Some types of special concrete:

Self Compacting Concrete (SCC)

Concrete that is able to flow under its own weight and completely fill the formwork, even in
the presence of dense reinforcement, without the need of any vibration, whilst maintaining
homogeneity

Advantages

Faster construction

Reduction in site manpower

Easier placing

Reduced noise-level in construction sites

Eliminate problems associated with vibration

Improved quality and durability

Safer working environment

Must meet three key properties:

1) Ability to flow into and completely fill complex forms under its own weight

2) Ability to pass through and bond to congested reinforcement under its own weight

3) High resistance to aggregate segregation

Constituent Materials

Cement

Aggregates (fine and coarse) -(max. size of 20 mm)

Water

Admixtures Chemical and Pozzolanic

superplasticizer (the essential component),

Viscosity Modifying Agents (VMA) for stability

Air Entraining admixture fro freeze-thaw resistance

Retarders to control setting

 Fly Ash, Silica Fume, GGBS

Fibres (short)

Workability Tests

Slump flow test filling ability

U-Type and Box-Type tests passing ability

Funnel test segregation resistance

T50 test filling ability

Applications

Congested sections/area

Large area (slab)

High-rise building
FIBRE REINFORCED CONCRETE (FRC)

Why do we used fibers in concrete?

Concrete is a very brittle material..

Strong in compression but Weak in bending

 ADMIXTURES IN CONCRETE

ADMIXTURES: A material added to plastic concrete or mortar, other than water, aggregates,
cement, and fibre TO change one or more properties of fresh or hardened concrete

1. Pozzolanic admixtures industrial waste, agro-waste

2. Chemical admixtures

When to use admixture?

When the desired modification of properties of fresh or hardened concrete cannot be

achieved by changes in the composition of the mix proportion

Form of Admixtures

Liquid - chemical

Flake - chemical

Powder chemical, pozzolanic

CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES

Chemical added in very small amount or quantity to the mixture to develop special properties
in fresh or hardened concrete

1) Accelerating admixture

2) Retarding admixture

3) Water-reducing/high-range water-reducing admixture

4) Air-entraining admixture

5) Others (special application)

Accelerating admixture

To accelerate the setting and early strength development of concrete, particularly in cold
weather applications

E.g. calcium chloride (CaCl2)

Early removal of formwork

Compressive strength at 3 days at least 25% higher than concrete without admixture

The amount of CaCl2 should be limited to 2% by weight of cement

Large dosage may cause severe corrosion and loss of strength at later ages

CaCl2 is not recommended in hot weather concreting and for pre-stressed concrete and may
be ineffective at temperatures below freezing because concrete can freeze before it reaches
the initial set.

Problems Associated with Accelerator

Increase the heat of hydration

Found to aggravate corrosion of reinforcing and pre-stressing steel

Increase creep and shrinkage

Retarding Admixture

Added to concrete to delay its setting and hardening, especially in hot weather applications
(temperature greater than 32 C)

Hot weather increases the rate of hardening which makes it difficult to place and finish the
plastic concrete

Recommended in large structures and difficult situations such as large piers and foundations,
to delay the initial set as well as to keep concrete workable throughout the entire placing
period (eliminate cold joint)

Sugar in any form is a retarder (coke?)

The use of retarder may reduce the strength at early age

Water-Reducing Admixture

Used to reduce the quantity of mixing water required, which increase the compressive
strength, and to produce concrete of desired consistency or high slump.

Can reduce water required by 12% or more

Its effect is due to increased dispersion of cement particles, causing a reduction in the
viscosity of the concrete.
 High-Range Water Reducer

Also called Superplasticizer

Added in small dosage with mixing water (typically 0.2% by weight of cement) to increase
slump

Flowing concrete slump greater than 180 mm

Dosage rate may vary from brand to brand for different types of cement.

By using superplasticizer, it is possible to have w/c ratio in the range of 0.3 to 0.45 which
would be impossible otherwise.

Addition of superplasticizer increases cost by 5% BUT savings in labour can be as high as 33%

Effect of Superplasticizer

Increase in workability

Increase in compressive strength

Eliminates segregation

Allow good dispersion of cement particles

in water

Concrete with Superplasticizer

Has smooth surface

Much less likely to chip and spall

Has fewer plastic shrinkage cracks

Higher compressive strength

Less shrinkage

Low permeability

Less time to place and finish the concrete

An accelerating curing period because of rapid gain in strength

 Early removal of formwork

Air-Entraining Admixture

Added to entrain air in concrete

Air entrainment is a process by which a large

number of microscopic air bubbles are dispersed
throughout the concrete

Diameter of air bubbles in the range of 20 to 200

m

Effects of Air-Entraining Admixture on Concrete

Fresh concrete

Increase workability

Hardened concrete

Reduced compressive strength

Curing of concrete
,
The object of curing is to keep concrete saturated, or a nearly saturated as possible, until the originally
water-filled space in the fresh cement paste has been filled to the desired extent by the products of
hydration of cement. In the case of site concrete, active curing stops nearly always before the maximum
possible hydration has taken place

Methods of curing
wet curing
The first method is that of providing water which can be imbibed by the concrete. This requires that the
surface of the concrete is continuously in contact with water for a specified length of time, starting as soon
as the surface of the concrete is no longer liable to damage.
Such conditions can be achieved by continuous spraying or flooding (ponding), or by covering the
concrete with wet sand or earth, sawdust or straw, Some care is required as staining may result.
Periodically-wetted clean hessian (burlap) or cotton mats (thick and lapped) may be used, or alternatively
an absorbent covering with access to water may be placed over the concrete. On inclined or vertical
surfaces, soaking hoses can be used.
As far as quality of the water used for curing is concerned, ideally it should be the same as mixing water.
Sea water may lead to corrosion of reinforcement. Also, iron or organic matter may cause staining,
particularly if water flows slowly over the concrete and evaporates rapidly. In some cases, discoloration is
of no significance.

Membrane curing
The second method of curing relies on the prevention of loss of water from the surface of the concrete,
without the possibility of external water ingressing in to it. This could be called a water-barrier method.
The techniques used include covering the surface of the concrete with overlapping polyethylene sheeting,
flat or with reinforced paper. The sheeting can be black, which is preferable in cold weather, or white,
which has the advantage of reflection of solar radiation in hot weather.
It is obvious that the membrane must be continuous and undamaged. The timing of spraying is also
critical. The curing spray should be applied after bleeding has stopped bringing water to the surface of the
concrete but before the surface has dried out.

Steam Curing
The primary object of steam curing is to obtain a sufficiently high early strength so that the concrete
products may be handled soon after casting: the moulds can be removed, or the prestressing bed
vacated, earlier than would be the case ordinary moist curing, and less curing storage space is required;
all these an economic advantage.
Because of the nature of the operations involved in steam curing, the process is used mainly with precast
products. Low-pressure steam curing normally applied in special chambers or in tunnels through which
the concrete members are transported on a conveyor belt. Alternatively, portable boxes or plastic can be
placed over precast members, steam being supplied through pipes.

There are several methods of electrical curing. In one, electric current passes through the fresh concrete
between external electrodes. The current must be alternating as direct current would lead to hydrolysis of
the cement paste.