ISSN 2320 6020

IJBSTR REVIEW PAPER VOL 1 [ISSUE 9] SEPTEMBER 2013

A Review of Relation between Cube Strength and Core Strength of

Hardened Concrete in the Light of IS456:2000and IS516:1959
Rohit Rai1, Ambareesh Kumar2, Ashish Singh3, and Kanhaiya Lal Pandey4
ABSTRACT- This paper presents the relation between core compressive strength and cube compressive in polynomial form and this
relation was developed with the help of software MATLAB .This relation was found to be in much agreement with that of relation in
is code IS 516:1959. In this experiment 15 beams and cubes were casted of M25 and cores were taken out from beams with the help of
core cutter machine of core diameter 75mm. and compression testing machine was used to test the strength. These all specimens were
tested in structural and concrete laboratory of MMMEC, Gorakhpur (UP).
KEY WORDS: Cube, Core, Compressive Strength, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity.
INTRODUCTION
The main purpose of the determination of strength of concrete
standard specimens is to ensure that the potential strength of
the concrete in actual structure is satisfactory .Now, if the
strength of the standard compression test specimens is below
the specified values then either the concrete in the actual
structure is unsatisfactory ,or else the specimens are not truly
representative of the concrete in the structure .The latter
possibility should not be ignored in the disputes of the
acceptance ,or otherwise of a doubtful part of the structure the
test specimens may have been in correctly prepared, handled
or cured, or the testing machine could be at fault. The
argument is often resolved by testing cores of hardened
concrete taken from the suspected part of the structure in order
to estimate the potential strength of concrete in the structure.
Potential strength equivalent to 28-day strength of the standard
test specimens. In translating the core strength into potential
strength we take into account differences in the type of
specimen and in curing conditions, age and degree of
compaction between the core and the standard test specimen.
In other situations, we may want to assess the actual strength
of concrete in a structure because we suspect, for instance,
frost damage at a very early age or we are not sure that the
correct concrete was used and no standard specimens were
made.
Author 1,2,3 and 4 is currently pursuing master
of technology program in Department of civil
engineering Madan Mohan Malaviya
Engineering College Gorakhpur Uttar Pradesh 273010
Email-rohit.rai2609@gmail.com

We should remember, however that core taking damages or

mars the structure, so that test cores should be taken only
when other, non-destructive methods, are inadequate.
2.1 Testing Of Hardened Concrete
There exists various method of testing the strength of
hardened concrete. They can be broadly classified into 2
types:
1. Mechanical tests
Specimens are tested to the point of destruction. The purpose
of this is to determine the maximum loading a concrete
structure can take before collapse. A common mechanical test
widely used is the compressive strength test.
2. Non-destructive tests
These tests can be carried out on specimens as well as on the
actual structure. As the specimen / structure is intact after
testing, such tests are good for monitoring the change of
properties in the structure over time. One such test is the
Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Test.
It is important to know the influence of each test method on
the measured property of the concrete as different methods
and techniques are used in different countries.
2.2 Compressive Strength Tests
Compressive strength tests are most commonly used and are
simple to perform. As concrete is often designed to take
compressive loads, the compressive strength of concrete is
therefore an important property. In Great Britain, Germany
and other European countries, cube specimens of 100 mm and
150 mm are used. During testing, cubes are placed
perpendicular to their as-cast positions. In the United States,
France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, cylinders are the

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typical specimens. 2 common cylinder sizes are 100 mm in
diameter X 200 mm in length and 150 mm in diameter X 300
mm in length. During testing, the top surface of the cylinder is
in contact with the platens. Hence they need to be grinded or
capped to ensure that they are sufficiently flat.
2.3 Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Tests
The UPV test consists of the measurement of the time taken
by an ultrasonic pulse to travel the distance of the length of the
specimen. The ultrasonic wave velocity is then related to the
density of the concrete. Generally, a higher value of UPV
implies higher compressive strength when moisture conditions
are kept constant. This is because the pulse usually travels
faster through a water-filled void than an air-filled one.

from the mean dimensions of the section and shall be

expressed to the nearest kg per sq. cm. Average of three values
shall be taken as the representative of the batch provided the
individual shall be taken as the representative of the batch
provided the individual variation is not more than 15 percent
of the average. Otherwise repeat tests shall be made.
A correction factor according to the height/diameter ratio of
specimen after capping shall be obtained from the curve
shown in Fig. The product of this correction factor and the
measured compressive strength shall be known as the
corrected compressive strength, this being the equivalent
strength of a cylinder having a height/diameter ratio of two.
The equivalent cube strength of the concrete shall be
determined by multiplying the corrected cylinder strength by
5/4.

2.4 Comparison of strength of standard cubes and

standard cylinders
Standard Cubes (L/D = 1) and standard cylinders (L/D = 2)
derived from the same batch of concrete display differences in
compressive strength. This is because of the difference in
influence of the platens restraining effects. According to BS
8110: Part 120:1983, the strength of a cylinder is
approximately 0.8 that of a cube. Nonetheless, research has
shown that the ratio of strength of a cylinder vs. cube
increases as the strength of concrete increases. At strengths of
more than 100 MPa, the ratio approaches 1.
2.5 Effect of Length / Diameter (L/D) ratio on the strength
of cylinders
Standard cylinders cast in moulds have a L/D ratio of 2, while
cored cylinders depend on the size of the coring tool and the
thickness or width of the slab or beam it is derived from.
Cylindrical cores of L/D ratio lesser than 2 tend to give higher
measured strength as compared to those with larger L/D ratio.
Table A1 in the appendix shows the correction factors for
strength of cylinders with different L/D ratio as provided by
ASTM C 42-90 and BS 1881:Part 120:1983. Higher strength
concrete however are less affected by the L/D ratio as found
by Murdock and Kesler (1957) (Figure A1). Neville (1998)
infers that there is comparatively little difference between the
strengths of cube and cylinder with h/d ratio of 1.
2.6 CODAL PROVSIONS
This method for determining the compressive strength of cores
are prescribed by BS EN 12504-1:2000, ASTM C 42-04 and
IS-516-1959.All are essentially similar .In the UK, the
preferred diameter of the core is 150mm, and the ratio of
diameter to diameter to the maximum size of aggregate should
not be less than 3; the length should be between 1 and 2 times
the diameter. Grinding is the preferred method of end
preparation but capping material may also be used. The
measured compressive strength of the specimen shall be
calculated by dividing the maximum load applied to the
specimen during the test by the cross-sectional area, calculated

3. METHODOLGY
In this 15 cubes and 15 beams of sizes 150mm x150mm x150
mm
were
casted
and
size
of
beams
were
150mm150mm750mm each from same batch of concrete of
M25 .Cubes and beams were cured for 28 days. And after that
cubes were taken out from moulds and beams were taken out
.The cores were taken out from beams from core cutter of size
75mm. Edges of the core are smoothened using grinding and
cutting wheels and epoxy motors is applied on both sides of
capping. This ensures the ends approximately 90 percent to the
axis and is within 0.05mm planeness. The core then subjected
to compression force on compression testing machine the
breaking point is observed. And cubes were also tested in
compression testing up to full fracture.

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4. EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATION

4.3Core strength table:-

4.1 Observation Table of cube tested:-

4.2Observation table of core strength:-

5. ANALYSIS WITH COMPUTER SOFTWARE

5.1Matlab analysis program-

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6. RESULT

7. CONCLUSION

By using MATLAB we can find out the best fit curve

equation.

It is seen that with the help of experiment and software

we got a polynomial relation that could be used for
correlation between core strength and cube strength.

f(x) = p1*x^3 + p2*x^2 + p3*x + p4

Coefficients (with 95% confidence bounds):

8. REFERENCES

p1 = 0.0002494 (-0.00199, 0.002489)

[1] A.M Neville and J. J. Brooks, Properties of concrete, 2th

p2 = -0.01314 (-0.1686, 0.1423)

edition PEARSON publisher 2010.

p3 =1.45 (-2.104, 5.003)

[2] Unnikrishan Pillai & Devdas Menon, Design of RCC by

p4 = -0.7792 (-27.51, 25.95)

So, we have this final expression for the relation between core
strength and cube strength
3

Core Strength=.0002494(Cube Strength) -0.01314(Cube

Strength)2 + 1.45 (Cube Strength) -0.7792
GRAPHICAL INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
Graph showing relation between core strength and core
strength.

3rd edition TMH publisher 2009.

[3] IS 456 (part 1):2000-Plain and reinforced concrete code
of practice (4threvision), BIS, New

Delhi, 2000.

[4] IS 516-1959 methods of tests for strength of concrete.

[5] IS 1199-1959 methods of sampling and analysis of
concrete.

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