Concrete

Concrete is often looked upon as man made rock or

Rocklike Material.
Is a mixture of Portland cement, water, aggregates, and in
some cases, admixtures.
The cement and water form a paste that hardens and
bonds the aggregates together.
Concrete is a versatile construction material, adaptable
to a wide variety of agricultural and residential uses.
Concrete has strength, durability, versatility, and
economy.

Concrete
It can be placed or molded into
virtually any shape and
reproduce any surface texture.
Concrete is the most widely
used construction material in
the world.

Components of Concrete

Portland Cement: 7% to 15% by Vol.

Course Aggregate
60% to 70%
Fine Aggregate
Water: 14% to 21% by Vol.
Admixtures - when necessary/optional

CLASSIFICATION OF CONCRETE
This classification specifying the proportions of constituents
and their characteristics is termed prescripitive
specifications and is based on the hope that adherence to
such prescripitive specifications will result in satisfactory
performance.
Alternatively, the specifications specifying the requirements
of the desirable properties of concrete such as strength,
workability, etc. are stipulated, and these are termed
performance oriented specifications Based on these
considerations, the concrete can be classified either as
nominal mix concrete or designed mix concrete, Sometimes
the concrete is classified into controlled concrete and
ordinary concrete, depending upon the levels of control
exercised in the works and the method of proportioning
concrete mixes.

CLASSIFICATION OF CONCRETE
As mentioned earlier the main ingredients of concrete
are cement, fine aggregate (sand) and coarse aggregate
(gravel or crushed rock). It is usual to specify a particular
concrete by the proportions (by weight) of these
constituents and their characteristics, e.g. a 1 : 2 : 4
concrete refers to a particular concrete manufactured
by mixing cement, sand and broken stone in a 1 : 2 : 4
ratio (with a specified type of cement, water-cement
ratio, maximum size of aggregate, etc.).

CLASSIFICATION OF CONCRETE
Accordingly, a concrete with ingredient proportions
fixed by designing the concrete mixes with -preliminary
tests are called controlled concrete, whereas ordinary
concrete is one where nominal mixes are adopted. In IS:
456-1978 there is nothing like uncontrolled concrete:
only the degree of control varies from very good to poor
or no control. In addition to mix proportioning, the
quality control includes selection of appropriate
concrete materials after proper tests, proper
workmanship in batching, mixing, transportation,
placing, compaction and curing, coupled with necessary
checks and tests for quality acceptance.

Properties of Concrete
Versatile
Pliable
when
mixed
Strong &
Durable

In most codes of practice, the allowable

concrete stresses are limited to about 50
percent of the ultimate strength; thus the
fatigue strength of concrete is generally not a
problem.

Properties of Concrete
Does not Rust
or Rot
Does Not Need
a Coating
Resists
Fire

The fire resistance of concrete is

perhaps the most important single
aspect of offshore safety and, at the
same time, the area in which the
advantages of concrete are most
evident.

Properties of Concrete
With proper materials and techniques, concrete can
withstand many acids, silage, milk, manure, fertilizers,
water, fire, and abrasion.
Concrete can be finished to produce surfaces ranging
from glass-smooth to coarsely textured, and it can be
colored with pigments or painted.
Concrete has substantial
strength in compression,
but is weak in tension.

Properties of Concrete
Most structural uses, such as beams, slats, and manure tank
lids, involve reinforced concrete, which depends on
concrete's strength in compression and steel's strength in
tension.
Since concrete is a structural material, strength is a desirable
property.
Compressive strengths of concrete generally range from 2000
to 5000 pounds per square
inch (psi), but concrete can be made
to withstand over 10,000 psi for
special jobs.

ADVANTAGES OF CONCRETE
Concrete is economical in the long run as compared to
other engineering materials. Except cement, it can be
made from locally available coarse and fine aggregates.

1
2
3

It is durable and fire resistant and requires very little

maintenance.

The green concrete can be easily handled and moulded

into any shape or size according to specifications. The
form work can be reused a number of times of similar
jobs resulting in economy

ADVANTAGES OF CONCRETE

It is strong in compression and has unlimited

structural applications in combination with steel
reinforcement. The concrete and steel have
approximately equal coefficients of thermal
expansion. The concrete is extensively used in the
construction of foundations, walls, roads, airfields,
buildings, water retaining structures, docks and
harbours, dams, bridges, bunkers and silos, etc.
Concrete can even be sprayed on and filled into fine
cracks for repairs by the guniting process.

ADVANTAGES OF CONCRETE

The concrete can be pumped and hence it can be laid

in the difficult positions also.

Concrete possesses a high compressive strength, and

the corrosive and weathering effects are minimal.
When properly prepared its strength is equal to that
of a hard natural stone.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONCRETE
1

Concrete has low tensile strength and hence cracks

easily. Therefore, concrete is to be reinforced with steel
bars or meshes.

Fresh concrete shrinks on drying and hardened concrete

expands on wetting. Provision for contraction joints has
to be made to avoid the development of cracks due to
drying shrinkage and moisture movement.

Concrete expands and contracts with the changes in

temperature. Hence expansion joints have to be
provided to avoid the formation of cracks due to thermal
movement.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONCRETE
4

Concrete under sustained loading undergoes creep resulting

in the reduction of prestress in the prestressed concrete
construction.

Concrete is not entirely impervious to moisture and

contains soluble salts which may cause efflorescence.

Concrete is liable to disintegrate by alkali and sulphate

attack.

The lack of ductility inherent in concrete as a material is

disadvantageous with respect to earthquake resistant
design.

The 451.9- meter high

structure composed of
two, 88-story structures
and
their
pinnacles,
optimized the use of steel
and reinforced concrete.

Properties of FRESH Concrete

Workability
ease of placement
resistance to segregation
homogeneous mass
Consistency
ability to flow

Slump Test
Inverted cone
fill it up with three layers
of equal volume
rod each layer 25 times
scrape off the surface

12

Slump Test
slump cone
rod

concrete

Slump test
Ruler
Slump

Slump Test

Sample collected

Slump Test
Slump Measured

Cone Removed and Concrete

Allowed to Slump

Slump test results

stiff
0-2
massive sections, little reinforcement
use vibration
medium
2-5
columns, beams, retaining walls
Fluid
5-7
heavily reinforced section, flowable concrete

Factors affecting slump

water cement ratio
w/c = weight of water / weight of cement
example:
weight of water mixed at the plant
292 lbs.
weight of cement
685
lbs./cu. yard

w/c = 292/685 = 0.43

Factors affecting slumppaste content

constant water cement ratio
increase paste content
increase slump
NO GOOD
constant cement content
increase water content
increase slump
NO GOOD

Factors Affecting SlumpWater Content

Add water at the constant cement content, w/c
increases, slump increases.
Add water at a constant water cement ratio, have to
increase cement as well, slump increases.

Factors affecting slump-paste content

Low paste content

Harsh mix

High paste content

Rich mix

ball bearing effect-start

starting height

ball bearing effect-end

slump

Factors affecting slump

Aggregates
grading the larger
the particle size,
the higher the
slump for a given
paste content

effect of aggregate size

1
1

Consider a single aggregate the size

of 1x1x1

Compute the surface area as you break

up the particles
block surface area = 1*1*6= 6

block surface area = 0.5*0.5*6=1.5

volume = 1 cubic in
surface area = 6 square inches
volume = 1 cubic in
surface area = 1.5*8= 12 square inches

Break it up further

Compute the surface area

surface area = 0.25*0.25*6*8*8=24

0.5 in

0.25 in

Larger particles, less surface area, thicker coating,

easy sliding of particles

Smaller particles, more surface area, thinner

coating, interlocking of particles

Effect of aggregate size

size

# of particles

volume

surface area

1"

1 cubic inch

6 square inches

.5"

1 cubic inch

12 square inches

0.25

64

1 cubic inch

24 square inches

0.125

512

1 cubic inch

48 square inches

Angularity and surface texture of

aggregates

angular and rough

aggregate

smooth aggregate
river gravel

Temperature

fresh concrete
aggregates

paste

Bleeding

Water accumulation on surface

Examine the concrete surface

Interaction between bleeding and evaporation

Evaporation
surface water
Bleed water

Bleed water = evaporation

Too much evaporation leads to surface cracking

Evaporation
no surface water
drying

Bleed water < Evaporation

Side diagram of surface contraction

Wants to shrink

Does not want to shrink

Free Shrinkage, causes volume change,

but no stresses

before shrinkage

After Shrinkage

Restrained Shrinkage- creates stresses,

which may cause cracking

Restrained shrinkage cracking

Parallel cracking perpendicular
to the direction of shrinkage

Bleeding and its control

Creates problems:
poor pumpability
delays in
finishing
high w/c at the
top
poor bond
between two
layers

causes
lack

of fines
too much water content
Remedies
more fines
adjust grading
entrained air
reduce water content

Causes of Plastic Shrinkage Cracking

water evaporates faster than it can reach the top
surface
drying while plastic
cracking

Plastic Shrinkage Cracking-Remedies

Control the wind velocity
reduce the concretes temperature
use ice as mixing water
increase the humidity at the surface
fogging
cover w/polyethylene
curing compound
Fiber reinforcement

Curing
The time needed for the chemical reaction of
portland cement with water.
Glue is being made.
concrete after 14 days of curing has completed only
40% of its potential.
70 % at 28 days.

Concrete Curing

Must be kept
Moist

Moisture
Needed for:
Hydration
(Development
of Strength)

Curing tips

ample water
do not let it dry
dry concrete = dead concrete, all reactions stop
can not revitalize concrete after it dries
keep temperature at a moderate level
concrete with flyash requires longer curing

Temperature effects on curing

The higher the temperature the faster the curing
best temperature is room temperature
strongest concrete is made at temperature around
40 F.(not practical)
If concrete freezes during the first 24 hrs., it may
never be able to attain its original properties.

Temperature effects on curing

real high temperatures above 120 F can cause
serious damage since cement may set too fast.
accelerated curing procedures produce strong
concrete, but durability might suffer.
autoclave curing.

Properties of HARDENED Concrete

Compressive strength
E
Tensile strength
Flexural strength
Shear strength
Drying Shrinkage
Creep

Air Content
Density, Absorption and
Voids
Heavy ~ 150 pcf or
about 2 tons pcy
Volume Change
Durability
Permeability

Compression Testing
Uniaxial compressive strength of
concrete is easy to measure
It has become the standard gauge of
concrete quality (for better or worse)
Some notes about failure:
With most materials, failure is
associated with the appearance
of cracks
Concrete intrinsically contains many
cracks, which will propagate under
loading
However, cracks may or may not be
visible at the surface when concrete
fails

Compression Testing
Load applied and increased without shock the and continuously
at a nominal rate within the range 0.2 N/ (mm.s) to 0.4 N/
(mm.s) until no greater load can be sustained.
On manually controlled machines as failure is approached the
loading rate will decrease; at this stage the controls operated to
maintain as far as possible the specified loading rate.
Record the maximum load applied to the cube (BS 1881-116,
1983).

Factors Influencing Strength

Time
Curing conditions
W/C or W/CM
Number/size voids
Cement content
Cement Type (composition)
Cement fineness
Use of chemical admixtures
Aggregate strength
Aggregate/paste bond strength

Test Parameters
Specimen size
Specimen shape
Load rate

COMPRESSION

CURING

Strength and Curing

moist cured entire time

Strength

in air after 7 days

100%
in air after 3 days
in air entire time

28

time

Strength, psi

Strength vs. w/c Ratio for PCC

w/c ratio

Elastic Modulus: Estimations

Can also be estimated from compressive strength:
EC = 33 wc 1.5 fC 0.5
EC = elastic modulus of concrete, psi
W = unit weight, pcf
fC =28d compressive strength of standard cylinders,
psi
Valid to strengths of at least 6000 psi (perhaps to as
high as 9000 psi)
The unit weight is used to account for the presence and
density of the aggregate
E is rarely known and this is a useful way to include its
effect in Eagg

Deformation in Concrete
EARLY AGE CONCRETE
Plastic shrinkage shrinkage strain associated with
early moisture loss
Thermal shrinkage shrinkage strain associated with
cooling

LATER AGE CONCRETE

Drying shrinkage -shrinkage strain associated with

moisture loss in the hardened material
Deformations occur under loading
- Elastic
- Viscoelastic (including creep)

Drying Shrinkage and Creep

Both result from movement of water in the hydrated cement
paste, which results in new bonds forming in the C-S-H; the
driving force differs.
For drying shrinkage, environmental conditions (e.g.,
low external RH) are the driving force
For creep, stress is the driving force
Shrinkage - increases with w/c ratio, cement content

Drying Shrinkage
Inadequate allowance for drying
shrinkage can lead to cracking
and warping or curling
Must provide adequately spaced
joints in slabs and pavements
Joints define where the crack
will form, rather than allowing
for random crack formation
Can then seal joints to prevent
moisture ingress

Creep
Creep can be both beneficial and problematic.
Creep of concrete in prestressed members
Creep in concrete can reduce the pre-stress and possibly lead to
cracking
important factor in pre-stressed concrete
Leads to shorting of columns and walls with time
creep can be reduced by
strength concrete
volume of cement paste
larger aggregates

Creep in Concrete

Creep in Concrete
water

Creep

Concrete Properties
Creep
Deformations (strains) under sustained loads.
Like shrinkage, creep is not completely reversible.

P
dL, elastic
dL, creep

P
=dL/L

Consequences of creep
Loss in pre-stress
possibility of excessive deflection
stressing of non load bearing members
Magnitude of creep strain is a function of all the above
that affect shrinkage, plus
magnitude of stress

age at loading

durability
Durablility Aspect/Exposure

Mechanism

Alkali-Silica Reaction

Alkali-Carbonate Reaction
Alkali-Aggregate Reaction

Sulfates
DEF
Seawater
Acids
Chemical Resistance

durability
Durablility Aspect/Exposure

Mechanism

Corrosion

Corrosion Resistance
Corrosion of
Reinforcement

Carbonation

Freezing and Thawing

Deicer Scaling

D-Cracking

Freeze-Thaw

durability

Durablility Aspect/Exposure

Mechanism
Abrasion
Erosion
Fire Resistance

Miscellaneous

Efflorescence

TYPES OF CONCRETE
1. NORMAL CONCRETE
This type of concrete does not have reinforcement.
It is used in construction that involved only
compressive stress and no tensile stress.
Examples of places that are suitable to use this kind of
concrete are walls and floors.
2. REINFORCED CONCRETE
This concrete is similar to the regular concrete, but it
contains steels in the concrete structures. Reinforcement
helps concrete to increase tension strength.
It usually uses ratio of 1:2:4.

TYPES OF CONCRETE
3. CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE
Its usage is increasing in the construction industry nowadays.
This concrete is made inside mould and built inside workshop or
in construction site with great amount.
This method saves time because part of the construction can be
built earlier and the quality of concrete can be controlled nicely.
Operational in adverse weather conditions.
Entrepreneur can work on by stock.
For example: pipes, drains, culvert, piles, structure frames and so
on.

TYPES OF CONCRETE
4. PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE
It is similar with pre-cast concrete but with reinforcement of high
tensile strength.
Reinforcement is subjected to tensile strength so as it can
withstand higher loads.
It usually having the mixture ratio of 1:1.5:3.
It enhances the load with stand ability of concrete members
especially in wide stretch.

TYPES OF CONCRETE
It can be made in two (2) ways:
1.Pre-tensioning: high tensile steel strands are stretched
between abutments or anchors. One end is stretched using
hydraulic machine before concrete is poured.
2.Post-tensioning: Plastic hose is placed in the mould before
concrete mixture is poured. Before the concrete has set, the
hose are deflated and removed for tendons to be pulled into the
channels.
This concrete is suitable to be used in long stretch distance
beam construction, waterproof structures, piles and etc.

TYPES OF CONCRETE
5. LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
This concrete is made with light material and mixed with airentraining agent (e.g. CO2) in order to produce lighter endproduct.
It is commonly classified according to three methods, that are:
Porous and low density lightweight
aggregates.
With presence of large bubbles that is better
known as cellular concrete.
By taking out fine aggregates from mixture so
that
hollows can be generated.

TYPES OF CONCRETE
It is usually used as blockade wall or as non-load bearing
structure.
Density of lightweight concrete ranged between 300 kg/m 1850 kg/m.
Usually do not possess high strength and more expensive
compared to normal concrete.
Usually, lightweight concrete is good heat insulator, with
satisfied durability yet have high abrasion resistance.

TYPES OF CONCRETE
6. CELLULAR CONCRETE
It seems like concrete block with vacant allowing grass or plants
to live.
Major application is to support hill slope. Also used at parking
area (occasional use) and driveway.
Not so comfortable to walk on.

7. IN SITU CONCRETE
The cheapest engineering surface.
Do not have attractive surface and easy crack.
Used as pathways, driveways and vehicle parking areas.

TYPES OF CONCRETE
8. PRE-CAST CONCRETE
Concrete material is placed in mould and made in factory.
The size may be specified as according to requirement.
Used as pathways and car parking areas.

APPLICATIONS OF CONCRETE
Generally, concrete is very important
in construction and its applications in
construction are:
Sub-structure and super-structure
construction
Component structure such as:
Pillars , Beams,
Floor slabs
Basic building construction
Building retaining structure
Retaining wall

CONCRETE MIX DESIGN

Cement Concrete Mix Design means, determination of
the proportion of the concrete ingredients i.e.
Cement, Water, Fine Aggregate, Coarse Aggregate
which would produce concrete possessing specified
properties such as workability, strength and durability
with maximum overall economy.

Methods of Concrete Mix Design

1. I.S. Method
2. British Method
3. A.C.I. Method etc.

These Methods are based on two basic

assumptions
Compressive Strength of Concrete is
governed by its Water-Cement Ratio
Workability of Concrete is governed by
its Water Content

Data required for concrete mix design

Grade of Concrete
eg: RCC-M30-A20
Slump required in mm
eg: 25 75 mm
Degree of Site Control
eg: Good
Type of Exposure
eg: Moderate
Grade of Cement
eg: OPC 43 Grade

Table 1 Approximate compressive strengths (Mpa) of concrete mixes

made with a free w/c ratio of 0.5

Table 2

Age (days)

Type of Cement

Type of Coarse 3
Aggregate

28

90

22

30

42

49

Crushed

27

36

49

56

Uncrushed

29

37

48

54

Crushed

34

43

55

61

Ordinary Portland Uncrushed

(OPC) or Sulphate
Resisting (SRPC)
EN Class 42.5

Rapid Hardening
(RHPC)
EN Class 52.5

Table 2 Approx water contents (kg/m3) required to give workability

Slump (mm)

Table
0-10

Vebe time (s)

more
than
12

3 10-30

30-60

60-180

6-12

3-6

0-3

Maximum
aggregate size
(mm)

Type
aggregate

10

Uncrushed

150

180

205

225

Crushed

180

205

230

250

Uncrushed

135

160

180

195

Crushed

170

190

210

225

Uncrushed

115

140

160

175

Crushed

155

175

190

205

20

40

of

Designing and Proportioning Normal

Concrete Mixtures

ACI 211

ACI 211
A Properly Proportioned Concrete Mix Should Posses
These Qualities.
Acceptable Workability of Freshly Mixed Concrete
Durability, Strength and Uniform Appearance of
the Hardened Concrete
Economy

SLUMP
Normally specified
Choice based type of construction shown on Table 96

Slump

WATER CONTENT
Approximation based on slump, maximum size of the
coarse aggregate, and type of concrete (airentrained, or non air-entrained)- see Table 9-5
Air contents for AE concrete are normally specified
but can also be determined by exposure conditions
based on Table 9-5

WATER-TO-CEMENT RATIO
Concrete strength is specified by the design engineer.
Based on specified concrete strength and type of
concrete (AE or non AE) see Table 9-3.
W/C ratio may be modified due to certain
environmental conditionssee Tables 9-1 and 9-2.
Concrete strength may also be modified due to
special conditions-see Table 9-11

Water/Cement
Ratio

Cementitious Content
Cement Content = Recommended water content
(Table 9-5) / the recommended water-to-cement
ratio (Table 9-3 or 9-1 or 9-2)
Cementitious Material = Portland cement, fly ash,
blast furnace slag, and silica fume.

Coarse and Fine Aggregate Contents

How much does 1 cy of portland cement concrete
(PCC) weigh?
What is the volume of 1 cy of PCC?

COARSE AGGREGATE
Coarse aggregate size specified
Determination of VOLUME of CA recommended per
unit volume of concrete
Volume based on maximum size of CA and fineness
modulus of sand Table 9-4
Weight of CA = volume of CA x dry rodded unit
weight of CA x 27 cf.

Volume Formulas

Vol. of water = wt. of water/62.4 pcf

Volume of portland cement = wt. of PC/(3.15 x 62.4)
Vol. of CA = wt. of CA/(SG(ca) x 62.4)
Volume of Air = (%Air content x 100)/27

FINE AGGREGATE
Fine Aggregate Content = 27 cu. ft. - Volume of water
- Volume of Cement - Volume of Coarse Aggregate
Volume of Air
Weight of FA = volume of FA x specific gravity of FA x
62.4

Dry Weights vs. Actual Weights

Batch weights calculated from volumes assume dry
CA and dry FA.
Actual weight of CA and FA are NOT dry
Adjustment based on moisture contents for both CA
and FA.
Dont forget about correcting for water content also.

Trial Batch
Slump should be within -inch of maximum design
value.
Air content should be within 0.5% of maximum
design value.
Avg. required compressive strength (psi)
@ 28 days must be equal to or greater than:
f(cr) = f(c) + 1.34S
f(cr) = f(c) + 2.33S -500

Mix
Proportioning
Absolute
Volume Method

Moisture

Additions