Whether you’re a civil engineer, a site supervisor, or a materials technician, one thing is certain — testing matters.
And when it comes to concrete and aggregates, no testing standard is more widely accepted than ASTM. From workability and strength to durability and mix design data, ASTM tests give us the numbers we need to make smart, safe decisions.
In this post, you’ll find a comprehensive, growing list of commonly used ASTM tests in concrete technology. Each one broken down with its purpose, equipment, procedure, calculations, and field relevance.
You can click on any test below to explore a full article that walks through it in clear, real-world language (not just lab jargon).
🧱 Aggregate Tests
| Test | Link |
|---|---|
| ASTM C29 – Rodded Unit Weight of Coarse Aggregates | Read Article |
| ASTM C127 – Specific Gravity & Absorption of Coarse Aggregate | Read Article |
| ASTM C128 – Specific Gravity & Absorption of Fine Aggregate | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C131 – Los Angeles Abrasion Test | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C136 – Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C142 – Clay Lumps and Friable Particles | [Coming Soon] |
🧪 Cement & Mortar Tests
| Test | Link |
|---|---|
| ASTM C109 – Compressive Strength of Cement Mortars | Read Article |
| ASTM C90 – Tensile Strength of Cement Mortars | Read Article |
| ASTM C191 – Vicat Needle (Setting Time) | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C204 – Fineness of Cement by Air Permeability | [Coming Soon] |
🧱 Concrete Tests (Fresh & Hardened)
| Test | Link |
|---|---|
| ASTM C39 – Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C78 – Flexural Strength (Third-Point Loading) | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C143 – Slump Test | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C231 – Air Content by Pressure Method | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C173 – Air Content by Volumetric Method | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C805 – Rebound Hammer Test (Surface Hardness) | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C469 – Modulus of Elasticity and Poisson’s Ratio | [Coming Soon] |
| ASTM C496 – Splitting Tensile Strength of Cylinders | [Coming Soon] |
🧪 Durability and Advanced Testing
| Test | Link |
|---|---|
| ASTM C1202 – Rapid Chloride Permeability Test (RCPT) | Read Article |
| SEM Analysis – Microstructural Evaluation of Concrete | Read Article |
| XRD – Mineralogical Analysis of Cementitious Systems | [Coming Soon] |
| MIP – Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry | [Coming Soon] |
Why This Series?
Too many engineers rely on half-remembered lab procedures or overly academic explanations. This series is built to be practical, clear, and usable — whether you’re brushing up before a field test, training junior engineers, or revisiting mix design fundamentals.
Each article aims to answer:
- What’s the purpose of this test?
- What tools do I need?
- What are the real steps — not just the standard wording?
- How do I interpret the results?
- When is it most useful in real projects?
Want a Specific Test Next?
We are adding new tests regularly based on requests and priority. If there’s a specific ASTM test you’d like to see covered sooner, let us know here or drop a comment on any of the individual posts.