Sem 1.

Laboratory Notebook

phd.eng.Dan Babor

Laboratory work No.07

STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
Compactness; humidity; water absorption; porosity; bulking of sand

The structural characteristic refers to the repartition mode of the matter and of the
pores in the material apparent volume (in the structures of a material).
Because, we cant determinate all of them making measurements in the material
structure, one of them are calculated using the ascertain technical characteristics.

1. Compactness

Compactness (C) represents the degree of a solid matter volume (Vr),

filing of the samples apparent volume (Va).
C=

Vr
x 100
Va

[%]

Because the real volume (Vr) can be calculated only by destroying the materials
structure, we can calculate the compactness using the following formula:

m
C=

Vr

=
= a
m
Va

(x100) [%]

a= the material apparent density, determinates in accordance with

Laboratory

work No.7;

= the material density, determinates in accordance with Laboratory work No.6.

2. Humidity
Humidity (W) represents a relative quantity of water (A) which is in the material
content at a given moment.
W=

A mw m
(x100)
=
m
m

in which

Sem 1. Laboratory Notebook

phd.eng.Dan Babor

mw = the mass of the humid material, at the given moment;

m = the mass of the dry material, at a constant mass;

we weigh immediately the assay (mw); if we cant weigh it the sample must be
protected to keep its initial humidity (we introduce it in a polyethylene bag, good
tied and closed);

we dry the sample at constant mass and we weigh it (m);

we calculate the humidity with the relation

3. Water absorption
Water absorption (al) represents the maximum relative quantity of water (A)
which a material may absorb (in the pores which communicates with the exterior, named
open pores) at the given conditions (expressed by the characteristic factor l).
The materials state when it contains the maximum quantity of water, is called
saturated state, and the relation of its definition is:
al =

A L
m m L
x
x
(x100
= sal
H 2O
m H 2O
m

msat = the mass of the saturated sample, at the given conditions l;

m

= the mass of the dry sample at constant mass;

L = the density of the reference liquid (if we use water L = water =1g/cm3).
The conditions of saturation are assigned in the table 8.1. and are realized in this way:

for the saturation from condition I = 1, we put the samples on a tray in

which will introduce the reference liquid, in 3 stages at every 24 hours (until of
the samples height; until of the samples

height; minimal 2 cm over the samples) at

every stage we overthrow the samples in the tray. After the last stage, at every 24 hours
we take out the samples we wipe up it with

a humid rag and we weigh, after that we

introduce them into the bath.

We repeat the stages of holding them into the water bath, of weighing and wiping, until
the mass that we obtain at the last weigh doesnt differs by previous one with more than
0,05%from it (the material is saturated).

For the conditions from I =2 to saturate the samples we introduce them into a

vessel with water (at normal temperature), and which is warmed up so that the boiling

Sem 1. Laboratory Notebook

phd.eng.Dan Babor

will start after 30 minutes and will last 3 hours. After the boiling the samples are left into
the water to cool up.
Characteristic

Conditions for saturation

factor l

pressure

temperature

Atmospheric

20C

Atmospheric

Boiling

20mmHg

20C

15N/mm

20C

Tab.1. Conditions of saturation

For the conditions from I =3 to saturate the samples we introduce them in a

water bath, which is into a vacuum exicator, from which we extract air until we get a
pressure of 20mmHg. When the liberation of air bubbles is stopped, we shut off the
vacuum pump and open up the exicator to get again the normal pressure.

For the conditions from I =4 to saturate the samples we introduce them in a

water bath, which is in a steel recipient in which we pomp air to obtain a pressure of 15
N/mm2.

To determinate the water absorption we must follow the next operations:

1. the sample is dried at constant mass and we weigh (m)
2. than is saturated in the conditions from I = 1 and we weigh (msa1); if
the condition s are other (I =24) the sample is saturated after the
index in ascending order, we make the weigh for every state of
saturation (msal).
3. we calculate the water absorption using the relation [8.4.]
The water absorption represents the highest value of humidity which the

material can have.

4. Porosity
4.1. Total porosity
The total porosity (Pt) represents the proportion in which the volume of pores (Vp)
forms the apparent volume (Va) of the material.
Pt=

Vp
Va

(x100) [%]

Sem 1. Laboratory Notebook

phd.eng.Dan Babor

Because the pores volume (Vp) can not be measured, the total porosity (Pt) is
calculated with the following relation:
m

Pt =

Vp
Va

Va Vr
V

= 1-C (x100) [%]

= 1 r = 1
m
Va
Va

We must observe that total porosity (Pt), calculated like a complementary amount
of the compactness, express the volume of pores (Vp) unconcerned of their type (closed
or opened).

4.2. Apparent porosity (open)

The character of the pores has a big influence over the material properties,
especially in the case of durability; through the open pore (which communicates with the
exterior) can get in the material structure, gasses, liquids, or liquid solutions which can
produce phenomenons of expansion corrosion at freezing. Thats why is necessary to
determinate the porosity which is formed from the open pores, called open porosity or
apparent porosity (Pa).
The apparent porosity (Pa) represents the proportion in which the volume of the
open pores (Vpo) forms the apparent volume (Va) of the material:
m sa m

Pa =

V pd
Va

Va

m sa m
(x100) in which
Va L

Vpo=the volume of the open pores;

Va = the sample apparent volume;
m

= the sample mass at constant mass and dry state;

ma = the mass of the saturated sample with condition I -1;

L =the density of the reference liquid;
for determination, we apply the phenomenon which the phenomenon of porosity
provokes: the absorption of reference liquid in the open pores.
The determination resides in the following succession of operations:

the material sample is died at constant mass and we weigh (m);

the sample is saturated in the conditions from I =1and we weigh (msa);

Sem 1. Laboratory Notebook

phd.eng.Dan Babor

we determinate the apparent volume (Va) using the method of hydrostatic

balance;

we calculate the apparent porosity with the relation [8.7.].

The apparent porosity can be calculated using the water absorption (a1) and the
apparent density (a) of the material, because:
Pa =

m sa m
m m m
m 1
= (m sa m)
= sa

= a1 a [%]
Va
m VA
m
Va

4.3. Closed porosity

Closed porosity represents (Pt) represents the proportion in which the volume of
closed pores (Vpc) forms the apparent volume (Va) of the material.
Closed porosity is calculated doing the difference between the total porosity (Pt) and the
apparent porosity (Pa), because:
P c=

V pc
Va

V p V po
Va

Vp
Va

V pd
Va

= Pt - Pa [%]

5. Bulking of sand
The hydrophile materials can bind (through absorption) a layer of water which
will act like a solid and will push on the grains between them, when are in bulk state. The
phenomenon is more intense if the material is smaller and its specific surface is bigger.
The thickness of waters layer grows together with the material humidity until
the thickness becomes approximately of 15m, which corresponds for a humidity of
(58) %. At a bigger humidity the water in excess stays free, as liquid.
The effect of this phenomenon can be measured after the variation of the unit
mass of bulk volume, in refine state, at the humidity variation.
The process resides in the following succession of operations:

we form sample with a mass m = 2000g, from the granular material (sand),
dried at constant mass and we introduce it into a bowl.

we determinate the bulk density, in refine state (b), as in laboratory work No.
8;

Sem 1. Laboratory Notebook

phd.eng.Dan Babor

in a bowl we introduce the material, and over it we cast 40cm3 of water and
then well immix until the content gets a homogenous humidity; knowing that
the water (1g/cm3 ), the humidity that we obtain becomes:
W=

40 g
x100 = 2%
2000 g

we determinate the unit of volume mass of the granular material (gW) for this
humidity;

we repeat the operations, of introducing the water in stages of 40cm3, of

mixing to homogenize the sample and of determination of the unit of volume
mass until we flood the sample.

During this operations we must take care of the sample because if we lose from
material, the mass of the corning material will be modified and the calculated humidity
wrong.
For every humidity that we obtain we make three parallel determinations of the unit
of volume mass (Table 2.), and the medium values will be marked in a diagram fig. 8.1.
Well follow the graphic to see if it indicates an uniform variation; if not we must
repeat the last determination of gW.

Sem 1. Laboratory Notebook

phd.eng.Dan Babor

No. of test

W%

Table 2. Bulking of sand

gW
Mbowl
(kg)

gW

med
3

Ii
3

(Kg/m )

(Kg/m )

1
0

2
3
1

2
3
1

2
3
1

2
3
1

2
3
1

10

2
3
1

12

2
3

For every humidity we calculate the bulking index with the relation:

Ii=

ga (100 + W %)
100
gw

[%]