Penetration Tests Data for Concrete Setting Evolution

This dataset supports a study on quantifying the evolving resistance of cementitious material using a robot-mounted penetrometer over a force range from about 1 N to 150 N. The research tests whether shallow, controlled insertions with a 60° conical needle can deliver repeatable force–depth responses suitable for statistical comparison across platforms and parameter settings.Experiments used a UR-series industrial arm carrying a Mecmesin VFG force gauge fitted with a 60° conical needle. The measured cone height is approximately 2.4 mm followed by a 3 mm cylindrical shaft. Each trial detected surface contact, then executed a straight insertion along the tool axis to a nominal depth of 15 mm. Nominal speeds were 1, 5, and 10 mm/s, and nominal insertion angles were 0, 5, and 10 deg. A single-axis Instron frame served as an external reference at 5 mm s^−1 and 15 mm depth using the same needle; between repeats the stage was repositioned manually in the xy plane on a pre-allocated grid. All platforms used a grid spacing of about 20 mm to avoid interaction between adjacent indents. Across the programme the measured forces span roughly 1–150 N, covering low to high resistance states without damaging the specimens.Data acquisition was standardised. Force was logged at 50 Hz via RS-232 from the VFG device. For robotic trials, tool-centre-point position (X, Y, Z) was logged at 500 Hz from the robot controller. Trials were organised into groups of n = 10 repeats at successive time points from batch start so that dispersion at a fixed material age could be estimated while the mean response tracked the increase in resistance.The deposit includes datasets for every trial and analysis-ready tables that summarise each group. Raw files contain timestamp_ms, X_mm, Y_mm, Z_mm (robot only), depth_mm, force_N, angle_deg, speed_mms, operator, group_time_min, and repeat_id. Derived tables report mean force, unbiased standard deviation, coefficient of variation (CV%), median absolute deviation (MAD), interquartile range (IQR), and non-parametric percentile bootstrap confidence limits for the mean. Pooled results for cross-platform comparisons are included, with Mann–Whitney tests, Holm-adjusted p values, and effect sizes. These resources reproduce the statistics reported in the manuscript without requiring access to analysis code.© the authors