PROCEDURE

A) Preparation of Coconut Coir Ash

1. Dry the coconut coir for 24 hours under the sun for removing the
moisture content in it.
2. Subject the coconut coir to uncontrolled combustion using open air
burning for 3 hours.
3. Collect the ashes after left cool for 12 hours.
4. Sieve the coconut coir ashes by using BS sieve of 0.075mm and
collect the ashes that pass through the sieve.
5. Determine the oxide composition of the collected ashes.

B) Concrete casting with Coconut Coir Ash

Apparatus:
Cube moulds 100 mm x 100 mm x 100mm
Prism 100 mm x 100 mm x 500mm
Cylinder 50mm dia. X 300 mm
Coconut coir ash
Vibrating table/compacting bar
Scoop (approx. 100 mm wide)

Procedure:
1. The mould shall include a removable steel base plate. All parts of the mould
shall be robust enough to prevent distortion. Before assembly for use, the
joints between sides of the mould and between them and the base plate shall
be thinly coated with oil or grease to prevent loss of water. The parts of the
mould when assembled shall be positively located and rigidly held together in
such manner as to prevent leakage from the mould. The internal faces of the
assembled mould shall be thinly coated with released agent to prevent
adhesion of the concrete.
2. Place the mould on a rigid horizontal surface or on the vibrating table and fill
with concrete. Place the concrete in the mould in three layers and compact
each layer either by using compacting bar or vibrating table.
3. After the top layer has been compacted smooth it level with the top of the
mould, then wipe clean the outside mould.
4. Cube, prism and cylinder must be identified, the most effective way by writing
date, serial no. of cube and the group of class student.
5. Cover the surface of the concrete in the mould by using wet cover to prevent
losing of moisture.
6. Repeal all the steps above by replacing the cement with coconut coir ash with
percentage replacement of 5%, 15% and 25%.
7. Leave the concrete undisturbed for 24 hours at a temperature 202 C and
then demould.

C) Slump Test
Apparatus :
Mould
Sampling tray
Tamping rod
Ruler

1. Clean and damp the internal surface of the mould.

2. Place the mould on a smooth, horizontal, rigid and non-absorbent metal plate
free from vibration and shock.
3. Fill the mould with concrete in three layers, each approximately 1/3 of the
height of the mould.
4. Tamp each layer with 25 strokes of the tamping rod.
5. After tamp the top layer, struck off the concrete level at the top of the mould
with a rolling motion of the tamping rod.
6. Removal the mould from the concrete by raising it vertically, slowly and
carefully.
7. After removal of mould immediately, measure the slump to the nearest 5 mm.
8. Repeat the steps above by using concrete with partial replacement of cement
with coconut coir ash (5%, 15% and 25%).

D) Compressive Strength Test

Apparatus:
Testing machine
Auxiliary platens
 Test specimen: Test specimen shall be the 12 concrete cubes (3 cubes 0%, 3
cubes 5%, 3 cubes 15%, 3 cubes 25%)

1. Measure and record the dimensions at the top and bottom of the specimen.
2. Cap the specimen with sulphur with caps thickness of about a quarter or
inch.
3. Allow the cap to cool for a minimum of 2 hours.
4. Test the specimen flatwise where the load is applied in the direction of the
depth of the brick by using the universal testing machine.
5. Apply the load continuously within 2 to 3 minutes until the bricks failed
(cracked).
6. Apply the maximum load for the failure of the brick to take place is recorded.
7. Repeat the above steps with the other 11 cubes.
8. Calculate the compressive strength as:

=

Where W = maximum load
A = average of the gross area of the upper and lower bearing surfaces of the
specimen

E) Flexural Strength Test

Equipment:
Compression testing machine
Loading apparatus (third point)
Prism 100100500 mm. (0%, 5%, 15%, 25% cement replacement with
coconut coir ash)

1. Clean wipe the bearing surface of the supporting and loading rollers.
2. Wipe the surface of the specimen to remove the surface water.
3. Place the specimen centrally in the machine with longitudinal axis of the
specimen at the right angles to the rollers.
4. Check the specimen to ensure all rollers are in even contact with the
specimen prior to the load application.
5. Apply the load steadily without shock at with increasing the stress at rate
0.06 0.04 N/mm2.s.
6. Record the maximum at the point of the failure for the specimen. Disregard
the failure outside the middle one-third of the distance between the
supporting.
FL
The flexural strength, f = equation (1)
d1 d2 2

Where F = maximum load at failure, N

d1 and d2 = lateral dimensions of the cross-section (mm)
L = distance between supporting rollers (mm)
Flexural strength expressed to nearest 0.1 N/mm2.
If the fracture occurs in the tension surface outside of the middle third of
the span length, calculation will be as shown:
3Pa
Modulus of rupture, R = bd2 equation (2)

Where a = average distance between line of structure and the nearest

support measured on tension surface of the beam, mm.
7. Repeat the steps above with the other prisms.

F) Splitting Tensile Test

Apparatus:
Compression testing machine
Two 1/8 in thick plywood bearing strips (slightly longer than the specimen
and 1 in. wide)
Concrete cylindrical specimens kept in a moist condition. (3 cylinders 0%, 3
cylinders 5%, 3 cylinders 15%, 3 cylinders 25%)

1. Determine the unit weight and the compressive strength of the concrete
cylindrical specimen.
2. Draw diameter lines on each end of the specimen so that they were in same
axial plane.
3. Place and align the specimen on the plywood strip so that the lines marked
on the ends were vertical and centered over the plywood strip.
4. Place the second plywood strip lengthwise on the cylinder, centered on the
lines marked on the ends.
5. Apply the load continuously at a constant rate (100-200 psi/m) of splitting
tensile strength until failure.
6. Record the maximum load at failure, P.
7. Repeat the steps above with the other 11 cylinders.
8. Calculate splitting tensile strength, F.
F = 2P/Ldequation (1)