Exp No-I A

TESTS ON BURNT CLAY BUILDING BRICKS

AIM:
To determine the following properties of Burnt Clay building bricks
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Initial Rate of Water Absorption

24h - Water Absorption
Efflorescence
Warpage
Dimensional Tolerance
Compressive Strength

Test 1: 24 hours - Cold Water Absorption Test

Absorption is a term frequently used almost interchangeably with porosity, yet the two properties
are not necessarily related. Absorption may be defined as the ratio of the weight of water
absorbed (under specified conditions of immersion and time) to the dry weight of the material
being tested. It is usually expressed as a percentage and may vary from zero to well over 100%,
whereas porosity can never exceed 100%. The nature of the test procedure must always be
clearly understood; otherwise, the results become meaningless. There are following types of
absorption tests:
a) Brick immersed in cold water for 24 or 48 hours
b) Brick immersed in hot boiling water for 1 or 5 hours
c) Initial water absorption Test (Test 2)
Brick have pores which are closed or open. The open pores are refereed as capillaries. Closed
pores obviously can't absorb water, but open pores or capillaries do absorb both in quantity and
at different rates.
Quantity is measured by the methods A and B. Also we can also measure the Saturation
Coefficient (always below 1) which is the ratio of WA from method A to method B i.e., it is the
ratio of the 24-hour cold water absorption to the 5-hour boil absorption. It reflects that only some
pores will be filled during the cold water test, but all of the pores that can possibly be filled will
be filled during the boiling test procedure. With only part of the available open pore space filled
with cold water, the remaining pore space is available for water that freezes and exerts an
expansive pressure of a potentially destructive nature
The Rate of Water Absorption is measured by Initial Rate of Water absorption Test.
In this test, method A is followed, which is specified in IS 3495(part 2): 1992

Apparatus:

1. Weighing Balance
2. Drying Oven
3. Water Tank
Procedure:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

Dry the specimens in a well ventilated oven at a temperature of 105-115C till it attains a
significantly constant mass.
Cool the specimen to room temperature and weigh the specimen. Record it as Wd
Submerge the dried specimens in a water tank containing clean water at a temperature of
27 2 C for 24 hours.
The brick is taken out from the water tank and excess water is to removed/wiped off.
The mass of the saturated brick is to be determined say W2 within 5 minutes after taking
out from the tank.

The 24h Cold Water absorption capacity is calculated as WA =

W 2W d
100
Wd

Observations:
SPECIME
N CODE
WA 1
WA 2
WA 3

Saturated Weight W2
(g)
3092
3085
3090

Oven Dried Weight

- Wd (g)
2763
2783.5
2810
Average 24h WA %

24h Water Absorption (%)

11.91
10.83
9.96
10.90

Test 2: Initial Rate of Water Absorption Test

The brick mortar bond is largely influenced by the capacity of the brick to absorb water and the
ability of the mortar to retain the water. This water is needed for the proper hydration of cement
where the mortar contacts the brick.
If the brick sucks the water too quickly from the mortar, the mortar will be strung out for the bed
joint stiffens so rapidly that the bricks in the next course cannot be properly bedded. If the mortar
retains too much water the bricks tend to float on the mortar bed, which makes it difficult to lay
plumb walls at a reasonable rate. In either case there will be poor bond.
The power of a brick to absorb water is measured by the initial rate of absorption.
High suction bricks require a mortar with very high water retention, making it necessary to
shorten the length of the bed joint or wet the bricks to reduce their suction. It should be noted
however that wetting the bricks can lead to efflorescence in the brickwork. Low suction bricks

need a leaner mortar to give good bond. Usually this is done by increasing the proportion of
washed sand in the mix.
Apparatus:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

Watertight trays or containers which can hold water for depth 2.5cm and of area sufficient
to hold 3 bricks
Supports for Brick
Means for Maintaining Constant Water Level two pipettes of 100ml capacity
Balance
Drying Oven
Stop Clock

Procedure:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.

Dry the test specimens in a ventilated oven 110 to 115C for not less than 24 h
After drying, cool the specimens in a drying room and Store the units free from drafts,
unstacked, with separate placement, for a period of at least 4 h.
The Dry weight of the specimen shall be recorded, say Wd
The Trays or containers shall be filled with water for a depth of 2.5cm and the pipettes
shall be also be filled completely.
The first specimen shall be placed in the tray and stop clock to be started. Ensure that the
brick is placed gently in the water.
After 1min1s the brick shall be removed from the tray and wiped with a cloth
The brick shall be reweighed and noted as W1

The initial Water absorption shall be calculated as IWA =

W 1W d
100
Wd

Observations:
Specimen
Code
IWA 1
IWA 2
IWA 3

Initial Dried
Weight (g) -Wd
2847
3046
2772

FINAL WEIGHT
(g) -W1
2883
3107.5
2825
Average IWA (%)

Initial Water
Absorption (%)
1.26
2.02
1.91
1.73

Test 3: Test for Efflorescence

Efflorescence is a crystalline deposit on surfaces of masonry, stucco or concrete. It is whitish in
appearance, and is sometimes referred to as "whiskers". The groundwater is mostly the cause for
efflorescence. . For water to carry or move the salts to the surface there must be channels through
which to move and migrate. The more dense the material, the more difficult for the water to
transport salts to the surface. Conversely, the more porous the material, the greater the ease with
which salts are transported and deposited. Salt-bearing water, on reaching the surface of a
structure, air evaporates to deposit the salt.
The test for Efflorescence is conducted based on IS 3495 (part 3):1992

Apparatus:
1. Water tight trays or containers which can hold water of depth of 2.5cm
2. Drying Room
Procedure:
i.
ii.

iii.

The bricks shall be placed in the trays or containers such that the depth of immersion in
water is 2.5cm
Place the whole arrangement in a well ventilated drying room until all the water is
completely absorbed by the specimens. If the room is susceptible to excessive
evaporation then the specimens shall be covered with glass containers.
After complete drying of water the surface of the brick is noticed properly to find the
presence of white deposits called efflorescence.

Since the test is of Non- Quantitative, the liability to efflorescence shall be reported in
accordance with the following definitions:
Nil
Slight

When there is no perceptible deposit of efflorescence.

When not more than 10 percent of the exposed area of the brick is covered with a
thin deposit of salts.
When there is a heavier deposit than under slight and covering up to 50 percent of
the exposed area of the brick surface but unaccompanied by powdering or flaking of
the surface.
When there is a heavy deposit of salts covering 50 percent or more of the exposed
area of the brick surface but unaccompanied by powdering or flaking of the surface.
When there is a heavy deposit of salts accompanied by powdering and/or flaking of
the exposed surfaces.

Moderate

Heavy
Serious

Observations:
Specimen Code
E1
E2
E3

% Area exposed to
Efflorescence
35
30
35

Powdering or
Flaking of surface
No
No
No

Efflorescence
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate

Test 4: Test for Warpage:

The IS 3495 (part 4):1992 corresponds to Determination of Warpage in Bricks
Apparatus:
1. 0.5 mm divisions steel rule graduated from one end dirt OR steel steel measuring wedge
having following details Length = 60 mm, Width = 15mm, Thickness at one end is 0 and

other end 15mm. The wedge shall be graduated in 0.5 mm divisions. area not less than
300 mm X 300 mm and plane to 0.02 mm.
2. Steel or glass flat surface

Procedure:
i.
ii.

iii.

Remove any adhering to the surface of brick.

For Concave Warpage : Place the flat surface along the surface to be measured selecting
the location that gives the greatest departure from straightness. Measure the greatest
distance of the brick surface from the edge of straightness by a steel rule or wedge to the
nearest 1 mm.
For Convex Warpage : Place the brick on the flat surface with the convex surface in
contact with the flat surface. Measure the distance to the nearest 1 mm from flat surface
to the four corners of the brick, and take the maximum of four measurements.

Observations:
Points A,B,C,D represents the Convex Warpage and points E,F,G,H,I,J reprents concave warpage
RISEininmm
mm
POINT
RISE
A
1.5
B
3.5
C
3
D
1
POINT
E
3.5
F
3
G
3.5
H
4
I
1.5
J
2
Maximum Convex Warpage = 3.5mm
Maximum Concave Warpage = 3.5 mm
Test 5: Test for Dimensions
The dimensions of the bricks need to be fairly uniform. It is mainly because if there are many
variations in the brick sizes, there will always be wastage or shortage of cement mortar required
for the bond. Also the lap provided in the bond wont correspond with the alternate courses of a
wall.
Apparatus:
1. Measuring Tape
Procedure
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

20 bricks are to be selected at random from the sample. All blisters, loose particles shall
be removed.
The bricks shall be placed as shown in figure below
The overall length of the bricks assembled shall be measured by a tape and reported.
The measured length shall be within the limits prescribed by IS 1077: 1992

1.Non modular Brick specified by IS 1077:1992

2. 20 bricks specified by IS 1077:1992
3. Experiment Results of 20 bricks

Dimensions along (mm)

Length
Width
Height
230
110
70
460080
220040
140040
4450
2140
1520

Test 6: Compressive Strength Test

This property measures the ability of masonry to support heavy weight without crumbling. The
principal factors influencing compressive strength of masonry are:
a) Strength of brick
b) Strength of mortar
c) Quality of workmanship
The test is done according to IS 3495 (part 1):1992
Apparatus:
1. Compressive Testing Machine
2. Plywood sheets of 3mm thick
Procedure:
i.
ii.

The brick is immersed in water for a temperature of 272C for 24 hours. Then the brick
is taken out from the water bath.
Excess water is dried.

iii.
iv.

The frog and other voids of the brick is filled with cement mortar (1:3 :: cement: sand)
and it is allowed to be hardened under moist curing for 3 days.
Specimen is kept under testing machine where compressive load is applied at 14MPa per
minute and it is continued till the brick gets crushed. The load at which the specimen fails
is noted.

Compressive Strength of Bricks (N/mm2) =

Compressive Load(N )
2
Average Net area of two facesunder compression(mm )

SPECIMEN
CODE
C1
C2
C3

Dimensions (mm)
Load at failure
L
B
H
(kN)
220 100
87
128.5
218 104
88
126.1
220 100
87
134.3
Avg. Compressive Strength (N/mm2)

Compressive
Strength (N/mm2)
5.84
5.56
6.10
5.84

Time for
loading (s)
29.9
31.4
33.9

INFERENCES
Test 1: 24 hours - Cold Water Absorption
According to IS 1077: 1992, the 24 hours- Cold Water Absorption WA % shall not exceed more
than 20% by weight up to class 12.5 and 15% by weight for higher classes. Since the average of
results obtained was 10.9%, the bricks have ideal WA characteristics.
Test 2: Initial Rate of Water Absorption
Since there are no BIS specifications for the Initial Rate of Water absorption, we could not
ascertain the initial water absorption characteristics of the bricks. But there are some test data
showing that maximum bond strengths are obtained when the Initial Rate of Water Absorption
(IRA) does not exceed 30 g/min./30 square inches and that brick having an IRA greater than this
value at the time of use should be wetted to reduce the suction.
Specimen
Code
IWA 1
IWA 2
IWA 3

Initial
Dried
Weight
(g) -Wd
2847
3046
2772

Final
Weight
(g) -W1

Weight
of water
(g)

Area of water absorption

2883
3107.5
2825

36
61.5
53

8700
13.48
22672
35.14
19140
29.67
Average IRA (g/min./30 in2)

mm2

in2

IRA
(g/min./30 in2)
2.67
1.75
1.79
2.07

So the average value is very well below the test data we can conclude that the brick is having
preferred initial water absorption characteristics.
Test 3: Test for Efflorescence
According to IS 1077: 1992, the rating of efflorescence based on IS 3495 (part 3):1992 shall not
be more moderate up to class 125 and slight for higher classes.
Since all the samples are showing `Moderate efflorescence, the bricks have adequate resistance
to Efflorescence.
Test 4: Test for Warpage
The maximum warpage allowed is 2.5mm in Burnt Clay Bricks. Since the permissible value is
exceeded the brick is not of good shape

Test 5: Test for Dimensions

Since the bricks used in the test were of size 220mmx100mx85mm, the tolerances specified in IS
1077: 1992 cannot be correlated. But the average of error in all three sides is 5.712%, which
exceed the codal provisions. So the bricks used have poor dimensional acceptance.
Test 6: Compressive Strength Test
According to IS 1077: 1992 the compressive strength of the bricks shall correspond to Table 1 in
IS 1077:1992 both individual strength as well as the average of the specimens.
Thus the average value and the individual values do correspond. Based on this we can conclude
that the Brick is of Class 5

Exp No-II A

TESTS ON CEMENT CONCRETE FLOORING TILE

AIM
To determine the following properties of Cement Concrete Flooring Tile
1. Wet Transverse Strength
2. Resistance to Wear
Test 1: Method for Determination of Wet Transverse Strength
IS 1237: 2012 Appendix F pertains to this test
Apparatus:
1. Flexural Strength Test Machine One Point load method
2. Measuring Tape
Procedure:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

The specimens shall be tested wet after soaking in water for 24 hours.
The specimen shall be placed between two parallel steel supports such that the span is
200mm and the wearing surface is facing upwards.
Load shall be applied at a rate of 2000N/min till the tile fails in flexure.
The load at failure shall be noted as P and thickness shall also be measured

The flexural strength shall be calculated as f =

P = breaking load, in N
l = span between supports, in mm
b = tile width, in mm
t = tile thickness, in mm

3 Pl
2
2bt

Observations:
Specimen
Code

FS 1
FS 2
FS 3

LOAD
Divisions in
Dial Gauge
19
22
22

Load
(Kg)
158.3
183.3
183.3

Flexural
strength
(N/mm2)

Dimensions (mm)
Load (N)

1553.25
200
250
21
1798.5
200
250
21
1798.5
200
250
21
Average Flexural strength (N/mm2)

4.227
4.894
4.894
4.671

Test 2: Method for Determination of Resistance to Wear

Apparatus:
1. Abrasion Testing Machine
2. Thickness measurement device of accuracy of 0.01mm
Procedure:
i.

ii.

The test specimens shall be square in shape and of size 70.6 mm 70.6 mm (5000 mm2 in
area).They shall be sawn off one only from each tile, preferably from the central part of
the tile.
The specimens shall be dried at 110 5C for 24 h and then weighed to the nearest 0.1 g.
The specimen after initial drying and weighing shall be placed in the thickness-measuring
apparatus with its wearing surface upwards and the reading of the measuring instrument
on four points of the tile shall be recorded as shown in figure below.

iii.
iv.
v.

vi.
vii.
viii.

The grinding path of the disc of the abrasion testing machine shall be evenly strewn with
20 g of the abrasive powder. The specimen shall then be fixed in the holding device with
the surface to be ground facing the disc, and loaded at the centre with 300 N.
The grinding disc shall then be put in motion at a speed of 30 rev/min and the abrasive
powder is continuously fed back on to the grinding path so that it remains uniformly
distributed in a track corresponding to the width of the test piece.
After every 22 revolutions, the disc shall be stopped, the abraded tile powder and the
remainder of the abrasive powder shall be removed from the disc and fresh abrasive
powder in quantities of 20 g applied each time.
After every 22 revolutions the specimen shall be turned about the vertical axis through an
angle of 90 in the clockwise direction and it should be repeated 9 times thereby giving
total number of revolutions of 220.
The disc, the abrasive powder and the specimen shall be kept dry throughout the duration
of the test. After the abrasion is over, the specimen shall be reweighed to the nearest 0.1g.
It shall then be placed in the thickness measuring apparatus once again in an identical
manner and the reading taken with the same position and setting of the dial gauge as for
the measurement before abrasion.

Observations:

Specimen
Code
1
2
3

Specimen
Code
1
2
3

A
-9.22
-9.07
-9.87

Reading in dial guage(mm)

After Grinding
Before Grinding
B
C
D
A
B
C
-9.23
-9.11 -10.12
-7.37
-6.86 -6.72
-9.06
-10.15 -8.96
-7.24
-7.17 -8.18
-10.92 -11.16 -10.58
-8.12
-9.01 -8.97

Initial
Weight (g)
205
205.5
206

Specimen
Code

Final
Weight (g)
183.5
187
188.5

Average Initial
thickness (mm)
9.42
9.31
10.63

A
B
C
1.85
2.37
2.39
1.83
1.89
1.97
1.75
1.91
2.19
Average Loss in Thickness

1
2
3

D
2.04
1.78
2.38

Loss in Thickness specified

by Code formula (mm)
0.988
0.838
0.903
Average value - 0.91 mm

Specimen Code

Initial Volume
(mm3)
47100
46550
53162.5
Average loss in
thickness (mm)

Loss in thickness (mm)

1
2
3

D
-8.08
-7.18
-8.2

2.16
1.87
2.06
2.03 mm

INFERENCES
Test 1: Method for Determination of Wet Transverse Strength
According to IS 1237: 1980, the average wet transverse strength shall not be less than 3 N/mm2.
Since the average value is 4.671 N/mm2, the tile has sufficient Rupture Strength
Test 2: Method for Determination of Resistance to Wear
According to IS 1237: 1980 the wear shall not exceed the following values:
a) For general purpose floor tiles:
1) Average wear: 3.5 mm
2) Wear on individual specimen: 4 mm
b) For heavy duty floor tiles:
1) Average wear: 2 mm
2) Wear on individual specimen: 2.5 mm
The wear on individual and average wear of tiles is within codal specifications and also these
tiles can also be used as Heavy duty floor tiles.

REFRENCES:
1. http://www.essroctech.com/browse/essroc_data_files/tech_info/essroc_masonry_technica
l_notes/Essroc%20Masonry%20Tech%2029%20-%20Brick%20Part%204%20Physical
%20Properties.pdf
2. http://www.delawarequarries.com/cleaners/efflorescence.html
3. Civil Engineering Materials By Ttti Chandigarh
4. IS 1077: 1992: Common Burnt Clay Building Bricks- Specification
5. IS 3495: 1992 Part 1-IV: Methods Of Tests Of Burnt Clay Building Bricks
6. IS 1237 (2012): Cement Concrete Flooring Tiles - Specification [CED 5: Flooring, Wall
Finishing and Roofing]