Purpose of carrying out water absorption test for precast concrete pipes

Cement will mix with more water than is essential to ultimately combine during hydration of cement paste. Some voids will be left behind after the hydration process that affects the durability and strength of concrete. With the presence of air voids in concrete, it's vulnerable to penetration and attack by aggressive chemicals. Good quality concrete is characterized by having minimal voids left by excess water and consequently water absorption test for precast concrete pipes is adopted for checking the quality of concrete in terms of imperviousness and density.