Faculty

: Construction
Management and Entrepreneur

Page

1/6

Department : Structure and Materials

Engineering
Title : REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Edition
Checking No
Effective Date

1
17/6/04

Amendment Date

1.0

OBJECTIVE
1.1
1.2
1.3

2.0

EXPERIMENT OUTCOME
2.1

3.0

4.0

To check the uniformity of concrete

To determine the properties of the surface of the concrete
To estimate strength of concrete in structures

Able to carry out surface hardness testing by rebound hammer according to

BS 1881: Part 202: 1986

EQUIPMENT & MATERIAL

3.1

Equipment
(i)
Rebound hammer type N

3.2

Material
(i)
Close textured concrete

PROCEDURE
(A)

Method of Testing

1.

Select a rebound hammer appropriate to the type of concrete tested, check that it
is working correctly and check its reading on the steel reference anvil.

2.

Choose suitable test locations. Only smooth surfaces should be tested.

3.

Confine the readings of a test to an area not exceeding 300 mm x 300 mm

4.

Draw a regular grid of lines 30 mm apart and to take the intersections of the
lines as test points

5.

Twelve readings are needed at a location.

Faculty : Construction Management and Page

Entrepreneur

2/6

Department : Structure and Materials

Engineering

Edition
Checking No
Effective Date

Title :REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Amendment Date

(B) Procedure of Using Rebound Hammer

1. The hammer is pressed against concrete. Plunger retracts against spring and the
hammer is ready to be used.
2. Press the hammer to the test location until the mass hammer impact against the
surface through the plunger.
3. Hammer should be operated perpendicular to the surface horizontally.
4. Press the button at the side of hammer and read the amount of rebound of the
mass, R from the indicator.
5. Refer to the calibration curve on the standard steel anvil to read the compressive
strength.
6. Estimate the compressive strength with refer to the table given in Appendix I.

Page

Faculty : Construction Management

and Entrepreneur

(5)

3/6

Department : Structure and Materials

Engineering
Title :

Edition
Checking No
Effective Date

REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Amendment Date

CALCULATION SHEET

Test
Ref.

Test
Location

Under
Staircas
e

Internal
Column

Paveme
nt

Walkway

Column
at
staircase

Beam at
staircase

Recorded
R Value
34
32
32
32
32
30
33
33
30
28
29
28
36
37
41
37
29
30
25
28
27
35
37
34

32
32
32
32
28
31
29
26
29
27
30
28
39
38
39
38
32
32
28
32
35
31
31
35

32
32
28
32
30
26
30
30
31
32
30
30
42
36
36
39
28
28
26
31
39
36
35
32

Mean
R

Inclination
Angle ()

Correcte
d
R

Compressiv
e Strength
(Nmm)

32

90

23.7

30

90

20.6

29

90

19.1

38

90

33.6

29

90

19.1

34

90

26.8

Faculty

Appendix I:

: FPTP

Page

4/6

Department : Structure and Materials

Engineering
Title :

Edition
Checking No
Effective Date

REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Amendment Date

Faculty

: FPTP

Page

6/6

Department : Structure and Materials

Engineering
Title :

Edition
Checking No
Effective Date

REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Amendment Date

Discussion :
During the experiment , the systematic error occur because of rebound hammer. This is
due to the rebound hammer not function well while we knock it to the wall. And also
need to take the reading to get the result. From the table, the result show 12 time
recorded of knock with the different value and at different location. The all 12 value will
be calculated to get the mean at every location and also to get the estimation compressive
strength of concrete in structure.
Conclusion :
From this test, we can conclude that in every location have a different compressive
strength. Besides that, the surface of the concrete as can see on the result, there are not
uniformity.

Faculty

: FPTP

Page

5/6

Department : Structure and Materials

Engineering
Title :

Edition
Checking No
Effective Date

REBOUND HAMMER TEST

Amendment Date

Appendix II :

Figure 1 : Draw a 12 point uniformly before

do the knock on the structure

Figure 3 : The surface before knock by

the rebound hammer

Figure 2 : Do the knock on the beam

with rebound hammer

Figure 4 : The surface after been knock by

the rebound hammer