CONCRETING WORKS

( TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT )

Eileen Rosales
Merville Sanchez
Marieglo Valeros
INTRODUCTION TO CONCRETE
Rosales, Eileen L.
Why concrete?
֍HIGH COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
֍ WATER TIGHTNESS
֍ DURABILITY
֍ ABRASION RESISTANCE
COMPONENTS
1. Air

improve workability

improve resistance to freezing and thawing

reduce bleeding and segregation

 2. Water
• Different types of contamination or impurities

 Suspended Solids

Acidity and Alkalinity

Algae
Sea Water

Chloride
Moisture content of aggregates
 3. Cement

• Portland Cement ( limestones, clays, and shales )

 Air content
Fineness
Expansion
Strength
Heat of hydration
Setting time
 4. Supplementary cementing materials
(SCMs)

• Hydraulic or pozzolanic activity = hardened concrete

 Fly ash - finely divided residue that results from the

combustion of pulverized coal

 Slag cement - formerly referred to as ground,

granulated blast-furnace slag

 Silica Fume - finely divided residue resulting from the

production of elemental silicon or ferro-silicon alloys
5. Aggregates

clean, hard, strong particles free of absorbed

chemicals or coatings of clay and other fine
materials

influence concrete's freshly mixed and hardened

properties, mixture proportions, and economy
Characteristics of aggregates
grading

durability

particle shape and surface texture

abrasion and skid resistance

unit weights and voids

absorption and surface moisture

6. Admixtures

Accelerating admixtures - reduce the time of setting and

accelerate early strength development

Air-entraining admixtures - form small bubbles in the

concrete mix

 Water-reducing admixtures - reducing the quantity of

mixing water required to produce concrete of a given
consistency

Finely divided mineral admixtures - reduce the

permeability of the concrete
Superplasticizers - increase the workability of concrete
temporarily, without adding additional water

 Retarding admixtures - which slow the setting rate of

concrete, are used to counteract the accelerating effect
of hot weather on concrete setting

Corrosion-inhibiting admixtures - used to slow corrosion

of reinforcing steel in concrete
HOW CONCRETE IS MADE?

“The key to achieving a strong, durable

concrete rests
in the careful proportioning and mixing of
the ingredients. “
PRE CONCRETING WORKS
 CHECKLIST

Inspector shall document all pre-concreting activities in the

Daily Field Report, and record observations

Excavation
Formwork
Steel Reinforcement
Construction Joints
Excavation (prior to concrete placing)

shall be inspected for any pockets of soft material that

might affect construction support

soft zones shall be undercut and backfilled

the surface of the rock shall be sound and level

 Formwork (before concreting)


shall be inspected to assure that they are in the correct

locations

 shall be inspected to assure that concrete will result

required dimensions

 shall be sufficiently strong and rigid


forms used for permanently exposed concrete surfaces
shall be inspected

the inside faces of the forms shall be coated with a light

non-staining form of oil or lacquer
 Steel Reinforcement

shall be checked for proper grade, size, bending, spacing,

location, firmness of installation and surface condition
surfaces shall be free from objectionable coatings,
particularly heavy corrosion caused by outdoor storage
use of rocks, wood blocks, or other unapproved objects to
support the steel shall not be permitted
Embedded items shall be fixed in position before concrete
is placed
 Construction Joints

shall check the location and type of each joint to confirm
that they conform to the Plans

 joints shall be horizontal or vertical

 wet concrete mixtures must be avoided near a joint

 the joint surface shall be washed with water and kept in a

saturated state until the new concrete is placed
CONCRETE INSPECTION
DURING PLACEMENT
Sanchez, Merville
Water-Cement Ratio
Slump Test
Compression Test
Adequacy Of Vibration
Segregation Of Aggregates
POST CONCRETING WORKS
VALEROS, Marieglo H.
 INTRODUCTION
Finishing

“No final finishing can begin while bleed water is

present. Mixing bleed water with the surface
paste will weaken it, possibly resulting in a dusty
surface.”
INTRODUCTION
Finishing

Initial Finishing
Floating:
Bullfloat
Power or Hand float
Final Finishing
Trowelling
Edging and Grooving
INTRODUCTION
Curing

“Once any surface has been finished the concrete MUST

be cured. ”

When to cure?
Why cure?**
How to cure?**
How long to cure?**
INTRODUCTION
Curing

Why cure?

֍ LESSLIKELY TO CRACK
֍ STRONGER
֍ MORE DURABLE
INTRODUCTION

Curing

How to cure?

֍ Applyingextra water
֍ Reducing moisture loss
INTRODUCTION
Curing

How long to cure?

“Concrete keeps getting HARDER AND

STRONGER over TIME.”
INTRODUCTION
Joints

Types of Joints:
Control Joints
Isolation Joints
Construction Joints
COMMON PROBLEM
֍ Colour Variation
֍ Crazing
֍ Dusting
֍ Rain Damage
֍ Spalling
֍ Efflorescence
֍ Honeycombing
֍ Blistering
COMMON PROBLEM
Colouring Variation
Prevention
֍ Use uniform concrete mix
֍ Use consistent placing,
compacting, finishing and curing
procedures
֍ Do not use driers
Repair
֍ Surface coating
֍ Weak acid
 COMMON PROBLEM
Crazing
Prevention
֍ Use evaporative retarder or fog spray
֍ Cover concrete surface with wet burlap or
canvas
֍ Maintain spray or keep cover
֍ Cure immediately
Repair
֍ Surface coating or overlay sealer
 COMMON PROBLEM
Dusting
Prevention
֍ Let bleed water dry before trowelling
֍ Cure correctly
֍ Protect concrete from drying out quickly
֍ Do not add excess water
֍ Use stronger concrete
Repair
֍ Apply surface hardener
֍ Remove loose material then apply suitable
topping
 COMMON PROBLEM
Rain Damage
Prevention
֍ Cover and prevent water
from running across the
concrete
Repair
֍ Refloat
֍ Re-trowell
֍ Grind or scrape off damaged layer
֍ Apply topping layer of new concrete or
֍ repair compound
 COMMON PROBLEM
Rain Damage
Prevention
֍ Cover and prevent water from
running across the concrete
Repair
֍ Refloat
֍ Re-trowell
֍ Grind or scrape off damaged layer
֍ Apply topping layer of new concrete or
repair compound
 COMMON PROBLEM
Efflorescence
Prevention
֍ Use clean, salt-free water
and washed sands
֍ Avoid excessive bleeding
Repair
֍ Dry brush and wash with
clean water
֍ Do not use wire brush
֍ Wash with dilute solution of hydrochloric acid
 COMMON PROBLEM
Honeycombing
Prevention
֍ Use better mix design
֍ Place concrete carefully
֍ Compact concrete properly
֍ Good watertight formwork
Repair
֍ Thin layer, apply layer of mortar
֍ Greater depth, remove and replace concrete
 COMMON PROBLEM
Blistering
Prevention
֍ Delay trowelling
֍ Use evaporative
retarder
Repair
֍ Grind off weakened layer
֍ Remove blisters
֍ Apply a repair mortar or epoxy coating
COMMON PROBLEM

Cracking

Types of Cracks:
Pre-hardening Cracks
Hardened Concrete Cracks
COMMON PROBLEM

Cracking

Types of Pre-hardening Cracks:

֍ Plastic Settlement
֍ Plastic Shrinkage
֍ Formwork Movement
֍ Thermal Shock
BEST PRACTICES

Hot Weather Concreting

To reduce risk of concrete drying out and cracking:
֍ Use SHADE to keep all materials out of direct
sun and keep the aggregates MOIST.
֍ DAMPEN subgrade and formwork, but don’t
leave excess water lying around.
֍ Erect SHADES and WINDBREAKS or try to
place in the cooler parts of the day.
BEST PRACTICES
Hot Weather Concreting
To reduce risk of concrete drying out and cracking:
֍Avoid DELAYS once placing begins by planning
ahead.
֍ Use a 'set-retarding' ADMIXTURE.
֍ SPRAY concrete with 'aliphatic alcohol' after
the initial finishing, which reduces
EVAPORATION and CRACKING.
֍ CURE concrete carefully.
References:
☻ Concrete Basics – A Guide to Concrete Practice by
Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia
☻ Concrete Information – Concrete Slab Surface Defects
by Portland Cement Association
☻ Concrete Problems and Repair Techniques by Professor
Khaled A. Soudki, Peng
☻ Common Concrete Problems by Oldcastle Materials
☻ Best Practices Guidelines for Concrete Construction by
OGCA and RMCAO