Nowadays, finding a novel and easy accessible method to estimate the uniaxial strength of concrete is of utmost importance in the construction industry. The uniaxial or unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test is a conventional method for determining the compressive strength of concrete. In this research, a non-destructive method based on surface drilling on concrete is provided. Strength parameters such as the internal angle of friction and cohesion were obtained using an analytical model based on the partial equilibrium of the operating forces in the drilling process. Data, such as drilling power, speed, torque and penetration rate were all acquired from a drilling machine designed and built. Evaluating the effect of additional parameters such as the crushed zone and contact friction in the drilling process is what makes this analytical model superior to the previous models. Accurate results have been obtained by applying this method to rock samples. For this study, the new method was applied concrete samples with a maximum grain size of 0.6–12.5 mm. The method's performance and accuracy were assessed based on the conventional UCS method. While using an appropriate drill diameter, this method gives highly accurate results with an estimated error of below 10%. In the surface drilling method, a handful of holes with about 25 mm depth are created on the concrete surface at regular distance-intervals. The strength parameters of concrete are then calculated using linear fitting and data obtained from the drilling operation, including drilling power, speed, torque, and penetration rate. This can be utilized as a non-destructive method to determine various strength parameters and unconfined compressive strength of concrete due to its accuracy and precision.