---
title: "Splitting tensile strength of cylinder and cube (500 kN)"
subject: "Concrete Technology and Masonry Structure"
chapter: 5
key: "semester_5/concrete_technology_and_masonry_structure:splitting-tensile-cylinder-cube-500kn"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/concrete_technology_and_masonry_structure/splitting-tensile-cylinder-cube-500kn
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Splitting tensile strength of cylinder and cube (500 kN)

Concrete Technology and Masonry Structure · Chapter 5: Testing of concrete and quality control

- Asked in: 2076 Ashwin, 6 marks
- Video: [Lec-22_Split Cylinder Test of Concrete | Concrete Technology | Civil Engineering](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-P8jiuw7gE) — Civil Engineering Department_LJIET
- Answer checked by Claude Sonnet 5.5 on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/concrete_technology_and_masonry_structure/splitting-tensile-cylinder-cube-500kn
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/concrete_technology_and_masonry_structure/chapter-5

## Question

Calculate the splitting tensile strength of a concrete cylinder (300 mm $\times$ 150 mm dia) and a cube (150 mm $\times$ 150 mm $\times$ 150 mm) under the standard splitting test, if the load shown by the testing machine is 500 kN.

## Short answer

For cylinder: f_sp = 2P/(pi L d) = 2*500000/(pi*300*150) = 7.07 N/mm^2. For cube: f_sp = 2P/(pi a^2) = 2*500000/(pi*150^2) = 14.15 N/mm^2. The cube value is higher due to the smaller loaded plane.

## Answer

**Formulae:** cylinder $f_{sp} = \dfrac{2P}{\pi L d}$; cube (load along the centre line of a face) $f_{sp} = \dfrac{2P}{\pi a^2}$, where $a$ is the side.

$P = 500$ kN $= 500\,000$ N.

#### Cylinder 300 mm × 150 mm dia
$$
f_{sp} = \frac{2\times500000}{\pi\times300\times150} = \frac{1000000}{141371.7} = 7.07\ \text{N/mm}^2
$$

#### Cube 150 mm
$$
f_{sp} = \frac{2\times500000}{\pi\times150\times150} = \frac{1000000}{70685.8} = 14.15\ \text{N/mm}^2
$$

**Answer: cylinder 7.07 N/mm$^2$; cube 14.15 N/mm$^2$.** The cube gives the higher value because the same load acts over a smaller splitting plane (150 × 150 mm against 300 × 150 mm). The cylinder result is the standard one.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What formula is used for the splitting strength of a cube?
   A. 2P/(pi L d)
   B. P/a^2
   C. 2P/(pi a^2)
   D. 3P/(2a^2)
   Answer: C. For a cube with side a, fsp = 2P/(pi a^2). (Key point: Cube formula)

2. What is the cylinder result for P = 500 kN, 300 x 150 mm?
   A. 14.15 N/mm2
   B. 3.54 N/mm2
   C. 10.6 N/mm2
   D. 7.07 N/mm2
   Answer: D. 2 x 500000/(pi x 300 x 150) = 7.07 N/mm2. (Key point: Cylinder result)

3. What is the cube result for P = 500 kN and side 150 mm?
   A. 14.15 N/mm2
   B. 7.07 N/mm2
   C. 28.3 N/mm2
   D. 4.72 N/mm2
   Answer: A. 2 x 500000/(pi x 150 x 150) = 14.15 N/mm2. (Key point: Cube result)

4. Which result is the standard one?
   A. Cube
   B. Cylinder
   C. Both equally
   D. Neither
   Answer: B. The cylinder result is the standard one. (Key point: Standard result)

## Close variants set in other exams

- [Splitting tensile strength of cylinder (400 kN)](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fconcrete_technology_and_masonry_structure%3Asplitting-tensile-cylinder-400kn) — Concrete Technology and Masonry Structure, chapter 5, asked 2×

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