What is concrete?

Concrete, commonly known as PCC ( Plain Cement Concrete), is a mixture of

cement, sand(Fine Aggregate), coarse aggregate, and water. Concrete is the
second most used substance in the world after water. Concrete is highly durable
and comes with high compressive strength.

What are different types of concrete?

Based on the variations in concree materials and purposes concrete can be
classified into following three categories;
a. Lime Concrete
b. Cement Concrete
c. Reinforced Cement Concrete

Based on the type of work to be done, there are four concrete types;
a. Dry Concrete Mix
b. Ready Concrete Mix
c. Bulk Dry Materials
d. Transit Mix

What are different type of tests performed when concrete reaches at site?
Following tests are performed on site to check if concrete delivered on site is as
per specifications or not;
1. Slump Cone Test
2. Temprature Test
3. Filling of Cube and Cylinder Molds on site for compressive strength test.
4. Dry Shrinkage Test

What is guniting?
It is a process in which a mixture of cement & sand in the proportion of 1:3 is
shooted on a concrete surface with the help of a cement gun under a pressure of
2 to 3 kg/cm2. It is a highly effective process for repairing concrete walls or
damaged surfaces.

What standards are followed for concrete testing?

a. C31, Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in
the Field
b. C39, Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical
 Concrete Specimens.
c. C138, Standard Test Method for Density (Unit Weight) Yield and Standard
Test Method for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric)
of Concrete
d. C143, Standard Test Method for Slump of Hydraulic Cement
Concrete
e. C172, Standard Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete
f. C173, Standard Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed
Concrete by the Volumetric Method
g. C231, Standard Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed
Concrete by the Pressure Method
h. C1064, Standard Test Method for Temperature of Freshly Mixed
Portland Cement Concrete

What is the cement sand & aggregate ratios for various grades of concrete
mix?

• M10 – 1:3:6

• M15 – 1:2:4

• M20 – 1:1.5:3

• M25 – 1:1:2

• M30 – 1:1:1

What is the minimum and maximum temperature for fresh concrete?

According to ASTM C94

Per ACI 306 - For Cold Weather Concreting: For Cold Weather Concreting:

Section Size Minimum Temprature

< 12 in. 55° F (13° C)

12-36 in. 50° F (10° C)

36-72 in 45° F (7° C)

>72 in. 40° F (5° C)

Per ACI 305 - For Hot Weather Concreting:

Try Not to Exceed 90°F (32°C)

What are the different types of slumps in a slump test?

There are three different type of slumps;
1. True Slump
2. Shear Slump
3. Collapsed Slump

True slump marks a uniform decrease in the mass of concrete in all directions
without any signs of disintegration, retaining the overall shape.

Shear slump shows that a concrete mixture does not have any cohesion, which
results in the shearing of the top portion and a sideways breakdown.

A collapse slump happens when the concrete has excessive water in it. It results
in bleeding and collapses easily because it is unable to hold any kind of shape."

What are different slumps for different concrete elements?

Footing, Slabs, Beams, Columns and 40mm to 50mm

Walls

Concree For Canal Lining 70mm to 80mm

Pavements (Road Construction) 20mm to 40mm

Mass Concrete 25mm to 50mm

Concrete To Be Vibrated 10mm to 25mm

What to do if slump is not meeting the required value?

● Generally, slump value ranges from 25 mm to 175 mm and depends on
how much workability is required.

● Start slump test 5 minutes after the production of fresh concrete sample.
Prepare the strength specimens 15 minutes after the production of new
concrete batch.

● If the on-site slump test fails, the site engineer may use his/her contractual
power and reject the concrete and suspend the concreting process.

● The engineer may argue that it is better to refuse the concrete and prevent
future repair works and possibly demolish the structure if the concrete fails
to reach the designated strength.

● However, it is believed that a slump test is just a measure of concrete

consistency, and it may not cause the reduction of concrete strength. So,
the site engineer can allow the contractor to continue concreting work, but
proper slump adjustments should be made.

● If the concreting process is permitted to be finished, the contractor still

needs to prove that the finished work complies with other contractual
requirements, such as a compression test.

● Engineers should be aware that the workability is related to both strength

and durability of concrete. If the concrete attains the designated strength,
the durability may still get affected.

● When the concrete slump is more than the maximum limit, and concrete
durability is of high importance, it is better to reject the concrete.

● If the slump value is low, add water according to the guidelines in Table-1,
or superplasticizer, in measured amounts, to make concrete more
 workable and reach the designated range of slump value. After that, place
the concrete into its position.

● The addition of water to the concrete mix should not increase the
water-cement ratio above the maximum permitted limit as per
specifications.

● If the concrete slump value is too high, the site engineer may allow the
mixer to revolve for 8 to 10 minutes to reduce the slump. If the test still
fails, one may add cement to the concrete mix to minimize slump value.

● After adding water or cement to the concrete mix, remix the batch for 30
revolutions to make sure the additional material is correctly blended with
the fresh concrete.

● Sometimes, the site engineer may decide to mix a concrete batch with a
very high slump value with the concrete batches that have acceptable
slump value during concrete pouring to reduce the former batch's
detrimental effect.

● If the concrete fails to reach the designated compressive strength, the

contractor should consider suitable rehabilitation techniques or demolish
and reconstruct the works. This increases the cost of construction as well
as the construction period.

● Sometimes, the concrete slump value, which is less than the minimum
limit, is the indicator for the late concrete placement after its arrival on the
construction site
What are the types of a slump?

True Slump: The concrete mass after the test when slumps evenly all around
without disintegration is called the true slump.

Shear Slump: When one-half of the concrete mass slide down the other is called
the shear slump. This type of slump is obtained in a lean concrete mix.

Collapse Slump: When the sample is collapsed due to adding excessive water, it
is known as collapse slump.
Zero Slump: For very stiff or dry mixes it does not show any changes of the
slump after removing the slump cone.

What is the frequency of filling cubes for compressive strength test?

1. One sample = 7 Cubes after every 30m3 if pouring <= 90m3
2. One sample = 7 Cubes after every 100m3 if pouring >= 90m3
and<=2000m3
3. One sample = 7 Cubes after every 200m3 if pouring >= 2000m3

Every Sample has 7 Cubes. Two to be tested at 7 days ,3 to be tested

at 28 days and 2 as directed by Engineer. Above is minimum frequency. Mostly
cubes are taken as directed by
Consultant and specification.

What are different reasons of concrete cube test failure?

The following are the major concrete cube test failure reasons,

1) Wrong Mix Poured: The concrete mix prepared is not as per the approved mix
design for that particular strength.

2) Wrong Mix Design: There is a mistake in the concrete mix design. It is not
properly designed and its strength is not properly calculated.

3) Improper Sample Collection: Sometimes concrete sample for the cube test is
not collected by a skilled worker or it may not be checked by a technical person
on site.

So, there may be a possibility that the collected concrete sample is not truly
representing the fresh concrete supplied at the site.

4) Improper Cube Preparation: The concrete cure must be prepared as per the
guidelines given in IS 516.

The compressive strength of a concrete cube might be affected by several errors

during cube casting such as,
Improper alignment of cube mold: Is resulting in distorted cube shape.

Improper/inadequate tamping: Improper tamping results in voids formation in

cube sample

Improper filling of the moulds: This may result in a weak zone in concrete leaving
only mortar without aggregate

5) Inadequate Curing of the Cube Samples:

The curing of the concrete cube must be as per the guidelines given in IS 516.

Once the concrete cube is prepared the cubes must be covered with wet gunny
bags for the least period of 24hrs from the time when water is first added to the
concrete.

Then after removed the concrete cube from the molds and kept it under clean
water until the time of the test. Make sure the temperature of curing is between
24˚C to 26 ˚C.

6) Testing Wrong Samples: Properly identify the cube preparation marking on the
cube. Sometimes wrong cube sample test.

7) Errors During Testing: This includes improper placing of moulds over the
CTM, cleaning the surface, seating the cube properly, rate of load application,
etc.

8) Errors With the Testing Apparatus: This may include errors with reading
display, loading or hydraulic systems, or a manual error in reading and
interpreting the displayed value.

9) Unauthorized Water-Cement Ratio Correction of the Mix: Sometimes for

making concrete easily peaceable labor adds extra water without consulting a
technical person on site.
10) Change in Quality of Materials: Sometimes the quality of concrete materials
used for preparing the concrete mix on-site may be different from those used
while preparing the trail mix.

11) Batching Plant Error: There may be the possibility of batching plant error
wrong materials quantity added in the mix, due to any mechanical / software
error, which went unnoticed.

What to do if we do not want to dismantle the concrete member

We can strengthen the weak member/members to take the originally designed
load. This is more advisable than redesign since this method of modification is
mostly limited to the members that are weak hence is easy to keep track of the
process.

However, the suitability of this method depends on other factors also. There are
many options to strengthen a weak concrete member if a concrete cube fails in
the test

1. Providing Steel Casing

Providing steel casing around the structure, especially columns, to make it a
composite member to improve its structural performance.

2. Providing Steel Stiffeners

Providing Steel stiffeners on the sides of the member to increase its load-carrying
capacity. The steel stiffeners are may bolted or epoxy bonded to the concrete
member

3. Providing Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) sheet bonding

Reinforced Polymer (FRP) sheets basically with glass fiber – GFRP or carbon
fiber and lesser thickness are wrapped around the surface of the concrete
member and bonded with epoxy adhesive. So, Concrete’s structural behavior is
improved

4. Sprayed Concrete / Shot crating:

Sprayed concrete/shotcrete can be done by drilling reinforcement around the
periphery of the member and concreting is done on the surface of the member to
increase its cross-section to modify the structural performance.
5. Attaching pre-tensioned cables to the concrete members
Attaching pre-tensioned cables to the concrete member method is not so
commonly used. In this method, we induce the effect of the pre-stressed member
into the existing member.

6. Concrete Jacketing

The concrete Jacketing involves covering the structural member at any or all
sides with skillfully placed reinforced concrete.

In this method, reinforcement is welded to the existing reinforcement to impart

proper bonding of the jacket to the existing member.

Concrete Jacketing increases the cross-section area of the member and thereby
improves its structural performance.

Conclusion
From the above Solution option, 6 would seem to be the easiest one to overcome
the situation of Concrete Cube Fails in Tests, but there are several impediments
with this method, like disposal of debris, and the practical difficulty in demolition
without damaging other members.

There is also the risks to the safety of the workmen, practical difficulty in
shuttering and casting new member in the original position, quality control, etc
are a few hurdles to mention with this option.

What are the concrete tests?

Slump test, Compressive strength test, water permeability test, and Water
absorption test.

What are different Non Destructive Tests for Concrete?

Non Destructive Testing that includes following tests;
● Ultrasonic pulse Velocity
● Rebound Hammer
● Core Cutting
What to do if Compressive stregth is not meeting the required value?
The first reaction is ” Prevention is better than cure”- The failure of the Cube test
depends upon the various aspect even the way it has been tested is also
important. The sampling for the cube is also very important.

The failure result of a concrete cube is a serious issue. You need to analyze why
the cubes have failed.

By finding out a proper reason for failure, we may avoid further reoccurrences of
the same. concrete cube fails in test after 28 days

When we are doing concreting on site and collecting Samples for the test there
are four possible combinations behind Concrete cube fails in a test as listed
below.
1. It may be, Concrete is strong; the cube is also strong.

2. It may be, Concrete is weak; the cube is also weak.

3. It may be, Concrete is strong; but the cube is weak.

4. It may be, Concrete is weak, but the cube is strong.

Generally, we focus on the first two possibilities while analyzing cube test results,
the third and fourth possibilities are generally neglected.The 3rd option does not
harm the structure. But option four….well…it is better to be optimistic in such
situations.

While you get reports showing that the 28th-day cube tests are failed, remember
that it is something serious. This test result of the 28th day cannot be treated just
like in the case of the 7th-day test failure.

As we know we must attain 99 % strength on the 28th-day cube test result and
tests are considered the deciding criterion for acceptance of the concrete.
Before considering that our 28th-day cube test is failed or passed and going
deep into our scenario of cube failure, let us quickly see how the cube results are
generally interpreted as per IS code.

There are two conditions are to be met for accepting a concrete after cube test
as per IS 456 2000 Cl 16.1,

For concrete of grade M – 20 and above,

The average strength of a group of four consecutive test results should not be
less than the greater of fck(20)+ 4 N/mm2 or fck+0.825σ where σ is the standard
deviation established Individual cube strength should not be less than fck – 4
N/mm2

Let us analyze this with an example.

If 28th days concrete cube test results fail check if the result of all 7 days cubes
is the same. If even one passes the acceptable criteria you are sure that the
concrete mix is OK.

Now thequestion of workmanship.

1. Even if one of the cubes is OK wait for a 28 Day result.
2. If 28 days result fails then again there is a possibility that cubes are not
filled properly or they were not cured properly in the first 7 days. But it is
possible that slab concrete is OK. Go for the Hammer test.
3. If the hammer test is also as per failed cube result then go for the core
cutter and test it to get the actual strength of laid concrete
4. Take this core cutter result to the consultant and he will make a decision
whether he can retain the concrete with rectification like grouting and all. If
not, then whether he can find ways to strengthen the slab. If not, then he
has to get the slab recast.

We must consider the following before any decision is taken by the site engineer
on discarding concrete
● cubes filled by a trained supervisor?

● Whether the strength is unacceptable as per the acceptable formula?

 ● if so whether they satisfy the designer with corrective methods as
suggested and NDT test results received from labs?

● Still doubtful go for loading test?

● In many cases, I have experienced horrible results from a few labs but the
site engineer should have his own judgment about the place of concrete
failure and taking risks.

● The contractor shall always be happy if reduced rates are paid for such
works but always note any failures needs your pre-action reports as
suggested above and that only a site person can decide to discard
concrete

What are Lab Tests for Concrete?

Ans: Compressive strength
Flexural Strength (MOR)
Water Absorption
Permeability
Split Cylinder Test

What is SRC And GGBS?

Ans: SRC (65% SRC and 35% OPC) is sulphate Resisting Concrete
and used in sub structure where sulphate attacks are high.
GGBS is Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Cement Concrete
also used in substructure and is 70 % GGBS and 30 % OPC

What are factors affecting durability of concrete?

Ans: Exposure of concrete affects durability
Contaminated Air, Harsh Weathers, Backfilling Soil having sulphates
and chlorides , Contaminated Water Penetration Through Soil having
harmful chemicals. It Means Concrete should have proper impermeabilty

Why water proofing of substructure is done ?

Ans: To reduce sulphate and chloride attacks that reduce durability

What is reinforced cement concrete?

Sometimes, the interviewers are interested in discussing the details of reinforced
cement concrete. They can ask this question to initiate a conversation on this
topic. You can start by stating the definition of reinforced cement concrete and
then discuss its importance in construction.

Example: "Reinforced Cement Concrete or RCC is a material with a composed

unit of strong ductile and high tensile substance such as steel, combined with the
rigidity of cement to enhance its elasticity and tensile strength."

What are Types of waterproofing for concrete ?

Ans: Bitumen Emulsion (Hot and cold applied bitumen)
Bitumen Emulsion plus Mat
Epoxy based Emulsions
Epoxy based emulsion plus sheet
Cementicious Materials
Injection materials in water Tanks
GRP Lining in Water Tanks

What is Light Weight Concrete?

Ans: Also called Foam or cellular Concrete having low density of 400 to
1200 kg per m3. It is used for insulation and water proofing . Consists of
cement sand water and foaming agent.

What is self compacting concrete?

Ans: It needs no vibration and flows under its own weight. Its slupms are
550mm to 750mm. It is used in conjusted areas where we cant place and
vibrate easily.

What are curing methods for concrete?

Ans: Ponding and spraying ,Wet Hessen Cloth for vertical Elements
and Curing compounds.

What are the steps in concreting and curing?

These are follow-up questions after the interviewers ask you about RCC. You can
start by listing the steps and subsequently mentioning the methods. Sometimes a
panel member can pick one of the steps or methods and ask about the details
after you have answered this question. So, try to explain some of these
procedures to show that you understand more than just the steps.

Example: "The steps in concreting are: batching of ingredients, mixing

ingredients, transporting and placement of concrete, and compacting. Curing
concrete ensures maximum strength and proper shape. There are six steps in
curing concrete. They are:

Creating a structure to shade the concrete surface

Waiting for the water sheen to evaporate from the surface
Covering the entire concrete surface with a light colored fabric sheet to keep the
concrete moist

Spraying water on the fabric regularly, while ensuring there are no pools of water
getting created
Spreading polyethylene sheets on top and fastening their corners and edges to
lock the moisture beneath. Repeating the moistening process for five to seven
days to get the best results"

Why curing is not required to be done by creating water pools and

polyethylene sheets?

If you answered the curing procedure correctly, the panel members might ask for
reasons for performing some of the steps in a specific manner. This is an
example of a typical follow-up question designed to test in-depth knowledge of
concrete curing.

Example: "Water pools or ponds on concrete are only suitable in warm weather
where it can evaporate at a sustained rate. In cold weather, the water pools can
freeze and expand, affecting the concrete's overall strength. Moreover, creating
ponds results in wastage of water. In windy areas, polyethylene sheets can be
blown away, increasing the risk of desiccation in the concrete."

What is the nominal concrete proportion for different grades?

Some hiring managers often ask this question to check if your fundamentals are
strong. It is useful to list the ratios and specify the units to make a better
impression.

Example: "The grade-wise concrete proportion is:

M10 = 1:3:4

M15 = 1:2:4

M20 = 1:1.5:3

M25 = 1:1:2

M30 = 1:1:1

where M(n) is the grade, n is the compressive strength measured in

Newton/millimetre2, and the ratio represents the proportion of cement with fine
aggregate and coarse aggregate."

What are the different types of slumps in a slump test?

This question is to check if you know detailed information about a slump test and
its results. Mention all three types and give a reasonable explanation about each.

Example: "The three different types of slumps are true slump, shear slump, and
collapse slump. True slump marks a uniform decrease in the mass of concrete in
all directions without any signs of disintegration, retaining the overall shape.
Shear slump shows that a concrete mixture does not have any cohesion, which
results in the shearing of the top portion and a sideways breakdown. A collapse
slump happens when the concrete has excessive water in it. It results in bleeding
and collapses easily because it is unable to hold any kind of shape."

What is bleeding in concrete?

Sometimes, the interviewer may ask this follow-up question if you answered the
previous question correctly. This question tests if you know the terminology or if
you have just memorised the answers.

Example: "Bleeding is a process in which excess portion of unabsorbed water

segregates to the surface in cement hydration."

Why are steel plates inserted inside bearings in the elastomeric bearing?

Topics such as elastomeric bearings test your understanding of support

structures and how they play an important role in heavy-duty construction such
as suspension bridges. You can use this answer as a start and then elaborate
with an example.

Example: "Steel plates are inserted in elastomeric bearing to instil a spring

functionality and increase compression stiffness of bearing. This addition limits
excessive lateral bulge."

What is prestressing?
Some hiring managers can ask this question to check if you know the difference
between ordinary RCC and prestressed concrete. A good way to answer this
question is to define prestressing and then stating the reinforcements. When
listing the techniques, try to mention a brief overview of the processes.

Example: "Prestressing is a construction process that increases the tensile

strength of concrete even further than ordinary RCC. The processes used in
prestressing are:

Spalling reinforcement: Spalling reinforcement is used to prevent the piling up of

stresses behind the loaded area of anchor blocks.

Equilibrium reinforcement: Equilibrium reinforcement is a way of prestressing

with multiple anchorages for sequential loads. It is used to handle concave
trajectories of the stresses on the load-line.

Bursting reinforcement: To deal with lateral tensile stresses, we use bursting

reinforcement on prestressed concrete."
Explain pre-tensioning and post-tensioning.
Sometimes, the interviewer wants to know if your knowledge of prestressing is
extensive enough. You can answer this question by mentioning how these
methods relate to prestressing and then state the differences between them.

Example: "Pre-tensioning and post-tensioning are two different methods used in

prestressing. The core concept involves using tensioned wires or bars of steel as
reinforcement structures in cured concrete. In the pre-tensioning method, the
wires or bars are anchored to a metal support. Then we use hydraulic jacks to
induce tension and fix side moulds. Concrete is then poured around the tensed
structure to harden and accommodate the compressive force from the jacks.

The post-tensioning method is similar in concept as far as the placement of

cables and concrete is concerned. But, tension is applied to the wires or cables
after the concrete is hardened. This method works best for cases where modular
concrete units are required to be connected to create a larger member on-site."

How are the freeway bridges built?

This question tests your knowledge of public work and the procedure of building
bridges.

Example: "First, we are required to take future traffic into account based on
existing and projected figures and update the design accordingly. During
construction, we place reinforced cement/rebar stanchions over the freeway to
accommodate the bridge. Off-ramp and on-ramp are constructed to and from the
freeway and bridge. Then, cement slabs are required to be built and placed on
the underlying platform."

State any incident when you had to face a critical situation.

The employer wants to know whether you have decision-making and
problem-solving skills. You can narrate any incident when you solved the problem
successfully to answer this question.

Example: "I dealt with a problem on the site of a bungalow construction. While we
were constructing an upper slab, I heard a slight cracking noise. I checked the
supporting structure immediately and found that it was shaking under the weight
of a worker who was standing on top of it. I cautioned him to stop working
immediately, get down, and reinforce the wooden supports, preventing a major
accident."

What are the ethics of civil engineering, according to you?

The answer to this question shows your priorities and work ethic. You can talk
about environmental and public health issues if they ask you to elaborate.

Example: "I believe that a civil engineering job involves giving better
infrastructure and shelter to people, keeping environmental issues and public
health in mind."

What is the least concrete cover provided for different RCC Members?

• Footing = 50 mm

• Column = 40mm

• Beam = 25mm

• Slab = 20mm

What’s the difference between one-way slab and two-way slab?

One-way slab: Ratio of Longer Span / Shorter span > 2

Two-way slab: Ratio of Longer span/ shorter span <= 2

What is the unit weight of Steel?

The unit weight of Steel is 78.5KN/m3.

What do you mean by the moment of inertia?

A quantity expressing a body’s tendency to resist angular acceleration, which is

the sum of the products of the mass of each particle in the body with the square
of its distance from the axis of rotation.
What is the crank length in the slab?

The crank length in Slab is 0.42 D. Where D is Depth of Slab- Top cover –
Bottom Cover.

Generally in the fixed R.C.C. ended Slabs, means column at the ends of the
supports. Those slabs face Two types of moments develop which are called.

The positive moment which is called (Sagging) develops at mid of the span.
Negative moment which is called (Hogging) develops at the supports.

The continuous beam, overhanging beam, etc. all face two types of bending
moments positive and negative so to resist these moments beams and slabs, we
provide bars and give a technical name which we discuss in detail below.

BENT-UP BARS:

1. Bent-up bars or known as Crank bars. We provide in the ends on the top of the
slab or also at the top of the mid supports (if any type of mid support is present)
to counter the negative moment called (Hogging) which produces at that sections
of the slabs and beams.

2. Different Angles on the crank bar (Means bends) are provided in the slabs. In
some cases, we just provide Straight Bars at the end on the top of the slab and in
some cases, we provide angles on the crank bars which is 45°. In some cases,
the 30° bent is provided when shallow beams are present at the end of the slabs.

3. Normally the length of the crank bar is a minimum of 300 millimeters and the
slope or bend on the crank bars (Bent up bars) is 1: 10.

4. By providing crank bars in the R.C.C slabs, The Strength of the slab will be
increased very much from those of the slabs in which crank bars are not present.

5. The spacing between the main bars which have a diameter of 12 mm or 10

mm should be 6 inches center to center c/c and if you are using 8 mm diameter
bars it should be 4 inches center to center c/c.

6. The spacing of distribution bars having a diameter of 10 mm should be 9

inches to 12 inches from center to center c/c. For 8 mm diameter bar 7 inches to
9 inches center to center c/c. The spacing also depends on the span and
thickness of the slab but normally we go with this.

CONCLUSION:

1. To resist Hogging (Negative Bending Moment) at supports.

2. To counter the risk of the failure of the slabs.
3. To encounter the shear force. The shear force is always greater at the
sections of supports.
4. By providing a crank the strength of the slab increased.

The crank bars or bent up bar are very important in R.C.C beam or slab
construction because without countering the Hogging (Negative moment) the
structure will fail or the strength of the structure will reduce. The hogging bending
moment will develop at the supports of the slabs and beams.
How do you check the quality of cement on the site?

• Date of Mfg: Cement strength decreases with its age.

• Color: The color should be grey with a light greenish shade and it should be
uniform. Color gives an indication of excess lime or clay.

• Float test: A good cement won’t float if you throw a cement in water.

• When you put your hand in a cement bag you should feel cool.

What is the Unit Weight of concrete?

The unit weight of concrete depends on the type of aggregates and the amount
of voids. As per IS : 456-200 Unit weight of PCC is 24KN/m3 and RCC is
25KN/m3.

What do you mean by honeycomb in concrete?

Honeycomb, also known as airpocket, is nothing but the air voids in concrete. It
is usually formed during concrete casting.

What is the initial and final setting time of ideal cement mix?

Initial setting time for ideal cement mix is around 30 minutes for almost all kind of
cements. For masonry cement it can be 90 minutes. Final setting time of ideal
cement mix should be 10 hours at max. For masonry cement it shouldn’t exceed
24 hours.

What is the Compressive Strength of brick?

Second class brick-70kg/cm2.

First class brick-105kg/cm2.
Fire brick-125kg/cm2.

What are common methods of curing the concrete?

• Spraying.

• Wet covering of Surface.

• Ponding.

• Application of curing chemicals.

• Steam curing.

What is bleeding in concrete?

Bleeding is one form of segregation, where water comes out to the surface of the
concrete, being the lowest specific gravity among all the ingredients of concrete.

How to find the weight of the steel bar used in reinforcement?

Weight of Bar in kg/m = D²/162.2 D- Dia of bar in mm.

What are the types of cement?

There are various types of cement which are: Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC),
White Portland Cement (WPC), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Low Heat
Portland Cement, Coloured Portland Cement, Hydrophobic cement, Rapid
Hardening Cement, Portland Slag Cement, Sulphate resisting Portland Cement,
etc.

When do we need a Pile foundation?

A pile foundation is adopted when the Soil bearing capacity is less than
24KN/M3.

What is the function of stirrups in the column?

Stirrups are provided to handle the shear force and to hold the rebars (main bars)
in position.
What do you know about “TMT”?

TMT stands for “Thermo Mechanically Treated”. Generally, we use TMT bars and
sheets for construction purposes for the reason that they have high strength and
high corrosion resistance compared to normal steels.

What are the types of foundations used in construction?

There are basically two types of foundation: Shallow & Deep foundations. Again
shallow foundations can be classified as spread footing, combined footing, strap
or cantilever footing and finally mat or raft footing. Deep foundations can be
classified as pile footing, pier footing, caissons footing, and well foundation.

Name various authorities or workers on a construction site?

• Senior Engineer/Project manager.

• Site Engineer.

• Contractor.

• Mistri.

•Mason/labor.

What are the functions of columns in a building?

A column is a verticle member in a building whose primary function is to support

the structural load and transfer it through beams. Upper columns transfer the
load to the lower columns and finally to the ground through footings.

What is grouting?

Grout is a fluid form of concrete that is used to fill voids.

What are various tests for checking brick quality?

We can use water absorption tests, hardness tests, shape & size, crushing
strength tests, soundness tests, etc. to check the brick quality.

Other Important Questions

What is Nominal Mix and design Mix? ACI Code
Trial batches?
Local Specifications?
QCS ?
Exposure Classes?
Creep,Thermal Cracks?
Segregation,Honey Combing,Bleeding
Admixtures
Types of cement and tests
Fine and coarse aggregates (20mm,12mm to maximum 35mm)
Testing of Coarse and Fine Aggregate
pH value of water 6 to 8,Drinking Water
Pile Load Test and Pile Integrity Tests