Concrete and Mortar Laboratory

Concrete and Mortar Laboratory

Our concrete and mortar laboratory is equipped for development and experimenting on various mix designs. If required, we are able to apply special own mixing designs. Fresh mortar and fresh concrete tests can be carried out in these laboratories. The laboratories themselves are standard air-conditioned and are equipped with various mixers for the production and fitted with all necessary tools for testing of fresh, non-set mineral binders.

Mortar laboratory

Mörtel- und Betonlabor
Mörtel- und Betonlabor

In addition to a chemistry, micro and macro laboratory, the Institute of Construction and Building Materials has a standard air-conditioned mortar and concrete laboratory with a wide range of equipment including a variety of mixers and apparatus for the investigation of fresh, uncured mineral materials. Some of this equipment is shown on this page.

Investigations:

In the mortar laboratory new designs can be tested in addition to the standardized tests on fresh concretes and fresh mortars (spreading dimension, slump, compaction dimension, etc.).

At WiB, various binder systems (cementitious, geopolymers, effect of new additives) are researched, developed and refined to achieve the best possible effect depending on the application.

The development and production of different formworks for special specimen geometries for further investigations or as object of investigation themselves are a routine at the WiB.

Design of an individual formwork

Simulation of vibro-pressing process with immediate stripping on a laboratory scale

  • Investigation of the stability during immediate stripping of narrow samples made of stiff concrete

Concrete and mortar mixer

Models:

Mixmatic mortar mixer with automatic sand feed and ToniMIX Basic mortar mixer.

Brief description:

The mortar laboratory is equipped with two standard mixers (planetary mixers). These mixers can be used to produce mortar according to various standards.

Testing possibilities according to:

a.o. DIN EN 196-1, EN 196-3:2005, EN 413-2, EN 459-2, EN 480 / NF P15-314 / EN ISO 679, DIN 1164, ASTM C 305, Ö-Norm B3310

Model:

MAT colloidal mixer

Brief Description:

The colloidal mixer from MAT is used to produce extremely homogeneous cement paste. The mixing technology ensures very good particle separation and prevents clumping. This leads to an increase of the reactive surface and to an increased overall reactivity.

The production of such particularly homogeneous binder pastes is particularly suitable for pure cement paste tests (for the investigation of certain admixtures or additives) and for the production of mineral foams.

Several concrete mixers are available in the concrete laboratory.

These mixers can be used to develop and test mix designs from laboratory to pilot plant scale.

The Neopor foam generator can be used to produce aqueous foams of various densities.

In combination with cement paste, mineralized foams are produced which can be used, among other things, as insulating material in monolithic construction.

Mineralized foams have a high fire safety and can be easily recycled.

The WiB is working on various concepts for economic and ecological use in different areas of application.

Tests on fresh systems bound with cement or alternative binders (concrete, mortar, glue) are essential for quality control within various test series.

However, these test methods also serve to verify applicability and usability in practice.

The possibilities described here represent a brief outline of the available investigations and test equipment in the concrete and mortar laboratory of the WiB.

In addition to the instrumental testing capabilities, the usual standardized equipment for fresh concrete, fresh mortar and fresh glue testing is also available.

Additional equipment includes:

  • Thermo Scientific viscometer (HAAKE Viscotester 550)
  • Foam generator (Neopor)
  • Standardized equipment for fresh concrete and fresh glue testing

The Vicat device can be used to determine the setting time of cement paste. The setting behavior can be assessed by the penetration of the Vicat needle into a cement paste specimen. The viscosity is assessed via the penetration depth in order to determine the start of setting and the end of setting.

The I-Cal 4000 is an isothermal reaction calorimeter. Up to four channels can be occupied and measured. Reaction calorimetry is used to determine the heat of reaction released. The reaction can be evaluated by its energy release in the form of heat. This is used to determine the heat of hydration under various influences (e.g. addition of various additives).

This calorimeter is specially designed for mortar samples.

The standard-compliant rotational viscometer is used to determine the viscosity of various pastes and liquids. Thus, (cement) pastes can be examined for their workability, shear stress and yield point.

The viscometer can also perform this for non-Newtonian substances, which means that it can also be used in the field of geopolymers.