1) Introduction to Concrete:

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse
aggregates mixed with water which hardens with time. Portland cement is the commonly used
type of cement for production of concrete. In a building construction, concrete is used for the
construction of foundations, columns, beams, slabs and other load bearing elements.

1.1) Components of Concrete:

Components of concrete are cement, sand, aggregates and water. Mixture of Portland cement
and water is called as paste. So, concrete can be called as a mixture of paste, sand and
aggregates. Sometimes rocks are used instead of aggregates.

2) Concrete Mix Design:

Concrete Ratio= 1:2:4

Sample Quantity Size Vol. Weight

mm m^3 kgs
Cylinders 6 150Ꝋ * 300 0.0318 73.14
Cubes 2 150*150*150 0.00675 15.5
Prism 2 100*100*500 0.0303 72.9
Half Cylinders 4 150Ꝋ*150 0.0053 12.18
Beams 2 75*150*1350 0.01 23

Sum 196.72

Total Concrete required = 216.403 kg

Allowance for wastage (10%) = 19.67 kg
Mixer Capacity = 110 kg
Number of Batches = 2
Kg
Per Batch = 108.2

Weight of the concrete Constituents:

1) Cement = 15.46 Kg
2) Fine Aggregates = 30.92 kg
3) Coarse Aggregates = 61.8 kg
4) Water = 9.3 kg
3) Fresh Properties of concrete
3.1) Slump Test

Slump Value = 2.5 in = 63.5 mm

3.1.1) Comments:
 The Slump Value obtained in the lab shows that the concrete is of good quality.
 The Slump type was the True Slump, which shows the concrete ingredients were properly mixed
with each other and have good cohesion.

3.2) Compacting Factor test:

Partially Compacted Density ꝓpc = W/V 12.35/0.0053 2330.18 kg/m^3
Fully Compacted Density, ꝓfc = W/V 13.25/0.0053 2499.3 kg/m^3
Compacting Factor. = ꝓpc/ꝓfc =0.93

3.2.1) Comments:
 Practically compacting factor is always less than 1. More closer is the value to the 1, more will be
the workability of concrete.
 The value 0.93 were obtained in the laboratory shows that the concrete is more workable.

3.3) Density of Concrete in Fresh State:

Density of Concrete = 2499.3 kg/m^3

3.3.1) Comments:
The experimental value of density of concrete is much greater then theoretical value.
4) Mechanical Properties of Concrete:

4.1) Compressive Strength of Concrete:

4.1.1) 7 Days vs 28 Days Strength

4.1.2) Cylinder vs Cube Strength:

Samp
Type Age Weight Load Area Strength Avg. Strength
le No
Days Kg ton lb in^2 psi psi Mpa

1 13.6 35 78400 27.39 2862

Cylinders 2 13.1 40 89600 27.39 3271
28 3097.25 21.36
3 13.4 41 91840 27.39 3353
4 13.2 35.5 79520 27.39 2903

1 8.8 55 123200 34.87 3533

Cubes
28 2 8.7 63 141120 34.87 4047 3832.67 26.42
3 8.6 61 136640 34.87 3918
4.1.3) Comment:
 According to our prediction, the compressive strength by cubes is greater than that by
cylinder.
 Experimentally we found that strength by cubes is greater than by cylinder.
 Compressive strength by cylinder =(21.36/26.42)*100 = 80.5% as that by Cubes

4.2) Flexural Strength of Concrete:

4.2.1) Experimental vs Theoretical:

P(th)=
P(exp) %age
No. 0.5*(fc')^0.5
(KN) difference
(KN)

1 4 2.32 42
2 7 2.32 65
3 5.5 2.32 57
4 4.5 2.32 48
Average 5.25 2.32 55

4.2.2) Comments:
 Flexural test gives flexural tensile strength of concrete in tension zone.
 Flexural strength gives idea of cracking.
 If tensile load of concrete becomes greater than flexural value then section will cracked.

4.3) Split Cylinder Strength of Concrete:

4.3.1) Experimental vs Theoretical:
 4.3.2) Comments:
 The Splitting Tensile Cylinder Test of Concrete gives us the tensile strength of concrete
which is greater than the direct tensile strength of concrete but lower than the Flexure
strength of concrete (MOR=2.3 MPa).
 The Shape of the cracks of specimens obtained in the laboratory tests were exactly
passing through the center.

5) Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Beam:

5.1) Description of beams:
i. Singly Reinforced Beam (without stirrups): According to the theory, the beam was
supposed to fail in shear as there was not any transverse steel to provide resistance to the
shear stresses.
After performing the experiment, the failure mode was exactly as it was predicted.

ii. Singly Reinforced Beam (with stirrups): The beam were tested in a UTM machine using
three point loading arrangement. Theoretical analysis shows that the beam will fill in flexural
with significant ductile behavior due to tension steel. Shear and Flexural analysis according
to equations were assessed and it was predicted that the beam would be ductile giving
significant warning before failure.
After the experimental verifications the beam was deflected showing ductility before failure
and the final failure was the yielding of the steel on the tension side.

iii. Singly Reinforced Beam (Over Reinforced): The failure mode of over-reinforced beam is
always be compression controlled failure due to the larger amount of steel on the tension side.
As concrete is weaker than the steel, it crushes before the steel reaches its yielding point. The
over-reinforced beam were predicted to be fail in compression and it was so as it was predicted.
The actual mechanism occurring in beam is that when the strain in concrete reaches 0.003 it
crushes, at that time the stresses in steel are less than its yield stress. The concrete of beam is
crushed suddenly without giving any sign of warning. Therefore a beam which is designed
over-reinforced is dangerous due to its sudden failure.

iv. Doubly Reinforced Beam: The doubly reinforced beam according to the design criteria
shows large ductility before final failure either in compression or tension. This beam that
were casted showed most ductility of all four beams as steel yield more before final failure.
5.2) Flexural Cracking Load:

Comments: O.R.B failed suddenly due to compression controlled zone, as predicted. While
S.R.B, D.R.B failed after visible cracks.

5.3) Shear Cracking Load:

Beam 1 will fill in shear.

Comments: B1 had no shear rings that made it weak in shear and hence it is the only beam
that failed in shear. Here cracks appeared at N.A and travelled towards both directions at 45◦.

5.4) Failure Load:

5.5) Failure mode:
S.R.B (without stirrup) Shear failure
(Visible cracks at center)
S.R.B (with stirrup) Flexural failure
(Visible cracks first)
O.R.B (singly) Flexural failure
(No warning)
D.R.B Flexural failure
(Visible cracks first)

5.6) Comments:
 In B1, no shear rings were present and shear strength was less due to this, hence
it is the only beams that failed in shear.
 B2, B3, B4 had shear rings, here both flexural & shear strengths were
comparable.
 As predicted, B3 was over-reinforced so it failed without warning.
 Rest of the variations in the predictions & experimented values was due to
assumptions that we considered fc’ = 25 MPa, however, in reality our fc’ was
21.36 MPa.