Engineering Materials·MCQ explained

How many hoppers are in compaction factor test of concrete?

Try it first: pick an option, then read the explanation.

Correct answer: C. 2

Detailed Explanation: Compacting Factor Apparatus — 2 Hoppers

Why C (2) is correct: The apparatus consists of three parts stacked vertically: Upper conical hopper (larger) → Lower conical hopper (slightly smaller) → Cylinder at the bottom. Concrete is placed in the upper hopper, released into the lower hopper, then released into the cylinder. The two-stage fall provides a controlled, reproducible energy input for partial compaction. The mass of partially compacted concrete in the cylinder is then compared to fully compacted concrete mass.

Compacting Factor Apparatus Components

ComponentPositionKey Dimension
Upper hopper (conical)TopTop ø 25.4 cm, Bottom ø 12.7 cm
Lower hopper (conical)MiddleTop ø 22.9 cm, Bottom ø 12.7 cm
CylinderBottomø 15.2 cm × 30.5 cm
  • 2 hoppers + 1 cylinder = 3 total components, 2 are hoppers.
  • The trapdoors of each hopper are released one at a time to control the fall height.