Lab Work Repair & Maintenance

Rebound Hammer Test

Code: ASTM C-805
Significance and Use:
Rebound hammer test (Schmidt Hammer) is used to provide a convenient and rapid indication
of the compressive strength of concrete.
The rebound hammer test method is used for the following purposes:
• To find out the likely compressive strength of concrete with the help of suitable co-
relations between rebound index and compressive strength.
• To assess the uniformity of concrete.
• To assess the quality of concrete in relation to standard requirements.
• To assess the quality of one element of concrete in relation to another.
Scope:
This test method covers the determination of a rebound number of hardened concrete using a spring-
driven steel hammer. The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately
as standard.

Related Theory:
Introduction:
The standard method of determining strength of hardened concrete consists of testing concrete cubes in
compression. The quality of entire concrete of a structure cannot be fully assessed by testing a few
concrete cubes. The results obtained in testing cubes do not always reflect the actual strength of concrete
in construction. In a whole day, concreting work cubes are cast in a few batches, the differences
(unintentional and intentional) in the composition are not uncommon, their compaction and their
hardening conditions always differ more or less from those of the structure. In addition, the number of
test cubes is generally so small that they can only be considered as random tests. Sometimes, in case of
failure of cubes, doubtful concrete, cracks, deterioration of concrete, etc. it becomes necessary to assess
the quality and strength of concrete of the structure.

Rebound Hammer:
A handy non-destructive testing instrument should be cheap, easy to operate and should have
reproducibility for, fairly accurate results. In 1948, a Swiss Engineer, Ernst Schmidt developed a test
hammer for measuring the hardness of concrete by the rebound principle.
In spite of its popularity, this testing has not been standardized in any country till 1970 except in Bulgaria.
In 1971, the British Standards Institution Standardized this test in recommendation for “Non-Destructive
Methods of Test for Concrete” part 4 surface hardness methods. ASTM issued a tentative standard in 1975
“Tentative Method of Test for Rebound Number of Hardened Concrete” (ASTM C 805: 75 T), and in 1979
ASTM standard of this test was issued “Test for Rebound Number of Hardened Concrete” (ASTM: C805-
1979).
Description:
The hammer consists of a spring controlled mass that slides on a plunger within a tubular housing. When
the plunger is pressed against the surface of concrete, it retracts against the force of the spring. When
completely retracted, the spring is automatically released. On the spring controlled mass rebound, it takes

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Lab Work Repair & Maintenance

the rider with it along the guide scale. By pushing a button, the rider can be held in position to allow
readings to be taken.
Calibration:
Each hammer is furnished with a calibration chart supplied by the manufacturer. This calibration chart can
be used only when material and testing conditions are similar to those in effect when the calibration of
the instrument was carried out. Each hammer varies considerably in performance and needs calibration
for use on concrete made with aggregates produced from a specific source. A practical procedure for
calibration of the hammer for use on a job in progress is outlined below:
• Prepare a number of cubes covering the strength to be encountered on the job. Use the same
cement and aggregates as are to be used on the job. The cubes should be preferably as large a
mass as possible in order to minimize the size effect on the test results of a full-scale structure.
150 mm cube specimens are preferred. The cube size must be increased with the increase of
hammer impact energy. For hammer impact energy of 0.225 kgm, 150 mm cubes size will be quite
sufficient, but for hammer of 3 kgm impact energy the cube size shall not be less than 300 mm.
• After the curing, period the cubes should be removed from wet storage to the laboratory
atmosphere for about 24 hours before testing. It may be noted that the strength of wet-tested
cubes will be normally 10% lower than that of dry tested cubes.
• After cleaning the faces of the cubes, they should be gripped in the compression testing machine
under a load of 7 N/mm2 (15.75 Tones for 150 mm cubes), when the impact energy of the hammer
is about 2.2 Nm. The load should be increased for calibration rebound hammer of greater impact
energy and decreased for calibrating rebound hammer of lesser impact energy.
• At least nine hammer readings should be taken on each of the two vertical faces accessible in the
compression testing machine. The points of impact on the specimen should not be nearer on edge
than 20 mm and should be not less than 20 mm from each other. The same points must not be
impacted more than once.
• Immediately after taking the hammer readings, the cube should be tested to its ultimate load.
• Repeat this procedure for all cubes.
• After discarding the extreme values, average the reading of all the individual cubes and call this
the rebound number.
• Calibration is an important stage in the use of every apparatus. The errors of the apparatus and
the accuracy in determining the strength of concrete by non-destructive methods depend on
proper calibration. Calibration should, therefore, be carried out with great care and on a larger
number of specimens. It is interesting to note that 700 to 1000 tests are needed to plot calibration
curves for rebound hammer.
Testing of A Structure:
A concrete test hammer of impact energy of 2.207 N.m (0.225 kgm) is quite suitable for testing concrete
in ordinary building and bridge construction. The procedure for testing a concrete structure is given below:
• All members and points of a concrete structure selected for testing should be marked for
identification, they should also be in dry condition.
• Testing should be conducted on surfaces that are smooth and uniform, preferably surfaces
created by casting against a form. Avoid rough spots, honey-comb or porous areas. Free or
troweled surface may also be satisfactory if appropriate corrections are applied or a special
calibration is prepared. If loosely adhering scale, plaster work or coating is present, this should be
rubbed off with a grinding wheel or stone.

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• For concrete section, less than 100 mm thick, the rebound of the hammer will be affected by the
elastic deformation of the section, and it should be backed up by a heavy mass placed on the back
side.
• At each of selected points, made smooth and clean, take six rebound readings. For each reading
shift the hammer 25 mm and take care not to rebound the same spot twice. The point of impact
should be at least 20 mm away from any edge or sharp discontinuity. Small air pockets near the
surface under the point of impact cause low rebound, on the other hand, immediately over a hard
aggregate the impact will result in a high rebound.
• The usual directions of test are either horizontal or vertically down, but any direction of test can
be used as long as it is consistent. Calibration or corrections for a given direction of test are
supplied with the hammer or can be derived.
• The rebound values usually are considered reliable when at least six readings deviate not more
than +2.5 to 3.5 on the impact scale. The compressive strength is then determined by taking
average of rebound reading.

• Compressive strength of the concrete can be determined from the relationship between the
rebound number and the strength given by the curve. For reliable results the calibration curve
shall be derived from the given set of materials and conditions. If cubes are available from the
structure to be tested, the hammer should be checked first on Anvil then upon these cubes, if
need be the hammer should be adjusted accordingly and re-checked for satisfactory performance.
If it is found that hammer performance is doubtful, the hammer should be changed.

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Factors Influencing the Results:

Type of cement:
Concrete made of high alumina cement can give strengths up to 100% higher, whereas supersulphated
cement concrete can give 50% lower strength compared to a calibration obtained on Portland cement
cubes. It is necessary to recalibrate the hammer for different types of cement.
Type of aggregate:
Gravel and most crushed rocks give similar correlations, but lightweight aggregates and aggregates with
unusual properties require special calibration. Surface and internal moisture condition of the concrete.
This method of testing is applied only on close textured concrete. Open texture concrete typical of
masonry blocks, `honeycombed’ concrete, or no fines concrete cannot be tested using this method.

Troweled and floated surfaces as in floors, are harder than molded surfaces and in most cases, will tend
to overestimate the strength.

A wet surface will give rise to under-estimated of the strength of concrete calibrated under dry conditions.
This influence can be considerable and in structural concrete it is about 10% lower on wet surfaces than
on an equivalent dry surface.

Age of concrete:
In very old and dry concrete the surface will be harder than the interior, giving rebound values somewhat
higher than normal. New concrete with moist surface generally has a relatively softer surface, resulting in
lower than normal rebound.
Carbonation of concrete surface:
Surface carbonation of concrete significantly affect the rebound hammer test results. In old concrete
where the carbonation layer can be up to 20 mm thick, the strength may be overestimated by 50%.
Limits:
Testing concrete by test hammer has its own limitations. If all factors are taken into consideration the
strength of concrete in a structure may be determined within an accuracy of +15%. The concrete test
hammer is an excellent tool in the hands of experts. The operation of the hammer is very simple, yet it is
not so simple as to entrust this tool to a raw hand for taking readings of a structure. Its operation,
calibration, taking readings of a concrete structure, analysis and interpretation of the test data must
always be carried out by specialists trained for this purpose.

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Lab Work Repair & Maintenance

M Zubair Mirza 2013-BT-Civil-15

Lab Work Repair & Maintenance

M Zubair Mirza 2013-BT-Civil-15

Lab Work Repair & Maintenance

Calculation:
Sr # Wall of B-Block
Compressive
Rebound no.
strength (Mpa)
1 22 18
2 22 18
3 28 29
4 22 18
5 23 21
6 28 29
7 27 28
8 28 29
9 25 25
10 27 28
Avg. 25

Comment:
From this job, we compute the compressive strength of different objects which are made of concrete. But
here, we compute the compressive strength on the walls of B-block. From Rebound Hammer Number, we
compute the compressive strength at different places of concrete object and from this we came to know
about the stability of that object and also know that the maintenance is required or not. Here results show
that repair or maintenance is required urgently.

M Zubair Mirza 2013-BT-Civil-15