UseofGGBSinConcreteConstruction

1. RequirementsforStrikingFormwork

Thetimerequirementforstrikingformwork,asperBS8110(StructuralUseofConcrete),is4days
forsoffitformworktoslabsand12hoursforverticalformwork(16degreesandabove).However,
shorterperiodscanbeused,inparticularforslabsorbeams,iftheconcretestrengthisatleast10
N/mm2,(ortwicethestresstowhichtheslabissubjectedwhichwillnormallybelessthan10
N/mm2value).Forverticalelementsconcreteisrequiredtohaveastrengthof2N/mm2orgreater
topreventmechanicaldamagewhenstrikingverticalformwork(CIRIAreport136FormworkStriking
Times).

ExperienceinIrelandwithconcretescontainingupto50%GGBShasshownthattheserequirements
aremet.Thereisalsosome50yearsplusexperienceintheUKwithconcreteswhere50%GGBSis
regularlyused,withnoadverseaffectstoconstructionprogrammes.

2. InSituConcreteStrengthData

Insituconcretestrengthdata,ratherthancuberesults,isthemostaccuratewaytodetermine
appropriatestrikingtimes.Themostaccuratewaytodetermineinsituconcretestrengthisusing
TemperatureMatchedCuring.

TemperatureMatchedCuring
Temperaturematchedcuring(TMC)iscuringconcretecubesinawatertankwhosetemperature
matchestheinsitutemperatureintheconcrete,usinganelectricalsignalfromathermocouple
placedintheconcrete.TMCcuringgivesafarmoreaccuratemeasureofthestrengthofthe
concreteelementthancuringcubesat20degrees.

Itiswellknownthattherateofstrengthgainofaconcreteelementisaffectedbythetemperature
atwhichitiscuring.Coldconcretegainsstrengthmoreslowlythanwarmerconcrete.

TMCgivesthecontractorthebestpossiblemeasureofthestrengthintheconcreteelement,
allowingformoreaccurateprogramming.Thefollowingfewcasestudiesdemonstratetherateof
strengthgainofconcretecontainingdifferent%ofGGBSasmonitoredusingbothTMCandstandard
20degreecuring.

CASESTUDY1
InsituconcretestrengthdatawasobtainedforflatslabconstructiononarecentprojectinDublin
citycentre.Thefollowingstrengthdatawasmeasuredforboth30%and50%GGBSusage:

a) Strengthoftheconcreteintheinsituelement,usingTMC

b) Strengthofstandardsitecastcubes,labcuredat20oC

TheresultsshowthatboththeinsitustrengthandthestandardcubestrengthsoftheGGBS
concreteat3daysarefargreaterthantheminimumvalueof10N/mm2requiredforsoffitformwork
striking,asshownbelow:

Graph1StrengthversusTimeFlatslab
Graph1demonstratesthatconcretecontaining50%GGBShassufficientstrengthtostrikesoffit
formworkat3days.Basedontheresultshere50%GGBSwasusedonthisjobanditdidnothave
anyimpactontheprogressoftheconstructionprogramme.

FromGraph1itisalsoclearthatthereislittledifferencebetweentherateofstrengthgainfor30%
and50%replacementrates.

CASESTUDY2
Verticalformworktowallsisgenerallystruckthenextday,oftenwithin1216hours.Graph2shows
theearlyagestrength(measuredusingTMC)forawallconstructedwith30%GGBS.Only2N/mm2is
requiredtostrikeverticalformworkwhereasinthiscaseastrengthof9.7N/mm2wasachievedwith
30%at16hours(earliestavailablecuberesult).(AsnotedinGraph1,thestrengthfor50%
replacementwouldnotbemuchdifferentto30%GGBS).

Graph2StrengthversusTimeforawall

IthasalsobeenestablishedonjobssuchasCorkCivicOffices(Cleary&Doyle),AngloIrishHQ
(Royceton),CharlestownDevelopmentinFinglas(G&TCrampton)andHenryJ.Lyonsofficesin
PearseSt.(P.Elliots)thatusing50%GGBShadnonegativeimpactontheconstructionprogramme.

ColdWeather

Coldweatherslowsdownthehydrationofallconcreteandverycoldweathermayimpactonthe
normalstrikingprogrammes.

ConcretewithlowpercentagesofGGBSexhibitsthesamesensitivitytocoldweatherasordinary
concrete.Concretewith50%GGBSmayexhibitsomeadditionalretardationinverycoldweather.
Howeverthiseffectcanbemitigatedbyheatgeneratedwithintheconcreteelement.

CASESTUDY3(samejobascasestudy1)
Graph3illustratesheatgeneratedina350mmslabrisingtoamaximumof36degrees,some15to
20degreesaboveambient(pouredinsummer).

Graph3Temperatureprofilein350mmslab

Theincreaseinstrengththatresultsfromtheseelevatedtemperatureisdemonstratedingraph1by
comparingtheTMCstrengthdatatothe20degreestrengthdata.

CASESTUDY4
Forlargerconcreteelements,coldweatherwillnothaveasignificantimpact.Sinceallconcrete
releasesheatduringhydration,largerelementsreleasemoreheatandhencethethetemperatureat
whichtheconcretecuresishigher.GGBSisoftenspecifiedtoreducetheoverallamountofheat
releasedbutevenwiththeuseofhighpercentagesofGGBStherecanstillbesignificant
temperaturesintheconcreteelement.

Graph4Increaseinstrengthgainasaresultofincreasedtemperature(winterpour)

Graph4showsthestrengthgaindatafora1.1mdeepslabpouredinthewinter2009/2010.70%
GGBSwasusedtoreducetheriskofthermalcrackingandtoobtainmoredurableconcrete.High
earlyagestrengthswererequired.Becauseoftheelevatedconcretetemperatureastrengthof
47N/mm2wasachievedbyday4.

CASESTUDY5

Graph5Increaseinstrengthover6monthsforblendswithandwithoutGGBS

Thisstudyshowsthemediumtermstrengthdevelopmentof2differentgradesofcement(namely
grade42.5andgrade52.5)bothontheirownandblendedwith50%GGBS.Itcanbenotedthat
after6monthstheblendsof50%GGBSaresubstantiallyaheadintermsofstrengthdevelopment
(over40%higherinbothcases).

Insummary
Inmostcircumstances,experienceinIrelandandtheUKhasshownthatusing50%GGBShasno
impactonthenormalprogrammeforstrikingverticalorhorizontalformwork.Inverycoldweather
andforsmallorthinconcreteelements,reducingto30%GGBSmayberequiredtoallowformwork
tobestruckinaccordancewithtraditionalpractice.Forlargerconcreteelements,irrespectiveof
replacementratesofGGBS,coldweatherwillnotimpactonthestandardpracticeoncethe
standardcoldweatherconcreteprecautionsaretaken,suchascoveringwithplasticsheetingand
insulationwherethereisadangeroftemperaturesfallingbelow5degrees,(thispracticeistoprotect
againstsurfacefrostdamage).Finally,forconcreteusinghigherpercentagesofGGBSitwill
generallybemuchstrongerthanconcretethathasnotusedablendofGGBS,evenafterjustafew
months.ConcretemadewithGGBShasbeenshowntocontinuetogainstrengthevenanumberof
yearslater.

REFERENCE
1. Onsitestudies
2. C.A.Clear,Formworkstrikingtimesforgroundgranulatedblastfurnaceslagconcrete:test
andsiteresults.

ExtractsfromthepaperbyC.A.Clear
Wheretheproportionofggbsisrestrictedtolevelsupto50%thestrikingtimesarenotincreased
sufficientlytoaffecttheconstructionprogramme,undernormalconditions

Resultsshowthatformassiveormediumsizedconcreteconstruction,theuseof70%ggbsdoesnot
presentapracticallimitationtothestrikingtime.

Fromtheexamplesofwinterconcretingdescribed,itisevidentthattheinsituearlyagestrength
developmentofC30+concrete,containingupto70%ggbs,insectionswithaminimumdimension
greaterthan250mm,issufficienttoachieveastrikingtimewhichdoesnotextendtheconstruction
programme.Whereonlyupto50%ggbsisused,thereductioninearlyagedevelopmenthasnot
presentedproblemssignificantenoughtopromptsuchfieldinvestigation,asreflectedinthe
examples.

Theimportantonetonotehereisthedata3(d)thisisforathinslabwith50%GGBS.Itshowsin
Marchtheformworkcouldbestruckat12hours

SeepaperbyC.A.Clear,Formworkstrikingtimesforgroundgranulatedblastfurnaceslagconcrete:
testandsiteresultswhichlooksatformworkstrikingtimesforconcretecontainingupto70%GGBS
http://www.ecocem.ie/downloads/Formwork_Striking_Times_for_GGBS_Concrete.pdf.