electricsheepafrica/concrete-compressive-strength-testing

Concrete Compressive Strength Testing Dataset for West Africa

Abstract

This dataset provides synthetic but research-grounded data on concrete compressive strength testing across West Africa, with particular focus on Nigerian construction practices. The data encompasses laboratory testing parameters, mix design variables, and compressive strength outcomes based on ASTM C39 standards and published empirical studies from the region. Each record contains detailed information on mix proportions, water-cement ratios, curing conditions, aggregate sources, and corresponding compressive strength values at various test ages.

Keywords: concrete compressive strength, ASTM C39, mix design, water-cement ratio, West Africa, Nigeria, structural concrete

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1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Concrete remains the most widely used construction material in West Africa, with compressive strength serving as the primary indicator of structural quality and performance. Understanding the relationships between mix parameters and resulting strength is essential for quality control, structural design, and construction practice optimization in the region.

1.2 Problem Statement

Traditional concrete mix design in Nigeria and neighboring West African countries relies heavily on empirical practices and local material sources. However, significant variability exists in:

• Cement brands and their performance characteristics
• Aggregate sources and quality
• Curing conditions (especially in tropical climates)
• Testing laboratory standards and practices

1.3 Research Objectives

This dataset aims to provide:

1. Comprehensive data on concrete compressive strength testing parameters
2. Realistic statistical distributions based on Nigerian and West African empirical studies
3. Variable combinations reflecting actual construction site conditions
4. Quality control benchmarks aligned with international standards

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2. Methodology

2.1 Data Generation Framework

The synthetic data generation follows a DAG-based (Directed Acyclic Graph) sampling approach, where parent variables are sampled before dependent child variables. This ensures realistic correlations between parameters.

2.2 Parameter Evidence Table

Parameter	Source	Value/Range	Evidence
Mix Ratio 1:1.5:3	Nigerian practice	25-35 MPa	Standard strong mix for structural elements
Mix Ratio 1:2:4	Bello et al. (2019)	20-28 MPa	IOSR-JMCE, DOI: 10.9790/1684-1604024952
Mix Ratio 1:3:6	Nigerian practice	15-20 MPa	Light structural/liter work
Water-Cement Ratio	ACI 211	0.45-0.60	Critical strength determinant
7-day Strength	IS 456	65-75% of 28-day	Age-strength relationship
28-day Strength	Reference	100% baseline	Standard test age
Standard Deviation	Yadav et al. (2022)	3-6 MPa typical	RIC Journal, Chile
Coefficient of Variation	ACI 214	5-15%	Quality control indicator

2.3 Test Standards

• ASTM C39/C39M-23: Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
• ASTM C31/C31M: Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field
• BS EN 12390-3: Testing Hardened Concrete - Compressive Strength of Test Specimens

2.4 Specimen Specifications

Parameter	Value
Cube specimens	150mm × 150mm × 150mm
Cylinder specimens	150mm diameter × 300mm height
Curing temperature	23°C ± 2°C (standard)
Loading rate	0.14-0.34 MPa/sec

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3. Dataset Description

3.1 Variables

Variable	Type	Description	Range/Values
specimen_id	String	Unique identifier	CONC-YYYY-NNNNN
mix_ratio	Categorical	Cement:Sand:Aggregate	1:1.5:3, 1:2:4, 1:3:6
w_c_ratio	Float	Water-cement ratio	0.40-0.65
cement_brand	Categorical	Cement manufacturer	Dangote, Elephant, Burham, Diamond, Purechem, Ashaka, BUA
aggregate_source	Categorical	Coarse aggregate origin	Imo, Niger, Lagos, Owerri, Minna, Kumasi, Accra
curing_days	Integer	Curing duration	7, 14, 21, 28, 56
curing_temp_c	Float	Curing temperature (°C)	20-35
test_age_days	Integer	Age at testing	7-56
compressive_strength_mpa	Float	Measured strength	10-50 MPa
specimen_type	Categorical	Test specimen shape	cube, cylinder
test_standard	String	Applicable standard	ASTM C39, BS EN 12390
lab_location	Categorical	Testing location	Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Accra, Kumasi
specimen_dimensions_mm	String	Dimensions	150×150×150, φ150×300
load_at_failure_kn	Float	Failure load	250-2000 kN
quality_level	Categorical	Based on CoV	excellent, good, fair, poor
region	Categorical	Geographic region	Southwest, Southeast, North, Ghana

3.2 Statistical Distributions

Compressive strength follows a normal distribution with parameters:

$$\sigma \sim N(\mu ,{\sigma }^2)\backslash sigma\; \backslash sim\; N(\backslash mu,\; \backslash sigma^2)$$

Where:

• $\mu$ (mean) determined by mix ratio and w/c ratio
• $\sigma$ (standard deviation): 3-6 MPa (varies by quality level)

Quality Level Parameters:

Quality Level	Std Dev (MPa)	CoV (%)	Probability
Excellent	2-3	<5%	0.15
Good	3-4	5-8%	0.35
Fair	4-6	8-12%	0.35
Poor	6-10	>12%	0.15

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4. Source Attribution

4.1 Primary Research Sources

1. Bello, U.A., Muhammad, B.A., & Gwandu, H.S. (2019). "Effect of Concrete Mix Ratios (1:2:4 and 1:1.5:3) on the Compressive Strength of Concrete of 20mm and 25mm Coarse Aggregate Sizes." IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, 16(4), Series II, 49-52. DOI: 10.9790/1684-1604024952

2. Auta, S.M., & Olanipekun, O.I. (2025). "Compressive Strength Correlation of the Designed and As-Built Columns in Structures Using Non-Destructive Test Method - The Schmidt Rebound Hammer." UNIABUJA Journal of Engineering and Technology, 2(2), 72-82. DOI: 10.70118/ujet.2025.0202.08

3. Uchechukwu, B., Bert-Okonkwor, C.B.N., & Okafor, C.V. (2025). "Comparative Analysis of Compressive Strength of Concrete Produced Using Coarse Aggregates from Selected Locations in Imo State, Nigeria." International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation

4. Yadav, R., Sagar, A., Singh, A., & Singh, B. (2022). "Statistical Characteristics of Compressive Strength of Normal & High Strength Concrete." Revista Ingeniería de Construcción, 37(3), 379-395. DOI: 10.1016/j.rimni.2022.03.001

5. Ogunleye, E. (2023). "The Effects of Laterite Type on Compressive and Flexural Strengths of Concrete Utilizing Laterite-Sand Fine Aggregate." Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, 16(02), 180-191. DOI: 10.30574/gjeta.2023.16.2.0119

4.2 Standards Referenced

• ASTM C39/C39M-23: Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
• ASTM C31/C31M-22: Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens
• BS EN 12390-3: Testing Hardened Concrete - Compressive Strength of Test Specimens
• IS 456:2000: Plain and Reinforced Concrete - Code of Practice
• ACI 211.1-91: Standard Practice for Selecting Proportions for Normal, Heavyweight, and Mass Concrete

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5. Usage Examples

5.1 Loading the Dataset

from datasets import load_dataset

dataset = load_dataset("electricsheepafrica/concrete-compressive-strength-testing")

5.2 Filtering by Mix Ratio

# Get 1:2:4 mix ratio data
mix_1_2_4 = dataset.filter(lambda x: x['mix_ratio'] == '1:2:4')

5.3 Regression Example

from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split
from sklearn.ensemble import RandomForestRegressor

X = dataset['train'].remove_columns(['compressive_strength_mpa', 'specimen_id'])
y = dataset['train']['compressive_strength_mpa']

X_train, X_test, y_train, y_test = train_test_split(X, y, test_size=0.2)
model = RandomForestRegressor()
model.fit(X_train, y_train)

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6. Limitations and Caveats

1. Synthetic Data: While parameters are research-grounded, data is synthetically generated and not from actual laboratory tests
2. Regional Focus: Primarily reflects Nigerian and Ghanaian practices; may not generalize to all West African contexts
3. Simplified Relationships: Complex material interactions are approximated using statistical distributions
4. Not for Certification: Should not be used for actual structural design or quality certification

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7. License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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8. Citation

@dataset{concrete_compressive_strength_testing,
  author = {Electric Sheep Africa},
  title = {Concrete Compressive Strength Testing Dataset for West Africa},
  year = {2025},
  publisher = {HuggingFace},
  doi = {10.57967/hf.0001},
  url = {https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/concrete-compressive-strength-testing}
}

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Dataset Version: 1.0
Last Updated: February 2026
Total Records: 15,000 (across 3 scenarios)