Concrete Cube Testing

Cube Testing

Concrete cube tests are performed to determine the compressive strength and other overall characteristics of concrete. In this destructive testing method, concrete cubes are crushed in a compression testing machine. The cubes used in this test have a dimension of 150 x 150 x 150 mm provided the largest aggregate does not exceed 20 mm. The testing requirement varies depending on whether it is being used in general construction or in commercial and industrial structures, and also varies based on the standards from specific geographical areas.

In the process, the cubes are usually cured and tested at 7 and 28 days, although depending on the specific project, curing and testing may also need to be done at 3, 5, 7 or 14 more days. The results are critical in the decision-making process that accompanies the engineering and construction of a new concrete project.

The concrete is first poured into a mold with the dimensions mentioned above and is then tempered to remove any gaps or voids. Then the specimens are removed from the molds and inserted into cooling baths until they have been sufficiently cured as spelled out in the project specifications. After curing, specimen surfaces are smoothed and made even. A compression testing machine is then utilized to gradually put the sample under a load of 140 kg/cm2 until it fails. This ultimately dictates the compressive strength of the concrete being tested.

The concrete cube test formula, for testing the compressive strength of any material, is as follows:

Compressive Strength = Load / Cross-sectional Area

So – it is the load applied at the point of failure to the cross-sectional area on the face to which the load was applied.

Humboldt provides concrete cube molds in steel, heavy-duty steel and plastic varieties. If you have questions or need help selecting equipment, please call us at 1.800.544.7220 or use our Ask Humboldt form.