CIP 33 - High Strength Concrete

WHAT is High Strength Concrete

It is a type of high performance concrete generally
with a specified compressive strength of 8,000 psi
(55 MPa) or greater. Today compressive strengths
exceeding 20,000 psi (140 MPa) have been used in
cast-in-place buildings. While the unit cost of high
strength concrete is higher, significant cost savings
are possible with optimized design of structural
members for the same structural capacity.
The compressive strength is measured on 6 12 inch
(150 300 mm) or 4 8 inch (100 200 mm) test
cylinders generally at 56 or 90-days or some other
specified age depending upon the application. Special
attention and expertise is required for development,
quality control, and production of high strength
concrete. More attention to detail is essential for HOW are Mixtures Developed
testing high strength concrete. For high strength Developing high strength concrete mixtures
concrete design details and empirical relationships involves selecting the right materials and
between mechanical properties may differ from those optimizing the mixture proportions. Considerable
assumed for conventional concrete. When critical to testing and evaluation may be required to achieve
the design, these should be established from research the required workability and strength and other
references or developed by additional testing. hardened concrete properties required by the
WHY Use High Strength Concrete designer of the structure. The limitations of
concrete materials to produce high strength
a. To put the concrete into service at an earlier age, concrete should be recognized. Occasionally the use
for example opening the pavement to traffic or for of some locally available materials may be
post-tensioned members. precluded. It is imperative that the specification
b. To reduce size and reinforcement in structural clearly state the performance requirements that can
members, such as columns, and increase useable be measured by available standard test methods and
space, especially in high-rise buildings. clearly defined acceptance criteria. Prescriptive
details that constrain the use of materials or
c. To build the superstructure of long-span bridges
optimizing mixture proportions should be avoided.
and to enhance the durability of bridge structures.
d. To achieve special properties for some Some of the basic concepts that need to be
applications such as abrasion resistance, modulus understood for high strength concrete are:
of elasticity, and flexural strength. Applications 1. Aggregates should be strong and durable. They
include dams, grandstand roofs, marine need not necessarily be of high strength but need
foundations, parking garages, and heavy duty to be compatible, in terms of stiffness and
industrial floors. Special properties may only be strength, with the cementitious paste. Generally
achieved with high strength concrete, which smaller maximum size coarse aggregate is used
allows for more efficient structural design. High for higher strength concretes. Sand may have to
strength does not assure durable concrete. Specific be coarser requirements in ASTM C33 (fineness
requirements should address requirements for modulus greater that 3.2) because of the high
durability based on the exposure conditions. fines content from the cementitious materials.
2. High strength concrete mixtures will contain a limitations may prevent higher strength from being
higher quantity of cementitious materials achieved. Concrete mixtures developed in the
content. One or more supplementary laboratory are often validated by test production
cementitious materials, such as fly ash, slag batches.
cement, silica fume, metakaolin or natural The production, transportation, placement and
pozzolans, will be required. The total finishing of high-strength concrete can differ
cementitious material content will be in the significantly from procedures used for conventional
range of 700 to 1000 lbs/yd3 (400 to 600 kg/m3). concrete. For projects requiring a larger volume of
This can increases the heat of hydration and may high strength concrete it is highly recommended that
result in higher shrinkage leading to the a trial pour and evaluation be conducted and included
increased potential for cracking. as a pay item in the contract. Pre-bid and pre-
3. High strength concrete mixtures generally need construction meetings are very important to ensure
to have a low water-cementitious materials ratio the success of projects using high strength concrete.
(w/cm) in the range of 0.23 to 0.35. These low During construction special measures should be taken
w/cm ratios are only attainable with higher than to protect against plastic shrinkage and thermal
typical dosage of high range water reducing cracking in thicker sections. Longer time may be
admixtures (or superplasticizers) conforming to needed for shoring and formwork removal.
ASTM C494, Type F or G. A Type A water High strength concrete test cylinders should be
reducer may be used in combination. Other carefully molded, cured, and tested. Extra care and
admixtures that modify the rheology of fresh attention should be paid to handling test cylinder
concrete and retain workability for difficult specimens for initial curing in the field. Some high
placements may be necessary. strength concrete mixtures may set slower than
4. Air entrainment in high strength concrete will conventional concrete. ASTM standards have specific
greatly reduce the strength potential, more so procedures for testing high strength concrete.
than in conventional concrete. Specimen size is typically 4 x 8 in. (100 x 200 mm)
Additional lead time may be necessary for mixture cylinders. Temperature during initial curing should be
development and evaluation, especially if the maintained in the range of 68 to 78F (20 to 26C).
specification sets limits for other concrete Transporting cylinders from the jobsite to the
properties such as creep, shrinkage, and modulus of laboratory may need to be delayed if the mixture
elasticity. Some of these tests are specialized and takes longer to set. Unbonded caps are not permitted
can only be performed by a few testing agencies. to test cylinders if the specified strength exceeds
The testing for evaluation can be more expensive 12,000 psi. (85 MPa). Ends of cylindrical specimens
than traditional tests on concrete. The engineer may should be capped with high strength sulfur mortar or
choose to assume values on these properties based ground to the required planeness. The testing machine
on published empirical relationships for the design should have adequate load capacity and test
of the structure. specimens should be tested to complete failure.
Improper procedures when testing high strength
Lower creep and shrinkage and high modulus of
concrete will have significant financial implications
elasticity can be achieved by increasing the volume
of aggregate and minimizing the paste volume in and will delay project schedules.
the mixture. This would typically entail using the References
largest size aggregate possible and medium to 1. Report on High Strength Concrete, ACI 363R, ACI,
coarsely graded fine aggregate. Smaller maximum Farmington Hills, MI, www.concrete.org.
size aggregate are typically used to produce very 2. Guide to Quality Control and Assurance of High Strength
high compressive strength. This increases the paste Concrete, ACI 363.2R, ACI, Farmington Hills, MI.
volume and make it difficult to achieve required 3. Getting Started with High-strength Concrete, Ron Burg, The
Concrete Producer, November 1993.
properties like creep, shrinkage, and modulus of
4. Effects of Testing Variables on the Measured Compressive
elasticity. Adding more cementitious material to Strength of High Strength (90 MPa) Concrete, N.J. Carino, et
increase strength levels is typically not appropriate al., NISTIR 5405, October 1994, NIST, Gaithesburg, MD,
or effective. Factors such as deleterious materials in www.nist.gov.
aggregates, aggregate coatings, coarse aggregate 5. 10,000 psi Concrete, James E. Cook, ACI Concrete
fracture faces, shape and texture, and testing International, October 1989, ACI, Farmington Hills, MI.
2001, 2016