'High-Strength Concrete Mix Design' Using Various Admixtures and

Evaluation of Properties.
MINOR PROJECT REPORT
7th Semester
Bachelor of Technology
In
CIVIL ENGINEERING

BADDI UNIVERSITY
OF EMERGING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (H.P)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Submitted by: KHURSAID NADAF

BUPIN: 21UEE013

1
 BADDI UNIVERSITY
OF EMERGING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (H.P)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

DECEMBER 2024
Certified that this is a bonafide report of the project titled

'High-Strength Concrete Mix Design' Using Various Admixtures

and Evaluation of Properties.

Submitted by:- KHURSAID NADAF

BUPIN :-21UEE13

Project Head:

Er. Satyapal shingh

Head of the Department:
Department of Civil Engg
Er. Rohit sharma
Guide:
Department of Civil Engg.
Er. Niraj

Er.Rohit Sharma 2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to acknowledge the Institute Baddi University

for giving us the opportunity for the project work in 'High-
Strength Concrete Mix Design' Using Various Admixtures
and Evaluation of Properties.
We express our gratitude towards our guide Er. Rohit
Sharma and Er. Satyapal Singh , Civil Engineering
Department, Baddi University, who has guided us throughout
the tenure of project and has given his suggestions to
improve the quality of project at critical moments. for
helping us and giving valuable suggestions. And we are
thankful for allowing us to work on this project.

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 ABSTRACT
Concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, water, coarse and
fine aggregates and sometimes admixtures. Proportioning a
concrete mix for a given purpose is the art of obtaining a
suitable ratio of various ingredients of concrete with the
required properties at the lower cost. The primary difference
between high-strength concrete and normal-strength
concrete relates to the compressive strength.
High strength concrete has compressive strength of up to
100 MPa as against conventional concrete which has
compressive strengths of less than 40 MPa. Low water
cement ratio is a crucial aspect which can be achieved by
using chemical admixtures such as plasticizers. A mineral
admixture introduces favourable behaviour with respect to
shrinkage and high evolution of heat of hydration and
enhances durability. The project revolves around the
development of high compressive strength using proper mix
of ingredients.

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 CONTENTS

Sr. No. Descriptions

1 Introduction

2 Selection of material

3 Applications

4 Advantages

5 Admixtures

6 Methodology

7 Laboratory Test

8 Mix design

9 Characteristics strength

10 Tensile strength

11 Comparisons

12 Analysis of Result

13 Conclusion

14 Reference

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Introduction
High performance concrete is a concrete mixture, which possess
high durability and high strength when compared to conventional
concrete. This concrete contains one or more of Cementous
materials such as fly ash, Silica fume or ground granulated blast
furnace slag and usually a super plasticizer. The term ‘high
performance’ is somewhat pretentious because the essential feature
of this concrete is that it’s ingredients and proportions are
specifically chosen so as to have particularly appropriate properties
for the expected use of the structure such as high strength and low
permeability. Hence, High performance concrete is not a special type
of concrete. It comprises of the same materials as that of the
conventional cement concrete. The use of some mineral and
chemical admixtures like Silica fume and Super plasticizer enhance
the strength, durability and workability qualities to a very high
extent.

High Performance concrete works out to

be economical, even though its initial cost is higher than that of
conventional concrete because the use of High Performance
concrete in construction enhances the service life of the structure
and the structure suffers less damage which would reduce overall
costs.
Concrete is a durable and versatile construction material. It is not
only

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 Strong, economical and takes the shape of the form in which it is
placed , but it is also aesthetically satisfying. However, experience
has shown that concrete is vulnerable to deterioration, unless
precautionary measures are taken during the design and production.
For this, we need to understand the influence of components on the
behavior of concrete and to produce a concrete mix within closely
controlled tolerances.
The conventional Portland cement concrete is found deficient in
respect of:
 Durability in severe environs (shorter service life and frequent
maintenance)
 Time of construction (slower gain of strength)
 Energy absorption capacity (for earthquake resistant structures)
 Repair and retrofitting jobs.

Hence, it has been increasingly realized that besides strength,

there are other equally important criteria such as durability,
workability and toughness. And hence, we talk about ‘High
performance concrete’ where performance requirements can be
different than high strength and can vary
from application to application.
High Performance Concrete can be designed to give
optimized performance characteristics for a given set of load, usage
and exposure conditions consistent with the requirements of cost,
service life and durability. The high-performance concrete does not
require special ingredients or special equipment’s except careful
design and production. High performance concrete has several
advantages like improved durability characteristics and much lesser
micro cracking than normal strength concrete.
Any concrete which satisfies certain criteria proposed to overcome
limitations of conventional concretes may be called High
Performance Concrete. It may include concrete, which provides
either substantially improved resistance to environmental influences
or substantially increased structural capacity while maintaining
adequate durability. It may also include concrete, which significantly

7
 reduces construction time to permit rapid opening or reopening of
roads to traffic, without compromising long-term serviceability.
Therefore, it is not possible to provide a unique definition of High
Performance Concrete without considering the performance
requirements of the intended use of the concrete.

American Concrete Institute defines High

Performance Concrete as
“A concrete which meets special performance and uniformity
requirements that cannot always be achieved routinely by using only
conventional materials and normal mixing, placing and curing
practices”. The requirements may involve enhancements of
characteristics such as placement and compaction without
segregation, long-term mechanical properties, and early age strength
or service life in severe environments. Concretes possessing many of
these characteristics often achieve High Strength, but High Strength
concrete may not necessarily be of High Performance.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS
The production of High Performance Concrete involves the following
three important interrelated steps:
 Selection of suitable ingredients for concrete having the desired
rheological properties, strength etc.
 Determination of relative quantities of the ingredients in order to
produce durability.
 Careful quality control of every phase of the concrete making
process.
The main ingredients of High Performance Concrete are

Cement

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 Physical and chemical characteristics of cement play a vital role
in developing strength and controlling rheology of fresh concrete.
Fineness affects water requirements for consistency. When looking
for cement to be used in High Performance Concrete one should
choose cement containing as little C3A as possible because the lower
amount of C3A, the easier to control the rheology and lesser the
problems of cement-super plasticizer compatibility. Finally, from
strength point of view, this cement should be finally ground and
contain a fair amount of C3S.

Fine aggregate

Both river sand and crushed stones may be used. Coarser

sand may be preferred as finer sand increases the water demand of
concrete and very fine sand may not be essential in High
Performance Concrete as it usually has larger content of fine
particles in the form of cement and mineral admixtures such as fly
ash, etc. The sand particles should also pack to give minimum void
ratio as the test results show that higher void content leads to
requirement of more mixing water.

Coarse aggregate
The coarse aggregate is the strongest and least porous
component of concrete. Coarse aggregate in cement concrete
contributes to the heterogeneity of the cement concrete and there is
weak interface between cement matrix and aggregate surface in
cement concrete. This results in lower strength of cement concrete
by restricting the maximum size of aggregate and also by making the

9
transition zone stronger. By usage of mineral admixtures, the cement
concrete becomes more homogeneous and there is
marked enhancement in the strength properties as well as durability
characteristics of concrete. The strength of High Performance
Concrete may be controlled by the strength of the coarse aggregate,
which is not normally the case with the conventional cement
concrete. Hence, the selection of coarse aggregate would be an
important step in High Performance Concrete design mix.

Water
Water is an important ingredient of concrete as it actively
participates in the chemical reactions with cement. The strength of
cement concrete comes mainly from the binding action of the
hydrated cement gel. The requirement of water should be reduced
to that required for chemical reaction of unhydrated cement as the
excess water would end up in only formation of undesirable voids in
the hardened cement paste in concrete. From High Performance,
Concrete mix design considerations, it is important to have the
compatibility between the given cement and the chemical/mineral
admixtures along with the water used for mixing.

BEHAVIOUR OF FRESH CONCRETE

Introduction
The behavior of fresh High Performance Concrete is not
substantially different from conventional concretes. While many
High-Performance Concretes exhibits rapid stiffening and early
strength gain, other’s may have long set times and low early
strengths. Workability is normally better than conventional concretes
produced from the same set of raw materials. Curing is not
fundamentally different for High Performance Concrete than for
conventional concretes although many High-Performance Concrete
with good early strength characteristics may be less sensitive to
curing.

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Workability
The workability of High Performance Concrete is normally
good, even at low slumps, and High Performance Concrete typically
pumps very well, due to the ample volume cementitious materials
and the presence of chemical admixtures. High Performance
Concrete has been successfully pumped even up to 80 stores. While
pumping of concrete, one should have a contingency plan for pump
breakdown. Super workable concretes have the ability to fill the
heavily reinforced sections without internal or external vibration,
without segregation and without developing large sized voids. These
mixtures are intended to be self-leveling and the rate of flow is an
important factor in determining the rate of production and
placement schedule. It is also a useful tool in assessing the quality of
the mixture. Flowing concrete is, of course, not required in all High-
Performance Concrete and adequate workability is normally not
difficult to attain.

Setting time
Setting time can vary dramatically depending on the
application and the presence of set modifying admixtures and
percentage of the paste composed of Portland cement. Concretes for
applications with early strength requirements can lead to mixtures
with rapid slump loss and reduced working time. This is particularly
true in warmer construction periods and when the concrete
temperature has been kept high to promote rapid strength gain.
The use of large quantities of water reducing admixtures
can significantly extend setting time and therefore reduce very early
strengths even though strengths at more than 24 hours may be
relatively high. Dosage has to be monitored closely with mixtures

11
containing substantial quantities of mineral admixtures so as to not
overdose the Portland cement if adding the chemical admixture on
the basis of total cementitious material.

BEHAVIOUR OF HARDENED CONCRETE

Introduction
The behavior of hardened concrete can be characterized in
terms of its short term and long term properties. Short-term
properties include strength in compression, tension and bond. The
long-term properties include creep, shrinkage, behavior under
fatigue an durability characteristics such as porosity, permeability,
freeze-thaw resistance and abrasion resistance.

Strength
The strength of concrete depends on a number of factors
including the properties and proportions of the constituent
materials, degree of hydration, rate of loading, method of testing
and specimen geometry. The properties of the constituent
materials affect the strength are the quality of fine and coarse
aggregate, the cement paste and the bond characteristics. Hence, in
order to increase the strength steps must be taken to strengthen
these three sources.
Testing conditions including age, rate of loading, method of
testing and specimen geometry significantly influence the measured
strength. The strength of saturated specimens can be 15 to 20
percent lower than that of dry specimens. Under impact loading,
strength may be as much as 25 to 35 percent higher than under a
normal rate of loading. Cube specimens generally exhibit 20 to 25
percent higher strengths than cylindrical specimens. Larger
specimens exhibit lower average strengths.

Strength development

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 The strength development with time is a function of the
constituent materials and curing techniques. An adequate amount of
moisture is necessary to ensure that hydration is sufficient to reduce
the porosity to a level necessary to attain the desired strength.
Although cement paste in practice will never completely hydrate, the
aim of curing is to ensure sufficient hydration. In general, a higher
rate of strength gain is observed for higher strength concrete at early
ages. At later ages the difference is not significant.

Compressive strength
Maximum practically achievable, compressive strengths
have increased steadily over the years. Presently,28 days strength of
up to 80Mpa are obtainable. However, it has been reported that
concrete with 90-day cylinder strength of 130 Mpa has been used in
buildings in US. The trend for the future as identified by the ACI
committee is to develop concrete with compressive strength in
excess of 140 Mpa and identify its appropriate applications.

Tensile strength
The tensile strength governs the cracking behavior and
affects other properties such as stiffness; damping action, bond to
embedded steel and durability of concrete. It is also of importance
with regard to the behavior of concrete under shear loads. The
tensile strength is determined either by direct tensile tests or by
indirect tensile tests such as split cylinder tests.

DURABILITY CHARACTERISTICS
The most important property
of High Performance Concrete, distinguishing it from conventional
cement concrete is its far higher superior durability. This is due to
the refinement of pore structure of microstructure of the cement
concrete to achieve a very compact material with very low
permeability to ingress of water, air, oxygen, chlorides, sulphates and
other deleterious agents. Thus the steel reinforcement embedded in
13
High Performance Concrete is very effectively protected. As far as
the resistance to freezing and thawing is concerned, several aspects
of High Performance Concrete should be considered. First, the
structure of hydrated cement paste is such that very little freezable
water is present. Second, entrained air reduces the strength of high
performance concrete because the improvement in workability due
to the air bubbles cannot be fully compensated by a reduction in the
water content in the presence of a superplasticizer. In addition, air
entrainment at very low water/cement ratio is difficult. It is,
therefore, desirable to establish the maximum value of the
water/cement ratio below which alternating cycles of freezing and
thawing do not cause damage to the concrete. The abrasion
resistance of High Performance Concrete is very good, not only
because of high strength of the concrete but also because of the
good bond between the coarse aggregate and the matrix which
prevents differential wear of the surface. On the other hand, High
Performance Concrete has a poor resistance to fire because the very
low permeability of High Performance Concrete does not allow the
egress of steam formed from water in the hydrated cement paste.
The absence of open pores in the structure zone of High
Performance Concrete prevents growth of bacteria. Because of all
the above- reasons, High Performance Concrete is said to have better
durability characteristics when compared to conventional cement
concrete.

WHEN TO USE HPC

High Performance Concrete can be used in severe
exposure conditions where there is a danger to concrete by chlorides
or sulphates or other aggressive agents as they ensure very low
permeability. High Performance Concrete is mainly used to increase
the durability is not just a problem under extreme conditions of
exposure but under normal circumstances also, because carbon di
oxide is always present in the air. This results in carbonation of
concrete which destroys the reinforcement and leads to corrosion.
Aggressive salts are sometimes present in the soil, which may cause

14
 abrasion. High Performance Concrete can be used to prevent
deterioration of concrete. Deterioration of concrete mostly occurs
due to alternate periods of rapid wetting and prolonged drying with
a frequently alternating temperature. Since High Performance
Concrete has got low permeability it ensures long life of a structure
exposed to such conditions.

APPLICATIONS
 High strength concrete is used for structures which are
supposed to carry large loads.
 The mix we produced can be used for following types of
structures.

INDUSTRY DESIGN STRENGTH (MPa)

Railway Bridges 50-80

Diaphragm Walls 50-55

Abrasion-resistant Concrete 40-80

High-rise RC Buildings 40-80

RC Piles 50

Centrifuged RC Piles 50-80

Railway Sleepers 40-50

ADVANTAGES

 Reduction in size of the columns

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 Speed of construction
 More economical than steel concrete composite columns
 Workability and pumpability
 Most economical material in terms of time and money
 Increased rentable\useful floor space
 Reduced depth of floor system and decrease in overall building height
 Higher seismic resistance, lower wind sway and drift
 Improved durability in aggressive environment
 Wearing resistance, abrasion resistance
 Durability against chloride attack
 Increased durability in marine environment
 Low shrinkage and high strength
 Service life more than 100 years
 High tensile strength
 Reduced maintenance cost

Chemical
Admixtures
Admixtures Reactive
Mineral
Admixtures
Inert

Chemical Admixtures

Chemical admixtures are the essential ingredients in the concrete

mix, as they increase the efficiency of cement paste by improving

16
 workability of the mix and there by resulting in considerable
decrease of water requirement.
Different types of chemical admixtures are
 Plasticizers
 Super plasticizers
 Retarders
 Air entraining agents
Plasticizers and super plasticizers help to disperse the cement
particles in the mix and promote mobility of the concrete mix.
Retarders help in reduction of initial rate of hydration of cement, so
that fresh concrete retains its workability for a longer time. Air
entraining agents artificially introduce air bubbles that increase
workability of the mix and enhance the resistance
to deterioration due to freezing and thawing actions.

Mineral admixtures
The major difference between conventional cement
concrete and High Performance Concrete is essentially the use of
mineral admixtures in the latter. Some of the mineral admixtures are
 Fly ash
 Silica fumes
 Carbon black powder
 Anhydrous gypsum based mineral additives
Mineral admixtures like fly ash and silica fume act as pozzolana
materials as well as fine fillers, thereby the microstructure of the
hardened cement matrix becomes denser and stronger. The use of
silica fume fills the space between cement particles and between
aggregate and cement particles. It is worth while noting that addition
of silica fume to the concrete mix does not impart any strength to it,
but acts as a rapid catalyst to gain the early age strength.

Retarder

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Admixtures, which slow the setting rate of concrete, are used to
counteract the accelerating effect of hot weather on concrete
setting. High temperatures often cause an increased rate of
hardening which makes placing and finishing difficult. Retarders keep
concrete workable during placement and delay the initial set of
concrete. Most retarders also function as water reducers and may
entrain some air in concrete.

Silica Fume
Silica fume is a by-product of producing silicon metal or ferrosilicon
alloys. One of the most beneficial uses for silica fume is in concrete
because of its chemical and physical properties, it is a very reactive
pozzolan. Concrete containing silica fume can have very high
strength and can be very durable

Steel slag
Iron and steel slag aggregate is an industrial product that is
manufactured under extensive quality management, and contains no
organic impurities, clay, shells, or similar materials. For both fine
particles and course particles, the chemical composition is
completely uniform.
In addition, this aggregate contains no reactive silica, which is one
cause of chemical reaction with alkali aggregates. It reduces
environmental impacts, preserves precious natural resources needed
to maintain ecosystems, and can reduce the energy that is consumed
in mining, stone crushing, and other activities.

Superplasticizer: Why it is used and how it works…

 Addition of water to improve workability results in weak
concrete mix and reducing water content may result in stiffer
mix which would be less workable.
 So care should be taken while determining water content.
Reducing water content in a concrete mix should be done in

18
 such a way so that complete hydration process may take place
and sufficient workability is maintained for placement.
 Superplasticizers, also known as ‘High Range Water Reducers’
are used to improve workability of the concrete while not
affecting strength of the concrete.

Working of Superplasticizer:

 Cement particles form flocs and water gets trapped in these

flocs.
 If this trapped water could be released, it would improve
flowability of concrete.
 Superplasticizer does the same. Superplasticizer gets adsorbed
by cement particles and forms a thin film around these cement
particles.
 Now negatively charged particles impart repulsive forces on
each other.
 Hence there will be deflocculation of the cement particles and
entrapped water will be released. This water will improve flow
characteristics of the concrete.
 Superplasticizer allows water reduction this way.

INGREDIENTS OF HSC
 Apart from conventional ingredients of concrete,
chemical and mineral admixtures are used.
 Ingredient materials are as follows:

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 Ingredient Size/ Grade

Cement OPC 53 Grade

Fly Ash Class-F

Fine Aggregates 2.36 mm

Coarse Aggregates 10 mm

Coarse Aggregates 20 mm

Water Potable

Plasticizer Auramix-400

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SAND(2.36mm) SAND(FINNER)

C. A. (10 mm) C. A. (20 mm)

CEMENT FLYASH

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Methodology
Casting of mortar cubes for compressive strength Check, Casting of
mortar cylinders for split tensile strength Check, fresh properties of
cement mortar and durability studies.

Method Used:
 Trial and error method
 Target strength: 60 MPa

Important Criteria:

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 High Strength Concrete
Mix

Low Water-Binder Ratio Proper Mix For

(0.30-0.45) Minimum Voids

Rich Mix with Addition of

Use of Plasticizers Mineral Binder

 High strength is achieved if the particle packing is dense with

minimum voids. For this high paste volume is essential
 A rich mix is used.
 Mineral and chemical admixtures are used.
 Two batches of concrete were prepared: one without super
plasticizer, one with super plasticizer.

Laboratory Tests

 To determine the specific gravity is normally defined as the

ratio between the weight of a given volume of material and
weight of an equal volume of water. To determine the specific
gravity of cement, kerosene which does not recent with
cement is used.

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APPARATUES
Le Chaterliers flask, weighing balance, kerosene (free from water).Le
Chaterliers flask, is made of thin glass having a bulb at the bottom.
The capacity of the bulb is nearly 250 ml. The bulb is 7.8 cm in mean
diameter. The stem is graduated in millimeters. The zero graduation
is at a distance of 8.8 cm from the top of the bulb. At 2 cm from the
zero, there is another bulb is of length 3.5cm and capacity 17 ml. At 1
cm from bulb, the stem is marked with 18 ml and is grated up to 24
ml. The portion above 24ml mark is in the form of a funnel of
diameter 5cm.

PROCEDURE
(I) Dry the flask carefully and fill with kerosene or naphtha to a point
on the stem between zero and 1 ml.

(II) Record the level of the liquid in the flask as initial reading.

(III) Put a weighted quantity of cement (about 60 gm) into the flask
so that level of kerosene rise to about 22 ml mark, care being taken
to avoid splashing and to see that cement does not adhere to the
sides of the above the liquid.

(IV) After putting all the cement to the flask, roll the flask gently in an
inclined position to expel air until no further air bubble rise3s to the
surface of the liquid.

(V) Note down the new liquid level as final reading.

OBSERVATION AND CALCULATIONS

(I) Weight of cement used =W gm

(ii)Initial reading of flask =V1 ml

(iii)Final reading of flask =V2 ml

(iv)Volume of cement particle= V2-V1 ml

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(v)weight of equal of water= ( V2-V1) x specific weight of water.

Specific gravity of cement = (Weight of cement/ Weight of equal

volume of water)

= W/(V2-V1)

NOTE
(I) Duplicate determination of specific gravity should agree within
0.01.

(II) To get more accurate result, the flask should be held in a constant
temperature before each reading is taken.

RESULT
Specific gravity of a sample of cement = 3.09

 To determine the specific gravity of given sample of

fine and coarse aggregates.

SPECIFIC GRAVITTY OF COARSE AGGREGATE.

Apparatus

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1. A balance or scale of capacity not less than 3 kg, readable and
accurate to 0.5 g and of such a type and shape as to permit the
basket containing the sample to be suspended from the beam and
the weighed in water.
2. A well-ventilated oven thermostatically controlled to maintain a
temperature of 100oC to 110oC.
3. A wire basket of not more than 6.3 mm mesh or a perforated
container of convenient size.
4. A stout water tight container of convenient size.
5. Two dry soft absorbent cloths each not less than 75×45 cm
6. A shallow tray of area no less than 650 cm2
7. An air tight container of capacity similar to that of the basket.

Procedure
(I) Take 2 kg of aggregate. Sample larger than 10mm

(ii) Wash the sample thoroughly to remove finer particle and dust.

(iii) Place the sample in a wire basket and immerse it in distilled

water at a temperature between 22oC and 32oC with a cover of at
least 5 cm of water above the top of the basket.

(iv) Remove the entrapped air by lifting the basket containing the
sample 25 mm above the base of the tank and allowing it to drop per
second, care being taken to see that the sample is completely
immersed in water during the operation.

(v) With the sample in water at a temper of 220C-32oC (W).

(vi) Remove the basket and aggregate from water and allow To drain
for a few minutes.

26
(vii) Empty the aggregate from the basket to a shallow tray.

(viii) Immerse the empty basket in water jolt 25 times and than the
weight in water (w2).

(ix) Place the aggregates in oven at a temperature of 100oC to 110oC

for 24+- 0.5 hours.

(x) Remove it from the oven and cool it and find the weight. (w2)

Calculations

Apparent Specific Gravity = (Weight of a substance/ wt of an equal

vol of water)

= W3/(W3- (w1-w2))

Result

Specific gravity of given coarse aggregate= 2.61

Fig:- Soak Sample

27
  SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF FINE AGGREGATE

Apparatus
1.A balance of capacity not less than 3kg, readable and accurate to
0.5 gm and of such a type as to permit the weighing of the vessel
containing the aggregate and water.

2.A well ventilated oven to maintain a temperature of 100ºC to

110ºC

3.Pyconometer of about 1 litre capacity having a metal conical screw

top with a 6mm hole at its apex. The screw top shall be water tight.

4.a means supplying a current warm air.

28
5.A tray of area not less than 32cm².

6.An air tight container large enough to take the sample.

7.Filter papers and funnel.

Procedure
(I) Take about 500g of sample and place it in the pycnometer.

(II) Pour distilled water into it until it is full.

(III) Eliminate the entrapped air by rotating the pycnometer on its

side, the hole in the apex of the cone being covered with a finger.

(IV) Wipe out the outer surface of pycnometer and weigh it (W)

(V) Transfer the contents of the pycnometer into a tray , care being
taken to ensure that all the aggregate is transferred .

(VI) Refill the pycnometer with distilled water to the same level .

(VII) Find out the weight (W1)

(VIII) drink water from the sample through a filter paper .

(IX) Place the sample in oven in a tray at a temperature of 100ºC to

110º C for 24±0.5 hours ,during which period ,it is stirred
occasionally to facilitate drying .

(X) Cool the sample and weigh it (W2)

Calculation

Apparent specific gravity = (weight of dry sample/weight of equal

volume of water )

= W2/(W2- (W-W2))

29
Result
Specific gravity of fine aggregate = 2.64

 Determine the Initial Setting Time, Final Setting Time and

Consistency of the Cement

Test for Setting Time

This test is carried out to find whether a cement sets at a rate

suitable for a particular work. There is no necessary relationship
between the time of setting and that
of hardening or attaining the maximum strength. A slow setting
cement may harden more rapidly than a quick setting one, and vice
versa. The hardening of cement is actually a continuation of the
30
chemical action which began with setting. If the cement is placed in
the mould. After initial setting time the cement mould can
be detached and after final setting time the Vicatt’s apparatus
plunger gives no impression. .
The initial setting time can be defined as “time taken by paste to
stiffen to such an extent that the Vicatt’s needle is not permitted to
move down through the paste through 25 mm.”.
The final setting time can be defined as “it is the time after which the
paste becomes so hard that Vicatt’s
5mm needle doesn’t sinks visibly and leave no impression”.
With Portland cement and rapid hardening cement the normal initial
setting time should not be less than 30 minutes and the final setting
time should not be more than 10 hours. With quick setting cement
the initial setting time should not be less than 5 minutes and the final
setting time should not be more than 30 minutes.

Test for Consistency

This test is carried out to find the consistency of cement. For
normal consistency of cement the maximum amount of water to be
added is 30%. In this test the room and water temperature is also
noted at the time of making the paste. The standard needle
penetration is 10 mm.

Apparatus and Samples

i) The apparatus used for these tests is Vicatt’s Apparatus.
It consists of a frame, bearing a movable rod, weighing 300 gram,
and having either:
A removable needle, 1mm in diameter, for finding out the initial
setting time, or
A needle, 5mm in diameter for determining the final setting time, or

31
A plunger, 10mm in diameter for determining the normal
consistency.
The rod has an indicator, which moves under a scale (graduated in
mm.) attached to the frame.
ii) A paste of neat cement, which is prepared to the to the normal
consistency, is held in a conical hard rubber ring, 8mm in diameter
and 4 cm high. The percentage of water mixed to form a paste
of normal consistency should be carefully noted.
iii) Triple beam balance.
iv) 300 gram sample of cement.
v) Trowel.
vi) Conical hard rubber ring.
vii) Water.
viii) Graduated cylinder.

Procedure
1. Take the triple beam balance and set the reading of
the scale to zero.
2. Take a pan and measure its weight.
3. Measure 300 gram sample of cement.
4. Take the cylinder and measure 80 ml. of water.
5. Now start making the paste of cement. It should be taken care
that the time of making paste doesn’t exceed 1 minute. Also
note the time of making paste.
6. Now put the paste in the rubber ring from the wider side i.e.
from down side, and make both the upper and lower surface
smooth by dragging it on a smooth surface.
7. Now the two tests will be conducted
separately by different procedures as:

Procedure for Normal Consistency Test:

1. Take the Vicatt’s apparatus and place the rubber mould
beneath the rod.

32
 2. Set the 10 mm. diameter plunger on the lower side of
rod. Place the lower end of plunger just above
the surface of paste.
3. Now release the rod and note down the penetration of plunger
in the paste.
4. For cement to be of normal consistence the penetration should
be 10 mm according to ASTM standard on room temperature.
5. If it’s not so then the water and cement ratio will not be
standard.

Procedure for Initial Setting Time Test:

1. For determining the initial setting time of cement paste, set the
1mm. diameter needle on the lower end of the rod.
2. Now release the rod for 30 seconds and note the time at which
the needle was released, record this in the table along with
the penetration of needle in the paste.
3. After periodic time again release the rod for 30 seconds note
the penetration of the needle in paste.
4. Repeat the above step until the penetration becomes just 25
mm. which is ASTM standard. Calculate the total time up to this
step, which will be the initial setting time of the
cement. Compare it with the standard time and
give comments.

Procedure for Final Setting Time Test

1. For determining the final setting time of cement paste, set the
5 mm diameter needle on the
2. Now again repeat the above steps for noting the
final setting time of cement.
3. The final setting time will be noted when the needle if released
doesn’t sink visibly and leaves no impression on the surface of
the paste.

33
 4. Then compare it with the ASTM standard time. The final setting
time can be found by the formula:
5. Final setting time = 90 + 1.2 (initial setting time)

ASTM Standard Temperature

Room temperature = 200 C to 27.50 C
Water temperature = 21.60 C to 24.70 C

Observations for Consistency Test

Weight of cement = 300 gram

Amount of water added = 80 ml
Percentage of water added = 26.7%
Room temperature = 230 C
Water temperature = 250 C

PENETRATION = 8 mm

Result
“The cement paste is much consistent because the penetration is
less 10 mm.”

Observations for Initial Setting Time

ASTM STANDARDS

Initial setting time = 49 to 202 minutes

Penetration = 25 mm

Time Penetration

34
 08:50 40 mm

09:05 37 mm

09:20 24 mm

So initial setting time = 30 minutes

Result
Cement is good

Observations for Final Setting Time

ASTM STANDARD:
Final setting time = 185 to 312 minutes
Penetration = No impact
Final setting time = 90 + 1.2 (initial setting time)
=90 + 1.2 ( 30 )
=126 minutes
So final setting time is 126 minutes

SLUMP CONE TEST

To measure the consistency (Workability) of concrete by slump
cone apparatus.

Apparatus
Slump cone, tamping rod, metallic sheet.

Theory
The slump test result is a measure of the behavior of a compacted
inverted cone of concrete under the action of gravity. It measures
the consistency or the wetness of concrete. This test is performed to
check the consistency of freshly made concrete. Consistency is a

35
term very closely related to workability. It is a term which describes
the state of fresh concrete.

Procedure
1.The internal surface of the mould is thoroughly cleaned and freed
from superfluous moisture and adherence of any old set concrete
before commencing the test.
2. The mould is placed on a smooth, horizontal rigid and non –
absorbent surface.
3. The mould is then filled in four layers each approximately ¼ of the
height of the mould
4. Each layer is tamped 25 times rod taking care to distribute the
strokes even lyover the cross section. After the top layer has been
rodded, the concrete is struck off level with a trowel and tamping rod
5.The mould is removed from the concrete immediately by raising it
slowly and carefully in a vertical direction
6. This allows the concrete to subside. This subside is referred as
slump of concrete.

7. The difference in level between the height of the mould and that
of the highest point of the subsided concrete is measured. This
difference in height in mm is taken as slump of concrete.8. The
pattern of slump indicates the characteristics of concrete in addition
to the slump value. If the concrete slumps evenly it is called true
slump. If one half of the cone slides down, it is called shear slump. In
case of a shear slump, the slump value is measured as the difference
in height between the height of the mould and the average value of
the subsidence. Shear slump also indicates that the concrete is non-
cohesive and shows the characteristic of segregation.

Results
The value of Slump is 97mm

36
 MIX DESIGN OF M60 GRADE OF CONCRETE

Mix Design Report

Certification No.:
Client : Date : 30/08/2016

Project/Contract :

Placement : Pump

Usage : Column

Mix Design No. : M060P3HS025 Description : M60 Grade Regular Concrete

Compressive Strength M60 Submittal No.

Aggregate Size 20MM Plant MOHALI-PUB-UTCL-828,

Air % 0.0% to 0.0% Volume 1.000 m³
w/cm Ratio 0.27 U.W. 2 443 kg/m³

37
Slump 120 ± 25mm Slump with Super 120 ± 25 mm
Plastersizer
Constituents and Suppliers Quantity Sp. Gr. Volume
( m³ ) SSD

Cement - CEMOPC - ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT - OPC - - Ultra tech Cement 450 kg 3.150 0.143
m³
Additive - FLYASHR - Flyash - NPL- Rajpura - - Approved source 828, Mohali 90 kg 2.200 0.041
m³
Water - WATERR - POTABLE WATER - Potable Water as per IS 456 - Approved source 154 kg (154.0 L) 1.000 0.154
m³
Stone - CA10MM - 10MM - Borajkotian /Nangal/Khera - - Approved source 828, Mohali 482 kg 2.650 0.182
m³
Stone - CA20MM - 20MM - Borajkotian /Nangal/Khera - - Approved source 828, Mohali 723 kg 2.650 0.273
m³
Sand - FANS - Sand - Ropar/khezrabad - - Approved Source 809, Mohali 544 kg 2.630 0.207
m³
Admixture - ADMHYPLAST - Hyper Plastcizer - Glenium B 233 - - Approved source 828, 4.428 kg 1.060 0.004
m³

Air Volume 0.000

m³
Total 2443 kg 1.000
m³

MIX FOR CUBE (1)

Proportion of key ingredients

Cement Fine Aggregate Coarse Water

Aggregates

1 1.25 1.65 0.35

Quantity of Materials

38
No. Material Quantity (kg)

1. OPC 21.6

2. Sand-1 (2.36 mm) 15

3. Sand-2 (1.18 mm) 15

4. C. A. (10 mm) 20

5. C. A. (20 mm) 20

6. Water 10

CHARACTERSTICS COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CUBE

FOR MIX (1)

Days Characteristics Compressive Strength Average

(MPa)

3 25.72 24.99 25.32 25.34

7 34.14 34.83 35.67 34.88

28 42.2 42.16 43.63 42.66

39
Compaction by vibration

40
 Curing of cubes

compressive strength of mix (2)

50

45 43.63
42.2 42.14 42.66

40
35.67 34.88
34.14 34.83
compressive strength (MPa)

35

30
25.72 24.99 25.32 25.34
25

20

15

10

0
3 days 7 days 28 days

days

3 days 7 days 28 days average

MIX FOR CUBE (2)

Proportion of key ingredients

Cement Fine Aggregate Coarse Water

Aggregates
1 1.25 1.65 0.35

Mineral Admixture Content

41
 Admixture Quantity

Fly Ash 10% replacement of cement

Silica Fume 10% of binder content

Super plasticizer 1% of binder content

Steel Slag 10%replacement of cement

Retarders 3%of binder content

Quantity of Materials

No. Material Quantity (kg)

1 OPC 35.3

2 Fly Ash 3.9

3 Sand-1 (2.36 mm) 25.5

4 Sand-2 (1.18 mm) 25.5

42
 5 C. A. (10 mm) 33

6 C. A. (20 mm) 33

7 Steel Slag 3.9

8 Super plasticizer 0.39

9 Water 12.68

10 Silica Fume 4.3

11 Retarders 0.48

RESULTS OF CHARACTERSTICS COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF

CUBE FOR MIX(2)

Days Characteristics Compressive Strength Average

(MPa)

3 22.64 26.07 26.32 25.1

7 39.32 40.42 43.37 40.96

28 48.88 49.64 52.9 50.47

43
 compressive strength mix (2)
60

50 48.8849.64
compressive strength (MPa)

39.3240.42
40
3 days
7 days
30
26.07 28 days
52.950.47
22.64
average
43.3740.96
20

26.3225.1
10

0
3 days 7 days 28 days

days

TENSILE STRENGTH OF CYLINDER FOR MIX (1)

Quantity of Materials

No. Material Quantity (kg)

1. OPC 31.4

2. Sand-1 (2.36 mm) 19

3. Sand-2 (1.18 mm) 19

4. C. A. (10 mm) 25

5. C. A. (20 mm) 25

6. 44
Water 18
RESULTS OF TENSILE STRENGTH MIX (1)

Days Tensile Strength Average

(MPa)

3 20.37 23.54 23.32 22.41

7 32.65 33.62 33.67 33.31
28 44.02 44.16 44.63 44.27

45
 TENSIL STRENGTH OF MIX (1)

50
44.0244.1644.6344.27
45
40
3 days
35 33.54 32.6533.6233.6733.31
7 days
30 28 days
25 23.3222.41 average
20.37
20
15
10
5
0
3 days 7 days 28 days

TENSILE STRENGTH OF CYLINDER FOR MIX (2)

 Proportion of key ingredients

Cement Fine Aggregate Coarse Water

Aggregates
1 1.25 1.65 0.35

 Mineral Admixture Content

Admixture Quantity

Fly Ash 10% replacement of cement

Silica Fume 10% of binder content

Super plasticizer 1% of binder content

Steel Slag 10% replacement of cement

Retarders 3% of binder content

 Quantity of Materials

46
 No. Material Quantity (kg)

1 OPC 35.3

2 Fly Ash 6.2

3 Sand-1 (2.36 mm) 20.25

4 Sand-2 (1.18 mm) 20.25

5 C. A. (10 mm) 26.45

6 C. A. (20 mm) 26.45

7 Steel Slag 5.6

8 Super plasticizer 0.87

9 Water 15.44

10 Silica Fume 8.2

11 Retarder 0.67

RESULTS OF TENSILE STRENGTH MIX (2)

Days Tensile Strength Average

(MPa)

3 22.82 23.74 24.03 23.53

7 28.31 30.24 30.72 30.70
28 47.54 47.21 47.03 47.26

47
 TENSILE STRENGTH OF MIX (2)
50
45.03
45 42.15
41.23
TENSILE STRENGTH (MPa)

40.21
40
35
30.2430.72 30.7
30 28.31 3 days
25 22.8223.7424.0323.53 7 days
28 days
20
average
15
10
5
0
3 days 7 days 28 days

DAYS

Compaction by vibration

48
Curing of cylinder and cubes

49
Strength Gain After 28 Days

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?

 It is not always the case that concrete would gain its

100% strength within 28 days.
 Strength gain after 28 days can be beneficial with
respect to cost of construction.
 If there is considerable increase in strength after 28
days, saving in cost is possible.
 For example, if concrete mix of M40 grade gives
strength of 65 MPa after 56 days; the mix can be used
instead of M60 grade mix. This will result in cost
saving because M60 grade concrete mix would require
richer mix.

ANALYSIS OF RESULT
50
CUBES

COMPRASSION of STRENGTH
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH(MPa)

60

50 50.47

40.96 42.66
40
34.88
30
25.34
25.1
20

10

0
3 days 7 days 28 days

DAYS

mix 1 mix 2

CYLINDER: -

mix 1 mix 2

50
47.26
45 44.27
tENSILE STRENGTH(MP)

40
35
33.31
30 30.7

25
23.53
22.41
20
15
10
5
0
3 days 7 days 28 days

days

51
 % STRENGTH GAIN
120%
99%
100%
80%
79%
80% 72%
%STRENGTH

65%
60%

40%

20%

0%
3 days 7 days 28 days

DAYS

mix 1 mix 2

Analysis of Results: Mix - 1

 Water to cement ratio: 0.35
 Super plasticizer was not used.
 28-day compressive strength for cube 42.66 MPa & 44.26 MPa
for cylinder
 Cubes and cylinders tested 3 for each test
 65% strength was gained within 3 days.

Analysis of Results: Mix- 2

 Water to cement ratio: 0.35
 Super plasticizer was used.
 28-day compressive strength for cube 48.79 MPa & 47.26 MPa
for cylinder.
 Cubes and cylinders tested: 3 for each test
 Almost 50% strength was gained within 3 days.
 Reduction of w/c ratio from 0.38 to 0.35 resulted in 20%
increase in compressive strength.

52
 CONCLUSIONS

After testing two batches of concrete mix, we came down to

these conclusions:

 By using certain admixtures, we achieved concrete of high

strength.
 Fly ash, silica fume and steel slag should be used as partial
replacement of cement.
 To achieve high strength, more paste volume is required. Rich
mix should be used,
i. e. more binder content and fine aggregates.
 Reduction in w/c ratio resulted in increased compressive
strength.
 Super plasticizer allows reduction of water content.
 This mix gives high early strength. About 50% strength is gained
after only 3 days.
 Formworks can be removed earlier and member can be loaded
earlier.
 Good surface finishing due to high paste volume.
 Collapse was observed in slump test. Hence good self-
compaction.
 The results justify the importance of low w/c ratio and dense
particle packing.
 We designed high strength concrete of M60 grade by trial
method.
 This design can be used to produce M60 grade concrete, which
will also have good durability.

53
 REFFERENCE

 Concrete Technology
 www.engineeringcivil.com
 www.applechemie.com
 Ultratech Cement

54