Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Construction and Building Materials

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/conbuildmat

Repeatability of the rebound surface hardness of concrete with alteration

of concrete parameters
Abdulkader El Mir ⇑, Salem G. Nehme
}egyetem, rkp. 3, Hungary
Department of Construction Materials and Technologies, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111, Budapest, Mu

h i g h l i g h t s

Concrete type directly affects the response of the repeatability of the rebound index.

Ultra-high strength concrete has the lowest coefficient of variation for rebound hammer test.

Main concrete parameters influencing the response of the Schmidt hammer are examined.

Carbonation dramatically influences the repeatability of the rebound index.

EN 13791 basic curve underestimates the mean compressive strength values.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Diagnostic of concrete structure properties is essential towards assessing the properties of the evaluated
Received 28 July 2016 element. Since the Schmidt hammer is categorized as an economic and effective non-destructive testing
Received in revised form 10 October 2016 tool, an extensive investigation is applied on several hundred of concrete specimens produced from sev-
Accepted 16 November 2016
eral types, in order to assess the compressive strength and understand the limitations and boundaries of
rebound hardness. From normally vibrated concrete to ultra-high strength concrete, water-binder ratio,
water-powder ratio, supplementary cementitious materials and admixtures are relatively affecting the
Keywords:
response of rebound index of the Schmidt hammer in terms of repeatability for compressive strength pre-
Concrete
Compressive strength
diction. Additional porosity measurements were performed to enhance this statement.
Porosity Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Rebound index
Repeatability

1. Introduction as water-cement ratio of the concrete, age of the concrete, the

The evaluation of existing concrete structures is preferably car-
ried out using non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. The Schmidt
hammer is classified as one of the most commonly used tech-
niques. Several empirical relationships have been created based
on regression analysis, between applied rebound index and actual
compressive strength of tested element, in order to predict the
actual compressive strength [1,3]. Strength prediction accuracy
strongly depends on the correlation between the strength of con-
crete and the amount of measure in-situ tests. Hence, the valida-
tion of such methodology remains a key issue questioning the
reliability of the results. A number of earlier studies tried to under-
stand the uncertainty of this testing method by evaluating the con-
crete itself. The literature provides a connection between rebound
index coefficient of variation (COV) and concrete parameters, such
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: abdelkader.elmir@hotmail.com (A. El Mir).
applied cement type for the concrete, the testing conditions and
others [2–8]. Over the last decade, several concrete types were cre-
ated, as well as diagnostic applications, that are not limited only to
normally vibrate concrete (NVC). Due to the high paste content and
rheological properties, High performance self-compacting concrete
(HPSCC) microstructure was considered to be more unified, dense
and interconnected [11,12,14]. Therefore, the variability of the
rebound hardness index in HPSCC usually brings into question
the effectiveness of the Schmidt hammer. In this study, however,
the attention is turned on the variation of the rebound index as
an effect of several parameters influencing concrete properties.
Over the last 20 years, several trials and models have been devel-
oped to study the dependence of the mechanical behavior of NVC
on the microstructure of the cement paste. In this effort the ‘‘de-
gree of sensitivity concept” has been used, which is based on the
pore structure of cement paste [10].
HPSCC, with a growing interest in application, is considered
more adequate in terms of homogeneity and sensitivity than

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.11.085
0950-0618/Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
318 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326

NVC. Sensitivity represents the degree of dependence of the con-

crete on its pore structure and related properties. Earlier studies
on NVC and high strength concrete, showed that the latter has bet-
ter behavior with regard to its sensitivity [9,10].
In order to assess the characteristic compressive strength of
concrete, mean and standard deviation are calculated based on
the strength points of the tested specimen, fitting a type of proba-
bility distribution (that is certainly not always a normal
distribution).
The COV contributes to a better understanding of the margin of
variability and dispersion of material properties, as well as their
standard deviation. Referring to fib bulletin 1999, Fig. 1 shows
the COV of concrete mean compressive strengths ranged between
20 and 70 MPa [13].
To perform the present study, concrete types and compositions
should be selected properly in order to obtain an objective compar-
ative evaluation. Therefore, the parameters related to the powder,
binders, admixtures and fillers have to be considered with respect
to the repeatability of the rebound index. The term repeatability
considers the inherent scatter with the NDT method and is often Fig. 2. Coefficient of variation (VR) as a function of the mean rebound index (Rm)
noted as a within test variation. For the characterization of [15].

repeatability either the standard deviation or the COV of repeated

tests by the same operator on the same material can be suitable.
The repeatability for the Schmidt rebound hammer test was found
to be appropriately described by the within-test COV, rather than
the within-test standard deviation [15].
Fig. 2 illustrates the COV parameter regarding the mean
rebound index. The repeatability of the Schmidt rebound hammer
analyzed in terms of the COV can range between 10 and 12% of
within-test COV. Hence, additional studies are essential for more
data relevant to the Schmidt hammer.
Input and output are the key terms to understand the behavior
of Schmidt hammer towards the tested material. The outcomes of
this process depend on what kind of input data is involved. Input in
this case is defined as the following: type and constituent of mate-
rial, quality control and exposures which influence the material
properties and the type of Schmidt hammer used. In this research
program, several variables and constant parameters were selected
in order to evaluate the limitations and boundary conditions of the
rebound index of N-type Schmidt hammer on a series of NVC,
HPSCC and ultra-high strength concrete (UHSC).
This paper aims to evaluate the effect of powder, binder con-
tents, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and admix-
tures on the COV of the rebound index. Further porosity and
durability measurements were performed to enrich this
investigation.
2. Research objectives
The paper focuses on the response of Schmidt hammer rebound
index towards different measured parameters in order to under-
stand the limitations of such NDT method. Concrete is a composite
material, that has been lately developing with the use of SCMs.
Therefore, many types of concrete are produced and classified as
NVC, HPSCC and UHSC. Since these classifications are designated
based on the provided materials inside the mixture, the paper
intends to show a compressive analysis on the repeatability of
the surface hardness with respect to the influence of such a selec-
tion of parameters. For this purpose, the response of the Schmidt
hammer rebound index COV is arranged according to the selected
parameter and its relevant conditions.
3. Experimental procedures

In order to investigate the relation between the repeatability of

the rebound index represented by the COV and the concrete
parameters represented by water-binder ratio (w/b), water-
powder ratio (w/p), SCMs, and admixtures, several concrete
batches were designed and placed. A wide range of NVC, HPSCC
and UHSC series was produced after which the evaluation of the
rebound index of the Schmidt hammer and related properties
could be completed.

3.1. Materials and mixtures

The applied cements were supplied by the local Producer,

Fig. 1. Coefficient of variation (VR) as a function of the mean compressive strength
(fcm) [13].
‘‘LAFARGE”, based on European standards EN 197-1:2011 [16],
CEM II A-S 42.5 RS, CEM III A-N 32.5 MSR and CEM III A-R 32.5 MSR.
Metakaolin (MK) and silica fume (SF) served as the SCMs imple-
mented independently in the mixtures.
Quartz sand and gravel collected from the ‘‘Danube” were used
for the preparation of HPSCC and NVC with relative maximum
aggregate size (Dmax) of 16 mm. Three nominal grading fractions
according to European Standard EN 12620:2002+A1:2008 [17]
were used: sand 0/4 mm, small gravel 4/8 mm and medium gravel
8/16 mm. In case of UHSC, natural quartz sand was used as
 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326 319

aggregate with maximum diameter size of 5 mm. The grading frac- Table 2
tions used are of quartz sand ranging, between 0.2/5 mm. Materials applied for producing the selective concrete type.

Limestone and perlite powder were the fillers used to produce UHSC HPSCC NVC
HPSCC. Grinded fine quartz sand was supplied for the UHSC. The Cement type CEM II A-S 42.5 R CEM III A-N 32.5 CEM III A-N 32.5
term ‘‘powder” is defined by the sum of cement, SCMs and fillers. MSR MSR
According to EN 934-2:2009+A1:2012 Standard [18], high range CEM III A-R 32.5 CEM III A-R 32.5
water reducing admixture and air entraining agent represent the MSR MSR
SCMs MK, SF MK, SF MK, SF
added admixtures in several dosages. Workability tests were per- Filler type Quartz sand Limestone, perlite –
formed according to concrete type and its relevant standard Admixture Sika ViscoCrete 5 Sika ViscoCrete 5, Sika ViscoCrete 5
[19,20]. type Sika Aer
Measurements were carried out at several time offsets: 2-7-56-
90-240-400 days. Specimens were tested under saturated surface
dry conditions at 2 and 7 days. However, for all other time offsets, qb and qp are the bulk and particle densities (g/cm3) respectively.
the specimens were under air dried atmospheric laboratory condi- Water absorption by immersion test was applied until the spec-
tions. All specimens were demolded after 20–24 h of mixing and imens were fully saturated so that it could be checked by no mass
cured under water for 7 days and afterwards under laboratory variation. It was followed by being oven dried for 24 h under
atmospheric conditions. 100 °C. Relative masses were recorded in order to get the water
Depending on the classification and concrete type, w/p and w/b content in V% which corresponds to the atmospheric water satu-
ratios were selected to achieve the desired rheological and hard- rated condition designated by the apparent porosity. Cylindrical
ened properties. specimens with relative dimensions of Ø100  200 mm were used
A total of 104 concrete mixtures data from earlier publications in this evaluation.
[14,21–23], student’s diploma and current research work were col- Carbonation depth (xc) was computed by spraying
lected together and arranged as the following: 12 NVC, 81 HPSCC phenolphthalein-alcohol solution onto the sliced surface of
and 11 UHSC (Tables 1 and 2 summarize the test parameters with 150 mm cubic specimen. The carbonation depth which corre-
their relative materials). sponds to the unchanged color thickness layer was measured at
the center of each exposed surface and the average value was
3.2. Test methods recorded.

Surface hardness test was performed using N-type Schmidt

hammer according to European standard EN 12504-2 [24]. The
specimens were put in the compression testing machine and 4. Results and discussion
loaded with a constant force of about 20% of their ultimate com-
pressive strength. A total of 10 impact points were applied hori- 4.1. Analysis based on EN 13791
zontally on the molded side of the specimen. Striking points
were uniformly distributed onto the tested surface of the Validation of empirical relationships connected to (rebound
150 mm cubic specimen. The mean, standard deviation and COV index-compressive strength) represents a crucial issue in concrete
values were calculated by 10 replicate rebound index readings on structure assessments. Hence from the same batch, concrete sam-
the same surface of the concrete specimen. ples should be tested for surface hardness and compressive
The same specimens were tested in agreement with European strength in order to obtain a reliable empirical relationship from
Standard EN 12390-3 [25], as to their compressive strength using linear regression analysis. EN 13791 standard states that with
a universal closed-loop hydraulic testing machine at a constant the aim of ensuring a reliable assessment, drilled core strength
loading rate of 11.25 kN/s. tests must be performed for the calibration of the NDT-strength
Total porosity in hardened concrete was evaluated, determined model. This method is validated according to the acceptable confi-
based on the ratio of bulk and particle densities of concrete speci- dence level acquired by drilling n number of cores [28]. Yet still the
mens. Bulk density was measured according to ASTM C 642 stan- main benefit of Schmidt hammer application is not achieved by
dards [26]. Shredded compressive strength specimens were harming the evaluated element.
crushed and grounded into fine powder reaching an average diam- A wide range of experimental laboratory data collecting a total
eter size of 0.02 mm in order to evaluate the density of the parti- of 795 specimens was evaluated concerning their rebound index
cles using pycnometers [27]. Note that fluid pycnometer method and compressive strength. Fig. 3 illustrates the relationship
with oven-dried specimens was adopted. Three specimens for each between these properties together with the basic curve given in
mixture were tested. Hence total porosity is calculated from the EN 13791 standard. Mean rebound indices ranged between
following equation: (Rm = 20.9–64.8) and for mean compressive strength (fcm = 17.12 -
MPa–139.28 MPa). It can be noticed that EN 13791 curve limited in
qb
PT ¼ 1  a range of 20 < Rm < 50 is almost located at the lower boundary of
qp
all tested points. It indicates that the basic curve provides a high
Table 1 margin of safety yet underestimating the actual compressive
Ranges of water-binder, water-powder and cement-aggregate ratios designed for the strength values. Therefore, EN 13791 basic curve must be reconsid-
relative mixture. ered for a positive shift along the y-axis in order to reach the actual
Range of ratios UHSC HPSCC NVC compressive strength. A positive shift indicates the difference
*
w/b 0.21–0.24 0.56–0.41 0.56–0.41
between the actual and the predicted compressive strength values,
**
w/p 0.17–0.20 0.29–0.34 0.56–0.41 which is mentioned in EN 13791 Ch. 8.3. Note that the curve pro-
***
c/a 0.25–1.16 0.17–0.21 0.17–0.22 vided by EN 13791 is suggested for the prediction of compressive
*
Water to binder ratio (by weight).
strength of similar batches. Although, the authors aim is only to
**
Water to powder ratio (by weight). observe the location of the curve suggested by the EN 13791 with
***
CEMENT to aggregates ratio (by weight). respect to all experimental produced mixtures.
320 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326

Fig. 3. Experimental rebound index – compressive strength results (795 test specimens) with respect to the basic curve given in EN 13791.

An extensive analysis was accomplished on the repeatability of
795 data measurements collecting mean rebound indices and com-
pressive strength values.
Since there are various concrete types and classifications, sta-
tistical characteristics of the rebound index are essential to under-
stand the response of the Schmidt hammer to the tested surface.
Figs. 4a and 4b represent the COV of all experimental mixtures
with regard to their mean rebound indices and compressive
strength values. It can be observed the decreasing tendency of
COV with the increase of the mean values of the compressive
strength, which confirms the tendency in the behavior illustrated
earlier in Fig. 1. Despite that fact, ACI 228.1R-03 Committee
recommendation (Fig. 2) should be reconsidered since no clear
tendency is observed in the COV over the mean rebound index
values in comparison with Fig. 4b. The latter clearly indicates
the decreasing pattern of COV over the increase of mean rebound
index. As the evaluated data is not distributed equally concerning
mixture types, testing dates and admixtures, a correlation
between concrete types and COV cannot be achieved. The paper
aims to have a generalized view on the behavior of rebound index
and compressive strength over the COV. Moreover, in the follow-
ing section, concrete mixtures are arranged based on the evalu-
ated property, enabling more objective interpretations that
would be reached.

Fig. 4a. Coefficient of variation (VR) as a function of the mean rebound index (Rm).
 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326 321

Fig. 4b. Coefficient of variation (VR) as a function of the mean compressive strength (fcm).

4.2. Parameters affecting the repeatability of the Schmidt hammer
4.2.1. Concrete type
Analysis of batch to batch variation was not the scope of this
study. The goal was rather to evaluate the evolution of COV of con-
crete types over time. Therefore, all experimental data was
arranged regarding concrete types. Fig. 5 shows a graphical
demonstration of mean within test variation of rebound index val-
ues for NVC, HPSCC and UHSC over time. The age of tested con-
cretes varied between 2 day and 400 days.
Referring to mean rebound index, UHSC and HPSCC resulted in
lower COV over the testing period, compared to references mix-
tures (NVC). Experiments showed that the COV of the rebound
index is very sensitive to the tested concrete type before the age
of 90 days. Differences seem to become more balanced over the
age of 90 days. From a practical point of view, as the studied con-
crete types have different rheological properties in terms of
deformability and viscosity, authors claim that rebound index
COV is directly affected by the placement method of concrete.
4.2.2. Powder content
A comparative analysis was performed on several w/p ratios in
order to evaluate the effect of their variation over the COV of the
rebound index. The following w/p ratios were selected from the
experimental study: w/p = 0.17–0.29–0.31–0.34–0.5. As it can be
observed in Fig. 6, it was experimentally proved by the COV values
that the rebound index becomes less sensitive with the decrease of
w/p ratio. In the first 28 days, almost all cases showed a rapid

Fig. 5. Effect of concrete types on the coefficient of variation of the rebound index in time.
322 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326

Fig. 6. Effect the w/p ratio on the coefficient of variation of the rebound index in time.

decrease in the rebound index COV, which can be explained by the
hydration reaction. Yet over 90 days, the rate of hydration becomes
lower and it has a noticeable influence on rebound index COV val-
ues. This behavior is explained by the increase of powder content
in the concrete matrix reaching a more homogeneous material in
term of particle size and distribution.
Also it should be stated out the effect of Dmax on the response of
rebound index COV. As it can be noticed in Figs. 6 and 7, lowest
rebound index COV values are observed for UHSC mixtures with
relative w/p = 0.17 and Dmax = 5 mm. In case of HPSCC and NVC
mixtures, the latter showed higher rebound index COV
values despite that they hold the same maximum aggregate size
(Dmax = 16 mm). This behavior is deduced by the difference
powder content between NVC and HPSCC types. HPSCC contains
more powder content, thereby enhancing the concrete
microstructure.
4.2.3. Binder content
One of the most influential parameters on concrete strength is
the w/b ratio [29]. The change of the rebound index response is

Fig. 7. Effect the w/b ratio on the coefficient of variation (VR) of the rebound index in time.
 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326
Fig. 8. Effect of SCMs on the coefficient of variation (VR) of the rebound index in
time.
directly related to the binder content. Therefore, higher w/b ratios
result in higher values of rebound index COV [4]. According to
Fig. 7, the influence of the water-binder ratio was possible to be
arranged and studied. Binder in this study is defined as the active
materials responsible for hydration (cement, MK and SF). The range
of the evaluated w/b ratios from the experimental data was w/
b = 0.22–0.562. It was clearly recognized that the COV of the
rebound index reduces with the decrease of w/b ratio. The age of
the tested concrete ranged between 2 days and 400 days. Several
interpretations can be made. In the first 28 days, a rapid decline
in the COV is noticed due to the hydration phenomena. The same
pattern is observed from the age of 28 up to 90 days yet at a lower
degree. This can be an effect of the low rate of hydration in com-
parison with earliest 28 days period. A remarkable increase is
observed over the age of 90 days in the COV which is directly con-
nected to carbonation effect to the concrete surface. Future infor-
mation regarding the carbonation phenomena will be discussed
later in present paper.
4.2.4. Supplementary cementitious materials
From all earlier mentioned data, 26 HPSCC mixtures were cho-
sen and separated into three concrete categories. The purpose was
Fig. 9. Effect of air entrained admixture on the coefficient of variation of the rebound index in time.
323
to analyze the influence of SCMs on the repeatability parameters.
The studied categories were: referencce, metakaolin and silica
fume mixtures. reference mixtures (R) are the type that do not
incorporate any kind of SCMs. Metakaolin mixtures category
(MK) only contain MK beside the cement binder as SCMs and the
same goes for the third category regarding silica fume mixtures
(SF). These mixtures were produced with w/p = 0.29–0.31 and w/
b = 0.562–0.5–0.45–0.41. Fig. 8 shows that the influence of SCMs
was quite evident. The age of the examined concretes was at 7
and 28 days. It was found experimentally that the lowest mean
COV value for the rebound index could be reached if adding SF into
concrete mixtures over reference mixtures. Hence, the differentia-
tion between the influences of distinct hydraulic additives (MK and
SF) was evident. MK and SF enhanced the concrete microstructure
by decreasing the repeatability of the surface hardness in a range of
6–30% with respect to their relative reference mixtures. Explana-
tion of such behavior is translated by the effect of SCMs on the rate
and magnitude of the pozzolonic reaction in improving physical
properties of the hardened cement paste [30].
4.2.5. Admixture type
The flow ability and viscosity of HPSCC and UHSC are controlled
through the HRWRA and viscosity modifying agents. Further types
of admixtures such as air entraining admixtures have a significant
impact on the concrete pore structure [31]. Consequently, from
the basic database mentioned earlier, a comparison between 18
HPSCC mixtures (divided as 9 symmetrical non air entrained
(NAE) and air entrained (AE) HPSCC mixtures) was performed. These
mixtures were produced with w/p = 0.29 and w/b = 0.562–0.5–0.4
5–0.41. The tested ages were 7, 28 and 56 days. Fig. 9 illustrates
the mean rebound index COV of NAE and AE mixture categories over
time. First at 7 days, AE category showed an increase of 35% with
respect to reference category NAE. Over the age of 7 days, the differ-
ence between rebound indices COV of NAE and AE categories was
decreasing reaching a more balanced behavior at the age of 56 days.
This response of rebound index COV could be explained by AE
admixtures which supply air voids into the concrete microstructure.
4.2.6. Porosity parameters
The total porosity measurements were accomplished for 27
HPSCC mixtures at the age of 400 days. Selected water-powder
324 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326

Fig. 10. Coefficient of variation of the rebound index as a function of the mean total porosity provided by different w/p ratios.

Fig. 11. Coefficient of variation of the rebound index as a function of the mean apparent porosity provided by different w/p ratios.

Fig. 12. Coefficient of variation of the rebound index as a function of the mean carbonation depth.
 A. El Mir, S.G. Nehme / Construction and Building Materials 131 (2017) 317–326
and water-binder ratios were w/p = 0.29–0.31–0.34 and w/b = 0.5
62–0.5–0.45–0.41. Mean COV of rebound index of examined mix-
tures over the total porosity is plotted in Fig. 10. It can be observed
that COV of rebound index increases along with the total porosity.
Water-powder ratios were plotted separately. As it was demon-
strated earlier in Fig. 6, at higher water-powder ratios, the increase
of rebound index COV was observed. Additional apparent porosity
measurements were completed on the HPSCC mixtures (Fig. 11).
The same response of rebound index COV over the apparent poros-
ity was observed in Fig. 10. Therefore, it could be concluded that
the concrete microstructure, which is directly affected by the pore
network, also has an evident influence on the COV of the rebound
index.
4.2.7. Carbonation measurements
The surface hardness response is related to the properties of the
near surface of concrete layer. Within that region, the surface hard-
ness of concrete is higher than the interior region of concrete due
to the carbonation effect [32]. In the previous section of binder
content, carbonation effect had a significant influence on the COV
of the rebound index. Therefore, the carbonation depth of speci-
mens at the age of 400 days was evaluated. A sum of 3 NVC and
27 HPSCC mixtures was designated for evaluation, selected by,
water-powder and water-binder ratios, w/p = 0.29–0.5625 and w/
b = 0.562–0.5–0.45–0.41. Carbonation depth (xc) was observed to
range between 1.23 mm and 12.02 mm, proportionally increasing
with the increase of the water-binder ratio. The same pattern is
observed in terms of rebound index COV. These results confirm
Szilági et al. work [4] in term of connectivity between repeatability
and carbonation depth (Fig. 12).
5. Conclusion
In this paper, a series of experimental tests was applied on 795
cubic specimens with the purpose of understanding the repeatabil-
ity of the rebound index of several concrete types. The applications
reveal that EN 13791 underestimates the compressive strength of
concrete. Moreover, results obtained in a such large scattering of
coefficients of variation had to be separated and organized based
on their designated parameters. Hence the response of the Schmidt
hammer in relation to the studied parameters, such as water-
binder ratio, water-powder ratio, SCMs and admixtures, proved
their dependency on the deviation of coefficient of variation of
the rebound index. Nonetheless, the following conclusions can be
drawn from this investigation demonstrated from laboratory tests:

The COV of the rebound index is inversely proportional to the
mean value of the rebound index.

Ultra-high strength and high performance self-compacting con-
cretes show lower rebound index COV values compared to nor-
mally vibrated concretes.

The rebound index COV is inversely proportional to the water-
binder and water-powder ratios, yet directly proportional to
the carbonation depth.

Mixtures incorporating supplementary cementitious materials
such as metakaolin or silica fume enhanced the repeatability
of rebound index by resulting in lower rebound index COV val-
ues than reference mixtures.

The air entrained HPSCC mixtures showed higher values of
rebound index COV than non-air entrained mixtures.

The rebound index COV increases proportionally to the porosity
measurements (both total and apparent porosity).

The increase of the COV of the rebound index is influenced by
the carbonation depth of concrete.
325
6. Future work
This present paper addressed the non-destructive evaluation of
laboratory specimens in order to assess the compressive strength
of concrete. This study provided an extensive analysis on several
parameters affecting the repeatability of the surface hardness of
the Schmidt hammer. As UHSC resulted in very low rebound index
COV, the predication of UHSC actual compressive strength would
be reliable. The next logical step is to investigate structural ele-
ments produced with the same materials relevant to our labora-
tory research. Afterwards, an objective comparison between in-
situ and laboratory results can be completed in order to verify such
behavior. Furthermore, the particle size distribution concerning
the aggregate needs a deeper study, since this factor directly affects
the empirical relationship. As a general remark, further research is
needed to improve the reliability of the use of the Schmidt hammer
as a tool for compressive strength assessment.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Hungar-
ian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA; Project No. OTKA T 109223).
Also, they are grateful for ‘‘LAFARGE” and ‘‘Sika” groups for supply-
ing the materials.
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