CONCRET

E
Constructi
on
Materials
0 732-
210 1
Maruf Hossain Hredoy
B.Sc in Civil Engineering (KUET)

Lecturer Department of Civil Engineering

Dhaka International University
 Concre
 Concrete is the world’s single most widely used construction
te
material and af ter w ater, it is the most consumed material on
earth.
purposes, which
 Concrete
made is an artificial
by mixing a binding stone-like
material material usedand
(i.e. cement) for various
various aggregates
is (inert
structural
materials
as sand, stone
such chips, brick chips with water and allowing the mixture to
etc.) hydration. harden by

General Components of  Durable structures are not able to be

Concrete: made by only using cement and water. It
 Cement is important
use to to restrain
aggregates the
 Water shrinkage.
these reasons
For concrete is a composite
 Aggregate- Coarse and material.
Fine What is a composite material ?
 Supplementary  A combination of two or more materials
Cementitious Materials that work together to achieve an
(SCMs) improvement in performance.
 Admixtures
 Paste= Cement+ Water
Mortar/Grout = Cement + Water + Fine
Aggregate (Sand) or, Paste+ Fine
aggregate
Concrete = Cement + Water + FA + CA or, Mortar+
Coarse aggregate
(Aggregate retained on 4.75-mm (No. 4) sieve is called coarse
aggregate and the portion passes through the 4.75-mm (No. 4) sieve
 is called fine aggregate)
Typically, a mix is about 10 to 15 percent cement, 60 to 75 percent aggregate
and 15 to 20 percent water.

Example of component percentage in a concrete mixture:

 6% air
 11% Portland cement
 41% Gravel or crushed stone (Coarse Aggregate)
 26% sand ( Fine Aggregate)
 16% w ater
Advantages of concrete:
 Concrete’s long life and relatively low maintenance
requirements increase its economic benefits.
 Concrete is not likely to corrode, rot or decay.
 Concrete has the ability to be molded or cast into almost
any desired shape.
 It is a non-combustible material which makes it fire-safe
and able to w ithstand high temperatures.
 Producing concrete uses less energy than producing other
comparable building materials.

Disadvantages of concrete:
 It has low tensile strength (compared to other building
materials).
 It has low ductility.
 It is susceptible to cracking.
 Long curing time: Full strength development needs a month.
Functions of water in concrete:
 Hydration reaction w ith cement

 To wet the surface of aggregates to develop adhesion , because

cement adheres quickly to wet surface.
 To provide workability. High water- cement ratio leads to
low strength but good workability.

Functions of aggregate in concrete:

 It makes the body and occupies about 60-70% volume of concrete.

It is cheap filler material.
 It provides f or volume stability.
 It provides abrasion resistance.

Classification of Concrete:
Based on unit weight

 Light weight concrete (90 - 115 pcf )

 Normal w eight concrete (140 - 150 pcf )
 Heavy w eight concrete (>20 0 pcf )
Based on Strength:
USA Classification: 28-day compressive strength of cylinder (6 by 12 inches)
 Low-strength concrete: less than 20 Mpa (3000 psi)
 Moderate-strength concrete: 20 to 40 Mpa (3000 to 6 0 0 0 psi)
 High-strength concrete: 40-100 Mpa
 Ultra high strength concrete: 100-150 Mpa
 Special: Ultra High-performance Concrete (UHPC): more than 150 Mpa
compressive strength of cylinder

Properties of Fresh Concrete:

The long-term performance of concrete structures is affected by the
properties and behavior of concrete at early age.
No such defined timeline for early age could be found in the literature but
generally 24 to 48 hours time period (1 to 2 days) after casting (from the
time of mixing the cement, water and aggregates) is considered as
significant within which the hydration product structure or matrix begins to
form in a definite shape. It is rightly assumed that the fi rst 48 hours are very
important for the performance of concrete structure.
Properties at Early Ages:
a) Workability

b) Segregation

c) Bleeding

d) Plastic shrinkage
e) Time of set etc.
(a) Workability:
 Workability is a general term to describe the properties of fresh concrete. It is
defined as the amount of mechanical work required for full compaction of
concrete without segregation.
Workability of a concrete is a composite property with at least two main
components: “Consistency”- indicates the mobility or flowability of freshly
mixed concrete- the ease of
f low of f resh concrete.
“Cohesiveness”- is used to describe the ability of fresh
concrete to hold all the ingredients.
 The primary characteristics of workability are
consistency (or fluidity) and cohesiveness.
 Higher workability concretes are easier to place and handle but obtaining higher
workability by increasing water content decreases strength and durability.
 Factors Affecting Workability:

• The f actors that af f ect the workability of concrete are:

1) W/c ratio: increase in w / c ratio increase workability (decrease strength).
2) Gradation and relative proportions of the fine and coarse aggregate: increase in
aggregate to cement ratio decrease workability, decrease fine materials increase
workability.
3) Aggregate properties: roundness and smoothness of particles increases
4)
workability. (Roundedasaggregate
Time and temperature: haveincreases,
temperature high workability)
the workability decreases. Also,
workability decreases with time. These effects are related to the progression of
chemical reaction.
5)
Cement: increase of cement fineness decrease of workability. Increased fineness will
reduce fl uidity at a given w / c ratio but increase cohesiveness.
6) Admixture: water reducing, air- entraining and set retarding
admixtures will improve workability.
7) Effect of age of concrete: the workability of concrete decreases with the age of
concrete as the water in concrete is lost by evaporation, absorption of aggregates
etc.
(b) Segregation:
Segregation refers to the separation of components of fresh concrete
resulting in a non- uniform mix. In general it means the separation of coarse
aggregate from mortar.
Causes-
i.Badly proportioned mix (i.e. larger size particle, high proportion of large
particle, suffi cient mortar not available to bind and contain aggregate)
ii. High specific gravity of coarse aggregate
iii. Dropping the concrete f rom too high
iv. Discharge of concrete f rom badly designed mixer
Remedies-
v. Correctly proportioning of the mix.
vi. Proper placing, transporting, compacting and finishing.
vii. Re- mixing the concrete if any segregation is observed.
(c) Bleeding:
 Bleeding means the concentration of water at certain portions of the concrete
( normally at the top). The locations with increased water concentration are
concrete surface, bottom of large aggregate and bottom of reinforcing steel.
 It is defined as the appearance of water on the surface of concrete
after it has consolidated but before it is set.
Problems-
When bleeding occurs, the top surface becomes wet. If this water is
trapped then porous, non-durable, weak concrete results.
If some water is trapped under large aggregate or reinforced bar, it leaves
weak zones in concrete and reduces bond.
Remedies-
By re d u c i n g w a t e r c o n t e n t w h i l e m a i n t a i n an a c c e p t a b l e
w o r k a b i l i t y. By u si n g fi n e r c e m e n t .
By p ro p e r p r o p o r t i o n i n g , u n i f o r m a n d c o m p l e t e m i x i n g .
Setting and Hardening of Concrete:
Setting- a chemical process that results in
gradual development of rigidity of a
cementitious mixture.
Hardening- gain of strength and other properties
of a cementitious mixture as a result of hydration
after final setting.
Concrete Hardening Process with Time:
Setting determines the end of workability and
hardening is responsible for strength gain and
stiffness development. As the concrete sets, the
workability reduces and the concrete steadily
becomes more difficult to compact, however it is
inherently weak and can be easily damaged.
Setting of concrete represents the transition phase between a fluid and rigid state. The
period starts when concrete loses its plasticity, becoming unworkable, and it is
complete when it possesses enough strength to support loads with acceptable and
stable deformation. Concrete will reach a useful strength in about 3 days although this
does depend on the mix design and constituent materials. The majority of strength is
gained within a month. It is important to remember that concrete will reach its
maximum strength only if moisture is present during hardening process. The
hardening process is therefore not dependent on the concrete ‘drying out’,
and it is normally important that the concrete is properly ‘cured’ to maintain
the moisture in the concrete.
Plastic
Shrinkage:
 Plastic shrinkage develops on the surface of the fresh concrete i.e. it is a
consequence of water evaporation from the surface of fresh concrete.
 The magnitude of plastic shrinkage is affected by the amount of water lost
from the surface of the concrete, which is influenced by temperature,
ambient relative humidity and wind velocity.
 This can be avoided by keeping the surface moist (curing) when its
hardening.
Curing:
The term curing is used to describe the action taken to maintain moisture and
temperature conditions in a freshly placed cementitious mixture to allow
hydration so that the potential properties of the mixture may develop.
The objectives of curing are to prevent the loss of moisture from concrete and, when
needed, supply additional moisture and maintain a favorable concrete temperature
for a sufficient period of time.
The higher the temperature, the faster the curing.

Methods of Curing:
Water curing- This technique involves i. Ponding ii) Spraying or sprinkling of water on
concrete surface. The water should be continuously applied so that the concrete
does not dry out.
Sealed curing- i. Waterproof paper ii. Plastic sheeting iii. Curing membranes are the
most widely used material for sealed curing. These materials simply reduce the
amount of water lost to evaporation.
Ponding /immersion: generally used for fl at surface like slabs in roof and lintels. A
temporary pond is made bounded by mortar perimeter made up of less amount
cement and sand or clay, and this is filled with water for curing.

Fig:
Ponding/Immersion
•Covering with wet sheets: These are
generally jute bags or empty cement
bags which are constantly kept wet by
spraying water over them. Wet
covering is generally used for columns,
sloped surfaces, beams, concrete walls.
Admixtures for Concrete:
Def initions of Admixture:
Admixture is a material other than water, aggregate, hydraulic cement and fi ber
reinforcement used as an ingredient of a cementitious mixture to modify its freshly mixed,
setting or hardened properties and is added before or during mixing.

Functions of Admixtures :
1. Increase workability without increasing water content or decrease the water
content at the same workability.
2. Retard or accelerate time of initial setting.
3. Reduce segregation.
4. Accelerate the rate of strength development at early stages.
5. Decrease permeability of concrete.
6. Increase bond of concrete to steel reinf orcement.
7. Increase bond between existing and new concrete.
Types of
Admixture-
1 Accelerating admixture: An admixture that causes an increase in the rate of
. hydration of cement and shorten the time of setting.
2. Retarding admixture: An admixture that causes a decrease in the rate of
hydration of cement and lengthens the time of setting.
3. Water reducing admixture or plasticizer: An admixture that either
increases slump of freshly mixed concrete without increasing water
content or maintains slump with a reduced amount of water.
4. High range water reducing admixture or Super plasticizer: An capable
admixture producing large water reduction without causing of
undue set retardation. system
5. Air entraining
microscopic airadmixture:
bubbles in An admixture
concrete that
during causesIt the
mixing. concrete resistant
of
makes the f reezing
development of a and thawing. Example- Wood resin. to
Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) in Concrete:

Concrete deterioration caused by reactions between

alkalis and aggregate. The aggregates are chemically
attacked inside of the hardened concrete and causing
cracking.
The Alkali–Silica reaction (ASR) is a reaction which
occurs over time in concrete between the highly
alkaline cement paste and reactive silica which is
found in many common aggregates.
Various types of silica present in aggregates react with
the hydroxyl ions present in concrete. The silica, now
in solution, reacts with the sodium (Na+) or potassium
(K+) alkalis to form a volumetrically unstable alkali-
silica gel. For the reaction to take place in concrete,
three conditions must exist: high pH, moisture, and
reactive silica. For the sake of simplicity, this reaction
can be schematically represented as following:
SiO2 + 2NaOH + H2O Na2 SiO3.2 H2O
[Silica + Alkali + Water Alkali-Silica Gel (Sodium
Silicate)]
 This reaction causes the expansion of the altered aggregate by the formation of
a swelling alkali- silica gel. This gel increases in volume with water and exerts
an expansive pressure inside the material, causing spalling cracking and loss of
strength of the concrete, fragments breaking out of the surface and finally
leading to its failure.

Mechanism:
Alkali hydroxide + Reactive silica gel reaction product(alkali silica gel)

Gel reaction product + moisture expansion

Mitigating or preventing deleterious expansions caused by the alkali-silica
reaction can be achieved by:
Selecting Non-Reactive Aggregates: Using non-reactive aggregates in concrete
and avoiding reactive aggregates will prevent ASR damage.
Minimizing Alkalis: The most commonly used mitigation method is to control the
alkali content in the concrete for the purpose of reducing the hydroxyl ion
concentration and eventually the pH of the concrete. Cement is the major
source of alkali in the concrete. A proposed limit of 0.60% has been
recommended for the alkali content of cement to be used in concrete to reduce
ASR expansions (ACI 221, 1998).
 Adding Mineral Admixtures: Effective mineral admixtures include fl y ash, silica
fume, ground granulated slag etc. Mineral admixtures reduce ASR expansions
by reducing the alkali content of the concrete mix.
Using Chemical Admixtures: Lithium salts have been used to prevent excessive
ASR expansions. The best results were obtained using lithium nitrate (LiNO3)
because 1) it is non- toxic and 2) minimal amounts were found to
significantly reduce the ASR expansions (ACI 221, 1998).

Modulus of Elasticity of Concrete:

Concrete is a composite material. It has a non-linear stress strain curve.
However, both cement paste and aggregates show linear elastic properties.

According to ACI Building Code ACI- 318, with a concrete unit weight between 90
and 155 lb/ft 3 and for concretes up to about 6 0 0 0 psi, the modulus of
elasticity can be determined from:
E=3w21.√f′c
Where w is the weight (pcf), fc is the specified cylinder strength (psi) at
28 days.
The weight density of reinforced concrete using normal sand and stone
aggregates is about 150 pcf. If 5 pcf of this is allowed for the steel and w
is taken as 145 in the previous equation then,
E= 57,0 0 0 √fc
Stress Strain diagram of Steel and Concrete:

• Concrete is a non-
linear material.
• Concrete is a non
elastic material.
• Concrete is a brittle
material
Measurement of workability
(Slump
1. Test):
Concrete is placed in three layers in a mold (a frustum cone) approximately
1/ 3 of the height of the cone. The apparatus consists of a mold in the
shape of a frustum of a cone with a base diameter of 8 inches, a top
diameter of 4 inches and a height of 12 inches.
2. Each layer is tamped 25 times by a tamping rod.
3. When the top layer has been rodded, the top surface is then struck plain
with a trowel.
4. Then the mold is removed by raising it slowly and vertically and it allows
the concrete to subside.
5. The subsidence is referred to as ‘slump’. The slump is recorded in terms of
6
inches to the nearest ¼ inch of subsidence of the specimen during the test
. as follows:
slump= (12- height af ter subsidence) inches
Slump
True test is very
slump useful
indicates forworkability
the checking day to day or hour to hour
of concrete.
in concrete workability.
 Fig: Sequential Steps of Slump Test for Concrete

• Four types of slumps are commonly encountered. The only type of slump
permissible under ASTM C143 is frequently referred to as the “true” slump,
where the concrete remains intact and retains a symmetric shape.
• A zero slump and a collapsed slump are both outside the range of workability
that can be measured with the slump test.
• If part of concrete shears from the mass, the test must be repeated with a
diff erent sample of concrete. A concrete that exabits a shear slump in a
second test is not suffi ciently cohesive and should be rejected.
 Fig. : Slump Test and Type of Slumps
Compressive Strength Test of Concrete:
Cylinder
Cube Specimen
6
Specimen inch
6 inch
6
inch
6
inch 12
inch
 Cylinder Test for Concrete:

The standard cylinder specimen is 6 inch in diameter and 12inch

in height. First fi ll the cylindrical mould with concrete in three
equal layers.
{Height of each layer = 4inch}
Each layer is compacted by 25 strokes of a 16mm dia steel rod.
Af ter f illing & compacting all three layers, the top surf ace
should be struck plane by means of a trowel.
After preparation, the cylinders (with mould) are placed
undisturbed in the moist storage at a temperature of 23+1.70C
for 24 hours.
Then remove the specimens from the mould and the
removed specimens are further cured in water.
The tests
Then are carried
the average out af3ter
of those 3,7,14 or
samples is 28 days of curing.
compressiv
considered
3 cylinders as
arestrength
selectedof concrete.
from different batch by erandom
Maximum
sampling. f ailure types are of shear and shear
& cone.
Different Types of Failure in Concrete
Specimen
Ready mixed Concrete:
Ready mixed concrete is a type of concrete that is manufactured
in a factory according to a set recipe and then delivered to a
worksite, of ten by truck.
Ready mixed concrete is often remixed once it arrives at the jobsite to
ensure that the proper slump is obtained.
References:
 Construction Materials written by Dr. E.R Latifee.
 A text book of Engineering Materials w ritten by Dr.
M.A. Aziz.
 ACI Education Bulletin E- 40 3
 ‘Concrete Technology’, A text book by M.S. Shetty.
 Other Available Resources