EiABC

CHAIR OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

AND GEOTECHNIQUES

Building Materials & Construction II

Lecture -3

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 Contents
1. Fresh Concrete Properties In The Plastic
Stage
2. Steps Followed During Concrete Production
Process
3. Hardened Concrete Properties In
Serviceability Stage
4. Volume Calculation of Fresh Concrete

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 1. Fresh concrete properties
• Fresh Concrete

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Mixing

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Major properties of fresh concrete
Fresh concrete is also known as plastic
concrete. The major Properties of concrete in its
plastic state are:
A) Workability
B) Consistency
C) Segregation
D) Bleeding
E) Stiffening and setting

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A. Workability
Workability is ease of placing and resistance to
segregation of concrete.
Workability means how easy it is to:
➢ place
➢ handle
➢ compact and
➢ Finish a concrete mix.
Concrete that is stiff or dry may be difficult to
Handle, Place, Compact, and Finish & will not be
as strong or durable when finally hardened.

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Factors that affect workability
➢ Water content
➢ shape of aggregates
➢ Grading of Aggregates
Aggregate
➢ Size of Aggregates Properties

➢ Surface Texture of Aggregates

➢ Admixtures

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Water content

If water content is increased

the coarse particles settle
and bleeding occurs.
Cement slurry can escape
through joints of formworks.

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Aggregate properties
➢ Shape of aggregates
➢ Grading of Aggregates

➢ Size of Aggregates

➢ Surface Texture of Aggregates

Angular, flaky, and elongated aggregates reduce

workability.
Nonabsorbent aggregates and optimum
percentage of fine aggregate contributes to
workability .

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Admixtures
◼ Workability admixtures improve the
workability of concrete
◼ Air entraining agents produce
numerous air bubbles that act as
rollers to decrease bleeding and
segregation, and as a result increase
workability.

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B. Consistency
Consistency refers to ability to flow of
concrete and indicates wetness of
concrete, and thus workability.
Concrete could have:
✓ Dry
✓ Plastic: can be shaped into ball
✓ Semi-fluid: spreads out slowly and with out
segregation of aggregate
✓ Fluid consistency: spreads out fast and results
in segregation of aggregates

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C. Segregation
Segregation is separation of coarse
aggregates from the mass of concrete.
Segregation results from:
• Uncontrolled pumping or falling
• Placing under waters
• Placing concrete in heavily reinforced members

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Precautions to control segregation

Placing concrete near its final position,

instead of falling from greatest heights

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Precautions to control segregation

➢ Careful handling, pacing, and consolidation

of concrete
➢ Applying Admixtures : Plasticizer and air
entraining admixture.

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D. Bleeding
Bleeding is the appearance of water on
concrete surface. As a consequence of
bleeding, slum layer will be formed
making concrete weak and porous.

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Measures to minimize bleeding

➢ Using well graded and

proportioned aggregates
➢ Increasing amount of cement
➢ Applying air entraining agents
➢ Reducing amount of water

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E. Stiffening and setting
Concrete is required to remain plastic for
the time to be taken to transport, place,
and consolidate it.
Temperature influences the stiffening of
concrete. That is,
Low temperature delays
High temperature accelerates the
stiffening of concrete.

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MEASUREMENT OF WORKABILITY
Some of the methods of measuring
workability that is wetness or fluidity are:
✓ Slump test
✓ Compacting factor test

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Slump is the subsidence of concrete cone after
mold is lifted up.

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Types of slump

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Types of slump (results of slump)
◼ True Slump - Has even subsidence
◼ Shear Slump - Half of the cone slides,
difficult to measure, and results from harsh
mixes deficient in fine aggregates.
◼ Collapse Slump - difficult to measure,
results from very wet mixes.

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Slump test results
Slump (mm) Degree of workability
(Suitability)
0-25 Very low
(Massive sections, little reinforcement)

25-50 Low
( little reinforcement)
50-100 Medium
(Beam, columns)
100-175 High
(For heavily reinforced sections

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Limitations of slump test

➢ Not applicable for aggregates size greater

than 40 mm .
➢ Applicable to plastic mixes only
➢ Not applicable to harsh and wet mixes

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Compacting Factor Test
Drier mixes do not give slump. Therefore,
compaction factor test should be done to
determine degree of compaction
(compacting factor) by falling the mix
through successive hoppers with
standard height using a compaction
factor test apparatus.

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Compaction factor test apparatus

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Compacting factor values
➢ For compacting factor values between
0.75-0.80, compacting concrete by hand is
not permissible.
➢ For Compacting Values less than 0.75,
pressure should be exerted into concrete
to vibrate.
➢ Compacting factor test is suitable for both
dry and wet mixes, since it gives constant
results.
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 Compacting factor test
Compacting Factor = Weight of partially dry compacted concrete
Weight of fully compacted concrete

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 2. Steps followed during
concrete production process

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 Transporting
Gathering
Ingredients Proportioning Mixing

Placing
Compaction
& finishing
Concrete Operations
Hardened
Concrete

Curing

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 Concrete Operations
a)Batching
It is the term used to express measurement of the ingredients of
concrete either by weight or by volumes of ingredients.
Weigh Batching
• It is a method of measuring ingredients of concrete by weight.
• It is applicable for the production of high quality concrete.
• It is accurate compared to volumetric hatching
• There is no need of correction to allow for bulking of fine sand
volumetric batching
• It is a method of measuring ingredients by volume
• We should do adjustment for the bulking of sand because of
volume increase due to moisture content in fine aggregates

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b) Mixing
The purpose of concrete mixing is to
provide a uniformly blended product of
cement, water, and aggregates.

Basic requirement of mixing is to produce

concrete of uniform consistency from
beginning to end.

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Methods of mixing
Two basic methods of mixing concrete;

i. Hand mixing
ii. Machine mixing

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 Hand Mixing
Adopted for small works and quantity of
concrete used is small
Procedure:
a. Sand + cement  dry mix
b. Spread the sand -cement mix on a flat
platform
c. Spread the measured quantity of
coarse aggregate on the cement-sand mix

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d. Mix the cement + sand + coarse.agg.
At least three times by shoveling from
center to the side and then back to the
center and again to the side
e. Make a hallow in the middle of the
mixed pile and pour slowly into it half to
three-quarter of the total quantity of water
required
f. Add the remainder of the water slowly,
turning the mixture over and again until the
color and consistency are uniform
throughout the pile

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Note:
1. Time of mixing should not exceed 3minute
2. Mixing platform is cleaned at the end of
the days work, so that it is ready for use the
next day
Machine mixing
➢ Used in case of a large quantity of concrete
is to be produced
➢ Concrete can be produced at a faster rate
at a lesser cost and of better quality

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Note
Care for mixer is very important!
1. Wash the mixer every day preferably with a hose
2. Hammering or hitting of the loading skip in order to
accelerate the discharge of adhering sand and cement should
not be permitted
3. When the mixer is installed at one place for a longer periods,
it should be ensured that wheels and axle of the mixer do not
get buried under accumulating materials
4. Before closing down a shift or day’s work, the interiors of the
drum and blades are flushed clean
5. General upkeep and maintenance of the mixer engine be
attended everyday, i.e., fuel, water, lubricant, etc.

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Ready-mixed concrete
1. Central mixed - Mixed completely
in a stationary mixer (Batching Plant) and
then transported in a truck agitator
2. Transit mixed - Mixed completely
in a truck mixer
3. Shrink mixed - Mixed partially in a
stationary mixer and finally completed in a
truck mixer

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c) Transporting Concrete
i. Pans
- When quantity is small
- When access to work is restricted
- Method is tedious, slow and costly

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Transporting Concrete
ii. Wheel barrows
- Moderate distance and medium quantities
iii. Truck mixer
- When place of deposit of concrete is at a very
long distance from the mixer such that the concrete
cannot be transported and placed in the forms
within 30 minutes
- Happens in case of ready-mixed concrete
- Drum containing the concrete rotates
continuously to prevent the concrete from being
stiff and to prevent segregation

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iv. Belt conveyors
- When the concrete is to be transported continuously and to a
higher level
- Could be a single unit or in series
- Installed in an inclined position
- Concrete should be stiff consistency having a slump not
more than 50 mm

v. Chutes
- When concrete is to be placed below ground level, the mixer
may be placed on an upper level and concrete discharged to
the lower level through a chute of corrugated iron or timber

vi. Pumps
- When large quantity of concrete is to be transported
continuously to congested sites where mixing plant can not be
installed
- To a maximum of 300 m horizontally and 40m vertically

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d) Placing of concrete
- Concrete should be placed and
compacted before setting commences
- Method of placing should be in
such a way as to prevent segregation
( should not be dropped from a height
more than about 1m)

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Chute

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 Formwork
Material
i. Timber  Most commonly
used
ii. Plywood  Bounded with
water proof synthetic resin
adhesives
iii. Hard board 
Manufactured from wood
fibers, usually impregnated
with drying oils and factory
applied plastic coatings
iv. Metal forms (panels) 
very common nowadays

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e) Compaction of Concrete
When first placed in the form, normal
concrete excluding those with very low or
very high slumps will contain between 5%
and 20% by volume of entrapped air.
Compaction is the process which expels
entrapped air from freshly placed concrete
and packs the aggregate particles together
so as to increase the density of concrete.

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Proper compaction:
◼ Enhances the bond with reinforcement
◼ Increase significantly the ultimate strength of
concrete
◼ Increases the abrasion resistance and general
durability of the concrete
◼ Decreases the permeability and helps to minimize
its shrinkage-and-creep characteristics
◼ Also ensures that the formwork is completely filled

i.e. - there are no pockets of honeycombed

material and
-that the required finish is obtained on
vertical surfaces.

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Stages of Compaction

Compaction of concrete is a
two-stage process.
◼ aggregate particles are set
in motion & slump to fill
the form giving a level top
surface.
◼ entrapped air is expelled.

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 Effect of compaction on hardened concrete
As may be seen from the figure
the effect of compaction on
compressive strength is
dramatic.
For example, the strength of
concrete containing 10% of
entrapped air may be as little
as 50% that of the concrete
when fully compacted.

Loss of strength through incomplete compaction

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Methods of compaction
i. Hand compaction (Tamping)
ii. Vibrators
- Internal vibrators
- Form vibrators
- Surface vibrators

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 Types of vibrators
1. Immersion Vibrator
◼ Immersion vibrators consist
essentially of a tubular housing
which contains a rotating
eccentric weight. The out-of-
balance rotating weight causes
the casing to vibrate and, when
immersed in concrete, the
concrete itself.
◼ Depending on the diameter of
the casing, and on the frequency
and the amplitude of the
vibration, an immersion vibrator
may have a radius of action
between 100 and 600 mm.
Immersion Vibrator
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 2. Surface Vibrators
◼ Surface vibrators are
applied to the top surface
of concrete and act
downwards from there.
◼ They are very useful for
compacting slabs,
industrial floors, road
pavements, and similar
flat surfaces. They also
aid in leveling and
finishing the surface.

Surface Vibrator
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f) Finishing
◼ Finishing of concrete is related with surface texture
of the proposed concrete structure (i.e. sometimes
smooth surface finish is required or in other time,
especially on decorative/architectural finish, rough
finished surface is required.

◼ Formwork or a prepared mold is essential to have a

required finished surface.

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g) Curing
Curing is the process which controls the loss of
moisture from concrete either after it has been
placed in position (or during the manufacture of
concrete products), thereby providing time for the
hydration of the cement to occur.
Since the hydration of cement does take time –
days, and even weeks rather than hours – curing
must be undertaken for a reasonable period of
time if the concrete is to achieve its potential
strength and durability.

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Methods of curing
i. Shading concrete
ii. Covering concrete surfaces
iii. Sprinkling water
iv. Ponding method
v. Membrane curing
vi. Steam curing
Duration of curing
- Concrete shall be covered and kept constantly wet for
seven days from the date of placing
- Curing by sprinkling of water shall continue at least up
to 28 days of age

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Sprinkling water
Polyethylene sheets

Straw or hay

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3. Hardened concrete properties
in serviceability stage
1. Strength
2. Durability
3. Creep
4. Shrinkage
5. Water tightness
6. Modulus of elasticity

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 1. Strength
◼ its ability to withstand an applied stress without
failure.
◼ The capacity of the concrete to resist compression
stress at the age of 28 days.
◼ The strength of Concrete is basically depends on
- Paste Strength: - high binding paste give for
concrete to high Compressive strength and less paste
gives a decreased Compressive strength at
serviceability state.
- Interfacial bonding: - a washed aggregate provides
an increased compressive strength than those
aggregates combined with deleterious materials.

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- Aggregate strength: - rough textured and angular
shaped aggregate provides an increased compressive
strength but smooth textured and round shape
aggregate give a reduced compressive strength.

◼ The main mechanical tests that determine the

Compressive strength of concrete under the
following category
- Destructive and
- Non-destructive test.

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Destructive tests
CUBE/ CYLINDRICAL STRENGTH is a 15cm by 15cm
by 15cm concrete cube sample could be placed under
concrete testing machine and we measure the force
required to destruct a sample.
◼ The force required to destruct a sample is measured
and the force reading and a compressive strength
required have a direct relationship.
◼ For an increased force reading, we have found a
higher compressive strength.
◼ After the test, the sample is no longer use fr intended
purpose.

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 Non-destructive Tests
This type of test could be used in existing structure
without affecting the performance or durability of the
concrete members..
◼ After the test, the concrete member continuous
carrying the dead weight, can transfer the received
upward load to the substructure then to the ground
or providing the expected service without any
change due to the tests.
- REBOUND NUMBER (HAMMER)
- PENETRATION RESISTANCE (PROBE)
- PULL-OUT TEST
- ULTRASONIC PULSE-VELOCITY METHOD

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2. Durability
-Performance of concrete for the purpose of its intended function

 - maintaining its required strength and servicibility, during the

specified or traditionally expected service life

- Durability does not mean an indefinite life, nor does it mean

withstanding any action on concrete

- It is now well known that, for many conditions of exposure of

concrete structures, both strength and durability have to be
conisdered explicitly at the design stage

- Concrete durability has been defined by the ACI as its resistance to

weathering action, chemical attack, abrasion and other degradation
processes 68
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Mechanisms that affect durability
i. Freeze-thaw damage (physical effects, weathering)

ii. Alkali-aggregate reactions (chemical effects)

iii. Sulfate attack (chemical effects)

iv. Microbiological induced attack (chemical effects)

v. Corrosion of reinforcing steel embedded in concrete (chemical

effects)

a) carbonation of concrete

b) chloride induced

vi. Abrasion (physical effects) &

vii. Mechanical loads (physical effects)

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Abrassion
- Concrete surfaces subjected to wear due to attrition by sliding,
scraping or purcussion

- in the case of hydraulic structures, the action of abrassive

materials carried by water leads to erosion

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Action of frost
- As temperature of saturated concrete in service is lowered  water
held in the capillary pores freezes  expansion of concrete takes
place
- If subsequent thawing is followed by re-freezing, further expansion
takes place  repeated cycle have a commulative effect

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3. Creep
◼ It is deformation of structure under sustained
load
◼ It is volume change related with external load
unless shrinkage
4. Shrinkage
◼ It is a volume change in concrete due to loss
of moisture at different stages (not b/c of
loads or volume change with no loads
applied)

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5. Modulus of elasticity
◼ It is the slope of the initial linear part of
stress-strain diagram. ( It indicates that the
direct proportion between stress and strain
relationships i.e. there is an increased strain
due to an increased stress).
◼ σ= Eε, E indicates that Modulus of elasticity
which is the slope of stress-strain diagram.
(Unit less factor)

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Factors that affect properties of hardened
concrete

a. Water cement ratio

b. Cement content
c. Temperature
d. Age
e. Aggregate
f. Curing condition
g. Frost
h. Entrained air

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4. VOLUME OF FRESH CONCRETE

V = Va + Vw + Vc + Vfa + Vca

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VOLUME OF FRESH CONCRETE

The volume of the fresh concrete is equal

to the sum of the absolute volumes of its
components, including the naturally
entrapped or purposely entrained air.

V = Va + Vw + Vc + Vfa + Vca

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V = Va + Vw + Vc + Vfa + Vca

Where:
Va = Volume of the air
Vw = volume of the water
Vc= absolute volume of the cement
Vfa = absolute volume of the fine aggregate
Vca = absolute volume of the coarse aggregate

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MIX DESIGN

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Requirements of mix design
Concrete proportions must be selected to
provide
◼ Workability
◼ Consistency
◼ Density
◼ Strength and
◼ Durability for the particular application.

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Information required for mix design
The following information for available materials will be
useful:
◼ Sieve analyses of fine and coarse aggregates.
◼ Unit weight of coarse aggregate.
◼ Bulk specific gravities and absorption of aggregates.
◼ Mixing-water requirements of concrete developed from
experience with available aggregates.
◼ Relationship between strength and water-cement ratio
◼ Specific gravity of Portland cement and other
cementations materials, if used.
◼ Optimum combination of coarse aggregates to meet the
maximum density grading for mass concrete.
◼ Estimate of proportions of mix for preliminary design.

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Purpose of mix Design
The purpose of a concrete mix
design is to have economical mix
proportions for the available
concreting materials which has
adequate workability to be placed
in its final position on site.

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Thank you!

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