Drum
(Loose Measurement) (kilogram/unit width,)
Centimeters
40 2300-2900
60 2900-3600
80 3600-4300
100 4300-5000
** For multiple roller, this shall be assessed on the high axle load.
*** Required settlement 1% maximum.

Aggregate Sub-base and Base Courses:

Aggregate Sub-base:

Aggregate Sub-bases Gradation Requirements

Sieve Size Grading - I Grading -II

62.5 mm (2 inch) 100 -
50 mm (2 inch) 90-100 100
37.5 mm (11/2 inch) - 90-100
25 mm (1 inch) - 55-85
19 mm (3/4 inch) - 50-80
9.5 mm ( inch) - 40-70
4.75 mm (No. 4) 35-70 30-60
2.54 mm (No. 10) - 20-50
0.425 mm (No. 40) - 10-30
0.075 mm (No. 200) 0-15 0-15

Quality Requirements

Sand Equivalent (MRDTM 313) 25 Min.
Plasticity Index (MRDTM 208) 6 Max.
Abrasion Loss (MRDTM 309) 50 Max.
California Bearing Ratio (CBR)(MRDTM 213) 50 Min.

Job Mix Formula Tolerances

9.75 mm (3/8") and larger sieves, 11 percentage points
4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve, 10 percentage points
2.36 mm (No. 8) sieve, 9 percentage points
0.300 mm (No. 50) sieve, 8 percentage points
0.075 mm (No. 200) sieve, 8 percentage points

Quality Assurance

Compaction
Thickness
Aggregate Gradation
Sand Equivalent
Plastic Limit
California Beating Ratio and Abrasion
Surface Tolerances

Aggregate Bases:

Aggregate Bases Grading Requirements

SIEVE SIZES PERCENTAGE PASSING
Grading I Grading II Grading III
50 mm (2 inch) 100 - -
37.5 mm (11/2 inch) - 100 -
25 mm (1 inch) 55-85 70-95 100
19 mm ( inch) 50-80 55-85 70-100
4.75 mm (No. 4) 30-60 30-60 35-65
0.425 mm (No. 40) 10-25 10-25 15-25
0.075 mm (No. 200) 3-10 3-10 3-10
*The fraction passing the No. 200 sieve shall not exceed the fraction passing the 0.425 mm (No. 40) sieve.

Quality requirements

Sodium Sulphate Soundness (MRDTM 311), & Loss 12 Max.
Abrasion Loss (MRDTM 309) 45 Max.
Sand Equivalent (MRDTM 313) 45 Min.
Liquid Limit (MRDTM 209) 25 Max.
Plasticity Index (MRDTM 208) 6 Max.
California Bearing Ratio (MRDTM 213) Grading I 100 Min.
California Bearing Ratio (MRDTM 213) Grading II 80 Min.
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) (MRDTM 213) Grading III 65 Min

Job Mix Formula Tolerances

9.75 mm (3/8") and larger sieves, 9 percentage points
4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve, 8 percentage points
2.36 mm (No. 8) sieve, 7 percentage points
0.300 mm (No. 50 sieve, 6 percentage points
0.075 mm (No. 200) sieve, 4 percentage points

Quality Assurance

Compaction
Thickness
Aggregate Gradation
Sand Equivalent
Plastic Limit
California Beating Ratio and Abrasion
Surface Tolerances

Bituminous Construction:

Bituminous Coating:
Application Rate:

Prime coat. The approved application rate shall be determined from test sections
constructed using specified materials within the range 0.50 to 1.75 liters per square
meter.
Tack coat. The approved application rate shall be within the range 0.10 to 0.30
liters per square meter for RC-70 and 0.20 to 0.50 liters per square meter, prior to
dilution with additional water, for SS-1h and CSS-1h emulsified bituminous material.
Fog Seal. The approved undiluted application rate shall be determined from test
sections constructed using specified materials with the range of 0.30 to 0.70 liters per
square meter depending on the conditions of the existing surface.

Temperature Requirements:

MC-70, RC-70 - 50 to 80 degrees Celsius
MC-250 - 75 to 100 degrees Celsius
SS-1h, CSS-1h - 20 to 70 degrees Celsius
SS-1, SS-1h - 20 to 70 degrees Celsius

Test Sections and Selection of Application Rates:
A test section shall be at least three (3) meters wide by one hundred (100) meters long. Two (2) or more test sections shall be constructed for each grade of bituminous material specified for use or used and every type of material to be prime coated.

**Ministry of Transport Saudi Arabia Prefer the SUPER PAVE Hot Mix asphalt Method
ESAL and Traffic Designation
Class Designation ESALs Range Applications
VL(Very Light) Less than 300,000 Agriculture roads with light traffic, . local and city streets without trucks
L (Light) 300,000 to 3 million Agriculture roads, feeder and collector Roads
M(Meduim) 3 million to 10 million Main Roads And City Streets
H(Heavy) 10 million to 30 million Highways and Expressway
VH(Very heavy) More than 30 million Heavily Traffic Highways, Industrial Areas

Super Pave Standard NMS Mixers

Nominal Maximum Size (NMS) Maximum Size (MS)

37.5 mm 50.0 mm

25.0 mm 37.5 mm

19.0 mm 25.0 mm

12.5 mm 19.0 mm

9.5 mm 12.5 mm

4.75 mm 9.5 mm

Recommended NMS for Different Layer Types

Layer Recommended NMS

Sand Mix 4.75 mm

Wearing Course 9.5 or 12.5 or 19.0 mm

Base Course 25.0 or 37.5 mm

Super Pave Criteria for Hot Mix Asphalt

1 Asphalt Binder Grade (AASHTO – M320)

Asphalt Binder Grade

a) RTFO – Rolling thin film oven

b) RV – Rotational Viscosity

c) DSR – Dynamic Shear Rheometer

d) PAV – Pressure Aging Vessel

e) BBR – Bending Beam Rheometer

2 Consensus Properties Requirements.

Aggregate Properties

a) Gradation (Select Three Blends)

b) Coarse Aggregate Angularity(CAA) - ASTM D5821

c) Fine Aggregate Angularity(FAA) - AASHTO T304

d) Flat & Elongated Particles (F&E) - ASTM D4791

e) Clay Content (SE) - AASHTO T176

f) Toughness - AASHTO T 96

g) Soundness – AASHTO T 112

3 Super pave Gyratory Compactive Effort(SGCE), Number of Gyrations for N_ini, N_des & N_max

4 %GMM at N_ini, N_des & N_max

5 %VMA:

6 %VFA:

Dust Proportion (DP Ratio):

Moisture Sensitivity and Strength:

Concrete:

Concrete Classes:

Fine Aggregate :

Fineness Modulus, AASHTO M 6 2.3 to 3.1

Sodium Sulfate Soundness,MRDTM 311, 5 cycles, Percent Loss 10% Maximum

Clay lumps and Friable Particles MRDTM 312, 1% Maximum

Organic Impurities, MRDTM 315 Lighter than standard

Sand Equivalent, MRDTM 313 75 Minimum

Potential Cement-Aggregate Reactivity, Innocuous

ASTM C 289, as supplemented by ASTM C 227

Fine Aggregate Gradation:

Sieve Size Percent Passing by Weight

9.5 mm (3/8 inch) 100

4.75 mm (No. 4) 95-100

1.18 mm (No. 16) 45-80

0.300 mm (No. 50) 10-30

0.150 mm (No. 100) 2-10

0.075 mm (No. 200) 0-4

Coarse Aggregate:

Sodium Sulfate soundness,MRDTM 311, 5 cycles, Percent Loss 12% Maximum

Clay Lumps and Friable Particles AASHTO T 12 1% Maximum

Soft Fragments and Shale, AASHTO M 80 5% Maximum

Flakiness Index MRDTM 423 15

Potential Cement Aggregate Reactivity,

ASTM C 289, as supplemented by ASTM 227 Innocuous

Coarse Aggregate Gradation:

Size A Size B Size C Size D

Sieve Size Aggregate Aggregate Aggregate Aggregate

50 mm 62.5 mm 25 mm 19 mm

62.5 mm (21/2 inch) - - - 100 - - - - - -

50 mm (2 inch) 100 95-100 - - - - - -

37.5 mm (11/2 inch) 95-100 - - - - - - - - -

25 mm (1 inch) - - - 35-70 100 - - -

19 mm (3/4 inch) 35-70 - - - 95-100 100

12.5 mm (½ inch) - - - 10-30 - - - 90-100

9.5 mm (3/8 inch) 10-30 - - - 20-55 40-70

4.75 mm (No. 4) 0- 5 0-5 0-10 0-15

2.36 mm (No. 8) - - - - - - 0-5 0-5

0.075 mm (No. 200) 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1

Combined Aggregate:

Material passing the 200 sieve by weight 3% Maximum

Water-soluble Chlorides, MRDTM 319 0.04% Maximum

Water-soluble Sulfates, MRDTM 318:

Pre-stressed concrete 0.5% Maximum

Reinforced concrete 1.0% Maximum

Non-reinforced concrete 2.0%

Reinforced concrete in humid environment and exposed to chloride 0.10%

Reinforced concrete in humid environment but not exposed to chloride 0.15%

Prestressed concrete 0.06%

Potential Reactivity Tests.

- Gel Pat Test (National Building Studies, Research Paper No. 14).

- ASTM Test C 289 - Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali-Silica reactivity of Aggregates (Chemical Method).

- ASTM Test C 227 - Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali-Silica reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar Bar Method).

Shrinkage Test.

Reactivity Test.

Petrographic examination and description, including approximate

composition, ASTM C295.

Water Tests:

Type of Work Chlorides Sulfates

(Parts per million)

Nonreinforced concrete 2000 1500

Conventionally reinforced 500 1000

Prestressed concrete 500 10000

Slump Test:

Type of Work Slump (mm)1,2

Concrete Pavement 25 - 50

Non-Reinforced Concrete Facilities 25 - 100

Reinforced Concrete Structures:

Sections over 30 cm thick 25 - 75

Sections 30 cm thick or less 25 - 100

Concrete placed under water 50 - 150

Cast-in-place concrete piles:

40 cm diameter or less 75 - 150

43 cm to 60 cm diameter 50 - 125

over 60 cm diameter 25 - 100

1Determined in accordance with MRDTM 516 and 517.

2Maximum slump is two hundred (200) mm if the approved mix design contains a high

range water reducer.

Compressive Strength of Concrete (MRDTM 528) at 7 and 28 days.

Air Content Test

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Laboratory Equipment Web Sites.

Laboratory Equipment web sites :

http://www.engineeringcollegeinstruments.com/construction-machine-lab-equipment.php


Email :	microteknik@gmail.com info@microteknik.com

http://www.ele.com/usa/

Email: david.schofield@eleint.co.uk

http://www.testinginstrumentsindia.com/

Phone: +(91)-8447574119 Fax: +(91)-(11)-23534863

http://www.humboldtmfg.com/

Humboldt Mfg. Co.
3801 North 25th Avenue
Schiller Park, IL 60176

phone

1.800.544.7220

1.708.456.6300 fax:1.708.456.0137

http://www.qualitylabtesting.com/highway-lab-equipments.html

Uninvention Testing Equipments Pvt. Ltd.

Phone: +(91)-8373902865

http://www.controls-group.com/eng/general-lab-testing-equipment/

Fax +39 02 92103333
E-Mail: controls@controls.it

http://www.globalgilson.com/

Call 800-444-1508 or e-mail international@gilsonco.com

http://www.matest.com/

Phone +39 035 2055011
Fax +39 035 2055055
info@matest.com - www.matest.com

http://www.troxlerlabs.com/products/lab_equipment.php

Phone: 1.877.TROXLER (1.877.876.9537)
Outside the USA – +1.919.549.8661
Fax: +1.919.549.0761

Monday, May 13, 2013

Building Construction

Building:
A roofed and walled structure built for permanent use, as for dwelling. building construction involves the art and business of assembling materials into structure.

Parts of a Building:

Sub-structure or Foundations
Super-structure.

Foundation: It is that part which is in direct contact with the ground and located below the ground level. It transmits all the loads from super-structure to the supporting soil. Hence, foundation is the most important part of the building.

Shallow Foundation: It is the depth of foundation is less than its width, also known as open foundation.

Type of Shallow foundations:

Grillage: It is provided for heavily loaded steel stanchions in soils of poor bearing capacity. The depth of foundation is generally limited to about 1.5 m.
Raft Foundation: It is shallow foundation which covers the entire area underneath the structure and supports the walls columns.

Footing: The structural unit constructed in masonry or concrete under the base of wall or a column which distributes the load over a large area is called the footing.

Strip Footing: It refer to a footing that provides a continuous longitudinal bearing.

Combined Footing: A footing that supports two columns is know as combined footing and if it supports more than two columns it is known as a continuous footing. When two footing are joined by a beam it is known as a strap footing.

Type of Deep Foundation:

Pile Foundation
Pier Foundations
Well Foundations or Caissons

Bearing Piles: The piles that transmit the load coming on to suitable bearing stratum are called end-bearing piles or simply bearing piles.

Friction Piles: The piles that transmit the load coming on it through the friction developed between piles, surface areas and the surrounding soil are called friction piles.

Compaction Piles: These piles do not take any of the load by themselves, but improve the bearing capacity of the surrounding soil through compaction.

Sheet Piles:These are used to reduce the seepage and uplift under hydraulic structure.

Batter Piles:These are used to resist large horizontal or inclined forces.

Cantilever Sheet Piles:These are used to resist large horizontal of coffer dams.

Bed: The lower face of brick or stone is called bed.

Masonry Structure: The construction works of stone, brick or tile, which are hardened by heat are known as masonry structure.

Stone Masonry : Quarried out building stone is given rough shape at the quarries itself and transported to the site of work.
Brick Masonry: The construction of brick units bonded together with the help of mortar is called brick masonry.

Flooring:

Timber Floors: These floors are seldom used. In cold storage's however, these are extensively used.

Cement Concrete Tile Floors: Cement concrete flooring tiles have good strength, durability and resistance to wear. these floors good looking and easy to make. The tiles used may be

Plain Cement Tiles
Plain Colored Tiles
Terrazzo Tiles

Brick Flooring: In warehouses stores and godowns brick floors are provided where bricks are laid flat or edge arranged in herringbone fashion or set at right angles to the walls.

Flag Stone Flooring: A sand stone with uniform thickness of 4 to 10 cm is called flag stone.

these stone slabs are used to provide flooring.

Some other varieties of flooring's:

Mud- floors
Linoleum floors
Mastic asphalt floor
Terrazzo flooring cast-in-situ
Rubber floor
Cork tile flooring

General:

Stairs: A stair is series of steps suitably arranged for purpose of connecting different floors for a building.
Tread: The horizontal part of a step on which foot is placed in ascending is known as tread.
Riser: The vertical portion of step providing a support to the tread is known a riser.
Quoin Stretcher and Quoin Header: If the length of quoin is parallel to the wall it is called a quoin stretcher and when it is perpendicular it is called quoin header
Basic: The surface of the wall exposed to weather is called face, which is not exposed called back.
Still: The bottom surface of door or a window opening is still.
Lintel: The horizontal member spanning the window or door opening in a wall and supporting the masonry above the opening is called a lintel.
Plinth: The horizontal projection at the base of the wall is called plinth.
Reveals: Jambs are vertical sides of a finished opening for the door or window, and exposed vertical surfaces left out after the door and window has been fixed in position are called reveals.
Corbel: A projected stone meant to support joist or truss is called corbel.
Cornice: A projection of ornamental course near the top of the wall or near the junction of wall and roof is called cornice.
Coping: The covering over and exposed top of a wall is known as coping.
Throating: The groove made on the underside a projecting element such as sill, cornice etc., so that rain water can be drained clear of the wall is known as throating.
Toothing: The bricks left projecting in alternate courses to provide bed for the future extension of the wall is called toothing.
Tee Junction and Squint Junction: A junction at which two walls meet at 90 degree is called a Tee-junction, and at an angle other than 90 degree it is called squint junction.
Crown and key: The highest point of arch is called crown and the voussoir at the crown is known as key.
Spandril: The curved triangular portion between the extrados and the horizontal line through the arch is called spandril.
Span: horizontal distance between supports is the span.
Haunch and Arcade: The lower half of the arch between the crown and the skewback is known as haunch. A continuous row of arches with intermediate supports as piers is called an arcade.
Riser: The vertical portion of the step between two successive treads is called the riser.
Flight: A continuous series of steps between landings is called the flight.
Landing: The level platform at the bottom or end of a flight is known as a landing, which facilitates change in the direction of stairs, breaks the monotony in straight stair and provides respite for the users.
Nosing: The rounded off projected part of the tread beyond the face of the riser is called nosing.
Scotia: It is moulding provided under the nosing to improve the elevation of the step and to provide strength to nosing.
Flier: An ordinary step rectangular in plan is called a flier.
Winders: A group of tapering steps radiating from same point are called winders.
Roof: It is the uppermost portion of the building. It gives protection to the building from sun, rain and wind. The roof may be flat or inclined. The roofs with inclined surfaces are also known as pitched roofs.
Head and Sill: In a door or window frame, the top horizontal member is called the head and the bottom one is called the sill.
Horns: The projections of head and sill beyond the outer vertical edge of the frame are called horns.
Style and Rails: In a shutter, the vertical outer member is called the style and the horizontal members are called rails.
Plastering: A thin coat of mortar applied to the wall surfaces called plastering.
Crazing: Development of hair cracks in an irregular pattern of a plastered surface is known as crazing.
Flaking: Patches of plaster not adhering to the previous coat is called the flaking.
Pointing: Ranking the joints in masonry to a depth of about 2 cms and filling them with rich mortar is known as pointing.
Ventilation: The removal of impure air from a building by replacing it with fresh air from outside is called ventilation.