Definition of slump value

Slump is a measurement of concrete's workability or consistency. In other words, it

assesses the ease with which concrete may be moved, shaped, and smoothed. As a
result, different slump value grades indicate whether concrete is suitable for various
construction uses. A higher concrete slump value suggests that the concrete is more
workable. If the slump value is too high, however, gravel,njh sand, and cement may
settle out of the mixture, rendering it worthless. Simultaneously, if the slump value of
the concrete is too low, it will be difficult to shape.
Slump value testing method
For ordinary concrete slump determination, the concrete mix is first loaded in three
times, while each drumming 25 times and loaded into a standard truncated cone
according to the method specified in the regulations. After lifting the cone vertically,
observe the slumping phenomenon of the mix under the action of its own mass and
judge the slump based on the slump height.
For the measurement of the slump of self-compacting concrete, the concrete is first
loaded into a standard truncated cone according to the method specified in the
regulation. After lifting the cone vertically, the mix slumps due to its own mass,
calculate the time to reach 600mm first and when the concrete reaches the maximum
diameter, select the vertical two diameters for the average slump value.
Relationship between slump value and compressive strength

For ordinary concrete (non-self-compacting concrete, non-concrete with

superplasticizers), when the external conditions (humidity, water content,
temperature) stabilize the slump affected only by the water-cement ratio, the concrete
strength is directly related to the slump, and it can be said that the higher the slump
the greater the concrete strength. The strength of ordinary concrete is mainly
determined by the cement content of the mixture and the water-cement ratio. When
the water-cement ratio is 0.38, complete hydration of the cement occurs. As a rule of
thumb, for every 1% increase in water addition, the strength of the concrete decreases
by 5%. Therefore, if the slump is only affected by the water-cement ratio, it can be
said to be proportional to the strength of concrete within a certain range.

For special admixtures (plasticizers, superplasticizers) concrete, concrete strength is

influenced by a number of factors that are not directly related to slump. xxx points out
that concrete modified with polymers can improve the viscosity of the mixture to
increase workability and strength increases with slump. However, he also states that
the strength of concrete modified with SF decreases with increasing slump. xxx also
shows that the addition of superplasticizing admixtures to concrete results in a slump
corresponding to the maximum compressive strength. The slump of concrete is
affected by: 1. the content, chemical and physical of the material; 2. the grade and
moisture content of the ingredients; 3. the air content; 4. the time elapsed since the
batching; 4. the temperature of the concrete; and 5. additives such as plasticizers. Just
one hour of batching time can reduce the slump of concrete by 50%. Given such a
wide range of factors affecting concrete slump, it is impossible to produce consistent
slump readings even. for the same batch of concrete, even though the concrete may be
of comparable strength. Therefore, when external factors affect slump too much, it is
difficult to establish a reasonable relationship between slump and strength at that
point.
Conclusion
In summary, without the use of plasticizers and other admixtures, the slump varies by
the amount of water added, which affects the strength of the cement. The more water
is added, the lower the compressive strength. If plasticizers or other admixtures are
used, the slump affects the change in strength of the cement according to the change
in the properties of the concrete made by these additives, and the effect of slump on
compressive strength depends on the effect of the admixture on the properties of the
concrete.
2: Elaborate the importance of slump value in different concrete applications,
and how to produce a highly workable mix without segregation? (Max two A4
pages, with references)
the importance of slump value in different concrete applications
For concrete mixed on site, the slump value allows to evaluate the condition of similar
concrete in different batches under site conditions to ensure its homogeneity. Also, the
slump value allows checking the daily or hourly variation of the material fed to the
mixer. For example, an increase in slump may mean that there is always an
unexpected increase in the moisture content of the mixture. Often a slump that is too
high or too low will give an immediate warning and allow the mixer operator to
correct the situation.
For special types of concrete such as self-compacting concrete, the slump value
ensures that the SCC mix is up to standard and that the standard scc has a high flow
without segregation or water retention. To avoid quality defects such as hollowness,
honeycomb and pockmarking of concrete due to scc not reaching the standard
eventually.
Influence factors for workability
Workability refers to the concrete mix under certain construction conditions, easy to
operate and to obtain the quality of uniform and dense mix territorial performance.
Workability is a comprehensive index determined by three indicators: fluidity,
cohesion and water retention. Many factors affect the mix and ease, mainly the
consistency of cement paste, cement paste content, the size of the sand content, the
type of raw materials and admixtures.
Definition of segregation
concrete segregation refers to the phenomenon that the cohesion between the
constituent materials of the concrete mix is not enough to resist the sinking of coarse
aggregates, and the concrete mix components are separated from each other
Segregation control methods.
(1) improve the quality of control admission raw materials
(2)When taking cement, mixing different batches of cement is strictly prohibited.
(3)Improve the adaptability of cement and admixture
(4) Strictly according to the concrete proportion of the material, control the amount
of concrete admixture, strictly prohibit over-addition or under-addition.
(5)Take sand and stone aggregate with uniform particle size and suitable grading.
(6) Strictly control the quality of sand and gravel, and strictly prohibit the use of sand
and gravel with excessive mud content.
(7) Strictly control the water content of sand and gravel.
(8) Reasonable concrete ratio design and trial matching, repeated verification, selected
after optimization ratio
(9)The free height of pouring concrete should not exceed 2m, more than 2m must use
a crosstube, chute or vibrating chute
(10) strengthen the concrete production, transportation and construction process
control
Conclusion