How to Perform Cement Testing for Construction of Buildings?


The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 38363 deaths between 2001 and 2015 due to concrete structure collapses. You may believe that weather conditions or natural disasters are responsible for the fall of buildings, bridges, or dams. However, the truth is different. Construction design, quality of construction materials, structural defaults, and structural maintenance are the factors behind building downfalls. 

Negligence in construction practices can leave concrete structures prone to water seepage. Structural audits and remediation efforts can help. But, the lack of proper maintenance rules it out. Construction should begin with soil testing. High strength, stable soils are capable of supporting high-rise buildings. 

The use of inferior quality construction materials is commonplace in India. Good quality construction materials can prevent building collapses and save lives. A simple precaution to stop catastrophic structural destruction is to test the materials before use. 

What is the need for building construction materials testing India?

Construction materials like cement, concrete, bitumen, reinforcement steel and sand are the backbone of a building. Testing of these materials reveals their suitability for the construction project. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has developed stringent quality standards and guidelines for building construction materials. The BIS recognizes 154 private and government material testing laboratories in India. 

What are the steps in building construction materials testing India?


Most materials testing services follow these steps to ensure the use of high-quality raw materials in construction.

Tests and inspections: The first step is to inspect a construction site through nondestructive testing (NDT). Many mechanical and chemical laboratory tests are performed as per global and national standards. Some are raw material analyses, warranty testing, green product testing, mechanical strength testing, and material characterization.

Product certification: Material specifications and certifications are prepared as per BIS and ASTM guidelines.

Failure analysis: Engineers perform root cause analysis of the materials that failed the standards.

Which cement testing instruments are used in materials testing?

  • Some of the standard laboratory tests for cement are:
  • Chemical analysis
  • Compressive strength 
  • Fineness
  • Heat of hydration
  • Setting time 

If a cement sample fulfils the BIS standard after testing, it bears the ISI stamp of quality. Let us discuss the instruments useful for cement testing.

Air Entrainment Meter for mortar



The Air Meter determines the total air content present in cement paste, mortar and masonry cement. Entrained air creates deliberate voids in concrete structures. These air pockets maintain the mechanical strength of the concrete structures during freezing and thawing cycles. However, improperly air-entrained concrete structures are weak. Thus, the measurement of air content is essential to have an appropriate air void system.

Blaine Air Permeability Apparatus

Materials testing laboratories employ different variations of the Blaine Apparatus. The apparatus determines the initial and final setting time for cement. Setting time determines the strength of the mortar. There should be ample time for the preparation of accurate admixtures.

Bond Strength Tester



This cement-testing instrument determines the compressive strength of the hardened cement paste. Bond strength and compressive strength are directly related up to 20 MPa. With a lower bond strength, the cement paste will have a lower compressive strength. However, beyond 20 MPa compressive strength, the relationship becomes inverse.

Universal Compression Machine

Another instrument for cement compression testing is the Universal compression machine. Hardened cement experiences forces from opposing ends in the machinery. The purpose is to study deformation or strain on cement when it experiences a compressive load.

Cement Calorimeter

Cement calorimeter measures the heat of hydration of cement. Materials testing laboratories may employ digital or semi-automatic cement calorimeters. The instrument measures the heat of solution of dry cement and partially hydrated cement to determine the heat of hydration.

Cement Autoclave

With the help of high-pressure steam, the cement autoclave estimates delayed expansion of Portland cement. Thus, it is possible to determine the quality, strength, and uniformity of various cement compositions using cement autoclave.

Flow Table with Counter

Cement testing laboratories use the flow table with a counter for the following purposes:

  • Flow test of hydraulic cement mortars
  • Consistency test of magnesium oxychloride cement
  • Flexural strength test of bond strength of mortar to masonry units
  • Compression strength test of cement mortar
  • Air content measurement of cement mortar

Bottom Line

The following points can help construct strong and resilient buildings.

Proper construction designs, materials testing, soil testing, structural audits can prevent collapses of concrete structures like buildings.

  • Cement is one of the primary building construction materials.
  • Timely and efficient cement testing is necessary for construction.
  • A BIS certified laboratory should perform cement testing.

The laboratory instruments should be at par with ASTM international guidelines.




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