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Properties of Concrete
Different properties of concrete:

o Grades (M20, M25, M30, M35 etc.)

o Compressive strength
o Characteristic Strength
o Tensile strength
o Durability
o Creep
o Shrinkage
o Unit weight
o Modular Ratio
o Poisson’s ratio
o Thermal Properties

Compressive Strength

o The compressive strength of concrete can be ascertained by the cube test.

o The characteristic compressive strength of concrete is the compressive strength of 150
mm cubes at 28 days, measured in MPa, below which not more than 5% of the test results
are expected to fail.
o At the batching plant, samples of cubes are taken and cured for 28 days.
o With the characteristic compressive strength, the tensile strength in bending and its
modulus of elasticity can be determined.
o The water-cement ratio has a paramount impact on the strength of concrete. The strength
decreases as the water-cement increases. Abram's law states that the compressive
strength of concrete is inversely proportional to the W/C ratio and follows a hyperbolic
law.
o The amount of water in a mix also affects workability. So, an optimum amount of W/C
ratio should be fixed so as to strike a balance between the strength and workability of
concrete.

Flexural Strength Of Concrete

The tensile strength of concrete is ascertained indirectly from the compressive strength in the
form of Flexural Tensile Strength. IS 456: 2000 gives the following correlation, which can be used
in the design.

Flexural Strength Of Concrete=0.7√f

Modulus of Elasticity

The short-term Young’s modulus of elasticity can be expressed in terms of the characteristic
compressive strength as
E=5000√f

Creep

Creep is caused by sustained loading. It is seen that when concrete is subjected to sustained
loading, strain keeps increasing with time, even without any increase in the load. This strain which
is caused due to sustained stress, is time-dependent and is called creep. It depends upon the
Stress level, Age at loading, and the Duration of loading. In the absence of actual data, the
following values of creep coefficient may be taken for design considerations.

Age at Loading Creep Coefficient

7 days 2.2
28 1.6
1 year 1.1

Poisson’s Ratio

Poisson’s ratio of concrete ranges between 0.1 for high-strength concrete and 0.2 for weak
mixes. It is normally taken as 0.15 for strength design and 0.2 for serviceability criteria.

Shrinkage

Shrinkage in concrete occurs due to moisture loss by evaporation. Shrinkage incites strain in
concrete. This strain is profoundly influenced by the water content in concrete. IS code 456:
2000 suggests the maximum value of shrinkage strain as 0.003 mm/m.

Segregation

Segregation connotes the tendency of the coarse aggregates to get separated from the concrete.
It typically occurs in the lean and wet mixes. Segregation can be controlled by:

o Incorporation of air-entraining admixtures.

o Reducing and controlling the W/C ratio in the mix.
o Careful supervision of handling, placing, and compaction of concrete.
o Concrete should not be allowed to fall from more than 1.5 m height.

Bleeding of Concrete

Bleeding is a type of segregation in which the water in the mix tends to rise to the top because
the solid parts can't hold all the water when they settle down.

o The water, due to bleeding, reaches the top surface of the concrete and results in the
development of laitance. It is a porous layer with poor resistance to abrasion.
o Finer grinding of cement and a large amount of Tricalcium Aluminate can help in the
reduction of bleeding.
o Fine silica, sand, and pulverised coal can also prevent bleeding.
Concrete Workability

Workability is the case with which the given ingredients can be mixed into concrete and
subsequently handled, transported, and placed. It is the work done for the full compaction of
concrete.

Workability mainly depends on

o Water cement ratio.

o Grading of aggregates.
o Type of aggregate, shape, size, and texture

o Characteristic of cement
o Use of admixtures like air-entraining agents.

Chemical reactions

Concrete degenerates due to chemical reactions occurring between alkalis and mineral
constituents of aggregate.

o When soluble sulfates of sodium, magnesium, or calcium react with Tricalcium Aluminate,
they create forces that cause the Tricalcium Aluminate to expand. This hydrates the
cement in the presence of lime to form a mono-sulphate form of calcium sulpho
aluminate. This reaction can lead to the deterioration of concrete.
o When inorganic or organic acids attack concrete, they break it down and leave behind
soluble products that can be washed away by leaching.
o Pyrites in shale or clays can turn into humic acid, carbonic acid, and sulphuric acid. If
concrete is not protected, these acids can deteriorate it.
o Continuous removal of lime formed during hydration with water is often made more
aggressive by dissolved carbon compounds pressing through cracks or interconnected
voids. It occurs in honeycombed concrete or poorly treated construction joints.

Modular Ratio

It is defined as the ratio of the modulus of elasticity of steel to the modulus of elasticity of
concrete.

m=Es/Ec

The modular ratio varies across different grades of concrete.

As per IS 456 2000,

Modular ratio is calculated by the following formula:

m = 280/3σ

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Thermal Properties Of Concrete

o The thermal properties of concrete are pertinent in structures that are prone to
temperature differences.
o These properties play a paramount role while designing mass concrete structures like
dams, airport runways, bridge supports, and statically indeterminate structures that are
affected by changes in temperature.

Specific Heat

o It is the amount of heat that a substance can hold per unit of mass.
o Specific heat increases as the temperature goes up and as the density of the concrete
increases.
o Specific heat of concrete is between 0.20 and 0.30 kcal/kg/C.

Thermal Conductivity

o Thermal conductivity is the rate at which heat moves through a material.

o The thermal conductivity of concrete depends on the constituents in it. It also depends on
the water content in concrete.
o The thermal conductivity of concrete lies between 1.4 and 0.5 kcal/m/hr/C.

Thermal Diffusivity

Thermal diffusivity is the rate at which temperature changes within the mass place. It represents
the ratio of thermal conductivity to the product of material density and specific heat capacity. In
simpler terms, it measures how fast a material can conduct heat relative to its ability to store heat.

Linear Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

o The coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete depends on the constituents of the

concrete mix,
o For normal concrete that has hardened, the linear coefficient goes down a little bit over
time, but this is not the case for concrete that has hardened under high-pressure steam.
o The coefficient of thermal expansion for ordinary concrete ranged from 910-6 per °C to
1210-6 per °C.

That brings us to the culmination of this blog. This blog contained all the facts regarding the
properties of concrete. This topic is of significant importance for the various upcoming
examinations. You should get enrolled in the AE/JE Civil Coaching to get attuned to all exam-
oriented preparation and material, all on the Testbook App.

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