A standard test cylinder of concrete specimen (300 mm X 150mm diameter) is placed horizontally between the loading surfaces of Compression Testing Machine (Fig-4). The compression load is applied diametrically and uniformly along the length of cylinder until the failure of the cylinder along the vertical diameter. To allow the uniform distribution of this applied load and to reduce the magnitude of the high compressive stresses near the points of appplication of this load, strips of plywood are placed between the specimen and loading platens of the testing machine. Concrete cylinders split into two halves along this vertical plane due to indirect tensile stress generated by poisson's effect.The above test result represents the "Splitting Tensile Strength" of concrete that varies between 1/8 to 1/12 of the cube compressive strength