Concrete

Binding material + fine aggregates + coarse aggregates + water Now a days Cement + sand + crushed stone + water All are in specific proportions It has brittle behavior. Concrete is weak in tension but good in compression. This disadvantage can be offset by reinforcing concrete with steel reinforcement. Reinforced concrete posses many of the best properties of both ingredients. Issues In fresh state we can control the water cement ratio and hence we can control the workability of concrete. For this purpose slump test and other tests are carried out on it in fresh state. In hardened state we check its strength and durability and also for this different tests are performed in hardened state. Mix proportions 1 : x : y where x is fine aggregate y is coarse aggregate and 1 is for cement. x and y are determined , based on desired strength. General mix proportions 1 : 1 : 2 , 1 : 1.5 : 3 , 1 : 2 : 4 , 1 : 3 : 6 , 1 : 4 : 8 , 1 : 6 : 12 etc.

Various terms used for concreting / Steps for concreting operations

1. Batching The process of proper and accurate measurement of concrete ingredients to ensure uniformity of proportions and aggregates grading as per mix design proportion is called batching. It may be done by weight or by volume. Batching by volume It is generally adopted for general construction works and if is carried out by using wooden or steel boxes, wheel bravoes etc. It is highly recommended to take care of bulking effect in volume batching. Batching by weight It is adopted for large and important projects and batching planes are used for purpose. Weight batching is more important than volume batching. 2. Mixing After correct batching all the ingredients of concrete are thoroughly mixed until the concrete of uniform color and required consistency is maintained. Mixing may be done manually or mechanically. Manual mixing It is adopted for small and unimportant construction activities. Concrete is less efficient and require more cement than that required in machine mixing to obtain the same strength.

Machine mixing It is adopted for general construction works and in this batch mixes or continuous mixers are used. Batch mixers are either with tilting drum or with nontilting drums. Batch mixers are available in various capacities. Batch mixers with tilting drum are most commonly used for general construction work 10 by 7 or cubic yard capacity mixers are used. 10 by 7 means 10 cubic feet of dry material yields 7 cubic feet of wet concrete. One cement bag capacity are convenient and generally used. Mixing time shall not be less than 90 seconds. Ready mixed concrete is batched in central batching plants to various job sites in trucks usually mixed mounted. The concrete may be kept plastic and workable for as long as 1.5 hours by slow revolving of the mixers. However better control of mixing time can be maintained if water is added and mixing started after arrival of truck at the job site where operation can be inspected. 3. Transportation The process of carrying concrete from the place of mixing to the place of final deposition is called transportation. Transportation may be manual or mechanical Manual transportation Manual transportation is adopted for small construction activities and when the place of deposition is close to the place of mixing. Mechanical transportation Through pumps or lifts is adopted for large construction activities or when the place of deposition is away from the place of mixing. Minimum time should be consumed in transportation. 4. Placing of concrete The process of placing the concrete in its required position is called placing of concrete. Concrete should e place carefully in position and should not be thrown from heights to avoid *segregation. When working is to be suspended for some time grooves should be made in the finish work for joining the next concrete work before the initial setting. 5. Compacting The process of consolidating the concrete after placing it in its position is known as compacting of concrete. With the presence of air voids in concrete its strength reduces considerably . 5% air voids may reduce its strength by up to 30%. Compacting may be manual or by mechanical means. Manual compacting It is done through tempering and roadding a small concrete for small and less important concrete works. Mechanical Compacting Through vibrators it is done .For large massive or general concrete works vibrators may be external or internal general types. 6. Curing The process of keeping the concrete wet for such a time period after setting or finishing is curing. Concrete is cured for minimum 10 days normally in order to 1. Complete the hydration process 2. Gaining the strength Any one of the following is adopted for curing 1. By wet gunny bags 2. By ponding 3. By sprinkling water

4. By immersing in water 5. By gewed bag 6. By steam 7. By adding certain chemicals Concrete made with ordinary and sulphate resistance cement should be cured for at least 8 days while that made with low heat of hydration cement for at least 14 days. Concrete made with high early strength cement should be kept moist until sufficient strength has been retained; it is indicated by test cylinders. 1. By wet gunny bags: In this method concrete surface to be cured is covered with wet gunny bags and on these bags sprinkling of water is done to keep them moist. This is continued till the curing period is over. This method is suitable for horizontal, inclined or vertical surfaces. 2. By ponding: In this method the concrete surface to be cured is filled with the water till the curing period is over. This method is appreciable for horizontal surfaces. 3. By sprinkling: In this method water is continuously sprinkled in the vertical surfaces till the curing time is over. 4. By immersing in water: This is adopted for precast concrete units. In this method the precast units are immersed in water till the curing period is over. 5. By jute bags: This method is adopted for vertical or inclined members and the method of curing is similar to that of wet gunny bags. 6. By steam: This method is used for precast concrete members and steam under pressure is sprayed over the concrete structure. Steam curing is preferred as it quickens the hardening of concrete and reduces the time period of curing. 7. By adding chemicals: In this method certain chemicals are added to stop evaporation of water form he fresh concrete and no typical curing is required.

Important properties of concrete

For a specific type of structure certain characteristics of concrete to be used may be more important than others for example concrete for multi story building or bridge should have high compressive strength value where as concrete for a dam should be more durable and water tight where as strength can be relatively less. Workability It is the ease with which the concrete can be placed and finished. It is an important property in fresh state or for many applications of concrete. One characteristic of workability is consistency or fluidity which can be measured by slump test as per ASTM C-143. In slump test a specimen of mixture is placed in a mould of shape as a frustum of a con 12 inch height with 8 inch diameter at the base and 4 inch diameter at the top. When the mould is lifted up the change in height of specimen due to settlement by its own weight is measured. *by addition of water the slump value increases This change in height is taken as slump value. Higher is the water content higher is the slump value.

Durability Concrete should be capable of weathering effect, chemical action and should be able to resist load to which it will be subjected in its life. Much of the weathering damage sustained by the concrete is attributable to freezing and thawing cycles. Resistance of concrete to these damages can be improved by increasing the water tightness. Water tightness It is an important property that can be improved by reducing the excess amount of water in the mix. Excess water leaves voids and cavities after evaporation and if they are interconnected then water can penetrate or pass through the concrete. Prolonging and thorough curing as well as entrapped air (minute bubbles) usually increases water tightness. Water tightness can be increased by improving the compacting of concrete, controlling aggregate grading or using specific construction chemicals. Strength This property is always of main concern. Usually it determined by knowing ultimate strength of specimen in compression tested in the lab. But sometimes flexural/bending or tensile capacity is also important which can also be determined through lab test. Since over a long period the compressive strength at 28 days is commonly used as a measure of this property. The 28 days strength can estimate from the seven day strength using this formula. S28 = S7+30(S7) Where S28 is 28 days compressive strength in PSI (per square inch) and S7 is 7 days strength in PSI (per square inch). Concrete strength is influenced by water cement ratio, mix proportions and other factors. Strength of concrete may be improved by 1. Decreasing water cement ratio 2. Using high strength aggregates 3. using well graded aggregates 4. by proper moist curing of concrete 5. Adding a pozzolanic materials 6. Effective compaction of concrete 7. Sucking out excess water with a vacuum from the concrete in the form work * With the addition of more cement the percentage of cracking also increases like in rich mixture

Types of concrete
1. Plane cement concrete (P.C.C) 2. Reinforced cement concrete (R.C.C) 3. Pre-stressed concrete 4. Reinforced brick concrete 1. Plane cement concrete (P.C.C) It is the simplest form of concrete which is a mixture of cement, sand, crush and water. PCC is quite strong in compression but weak in tension and sheer so it is generally used in making concrete blocks, pavers, concrete floors etc

2. Reinforced cement concrete (R.C.C) As the PCC is weak in tension and sheer so in the construction of those members subjected to tension and sheer the concrete is strengthened in tension and sheer using reinforcing bars called reinforcement and the resulting concrete is known as reinforced cement concrete. RCC is such type of material that it could be adjusted to any specific requirements of any type of construction. Multi story buildings, bridge members and various other structures are generally made of RCC.

3. Pre-stressed concrete Pre-stressed concrete is preferred with high grade controlled concrete having strength 2 to 3 times more than that of ordinary concrete. Very high strength steel cables or wires are used in pre-stressed concrete and is cast to the required shape in moulds build around in stretched wires and wires are released after the concrete has gained the required strength. This action produces a compression at the bottom. Pre-stressed beams, girders railway sleepers and other components are extensively used in the construction. Due to pre-stressing concrete upto 50 % saving in concrete and 60 % to 70 % in steel quantity can be made as compared to ordinary concrete. Pre-stressing gives extremely high and durable quality of product and at the same time making the concrete product smaller in section and weight. 4. Reinforced brick concrete (R.B.C) In this type some portion of concrete is replaced by bricks which are placed between the reinforcement Although RBC is cheaper in cost but its life and durability is comparatively less so, not recommended where there is direct exposure to weather. The brocks used must be free from salts but it is quite harmful for reinforcement which is its major draw back. 5. Fiber glass reinforcement concrete It is a composite material consisting of cement mortar or concrete with fibers asbestos, glass, carbon or steel. FRC may be useful where a large amount of energy has to be absorbed. As in case of explosion loading where a high tensile strength and reduced cracking are desirable or even when conventional concrete must be placed because of the shape of the member. 1- Fibers improve the impact strength of concrete. 2- Limit the cracking and growth of cracking. 3- Lean to a greater strain capacity of the composite material. In recent years glass reinforcement concrete has been significantly developed. This is a mixture of cement, sand and glass fibers (5 % - 6 % by weight). Prepared By USMaN Javaid 07-civil-099