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Engineering Materials Laboratory

Located on the ground floor of Building 1, this spacious facility is fully equipped for casting structural elements and performing routine quality tests on concrete and its constituent materials.

Room: 106 Floor: 1, Building: 1, BUBT Main Campus

Capacity: 35 Students

Compression Testing Machine (CTM), Vicat Apparatus, Standard Sieve Set & Sieve Shaker, Portable Concrete Mixer, Concrete Cylinder & Cube Molds, Slump Cone & Tamping Rod, Laboratory Drying Oven, Digital Weighing Balance, Mortar Cube Molds & Vibrating Table

About This Facility

Engineering Materials Laboratory

Department of Civil Engineering | BUBT

📌 Introduction

The Engineering Materials Laboratory is a fundamental undergraduate facility of the Department of Civil Engineering at BUBT. This laboratory is dedicated to the experimental evaluation of the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of primary construction materials. It provides students with critical practical exposure to testing materials like cement, fine and coarse aggregates, bricks, and concrete. The practical work conducted here bridges the gap between classroom lectures in Engineering Materials and the real-world quality control, mix design, and material selection standards used in the construction industry.

🎯 Objectives

Introduce students to standard experimental testing procedures (such as ASTM, AASHTO, and BSTI) for evaluating construction materials.
Provide hands-on experience in operating key apparatus like the Vicat apparatus, sieve shakers, and concrete compression machines.
Enable students to determine physical properties of aggregates (fineness modulus, specific gravity, absorption) and concrete (workability, compressive strength).
Train students in designing concrete mixes to meet specific strength and durability requirements.
Develop skills in systematic laboratory data recording, analysis of material behavior, and technical report writing.

Associated Course: CE 1216: Engineering Materials Sessional

🧪 Major Experiments

Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates (Fineness Modulus)
Specific Gravity and Absorption Capacity of Aggregates
Unit Weight and Voids of Aggregates
Normal Consistency of Cement (Vicat Method)
Initial and Final Setting Times of Cement
Compressive Strength of Cement Mortar Cubes
Slump Test of Fresh Concrete (Workability)
Preparation and Casting of Concrete Cylinders/Cubes
Compressive Strength Testing of Concrete Specimens
Absorption and Compressive Strength Test of Bricks

🛠️ Major Equipment

Compression Testing Machine (CTM)
Vicat Apparatus
Standard Sieve Set & Sieve Shaker
Portable Concrete Mixer
Concrete Cylinder & Cube Molds
Slump Cone & Tamping Rod
Laboratory Drying Oven
Digital Weighing Balance
Mortar Cube Molds & Vibrating Table

🎓 Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the sessional laboratory course, students will be able to:

Execute standard testing methods correctly to determine the physical and mechanical properties of civil engineering materials.
Design concrete mixes of targeted compressive strengths using local aggregates, cement, and water.
Evaluate the quality and suitability of concrete ingredients, bricks, and cement for field construction based on testing standards.
Analyze experimental data mathematically to draft professional material testing reports.