Concrete

Concrete
Rocklike Material
Ingredients

Portland Cement
Course Aggregate
Fine Aggregate
Water
Admixtures (optional)

Concrete Properties

Versatile

Pliable when mixed

Strong & Durable

Does not Rust or Rot

Does Not Need a Coating

Resists Fire

Strength of concrete

Compressive (very strong)

Tensile (week) can be

improved with reinforcements

Cement

Manufactured from Clay and

limestone

Main constituents are C3A, C3S,

Different types of
cement

Ordinary Portland Cement :

Normal concrete work

Rapid hardening Portland

cement: high early strength
required

Sulphate resisting Portland

cement

High Early

Normal

Low Heat of Hydration

Normal

Storage of cement

Stored in dry, leak and moisture proof

sheds
150 mm 200 mm above the ground
450 mm 600 mm space between wall
and the stacks
Height of maximum 15 bags, width of

Aggregates

Fine aggregate (material pass

5 mm sieve)

Coarse aggregate (material

retain on 5 mm sieve)

Fine aggregate

Natural sand, crushed stone dust or

manufactured sand by crushing rock

Material passing 75 m sieve should not be 4%

by weight

Sand (sea, river, lake or pit) should be properly

Sieve analysis of sand limits (BS

882:1992)

Sieve analysis of sand BS 882

(coarse)

Sieve analysis of sand BS 882

(medium)

Sieve analysis of sand BS 882

(fine)

Coarse aggregate

Maximum size 200 mm for mass concrete

Nominal size of 20 mm for normal concrete

Moisture content 0.25 % - 4%

Bulk density 1500 1600 kg/m3

limits
(BS 882:1992)

Water
Water to be used in the concrete work should have
the following properties:

It should be free from injurious amounts of acids

or alkalies or other such organic or inorganic
impurities.

It should be fit for drinking purposes

Water cement ratio

Vary from 0.4 - 0.6
Compressive strength N/mm2

28 days

7 days
3 days

1 day

Water cement ratio

Mixing of concrete

Quality control of
concrete

Poor quality and poor compaction

Quality control of
concrete (contd..)

Corrosion of reinforcement due to

insufficient cover and poor compaction

Quality control of
concrete (contd..)

Spalling of cover concrete

Quality control of
concrete (contd..)

Reinforcement congestion and poor

compaction

Concrete test for

compressive strength
Test cubes:

Size 150 x 150 x150

mm.

Three layers of
concrete , each layer
should be tamped at
least 35 times with
tamp rod of 1.8 kg
weight and 25 x 25
mm2 area.

Generally test after 7

Concrete test for

compressive strength

Identification of
cubes

Curing

Testing

Compressive strength
compliance requirements

workability
slump test
Slump cone
apparatus
10cm

30 cm

20cm

Slump test
Sump cone filled:

Three layers of equal

thickness

Each layer should be

tamped at least 25
times with tamp rod
of 16 mm diameter
and 600 mm length.

Slump test
Cone removed and
allow for slumping

Sump measured

Slump for various types of

concrete
Type of Concrete

1 Concrete for road

work
2 Beams and slabs
4 Impermeable work
5 Concrete placed
with pumping
6 Mass concrete

Slump
adopted
(mm)
20 to 30
50 to 100
75 to 120
100 to 175
25 to 50

Different types of possible

slumps

Normal
slump

Shear
slump

Collapse
slump

Curing of concrete

-pictures

Covering with polytheneCuring agent

Continuous wetting

ponding

Compressive strength vs
curing age

Concrete admixtures
When concrete is made, it is possible to
add various substances that could provide
desirable properties. They are called
admixtures that could improve
Workability (Super plasticizes)
Reduce the amount of water needed for a given
workability (waterreducing admixes)
Increase the time required for setting of cement
(retarders)
Reduce the time required for setting by
increasing the rate of hydration of cement while
generating additional heat (accelerates)

Steel
Behaviour
:

Mild steel actual

Steel - idealized

Reinforcements

Some of the standards, which discuss about

steel bars for the reinforcement of concrete
are:
SLS 375: 2004 : Specification for Ribbed
Steel bars for the Reinforcement of Concrete
BS 4449: 1997: Specification for Carbon Steel

Mechanical properties
Test to be carried out:

Tensile test

Bend test

Re-bend test

Tensile test
apparatus

Mechanical properties
Allowable tensile
properties

Grade

Yield
strength
N/mm2

Elongatio
n at
fracture
At (min) %

Stress
ratio (min)
Tensile
strength
Yield
strength

250

250

22

1.15

460

460

12

1.05

Deterioration of
reinforced concrete
Carbonation:
The concrete will carbonate if CO2 from air or
from water enters the concrete according to:

Ca(OH)2 + CO2->CaCO3 + H2O

pH fresh cement paste - about

12.5

pH of fully carbonated paste

drop to 7.0

Carbonation effects

Corrosion of reinforcements
a beam

Spalling of concrete and

Visible cracks and
corrosion of reinforcements corrosion slab

The quality controlling

Ensure the quality of fine aggregates

Ensure the quality of coarse aggregates
Carry out batching accurately
Do not use too high content of water in
Grade 25 concrete
Ensure compaction with vibrators
Use leak free shuttering
Start curing within 24 hours of concreting
and continue for 7 days

Benefits of quality
assurance
The concrete will be stronger
The concrete that is properly cured will
be more durable
It can provide better protection to
reinforcement over a longer period
Thus, the structure constructed can
provide a trouble free service for a
longer period.