STRENGTH OF CONCRETE CUBES AND CYLINDERS

Ho Wei Rong
1
, David Ho
2


Abstract

The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between compressive strength of
cubes and cylinders that were produced and cured in Singapore. Two mixes were cast. One was
Grade 35 concrete and the other was Grade 50 concrete. Their cubes and cylinders were tested at
different ages to determine their compressive strength. The cylinder-to-cube strength ratio was
found to be a value of 0.76 and is slightly lower than the average ratio of 0.87 obtained by
researchers in other countries.

Introduction

Compressive strength of concrete is important because the main properties of concrete, such as
elastic modulus and tensile strength, are qualitatively and quantitatively related to this property. It
is also important because in structural design, load-bearing capacity of structures is related to the
concrete compressive strength.

As is well known, there are two types of standard test specimens used for the determination of
compressive strength: cubes and cylinders. Cubes are generally used in Great Britain, Germany
and Singapore, whereas the standard specimens in the United States, Australia, France and
Canada are cylinders. In Scandinavia, tests are made on both cubes and cylinders. Cubes are
either 100 or 150mm in size with aspect ratio of 1. Cylinders have aspect ratio of 2 and are either
100mm200mm high or 150mm300mm high.

During testing, the platens of the loading machine restrain the lateral expansion of the concrete in
parts of the specimen near its ends. (1) This restraint is dependent on the amount of friction
developed. Under normal conditions, with friction, an element within the specimen is subjected to
a shearing stress as well as to compression. With an increase of distance from the platen, the
magnitude of the shearing stress decreases and the lateral expansion increases. This shear stress
has the confining effect of increasing the axial load for failure. The restraining effect of the
platens of the testing machine extends over the entire height of the cube but leaves a part of the
cylinder unaffected due to this increase in aspect ratio. Therefore compressive strengths of cubes
are expected to be higher than those of cylinders made from the same concrete.

Neville (2) reported results on strength and obtained an increasing ratio for strength increasing
from 9-52 MPa. The average value of the cylinder/cube strength ratio was approximately 0.87.
(Table 1) Above 50 MPa, the cube/cylinder strength ratio increases progressively (2). However,
all these results as well as the table of equivalence are derived from materials produced in
Europe, where all testing and curing of concrete were done in temperatures of about 205C or
lower. Results in Singapore could deviate because of the climate requiring the casting and curing
to be done at a temperature of 275C or higher. The aim of this study was to confirm, or
otherwise, whether this cylinder/cube strength ratio reported by Neville would be applicable to
concrete produced under different climatic conditions.

1
Victoria Junior College
2
NUS, Department of Civil Engineering

Table 1 Compressive strength reported by Neville (2)
Compressive Strength Difference of Strengths (cube-cylinders)
Cube (MPa) Psi Cylinder
(MPa)
Psi
Ratio of Strengths
cylinder/ cubes MPa psi
9.0 1300 6.9 1000 0.77 2.1 300
15.2 2200 11.7 1700 0.77 3.5 500
20.0 2900 15.2 2200 0.76 4.8 700
24.8 3600 20.0 2900 0.81 4.8 700
27.6 4000 24.1 3500 0.87 3.5 500
29.0 4200 26.2 3800 0.91 2.8 400
29.6 4300 26.9 3900 0.91 2.8 400
35.8 5200 31.7 4600 0.89 4.1 600
36.5 5300 34.5 5000 0.94 2.1 300
42.1 6100 36.5 5300 0.87 5.5 800
44.1 6400 40.7 5900 0.92 3.5 500
48.3 7000 44.1 6400 0.91 4.1 600
52.4 7600 50.3 7300 0.96 2.1 300

Experimental Work

Two mixes were produced, one of Grade 50 concrete, the other of Grade 35 concrete. The cubes
were cast in steel moulds of 100mmX100mmX100mm. The cylinders were also cast in a steel
mould, with a diameter of 100mm and a height of 200mm. A total of 21 cubes and 21cylinders
were produced from each mix. Mix designs are shown in Table 2.

Table 2 Mix Proportions (kg/m
3
) for Grade 35 and Grade 50 Concrete
Cement 20mm
Sand
Water Water Reducing Agent
Grade 50 500 1070 650 180 1litre
Grade 35 360 1100 740 180 0.7litres
Batch weights (kg) for 0.07 cubic metre of concrete
Cement 20mm
Sand
Water Water Reducing Agent
Grade 50 35 74.9 45.5 12.6 472ml
Grade 35 25.2 77 52 12.6 340ml

After the concrete was mixed, it was poured into moulds and placed on the vibrating tables to
minimize air entrapment, which would affect the strength and cause the strength to be lower.
Then, the specimens were covered with a plastic sheet to ensure a minimal amount of moisture
lost from the specimens. After 24 hours, the moulds were removed and the specimens were cured
in the fog room at a temperature of 27C.

Specimens were tested at different ages up to 56 days. In order to obtain 2 smooth and parallel
surfaces, cubes were tested on the sides with the direction of loading perpendicular to the
direction of casting. The load on the cube was applied at a standard rate of 0.2 MPa/second thus
ensuring the progressive increase in stress as failure approached. For the cylinders, the testing of
cylinders in compression requires the top surface of the cylinder to be in contact with the platen
of the testing machine. According to ASTM C 192-90a (3) and C 31-91 (4), depressions or
excrescences greater than 3.2mm are not allowed. Therefore, the surfaces of cylinders were
ground till they were smooth and then placed perpendicular to the platen of the loading machine.
The load applied to the cylinder was at a standard constant rate of 1.57MPa/second. Results on
Grade 35 and 50 concrete are presented in Tables 3 and 4 respectively.




Table 3 Compressive Strength of Grade 35 concrete
Curing
(days)
Cubes
(M Pa)
Cylinders
(M Pa)

Specimen1

Specimen2

Specimen3

Average

S.D

Specimen1

Specimen2

Specimen3

Average

S.D
3 27.83 28.75 32.71 30 2.593 20.78 19.74 21.64 20.5 0.951
7 41.17 41.45 38.61 40.5 1.565 27.97 29.89 28.47 29 0.996
10 38.74 40.79 42.7 40.5 1.980 29.84 31.66 32.23 31 1.248
21 49.84 49.81 43.39 47.5 3.715 37.87 32.46 30.49 33.5 3.821
28 49.59 47.25 52.38 49.5 2.568
25.20*
33.82 41.52 37.5 5.445
56 51.49 51.21 47.93 50 1.979 40.06 38.52 42.57 40.5 2.044

Table 4 Compressive Strength of Grade 50 concrete
Curing
(days)
Cubes
(M Pa)
Cylinders
(M Pa)

Specimen1

Specimen2

Specimen3

Average

S.D

Specimen1

Specimen2

Specimen3

Average

S.D
3 44.36 43.05 44.91 44 0.676 37.21 33.18 32.45 34.5 2.563
7 56.32 37.22* 56.65 56.5 0.233 40.72 40.43 41.44 41 0.520
10 52.18 54.87 58.8 55.5 3.329
17.46*
41.14 40.88 41 0.183
21 62.93 62.91 59.39 61.5 2.038 46.55 46.04 45.55 46 0.500
28 47.03* 66.41 56.94 61.5 6.696 44.17 49.89 29.78* 47 4.044
56 69.78 50.81* 62.31 66 5.282 57.76 40.95 65.62* 49.5 11.886
*Results ignored due to experimental error

Results & Discussion

Figure 1 represents the average of the cube compressive strength against the cylinder compressive
strength. Fig.5a shows the relationship for grade 35 concrete, fig.5b shows the relationship for
grade 50 concrete. Fig.5c represents the two graphs combined.

Graphs were drawn to express the relationship between the strength of concrete and its age in log
days for Grade 35 (Fig 1 for cubes and Fig 2 for cylinders) and Grade 50 (Fig 3 for cubes and Fig
4 for cylinders) concrete. The line of best fit was drawn and the compressive strength values,
which corresponded to the age of 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 50 days were interpolated. Tables 5 and 6
show these modified values.

The values of the modified compressive strength in tables 5 & 6 were then used in Fig 6 to
develop a modified relation between cubes and cylinders for (a) Grade 35, (b) Grade 50 and (c)
combined results.

Table 5 Modified Compressive Strength of Grade 35 Concrete
Curing Cubes Cylinders
(days) (M Pa) (M Pa)
3 31 22
7 38 27.5
14 45 33.5
21 46 35.5
28 48 37.5
50 52 40.5


Table 6

Modified Compressive Strength of Grade 50 Concrete
Curing Cubes Cylinders
(days) (M Pa) (M Pa)
3 47 35.5
7 51 40
14 58 43
21 60 45.5
28 62 47
50 65 49.5


As seen in the results, the gradient suggests that the cylinder/cube compressive strength ratio is
0.76 for the materials and proportion used in this study. This is slightly lower than the average
value of 0.87 as reported by Neville. This slight deviation in the ratio could arrive from the
different materials used in the mix, or the curing of the concrete at 27C.

Conclusion

Neville (2) reported that the cylinder-to-cube strength ratio was 0.87 for concrete strength up to
50 MPa. For the materials and testing conditions (27C) adapted in this study, the strength ratio
was found to be 0.76, which is about slightly lower than that reported by Neville.

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge the help of Associate Professor David Ho as well as the National University of
Singapore for the use of the concrete lab for this research project titled Strength of Concrete
Cubes and Cylinders.

References
1. A.M Neville, Properties of Concrete, 4
th
Edition (1995), Addition Wesley Lapman Ltd
England. Pg. 269-317, 359-405
2. A.M Neville, Properties of Concrete, 3
rd
Edition (1975), Addition Wesley Lapman Ltd
England. Table 8.2: Strength of Cubes and Cylinders Pg. 544
3. ASTM C192/C195M-95 (1998) Standardization for Making and Curing Concrete Test
Specimens in the Laboratory Pg. 112-119
4. ASTM C31/C31M-96 (1998) Standardization for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens
in the Field. Pg.5-9












































Grade 50
y = 15.958x + 39.308
R
2
= 0.9115
0
20
40
60
80
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Age(log days)
C
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(
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Grade 50
y = 11.724x + 29.802
R
2
= 0.9734
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Age (log days)
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Grade35
y = 16.08x + 24.669
R
2
= 0.9208
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Age (log days)
C
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Grade35
y = 15.123x + 14.76
R
2
= 0.9662
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Age(log days)
C
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(
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)
Fig.1 Relationship between Cube Compressive Strength and Age for Grade 35
Concrete
Fig.2 Relationship between Cube Compressive Strength and Age for
Grade 50 Concrete
Fig.4 Relationship between Cylinder Compressive Strength and Age for
Grade 50 Concrete
Fig.3 Relationship between Cylinder Compressive Strength and Age for
Grade 35 Concrete



Mod Combined Grade 35&50
y = 0.7592x
R
2
= 0.986
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Cube Compressive Strength (MPa)
C
y
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d
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Fig.6c
Mod Grade 50
y = 0.7592x
R
2
= 0.9785
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Cube Compressive Strength (MPa)
C
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d
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Fig.6b
Mod Grade 35
y = 0.7593x
R
2
= 0.9696
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Cube Compressive Strength (MPa)










C
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Fig.6a
Gr a de 3 5
y = 0 .7 4 8 x
R
2
= 0 .9 1 9 5
0
5
1 0
1 5
2 0
2 5
3 0
3 5
4 0
4 5
0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0
Cube Com pr e s s ive S tr e ngt h ( MP a )
C
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C
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(
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Gr a de 5 0
y = 0 .7 5 x
R
2
= 0 .9 6 3 9
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0
Cube Com pr e s s ive St r e ngt h (M P a )
C
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Fig.5b
Fig.5a
Fig.5 Relationship between Compressive Strengths of Cylinders and Cubes for (a)
Grade 35 Concrete, (b), Grade 50 Concrete, and (c) Combined Grades 35 and 50
Concrete.
Fig.6 Modified Relationship between Compressive Strengths of Cylinders and
Cubes for (a) Grade 35 Concrete, (b), Grade 50 Concrete, and (c) Combined
Grades 35 and 50 Concrete.
Com bine d Gr a de 3 5 & 5 0
y = 0 .7 4 9 3 x
R
2
= 0 .9 6 7 2
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0
Cube Com pr e s s ive Str e ngth (MP a )
C
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(
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Fig.5c