COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST ON CONCRETE CORE

Compressive Strength Test on Drilled Concrete Cores is required to determine the strength of
hardened concrete in structure. Following are the specification for drilled concrete cores to be
suitable for compressive strength test:
Diameter of concrete core:
The diameter of the core specimen for the determination of compressive strength in load
bearing structural members shall be at least 3.70 inch[94 mm]. For concrete with nominal
maximum size of aggregate greater than or equal to 1.5 inch[37.5 mm], the preferred minimum
core diameter shall be ,three times the nominal maximum size of coarse aggregate but it should
be at least two times the nominal maximum size of the coarse aggregates.
Length of concrete core:
The preferred length of capped specimen is between 1.9 and 2.1 times the diameter. High lengths
can be trimmed and for specimens having low length, correction factor has to be applied in
compressive test.
Moisture conditioning of concrete core:
After cores have been drilled, wipe off the surface drilled water and allow the surface moisture to
evaporate. When surface appears dry, but not greater than 1 hour after drilling, place cores in
separate bags or non absorbent containers and seal to prevent moisture loss.
Maintain cores at ambient temperatures and protect from exposure to direct sunlight. Transport
the cores as soon as possible to laboratory. Cores can be taken out of the bags for a maximum tie
of
2
hrs
to
permit
capping before testing. If water is used for grinding or sawing the core ends, complete these
operations as soon as possible, but not later than 2 days after drilling. Minimize the duration of
exposure to water during end preparation.
Allow the cores to remain in the sealed plastic bags or non absorbent containers for at least 5
days after last being wetted and before testing.

Sawing of the ends of concrete core:

The ends of core specimen shall be flat, and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Sawing
should be such that prior to capping the following requirements are met:
a) Projections, if any shall not extend more than 0.2 inch[5mm] above the end surfaces
b) The end surfaces shall not depart from perpendicularity to the longitudinal axis by a slope of
more than 1.8 d or 1:0.3d where d is the average core diameter.
Capping of concrete core:

If the ends of cores do not confirm to the perpendicularity and plainness requirement,
they shall be sawed or ground or capped.

If cores are capped, the capping device shall accommodate actual core diameters and
produce caps that are concentric with the core ends.

The material used for capping shall be such that its compressive strength is greater
than that of the concrete in the core.

Caps shall be made as thin as practicable and shall not flow or fracture before the
concrete fails when specimen is tested.

Capped surface shall be right angles to the axis of the specimen and shall not detach
depart from a plane by more than 0.05 mm.

Measure core lengths to the nearest 0.1 inch [2 mm] before capping.

Measurement of concrete core:

Before testing, measure the length of the capped or ground specimen to the nearest 0.1
inch [2 mm] and compute this to calculate the length diameter [L/D] ratio.

Determine the average diameter by averaging the two measurements taken at right
angles to each other at the mid height of the specimen.

Measure core diameters to the nearest 0.01 inch[.2 mm] when the difference in core
diameters does not exceed 2% of their average, otherwise measure to the nearest 0.1
inch[2mm].

Do not test cores if the difference between smallest and largest diameter of the core
exceeds 5% of their average.

Testing of concrete core:

Test the specimen within 7 days after coring.
Calculation of compressive strength:
Calculate the compressive test of the specimen using the computed cross sectional area based on
average diameter of the specimen. If the L/D ratio is 1.75 or less, correct the result obtained by
multiplying
with
correction factors as given below:
L/D Ratio
1.75
1.5
1.25
1.0

Correction Factor
0.98
0.96
0.93
0.87

The value obtained after multiplying with correction factor is called corrected compressive
strength, this being equivalent strength of a cylinder having L/D ratio of 2. The equivalent cube
strength can be calculated by multiplying the corrected cylinder strength by 5/4.
Report of compressive strength test:
Report the results with addition of the following information:
a) Length of core drilled to the nearest 5 mm

b) Length of the specimen before and after capping to nearest 2 mm and average diameter of
core to the nearest 0.2 mm or 2 mm.
c) Compressive strength to the nearest 0.1 MPa when diameter is measured to nearest 0.2 mm
and to the nearest 0.5 MPa when diameter is measured to the nearest 2mm after correction for
L/D ratio.
d) Direction of application of load with respect the horizontal plane of the concrete as placed
e) Moisture conditioning history
f) If water was used during end preparation, the date and time end preparation was completed
and core was placed in concealed bags.
g) The date and time when tested
h) Nominal maximum size of the aggregates.

TIPS FOR CORE EXTRACTION & TESTING OF CONCRETE

Core extraction and testing of concrete covers obtaining, preparing, and testing cores drilled
from concrete for compressive strength test of casted concrete structures.
Reference Standard codes:

ASTM code C 42

IS 516

IS 1199

General Tips of Core Extraction:

Concrete strength is affected by location of the concrete in structural element, with

concrete at the bottom tending to be stronger than the concrete at the top.

Core strength is also affected by core orientation relative to the horizontal plane of the
concrete as placed, with strength tending to be lower when measured parallel to the
horizontal plane.

The strength of concrete measured by test of cores and beams is affected by the
amount and distribution of moisture in the specimen at the time of test.

These factors shall be considered in planning the locations for obtaining concrete
samples and in comparing strength test results.

Apparatus for Core Extraction of concrete:

Core drill, for obtaining cylindrical core specimens with diamond impregnated bits
attached to the core barrel.

Saw for trimming the ends of the core. The saw shall have a diamond or silicon
carbide cutting edge and shall be capable of cutting specimens that confirm to the
prescribed dimensions without excessive heating or shock.

Samples for core testing:

Samples of hardened concrete for use in the preparation of strength test specimens
shall not be taken until the concrete is strong enough to permit sample removal
without disturbing the bond between the mortar and the coarse aggregates.

Also samples that have been damaged during removal shall not be used unless the
damaged portions are removed and the resulting test specimen is having the required
length.

Samples containing embedded reinforcement cannot be used for the test

Core drilling :

Core specimen shall be drilled perpendicular to the surface and not the formed joints
or edges.

Record and report the approximate angle between the longitudinal axis of the core
drilled and horizontal plane of the concrete as placed.

A specimen drilled perpendicular to a vertical surface, or perpendicular to a surface

with a batter, shall be taken from near the middle of a unit of deposit when possible.

Slab removal: remove a slab sufficiently large to secure the desired test specimen to without
inclusion of any concrete that has been cracked, spalled, undercut or otherwise damaged.

CORE SAMPLING AND TESTING OF CONCRETE

While Rebound Hammer, CAPO/Pullout,Windsor probe and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests
give indirect evidence of concrete quality, a more direct assessment on strength can be made by
core sampling and testing. Cores are usually cut by means of a rotary cutting tool with diamond
bits. In this manner, a cylindrical specimen is obtained usually with its ends being uneven,
parallel and square and sometimes with embedded pieces of reinforcement. The cores are
visually described and photographed, giving specific attention to compaction, distribution of
aggregates, presence of steel etc. the core should then be soaked in water, capped with molten
sulpher to make its ends plane, parallel, at right angle and then tested in compression in a moist
condition as per BS 1881: Part 4: 1970 or ASTM C 42-77. The core samples can also be used for
the following:

Strength and density determination

Depth of carbonation of concrete

Chemical analysis

Water/gas permeability

Petrographic analysis

ASHTO Chloride permeability test

Fig: Instrument showing core cutting

Fig: Concrete Core

The strength of a test specimen depends on its shape, proportions and size. The influence of
height/diameter (H/D) ratio on the recorded strength of cylinder is an established fact. Strength
of core have to be related to the standard cylinder strengths, i.e. for H/D ratio of 2. Thus core
should be preferably have this ration near to 2. For values of H/D less than 1, between 1 and 2, a
correction factor has to be applied. Cores with H/D ratio less than 1 yield unreliable results and
BS 1881: Part-4:1970 prescribes a minimum value as 0.95. The same standard specifies the use
of 150mm or 100mm cores. However cores as small as 50mm are also permitted in the standards.
Very small diameter cores exhibit more variability in results than larger dia cores, hence their use
is generally not recommended. The general rule adopted for fixing the core size, besides the H/D
ratio, is the nominal size of stone aggregate and the dia should be not less than 3 times the

maximum size of stone aggregate. For diameter of core less than 3 times the size of the stone
aggregate, an increased number of cores have to be tested.
Following are the factors which affect the compressive strength of extracted concrete cores:

Size of stone aggregate: If the ratio of diameter of core to maximum size of stone
aggregate is less than 3, a reduction in strength is reported. For concrete with 20mm
size aggregate, 50mm dia core has been tested to give 10% lower results than with
10mm dia cores.

Presence of transverse reinforcement steel: It is reported that the presence of

transverse steel causes a 5 to 15% reduction in compressive strength of core. The
effect of embedded steel is higher on stronger concrete and as its location moves away
from ends, i.e. towards the middle. However presence of steel parallel to the axis of the
core is not desirable.

H/D ratio: This has been already discussed above. However its value should be
minimum 0.95 and maximum 2. Higher ratio would cause a reduction in strength.

Age of concrete: No age allowance is recommended by the Concrete Society as some

evidence is reported to suggest that in-situ concrete gains little strength after 28 days.
Whereas others suggest that under average conditions, the increase over 28 days
strength is 10% after 3 months, 15% after 6 months. Hence it is not easy to deal the
effect of age on core strength.

Strength of concrete: The effect in reducing the core strength appears to be higher in
stronger concretes and reduction has been reported as 15% for 40 MPa concrete.
However a reduction of 5 50 7% is considered reasonable.

Drilling operations: The strength of cores is generally less than that of standard
cylinders, partly as a consequence of disturbance due to vibrations during drilling
operations. Whatever best precautions are taken during drilling, there is always a risk
of slight damage.

Site conditions vis-a-vis standard specimens: Because site curing is invariably

inferior to curing prescribed for standard specimens, the in-situ core strength is
invariably lower than the standard specimens taken and tested during concreting
operations.

How to Get the Best Results from Concrete Core Testing

When compressive strength tests of laboratory-cured cylinders fail to meet the specified
acceptance criteria, core tests are commonly used to verify the strength and to obtain acceptance
of the in-place concrete. While the process of core testing may seem straightforward, there are
many details contractors must consider to achieve accurate results.

As discussed in Avoid the False Alarm for Low-Strength Concrete (January 2013 Concrete
Contractor), ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete1 requires that no
strength test (average of two or three laboratory-cured cylinders) falls below the specified
strength (fc) by more than 500 psi when fc is 5,000 psi or less, or falls below fc by more than 10
percent when fc is more than 5,000 psi. If any strength test fails this criterion, the building code
requires an investigation of the low-strength test results to ensure the load carrying capacity of
the structure has not been jeopardized. Frequently, low-strength concrete investigations include
core testing of the questionable concrete to assess the strength and acceptability of the in-place
concrete.
ACI 318 provides the following concrete acceptance criteria when using cores:
Concrete in an area represented by core tests shall be considered structurally adequate if the
average of three cores is equal to at least 85 percent of f c and if no single core is less than 75
percent of fc. Additionally testing of cores extracted from locations represented by erratic core
strength results shall be permitted.
Core versus cylinder strengths
Drilled cores and laboratory-cured cylinders are different and used for different purposes.
Laboratory-cured cylinder strengths represent the quality of concrete as delivered which is
influenced by concrete batching, mixing and transportation, sampling, making and curing of
cylinders, and testing. Core strengths represent the quality of the in-place, or in-situ, concrete
which, in addition to concrete batching, mixing, transportation and testing is influenced by
jobsite practices such as placing, consolidating and curing. Strengths of cores are also influenced
by the drilling operation, core handling and moisture conditioning before testing. Due to these
differences, in-place concrete strengths represented by cores are typically less than cylinder
strengths.
Jobsite factors
The level of concrete consolidation has a considerable effect on concrete strength. As concrete
consolidation increases and the amount of entrapped air voids decreases, compressive strengths
increase. Reduction in compressive strength per change in unit weight may vary between 200
and 260 psi per 1 pound per cubic foot2.

Of course, consolidation techniques for in-place concrete and cylinders are not the same and
different levels of consolidation between cores and cylinders contribute significantly to strength
differences. Also, ASTM C423 now requires the density or unit weight of cores to be calculated
before strength testing. Knowing the core density may help determine if a low-strength core test
was due to defective concrete or poor consolidation of the in-place concrete.

Another major reason why core strengths are typically less than cylinder strengths is less
favorable curing conditions (i.e., moisture and temperature conditions) for strength development
of in-place concrete as compared to the standard cure requirements for laboratory-cured
cylinders.
For concrete mixtures with strengths less than 5,000 psi, ASTM C31 4 requires cylinders to be
stored up to 48 hours (initial curing) in a temperature range from 60 to 80 F with the balance of
the 28-day cure period at a temperature of 73.5 3.5 F. For specified strengths of 6,000 psi and
higher, the initial curing temperature is 68 to 78 F. In most cases, curing temperatures for inplace concrete is variable and less favorable than standard cure temperatures resulting in lower
strengths for cores as compared to cylinders. See Figure 1.
Core location and orientation
Strengths are affected by the location and drilling orientation of cores relative to the structural
element. In general, concrete at the bottom of an element is stronger than concrete near the top of
an element or near the top of a lift because of the effects of bleeding and settlement of the coarse
aggregates. Bleed water decreases strength in the upper portions of walls, columns, beams and
slabs by increasing the water to cementitious materials (w/cm) ratio. Figure 2 illustrates the topto-bottom strength variation for a wall and also shows concrete is typically weaker along edges
of a unit of deposit or formed joints.
As shown in Figure 3, bleeding creates a weak cement-aggregate bond, or planes of weakness,
under coarse aggregate particles. Planes of weakness are always horizontal in concrete. When the
planes of weakness are located parallel to the applied load (P) of the testing machine as shown
for Core B (drilled perpendicular to the casting direction) strength can be reduced 10 percent or

more as compared to Core A (drilled parallel to the casting direction). ASTM C42 requires these
factors to be considered when planning a core test program.
Core handling
Always exercise care when drilling and handling cores, especially to preserve the moisture
content of cores. The amount and distribution of moisture in cores will affect strengths. ASTM
C42 requires special handling with regard to moisture preservation and conditioning both in the
field and in the lab before testing. In the field, wipe off drill water from the cores upon extraction
and allow the surface moisture to evaporate (up to one hour). Then place cores into separate
plastic bags and seal them to prevent moisture loss. In the lab, ASTM C42 requires a testing
facility worker to store cores in sealed plastic bags for at least five days after end preparation to
reduce moisture gradients.
As with most construction activities, advanced planning is required for a successful coring
operation and low-strength investigation. When possible, minimize the number of cores removed
from the structure to avoid the Swiss cheese appearance and remember that proper repair of the
core holes is part of the investigation too.
References

1. ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, American Concrete Institute,
www.concrete.org
2. NRMCA Publication No. 185 Understanding Concrete Core Testing, Bruce Suprenant,
1994, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, www.nrmca.org
3. ASTM C42-13 Standard Test Methods for Obtaining and Testing Drilled Cores and Sawed
Beams of Concrete, ASTM International, www.astm.org
4. ASTM C31-12 Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the
Field, ASTM International, www.astm.org

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