CE F230

Civil Engineering Materials

Properties of
BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus Hardened Concrete
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Hardened Concrete
Properties

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Strength of Concrete
In concrete, strength is related to the stress
required to cause fracture and is synonymous
with the degree of failure at which the applied
stress reaches its maximum value

In concrete design and quality control, strength

is the property generally specified. This is
because, compared to most other properties,
testing of strength is relatively easy.

Furthermore, many properties of concrete are

directly related to strength and can be deduced
from the strength data
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Stress-Strain Relation of Normal
Concrete in Compression

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Stress-Strain Relations for Cement
Paste, Aggregate, and Concrete

Concrete is a highly complex

heterogeneous material
whose response to stress
depends not only on the
response of the individual
components but also upon
the interaction between
those components

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Interface Transition Zone
(ITZ) in Concrete

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

ITZ - The Weakest Link of
the Chain

ITZ, generally the weakest link of the chain, is

considered the strength-limiting phase in concrete
The structure of the ITZ, especially the volume of
voids and microcracks present, have a great
influence on the stiffness or the elastic modulus of
concrete
The existence of the ITZ is the primary reason that
concrete is more permeable than the
corresponding paste

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Concrete Strength
(The Weakest Link Theory)

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Factors affecting
Compressive Strength
1. Characteristics and proportions of
materials
Water to cement ratio
Air entrainment
Cement type
Aggregate
Mixing water
Admixtures

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

From W/C Ratio to Capillary
Porosity to Compressive Strength

70

60
0% hydration (=0), initial porosity

100% hydration (=1)

329
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Factors Affecting Strength
– Water/Cement Ratio

Abram’s law
A
 w
B c

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Factors Affecting Strength
– Air Entrainment

Air entraining agents improve the

workability and cohesiveness of fresh
concrete and tend to reduce bleeding and
segregation. However, entrained air
results in some reduction in concrete
strength.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

1% Air Voids Reduces the
Strength by about 5.5%

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Factors Affecting Strength –
Cement Type

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Factors Affecting Strength
– Aggregate Type
• The bond between aggregate and mortar is an
important factor determining concrete strength.
• Bond strength is affected by the shape of the
aggregate, its surface texture and cleanliness.
• A smooth rounded aggregate will result in a
weaker bond between the aggregate and mortar
than an angular or irregular aggregate or an
aggregate with a rough surface texture.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Factors Affecting Strength
– Chemical Admixtures
Accelerating admixtures increase the rate of
hydration thereby providing an increased early
strength
Retarding admixtures decrease the early
strength of concrete due to the delay in setting
time
Water reducing admixtures do not have any
significant effect on the hydration of the cement.
Therefore, when these admixtures are used to
improve workability no significant change in
strength should be expected.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Factors Affecting Strength
– Mineral Admixtures
Silica fume is
generally used to
increase strength
Fly ash and blast
furnace slag may
reduce the initial
strengthen gain
while they may
increase the long-
term strength

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus