Madeira Brum

Given the need for civil engineering professionals to determine the compressive strength of concrete without damaging structures, this study aims to establish relationships between non-destructive tests and compressive strength tests using cylindrical test specimens. The materials used in the concrete mixtures were previously tested and characterised. To perform the tests, 12 cylindrical specimens (10 cm x 20 cm) and four prismatic specimens (15 cm x 15 cm x 50 cm) were cast and divided into four batches. For each batch, three cylindrical specimens and one prismatic specimen were allocated. The tests were applied at four different concrete curing ages in order to evaluate the influence of age on the compressive strength obtained through the sclerometric test. After the tests were performed, the results were processed, which allowed the two tests to be directly related. The graphs for the four curing ages show similarity between the compressive strengths obtained through the two test methods, sclerometry and compression of cylindrical specimens.