Construction materials, such as concrete and asphalt, are often inspected and tested to ensure that they meet specific standards before being used in highway or construction projects.
In the past, firms and testing labs depended on manual processes. However, these tasks are time-consuming, error-prone, and easy to alter after testing. Using concrete testing software or a materials testing platform can get more reliable results with fewer errors. Here’s what you should know.
What Is Concrete Testing Software, and Who Uses It?
Concrete quality testing is an essential process in ensuring the consistency and condition of concrete. There are a variety of tests that you can perform to ensure that the concrete has the desired properties. Concrete testing reporting software can streamline these processes and remove workflow redundancies.
Many developers, testing labs, construction firms, stakeholders, and project managers depend on high-quality concrete quality control software to navigate new projects and existing structure amendments.
What Are Key Concrete Testing Methods?
Compressive Strength Tests
The compressive strength test measures the amount of force required to crush a sample of concrete. Compressive strength can vary depending on the type of material. For example, concrete has a much higher compressive strength than wood. This is why concrete is often used in construction instead of wood.
Several factors can affect the compressive strength of a material. These include the type of material, the size of the sample, the temperature, and the presence of defects. Compressive strength is an important property for materials used in construction. It determines how much weight the material can support. That’s why concrete strength testing equipment is so important.
Slump Tests
One standard test available in our concrete testing software is the “slump test.” In this test, a small sample of freshly mixed concrete is placed in a cone-shaped mold and then allowed to slump (or fall) down, forming a cone shape.
Observers then measure this shape and calculate the slump using the derived values. Concrete with a high slump (a large diameter) is considered too wet and will not be as strong as concrete with a low slump (a small diameter).
Flexural Strength Tests
In this important test of concrete quality, the material is subjected to a bending force in a flexural strength test until it fails. The amount of energy required to cause failure is the material’s flexural strength. When it comes to the flexural strength of a material, there are a few key factors that you should consider.
The first is the thickness of the material. The second is the width of the material. The third is the length of the material. Other factors include age, humidity, and upkeep. High-quality concrete testing software can analyze these and other evaluations.
Water Permeability
Water permeability measures how easily water can move through a material. This property is important for many applications, such as water filtration and soil irrigation. There are many ways to measure water permeability, but the most common is to use a concrete tester device called a permeameter.
Several factors can affect water permeability, including the type of membrane, the type of soil, and the water pressure. The water pressure can be increased by adding weight to the top plate. This is how the water permeability of a material is typically measured.
ForneyVault Provides Robust Concrete Testing Software
If you’re ready to learn more about how concrete testing laboratory and field software can empower your business, reach out to ForneyVault today. Our team can help you understand the ins and outs of different testing methods and recommend a concrete testing software deployment that helps you take more control of your work processes.