Compressive Strength & Absorption of Bricks — Lab Manual
Compressive Strength & Absorption of Bricks: objective, apparatus, step-by-step procedure, formulas, typical values and a printable data sheet (ASTM C67).
Objective & standard
Quality of burnt clay bricks — strength and water absorption.
Standard: ASTM C67
Apparatus
- Compression machine
- Oven, tank
- Mortar for capping or plywood sheets
Procedure
- Select 5 bricks; remove irregularities and measure the bed area.
- Immerse 24 h, fill the frog with 1:3 mortar, cure 3 days under damp sacking.
- Test with the frog up between plywood sheets; load at a uniform rate.
- Absorption: dry to constant mass (W1), immerse 24 h in cold water (W2).
Calculations
- Strength = P ÷ bed area
- Absorption (%) = (W2 − W1) ÷ W1 × 100
Typical values: First-class brick ≥ 10.5 MPa (1500 psi, drawing note) and absorption ≤ 20 %.
Data sheet (print this page)
Project: ____________________ Sample: __________ Date: __________ Tested by: __________
| Brick | L × W (mm) | Load (kN) | Strength (MPa) | Absorption (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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