Building Materials Final Solution After Cor.

ENGINEERS PRIDE JAIPUR

BUILDING MATERIALS
SSC- JE MAINS SOLUTION-VOLUME 1

ENGINEERS PRIDE
1st FLOOR, KHUSHI TOWER, OPPOSITE HDFC BANK, MAIN KUMBHA MARG,
PRATAP NAGAR, JAIPUR
www.engineerspride.org
BUILDING MATERIALS ENGINEERS PRIDE JAIPUR
Contents
Chapter Topic Page No.

Number
1 CEMENT 2-10
2 CONCRETE 11-37
3 BRICK & STONE 37-49

MASONARY
4 TIMBER 49-54
5 MISCELLANEOUS 54-63
1|Page www.engineerspride.org
CHAPTER-1
CEMENT
1. Write short notes one of the following:

(i) High alumina cement.
(ii) Rapid hardening cement.
(iii) White and colored cement.
........... (3+3+4).. 2004
Solution.
High alumina cement: its composition is very different from opc. The raw
materials used for its manufacturing consists of bauxite (40%) and lime, iron
oxide with a little % of ferric oxide and silica , magnesia etc. Ground finely at a
very high temperature.
It is used for good resistance against attack by sulphates and some acids.
Rapid Harding cement: this cement is similar to opc, except that it has more C³S
and less C²S and it is more ground finely.
It is used for rapid development of strength when form work is removed as early.
But this cement is not used for mass concreting because of their high heat of
hydration. It is suitable for repair of roads, bridge and in which type of structure
where load applied for short period of time.
White and colored cement: it is manufactured from pure white chalk and China
clay free from iron oxide. Iron oxide is responsible for grayish color of cement,
so we reduce the quantity of iron oxide below 1 %.
Colored cement is made by adding 5 to 10 percent coloring pigments before
grinding. Such cement has properties as that of OPC and are non-staining
because of low amount of soluble alkalis. These are used for making terrazzo
flooring, face plaster of walls, ornamental work and casting stones.
2. Enumerate various types of Portland cement and describe any two in detail.
(5+10)…………2004
Solution: -
Classification and composition of cement
a. Classification
Cement may be classified into four major parts
A. Portland Cement
B. High Alumina Cement
C. Super sulphated Cement
D. Natural cement
<A>Portland cement: -
a. Ordinary Portland cement
b. Rapid hardening cement
c. Extra rapid hardening cement
d. Low heat Portland cement
e. Portland blast furnace slag cement
f. Portland –puzzolona cement
g. Sulphate resisting Portland cement
h. White cement
I. Colored cement
<B> High alumina cement
<C> Super sulphated cement
<D> Natural cement
<E> Low heat Portland cement: - This type of cement is used when we want to
reduce the amount of heat evolved during process of setting. Heat during setting
can be reduced by lowering the percentage of tri-calcium aluminate C3A of about
5% and higher percentage of dicalcium silicate C2S OF ABOUT 46%.
Uses of low heat cement: -
a. It can be used in mass construction works.
b. The concrete made by low heat cement is highly resistance against ruptures.
Disadvantages of low heat cement: -
a. It cannot be used in cold conditions because it will retard the setting time than in
ordinary weather.
b. The compressive strength is lower than that of ordinary cement.
<II> Sulphate resisting Portland cement: - Sulphate resisting Portland cement is a

type of Portland cement in which the amount of tricalcium aluminate (C3A) is
restricted to lower than 5%. It is used to resist sulphate attack. Sulphate attack is
due to salts due to underwater construction. SRC can be used for structural
concrete wherever OPC or PPC or slag cement is usable under normal conditions.
The use of SRC is particularly beneficial in such conditions where the concrete is
exposed to the risk of deterioration due to sulphate attack. The use of SRC is
recommended for following applications:
 Foundation, Piles
 Sewage and water treatment plants

 Chemical, fertilizers and sugar factories
 Coastal works
3. Discuss the manufacture of cement. (10) ............2009
Solution.
Production of cement completes after passing of raw materials from the following six
phases. These are
1. Raw material extraction and mixing
2. Grinding, Proportioning and Blending
3. Pre-heater Phase
4. Kiln Phase
5. Cooling and Final Grinding
6. Packing & Shipping
There are two processes-

• Dry process - dry process is adopted when the raw materials are quite hard. This process
is slow and costly. Lime Stone and clay are ground to fine power separate and are mixed.
Water is added to make a thick paste, now this paste is burn at 1400 to 1500 and it
converted into clinker. This clinker is mix with 2-3% of Gypsum.
• Wet process - In wet process crushed raw materials are fed into ball mill and a little
water is added and form slurry. Slurry having 40% moisture content, it burned at 1500
- 1600 and change into clinker. Clinker is cooled and then ground in tube mills. While
grinding the clinker, about 3% Gypsum. The cement is then stored in silos from where it
is supplied.
4. Explain the manufacturing of cement by wet process. (15)..................2011
Solution.
Wet process: In wet process crushed raw material are fed into Ball mill and a little water
is added.
• During operation of ball mil, using the steel balls form a slurry with water.
• Corrected slurry having about 40% moisture content, is then fed into rotary kiln where
it used moisture and forms into lumps.
• Then it is finally burned at 1500-1600 and lumps change to clinker at this
temperature.
• Clinker is cooled and then ground in tube mills.
• While grinding the clinker, about 3% Gypsum is added.
• The cement is then packed into bags and ready to supply.
Diagram-
5. What are the chief chemical ingredient and their percentage used in the manufacturing
of Portland cement? Also, briefly explain the Bogue component and their properties in
the cement. (20) ...........................2012
Solution.
Following are the various ingredients of Portland cement with their % -
• Lime - 60 to 65
• Silica- 17 to 25
• Alumina - 3 to 8
• Calcium sulphates- 3 to 4
• Ferric oxide- 3 to 4
• Magnesia - 0.1 to 0.3
• Sulphur- 1 to 3
• Alkalies - 0.2 to 1
Bogue compounds:
1. Tricalcium silicate (3cao.sio2)-
• 25-50% of cement
• Generating high heat of hydration and faster rate of reaction.
• Develops an early hardness and strength.
2. Diacalcium silicate (2CaO.SiO2)-

• 20- 45% of cement
• Ultimate strength
• Slow Hardening
• Higher resistance to chemical attack.

3. Tricalcium alumina the (CaO.Al2O3)-
• 5-11% of cement
• It rapid react with water
• High heat of hydration
• Responsible for flash set.
4. Tetra calcium alumina ferrite (4Ca.Al2O3.Fe2O3)

• 8-14% of cement
• Stability
• Flash set but generate less heat.
6. List the physical tests that are generally used on cement. Describe any 3 of them.
<15>……………2013
Solution: -
The cement must be test before its usage in various construction works and its usage in
engineering properties. Some test on cement are: -
 Soundness test
 Crushing strength test
 Initial and final setting time
 Color test
 Presence of lumps
Soundness test: - This test determines the content of free lime in cement which is not of any
use. This test is done with the help of Le Chatlier apparatus. This apparatus consist of split
brass mold of diameter 30mm and height 30mm. There are 2 indicators on either side of
split and the ends of indicators are 165 mm from the centre of the mold. Le chatlier
apparatus is completely oiled and is filled with cement paste with water 78% required for
standard consistency. This sample is then covered with another glass plate and this whole
assembly is kept in water for 24 hours and the temperature of water is kept between is 24
to 50 . Compute the distance between indicators and start heating the water such that water
starts boil in 30 minutes and then the mold is removed from water is allowed to cool and the
distance between 2 pointers is measured and this difference indicates the expansion of
cement due to presence of unburnt lime and this value should not be more than 10 mm
Initial setting time: - This test is done with the help of vicat apparatus. Initial setting time is
the time in which cement start losing its plasticity and final setting time is defined as the
time in which cement loses its plasticity completely. Vicat apparatus consists of 3 needles
used according to the type of test is done and indicator which is attached to the movable rod.
Before the initial and final setting time tests consistency test is being performed through
which the amount of water required to make good cement paste is determined.
In initial setting time test a sample of 300 gms cement is taken and is thoroughly
mixed with 85% of water required for standard consistency of cement. After this process a
cement sample which prepared is completely filled in a vicat mold and the mold is
thoroughly leveled. 1 mm of square needle is fixed to the rod and is allowed to penetrate to
the paste completely and the experiment is stopped when the needle can penetrate up to 5 to
7 mm from the bottom of the mold. And the time elapsed between addition of water and
stoppage of experiment is noted as called as initial setting time.
Final setting time: - In this experiment the square needle is replaced with annular collar
ring to the mold and the time elapsed between addition of water and the impression formed
on the sample is noted which is called as final setting time.
Crushing strength test: - Inthis test a sample of 200 gms cement is taken and is mixed with
(P/4) + 3% of water where P is the standard consistency of water. This sample is mixed with
trowel for 3 to 4 minutes so uniform mixture is obtained. And this mixture is filled in a
square mold of 70.6 mm size. This sample is kept on a steel plate and is tapered with steel
rod 25 mm 20 times for 8 seconds. This mold is kept on a standard vibrating table and
vibration is done is at a speed of 12000 vibration /minute and it is vibrated for 2 minutes and
then hopper is removed and the top surface is finished with a knife or trowel. After 24 hours
mold is removed, and cube is placed in water for curing and this cube is placed in
compression testing machine (CTM) and the average of these three samples is taken is
known as crushing strength. At the end of 3 days should not be less than 11.5 N/mm2 and
should not be less than 17.5N/mm2 at the end of 7 days.
7. State the condition under which you will recommend the following cement. Give the
reason.
(i) Rapid hardening cement.
(ii) High alumina cement.(10)...2014
Solution.
Rapid hardening Portland cement: ( IS:8041)
• This cement is similar to OPC , except that it has more C³S and less C²S and It is used
where rapid development of strength is desired, but not used for mass concreting.
• It attains same strength in 1day which a ordinary cement attains in 3 days with the
same water cement ratio.
• Cost 10% more than OPC.
High alumina cement: (IS: 6452)

• It's composition is very different from OPC.
• The raw material used for its manufacturing consists of bauxite and lime, iron oxide
with little % of ferric oxide and silica, magnesia etc.
• As since C³S is not present, the cement has good resistance against attack by sulphate.
• Final setting time should not exceed 600 minutes.
• It is used for refractory concrete, in industries and is widely for pre-casting.
• Not used in tropical regions
8. Name the four constituents of cement and also state the role of each in achieving its
properties. (15) .........2016
Solution.
Four important constituents of cement are-
 Tricalcium silicate
 Dicalcium silicate
 Tricalcium aluminate
 Tetra calcium alumina ferrite
1. Tricalcium silicate (3cao.sio2)- it is considered as best cementing material and well burn
cement.
• 25-50% of cement
• Generating high heat of hydration and faster rate of reaction.
• Develops an early hardness and strength.
2. Diacalcium silicate (2CaO.SiO2)- it is responsible for ultimate strength.

• 20- 45% of cement
• Ultimate strength
• Slow Hardening
• Higher resistance to chemical attack.
3. Tricalcium alumina the (CaO.Al2O3)-
• 5-11% of cement
• It rapid react with water
• High heat of hydration
• Responsible for flash set.
4. Tetra calcium alumina ferrite (4Ca.Al2O3.Fe2O3)

• 8-14% of cement
• Stability
• Flash set but generate less heat.
Note: decreasing order of heat of hydration -

C³A > C³S > C⁴AF > C²S
10 | P a g e www.engineerspride.org
CHAPTER-2
CONCRETE
1. What is curing of concrete enumerate various methods of curing and explain

anyone one of them in
detail. (2+5+3)......................2004
Solution.
Curing of concrete : After placement of concrete we kept wet the surface of concrete
for a period that period know as curing period, wet surface of concrete promote the
Harding of cement or we can say it provides moisture for hydration to increase their
bonding (strength). Curing control the temperature and moisture content available in
concrete. Moisture of concrete kept by many ways like supply of external
sources water , prevent the loss of moisture by surface lamination etc.
Following are the methods of curing-
1. water curing
2. Steam curing
3. Chemical curing
4. Electrical curing
5. Curing by infrared radiation.
Water curing : water curing is done by the covering the concrete surface by gunny bags,
sprinkling water on surface for curing period and lamination of surface by water proof
paper ( membrane curing). In membrane curing the surface of concrete coated with a
bituminous layer to prevent loss of moisture by evaporation. Other sealing compound
are rubber latex emulation, resins varnish and wax.
For horizontal concrete structures curing is done by storing water on the surface , this is
called ponding , we also used wet gunny bags for curing. In ponding method we store
the water by making small blocks but in sprinkling method we sprinkling the water for
some interval. Curing is the most important factor of concrete strength if the surface of
concrete is dry in curing period then cracks may developed and it reduces the strength
and durability of structure
2. Explain the term “water cement ratio” explain how the quantity of water affects
the strength of a concrete mix. (4+6) ...........................2004
Solution.
Water cement ratio : The water cement ratio is the ratio of the weight of water to the
weight of cement used in a concrete mix.
W/c ratio is Major factor of strength and some other factors also influence the strength
of concrete. It is responsible for hardened cement paste. generally we take water cement
ratio 0.4 for proper workability. When it is decreased to less than 0.4 then consistency
improper and when honeycombed structure is formed.
However, concrete is compacted by vibrator for higher strength even at 0.3 w/c ratio as
shown in figure by dotted line. At w/c ratio more than 0.4 ,the expansion of cement on
hydration is insufficient. In the figure if we are increase w/c ratio then strength is
decreased.
3. Enumerate various methods used in the water proofing of concrete. Explain any
two of them in detail. (6+4)...............2004
Solution
Following are the four methods adopted for water proofing of RCC structure-
1. Finishing
2. Bedding concrete and flooring
3. Mastic asphalt and jute cloth
4. Use of water proofing compound
Finishing: finishing of concrete structure is the basic water proofing method which is
used generally, it is simple and cheap method as compared to other. In this method we
provide a layer of cement mortar on concrete surfaces at the end of construction work.
Generally we use 1:4 cement mortar where 1 part of cement and 4 part of sand. It
provides water proofing as well as good appearance for buildings.
Bedding concrete and flooring: In this method of water proofing, the surface of RCC
structure is covered by thick layer of another concrete. The concrete may be brickbats
lime concrete of 1:2:4 or brick cement concrete of 1:8:14. The thickness of the concrete
layer is about 100mm. After providing concrete layer we provide another layer of
suitable flooring such as tiles, terrazzo, Indian patent stone etc. In the last a convex
joint is provided at the junction of parapet wall and roof.
4. Describe the term “concrete of constant workability”. Explain the procedure of

measurement of workability of concrete. (3+7).........2004
Solution.
Constant workability can be defined by a example, if volume remain the same and the
proportion of cement in relation to that of sand is increased the surface area of the solid
will increase. If the surface area of solid has increased, the water demands will stay the
same for the constant workability.
Following are the methods of workability-

1. Slump test
2. Compacting factor test
3. Vee-bee consistometer test
Slump test: firstly we prepare mould, mould is filled in with fresh concrete in four
layers, each layer 25 stock of the round end of tamping rod.
After the top layer, the concrete is struck off level with a trowels or the tamping rod,
such that the mould is exactly filled.
Mould is removed immediately by raising it slowly and carefully in a virtually
direction.
It allows the concrete to subside and the slum4is measured immediately by determining
the difference between the height of the mould and that of the highest point of the
specimen being tested.
Flow diagram,
5 . Describe the term “water cement ratio” explain how the quantity of water
affects the strength of a concrete
mix. (4+6)...........................2004
Solution.
Water cement ratio : The water cement ratio is the ratio of the weight of water to the
weight of cement used in a concrete mix.
W/c ratio is Major factor of strength and some other factors also influence the strength
of concrete. It is responsible for hardened cement paste. generally we take water cement
ratio 0.4 for proper workability. When it is decreased to less than 0.4 then consistency
improper and when honeycombed structure is formed.
However, concrete is compacted by vibrator for higher strength even at 0.3 w/c ratio as
shown in figure by dotted line. At w/c ratio more than 0.4 ,the expansion of cement on
hydration is insufficient. In the figure if we are increase w/c ratio then strength is
decreased.
6. Write short notes on the following:

(i) Continuous and batch mixing.
(ii) Concreting under water.
(iii) Designing of a concrete mix.
(4+3+3)................2004
Solution.
1 . Continuous and batch mixing: continuous mixing is used to mix ingredients
continuously in a mixer in a single pass. In a continuous mixing process, the weighing,
loading, mixing, and discharge occur continuously and simultaneously. The output of a
continuous mixer is measured in kg/hr.
In batch mixing operations, a ingredients are loaded into the mixer together or in a
predefined sequences and mix until the homogeneous material is not form, after proper
mixing wet discharged the concrete. The discharged of batch mixer is single lot and
measured in kg/ batch.
2 . Concreting under water: sometimes concrete work under water then we required to
be placed underwater or in a trench filled with the bentonites slurry in such cases, use
of bottom dump bucket or treme pipe is made use of in the bottom dump bucket
concrete is taken through the water in a water tight box or bucket and on reaching the
final place of deposition the bottom is made to open by some mechanism and the whole
concrete is dumped slowly. The method will not give a satisfactory results as certain
amount of washing away of cement is bound to occur.
In some situation, dry or semi dry mixture of cement, fine and coarse aggregate are
filled in cement bags and such bagged concrete is deposited on the bed below the water.
This method also does not give satisfactory concrete, as the concrete mass will be full
of void interspersed with the putrescible gunny bags.
The satisfactory methods of placing concrete under water is by use of termie pile.
Designing of a concrete mix: properties of concrete are governors by quantities of

ingredients of concrete by a considerable extent. The design mix is the method to
achieve a optimal Constitution of concrete or ingredients of concrete.
If the quantity of any one part is increased then their strength and other factors are
change so we required some limitations on their proposition. If we increased water than
spacing will increased between cement practical and strength will decreased. Water
cement ratio is also a important factor of concrete paste so we are keep these things on
our mind and mix the paste with required amounts of their ingredients for better results.
7. What is compaction? Why is it needed, list the different method of

compaction? (3+4+3)...2005
Solution.
Compaction of concrete:
Compaction is the process that expels entrapped air from freshly placed concrete
and packs the aggregate particles together so as to increase the density of the
concrete.
Compaction significantly increases the ultimate strength of concrete and

enhances the bond with reinforcement. It also increases the abrasion resistance
and general durability of the concrete, decreases the permeability and helps to
minimize its shrinkage and creep characteristics.

Proper compaction also ensures that the reinforcement, tendons, inserts and
fixings are completely surrounded by dense concrete, the formwork is completely
filled – i.e. there are no pockets of honey-combed material – and that the required
surface finish is obtained on vertical surfaces.
The following are the methods of compactions of concrete-

1. Hand compaction
a. Rodding
b. ramming
c. Tamping
2. Compaction by vibration
a. internal vibrator
b. Formwork vibrator
c. Table vibrator
d. Platform vibrator
e. Surface vibrator
f. Vibrator roller
3. Compaction by pressure and jointing
4. Compaction by spinning
8. Explain the need for curing of concrete, list the different method that can be used
for the wet curing of concrete for how long should curing be done. (3+4+3)
............2005
Solution.
Need of curing of concrete: curing is the process of controlling the rate of hydration or loss in
moisture from concrete.it is also ensure to maintain adequate temperature of concrete to prevent
cracks. Initial strength of concrete is directly depends on adequate curing condition.
Methods used for curing of concrete: there are various methods of curing which is depends on
the climatic conditions, nature of work and availability of resources.
Following are the some methods of curing-
1. Water curing
2. Steam curing
3. Chemical curing
4. Electrical curing
5. Curing by infrared radiation.
Curing of concrete must begin as soon as possible after placement and finishing, it is continuing
for a reasonable period of time as per the relevant standard, for the concrete to achieve its
desired strength and durability. Uniform temperature should also be maintained throughout the
concrete depth to avoid thermal shrinkage cracks. Also protective measures to control moisture
loss from the concrete surface are essential to prevent plastic shrinkage cracks.
9. Explain briefly the importance of various types of concrete in construction.

<10>………….2007
Solution: -
Types of concrete: -
 Normal concrete
 High strength concrete
 High performance concrete
 Air entrained concrete
 Light weight concrete
 Self compacting concrete
 Shotcrete
 Pervious concrete
 Roller compacted concrete
Normal concrete: - This concrete is composed of aggregate, cement and water used in
normal conditions and normal conditions without any admixtures in it. I t is also termed as
normal strength concrete.
High strength concrete: - This concrete has high compressive strength than normal
strength concrete which is about in order of 6000 psi. the high compressive strength of this
concrete is achieved by using some special type of high quality of Portland cement. The
high strength is also achieved by using admixtures such as: - flyash and silica which impart
high strength in it. It is mainly used in construction of high rise buildings where reduction
of their self weight is a major issue.
High performance concrete: - This type of concrete is formed by combining Portland

cement, silica fume, quartz flour fine silica sand, high range water reducer, water and steel
or organic fibers. It possesses a compressive strength of about 29000 psi and flexural
strength of about 7000 psi. It possess a superior durability characteristics due to
combination of fine powders selected for their grain size.
Air-entrained concrete: - This type of concrete contains billions of microscopic air cells
per cubic foot to relieve internal pressure on the concrete surface. These air entrainers are
provided to prevent the concrete to damage from freezing and thawing action (cooling and
warming action). The introduction of air entrainers is done a careful engineering
supervision. The amount of entrained air is about 5 to 7% of the volume of concrete.
Light weight concrete: - This type of concrete is normally used for house construction and
could be produced by using light weight aggregates and these aggregates are used to
provide high thermal insulation properties to the concrete. It is also used in reduction of
dead loads of a building and make it a fire resistant, transporting cost could also be saved
and it also reduces the amount of formwork required in building.
Self compacting concrete: - As the name suggests these types of concrete do not
compactive efforts by mahine or manmade compactors. This type of concrete possesses
important properties such as low yield stress, high deformability, good segregation
resistance (segregation:- separation of concrete mix ) and moderate viscosity. It has vey
excellent workability conditions due to which concrete flows very easily within and around
the formwork. It takes the shape and surface texture of a mould in which it is poured.
Shotcrete: - It is a gunite or sprayed concrete conveyed through a hose projected at a high

velocity onto a surface reinforced by conventional steel rods, steel mesh or fibers. It has
basically two types: -
 Dry mix
 Wet mix
It is placed and compacted simultaneously.
Pervious concrete: - This is a special type of concrete which has high porosity which
allows water to pass directly through and reducing runoff. It is made by using large size
aggregates with little or no fine aggregates. It has various applications such as: - making
parking areas, areas with light traffic, residential streets, pedestrian.
Roller compacted concrete: - It is special kind of concrete or special blend concrete. This
concrete has same ingredients as that of conventional concrete but in some but in different
ratios. I t has less water content so its paste becomes dry and do not have any slump. This
concrete is delivered to the site by dump trucks or conveyors.
10. Explain the term batching, mixing, transporting, compaction and curing.
(15)……………2007
Solution: -
Batching: - The measurement of materials in different proportion for the manufacturing of
concrete is called batching. There are 2 different types of batching: -
Volume batching
Weight batching
Volume batching: - It is not considered as a proper method for proportioning the material
because we cannot proportionate the material through volume during proportioning
materials properly.
Weight batching: - It is considered as the most important method for proportioning the
material according to the proper mix design. For example: - For M20 concrete the ratio of
cement: sand : aggregate is taken as 1:1.5:3.
Mixing: - Mixing of concrete mix is done could be done by either by hand or machine.
Mixing should be done such that mix should be homogeneous, and uniform in color.
 Machine mixing: - This type of mixing is done by machine generally in large
construction works. Some examples of machine mixers are dumper which is
generally used in building construction work.
 Hand mixing: - As the name suggests this type of mixing is done by hand. This
type of mixing is not effective because proper mixing of ingredients of concrete
cannot be done through hand mixing.
Transportation of concrete: - Transportation of concrete could be done through variety of
ways such as through pipes, conveyor belts, etc to the site where it is to be transported.
Proper care should be taken while transportation of concrete to avoid segregation, bleeding
of concrete and homogeneity of concrete should also be maintained while its transportation.
The methods through which concrete is transported are:-
 Mortar pan
 Wheel barrow hand cart
 Crane, bucket and rope way
 Truck mixer and dumpers
 Belt conveyors
 Chute
 Skip and hoist
 Transit mixer
 Pump and pipe line
 Helicopter
Compaction of concrete: - It is a process through which entrapped air is removed from
concrete. The air is entrapped in concrete through the process of mixing and transporting of
concrete. So we need higher compactive effort to remove air voids. It is also improves
durability of concrete. The following methods are adopted for compaction of concrete: -
 Hand compaction
 Compaction by vibration
 Compaction by pressure and jolting
 Compaction by spinning
Curing of concrete: - Curing of concrete is defined as the process of maintaining the
moisture and temperature conditions of concrete for hydrogen reaction to normally so
concrete develops gets hardened over time. It is also done to prevent the concrete to dry out
prematurely and prevents plastic shrinkage of concrete.
11. Describe the sequence of concreting operations. (15)......2008
Solution.
Following are the steps of concreting operations-
Batching: - The measurement of materials in different proportion for the manufacturing of
concrete is called batching. There are 2 different types of batching: -
Volume batching
Weight batching
Volume batching: - It is not considered as a proper method for proportioning the material
because we cannot proportionate the material through volume during proportioning materials
properly.
Weight batching: - It is considered as the most important method for proportioning the material
according to the proper mix design. For example: - For M20 concrete the ratio of cement: sand :
aggregate is taken as 1:1.5:3.
Mixing: - Mixing of concrete mix is done could be done by either by hand or machine. Mixing
should be done such that mix should be homogeneous, and uniform in color.
Machine mixing: - This type of mixing is done by machine generally in large construction works.
Some examples of machine mixers are dumper which is generally used in building construction
work.
Hand mixing: - As the name suggests this type of mixing is done by hand. This type of mixing is
not effective because proper mixing of ingredients of concrete cannot be done through hand
mixing.
Transportation of concrete: - Transportation of concrete could be done through variety of ways

such as through pipes, conveyor belts, etc to the site where it is to be transported. Proper care
should be taken while transportation of concrete to avoid segregation, bleeding of concrete and
homogeneity of concrete should also be maintained while its transportation. The methods
through which concrete is transported are:-
Mortar pan
Wheel barrow hand cart
Crane, bucket and rope way
Truck mixer and dumpers
Belt conveyors
Chute
Skip and hoist
Transit mixer
Pump and pipe line
Helicopter
Compaction of concrete: - It is a process through which entrapped air is removed from concrete.
The air is entrapped in concrete through the process of mixing and transporting of concrete. So
we need higher compactive effort to remove air voids. It is also improves durability of concrete.
The following methods are adopted for compaction of concrete: -
Hand compaction
Compaction by vibration
Compaction by pressure and jolting
Compaction by spinning
Curing of concrete: - Curing of concrete is defined as the process of maintaining the moisture
and temperature conditions of concrete for hydrogen reaction to normally so concrete develops
gets hardened over time. It is also done to prevent the concrete to dry out prematurely and
prevents plastic shrinkage of concrete.
12. Explain the important properties of cement concrete both in plastic and hardened
stage. (15)……………..2008
Solution: -
Fresh concrete properties: -
Setting time: - The initial setting time of cement is reduced when the cement mixture is
replaced by glass powder, fly ash or silica fume. Concrete made with silica fume had
fastest setting time. There is a difference between setting time when we replace original
cement by fly ash when we adjust the dosage of the admixture and water.
Slump and slump retention: -Results shows that concrete which contains fly ash as an
additive has higher initial slump. Fly ash in cement could also increase initial workability
after mixing if it contains same dosage of water and admixtures. But after 30 minutes the
slump value of concrete becomes same as original cement mixture.
The concrete sample which contains silica fume as an admixture with cement the value of
slump is decreased at 30 and 60 minutes because geometrical forms of glass powder may
increase the frictional force between particles of cement.
Hardened properties of concrete: -
Compressive strength: -
When the cement mixture is replaced by 10% finely grounded silica powder, its compressive
strength is more than that of pure cement at 1 in 28 days and also greater than other
mixtures
Ability to resist chloride penetration: -
When we add 10% glass powder there will be reduction of chloride ions penetration into the
surface of concrete is same as which contain 10% fly ash. But concrete which contain 20%
glass powder shows a greater reduction in penetration of chloride ions.
Drying shrinkage: - The concrete without pozzolona had highest shrinkage for all mixture
proportions, and the concrete containing glass powder had lower shrinkage than that
containing fly ash at the same replacement level.
13. What do you understand by the term curing? Why it is essential to cure concrete
and explain various method of curing?
Solution: - (15)……………...2009
Curing of concrete: -
The concrete must be kept cured (kept wet) after placing it to get it sufficiently hardened
and provide enough release the heat of hydration. It is the process of maintaining moisture
content and temperature conditions of concrete.
Method of curing: -
 Water curing
 Steam curing
 Curing by infra-red radiation
 Electrical curing
 Chemical curing
Steam curing: - As the name suggests, in this type of curing the steam is released from
boiled water and this steam is used to cure concrete and kept the surface of concrete wet
and releases enough heat of hydration. It achieved high early strength of concrete so the
formwork can be removed in 24 hours. The optimum temperature has been found to be 65
and70 . This type of curing is also known as accelerated curing which is used in
prefabrication industry. The process of release heat of hydration is accelerated at high

temperatures and formation of calcium silicate hydrate is more rapid.
Water curing: - In this type of curing the concrete is kept wet through the application of
water through gunny bags so that it could hold the moisture content of concrete surface and
this surface is covered with bitumen to prevent the loss of moisture from evaporation and if
this application of water is done at regular intervals the surface may not dry out which
prevent the development of fine cracks on its surface.
14. Write short notes on:

(i) Workability of concrete.
(ii) Slump test. (18)......2009
Solution.
Workability of concrete: A concrete is said to be workable if it is easily transported, placed,

compacted and finish without any segregation. Workability is the property of freshly mixed
concrete. In fresh concrete generally water cement ratio 0.4 and may be vary in different
situations.
Factor affecting workability:
Following are the some Important factor of workability-
• Water cement ratio- the fluidity of concrete increases with water content. At site the normal
practice is to increase the water content to make the concrete workable which lower strength.
• Mix proportion: Aggregate cement ratio influences the workability to a large extent. The higher
the ratio leaner will be the concrete hence workability will reduce.
• Shape of Aggregate- for a given water content, round and cubical shape aggregate are more
workable than rough, angular or flaky aggregates, because the former require less cement paste
for lubrication as these have less surface area and lesser voids.
• Surface texture- A rough surface aggregate will have more surface area than smooth round
textured aggregate. Hence smooth round aggregate will be more workable.
Slump test: firstly we prepare mould, mould is filled in with fresh concrete in four layers, each
layer 25 stock of the round end of tamping rod.
After the top layer, the concrete is struck off level with a trowels or the tamping rod, such that
the mould is exactly filled.
Mould is removed immediately by raising it slowly and carefully in a virtually direction.
It allows the concrete to subside and the slum4is measured immediately by determining the
difference between the height of the mould and that of the highest point of the specimen being
tested.
Fig: slump test mould
15. Discuss in detail placing of concrete in cold and hot weather. (15)………….2009
Solution: -
Cold weather concreting: - While concreting in cold weather some precautions are taken
to counter the effects of low temperature. According to ACI cold weather concreting is
done at a place where an average daily temperature falls below 40 and stays below
50 for more than one-half of any 24 hour period for any 3 successive days. Proper care
must be taken due freezing action in cold temperature. Some admixtures are added to
concrete to it could set early and damage due to freezing action can be prevented.
In cold weather there are some problems which have to be face such as: -
Freezing and thawing: - The process of repeated climate change during day and night
time which causes sudden expansion and contraction of concrete which leads to formation
of cracks and disruption of concrete.
Freezing at early stages: - This is the major issue which we have to face while concreting
in cold weather. It prevents the release of heat of heat of hydration of concrete and makes it
also expands leads to become cracks on it surface.
Hot weather concreting: - Hot weather concreting is done at a place where temperature
exceeds above 77 , then the concrete must be protected by such weather conditions.
Some precautions must be taken while placing concrete in hot weather: -
1. Concrete surface must be protected with the help of plastic sheets to prevent
moisture loss due to evaporation.
2. Providing good curing methods such as: - steam curing and curing through gunny
bags so its moisture holding capacity could be increased.
3. Cold water and aggregates must be used to lower the initial temperature of concrete.
4. Minimize the time required to placing and finishing work of concrete.
16 . . Describe the properties of water which are necessary to be used to get good
concrete, what do you understand by the term water cement ratio?
Solution: - (15)…………2010
Properties of water for getting good concrete: -
Impurities in a water for concrete leads to decrease in structural properties of concrete such as
strength and durability of concrete. We can determine the impurities by examining these
properties of concrete.
 In terms of difference in the setting time of the Portland cement that consist of
proposed water.
 In terms of compressive strength of cement
A difference of compressive strength is measured on 28th days of curing. There should not be
more than 10% variation of the controlled test on concrete.
As per IS 456-2000 the initial setting time is not less than 30 minutes is prescribed. Concrete is
affected by the effluents from sewage works such as sugar and fertilizer industry, paint, gas
works and textile industry.
Various tests done to determine the dissolved salts which tend to decrease the compressive
strength of cement by 10 to 30%. High content of chlorides in water could lead to
efflorescence in cement. Chlorides in cement also lead to corrosion in reinforcement. This
could also make the concrete mixture lean. If there is a content of suspended solid about
0.02% then the concrete strength will not be affected but it affects other properties of
cement. According to IS: 456-2000 the amount of suspended solids should be less than 2000
mg/liter.
There are some other properties of water which should be fulfilled to produce good quality of
concrete such that: -
Quality parameters Maximum (ppm)
Chlorides 500
SO3 1000
Alkali carbonates and bicarbonates 1000
Turbidity 2000
Algae: -The presence of algae in water which is used for manufacturing of concrete causes
consequent loss in strength of concrete
Sea water: - Sea water contains high salinity in water in order of about 3.5% which increases
early strength but it reduces progressive strength in concrete. The loss in strength can be
accepted by the amount of 15%. Sea water reduces initial setting time of cement but
increases final setting time.
17 . Describe the various methods of mixing concrete. (15).... ..................2010
Solution.
Mixing: mixing of raw materials is the primary step of production of concrete. The mixing
is ensure that the mass become homogeneous, uniform in color and consistency. Improper
mixing leads to weak concrete and chance to failure.
Following are the main mixing methods-
• Hand mixing: it is used for small scale and less important concrete work, where precise
work is not done. As the mixing cannot be homogeneous and efficient. It is desirable to add
10% more concrete to care for the inferior concrete produced by this method.
• Machine mixing: mixing of concrete is mainly done by machine mixing method, this
method is useful for large scale concrete work and RCC structure where precise work
required. Machine mixing is economical, when the quantity of concrete to be produced in
large amount. Machine mixing is quite efficient and less time consuming as compared hand
mixing.
18 . Discuss in the detail the underwater curing.

(15)..................2010
Solution.
Underwater curing of concrete: underwater or underground construction poses
many difficulties in curing. If we talking about tunnel construction then curing of
tunnels is affected by seepage water, and surface remain wet all time so setting of
concrete taking more time. Similarly working on basements or foundation also
has moisture issues. In wet condition concrete required waterproofing which
increased cost of construction and drying the area of construction is also time
taking process. For tunnels, the immersed tube tunnel method is an effective way
to reduce costs and construct a stable tunnel that is least affected by water or
moisture seepage.
Curing in wet condition require special care and treatment, we cannot handle like
normal ground condition. Wet condition leads to weak concrete and sometimes
cracks may developed. For underwater condition, first of all if possible to dry the
surface completely then do, and now we take adequate water cement ratio as per
requirement and conditions, it will result in capillary pores on set concrete and
resulting in poor strength and durability. Additives can also used to speed up the
process and get more strength of concrete.
19 . Define workability of concrete and explain briefly the factors affecting
workability. (15)......................2011
Solution.
Workability of concrete: A concrete is said to be workable if it is easily

transported, placed, compacted and finish without any segregation. Workability
is the property of freshly mixed concrete. In fresh concrete generally water
cement ratio 0.4 and may be vary in different situations.
Factor affecting workability:
Following are the some Important factor of workability-
• Water cement ratio- the fluidity of concrete increases with water content. At site
the normal practice is to increase the water content to make the concrete
workable which lower strength.
• Mix proportion: Aggregate cement ratio influences the workability to a large
extent. The higher the ratio leaner will be the concrete hence workability will
reduce.
• Shape of Aggregate- for a given water content, round and cubical shape
aggregate are more workable than rough, angular or flaky aggregates, because the
former require less cement paste for lubrication as these have less surface area
and lesser voids.
• Surface texture- A rough surface aggregate will have more surface area than
smooth round textured aggregate. Hence smooth round aggregate will be more
workable.
20 . Discuss the significance of cold weather concreting with special

emphasis on problems faced by concrete in freezing condition.
(15)...................2011
Solution.
Cold weather concreting: the procedure adopted. For contacting in fair weather
(normal conditions) will not be valid for contacting when the temperature is low
or below the freezing point. In India such type of areas are very small. The
production of concrete in cold weather introduced special and peculiar problems,
such as delay in setting and hardening, damage to concrete in plastic condition
when exposed to below freezing point owing to the formation of ice lenses.
Therefore, it is essential to maintain the temperature of the concrete positively
above 0 , possible at much higher temperature.
Effects of cold weather on concrete: -
• Delay in setting and hardening- rate of hydration depends upon the temperature.
If temperature is low , concrete takes long time to set and a longer time to harden
that is for the development of strength
• Freezing of concrete at early age- when the temperature goes below freezing
point , the free water contained in the plastic concrete freezes . Freezing of water
not only prevent the hydration of cement but also makes the concrete expand.
This expansion causes disruption of concrete due to which irreparable loss of
strength.
• Freezing and thawing- it is likely that due to varied behavior of climatic
condition in the cold weather regions, the fresh concrete or hardened concrete
gets subjected to freezing and thawing cycle. Due to this cycle durability and
fatigue life of concrete greatly affected.
21 . Discuss the relation between water cement ratio and strength.

Solution: - <15>………….2013
Water/cement ratio: -
Water cement ratio is the ratio between the weight of water and the weight of cement that is
used in fresh concrete mix. It is one of the major factors on which strength of the cement
paste depends. Basically cured concrete strength mainly depends on two main factors:-
 Water to cement ratio
 Degree of compaction
Another important factor on which strength of the concrete depends is air voids which also
depend on water cement ratio. Increment of air voids in concrete leads to increase in weight
of concrete which ultimately leads to dropping of strength of concrete. Hard concrete
contains about 1% air voids. When the water-cement ratio is low its compressive strength is
increased but its workability is reduced considerably. But the relation between compressive
strength and w/c ratio also depends on the type of compaction used.
So, if there is a low w/c ratio at the initial state when the concrete is in its plastic state.
This condition arise due to development of tensile stresses due to shrinkage and creep
There is a equation which relates strength of concrete with water to cement ratio given by
Duff Abrams in 1919
fc=frack1k2w/c
where:-
w/c is the water to cement ratio
k1 and k2 are empirical costants
Figure. Relation between compressive strengh and W/C ratio
22 . Describe briefly creep and shrinkage.

(20)................2014
Solution.
Creep and shrinkage: creep can be defined as the time dependent part of the strain
resulting from stress. As we know that, stress strain relationship is not straight linear
but a curved one. The degree of curvature of the stress strain relationship depends
upon many factors amongst which the intensity if stress and time for which the load
is acting are of significant interest. Therefore, it clearly shows that the relation
between stress and strain for concrete is a function of time. The gradual increase in
strain, without increase in stress, with strain under sustained stress.
All materials undergo Creep under some conditions of loading to a greater or small
extent. But concrete Creep significantly at all stress and for a long time. Furthermore,
creep of concrete is approximately linear function of stress up to 30 to 40 percent of
its strength. The order of magnitude of creep of concrete is much greater than that of
other crystalline material except for metals in the final stage of yielding prior to
failure. Therefore, creep in concrete is considered to be an isolated the logical
phenomenon and this is associated with
the gel structure of cement paste. Depending upon type and proportion modify the
deformation characteristics to a greater or lesser except. Therefore, it is logical
initially to examine the structure of cement paste and how it influences creep
behavior and then to consider how the presence of aggregate modifies creep
behavior.
Change of pore water content due to drying or wetting processes causes significant
volume changes of concrete in load free specimen, they are called the shrinkage.
The total shrinkage of concrete depends upon the Constituents of concrete, size of
the member and environmental conditions. For a given humidity and
temperature, the total shrinkage of concrete is most influenced by the total amount of
water present in the concrete at the time of mixing and to a lesser extent by the cement
content.
23 . Describe the various defects in concrete along with precaution that should
exercise to prevent them. <30>…………….2014
Solution: -
Defects in concrete: -
There are various kinds of defects in concrete such as: -
 Bleeding
 Segregation
 Efflorescence
 Crazing
 Excess water
 Freezing and thawing
 Alkali aggregate reaction
 Loss of moisture
 Excess water
 Early and delay setting
 Discoloration
Bleeding: - It is the process defined as through which the ingredients of concrete gets
separated due to excessive vibrations imparted to concrete. The problem of bleeding can be
removed by fine grinding of cement, air entraining agents and vibration. I t is basically a
form of segregation. These are due to high wet mix, insufficient mix and improper
compaction and due to bleeding the bond between aggregate, cement and reinforcement is
reduced.
Segregation: - It is a major problem which we could face while placing of concrete. It
means the separation of a coarse aggregate from fine aggregate. This problem can be
resolved through increasing size of aggregate.
The major causes of segregation are excess water, wrong mix design, pumping concrete
from height carried over long distances from belt conveyor system.
Crazing: - In this problem there are several interconnected fine cracks developed on the
surface of concrete. Concrete strength is not affected in this problem. It also occurs when
the cement paste in concrete rises up to the surface and it gets shrink. To avoid this
problem adopt following methods: -
 Use the concrete with moderate slump.
 Do not sprinkle water over the surface of concrete.
 Do not spread dust on cement.

 Cure the concrete enough so that it could retain enough moisture content for the
hydration process.
Efflorescence: - In this problem there is appearance of white patches on the surface of
concrete. This problem arises because of poorly washed aggregate, use of salty water which
comes out as patches on its surface and this problem can be controlled by providing some
coating on the surface of aggregate.
Freezing and thawing: - Due to freezing and thawing problem in concrete some cracks
and crevices developed on the surface of concrete due to cool temperature in night time and
hot at day time. These cracks allow the rain water to penetrate into the surface of concrete.
Cracks: - Cracks on concrete surface is a major problem which could be controlled but not
could be avoided. There are several types of cracking such as drying cracks, shrinkage
cracks and cracks due to excessive loads. The acceptable crack width ranges from 1/16” to
1/4”. It could be prevented by: -
 Remove the top surface of soil and organic materials from soil.
 Compact the loose soil.
 Placing, curing and finishing of concrete are done according to the weather
conditions.
 If there is bleeding continued in concrete do not finish concrete.
 Use retarder such as gypsum for accelerating the reaction.
Excess water: - Excess water improves the workability of concrete but it also reduces
compressive strength of concrete
Discoloration: - Discoloration of concrete occurs if water is added by workmanship,
different cement material and if calcium chloride added to a mix.
24 . . Explain the step which can be taken prevent/reduce the ill effect of concreting in
hot weather. (10)...........................2015
Solution.
Hot weather concreting: In case of hot weather concreting the concrete placement
face some problems and ill effect. The procedure of concreting in such a situation is set out
in IS 7861 part 2.
The precautions may include some or all of the following:

1. Moisten subgrade, steel reinforcement, and form work prior to concrete placement.
2. Erect temporary wind breaks to limit wind velocities and sunshades to reduce concrete
surface temperatures.
3. Cool aggregates and mixing water added to the concrete mixture to reduce its initial
temperature. The effect of hot cement on concrete temperature is only minimal.
4. Use a concrete consistency that allows rapid placement and consolidation.

5. Protect the concrete surface during placement with plastic sheeting or evaporation
retarders to maintain the initial moisture in the concrete mixture.
6. Provide sufficient labor to minimize the time required to place and finish the concrete, as
hot weather conditions substantially shorted the times to initial and final set.
7. Consider fogging the area above the concrete placement to raise the relative humidity
and satisfy moisture demand of the ambient air.
8. Provide appropriate curing methods as soon as possible after the concrete finishing
processes have been completed.
9. In extreme conditions consider adjusting the time of concrete placement to take
advantage of cooler temperatures, such as early morning or night time placement.
25 . What are the factors that influence the strength of cement concrete? Briefly
discuss the effects of water-cement ratio and workability on the strength of concrete.
Solution: - (15)………..2015
The factors that influence the strength of concrete are: -
 Ratio of cement to mixing water i.e. water-cement ratio
 Ratio of cement to aggregate
 Grading, surface texture, shape, strength and stiffness of aggregate
 Maximum size of aggregate
Effect of water cement ratio on the strength of concrete: -
Water-cement ratio plays an important role regarding the strength of concrete. Generally
the relation between strength to water-cement ratio is inversely proportional. The strength
of the cement paste increases with the cement content and decreases with air and water
content. When low w/c ratio is used it is compacted to achieve high strength of concrete
and vice versa. But if the w/c ratio is fall below a practical range, the cracks developed at
the surface of aggregate due to shrinkage and drying.
Effect of aggregate cement ratio on compressive strength of cement: -
If the volume of the sample is kept constant and the amount of cement with respect to sand
is increased the surface area of the solid gets increased and if the surface area of the solid is
increased, there will be no change in water demand required for the paste and if the amount
of cement gets increased for this constant water demand the water cement ratio will
decrease which ultimately lead to increase in compressive strength.
Effect of maximum size of aggregate on compressive strength of concrete:-
Generally it is found that bigger the size of aggregate, the compressive strength of concrete
is considerably increased but up to a certain extent. There are 2 major effects related to the
size of aggregate on the compressive strength of concrete: -
1. If the size of aggregate is kept too large, its forms a weak zone of binder around it
which leads to chances of cracking of concrete.
2. Bleeding could be take place if the size of aggregate is kept too large due to which
the separation of water and aggregate takes place.
Effect of aggregate properties on the strength of the concrete: -
The properties of aggregate play an important role on the strength of the concrete such as: -
shape, grading, surface texture of aggregate. Smooth aggregate makes the cement paste
more workable but crushed and angular aggregate makes the better bond characteristics but
require larger content of cement to make concrete paste more workable.
The grading of aggregate plays an important role because it determines the paste
requirement for making more workable concrete. Paste control the cost of cement so the
amount of the cement paste is to be controlled so the amount of cement paste is to be
minimized that could be easily handled, compacted, finished easily. So it should be
recommended that non uniform grading of aggregate must be chosen because by this the
void spaces which develop at the surface of paste could be easily covered by various sizes
of aggregate so the amount of paste requirement will be reduced which make the cement
paste more workable. On the other hand if only large or small size aggregate is taken,
there will be void spaces develop on the surface of the paste which could not be filled
which increases the requirement of paste makes it more uneconomical but by using uniform
grading of aggregate the cement paste will be more workable. So, we have to compromise
from either workability or economy of project.
26. Explain the purpose of conducting soundness test of concrete. Describe the
apparatus and method of test with the help of neat sketches.
Solution: - (15)……………….2015
Soundness test is an important physical test on cement because it is used to determine the
expansiveness of cement. Unsound cement expands a lot due to which certain cracks
developed on the surface of cement. Expansion of cement is due to presence of free lime
content on the surface of cement. On the other hand sound property of cement indicates its
property of non-disintegrating and its hardness.
This test is done by Le chatlier apparatus.
Le chatlier apparatus: - This apparatus consists of a small, split, metallic cylinder having
an internal diameter of 30 mm. in height, with the thickness of wall being 0.5 mm.
It is fixed with two indicators, one fixed on either side of split. The distance from the end
of the indicator to the center of the cylinder is 165 mm.
There are some other apparatus used in soundness test along with Le chatlier apparatus: -
 Balance
 Measuring box
 Water bath
 Caliper
 Le chatlier apparatus
 Glass sheets
 Enamel tray
 Trowel
A cement sample is prepared with 0.72 P water where P is the natural consistency of
cement. This sample is immersed in water in the cylindrical mold and immersed in water at
27 to 32
After this cylinder is taken out from water and the distance between 2
indicators is measured. After this the water is boiled for 1 hour and distance between
indicators is measured. The difference between these 2 indicators gives us expansion value
of cement.
The specified value of this distance should not be greater than 10 mm.
Fig. le chatelier apparatus
CHAPTER-3
Brick and Stone Masanory
1. Define the term” quarrying”. Describe briefly the desirable qualities of good
building stone. (5+10)………2004
Solution:-
Quarrying of stone: - It is the process of collecting stones from the natural rock
surfaces. Proper site selection is done for quarrying purpose.
Characteristics good building stone:-
Appearance: - It should have fine, compact texture; light colored stone is preferred
as it is more durable.
Structure: - It should have a uniform tenure free from cavities, cracks, and patches
of looseor soft material. Stratifications should not be visible.
Strength: - A stone should be strong and durable to withstand the disintegrating

action of weathering.
Weight: - This property of stones is important for stability of structures such as

dams, retaining walls etc.
Hardness: - This property is very useful in floors, pavements which is determined

by mohrs scale
Toughness: - It is property to resist the effect of impact loading on stone
Seasoning: - A seasoned stone means it should be properly cured or it moisture

should be properly removed.
Weathering: - It is property to resist wear and tear due to natural agencies.
Workability: - It should be properly dressed and should be bring to proper shape

and size.
Specific gravity: - Its specific gravity should range between 2.3 to 2.5.
2. Classify bricks as per BIS. What tests are conducted on bricks for
ascertaining their quality? (4+6)…………..2004
Solution: -
Classification of bricks: -
Based on burning of bricks: -
 Unburnt bricks: - These types of bricks are used for very cheap works such as: - they can
be used as an aggregate in concrete and cement mixtures or they could also be used in
filling work.
 Burnt bricks: - These are considered better than unburnt bricks in usage of construction of
walls and other useful works.
On the basis of their physical properties: -
 First class bricks: - These bricks are generally of size 19*19*9 cm in size (nowadays
modular bricks are also available in market of size 20*20*10 cm). They are made from
good earth, free from saline deposits. They should be of good color. They should be of
regular shape with square edges and parallel faces.
These bricks are free from flaws, cracks, chips, stones, etc. they should give a ringing
sound when two bricks are struck together.
Its compressive strength shall not be less than 140 Kg/cm2. And they shall not absorb
more than 20%of water when immersed in water for 24 hours. It can be used for
construction of the exterior walls. They are also suitable for flooring.
 Second class bricks: - These types of bricks are also fully burnt and give a clear ringing
sound when struck together. Slightly irregularities in shape, size and color are accepted.
Its compressive strength shall not be less than 70 Kg/cm2 and absorption value of water
should not be greater than 22% when soaked for 24 hours in water.
The main difference between first and second class brick is that this type of brick has
some flaws or fractured surface.
 Third class brick: - These types of bricks are not fully burnt as in previous two cases but
are generally of uniform reddish yellow color. They have some defects in uniformity. But
these bricks do not produce clear ringing sound when stuck together.
Its compressive strength lies between 35-70 Kg/cm2 and absorption between 22-25%. They
can be used in very normal type of construction in dry situation.
 Fourth class brick: - These type of bricks are irregular in shape and dark in color
because of overburning of these bricks. They generally possess high compressive strength
about, 150 Kg/cm2 and have low porosity and absorption.
Main problem regarding these bricks is that their irregular shape and size that’s why these
types of bricks are unfit for construction but could be used in broken form, in road
construction, foundations and floors as a coarse aggregate material.
Major tests conducted on bricks: -
There are7 major tests conducted on bricks: -
 Compressive strength test

 Water absorption test
 Efflorescence test
 Hardness test
 Size, Shape and color test
 Soundness test
 Structure test
Compressive strength test: - This test is used to determine crushing strength of brick. In
this test 5 specimens of bricks are taken and put it into a compression testing machine
(CTM) and load is applied till it breaks and this load is taken into account and average of
these 5 specimen is taken as average crushing strength of brick.
Compressive strength of bricks (Mpa) = Maximum load at failure (N)/Average area
of bed face (mm2)
Water absorption test: - This test is conducted to determine durability property of

bricks such as degree of burning, quality and behavior of bricks in weathering
 In this test a brick specimen is taken and dried up to a temperature of 105 to
115 till it attains substantially constant mass.
 Then cool the specimen up to a room temperature and obtain its weight (W1)
 Immerse the specimen completely (dried) in clean water at a temperature of
27+2 for 24 hours.
 Remove the specimen and wipe out any traces of water with damp cloth and
weigh the specimen after it has removed from water (W2).
Calculation of water absorption of bricks: -
W= (M2-M1/M1)*100
Efflorescence test: - This type of test is used to detect alkalis which are harmful, and they
form a gray or white layer of brick surface by absorbing moisture. In this test a brick is
immersed in fresh water for 24 hours and then it’s taken out from water and allowed to
dry in shade. The presence of whitish layer in about 10% of the brick surface then it is
considered as good. If this range goes up to 50% of the surface, then it is moderate but
over 50% it is considered as poor brick.
Hardness test: - In this test a scratch is made on the surface of brick through nail of a finger.
If it doesn’t left any impression on surface of brick then it is considered as a good quality
brick and vice-versa.
Soundness test: - In this two bricks are taken (one in each hand) and it struck with each
other. If it produces clear ringing sound then it is considered as good quality brick and
vice-versa.
Size, Shape and color test: - In this test a some specimens of bricks are taken randomly and
get soaked into water and its water absorption capacity is checked and it should be
according to given specifications.
3. List the characteristics of good building stone? Explain the suitability of various
types of stones for specific applications.
Solution: - (8+7)………..2005
Qualities of good building stone: -
 Crushing strength
 Appearance
 Durability
 Fracture
 Hardness
 Percentage wear
 Resistance to fire
 Seasoning
 Specific gravity
 Texture
 Toughness index
 Water absorption
Crushing strength: -For ideal stone the crushing strength of a stone should be greater
than 100 N/mm2
Appearance: - The building stone should have excellent in appearance and could be able
to preserve their color uniformly. It should have uniform color.
Durability: - A good building stone should have property of durability. There are various
factors which also influence durability of a good building stone such as its chemical
composition, texture
Fracture: - A good building stone must have sharp, even and bright and clear fracture. A
chalky, earthly indicates sign of poor fracture and cause early fracture.
Hardness: - A good building stone should have coefficient of hardness more than 17. If
this value ranges between 14 to 17, it should have possess medium hardness. If this value
is less than 14, stone is considered as of poor quality and could be used in road work.
Percentage wear: - A good building stone is considered in which percentage wear

should be less than or equal to 3%. But if this value exceeds 3% is not considered as good
building stone.
Specific gravity: - A good building stone is considered whose specific gravity is greater
than 2.7. A good building stone should be porous and less compact so that it could be
used in various construction works such as: dam, retaining walls, docks, harbors etc.
Texture: - A good building stone is considered in which do not have cavities, cracks or
patches on its surface .
Toughness index: - For a good building stone, the value of toughness index should be
greater than 19 and is termed as tough stone. If this value ranges between 13 to 19, the
stone is said to be of medium toughness and if this value drops below 13, the stone is not
tough.
Water absorption: - For a good building stone, the percentage absorption by weight in
24 hours should not be more than 0.60.
Resistance to fire: - A good building stone should not catches fire easily. A stone
catches fire due to various reasons such that rise in temperature, sudden cooling. Itcontain
free quartz which could shows a sudden expansion at a temperature of 600 .
Stone Uses
Basalt and trap Used mainly in foundation work and
road metal
Granite In bridge piers, walls, facing work,
columns, steps and sills
Gneiss Rough stone masonry work
Laterite Building stone, road metal
Marble Flooring, steps and ornamental work
Murum Fancy paths and garden walls
Quartzite Retaining walls, concrete aggregate,
pitching, facing of building
Slate Roofing works, damp proof course
Chalk Used as coloring material in
manufacturing of Portland cement
Kankar Manufacture of hydraulic lime
Limestone Manufacture of hydraulic lime in blast
furnace, steps, walls
Sandstone Road metal, ornamental caving,
columns, facing work
4. Discuss the operation involved in the manufacturing of bricks.

Solution: -<10>…………2008
In the process of manufacturing bricks, there are 4 major distinct operations involved:-
 Preparation of clay
 Molding
 Drying
 Burning
Preparation of clay: - The clay bricks is prepared in the following order: -
 Unsoiling
 Digging
 Cleaning
 Weathering
 Blending
 Tempering
Unsoiling: - In this process the top layer of soil of about 200-300 mm of soil is removed
from clay because this layer of soil contains a lot of impurities so it cannot be taken for
manufacturing of bricks.
Digging: - In this process clay is dugged out from ground which is then spread on the even
surface of the ground which is generally above the level of the ground. The height of heaps
is about 800-1200 mm from the surface of ground.
Cleaning: - In this process the soil is cleaned which has impurities such as vegetative
matters, stones, pebbles etc.
Weathering: - This process is followed by cleaning process in which soil is exposed to
open atmosphere for few months.
Blending: - After weathering process soil is blended with some important materials to form
a good brick earth.
Tempering: - This process consists of kneading the earth with feet so as to make the mass
stiff and plastic. It should be done by storing the soil in a cool place in layers of about 30
cm thickness for less than 36 hours.
Molding of bricks: - There are 2 main ways through which bricks gets moulded which are:
-
 Hand molding
 Machine molding
Hand molding: - In this type of molding the tempered clay is put into a mould such that its
corners touch the corners of mould and the leftover clay is removed from the mould by
some shovel and this mould is lifted up and raw brick is obtained from ground.
Machine molding: - There are various kinds of machines available in market which could
manufacture large number of bricks quickly. The bricks molded in machine have better and
sharp edges, smooth surface and these bricks are stronger than hand molded bricks.
Drying of bricks: - It is done by placing the bricks in shed and to ensure free circulation of
air through it and to protect it from bed weather. This process is done at a slower rate. The
drying process should be about 7 to 14 days which left over bricks with 5 to 7% moisture in
brick.
Burning of bricks: - It is one of the most important process in manufacture of bricks. Its
two main methods are : -
 Burning in a clamp
 Burning in a kiln
5. Describe the following test to be performed in case of burnt clay bricks:

(i) Compressive strength test.
(ii) Water absorption test. (10)...........2008
Solution.
Compressive strength of concrete: compressive strength of bricks provides a basics of
comparison of quality of bricks, as per IS-1077-1976 ,common building bricks shall
have min strength of 35 kg/ cm² or 3.5 N/mm².
• Brick is immersed in water for 24 hours.
• Frog of brick is filled with 1:3 mortar and the brick is stored under damp gunny bags for
24 hours followed by immersion in clean water for 3 days.
• Brick is then placed in compression testing machine and load is applied axially at a
uniform rate of 14 N/mm² and max load at which brick fails is recorded for calculation of
compressive strength.
Compressive strength
= max load at failure/ loaded area of brick
Water absorption test: water absorption of bricks depends on their porosity which is due
to voids of various size present in the bricks.
Water absorption test can find by 24 hour immersion cold water test.
24 hour immersion cold water test-
• Dry bricks are kept in oven (105-115°c) till it attains constant mass.
• After Colling the bricks to room temperature it's weight is recorded as w1
• Now bricks are immersed in water at a room temperature for 24 hours.
• After this, bricks weight is recorded that is W2.
Water absorption=
( W2-W1) / W1
6. Write a short note on the classification of the bricks. (15) ...............................2013
Solution.
Classification of bricks: -
1. On the basis of burning of bricks: -
• Unburnt bricks: - These types of bricks are used for very cheap works such as: - they
can be used as an aggregate in concrete and cement mixtures or they could also be used
in filling work.
• Burnt bricks: - These are considered better than unburnt bricks in usage of construction
of walls and other useful works.
2. On the basis of their physical properties: -
• First class bricks: - These bricks are generally of size 19*19*9 cm in size (nowadays
modular bricks are also available in market of size 20*20*10 cm). They are made from
good earth, free from saline deposits. They should be of good color. They should be of
regular shape with square edges and parallel faces.
These bricks are free from flaws, cracks, chips, stones, etc. they should give a ringing
sound when two bricks are struck together.
Its compressive strength shall not be less than 140 Kg/cm2. And they shall not absorb
more than 20%of water when immersed in water for 24 hours. It can be used for
construction of the exterior walls. They are also suitable for flooring.
• Second class bricks: - These types of bricks are also fully burnt and give a clear ringing
sound when struck together. Slightly irregularities in shape, size and color are accepted.
Its compressive strength shall not be less than 70 Kg/cm2 and absorption value of water
should not be greater than 22% when soaked for 24 hours in water.
The main difference between first and second class brick is that this type of brick has
some flaws or fractured surface.
• Third class brick: - These types of bricks are not fully burnt as in previous two cases but
are generally of uniform reddish yellow color. They have some defects in uniformity. But
these bricks do not produce clear ringing sound when stuck
together.
Its compressive strength lies between 35-70 Kg/cm2 and absorption between 22-25%.
They can be used in very normal type of construction in dry situation.
• Fourth class brick: - These type of bricks are irregular in shape and dark in color
because of overturning of these bricks. They generally possess high compressive strength
about, 150 Kg/cm2 and have low porosity and absorption.
Main problem regarding these bricks is that their irregular shape and size that’s why these
types of bricks are unfit for construction but could be used in broken form, in road
construction, foundations and floors as a coarse aggregate material.
7. What are the constituent of good brick earth? What constituent render brick
earth unsuitable for manufacturing brings? (10).......2014
Solution.
Ingredients of good brick earth:
For the preparation of bricks, clay and other suitable earth is molded to the desired shape
after subjecting it to several process. After drying, it should not shrink and no crack
should develops. The clay used for brick making consists mainly of silica and alumina
mixed in such a proportion that the clay become plastic when water is added to it, raw
material also contains small amounts of lime, iron, manganese, Sulphur etc. The
proportion of various ingredients are follows-
1. Silica- 50-60%
2. Alumina- 20-30%
3. Lime- 10%
4. Magnesia- <1%
5. Ferric oxide-<7%
6. Alkalis- 10%
7. Carbon dioxide Sulphur trioxide water- very small.
8. Describe any two test to be performed in case of burnt clay

bricks.(10).................2014
Solution.
1. Compressive strength test: This test is used to determine crushing strength of brick. In
Compressive strength of bricks (Mpa)

= Maximum load at failure (N)/Average area of bed face (mm2)
2. Water absorption test: This test is conducted to determine durability property of bricks
such as degree of burning, quality and behavior of bricks in weathering
In this test a brick specimen is taken and dried up to a temperature of 105 to 115 till
it attains substantially constant mass.
Then cool the specimen up to a room temperature and obtain its weight (W1)
Immerse the specimen completely (dried) in clean water at a temperature of 27+2 for
24 hours.
Remove the specimen and wipe out any traces of water with damp cloth and weigh the
specimen after it has removed from water (W2).

W= (M2-M1/M1)*100
9. List the various important tests conducted on bricks. Explain the various defects
of bricks.
Solution: - (20)………….2015
Major tests conducted on bricks: -
There are7 major tests conducted on bricks: -
 Compressive strength test

 Water absorption test
 Efflorescence test
 Hardness test
 Size, Shape and color test
 Soundness test
 Structure test
Compressive strength test: - This test is used to determine crushing strength of brick. In
Compressive strength of bricks (Mpa) = Maximum load at failure (N)/Average area

of bed face (mm2)
Water absorption test: - This test is conducted to determine durability property of

bricks such as degree of burning, quality and behavior of bricks in weathering
 In this test a brick specimen is taken and dried up to a temperature of 105 to
115 till it attains substantially constant mass.
 Then cool the specimen up to a room temperature and obtain its weight (W1)
 Immerse the specimen completely (dried) in clean water at a temperature of
27+2 for 24 hours.
 Remove the specimen and wipe out any traces of water with damp cloth and
weigh the specimen after it has removed from water (W2).
W= (M2-M1/M1)*100
Efflorescence test: - This type of test is used to detect alkalies which are harmful and they
form a gray or white layer of brick surface by absorbing moisture. In this test a brick is
immersed in fresh water for 24 hours and then it’s taken out from water and allowed to
dry in shade. The presence of whitish layer in about 10% of the brick surface then it is
considered as good. If this range goes up to 50% of the surface, then it is moderate but
over 50% it is considered as poor brick.
Hardness test: - In this test a scratch is made on the surface of brick through nail of a finger.
If it doesn’t left any impression on surface of brick then it is considered as a good quality
brick and vice-versa.
Soundness test: - In this two bricks are taken (one in each hand) and it struck with each
other. If it produces clear ringing sound then it is considered as good quality brick and
vice-versa.
Size, Shape and color test: - In this test a some specimens of bricks are taken randomly and
get soaked into water and its water absorption capacity is checked and it should be
according to given specifications.
Defects in brick: -
Over burnt bricks: - If the bricks are over burnt it produces a soft molten mass and
bricks start losing their shape. So, these bricks could not be used for construction
purposes.
Efflorescence: - This defect is caused due to alkalis present in bricks. When bricks
comes in contact with water it absorbs moisture and this water is also absorbed by alkalis
which produces grey and white color patches on its surface. This problem could be
minimized by selecting proper clay materials for brick manufacturing.
Cracks: - This defect may be due to lumps of lime or due to excess water present on
surface of bricks. Due to presence of lime nodules there could be expansion and
disintegration of bricks. On the other hand shrinkage and burning cracks occurs when
excess water is added at the time of manufacturing of cement.
Spots: - If iron sulphide present on the surface of brick clay it could result dark spots on
the brick surface.
Bloating: - In this defect spongy swollen mass appear over the surface of burned bricks.
This defect is due to presence of excess carbonaceous matter and sulphur in brick clay.
CHAPTER-4
TIMBER
1. What is seasoning of timber? Describe the qualities of good timber.

Solution: - (7+5)………..2004
Seasoning of timber: -
Seasoning of timber is the process to remove moisture content of timber up to a certain level.
Seasoned timber is considered as an excellent properties than unseasoned timber because it
safeguard the timber against various fungal attack and prevent it from rotting. There are
basically 2 2types of seasoning which are: -
 Natural seasoning
 Artificial seasoning
There are following good characteristics of good timber.
Durability: - A good timber must be durable or it should have some preservatives so that it
couldn’t be attacked by fungi, insects and if there is presence of alkalies or acids in timber,
it gets seriously damaged.
Elasticity: - It is the property through which timber returns return to its original position.
Through this property it could be used in manufacturing sports goods and carriage shafts.
Hardness: - It provides a resistance through which it gets penetrated into the other body.
This resistance is provided through the chemicals
Mechanically strong: - A good timber must be mechanically strong such that it should not
deteriorate easily through mechanical wear, abrasion and is essential for traffic resistance
property.
Toughness: - It is the property through which it offers resistance to vibrations. This
property is important for manufacturing of tool handles, part of motor cars and aero planes.
Permeability: - It should have low water permeability so that timber do not get dried and
measured by the quantity of water filtered through a unit area. Permeability depends on
initial moisture condition, type of wood and age of wood.
Weight: - Its weight distribution should be uniform.
Structure: - Structure of timber should be uniform, hard and compact and the annular rings
should be closely located.
Sound: - A timber should give clear ringing sound when struck against a hard surface. The
transmission of sound along the fibers is fast along fibers and slow radially.
Conductivity: - The good timber must provide enough fire resistant so that it does not
catches fire in adverse weather conditions such as:- hot and sunny day. The fire
conductivity depends upon porosity, moisture content, orientation of fibers etc.
Color: - The color of timber should be homogeneous and should be dark in color.
Defects: - The timber must be free from defects such as: - star shakes, cup shakes, etc.
2. Write a brief note on characteristic of good timber.

Solution: - (10)…………2008
There are following good characteristics of good timber.
Durability: - A good timber must be durable or it should have some preservatives so that it
couldn’t be attacked by fungi, insects and if there is presence of alkalies or acids in timber,
it gets seriously damaged.
Elasticity: - It is the property through which timber returns return to its original position.
Through this property it could be used in manufacturing sports goods and carriage shafts.
Hardness: - It provides a resistance through which it gets penetrated into the other body.
This resistance is provided through the chemicals
Mechanically strong: - A good timber must be mechanically strong such that it should not
deteriorate easily through mechanical wear, abrasion and is essential for traffic resistance
property.
Toughness: - It is the property through which it offers resistance to vibrations. This
property is important for manufacturing of tool handles, part of motor cars and aero planes.
Permeability: - It should have low water permeability so that timber do not get dried and
measured by the quantity of water filtered through a unit area. Permeability depends on
initial moisture condition, type of wood and age of wood.
Weight: - Its weight distribution should be uniform.
Structure: - Structure of timber should be uniform, hard and compact and the annular rings
should be closely located.
Sound: - A timber should give clear ringing sound when struck against a hard surface. The
transmission of sound along the fibers is fast along fibers and slow radially.
Conductivity: - The good timber must provide enough fire resistant so that it does not
catches fire in adverse weather conditions such as:- hot and sunny day. The fire
conductivity depends upon porosity, moisture content, orientation of fibers etc.
Color: - The color of timber should be homogeneous and should be dark in color.
Defects: - The timber must be free from defects such as: - star shakes, cup shakes, etc.
3. What do you mean by seasoning of timber? Explain about different process of

seasoning of timber. (10)………..2009
Solution: -
Seasoning of timber: -
Seasoning of timber is the process to remove moisture content of timber up to a certain level.
Seasoned timber is considered as an excellent properties than unseasoned timber because it
safeguard the timber against various fungal attack and prevent it from rotting. There are
basically 2 2types of seasoning which are: -
 Natural seasoning
 Artificial seasoning
There are different types of artificial seasoning: -
 Water seasoning
 Boiling
 Kiln seasoning
 Chemical or salt seasoning
 Electric seasoning
 Mc. Neill’s process
Water seasoning: - In this process the wood is completely immersed in water, with their
larger sides at the upstream side. The sap, sugar and gum are removed from the surface of
wood and replaced by water and this timber is kept in open atmosphere for drying purpose.
Boiling: - In this process the timber is dried by boiling of water.
Kiln seasoning: - It is the process through which heat is introduced to drying the timber
through the use of natural gas, electricity or through solar energy. In this process complete
control of temperature is maintained.
Chemical or salt seasoning: - In this process an aqueous solution of certain chemicals is
treated with timber. At the outer layers of timber are treated with such process due to which
a temperature gradient is set up because the interior portion of the timber has its original
vapor pressure and tends to dry the timber as soon as possible.
Mc. Neill’s process: - In this method logs of timber is placed in a chamber which contains
product of combustion in about 1/3rd of its original capacity and placed at a fire place
Air seasoning: - This is one of most oldest and traditional method of seasoning of timber.
In this method timber is treated with heat provided to it into the atmosphere with the
natural air movement around the stacked timber. Stacking of timber is done so that plenty
of air could circulate around sample of timber. Each piece of timber has wide spaces
between them horizontally to ensure free circulation of air. The circulation of air is possible
around and through the stack so moisture could be removed through it slowly.
4. Give a short description of preservation of wood using various wood preservatives.

(10)…………….2015
Solution: -
Preservation of timber is necessary to prevent timber from disintegration and deterioration
when exposed in open atmosphere for a long time. Main reasons of disintegration of timber
are fungal infection, termite attack and other chemical attack. The protection of timber
from decay or disintegration of timber through the application of chemicals is called
preservation of timber. Some type of preservatives is: -
 Oil borne
 Chemical preservative
 Natural preservative
Oil preservative: -These type of preservatives include different preservatives such as: -
Coal tar creosote: - This is a tar based preservative that is commonly used for utility poles
and railroad ties. It was originally derived from a wood distillate but nowadays it is
manufactured from distillation of coal tar.
Linseed oil: - In this type of preservative we heat the outer 5 mm layer of timber. Some
preservative companies add dye in their preservative while using this method. Blue colored
timber is used at south of tropic of Capricorn while red colored dye is used anywhere other
place.
Natural preservatives: - These types include preservative such that: -

Copper planting: -In this method there is covering of copper sheet over the surface of
wooden works such as ships which would prevent the attack of fungus, marine animals on
the surface of ships. It also prevents the entry of foul smell on the ship surface.
Tung oil: - This method was used in china to protect ships from aquatic animals. This oil
penetrates the surface of ship and leads to formation of impermeable hydrophobic layer 5
mm into the wood
Mud treatment: - In this wood is covered with mud to prevent the attack of insects,
fungus. This treatment was firstly used in Vietnam.
Chemical preservatives: - There are various type of chemicals which can be used as a
preservative such as: -
Alkaline copper quaternary: - This preservative is made up of copper and a quaternary
ammonium compound like didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, an insecticide which
prevent fungal attack. It was widely used in US, Europe, Japan and Australia
Copper Azole: - This preservative is a major used widely in Canada. This chemical is used
with wood to prevent woodworks such as ships, houses and furnitures.
50
CHAPTER-5
MISCELLANEOUS
1. What are the chief constituents of oil paints? Explain the function of each
constituent. (5+10)……... ……2004
Solution:-
An oil paint consists of following ingredients:
<1> A Base
<2> A Carrier
<3> Driers
<4>A Coloring agent
<5> A Solvent
<1>Base: -A base is a solid substance which determines the character of the paint
and imparts durability on the surface. It is also helpful in reducing shrinkage
cracks.
<2>Carrier: - These are the liquid substances which hold the ingredients of paint in
liquid suspension. It is used to spread the paint evenly and uniformly on the
surface in the form of thin layer. It is derived from three unsaturated fatty acids,
linoleic, alpha-linolenic and oleic acids.
<3>Driers: -It is used for accelerate drying process. There are two types of driers:-
<a>soluble driers: - These are the compounds of metals such as cobalt, lead,
manganese, etc. They are dissolved in linseed oil.
<b> Past driers: - These driers are also compounds of metals but they are mixed with
inert fillers such as barites
<4>Coloring agent: - Common agent types include mineral salts such as white
oxides: zinc, titanium, and yellow cadmium pigments. Another class consists of
earth types, e.g. sienna or umber. Still another group of pigments comes from
living organisms, such as madder root.
<5>Solvents: - Its function is to make the paint thin so that it can be applied on the
surface. It prevents the paint to penetrate through the porous surface.
2. Write a note on types of paints and polishes used in modern buildings.(5) .......2006
Solution.
Following are the type of paints-
1. Oil paints: oil paint is a type of slow drying paint that consists of particles of pigment
suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil.
2. Water paints : water paints are made of pigment suspended in a water based solution.
Water color refer to both the medium and the resulting artwork.
3. Aluminum paints : The very finely ground aluminum is suspended in either quick drying
sprit vernish or slow drying oil varnish as per requirement. The spirit or oil evaporation
and a thin metallic film of aluminium is formed on the surface.
4. Anticorrosive paint : this paint essentially consists of oil and a strong drier . A pigment
such as chromium oxide or lead or red lead or Zink chrome is taken and after mixing it
with some quantity of very fine sand, it is added to the paint.
5. Asbestos paint : this is a peculiar type of paint it is applied on the surface which are
exposed to the acidic gases and steam.
6. Bituminous paint : this paint is prepared by dissolving asphalt or minerals pitches or
vegetable bitumen in any type of oil or petroleum .
7. Cellulose paint: this paint is prepared from intro cotton, celluloid sheets , photographic
films etc.
8. Cement paint : this paint consists of white cement , pigment , accelerator and other
additives .
3. Differentiate the following material giving specification uses in the building industry.
…………..2007
a) Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks

b) Bitumen, coal tar and asphalts
c) Common burnt clay bricks, fire bricks and fly ash bricks
d) Paints and varnishes
Solution: -
<a> Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic rocks
 Igneous rock: - These types of rocks are formed by cooling of molten

and pasty materials present inside the earth’s surface which is called
magma. This magma comes out of earth’s surface through some cracks
and crevices present on the surface of the earth.
 Sedimentary Rocks: - These types of rocks are formed when there is
some deposition of some materials through weathering on the surface of
pre-existing rocks. These weathering materials are transported by some
natural agents such as frost, wind, rain etc.
 Metamorphic rocks: - These types of rocks when the pre-existing rocks
(igneous and sedimentary) change their some character due to application
of excess heat pressure. The process of this character change is called
metamorphism.
<b> Bitumen, coal and asphalt: -

Bitumen: - This is the binding material which is present in asphalt. It is formed by partial
distillation of crude petroleum. It is composed of around 87% carbon, 11% hydrogen and 2%
oxygen by weight.
Asphalt: - It is a mechanical mixture of inert materials like alumina, lime, silica etc. It is
black or brownish-black in color. At low temperature asphalt becomes at solid state and high
temperature in order of about 50 to 100 it becomes at solid state.
Coal tar: - This is a liquid which is heavy, and has black color. It is prepared by heating
the coal in closed iron vessels. Due to this heating of coal some gases are formed which are
allowed to escape through vessels but they are also kept cool simultaneously through circulation
of water due to which these gases deposited on vessels which leads to formation of coal-tar. It is
derived as a by-product in manufacturing process of coal gas. Its application are: - macadam
roads, preserving timber
<c>Fire Bricks: - These bricks are also known as refractory bricks. And it is a block of
refractory ceramic material which used in lining furnaces, kilns and fireboxes, and fireplace. It
is used to withstand high temperature and possess low thermal conductivity. These types of bricks
are used with extreme mechanical, chemical and thermal stresses. They generally have
yellowish or white in color and weigh about 30 to 35 N. These bricks have compressive strength
of about 200 to 220 N/mm2 and have absorption capacity of about 5 to 10%.
Fly ash bricks: - These types are composed of fly ash, water, quicklime or lime sludge,
cement, aluminum powder and gypsum. These bricks have compressive strength in order of
about 7.5N/mm2 to 10N/mm2. These bricks are lighter in weight and possess high strength than
clay bricks. These bricks are cured for 24 hours in a 66 steam bath. They have mainly two
classes of bricks: -
Class C brick
Class F brick
Brunt bricks: - These are one of the oldest type of bricks used in construction work .
These bricks are formed by pressing in moulds and these bricks are dried and fired in a kiln.
Common burnt bricks are used in general works with no attractive appearances.
<d> Paints and varnishes: -

Paints are used to protect metals, timber, or other plastered surfaces from the corrosive
effects of weather, heat, moisture or gases etc.
Varnishes: - Varnish is a transparent, hard , protective finish or film which is used in
wood finishing. It is a basically a combination of a drying oil, a resin and a thinner or solvent.
4. . Explain different classification of rocks.

Solution: -<10>…………2010
Rocks are generally classified in following 3 ways: -
 Geological classification
 Physical classification
 Chemical classification
Geological classification: -
According to geological classification rocks are mainly classified into following 3 types: -
 Igneous rock
 Sedimentary rock
 Metamorphic rock
Igneous rock: - This type of rock is mainly formed from the molten and pasty rocks found
inside the surface of earth. When the temperature inside the earth gets increasing these
molten rocks comes out from earth in the form of lava in the form of volcano and igneous
rocks gets finally formed when this molten lava gets cooled above the surface of earth.
Sedimentary rocks: - These types of rocks are formed when there is a change in structural
condition in pre existing rocks. These changes are occurred due deposition of weathering
materials over the surface of rocks.
Metamorphic rock: - These types of rocks are formed when the characteristics of pre
existing rocks (igneous and sedimentary) gets changed due to excessive heat and pressure.
This process is called metamorphism.
Physical classification: -
 Stratified rocks
 Unstratified rocks
 Foliated rocks
Stratified rocks: - These types of rocks are those in which layers are formed over the
surface of igneous and sedimentary rocks resulting from lava and fragmental deposits
which are certain millimeters high.
Unstratified rocks: - These types of rocks do not have layers deposition over the surface
of rocks and these couldn’t be easily split into parts.
Foliated rocks: - These types of rocks do not split up in a definite direction. For example: -
metamorphic rock
Chemical classification: -
 Siliceous rocks
 Argillaceous rocks
 Calcareous rocks
Siliceous rocks: -The rocks which silica as their major constituent is called as siliceous
rocks. For example: - Quartzite, Sandstone
Argillaceous rocks: - The rocks which have clay or alumina as their major constituent is
called as argillaceous rocks. For example: - Laterite, Slate
Calcareous rocks: - The rocks which have calcium carbonate or lime as their major
constituent. For example: - Limestone, Marble, etc.
5. Discuss the various ingredients of paints.(10)……2009
Solution:

• A Base
• A Carrier
• A Drier
• A Coloring agent
• A Solvent
Base- A base is a solid substance which determines the character of the paint and
imparts durability on the surface. It is also helpful in reducing shrinkage cracks.
Carrier - These are the liquid substances which hold the ingredients of paint in
liquid suspension. It is used to spread the paint evenly and uniformly on the
surface in the form of thin layer. It is derived from three unsaturated fatty acids,
linoleic, alpha-linolenic and oleic acids.
Driers- It is used for accelerate drying process. There are two types of driers:-
insoluble driers: - These are the compounds of metals such as cobalt, lead,
manganese, etc. They are dissolved in linseed oil.
past driers: - These driers are also compounds of metals but they are mixed with
inert fillers such as barites
Coloring pigment- Common agent types include mineral salts such as white
oxides: zinc, titanium, and yellow cadmium pigments. Another class consists of
earth types, e.g. sienna or umber. Still another group of pigments comes from
living organisms, such as madder root.
Solvents - Its function is to make the paint thin so that it can be applied on the
surface. It prevents the paint to penetrate through the porous surface.
6. What are the ingredients of varnish? Describe the various types of varnishes.
(10)………….20010
Solution: -
Ingredients of varnish: - The ingredients of varnishes are:-
 Resins or resinous substances
 Driers
 Solvents
Resins or substances:-Some resins available in the market are amber, kauri gum, dammar.
Shellac is also a resin which can be used for thin coats to cure so it could regain its original
lusture. It also consist of a natural plant or insect derived substance dissolved in a solvent
also called as spirit varnish or solvent varnish.
Driers: - It is used to accelerate the process of drying. For example:- litharge, white copper
and lead acetate.
Solvents: - Solvents are used depending upon the type of resin.
Depending upon the type of solvent varnishes are classified into following 4 types: -
 Oil varnish
 Spirit varnish
 Turpentine varnish
 Water varnish
Oil varnish: - It has an excellent scratch resistance and durability. Oil varnish is commonly
used by woodworking professionals for application to bare wood or over top an already
stained piece. It also dries very quickly and is hardest and durable and most commonly used
in coaches and fittings and houses.
Spirit varnishes: - This type of varnish is generally used in furniture. It can be obtained by
addition of suitable color pigment. It dries quickly but its disadvantage is that it is not
durable and are easily affected by weathering actions.
Turpentine varnish: - These types of varnishes dry quickly and have light colors. They are
not durable and tough enough. For example:- gum dammar
Water varnish: - The major example of water varnish is ahellac which is used with hot
water along with enough quantity of ammonia. These are used for varnishing maps, pictures,
etc. They are used for covering of wall proper.
7. Explain any four of the following thermal insulation. (5×4)....................2012

1. Slab or block insulation
2. Blanket insulation
3. Bat insulation material
4. Insulating boards.
Solution.
1. Slab or block insulation:
• They are known as blocks or boards
• They are 2.5cm thick and 60cm×120cm or more in area.
• These may be made of cork board, mineral wool , vermiculate, cellular glass, cellular
rubber, saw dust, asbestos cement etc.
• These are fixed to walls or roofs.
2. Blanket insulation:
• These are flexible fibrous folks made from mineral wool, processed wood fibre, cotton,
animal hair etc.
• Available in thickness of 12 to 80 mm
• These are directly spread on the wall or ceiling surface.
3. Bat insulation material:

• These are similar to blanket insulation except that these are small in size but of greater
thickness.
• These are also spread on surface of walls and ceiling.
4. Insulating boards:
• These are used for interior lining of walls and also for partition walls.
• Structural insulating board is manufactured by first making a pulp of wood, cane or other
materials and then pressing them in from of boards by adding suitable adhesive.
• They are available in different size and thickness.
8. Discuss the constituent parts of paints and their

function. (15)................................2013
Solution.

• A Base
• A Carrier
• A Drier
• A Coloring agent
• A Solvent
Base- A base is a solid substance which determines the character of the paint and imparts
durability on the surface. It is also helpful in reducing shrinkage cracks.
Carrier - These are the liquid substances which hold the ingredients of paint in liquid
suspension. It is used to spread the paint evenly and uniformly on the surface in the form of
thin layer. It is derived from three unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic, alpha-linolenic and oleic
acids.
Driers- It is used for accelerate drying process. There are two types of driers:-
insoluble driers: - These are the compounds of metals such as cobalt, lead, manganese, etc.
They are dissolved in linseed oil.
past driers: - These driers are also compounds of metals but they are mixed with inert fillers
such as barites
Coloring pigment- Common agent types include mineral salts such as white oxides: zinc,
titanium, and yellow cadmium pigments. Another class consists of earth types, e.g. sienna
or umber. Still another group of pigments comes from living organisms, such as madder
root.
Solvents - Its function is to make the paint thin so that it can be applied on the surface. It
prevents the paint to penetrate through the porous surface.

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ENGINEERS PRIDE JAIPUR

SSC- JE MAINS SOLUTION-VOLUME 1

Chapter Topic Page No.

3 BRICK & STONE 37-49

1. Write short notes one of the following:

Classification and composition of cement

Cement may be classified into four major parts

B. High Alumina Cement

C. Super sulphated Cement

a. Ordinary Portland cement

b. Rapid hardening cement

c. Extra rapid hardening cement

d. Low heat Portland cement

e. Portland blast furnace slag cement

f. Portland –puzzolona cement

g. Sulphate resisting Portland cement

<B> High alumina cement

<C> Super sulphated cement

<D> Natural cement

Uses of low heat cement: -

a. It can be used in mass construction works.

Disadvantages of low heat cement: -

b. The compressive strength is lower than that of ordinary cement.

<II> Sulphate resisting Portland cement: - Sulphate resisting Portland cement is a

 Sewage and water treatment plants

3. Discuss the manufacture of cement. (10) ............2009

There are two processes-

4. Explain the manufacturing of cement by wet process. (15)..................2011

• The cement is then packed into bags and ready to supply.

Following are the various ingredients of Portland cement with their % -

2. Diacalcium silicate (2CaO.SiO2)-

• Higher resistance to chemical attack.

4. Tetra calcium alumina ferrite (4Ca.Al2O3.Fe2O3)

High alumina cement: (IS: 6452)

2. Diacalcium silicate (2CaO.SiO2)- it is responsible for ultimate strength.

4. Tetra calcium alumina ferrite (4Ca.Al2O3.Fe2O3)

Note: decreasing order of heat of hydration -

1. What is curing of concrete enumerate various methods of curing and explain

4. Describe the term “concrete of constant workability”. Explain the procedure of

Following are the methods of workability-

6. Write short notes on the following:

Designing of a concrete mix: properties of concrete are governors by quantities of

7. What is compaction? Why is it needed, list the different method of

Compaction significantly increases the ultimate strength of concrete and

minimize its shrinkage and creep characteristics.

The following are the methods of compactions of concrete-

9. Explain briefly the importance of various types of concrete in construction.

High performance concrete: - This type of concrete is formed by combining Portland

Shotcrete: - It is a gunite or sprayed concrete conveyed through a hose projected at a high

11. Describe the sequence of concreting operations. (15)......2008

Transportation of concrete: - Transportation of concrete could be done through variety of ways

prefabrication industry. The process of release heat of hydration is accelerated at high

14. Write short notes on:

Workability of concrete: A concrete is said to be workable if it is easily transported, placed,

Fig: slump test mould

Quality parameters Maximum (ppm)

18 . Discuss in the detail the underwater curing.

Workability of concrete: A concrete is said to be workable if it is easily

20 . Discuss the significance of cold weather concreting with special

21 . Discuss the relation between water cement ratio and strength.

k1 and k2 are empirical costants

Figure. Relation between compressive strengh and W/C ratio

22 . Describe briefly creep and shrinkage.

 Do not spread dust on cement.