Figure 6
The photo shows a close-up view of a compression testing machine applying vertical pressure on a rectangular concrete specimen. The setup is enclosed between two vertical cylindrical columns on either side, forming a rigid frame. The upper portion of the machine includes a thick green-painted metallic platen that is slightly worn and rusty on the edges. Beneath this, a flat metal plate presses down on the concrete sample, which is positioned horizontally and visibly weathered or textured, indicating it has been subjected to some level of testing or aging. The block is placed centrally between two larger steel plates. A small white label is attached to the block. The lower platen, similar in material and design to the upper one, supports the sample from below. The entire structure is robust and industrially designed.Compressive strength test showing the heated sample under the ConTest compression machine. Authors’ own work