ADVANCED CONCRETE

• Concrete is most vital material in modern construction.

• In addition to normal concrete, other varieties in use are –
o high strength and high performance concrete,
o self compacting,
o light weight,
o high density,
o fiber reinforced,
o polymer,
o colored concrete etc.
• Special types of concrete are those with out-of-the ordinary
properties or those produced by unusual techniques.

• Concrete is by definition a composite material consisting essentially of

a binding medium and aggregate particles, and it can take many
forms.
Types of special concrete
• 1.High Volume Fly Ash Concrete.
• 2. Silica fume concrete.
• 3. GGBS, Slag based concrete.
• 4. Ternary blend concrete.
• 5. Light weight concrete.
• 6. Polymer concrete.
• 7. Self Compacting Concrete.
• 8. Coloured Concrete.
• 9. Fibre-reinforced Concrete.
• 10. Pervious Concrete.
• 11. Water-proof Concrete.
• 12. Temperature Controlled Concrete.
1.High Volume Fly Ash Concrete
• It is used to replace a portion of the Portland cement used in the mix.
• According to IS: 456 – 2000 replacement of OPC by Fly-ash up to 35%
as binding material is permitted.
• HVFAC is a concrete where excess of 35% of fly-ash is used as
replacement.
Use of fly ash is because of many factors such as -
a) Abundance of fly ash i.e. 110million tons of fly ash is produced in
India every year.
b) Fly ashes from major TPP are of very high quality i.e. quality of fly
ash.
c) Economic factor i.e. Cost of fly ash with in 200 km from a TPP is as
low as 10% to 20% of the cost of cement.
d) Environmental factors i.e. reduction in CO2 emission.
• Strength relation between control concrete and fly ash concrete
• Permeability relation between control and fly ash concrete.
2.Silica fume concrete
• Very fine non-crystalline silica produced in electric arc furnaces as a by
product.
• Highly reactive pozzolan used to improve mortar and concrete.
• Silica fume in concrete produces two types of effect viz.
• Physical effect
• Chemical effect
The transition zone is a thin layer between the bulk hydrated cement paste and
the aggregate particles in concrete. This zone is the weakest component in
concrete, and it is also the most permeable area. Silica fume plays a significant
role in the transition zone through both its physical and chemical effects.
Physical Effect
• The presence of any type of very small particles will improve concrete
properties. This effect is termed either “particle packing” or “micro
filling”.
• Physical mechanisms do play a significant role, particularly at early
ages.
Chemical Effect
• Silica fume is simply a very effective pozzolanic material.
• pozzolanic means a siliceous or siliceous and aluminous material,
which in itself possess little or no Cementous value but will, in finely
divided form and in the presence of moisture , chemically react with
calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperatures to form compounds
possessing cementious properties
3. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag or
GGBS, Slag based concrete
• By-product of the iron manufacturing industry, replacement of
Portland cement with GGBS will lead to significant reduction of
carbon dioxide gas emission.
• GGBS powder is almost white in color in the dry state Fresh GGBS
concrete may show mottled green or bluish-green areas on the
surface mainly due to the presence of a small amount of sulphide.

Ground-granulated blast-furnace slag is obtained by quenching molten iron slag

from a blast furnace in water or steam, to produce a glassy, granular product that
is then dried and ground into a fine powder
• GGBS concrete requires longer setting times than Portland cement
concrete, probably due to the smooth and glassy particle forms of
GGBS. If the temperature is 23 degree C or replacement level of
Portland cement by GGBS is less than 30% , the setting times will not
significantly be affected.

• when GGBS replacement level is less than 40%, bleeding is generally

unaffected. At higher replacement levels, bleeding rates may be
higher.
• GGBS concrete has lower early strengths because the rate of initial
reaction of GGBS is slower than that of Portland cement. GGBS is
therefore generally grounded to a finer state than Portland cement
i.e. from around 4000 cm2/g to 6000 cm2/g resulting in significant
increase in 28day strength.
• It was also reported that the early strengths (up to 28 days) of
concrete mixes (with 25%, 35%, 50%, and 60% GGBS replacements)
were lower than that of Portland cement concrete mixes. By 56 days,
the strength of 50% and 60% GGBS mixes exceeded that of the
Portland cement mix, and by one year all GGBS mixes were stronger
than the Portland cement mixes.
• Due to its longer setting time, it can be transported to distant places
but care should be taken while casting because there are chances that
bleeding may take place.
• Ground granulated blast furnace slag
4. Ternary blend concrete
• Ternary concrete mixtures include three different cementitious
materials i.e. combinations of Portland cement, slag cement, and a
third cementitious material. The third component is often fly ash, but
silica fume is also common.
• Other material in combination with Portland and slag cement, such as
rice husk ash are not currently in common usage.
• Slag cement has been used in ternary mixtures for decades.
Benefits
1. High strength
2. Low permeability
3. Corrosion resistance
4. Sulphate resistance
5. ASR resistance (alkali–silica reaction)
6. Elimination of thermal cracking
Ternary mixtures can be used and have been
used in virtually any concrete application
1.General construction (residential, commercial, industrial)
2. Paving
3. High performance concrete
4. Precast concrete
5. Masonry and masonry units
6. Mass concrete
7. Shotcrete
Mixture proportion
• The optimum mixture proportions for ternary blends, as with other
concrete, will be dependent on the final use of the concrete,
construction requirements and seasonal considerations. As with
other concrete, cold weather will affect the early strength gain and
mixture proportions may need to be adjusted to assure job-site
performance. In low W/CM applications such as paving, mixtures with
15percent fly ash and 30% slag cement component have been used
successfully.
• Fly ash, a powder resembling • Ground granulated blast • Silica fume powder
cement, has been used in furnace slag
concrete since the 1930s.
WHAT IS FLEXURAL STRENGTH? It is the ability of a beam or slab to resist failure in bending. It is measured by loading
unreinforced 150x150 mm concrete beams with a span three times the depth (usually 450mm). The flexural strength is
expressed as “ Modulus of Rupture” (MR) in MPa.
5.Light weight concrete
• Structural lightweight concrete is similar to normal weight concrete except that it has a lower
density.
• Made with lightweight aggregates.
• Air-dry density in the range of 1350 to 1850 kg/m3
• 28-day compressive strength in excess of 17 Mpa.
• Structural lightweight concrete is used primarily to reduce the dead-load weight in concrete
members, such as floors in high-rise buildings.
Structural Lightweight Aggregates:
• Rotary kiln expanded clays, shales, and slates
• Sintering grate expanded shales and slates
• Pelletized or extruded fly ash
• Expanded slags
Compressive Strength:
• The compressive strength of structural lightweight concrete is usually
related to the cement content at a given slump and air content, rather
than to a water-to-cement ratio. This is due to the difficulty in
determining how much of the total mix water is absorbed into the
aggregate and thus not available for reaction with the cement.

*“Slump” is the distance, measured in inches, the concrete settles after the slump cone is removed.
A concrete batch with high slump is an indication that the concrete has to much water in it and will
likely be weak when fully cured. The ideal mix will not be too stiff or too soft, but will have a slump
of about 4″.
Slump:
1.Due to lower aggregate density, structural lightweight concrete does
not slump as much as normal-weight concrete with the same
workability.
2. A lightweight air-entrained mixture with a slump of 50 to 75 mm (2
to 3 in.) can be placed under conditions that would require a slump of
75 to 125 mm (3 to 5 in.)
3. With higher slumps, the large aggregate particles tend to float to the
surface, making finishing difficult.
• Entrained Air in light-weight concrete
Entrained Air:
1.As with normal-weight concrete, entrained air in structural
lightweight concrete ensures resistance to freezing and thawing and to
deicer applications.
2. It also improves workability, reduces bleeding and segregation, and
may compensate for minor grading deficiencies in the aggregate.
3. Air contents are generally between 5% and 8%, depending on the
maximum size of coarse aggregate (paste content) used and the
exposure conditions.
Placing, Finishing, and Curing
1. Structural lightweight concrete is generally easier to handle and place
than normal-weight concrete.
2. A slump of 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 in.) produces the best results for
finishing.
3. If pumped concrete is being considered, the specified suppliers and
contractor should all be consulted about performing a field trial using the
pump and mixture planned for the project.
4. Adjustments to the mixture maybe necessary.
5. pumping pressure causes the aggregate to absorb more water, thus
reducing the slump and increasing the density of the concrete.
• Placing and finishing of concrete
6.Polymer concrete
• Polymer concrete is part of group of concretes that use polymers to
supplement or replace cement as a binder. The types include
polymer-impregnated concrete, polymer concrete, and polymer-
Portland cement concrete.
• In polymer concrete, thermosetting resins are used as the principal
polymer component due to their high thermal stability and
resistance to a wide variety of chemicals.
• Polymer concrete is also composed of aggregates that include silica,
quartz, granite, limestone, and other high quality material.
• Polymer concrete may be used for new construction or repairing of
old concrete.
• The low permeability and corrosive resistance of polymer concrete
allows it to be used in –
- swimming pools,
- sewer structure applications,
- drainage channels,
- electrolytic cells for base metal recovery, and
- other structures that contain liquids or corrosive chemicals.
• It is especially suited to the construction and rehabilitation of
manholes due to their ability to withstand toxic and corrosive sewer
gases and bacteria commonly found in sewer systems.
• It can also be used as a replacement for asphalt pavement, for higher
durability and higher strength.
• Polymer concrete has historically not been widely adopted due to the
high costs and difficulty associated with traditional manufacturing
techniques.
Advantages & Disadvantages
• Advantages
• 1.Rapid curing at ambient temperatures
• 2. High tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths
• 3. Good adhesion to most surfaces
• 4. Good long-term durability with respect to freeze and thaw cycles
• 5. Low permeability to water and aggressive solutions
• 6. Good chemical resistance
• 7. Good resistance against corrosion
• 8. Lighter weight (only somewhat less dense than traditional concrete, depending
on the resin content of the mix)
• 9. May be vibrated to fill voids in forms
• 10. Allows use of regular form-release agents (in some applications)
• 11. Dielectric
• Disadvantages
• 1.Product hard to manipulate with conventional tools such as drills
and presses due to its strength and density. Recommend getting pre-
modified product from the manufacturer
• 2. Small boxes are more costly when compared to its precast
counterpart however pre cast concretes induction of stacking or steel
covers quickly bridge the gap.
• Using of polymer concrete on old concrete
7.Self compacting concrete
• Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is an innovative concrete that does
not require vibration for placing and compaction. It is able to flow
under its own weight, completely filling formwork and achieving full
compaction, even in the presence of congested reinforcement.
• The hardened concrete is dense, homogeneous and has the same
engineering properties and durability as traditional vibrated concrete.
• Very close to the Kolhapur there is project of steel industry, sand used
for the formation of mould when the moulds are opened the waste
sand is dumped for the filling the low lying areas while doing this the
agriculture areas is converted into barren area. Because there is no
space for the waste other than the land filling. similar case is in case
of aluminum industry where red mud is concluded to be waste,
which contains lot amount of bauxite and that is why red mud is also
dump in the nearby areas here it is causing big threat for the society
and it is disturbing the eco system of the environment. So it is the
need to use this particular otherwise waste material for the
constructive in such fashion in the case of concrete so that concrete
which became cost effective as well as eco-friendly.
Types:
• 1.Powder type of self-compacting concrete: This is proportioned to
give the required self-compactability by reducing the water-powder
ratio and provide adequate segregation resistance.
• 2. Viscosity agent type self-compacting concrete: This type is
proportioned to provide self-compaction by the use of viscosity
modifying admixture to provide segregation resistance.
• 3. Combination type self-compacting concrete: This type is
proportioned so as to obtain self-compactability mainly by reducing
the water powder ratio.
Fresh SCC Properties:
• 1. Filling ability (excellent deformability)
• 2. Passing ability (ability to pass reinforcement without blocking)
• 3. High resistance to segregation.
• It has been observed that the compressive strength of selfcompacting
concrete produced with the combination of admixtures goes on
increasing up to 2% addition of red mud.
• After 2% addition of red mud, the compressive strength starts
decreasing, i.e. the compressive strength of self-compacting concrete
produced is maximum when 2% red mud is added.
• The percentage increase in the compressive strength at 2% addition
of red mud is +9.11 .
• Placing of self compacting concrete
8.Coloured concrete:
• Coloured concrete can be produced by using coloured aggregates or by adding
colour pigments (ASTM C 979) or both.
• If surfaces are to be washed with acid, a delay of approximately two weeks
after casting is necessary.
• Coloured aggregates may be natural rock such as quartz, marble, and granite,
or they may be ceramic materials.
• synthetic pigments generally give more uniform results.
• The amount of colour pigments added to a concrete mixture should not be
more than 10% of the mass of the cement.
• For example, a dose of pigment equal to 1.5% by mass of cement may produce
a pleasing pastel colour, but 7% may be needed to produce a deep colour. Use
of white portland cement with a pigment will produce cleaner, brighter colours
and is recommended in preference to gray cement, except for black or dark
gray colours.
• Coloured concrete
9. Fibre reinforced concrete:
• Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) may be defined as a composite
materials made with Portland cement, aggregate, and incorporating
discrete discontinuous fibres.
• The role of randomly distributes discontinuous fibres is to bridge
across the cracks that develop provides some post- cracking
“ductility”.
• The real contribution of the fibres is to increase the toughness of the
concrete under any type of loading.
• The fibre reinforcement may be used in the form of three –
dimensionally randomly distributed fibres throughout the structural
member when the added advantages of the fibre to shear resistance
and crack control can be further utilised.
Tensile Strength:
• 1.Fibres aligned in the direction of the tensile stress may bring about
very large increases in direct tensile strength, as high as 1.33% for 5%
of smooth, straight steel fibres.
• 2. Thus, adding fibres merely to increase the direct tensile strength is
probably worthwhile.
• 3. However, as in compression, steel fibres do lead to major increases
in the post cracking behaviour or toughness of the composites.
Application of SFRC:
• The most common applications are -
• 1. pavements
• 2. tunnel linings
• 3. pavements and slabs
• 4. shotcrete
• 5. shotcrete also containing silica fume, airport pavements, bridge
deck slab repairs.
The fibres themselves are, unfortunately, relatively expensive; a 1%
steel fibre addition will approximately double the rate.
• Fibre reinforced concrete
10.Pervious concrete:
• Pervious (porous or no-fines) concrete contains a narrowly graded
coarse aggregate, little to no fine aggregate, and insufficient cement
paste to fill voids in the coarse aggregate.
• Low water-cement ratio, low-slump concrete resembling popcorn
held together by cement paste.
• Produces a concrete with a high volume of voids (20% to 35%) and a
high permeability that allows water to flow through it easily.
• Pervious concrete is used in hydraulic structures as drainage media, and
in parking lots, pavements, and airport local groundwater supply by
allowing water to penetrate the concrete to the ground below.
• Pervious concretes have also been used in tennis courts and
greenhouses.
• The compressive strength of different mixes can range from 3.5 to 27.5
Mpa.
• Drainage rates commonly range from 100 to 900 lit.per minute per
square meter.
• Pervious concrete
11. Water-proof concrete:
• Top Proof waterproof concrete contains
two specially formulated admixtures. The
first reduces the water/cement ratio,
increasing the density of the mix and
minimizing the size of the pores. The
second fills the remaining pores ensuring
a completely watertight finish. This means
there is no need for external membranes,
reducing cost and labor.
Waterproof concrete benefits:
• 1. Basements
• 2. Underground car parks
• 3. Electrical and other plant rooms
• 4. Swimming pools
• 5. Aquariums and aquatic centres
Waterside buildings
• 1. No need for external membranes, reducing cost and labor
• 2. Water resistant, quality-assured waterproof concrete
• 3. Less susceptible to cracking
• 4. No minimum order size
• 5. 100% recyclable
• Wave cutters made up of water-proof concrete
12. Mass concrete:
• “An large volume of cast-in-place concrete with dimensions large
enough to require that measures be taken to cope with the generation of
heat and attendant volume change to minimize cracking.”
• Mass concrete includes not only low-cement-content concrete used in
dams and other massive structures but also moderate to high cement
content concrete in structural members of bridges and buildings.
• As the interior concrete increases in temperature and expands, the
surface concrete may be cooling and contracting.
• The width and depth of cracks depends upon the temperature
differential, physical properties of the concrete, and the reinforcing steel.
• Casting of Mass concrete