Assessing Concrete Strength in Structures – Core Testing

Worked Examples

Estimating in situ characteristic strength

Example 1

In situ characteristic strength is the lower of:

The eight cores detailed in the table were taken from a test region in a concrete
structure. Calculate the in situ characteristic strength.

Core number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Diameter, mm 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Length, mm 197 205 199 203 197 200 198 201
Compressive
12.0 13.5 12.5 13.0 11.5 14.5 13.0 13.5
strength, fc,is, MPa

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = mean value of 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 , MPa

Soils and Materials 3 – core testing

 (12.0 + 13.5 + 12.5 + 13.0 + 11.5 + 14.5 + 13.0 + 13.5)
𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = = 12.9 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
8

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 = 11.5 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

Standard deviation is the higher of:

∑(𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥̅ )2
sample standard deviation, s = �
(𝑛𝑛 − 1)

s=
(12.0−12.9)2 +(13.5−12.9)2+(12.5−12.9)2 +(13.0−12.9)2+(11.5−12.9)2 +(14.5−12.9)2+(13.0−12.9)2 +(13.5−12.9)2
� (8−1)
=

0.81+0.36+0.16+0.01+1.96+2.56+0.01+0.36
� = 0.94 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
7

OR

𝑠𝑠 = 0.08 ∗ 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = 0.08 ∗ 12.9 = 1.03 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

Therefore s=1.03 MPa.

In situ characteristic strength fck,is is the lower of:

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 − 𝑘𝑘𝑛𝑛 𝑠𝑠 where = 2.00

OR

𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 + 1

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 − 𝑘𝑘𝑛𝑛 𝑠𝑠 = 12.9 − 2 ∗ 1 = 10.9 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 + 1 = 11.5 + 1 = 12.5 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

Therefore fck,is =10.9 MPa.

Soils and Materials 3 – core testing

Example 2

The table contains the data from three cores taken from a small test region. Estimate
the in situ characteristic strength.

Core number 1 2 3
Diameter, mm 100 100 100
Length, mm 102 103 97
Compressive strength, fc,1:1core,
22.5 25.5 23.0
MPa

In this case the cores are 1:1 length:diameter cores and the strength values first need to
be converted to the equivalent value for a 2:1 core using the core length factor (CLF)
=0.82.

So:

22.5 * 0.82 = 18.45 MPa

25.5 * 0.82 = 20.91 MPa

23.0 * 0.82 = 18.86 MPa

For a small test region, as long as the spread of values is less than 15%, the smallest
value is taken as the in situ characteristic strength, i.e.

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 = 18.5 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

Soils and Materials 3 – core testing

Assessing compliance with specified strength grade

Table 8 of BS EN 13791, copied below, details the numbers of cores and the
hypotheses to be tested to determine compliance with a specified strength grade.

Example 3

The four cores in the table were taken from a test region consisting of one 30 m3
volume of concrete. Determine whether the concrete in the test region complies with a
specified strength class of C50/60.

Core number 1 2 3 4
Diameter, mm 100 100 100 100
Length, mm 197 205 199 203
Compressive strength, fc, is,
44.5 46.0 48.5 50.5
MPa

The cores in the table are nominally 2:1 cores. Therefore, we need to compare with the
lower of the two numbers in the strength class meaning:

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 = 50 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

Soils and Materials 3 – core testing

For a single-volume test region, the concrete complies with the strength grade if

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 ≥ 0.85�𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 4�

0.85�𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 4� = 0.85(50 − 4) = 0.85 ∗ 46 = 39.1 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 = 44.5 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

44.5 ≥ 39.1 so the concrete does comply with the C50/60 strength grade.

Example 4

The six cores in the table were taken from a test region consisting of three 30 m3
volumes of concrete. Determine whether the concrete in the test region complies with a
specified strength class of C40/50.

Core number 1 2 3 4 5 6
Diameter, mm 100 100 100 100 100 100
Length, mm 197 205 199 203 197 200
Compressive strength,
32.0 35.5 32.5 33.0 35.0 34.5
fc, is, MPa

The cores in the table are nominally 2:1 cores. Therefore, we need to compare with the
lower of the two numbers in the strength class meaning:

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 = 40 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

For a three-volume test region, the concrete complies with the strength grade if

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 ≥ 0.85�𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 + 1�

and

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 ≥ 0.85�𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 4�

Soils and Materials 3 – core testing

Therefore, substituting for fck,spec, the concrete complies if:

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 ≥ 0.85(40 + 1) 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 ≥ 34.85 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

And And

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 ≥ 0.85(40 − 4) 𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 ≥ 30.6 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

32.0+35.5+32.5+33.0+35.0+34.5
𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑚𝑚(𝑛𝑛)𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = = 33.75 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
6

is not greater than 34.85 MPa Condition not met

𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐,𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖,𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 = 32.0 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 ≥ 30.6 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 Condition met

Only one condition is met, so the concrete in the test region does not comply with the
specified strength.

Soils and Materials 3 – core testing