QEST Platform 5.2 Documentation
Applies to QESTLab

These articles describe the Concrete Sample Screen (AU) and how to use it to carry out data entry of laboratory results for concrete strength and density tests.

Overview

The Concrete Sample (AU) screen is a complex screen containing several tabs, each of which contain multiple fields for entering information about a concrete sample. Additionally there is an area, the concrete specimen grid, for recording test results for individual specimens.
The concrete specimen grid, and its variations, is at the heart of most of the data entry methods for laboratory concrete test results.
While some fields are always visible, the Test Data, Results and Equipment fields are only shown when the relevant checkboxes are ticked.
Test data can be entered, and edited, here, although it is generally entered elsewhere using an electronic version of the daily worksheet to enter data for all specimens tested that day.
Other test data entry alternatives are QEST Weigh and Measure Station, for physical dimensions and measured density results, and QEST Crush Station for concrete strength results.
Data already in the grid, including that entered as part of a concrete test group - such as specimen Type and Age, can also be changed here.

Structure of Concrete Specimen Grid

Equipment Fields

These fields are made visible by ticking the Equipment checkbox.

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 fields.

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.
Steel Square	Select a steel square from the dropdown list of available steel 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

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

Some typical examples of this category of fields are shown below.

Specimen Type	Test Data Fields
Cylinder - strength testing - density only
Core - strength testing - density only
Beam - strength testing - density only
Cube - strength testing

Details of Fields

Cylinder Specimens

Field Prompt	Expected Information	Units
Prep Cap	Type of preparation and/or capping of specimen, entered as a single letter code, as per list in 1436123743, below.	N/A
Dia1, Dia2	Diameter of test specimen. Two values are required, measured at right angles to each other.	mm
Hgt1	Height, or length of the specimen, the distance between the circular ends of the test specimen.	mm
Weight	Mass (Weight) of test specimen prior to strength testing.	kg
Load	Maximum force (Load) applied to test specimen. Force (Load) that causes specimen failure.	kN
Failure Mode	Entered as a single character code (A-Z, 0-9). The code represents a type of failure defined in the Concrete Failure Mode list. Failure modes may be Excluded. This means the specimen will be excluded from the sample average calculations. Failure modes may be Complete. This means the specimen will be complete with or without its usual requirements to be complete. e.g. compressive strength calculated. A default failure mode is set when strength is calculated and if the failure mode is not already set. The default can be selected by editing the Concrete Failure Mode list.	N/A
Dens	Calculated result. Density of specimen based on Weight and volume calculated from physical measurements.	kg/m³
Strgth	Calculated result. Strength of specimen based on Load and cross-sectional area calculated from physical measurements.	MPa
Prd Str	Optional entry of a predicted strength value for the specimen. If QESTLab is integrated with QESTMix and a 7 day result is entered, the system also calculates a predicted strength value for the sample using the prediction factor valid at the time the test result is entered. Note that this field is not visible for some specimen types.	MPa
Wet Dens	Optional entry of Wet density result.	kg/m³
Test Time	The test time in 24 hour format.	N/A
Age Hours	Calculated result. The specimen age in hours, calculated from the test date/time - moulding date/time.	hr
Marks	Entered as a single character code (A-Z, 0-9). The code represents a short description of an abnormality that can occur for a specimen and is defined in the Concrete Specimen Marks list. Like the Failure Mode (above), the specimen can become excluded or complete if set for the mark. If the mark is reported, the description of the mark will also be reported. An example of a common mark includes; lost specimen, damaged specimen, abnormal curing, special preparations.	N/A

Core Specimens

As for Cylinder Specimens but with the following additions for strength testing.

Field Prompt	Expected Information	Units
H/D Ratio	Calculated result. The correction factor for compressive strength, based on the Height/ Diameter ratio of the specimen, and Table 1 of AS 1012.14	N/A
Apply Corrcn	Select Yes or No to determine whether the compressive strength results for this specimen will be corrected based on the Height/Diameter ratio. If Yes, only the corrected value is displayed. Default = No Optional Field For a description of how to add this field, see below under 1436123743.	N/A
Area	Calculated result. Cross-sectional area of specimen, calculated using the average value for diameter.	mm²

Beam Specimens

Field Prompt	Expected Information	Units
Cap	Not normally required by AS standards but if used should comply with requirements for cylinders.	N/A
Wid1, Wid2	When the test specimen is in its testing position, width is the horizontal distance across the specimen.	mm
Dep1, Dep2	When the test specimen is in its testing position, depth is the vertical distance between the top and bottom faces of the test specimen.	mm
Spn	The Span is the distance between the lower supports of the testing apparatus. It is usually about three times the specimen's depth.	mm
Len	The overall Length of the test specimen. This is required for calculating Density but not for calculating Strength.	mm
Weight	Mass (Weight) of tests specimen just prior to strength testing.	kg
Load	Maximum force (Load) applied to test specimen. Force (Load) that causes specimen failure.	kN
Failure Mode	Entered as a single character code (A-Z, 0-9). The code represents a type of failure defined in the Concrete Failure Mode list. Failure modes may be Excluded. This means the specimen will be excluded the sample average calculations. Failure modes may be Complete. This means the specimen will be complete with or without its usual requirements to be complete. e.g. compressive strength calculated. A default failure mode is set when strength is calculated and if the failure mode is not already set. The default can be selected by editing the Concrete Failure Mode list.	N/A
Dens	Calculated result. Density of specimen based on Weight and volume calculated from physical measurements.	kg/m³
Strgth	Calculated result. Flexural strength (MOR) of specimen based on Load and physical measurements of test specimen.	MPa
Prd Str	Optional entry of a predicted strength value for the specimen. If QESTLab is integrated with QESTMix and a 7 day result is entered, the system also calculates a predicted strength value for the sample using the prediction factor valid at the time the test result is entered. Note that this field is not visible for some specimen types.	MPa
Wet Dens	Optional entry of Wet density result.	kg/m³
Test Time	The test time in 24 hour format.	N/A
Age Hours	Calculated result. The specimen age in hours, calculated from the test date/time. - moulding date/time.	hr
Marks	Entered as a single character code (A-Z, 0-9). The code represents a short description of an abnormality that can occur for a specimen and is defined in the Concrete Specimen Marks list. Like the Failure Mode (above), the specimen can become excluded or complete if set for the mark. If the mark is reported, the description of the mark will also be reported. An example of a common mark includes; lost specimen, damaged specimen, abnormal curing, special preparations.	N/A

Cube Specimens

Field Prompt	Expected Information	Units
Prep	Not normally required by AS standards but if used should comply with requirements for cylinders.	N/A
Wid	When the test specimen is in its testing position, this is the horizontal distance across the specimen.	mm
Dep	When the test specimen is in its testing position, this is the horizontal distance along the specimen. That is, it is the horizontal distance measured at right angles to Wid.	mm
Hgt	When the test specimen is in its testing position, this is the vertical distance between the top and bottom faces of the test specimen.	mm
Weight	Mass (Weight) of tests specimen just prior to strength testing.	kg
Load	Maximum force (Load) applied to test specimen. Force (Load) that causes specimen failure.	kN
Failure Mode	Entered as a single character code (A-Z, 0-9). The code represents a type of failure as defined in the Concrete Failure Mode list. Failure modes may be Excluded. This means the specimen will be excluded the sample average calculations. Failure modes may be Complete. This means the specimen will be complete with or without its usual requirements to be complete. e.g. compressive strength calculated. A default failure mode is set when strength is calculated and if the failure mode is not already set. The default can be selected by editing the Concrete Failure Mode list.	N/A
Dens	Calculated result. Density of specimen based on Weight and volume calculated from physical measurements.	kg/m³
Strgth	Calculated result. Strength of specimen based on Load and cross-sectional area calculated from physical measurements.	MPa
Prd Str	Optional entry of a predicted strength value for the specimen. If QESTLab is integrated with QESTMix and a 7 day result is entered, the system also calculates a predicted strength value for the sample using the prediction factor valid at the time the test result is entered. Note that this field is not visible for some specimen types.	MPa
Wet Dens	Optional entry of Wet density result.	kg/m³
Test Time	The test time in 24 hour format.	N/A
Age Hours	Calculated result. The specimen age in hours, calculated from the test date/time. - moulding date/time.	hr
Marks	Entered as a single character code (A-Z, 0-9). The code represents a short description of an abnormality that can occur for a specimen and is defined in the Concrete Specimen Marks list. Like the Failure Mode (above), the specimen can become excluded or complete if set for the mark. If the mark is reported, the description of the mark will also be reported. An example of a common mark includes; lost specimen, damaged specimen, abnormal curing, special preparations.	N/A

Cap Types for AS 1012.9

AS 1012.9 Description	QESTLab Code	QESTLab Description
N/A	N	None
N/A	G	Ground
Filled sulphur mixtures	S	Sulphur
Portland cement mortar	M	Portland cement mortar
High-alumina cement mortar	H	High-alumina cement mortar
Cement pastes	C	Cement paste
Special gypsum plasters	P	Gypsum Plaster
Restrained natural rubber capping system	R	Rubber
N/A	O	Other (see Remarks)

Notes

Ensure the Show Test Data box is ticked to display the above test data columns.
The test data columns appear between the Prep/Cap and Marks columns.
Note that the fields Dens, Strgth and Age Hours included in this group, are calculated results, not data entry fields.
As shown above, while there are columns that are always present, there are other columns whose appearance depends on the type of specimen selected.
There are also columns whose usage are controlled by 1436123743.

Administration Fields

These fields are applicable to all specimen types.

Field Prompt	Expected 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.
Charge	Select 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 Samp	Select Yes if the specimen was sampled externally. Default = No.
Extern Comp	Select 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 By	A dropdown list to select the name of the person who measured this specimen. The names visible will depend on the rights of the user.
Crushed By	A 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 density and strength result for each specimen and displays these values in the grid.

Additionally, the following are calculated:

Sample average strength/density - The average strength and density 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.
Pair difference - The difference in strength and density results between two specimens of the same type and age is calculated and stored for each sample.

The sample average and pair difference calculations are done for predetermined ages present in a sample. (Typically, 7, 28, 56 and 90 day). If these differences exceed tolerances (as per AS 1379 for Australia) then the results are highlighted in red.

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.

Options

The options discussed in this section are both general system options and document level 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.

Field Prompt

Expected Information

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

Option

Description

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.
If a Measured By person is selected for a specimen and the next specimen down the grid has all its measurements and weight entered,
the previous Measured By person will be automatically selected, without warning.
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/Crushed By person is selected.

If a Tested/Crushed By person is selected for a specimen and the next specimen down the grid has its load entered,
the previous Tested/Crushed By person will be automatically selected, without warning.
Once selected, the Tested/Crushed By person cannot be changed or removed by a non-supervisor.

False

Fields are not locked.

Using the Concrete Sample (AU) Screen

Entering Specimen Test Data

For concrete strength and measured density testing, the test measurements and results are recorded in the Concrete Specimen Grid.

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 basic process for entering the specimen test data is as follows:

Step 1.

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

Step 2.

It is possible that the test data columns will already be visible in the grid.
If not, tick the Show Test Data box to display the test data columns in the worksheet.

Step 3.

Select the specimen requiring data entry by clicking on its row in the grid.
Click on the data field to enable entry or editing of that value.
Enter the measurements, weight and load results for each specimen.
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.
The strength and density results for each specimen will be calculated and displayed in the grid.
If a strength result is less than the F'c set on the sample at the Acceptance Age, the result is highlighted in red. (In this example, F'c = 30.0 MPa)

Step 4.

Enter the Test Time for each specimen.
The age in hours will be calculated and automatically displayed.

Step 5.

By default the Failure Mode will typically be set to 'N' (Normal).
If the failure was not normal then use an alternative letter designation as per the 'Failure Mode list'.
For example 'S' for Shear, 'A' for Abnormal, etc.

Step 6.

Select the QESTLab user or users, who measured and crushed the specimen, using the Measured By and Crushed By fields.

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QEST Platform 5.2 and 5.3 Documentation

Strength & Measured Density Using the Concrete Sample Screen (AU)