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Strength and Density Using the Electronic Worksheet

Strength and Density Using the Electronic Worksheet

Owned by Mark Elkomos
Sept 21, 2021

QEST Platform 5.0 Documentation
Applies to QESTLab 


Data entry methods for concrete strength and density test results using the Concrete Specimen Electronic Worksheet for US customers, and others using US test methods.

Contents

Overview

  • QESTLab provides an electronic worksheet for entering test data for all specimens for a particular date, regardless of project
  • Like the Concrete Sample (US) screen, the electronic worksheet contains a version of the  concrete specimen grid to provide for the data entry of laboratory concrete test results.
  • The electronic worksheet may be used to enter data directly into QESTLab during testing or to enter data written on a printed daily worksheet.
  • It is important to realize that data entered for specimens on the electronic worksheet is stored with that sample and reported on the concrete test report.
  • The worksheet is simply a convenient way to enter data for multiple samples.

Structure of the Electronic Worksheet


Equipment Fields

Equipment

For equipment to be available for selection in equipment dropdown boxes, the equipment item must first be created in QESTLab's Equipment list.  Refer to article Creating Equipment.

Equipment details for each specimen can be recorded using the following field.

Equipment Prompt

Expected Information

Measure Using

Select an equipment item from the dropdown list of suitable equipment for determining the physical dimensions of the test specimen.

The contents of this list can vary depending on the specimen type (see below).

Measuring Equipment

Select an equipment item from the dropdown list of available equipment that matches the Measure Using selection.

Balance

Select a balance from the dropdown list of available laboratory balances.

Framing Square

Select a framing square from the dropdown list of available framing squares.

Testing Machine

Select a testing machine from the dropdown list of available testing machines.


Specimen Type

Measure Using

Cylinder

  • Caliper
  • Manual Jig
  • Measure
  • Measuring Station
Core
  • Caliper
  • Manual Jig
  • Measure

Beam

  • Caliper
  • Measure

Cube

  • Caliper
  • Measure

These fields can be accessed in two ways:

  1. The fields above the grid will set the selected equipment items as the default for every specimen. That is, all the specimens will have the same equipment items recorded against them, when data is entered for each specimen.

    Pre-existing Equipment

    If a specimen already has an equipment item entered, entering or changing its data will cause all the existing equipment items to be overwritten by the selected default values.

  2. Ticking the Show Equipment box will display the Equipment fields in the grid. This will allow the equipment items to be individually entered or edited for each specimen.
    Data for specimens, where the equipment item was changed. can be changed without overwriting of the equipment items, as long as no default values for equipment have been selected.

Bulk Selection Functions

Bulk selection of Measured By and Tested By is possible on the electronic worksheet. Buttons for both are present directly above the specimen grid.

When one of these buttons is clicked, users will be prompted to confirm that the selected action (and person) is to be applied to all specimens that meet the requirements for that operation.

  • Only measured specimens will get their Measured By set. All available dimensions and masses must be entered for the the specimen to be measured.
    There are exceptions, such as when concrete masonry units (CMUs) have incomplete web thickness measurements. Refer to the Optional Features section for more details.
  • Only tested specimens will get their Tested By set. These specimens are any specimen with a strength result, or any non-strength tested specimen (e.g. density only, or net area analysis, specimens).
  • If any specimens already has Measured By or Tested By set, then the user will be prompted whether to overwrite the respective field, or not.

Specimen Registration Fields

For most specimens, these fields will normally contain all the required information prior to the date of testing, as part of the sample registration process.

Test Data and Results Fields

For further details about these fields, refer to the Concrete Sample (US) screen, as they are identical to the corresponding fields there.

One exception is the Requ Str field which is not present in the specimen grid of the Concrete Sample (US) screen.

Field PromptExpected Information
Requ Str

The Requ Str (Required or Specified Strength) of the sample at the acceptance age.

This field is read only and the value is imported from the field Req. Strength (psi)on the Mix Data tab of the Concrete Sample (US) screen.

Any specimen whose age is greater or equal to the acceptance age and has a strength less than the Req. Strength will be highlighted in red text and is flagged out of specification.

Requ Str field is missing?

When the option 1421804104 is set to True, the Requ Str field is removed from the grid and the Req, Strength value is displayed in the Sample Details panel as F'c.


Administration Fields

These fields are applicable to all specimen types.

Field PromptExpected Information
Print

Select Yes or No to determine whether the test results for this specimen will appear on the test report.
Default = Yes.

Result missing on Report?

If the Concrete Test Report option Show Checked Results is set to "Yes" and the specimen is not marked as checked, the strength will not appear on the test report.

ChargeSelect Yes or No to determine whether the charge for this specimen will be included in the automatic generation of charges for this sample.
Default = Yes.
Charge To Plant

Select Yes or No to determine whether this specimen will be charged to the plant instead of the client for this sample group.
This requires that the plant has an entry in the QESTLab client list. 
Default = No.

Usage

This field is only used by Concrete Producers for internal billing processes and is not applicable to Concrete Testers.

Extern SampSelect Yes if the specimen was sampled externally.
Default = No.
Extern CompSelect Yes if the specimen was strength tested (compressed) externally.
The strength and density results will be able to be directly entered when tested externally.
Default = No.
Measured ByA dropdown list to select the name of the person who measured this specimen. 
The names visible will depend on the rights of the user.
Tested ByA dropdown list to select the name of the person testing the specimen.
The names visible will depend on the rights of the user.
Typically this is the person operating the testing machine, when the specimen was tested.
Checked By

A dropdown list to select the name of the person who checked the results for this specimen.
The names visible will depend on the rights of the user.

Consequences of checking a specimen

  • Checking complete specimens locks them from further changes.
  • Only a supervisor can alter data of a specimen after the results have been checked.
  • If the compression report is signed then the results cannot be altered.

Calculated Fields

  • These fields are not visible on the screen but are calculated from data entered into the grid and stored in the database. They are typically used when it becomes time to generate reports and can also affect the appearance of values in the specimen grid.
  • When sufficient raw test data is entered, QESTLab calculates the strength and (if required) density results for each specimen and displays these values in the grid.
  • Additionally, the following is also calculated: Sample average strength - The average strength results for specimens of a certain type and age are calculated and stored in the database (eg. the average 28 day strength for COMP100 specimens). This is done for each sample.

Site Cured Specimens

  • The average strength calculated at the acceptance age or at any compliance age will not include the compressive strength of site cured specimens, regardless of whether they are at the acceptance or compliance age. 
  • If a compliance age is set but no specimens exist at that age other than site cured specimens, then the compliance age average strength grouping will not show.

Additional Fields

Additional Fields are defined as fields that are not visible in the Specimen Grid under the default settings but can be added by the user/customer.

Concrete Cylinder Density


The presence/absence of these fields is controlled by the Dens? field. They are only visible if Dens? = Yes.

Field Prompt Expected InformationUnits Category
Wgt

Weight (Mass) of test specimen prior to strength testing.

lbTest Data
Subm WgtSubmerged Weight (Mass) of test specimen prior to strength testing.lbTest Data
Dens

Calculated result

Density of specimen based on specimen weight and calculated volume.
The method used to calculate the volume depends on the results provided for weight and submerged weight:

  • Value for weight input, no value for submerged weight → volume calculated from physical measurements (ASTM C39 paragraph 9.3.1).
  • Values for both weight and submerged weight input → volume calculated from loss of weight in water (ASTM C39 paragraph 9.3.2).
lb/ft3Test Data

Site Cured Specimens


Identifying Site Cured Specimens

Ideally, specimens undergoing site curing should be marked as such as part of the sample registration process. If not, they can be marked as site cured at the time of receipt or testing.

When the letter "S" is entered into the Std Cure field of a specimen, the number of days is replaced with the word Site and extra fields, Date Received and Req Str, are added to the specimen grid.

The behavior of some of the other fields is also modified.

  • The Date Received field for the site cured specimen is editable. and the required strength (Site Cure Str), set on the sample Mix Data tab, is copied into the Req Str field.
  • If a strength result of a site cured specimen is less than either of the required strengths (Req Strength or Site Cure Str), the result is not highlighted in red.

  • Regardless of its age, if a site cured specimen meets or exceeds the site cured required strength, the value in the required strength column (Req Str) will be highlighted in green.

    Except when ...

    If the option 1421804104 is set to True, then the value in the required strength column (Req Str) will be highlighted as Bold.


In this example Req Strength@ 28 days = 3000 psi and Site Cure Str= 3030 psi

Field Prompt Expected InformationUnits Category
Date Received

Date formatted text.

Date specimen is received in the laboratory.

Editable if specimen is site cured, otherwise copied from the Date Received field on the Field Data tab and locked.

DateTest Data
Req Str

Read only

If specimen is site cured, the value is copied from Site Cure Str field on the Mix Data tab, otherwise is blank.

Visibility

This field is only visible in the grid when a site cured specimen is selected.

psiTest Data

Work Order ID

If required, each specimen can have its Work Order ID displayed in the grid. The global option 1421804104 activates this field on the electronic worksheet.

Field Prompt Expected Information
Work Order ID

Automatically imports work order ID for specimen from the appropriate Concrete Sample (US) screen.

Field is locked on the worksheet.


Optional Features

Options

The options discussed in this section are general system options in the QEST Platform. These affect the operation of the system as a whole where changing the option changes the functionality for everyone using an instance of the QEST Platform. As a result, the ability to change these options is limited to users with the System Administrator right.

These options can be accessed via QEST Admin Console >> Lab >> Configuration >> Options >> Concrete/QCS/QWS

OptionDescription
Disable Specimen Test Data After Tested

Restricts who can change test data once the person responsible has been selected. 

True

  • Dimension and weight measurement fields will be locked after the Measured By person is selected unless the logged in user has the general Lab Supervisor permission.
  • If a Measured By person is selected before all, or any, of the dimensions and weight are entered, non-supervisors will not be able to add any more values for that specimen.
  • Once selected, the Measure By person can only be changed by a user with the general Lab Supervisor permission.
  • Load field will be locked after Tested By person is selected, unless the logged in user has the general Lab Supervisor permission.

Once selected, the Tested By person cannot be changed or removed by a non-supervisor.

False

Fields are not locked.

Fully Measured Concrete Specimens

Controls behavior of the Measured By button on the Concrete Specimen Electronic Worksheet.

True/Default
Clicking the button will only set Measured By on fully measured specimens (as in all dimensions must be entered).

False
Clicking the button will set Measured By on minimally measured specimens.

Example

If a specimen has three diameter fields, only one needs a value to be entered for the specimen to be 'measured by'.
Basically, a specimen is ready to be 'measured by' if it has enough data to become complete when the load is entered.

Highlight Selected Specimen Row

Allows the grid row of a selected specimen, on the Concrete Specimen Electronic Worksheet, to be highlighted.

True

Color change

When this option is selected, the highlighting for a passing strength result for site cured specimens is changed from Green to Bold.


False

Show Sample Details Panel on Electronic Worksheet

Sets whether or not to show the Sample Details panel on the Concrete Specimen Electronic Worksheet.

All the fields are read only and the values are imported from the Concrete Sample (US) screen.

Change to Grid

A side effect of this option is to change the location of where the Req, Strength value, from the Mix Data tab, is displayed.

True

  • Sample Details panel displayed above Equipment fields.
  • The Requ Str field is removed from grid and the Req, Strength value, from the Mix Data tab, is displayed in the Sample Details panel as F'c.
  • The Design Strength value, from the Mix Data tab, is displayed in the Sample Details panel as Target Strength.

False/Default

  • Sample Details panel is not displayed.
  • Requ Str field is displayed in the grid.
Show Work Order ID column for concrete specimens

Sets whether or not the specimen grid displays the Work Order ID for individual specimens on the Concrete Specimen Electronic Worksheet.

True

Field is visible and contains values.

False/Default

Field is not visible.

The Electronic Worksheet Updates On The Go

Sets when updating values for specimens, on the Concrete Specimen Electronic Worksheet, occurs.

True/Default
When any data value changes.

False
When the user manually hits the update button, or leaves the screen.



Using the Electronic Worksheet

Accessing the Electronic Worksheet

  1. Click on the Tests/Documents node in the tree.
  2. Go to the data filter area below the tree and open the dropdown list of data filters.

  3. Select the Concrete Compression Tests filter displayed in the data filter dropdown.

  4. Run the filter by clicking the Search button,, or pressing Enter.

    Finding other specimens

    • The Test Date is automatically set to Today.
    • If a different date is required enter the date or use the calendar to select the date.
    • The search may be narrowed further by entering a sample ID or a fieldsheet ID.

  5. The specimens are displayed in the tree, grouped by test type.

    The screen display doesn't match the screenshot?

    Filters can be customized to suit the needs of different customers and the grouping may differ slightly between organizations.

  6. When specimen groups are visible in the tree, click on the test type that is to be viewed (eg. click on COMP100).
    The electronic worksheet will be opened in the right hand window and the specimens will be displayed ready for data entry.

Required specimens not on worksheet?

  • Check that the specimens have a Testing Date. Specimens must have been assigned a Testing Date before they can appear in the worksheet.
  • Check the filter settings. It might be necessary to adjust the Test Date in the filter - see above (4)


Entering Specimen Test Data 

Pre-existing data

By the time it comes to enter laboratory test data, many of the specimen fields should already have data entered for the specimens. This would normally have been done as part of the sample registration process.

The process for entering the specimen test data is similar for all specimen types.  An example using the cylindrical compressive test specimens follows: 

Step 1.

  1. If required, select default Equipment items using the fields above the grid.

    Interfaced Equipment

    • If an equipment item capable of interfacing with QESTLab is selected, this will be indicated in the usual way with blue lines above and below the equipment item.
    • At this time only the Testing Machine can be used as an interfaced item on the worksheet.

Step 2. 

  1. If required, tick the Show Equipment box to display the Equipment fields in the grid.
  2. Enter equipment items as needed.

Notes

  • Interfaced Equipment selected via the grid's fields will not be connected. All data values will need to be entered manually.
  • Refer to  1421804104, above, for possible issues.

Step 3. 

  1. It is possible that the test data columns will already be visible in the grid.

  2. If not, tick the Show Raw Data box  to display the test data columns in the worksheet.

Step 4. 

  1. If a density result for the specimen is required, The Dens? field should contain "Yes".

Step 5.

  1. Select the specimen requiring data entry by clicking on its row in the grid. 

  2. Click on the data field to enable entry or editing of that value.

  3. Enter the measurements, weight (if required) and load results for each specimen.
    If an interfaced testing machine is used to provide the Load value, see below, for entering 1421804104.

    Moving between cells

    • Press Enter or Tab on the keyboard to move from one cell to the next.
    • There is no need to click in each cell using the mouse.


    Average Diameters

    For how to use average diameters for concrete cylinders, refer to the Concrete Diameter document.

  4. The strength and density results (if required) for each specimen will be calculated and displayed in the grid.

Strength Results

  • For laboratory cured specimens, if a strength result is less than the required strength (Req Strength) at the Acceptance Age set on the sample Mix Data tab, the result is highlighted in red.
    (In this example, Req Strength = 3030 psi)
  • For site cured specimens, if a strength result is less than either of the required strengths (Req Strength or Site Cure Str), the result is not highlighted in red. 

Step 6. 

  1. Enter the test time for each specimen.

  2. The age in hours will be calculated and automatically displayed.

Step 7. 

  1. A default failure mode will typically be set for the laboratory.

  2. If the failure does not match this then use an alternative code as per the 'Failure Mode list'.
    For example 'E' for Excluded, '1' for Type 1 failure, etc. For more details, see the Concrete Sample (US) screen.

Step 8. 

  1. Select the QESTLab user or users, who measured and crushed the specimen. 
    This can be done as a bulk operation (1421804104) using the Measured By and Tested By buttons, or on an individual basis by using the Measured By and Tested By fields of the grid.

  • If a Laboratory Technician uses the bulk selection buttons, they will be automatically selected as the person and will not be able to select a different person.
  • To select a person for Measured By or Tested By other than themselves, Laboratory Technicians will need to use the fields in the grid.


Interfaced Load Values

When an interfaced testing machine is used to obtain load values:

  1. Click on the cell representing the Load value for the current specimen.
  2. Press the Space bar on the keyboard.
  3. The interface screen will appear.

  4. When the load value is displayed, the user can choose to:

    1. Read the load again,

    2. Decline (discard) it,

    3. Accept it.

  5. If the offered value is acceptable, click on the Accept button on the interface screen, or press the Enter key on the keyboard.
  6. The value will be written to the specimen grid in the selected cell, rounded to 1 decimal place.



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