PSI - Issue 47

Noorsuhada Md Nor et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 47 (2023) 732–743 Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

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After all the ingredients had been thoroughly mixed, the fresh mortar was poured into the formworks and compacted to remove air pockets. The fresh mortar was then left to set for 24 hours, and the formworks were then removed. The cubes and interlocking blocks were then cured for 7, 14 and 28 days in a curing tank filled with water. The samples were cured to keep the mortar moist and prevent cracking. Once the curing process was completed for a given age, the specimens were tested. Fig. 4 (a) shows the formwork for the production of interlocking blocks, solid blocks and a hollow block. Figs. 4 (b) to (e) show the hollow blocks and solid blocks during curing and after demoulding.

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Fig. 4. (a) Formwork for production of interlocking block; (b) The concrete mix was poured into the formwork for production of one-hollow block; (c) The hardened one-hollow interlocking concrete block; (d) The production of solid block; (e) The hardened solid block

2.3. Compressive strength test After curing of the concrete, a compression test was performed on all specimens to determine the compressive strength of the composite concrete under a compressive load. For this purpose, nine concrete cubes with dimensions 50 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm were used. The compressive strength test was performed at the age of concrete cubes 7, 14 and 28 days and repeated the process three times to obtain the average of the sample results. The test results can be used to determine whether the material is suitable for a particular application or whether it will fail under the given loads. The test specimen was placed between two plates and a force was applied by bringing the crossbars together as shown in Fig. 5. During the test, the cube was compressed, and the deformation was measured in relation to the applied load. The average compressive strength of the cubes was determined.