CE F230

Civil Engineering Materials

WORKING WITH FRESH CONCRETE

BITS Pilani Mixing, placing & curing
Pilani Campus

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Quality of Concrete
• Depends on:

Chemical Admixtures
composition Aggregate Water

Proportions Mixing Transportation Hydration

Placing Vibrating Curing

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Order of Operations for Concrete
• mix design (proportioning) Specific operations must be
I performed in a certain
• trial mixes & testing order. Final quality is
II influenced by every step

III • batching

IV • mixing

V • transporting

VI • pouring (placing)

VII • vibrating (consolidating)

VIII • finishing

IX • curing

X • maintenance
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Mixing, Placing, &
Handling of PCC
BATCHING MIXING
• Measuring correct • Until uniform appearance
proportions of • Usually batch mixers (one
components and placing at a time), but sometimes
in the mixer continuous (conveyors
• By weight is more automatically feed
accurate because air voids components into mixer)
do not matter • Can start with 10% of the
water in the mixer, then
solids with 80% of the
water, and then remaining
water

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Ready-Mixed Concrete
• Specifications limit the use
• Central-mixed
of the truck barrel to avoid
• in a central plant and
segregation
delivered in an agitator
truck (2 - 6 rpm) • Max. 90 minutes from start
of mixing to discharge, even
• Shrink-mixed with retarders
• partially mixed in plant
and delivered in a mixer
truck (4 - 16 rpm)
• Truck-mixed
• mixed completely in a
mixer truck (4 - 16 rpm)
262

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Central Batch Concrete Plant

1.Mix ingredients
in predetermined
proportions

2.Place in
trucks

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Mobile Batcher Mixed Concrete

• Batcher
▫ batcher mixer at or
near the jobsite

264

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Order of Operations for
Concrete
• mix design (proportioning) Specific operations must be
I performed in a certain
• trial mixes & testing order. Final quality is
II influenced by every step

III • batching

IV • mixing

V • transporting

VI • pouring (placing)

VII • vibrating (consolidating)

VIII • finishing

IX • curing

X • maintenance
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Sampling and Testing

Test on Prepare
Pull site: samples
samples • Slump for later
at the job • Air testing:
site content • Cylinders
• Beams

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Slump

• Workability is measured by slump test

▫ fill a cone in 3 layers, 25 rods each layer
▫ lift cone off and measure distance it slumps from original height

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Air Content Test for
Fresh Concrete
• Measures total air content
(entrapped and entrained)

• Only entrained air is preferred

but…
• … we can't tell the difference
between entrained and
entrapped air from this test

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Cylinders

• 6” x12” Standard

• Place concrete in
three lifts, rod each
25 times

• Cure on site 24 hrs

▫ Temperature
▫ Humidity /
submerged in lime
water
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
 Order of Operations for
Concrete
• mix design (proportioning) Specific operations must be
I performed in a certain
• trial mixes & testing order. Final quality is
II influenced by every step

III • batching

IV • mixing

V • transporting

VI • pouring (placing)

VII • vibrating (consolidating)

VIII • finishing

IX • curing

X • maintenance
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Placing Concrete:
Transfer From Truck….

Chute Conveyor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ljtntGngKE
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB0JAKaQQuY

Directly into form….

Pump

Wheel barrow/ buggy Bucket

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64_KkX2pTyw

Slipform Paver
• Used to consolidate, form into
geometric shape and surface finish a
PC mass by pulling the forms
continuously through
• Slipform paving is most
appropriate for larger jobs that
require high production rates.
• Advantages of slipform paving are:
• 1 .Uses low-slump PC: Low-slump PC (on the order of 0 – 75 mm) is
necessary so that the fresh PC is able to hold its shape once the slipform
paver has passed
• 2. High productivity: Large jobs generally require high production rates
in order to be profitable
• 3. Smooth riding surface BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Placing

• Drop height
▫ < 3 ft
• Horizontal movement
▫ Limit to prevent
segregation
• Pumping
▫ Adjust mix design

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhzP7WGQSgk

Vibration of Concrete
• Consolidation (compaction)
complete before initial set
• Manually by:
▫ ramming
▫ tamping
• Mechanically using vibrators:
▫ Internal – poker
• 5 sec to 2 min in one spot
• <10 sec. typical
• avoid segregation
• through entire depth
• penetrate layer below if still plastic
▫ External–
• tables and rollers for precast concrete
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Order of Operations for Concrete
• mix design (proportioning) Specific operations must be
I performed in a certain
• trial mixes & testing order. Final quality is
II influenced by every step

III • batching

IV • mixing

V • transporting

VI • pouring (placing)

VII • vibrating (consolidating)

VIII • finishing

IX • curing

X • maintenance
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
 Finishing Concrete
• Smoothing and imprinting the surface of the
concrete with the desired texture
• Must be completed before final set
• Many types of colors and textures available now:
▫ Stamped concrete uses rubber stamps to create the look
of stone, tile, etc.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed6q3mkJ0xs

Screeding – strike concrete

off to desired level

Bullfloating – eliminates
high&low spots and embeds
large aggregate particles
immediately after strikeoff
Power float
Order of Operations for Concrete
• mix design (proportioning) Specific operations must be
I performed in a certain
• trial mixes & testing order. Final quality is
II influenced by every step

III • batching

IV • mixing

V • transporting

VI • pouring (placing)

VII • vibrating (consolidating)

VIII • finishing

IX • curing

X • maintenance
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
CURING

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Why Concrete Needs to
be Cured?
Hydration stops as internal To develop it’s optimum
relative humidity drops properties:
below 80% 1.Increased maturity
2.Reduced capillary porosity
Hydration resumes if 3.Increased strength &
curing is resumed durability

Maintain moisture and

To minimize volume temperature in the
changes in concrete due to concrete to promote
shrinkage continued hydration and
strength gain

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Curing Concrete

Curing is any procedure that maintains proper

moisture and temperature to ensure continuous
hydration
Increased maturity
Reduced capillary porosity
Increased strength
Hydration stops when humidity drops to below
80% and resumes when curing is resumed

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Degree of Hydration and Capillary
Porosity as a Function of Curing Time

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Compressive strength of PCC at
different ages & curing levels

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Curing Approaches

1. Water curing: maintaining presence of

water in the concrete
2. Sealed curing: seal the surface so mix
water can’t escape
3. Heat & additional moisture

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Maintaining presence of
water
Must water periodically
Also provides cooling
Methods
Ponding: smaller jobs flat-work (floors and
pavement) and laboratory
Spraying or fogging: expensive and a lot of
water
Wet coverings: burlap, cotton, rugs, etc.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Ponding
 Spraying

Fogging
 Wet
Covering
Sealed Curing

Sealed curing: prevent

moisture loss only
– Impervious paper or plastic sheets

– Membrane forming compounds

– Leave forms in place

Plastic Sheets
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Heat Curing

Insulate
Steam
Good for early strength gain and in freezing
weather

Heating coils, electrically heated forms or

pads
Usually in precast plants only

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Concrete Strength:
Maturity Concept

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Factors Affecting Strength –
Maturity of Concrete

The fraction of cement that has hydrated

Maturity = f (age, curing temperature)

10C

10 280

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Effect of Maturity on
Compressive Strength

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Question

A concrete cube was cast in a steel mould and

stored at 30C. On demoulding at the age of 24
hours it was subjected to 50C for 6 days.
Determine the maturity of concrete at the
beginning and end of the hot water curing
period. If another similar cube is cured in water
at 30C after demoulding, determine the age to
show the same strength as the hot water cured
concrete cube.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Method Selection
Considerations: Curing – immediately
Availability of curing after final set to avoid
materials surface damage
Size and shape of Curing period
structure Minimum 7 days
Production facilities 70% of f’c (3 days for
(in-place or precast) high early strength)
Aesthetic appearance Other job
requirements
Economics BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Thank you

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus