Correlation between initial surface absorption rate of water and in-situ strength of concrete

This experimental study evaluates the relationship between initial surface absorption rate of water and in-situ strength of concrete. The experimental work involved casting of 23 concrete beam specimens of 100 mm × 200 mm × 1000 mm dimensions from six different types of concrete mixtures. Two modes of compaction, different level of curing and age, etc, were also introduced to generate sufficient data. The in-situ strength and the water absorption rate of the concrete specimens were determined by performing core tests and initial surface absorption tests (ISAT) respectively. In addition to this, the bulk quality of concrete was determined by conducting ultrasonic pulse velocity test on the concrete specimens. The analysis of the results shows that a fairly good correlation exists between the in-situ strength of concrete and its initial surface absorption rate of water.