Abstract: This invention provides a method for direct non-destructive measuring compressive and tensile strengths of materials with negligible viscous properties and more particularly, but not exclusively, concrete, by separately measuring the duration of the compressive phase t.sub.0 t.sub.1 of an impact of a body by an impacter and the duration of the rebounding phase t.sub.1 t.sub.2 of the impact Where t.sub.0 is the time when the impacter initially contacts the body, t.sub.1 is the time when the impacter first stops moving and t.sub.2 is the time when the impacter loses contact with the body. An important feature of the test is that in the compressive phase of the impact, the body experiences small compressive damage in the contacting areas, thus providing for direct characterization of compressive and tensile strengths similar to conventional destructive testing methods.