Check Quality of Material at Site

Overview

In order to ensure the quality standard of the project, the quality of the construction material is the most important. Quality material makes a sustainable and cost-effective product. As a site engineer, you should have these basic ideas regarding the quality of construction material. Here we are going to discuss the quality check that a site engineer needs to perform on site for cement, sand, aggregate, rebars, and bricks. Let's discuss them point-wise.

Cement

Cement is one of the fundamental construction materials on site that is used as a binding entity. We will discuss the proper way of storing cement in our next blog. Let's see how we can evaluate the quality of the cement being used on site.

Date of Manufacturing

The first thing we need to look at is its manufacturing date. The effective period for cement is 90 days after the manufacturing process. So look at the manufacture date. After 3 months of manufacture, the strength reduction becomes significant. So it's best to use cement within 3 months of its manufacture date.

Floating Test

Take a bucket of water and a handful of cement. Release gently on water; the quality cement will initially float on water and then start sinking, whereas the impure cement will sink instantly.

Visual Inspection

Quality cement is fine and smooth, with a uniform gray color. If you find lumps on the opening of the cement bag, it indicates the moisture content. You should avoid the use of such cement.

 

Sand

Sand is the next fundamental raw material used on construction sites. Quality sand enhances durability by limiting permeability in reinforced cement concrete (RCC) structures. Let's see how to check sand quality on site.

Rubbing by hands

Take a handful of sample sand and rub it between the wet palms. Quality sand will not stick to your hands, while sand with clay changes the color of your hands and will stick to your palms.

Silt Content Test

For this, take a cup of pure water and add a handful of sand to it. Stir well and leave it for a few hours. Quality sand settles immediately, with a distinct layer of silt on top. Now the thickness of silt should not exceed about 8% of the thickness of sand. If the silt layer is excessive, the sand should be washed before use.

Visual Inspection

Quality sand should be free from organic impurities, clay, debris, etc. It has uniform coloration and texture.

 

Aggregate

Aggregate is another basic raw material in the RCC structure. It constitutes about 70–80% of the concrete volume. Let's see how to find its quality by visual inspection.

Visual Inspection

The coarse or angular aggregate gives better interlocking than the rounded aggregate. Also, the size of the aggregate being used should be uniform. Generally, aggregate with a size of 20 mm or less is commonly used. Angular aggregate is desirable, and the flaky aggregate content should be minimal.

 

Rebars

For rebar, you have to check the manufacturer's certificate or tag on the bundle to see if it's as per the required specification. Also, significant rust on rebar is undesirable.

 

Bricks

Brick is one of the fundamental raw materials that is generally used for partitioning or wall purposes. Let's see how to check brick quality on site.

Metallic Sound

When you strike two bricks, the quality brick produces a metallic clink sound.

Drop Test

When you drop a brick from a height of 1 meter, it should not break.

Water Absorption Test

As per IS Code 3495, a water absorption test of brick is performed following the following the following procedure.

• Take five random bricks from a lot.
• Take the weight (M1).
• Dip the sample in water for 24 hours, remove the sample, and take the weight (M2).
• Calculate the water absorption percentage (WP).

WP=100*(M2-M1)/M1

Interpretation of the result

Case 1: If the WP is less than 15%, it's a first-class brick.

Case 2: If the WP is greater than 15% and less than 20%, then it's a second-class brick.

Visual Inspection

A well-burnt brick with a uniform color is a good-quality brick. The shape and size of the brick should be uniform.

 

Others

For specific results, a different lab test of the sample is preferable.