Your urgent assistance in the lab is required, as people have been left homeless due to construction failures in a remote location. An engineer from the site will bring you samples of all the materials the builders use to build houses in this location. In the Concrete Materials Testing simulation you will determine the particle size distribution of aggregates and mix them with cement, water, and admixtures to identify a recipe for a concrete with high workability. The compressive strength of this material will then be tested, and instructions will be given to the builders on how to avoid any future cracks forming in the walls.

Perform a sieve analysis test

After making sure that you are wearing the proper attire for handling heavy machinery in an engineering lab, your first mission in the Concrete Materials Testing simulation will be to define the particle size distribution of all the aggregates found in the construction area. You will produce sieve analysis charts and define the fineness moduli of your material. At the end of this mission, you will define the particle size distribution of one of the major concrete constituents that could potentially produce a material with a high workability.

Mix concrete materials and perform a slump test

Time to use a mixer for something other than making cake. In this mission, you will choose all the material required for a durable concrete. Aggregates, cement, water, and admixtures will be mixed by your assistant per your instructions. After the mixing, you will use the freshly made concrete to perform a slump test. During this experiment, you will verify whether the initial material selected was appropriate for a concrete with an acceptable degree of workability. The height of your slump will determine whether you are ready to move on. But be prepared to repeat the experiment more than once if your slump collapses, or simply just for fun! Maybe add some admixture or extra water to achieve a firm and high slump next time to avoid too many repetitions.

Test the compressive strength of hardened concrete

Finally, after performing all these experiments, you now know which are the best materials for a durable concrete. Cylindrical samples, made per your instructions during the previous missions, are being cured in a tank. In your final mission, you will determine the compressive strength of these samples once they have hardened. As in the previous missions, you will follow the concrete and cement standards in order to give the final instructions to the engineer.

Are you ready to enter an engineering lab to test the properties of concrete materials, assisting a team of engineers to build more durable houses?