BRITISH STANDARD

BS 1881-109:
1983
Incorporating
Amendment No.1

Testing concrete
Part 109: Method for making test beams
from fresh concrete

UDC 666.972.017:691.32:620.1

BS 1881-109:1983

Committees responsible for this

British Standard
This British Standard was published under the direction of the Cement,
Gypsum, Aggregates and Quarry Products Standards Committee CAB/-. Its
preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee CAB/4 upon which the
following bodies were represented:
British Aggregate Construction Materials Industries
British Precast Concrete Federation Ltd.
British Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Cement Admixtures Association
Cement and Concrete Association
Cement Makers Federation
Concrete Society Limited
County Surveyors Society
Department of the Environment (Building Research Establishment)
Department of the Environment (PSA)
Department of the Environment (Transport and Road Research Laboratory)
Department of Transport
Electricity Supply Industry in England and Wales
Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors
Greater London Council
Institute of Concrete Technology
Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Highway Engineers
Institution of Municipal Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
Institution of Water Engineers and Scientists
National Federation of Building Trades Employers
Royal institute of British Architects
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Sand and Gravel Association Limited
Society of Chemical Industry
The following bodies were also represented in the drafting of the standard,
through subcommittees and panels:
British Civil Engineering Test Equipment Manufacturers Association Coopted
members
This British Standard, having
been prepared under the
direction of the Cement,
Gypsum, Aggregates and
Quarry Products Standards
Committee, was published
under the authority of the
Board of BSI and comes
into effect on
29 July 1983
BSI 12-1998
The following BSI references
relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference CAB/4
Draft for comment 81/12319 DC
ISBN 0 580 13330 3

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. No.

Date of issue

Comments

6104

July 1989

Indicated by a sideline in the margin

BS 1881-109:1983

Contents
Committees responsible
Foreword
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Scope
Definitions
Apparatus
Sampling
Preparing the sample
Procedure
Report

Publications referred to

BSI 12-1998

Page
Inside front cover
ii
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
Inside back cover

BS 1881-109:1983

Foreword
This Part of this British Standard, prepared under the direction of the Cement,
Gypsum, Aggregates and Quarry Products Standards Committee, is a revision
of 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.7 and 4.8 of BS 1881-3:1970. Together with
Parts 108, 110, 111, 112 and 113, this Part of BS 1881 supersedes
BS 1881-3:1970, Which is withdrawn.
The dimensions and tolerances specified in this Part of this standard comply with
ISO 1920.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 to 4, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on
the inside front cover.
ii

BSI 12-1998

BS 1881-109:1983

1 Scope
This Part of this British Standard describes a
method for making test beams of nominal
sizes 150 mm 150 mm 750 mm long
and 100 mm 100 mm 500 mm long out of fresh
concrete. The method applies to plain and
air-entrained concrete made with lightweight,
normal weight and heavy aggregates having a
nominal maximum size not exceeding 20 mm
for 100 mm 100 mm 500 mm long beams and 40
mm for 150 mm 150 mm 750 mm long beams.
This method does not apply to aerated concrete, very
stiff concrete, which cannot be compacted by
vibration alone, and no-fines concrete.
NOTE The titles of the publications referred to in this standard
are listed on the inside back cover.

2 Definitions
For the purposes of this Part of this British
Standard, the definitions given in BS 5328 and
BS 1881-101 apply.

3 Apparatus
3.1 Mould
3.1.1 Construction and assembly. The sides and
ends of the mould shall be manufactured from
ferrous metal having a hardness value of at least 90
Rockwell (scale B) when determined in accordance
with BS 891. The mould shall include a removable
ferrous metal base plate. All parts of the mould shall
be robust enough to prevent distortion. Before
assembly for use, the joints between the sides and
ends of the mould and between the sides and the
base plate shall be thinly coated with oil or grease to
prevent loss of water. The sides and ends of the
mould when assembled shall be positively located
and the whole assembly rigidly held together in
such a manner as to prevent leakage from the
mould. The internal faces of the assembled mould
shall be thinly coated with release agent to prevent
adhesion of the concrete.
The sides and ends of the mould shall be clearly
marked before use with a reference code to enable
each mould to be correctly assembled and, where
appropriate, the beam to be marked for
identification.
3.1.2 Tolerances on dimensional deviations of new or
refurbished moulds. A new or refurbished mould
shall be accurate within the following limits.
a) Dimensions. The internal depth and width of
the mould when assembled, each based on the
mean of six measurements symmetrically placed
along the axis of the mould, shall be
either 100 0.15 mm or 150 0.15 mm.

BSI 12-1998

b) Flatness. Excluding any indentations resulting

from the hardness test, the flatness tolerances
(see BS 308-3) for each internal side face when
assembled shall be 0.03 mm wide over any length
equal to the depth of the mould and 0.3 mm wide
for the whole length of the mould. The flatness
tolerance for the end faces shall be 0.03 mm wide
and for the joint faces, for the bottom surface of
the assembled mould sides and ends and for the
top surface of the base plate shall be 0.06 mm
wide over any length equal to the depth of the
mould and 0.6 mm over the whole length of the
mould.
NOTE The flatness tolerances can be checked by using a
straightedge complying with grade A of BS 5204-2 and feeler
gauges complying with BS 957.

c) Squareness. When assembled, the squareness

tolerances (squareness 4 of BS 308-3) for each
internal side face with respect to both end faces
and the top of the base plate as datum faces shall
be 0.5 mm wide.
d) Parallelism. When assembled, the parallelism
tolerance (parallelism 4 of BS 308-3) for the top
surface of the mould with respect to the top
surface of the base plate as datum face shall
be 1.0 mm wide.
3.1.3 Tolerances on dimensions and flatness of
moulds in use. A mould shall be refurbished or
discarded when any dimensional deviation given
in 3.1.2 exceeds twice the tolerance specified for a
new mould.
NOTE Compliance with the tolerances on dimensions and
flatness applicable to moulds in use should be checked at least
once a year and when there is any cause to suspect that the
dimensions of the mould may not be within the specified limits.
The flatness over the full length of the side face can be checked
using a straightedge complying with grade A of BS 5204-2 and
feeler gauges complying with BS 957.
The flatness for any length of each internal face equal to the
depth of the mould can be checked by a similar method or by use
of an assembly comprising two fixed reference points and a
central movable reference point, all three of which can be placed
in contact with the surface. The central reference point should be
linked to a calibrated dial gauge, complying with BS 907, which
indicates the distance of the third point from the line joining the
two fixed reference points.
Checks on the flatness should be made in several directions on
the unassembled individual parts and on assembled sides to
ensure that the flatness is within the required tolerance in any
direction everywhere along the length of the mould.
If the dial gauge assembly is used, suitable spacings between the
fixed reference points are 80 mm and 120 mm for 100 mm
and 150 mm moulds respectively. In such cases the flatness
requirement of 0.06 mm for the internal side faces and ends of
moulds in use is equivalent to a deviation of the movable
reference points from the line joining the two fixed reference
points of 0.04 mm.
The corresponding value when using a dial gauge assembly to
check the flatness of joint faces or of the top surface of the base
plate over any length up to the depth of the mould is 0.08 min.

BS 1881-109:1983

3.1.4 Surface texture of internal side and end faces.

The surface texture of each internal side and end
face shall not exceed 3.2 m Ra when determined in
accordance with BS 1134.
NOTE The internal faces of moulds usually become smoother
with use but the surfaces should be checked annually and at any
time that the internal surfaces appear to have been roughened or
damaged. (Accurate examples of different surface textures
complying with BS 2643-1 permit tactile estimation of the
surface texture.)

3.2 Scoop, approximately 100 mm wide.

3.3 Compacting bar or vibrator. Compacting bar
made from iron or steel weighing 1.8 0.1 kg, at
least 380 mm long and having a ramming
face 25.0 0.5 mm square, or a vibrating hammer or
table suitable for compacting the concrete in
accordance with 6.2 or 6.3.
3.4 Plasterers steel float
3.5 Sampling tray, minimum
dimensions 900 mm 900 mm 50 mm deep and of
sufficient capacity to accommodate and allow
mixing of the concrete required for a set of test
beams, of rigid construction and made from a
non-absorbent material not readily attacked by
cement paste.
3.6 Square mouthed shovel, size 2 in accordance
with BS 3388.

4 Sampling
Obtain the sample of fresh concrete by the
procedure given in BS 1881-101 or BS 1881-125.
Commence making the beam as soon as possible
after sampling.

5 Preparing the sample

Empty the sample from the container(s) on to the
sampling tray. Ensure that no more than a light
covering of slurry is left adhering to the
container(s).
Thoroughly mix the sample by shovelling it to form
a cone on the sampling tray and turning this over
with the shovel to form a new cone, the operation
being carried out three times. When forming the
cones, deposit each shovelful of the material on the
apex of the cone so that the portions which slide
down the sides are distributed as evenly as possible
and so that the centre of the cone is not displaced.
Flatten the third cone by repeated vertical insertion
of the shovel across the apex of the cone, lifting the
shovel clear of the concrete after each insertion.

b) Mixing the sample. The coning procedure is not suitable for

very high workability concrete and the following alternative
method of mixing is recommended. Having poured the
concrete on to the sampling tray, use the shovel to turn the
concrete from the outside toward the centre, working
progressively round all sides of the sampling tray.

CAUTION. When cement is mixed with water,

alkali is released. Take precautions to avoid dry
cement entering the eyes, mouth and nose when
mixing concrete. Prevent skin contact with wet
cement or concrete by wearing suitable protective
clothing. If cement or concrete enters the eye,
immediately wash it out thoroughly with clean
water and seek medical treatment without delay.
Wash wet concrete off the skin immediately.

6 Procedure
6.1 Filling the mould. Place the mould on a rigid
horizontal surface or on the vibrating table and fill
with concrete in such a way as to remove as much
entrapped air as possible (without significantly
reducing the amount of entrained air, if present)
and to produce full compaction of the concrete with
neither excessive segregation nor laitance. For this
purpose, by means of the scoop, place the concrete in
the mould in layers approximately 50 mm deep and
compact each layer by using either the compacting
bar or the vibrator in the manner described in 6.2
or 6.3. After the top layer has been compacted,
smooth it level with the top of the mould, using the
plasterers float, and wipe clean the outside of the
mould.
6.2 Compacting with compacting bar. When
compacting each layer with the compacting bar,
distribute the strokes of the compacting bar in a
uniform manner over the cross-section of the mould,
and ensure that the compacting bar does not
penetrate significantly any previous layer nor
forcibly strike the bottom of the mould when
compacting the first layer. The number of strokes
per layer required to produce full compaction will
depend upon the workability of the concrete but in
no case shall the concrete be subjected to less
than 150 strokes per layer for 150 mm specimens
or 100 strokes per layer for 100 mm specimens,
except in the case of very high workability concrete.
Record the number of strokes.

NOTE The following modifications to the mixing procedures

may be necessary when preparing samples of very high
workability concrete (e.g. superplasticized concrete) for test.
a) Sampling tray. The vertical lips on the edges of the tray
may have to be larger to contain the sample without spillage
during mixing.

BSI 12-1998

BS 1881-109:1983

6.3 Compacting with vibrator. When compacting

each layer by means of the hammer or vibrating
table use applied vibration of the minimum
duration necessary to achieve full compaction of the
concrete. Over-vibration may cause excessive
segregation and laitance or loss of entrained air, if
present. The required duration of vibration will
depend upon the workability of the concrete and the
effectiveness of the vibrator and vibration shall
cease as soon as the surface of the concrete becomes
relatively smooth and has a glazed appearance.
Record the duration of vibration.

7 Report

7.2.2 Optional information. If requested the

following information shall be included in the test
report:
a) name of project and place where concrete used;
b) name of supplier and source of concrete;
c) date and time of production of concrete or
delivery to site;
d) specification of concrete mix (e.g. strength
grade);
e) workability of concrete;
f) air content of concrete (if air-entrained);
g) age(s) at which beams are to be tested.

7.1 General. The report shall affirm that the beams

were made in accordance with this Part of this
British Standard. The report shall state whether or
not a certificate of sampling is available. If
available, a copy of the certificate shall be provided.
7.2 Information to be included in the test
report
7.2.1 Mandatory information. The following
information shall be included in the test report:
a) date, time and place of sampling and sample
identity number;
b) time and place of making beams;
c) number and nominal size of beams;
d) method of compaction (hand or vibration)
including type of equipment used and number of
strokes of the compacting bar or duration of
vibration;
e) identification number or codes of beams;
f) name of person making beams;
g) certificate that the beams were made in
accordance with this Part of this standard.

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blank

BS 1881-109:1983

Publications referred to
BS 308, Engineering drawing practice.
BS 308-3, Geometrical tolerancing.
BS 891, Methods for hardness test (Rockwell method) and for verification of hardness testing machines
(Rockwell method).
BS 907, Specification for dial gauges for linear measurement.
BS 957, Specification for feeler gauges.
BS 1134, Method for the assessment of surface texture.
BS 1881, Methods of testing concrete.
BS 1881-101, Method of sampling fresh concrete on site.
BS 1881-108, Method for making test cubes from fresh concrete1).
BS 1881-110, Method for making test cylinders from fresh concrete1).
BS 1881-111, Method of normal curing of test specimens (20 C method)1).
BS 1881-112, Methods of accelerated curing of test cubes1).
BS 1881-113, Method for making and curing no-fines test cubes1).
BS 1881-125, Methods for mixing and sampling fresh concrete in the laboratory.
BS 2634, Specification for roughness comparison specimens.
BS 2634-1, Specification for turned, ground, bored, milled, shaped and planed specimens.
BS 3388, Forks, shovels and spades.
BS 5204, Specification for straightedges.
BS 5204-2, Steel or granite straightedges of rectangular section.
BS 5328, Methods for specifying concrete, including ready-mixed concrete.
ISO 1920, Concrete tests Dimensions, tolerances and applicability of test specimens1).

1) Referred

to in the foreword only.

BSI 12-1998

BSI
389 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 4AL

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