CE 40/L Construction Materials and Testing Chapter I - INTRODUCTION
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
The Role of Testing
- all branches of engineering especially those dealing with structures and machines,
are concerned with materials, the properties of which must be determined by tests
- in mass production, inspection and control of quality of manufactured products
depend on sampling and testing'
- specifications and acceptability of material purchased involved an understanding of
methods of testing and inspection
Basic subjects in the study of material testing:
1. Technique of testing - How do commonly used types of equipment operate? Is the
apparatus in widespread use? What are the common variants of ordinary apparatus?
What limitations are imposed by the apparatus on the accuracy that can be
obtained? Lacking first-class equipment, how one can get rough but significant
results from crude tests in the field?
2. Physical and mechanical principles involved in the testing apparatus and
procedure - Are the assumed conditions satisfied? What is most likely to go wrong
or produce incorrect results? What refinements can be made to obtain greater
accuracy?
3. Theory of measurements - What is the precision of the results? Which of the
measurements involved control the precision of the final results? Are the time and
effort wasted securing needless precision in some of the measurements?
4. Variability of materials - How many tests are necessary to give a significant
values? What range in strength (or other property) may be expected from a given
material as it is used under job conditions?
5. Interpretation of results - What is the significance of the test results? Can the
numerical results be applied directly to design or similar uses, or are they of value
only for comparison with other results?
Engineering Materials
Classification of Materials
1. Metallic
- materials that exhibit electrical and thermal conductivity
- plays an important role in industrial operation
1.a. ferrous - includes steel, cast iron, wrought iron, malleable cast iron
1.b. non-ferrous - includes all other metals and their combinations
2. Non metallic
- includes wood, stone, brick, cement, concrete, resins (plastic), rubber, leather,
ceramics, etc.
Properties of Engineering Materials
Types
1. Chemical properties - characteristics of a material that relate to its behavior in chemical
reactions particularly in connection with corrosion and alloying
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CE 40/L Construction Materials and Testing Chapter I - INTRODUCTION
2. Physical properties - those distinguishing qualities or characteristics that are used to
describe a substance in the absence of external forces
ex. color, thermal conductivity, coefficient of expansion
3. Mechanical properties
- describe the behavior of materials under the application of forces
ex. strength, hardness, ductility, machinability
- necessary in design, fabrication or construction
Strain
- is the unit deformation to which a material may be subjected
- is a deformation caused by the application of an external force
L1 where: L1 - change in length
=
L L - original length
Stress
- the externally distributed force which tend to resist deformation
W1 where: W1 - force
=
A A - cross-sectional area
a . tension - to pull the material apart
b. compression
c. shear - to move one portion of the body with respect to the other
Testing of Materials
Objectives of testing:
1. To supply routine information on the quality of a product ----- commercial or control
testing.
- it checks the acceptability of materials under purchase
- it takes control of production or manufacture
- it requires accuracy but does not need high degree of refinement
2. To develop new or better information on known materials or to develop new materials
----- materials research and developmental work
- it obtains new understanding of known materials
- it discovers the properties of new materials
- it develops meaningful standards of quality or test procedures
- it requires skill, ingenuity and resourcefulness
3. To obtain accurate measures of fundamental properties or physical constants -----
scientific measurement
- it requires accumulation of an orderly and reliable store of information
- it needs precision, care and patience
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CE 40/L Construction Materials and Testing Chapter I - INTRODUCTION
Experiments - outcome is uncertain and new insights are to be gained
Tests - indicate a more or less established procedure with limits of the results
generally defined
Classifications of test
1. Destructive - a representative sample or specimen is required, ex. strength test
2. Nondestructive - normally applies to finished product involving observation, ex.
examination for surface defects
Significance of Test
1. it measures adequately property that is sufficiently basic and representative that the
test results can be used directly in design
2. the test, even though highly arbitrary, serves to identify materials that have been
proven by experience to give satisfactory performance.
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