Hello, everyone.

This is Enta.

You often see test mixes being done at construction sites run by NEXCO or the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, right?

We’ve submitted a mix design—will that mix actually achieve the required strength?

This is a test to determine whether the criteria are met.

 

There are some reasons why people tend to fail more often than you might expect, so I’d like to write about them.

1. It feels kind of hard.

2. It feels kind of soft.

3. Lack of strength

4. Not included in the Mad Balance values

This is the kind of thing that happens.

The reason for this is actually pretty simple: I just haven't practiced enough, lol.

 

When I write it this way, people tend to think, “Is this cheating?” but that’s not the case.

Since trial runs are often conducted in surprisingly small batches, the craftsmen and supervisors aren't used to working with those quantities.

Even something that would be perfectly fine if done in the proper amount can turn out strange when the amount changes.

The question is: Is practicing with small amounts—that is, is your measuring method correct?

 

And when the quantity decreases, quality becomes a very critical issue.

To put it simply, adding just about 500 cc of water makes a big difference. The smaller the total volume, the more noticeable the effect—whether it’s making it harder or softer.

SoThe most important thing when making test dough is water!

Meaning to measure the amount of water accurately.

 

It's fine to measure with a bucket, but aren't you measuring by the measurement line marked inside the bucket? lol

That's just a rough guide!

You shouldn't trust that.

I used to mess up a lot with that, too, lol.

Even if the measurement line is pretty accurate, it would look suspicious if it were slanted, right?

That's why I use a scale.

You don't need a precision scale on site, but it's still much better than a bucket.

We have this at home, so we use it.

It's a scale from a reputable measuring instrument company, after all! I trust it a little bit! lol

 

Please use this to measure the amount of water.

I think doing so will allow you to practice for the exam with a certain degree of accuracy.

 

See you later.