Determination Of The Characteristic Strength Properties Of Mild Steel Reinforcement
[A CASE STUDY OF ILORIN METROPOLIS]

CHAPTER THREE
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
The mild steel specimens used were purchased from Owode-Onirin area of sawmill garage in Ilorin. The mild steel bars were of different sizes, ranging from 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, and 20mm to 25mm. They were taken to the central workshop, here at the University of form and cut to required lengths using the powered hack saw.
The shaping of the specimens was done on the lathe machine. This was to ensure that the specimens were given the standard shapes in accordance with the size limit of the tensile test machine available in the School laboratory.
The equipment used in measuring the diameter and length of specimens are micrometer screw gauge and vernier caliper respectively. The initial gauge diameter of the specimen is 5.1mm.
3.1 MEASUREMENT OF STEEL BARS
3.1.1 Micrometer Screw Gauge
A more accurate method of measurement can be obtained using a micrometer screw gauge especially when a part has to be measured to a second place decimal in a system.
Measurement is take between the face of the anvil and the end of the spindle. The range of micrometer screw gauge is 25mm. this means, that six micrometers are needed to measure up to 150mm the main parts of a micrometer includes.
    Spindle
    Anvil
    Barrel
    Thimble
    Frame
    Ratchet stop
    Locknut
Vernier Caliper
A vernier caliper scale is the name given to any scale making use of the difference between two scales which are nearly but not quite alike for obtaining small differences. The two variations of the metric Vernier scale are:
    Where the main scale is divided into whole millimeters only
    Where the main scale is divided into ½ mm
The main parts of a Vernier caliper are:
    Vernier scale
    Sliding Jaws
    Locking screws
    Rule scale
    Fixed Jaw
    Nut for fine setting