Mobile Concrete Research Lab
The CP Tech Center's Mobile Concrete Research Lab
Flow table testing to determine early stiffening properties
Testing the air void system of fresh concrete using the air void analyzer
The CP Tech Center’s Mobile Concrete Research Lab brings high-tech concrete materials and concrete pavement testing capabilities to the field. The 44-foot-long trailer has been custom built and fully outfitted with equipment capable of performing a comprehensive suite of tests.
The mobile lab’s advanced research capabilities are expected to lead to many benefits for the FHWA, state DOTs, and ultimately the traveling public. The results of the lab’s research will help transportation agencies better understand concrete material properties and interactions and improve quality-control testing during construction. The lab will also lead to critical advancements and improved practices for the concrete paving industry.
Lab Sponsors
- American Concrete Pavement Association
- Concrete & Aggregates Association of Louisiana
- Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota
- Indiana Chapter ACPA
- Iowa Concrete Paving Association
- Iowa State University
- Michigan Concrete Paving Association
- Missouri/Kansas Chapter ACPA
- Nebraska Concrete Paving Association
- North Dakota Chapter ACPA
- Northeast Chapter ACPA
- Ohio Concrete Construction Association
- Oklahoma/Arkansas Chapter ACPA
- South Dakota Chapter ACPA
- Southeast Chapter ACPA
- Wisconsin Concrete Pavement Association
Lab Equipment and Capabilities
- Sieves/sieve shakers to determine coarse & fine aggregate gradations
- Mortar penetrometer for set time of mortar (ASTM C 403)
- Vicat consistency apparatus to test early stiffening
- Insulated container for heat evolution quick test (early stiffening of cement and fly ash)
- Flow table for early stiffening flow table test (Dan Johnston method; modified ASTM C 1437)
- Slump cone for inverted slump test
- 2 iQdrum calorimeters to determine heat signature of mortar & concrete
- Infrared noncontact temperature measuring device (thermo gun) to measure concrete temperature and base temperature
- 250,000-lb-capacity concrete compression tester with molds to measure compressive & flexural strength development
- Jig for splitting tensile test
- Microwave oven to determine water-to-cement ratios
- Concrete maturity loggers (Command Center & intelliRock Systems)
- Air void analyzer (AVA) with isolation base and sample collection equipment to measure air void system of fresh concrete
- 2 pressure meters to measure air content of fresh concrete using pressure method (ASTM C 231)
- 50-kg scale & 0.1-g balance to measure air content of fresh concrete using unit weight test
- Foam index test for air entrainment
- Davis Vantage Pro full-time weather station and Kestrel handheld weather station for weather conditions
- 2 wireless laptop computers with global position system (GPS) and HIPERPAV software
- Hobart paste/mortar mixer
- 60”x24”x21” temperature-controlled curing tank
- Cordless hammer drill
- Cell phones & wireless internet access
- Digital camera
- Large screen projector
- 2’x4’ portable work table
