PROPERTIES OF FRESH & HARDENED CONCRETE

General
We must consider the properties of both fresh concrete in the plastic state,
and those of the hardened concrete after curing. When considering the
properties of fresh concrete, we are concerned with those that affect our
ability to:
• transport,
• handle,
• place, and
• finish the concrete. These are generically lumped together under the term
workability.

The long-term requirements of the hardened concrete relate to:

strength, durability, and volume stability.

We will see that the requirements for workability are often at odds with the
long-term requirements, and that the mix design is usually a compromise to
obtain satisfactory performance in both categories.

FRESH CONCRETE
To ensure that the hardened concrete is acceptable in its performance, the
fresh concrete must satisfy the following:
1. It must be easily mixed and transported,
2. It must be uniform throughout a batch and between batches,
3. It must flow adequately that it fills the forms
4. It must be able to be compacted fully without excessive energy,
5. It must not segregate during placement and compacted
6. It must be able to be finished properly, either by trowelling or within the
formwork

Workability
The analysis of this is based on the concept in physics call rheology, which
is the science of dealing with the deformation and flow of materials under
stress (which I'm not going to get into!).
We have a number of tests available to examine this behavior, some of
which will be discussed later.

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Definitions:
Thixotropy: A thixotropic material can begin to stiffen, but will become less
viscous (more flowable) when subject to shearing (or stirring). It will then
become stiffer when allowed to sit again.
Concrete is thixotropic, which in our advantage when it comes to placing the
concrete.
Segregation: of the components in the mix resulting in a nonuniform mix..
For example, if a mix is subject to excessive vibration, the coarse aggregate
will settle to the bottom, and the paste will rise to the top.

Bleeding: appearance of water on the surface of the concrete after it has

been consolidated but before it has set. This is a special form of segregation.
It can lead to a weak, porous surface

Setting: the onset of rigidity in fresh concrete, distinct from hardening

which is the change in measurable strength. Set precedes hardening. (Fig
8.12 Mindess).

Initial Set: when paste begins to stiffen considerably. Defined by Vicat

Needle time of penetration 25 mm into paste; Typical values 2-4 hrs. (Fig
3.15 Mindess).

Final Set: when paste has hardened to the point at which it can sustain some
load. Defined by Vicat Needle time of 0 penetration into paste; Typical
values 5-8 hrs.

False Set: rapid stiffening of the concrete shortly after mixing without
evolution of much heat. Fluidity can be restored by remixing with no water
addition, after which the concrete may set normally.

Flash Set: rapid development of rigidity with evolution of considerable heat.

Rigidity cannot
be overcome only by mixing and plasticity cannot be regained without
addition of water.

Factors Affecting Workability

Water content of the mix is the most important factor;

INCR water content INCR workability, but DECR strength, and possibly
INCR segregation and bleeding.

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Water requirements are associated with:
1. Absorption by aggregate surfaces
2. Fill voids
3. Lubricating particles by separating them with a film of water.
Finer aggregates with more surface area will have more water requirements
due to 1 above, however, a certain amount of fines are required for plasticity
of the mix. Thus water content cannot be considered in isolation of the
aggregate grading.

Influence of Aggregate Mix Proportions

Two factors are important:
1. Amount of aggregate
2. Relative proportions of fine and coarse aggregate
For a given w/c ratio: INCR in aggregate/cement ratio ‡ DECR workability
When finer aggregate grading is used, more cement is needed (i.e. to coat
particles).
A deficiency in fine aggregate results in a harsh mix (i.e. prone to egregation
and difficult to finish)
An excess of fine aggregate ("oversanded") will result in a more permeable
mix and less economical concrete, though it will be easily workable.

Aggregate Properties
Fineness of the fine aggregate is reflected in the fineness modulus. A fine
sand (low fineness modulus) has a much higher paste requirement for good
workability. Smoother textured aggregate will provide a more workable mix.
Due both to particle interlock, and paste requirements to coat particles.
Flat or elongated particles will require will increase the amount of sand,
cement, and water to provide adequate workability.
Porosity of the aggregate will affect the absorbance of water, so must be
accounted for in the mix design.

Temperature and Time

INCR ambient temperature ‡ DECR workability
(INCR evaporation and hydration rate)

Cement Characteristics
Less important that aggregate characteristics.
INCR fineness ‡ DECR workability
due to increased water requirements, and likely more rapid hydration.

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Hot cement (>60°C to 80°C) can result in rapid hydration (and possibly
flash set).

Loss of Workability
Workability decreases steadily after mixing due partially to hydration of
C3S and C3A, and partially due to evaporation and absorption of water.
Slump loss is more rapid initially (first 30-60 min) and slower later.
Accelerated slump loss may also result unexpectedly due to the use of
admixtures (water reducing and set-retarding admixtures, even though set
times may be unaffected).
There is often a desire by suppliers or finishers to add water on site to
increase workability.
As a rule this is to be avoided. This can have a number of undesirable
effects including:
• Increased segregation,
• Increased bleeding
• Increased shrinkage leading to shrinkage cracking,
• Reduced strength
• Reduced durability

Segregation
This can occur during mixing, placement, or compaction..
Factors contributing to segregation:
• Large maximum particle size (>25 mm),
• Large proportion of large aggregate,
• High specific gravity of coarse aggregate,
• Decreased amount of fines (sand or cement),
• Increased irregular shape or rough texture, and
• Mixes that are too wet or too dry.
The tendency to segregate can be overcome, in part at least, by careful
handling.

Bleeding
Some bleeding is normal for good concrete; it results in a film of water over
the entire surface
preventing drying out prior to hydration. Excessive bleeding can damage the
concrete structure.
Bleed water can form channels in the concrete, and may develop small
craters on the surface where the channel surfaces. This leads to weakness,
increased porosity and permeability, and reduced durability.

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Bleed water may accumulate beneath large aggregate or reinforcing
generating weak zones and reducing bond.
If bleed water on the surface evaporates more rapidly that bleeding rates (in
hot or dry weather) plastic shrinkage cracks can form, and the paste at the
surface may not adequately hydrate, causing dusting and reduced durability
of the wearing surface. Bleeding can be reduced by:

1. Increasing the cement fineness or using pozzolans or other finely divided

mineral admixtures.
2. Increasing the rate of hydration by using cements with high alkali contents
or high C3A contents
3. By air entrainment (very effective)
4. Reducing the water content (as long as adequate workability is aintained).

HARDENED CONCRETE
We are concerned with the following characteristics:
• Strength
• Durability, and
• Volume Stability

Strength
Significance
• Primary function of concrete is to carry applied loads, expressed in terms
of strength
• Strength is our index to other property performance including durability
and permeability
Types of strength
Compressive
• Most significant
• Measured by cylinders tests, σc = P/A

Tensile
• Concrete has low tensile strength ~10% of its compressive strength.
Testing for tensile strength is typically done using the cylinder tensile
splitting test or modulus of rupture.

• As a rule we assume that tensile strength is zero and steel reinforcing is

used to take up tensile stresses.

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Flexural
• Due to bending of a member wherein compression occurs on one side and
tension on another

The axial stress at any depth through the beam is: σ = My/I
Maximum tensile stress occurs at the bottom of the beam and is: σt = Mc/I
where c is the distance from the neutral axis to the bottom fiber, M the
moment (PL/6) and I the moment of inertia of the section (bh3/12 for a
rectangular section)

Shear
• Concrete seldom experiences pure shear
• When subject to bending there is usually a shear component in the stress
(see SFD above)

Bond
• Both cementitious bond to aggregate and to re-bar.
• Bond strength increases with compressive strength
• Bond strength is higher for deformed bar than for plain bars

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Factors affecting strength
Constituent Materials
Cement Type :
• The finer the cement, the more rapid the hydration thus the faster the
increase in strength
• This is reflected in the Specific Surface Area which is the surface area of
particles in a specified volume (
• This is because the water in contact with cement particles can reach the
core of the particle and hydrate the entire particle more rapidly.
• Cements of the same type from different plants will have different
strengths, and in a given plant may have different strengths at different times
due to variability in raw materials

Cement Content:
• Increased cement content gives increased strength.
• Increased cement content may also increase creep and shrinkage, however
Proportions of Constituents
• Increased w/c ratio decreases strength
• For a given w/c ratio, increased aggregate proportion (decreased cement
proportion) decreases strength
• Increased air content will decrease strength

Aggregates
• Most important parameters are shape, texture and size
• Aggregate strength is generally less important
• Rough texture changes the shape of the σ−ε curve but has little effect on
the ultimate strength
• At low w/c ratios crushed rock will have higher strengths because of
improved bond
• This effect disappears with increasing w/c ratios
• However, at the same workability (crushed needs more water) crushed and
rounded aggregate give about the same strength
• Larger aggregate may give lower strength as it needs less cement to coat
the particles, thus the mix will have less cement for a given workability

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Methods of Preparation
• Batching must be done with a high degree of accuracy to ensure quality
concrete
• Mixing must be thorough but not excessive
• Placement must not lead to segregation
• allowing excessive free fall,
• excessive vibration

Curing Procedures
Moisture
• Moist curing prevents loss of moisture from concrete (i.e. doesn’t' add
moisture)
• Loss of moisture will decrease strength
• If not moist cured, strength loss may approach 50%
• Moist curing may be accomplished by covering concrete (wet burlap,
plastic sheets) or apply
curing compounds to prevent moisture loss.
• ACI recommends 7 days moist curing for structural concrete in the field
• In the lab, specimens are placed in moisture rooms with relative humidity ~
100%.

Temperature
• Curing at cooler temperatures will give lower short term strength but likely
higher strength at longer times (see Fig 11.2 Mindess)
• Important that water in the concrete does not freeze until a strength of ~
3.5MPa is attained, (much of the water has hydrated with the cement)
typically ~24 hrs of curing. The freezing point of the water may be
depressed below 0°C
• Hydration may occur to ~ -10°C.

Test Conditions
• Strength results are based on 150x300 mm cylinders moist cured and tested
at a specified loading rate.
• Variation from these conditions will affect strength results
• DECR cylinder size INCR strength
• DECR L/d ratio INCR strength due to friction at end platens and
generation of triaxial state vs uniaxial compression optimal L/D = 2;
D>3-4 x max aggregate size
• INCR loading rate INCR strength (Mindess Fig 16.8)
normal rate = 250 kPa/s,

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@ 10 kPa/s DECR strength ~10%
@ 7000 kPa/s INCR strength ~10%
• DECR moist curing DECR strength

• Casting conditions:
insufficient compaction DECR strength, excessive compaction gives
segregation

Fresh and Hardened Concrete

• Mold Type: want to minimize moisture loss
∴plastic or metal are best (note particularly metal molds must not be
allowed to deform from a circular cross section some cardboard molds may
DECR strength 3-9% due to moisture loss • Temperature of the specimen
during testing can affect strength @ -4°C σc ~20% higher, @ 60°C σc ~10%
lower

Permeability
• Relates to the rate at which water can pass through the concrete
• Important in hydraulic structures to reduce seepage
• Important in chemically active environment, reduces ingress of chemicals
which may lead to degradation of concrete (especially sulfate attack)
• Generally reflected in concrete strength, because the factors which lead to
higher strength and lead to decreased permeability

Factors affecting permeability

• INCR w/c ratio ‡ INCR permeability
• fine cement tends to reduce permeability
• well graded aggregate tends to decrease permeability
• increased curing time results in the formation of C-S-H gel in pores which
decreases permeability
• if samples are allowed to dry during curing, significant increases in
permeability may occur, possibly due to the formation of shrinkage cracks
• improper compaction can lead to large voids if poor compaction, or
segregation if excessive compaction, both which can increase permeability
• excessive bleeding can develop channels through which water can later
flow
Durability
This is the next most important property after strength Includes the
following types of behavior

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• weathering
• reaction with aggregate
• attack by sulfates
• efflorescence
• reaction with organic chemicals
• corrosion of steel
• wear

Weathering
Same as physical weathering of rocks, including:
• freeze-thaw
• length changes due to temperature change
• wetting and drying
Freeze-thaw weathering is enhanced by
• high w/c ratio
• more absorptive aggregate
Alkali – Aggregate Reaction (AAR)
• reaction of silica in aggregate with alkali in concrete causes expansion and
thus stresses • generates random cracking pattern
• slow 5-20 yrs.
• Little or no damage with cements with alkali contents of <0.6% (most
Portlands) • Use of supplementary cementitious mineral admixtures can help
combat AAR by reducing amount of cement.

Attack by sulfates
• sulfates (SO4) of Na, K, and Mg present in water can react with concrete
resulting in severe deterioration.
• Combated by use of Type 20 or 50 cement, or low permeability/high
density normal Portland concrete.

Efflorescence
• White deposits on concrete due to egress of moisture with dissolved
calcium hydroxide, and evaporation of water/precipitation of Ca(OH)2
• May be for water retaining structure or high humidity within the structure
• Combated by use of dense concrete • If excessive can be some durability
problems

Reaction with organic chemicals

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• Concrete exposed to animal wastes and organic acids from various
industries such as dairies and wood pulp mills is sometimes damaged by
surface corrosion
• The organic wastes may also react with the calcium hydroxide and cause
expansion.

Corrosion of steel
• Reduced by good quality concrete with adequate cover of steel
• Essential to avoid honeycomb and to design against structural cracking
• Low permeability, dense concrete reduces corrosion potential
• Enhanced in the presence of chlorides

Wear
• Caused by traffic on floors and pavements, and contact with running water
in hydraulic structures.
• Wear resistance is increased with increasing strength
• Low permeability, high density
• Use of aggregate with high silica contents improves wear resistance
• Reducing the amount of fine aggregate also reduces wear
• Good curing is very beneficial to wear resistance
• Some coatings are available to increase wear resistance.

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