Chapter-3

Hardened Concrete
 Hardened Concrete
 Garvel , sand , cement & water are mixed
properly in designed proportion , fully
compacted and ,concrete becomes hard like
rock after 28 days of curing , is known as
Hardened Concrete
Principal Properties of concrete
 In Plastic State  In Harden State
1. Workabiliy 1. Strength
2. Segregation Compressive Strength
3. Bleeding Flexural Strength
Tensile Strength
Bond Strength
2. Durability
3. Impermeability
4. Creep
5. Elasticity
6. Thermal Expansion
7. Shrinkage & Moisture
movement
 Tests for Hardened Concrete

 Purpose Of Testing Hardened Concrete:-

1. To Determine if the concrete has gained sufficient strength

2. To know the quality of concrete
3. The compressive test gives the compressive strength of concrete.
it is used in structure design and research on concrete.
4. Bond between concrete and steel is determined by bond
strength test. The efficiency of concrete depends on the bond
strength.
5. Tensile stress is produced in conditions like shrinkage, corrosion
of iron, change in temperature in concrete. Hence, it is also
important to know the tensile strength of concrete
 Strength of
Concrete
• Characteristic strength - Compressive, Tensile and Flexure
strength
• Modulus of Elasticity THE THREE S-WORDS

• Creep and shrinkage of concrete Stress: a weight or load applied

to the concrete (in N)
Strength: the concrete’s ability
to carry the weight or load (in
N per square mm)

Strain: how much the concrete

stretches or
(deforms) compresses when
load (in inches
carrying
per mm)
a
Tests for Hardened Concrete

 Different test of Hardened Concrete:-

1. Compression Test
2. Flexural Test
3. Bond Strength Test
4. Tensile Strength Test
 Tests for Hardened Concrete
 Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)
1. MOULD:-
Three Mould is used For compression testing
 Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

 This mold is of steel or C.I. Are composed of.

 The size of different malls should not change
more than the size shown below.
Cubes - 15 x 15 x 15 cm
10 x 10 x 10 cm
Cylinder dia = 15 cm
Height = 30 cm
 Metal thickness of Cylinder mold should not be
less than 3 mm .
 Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)
 Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

2. Compaction:-
 For compaction by hand, a 16 mm diameter and 0.60 mm long teal
rod is called a tamping bar.
 The concrete is poured into the mold in three equal layers and each
layer is tamped with a tamping bar.
 Stroke is given:
10 cm cube --25 nos.
15 cm cube - 35 nos. & Cylinder - 30 nos.
 Vibration table is also used for compaction.
 After compaction, concrete is finished with trowel at the head of the
mall.
 Water evaporates from the head. The mould is covered with a glass
or metal plate to prevent it.
Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

 Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

3. Capping:-
 Capping is required in a cylindrical sample when both
sides are flat, not perpendicular to the edge of the
sample.
 Capping is not required as the height in the cube is low.
 Capping in a cylindrical sample is done 4 hours after
the concrete is cast at the head and bottom of the
sample or before the sample is tested.
 Neat cement paste, cement mortar, sulfur, hard plaster
etc. are used for capping.
Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

 Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

4. Curing:-
 The sample for testing is kept at 90% relative
humidity, at a temperature of 27 + 2 ° C for 24 +
1/2 hours.
 After making the necessary markings on the
sample, the mould is opened and the sample is
immersed in clean fresh water.
 The water temperature is maintained at 27 2 ° C.
 This water needs to be changed every seven days.
Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

 Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)

5. Testing:-
 Congress strength test for concrete cube is done on 7 th ,14th
and 28th day.
 Before the test the sample is taken out of the water, the
surface water is wiped and the test is done immediately.
 During testing, the cube is loaded in the machine in such a
way that the load is directed from the perpendicular
direction to casting direction
 The loading rate is maintained at 140 Kg / cm2 / minute.
 Tests are usually done on days 7 and 28 in which an
average strength is obtained by testing 3 samples each time.
Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)
Compression Test ( IS: 516-1959)
 Effect of H/D ratio on Compressive strength

 The height (h) of a cylindrical specimen is usually kept twice its

diameter (d).
 But when the sample is cut from road pavement, airfield pavement
or foundation concrete, it is not possible to keep the height /
diameter ratio 2: 1.
 The height of the sample depends on the thickness of the concrete
member and the diameter of the sample depends on the cutting tool.
 If the length of the truncated specimen is greater then the h / d ratio
can be made 2 by cutting it further.
 However, if the length of the cut sample is short, it is tested and the
results obtained are multiplied by the appropriate correction factor.
Which shows the strength of the sample which has a h/d ratio of 2.
 As the h/d ratio is less than 2.0, the strength is higher, so the
correction factor is less than 1.0
Correction factor-- Compressive Strength
Compressive Strength
Failure
 Compressive Strength
• There are three failure modes for cylinders.
• Under axial compression concrete fails in shear.
• The separation of the specimen into columnar pieces
by what is known as splitting or columnar fracture.
• Combination of shear and splitting failure.
Compressive Strength
 Factors affecting strength concrete

 Quality of Materials
 Water Cement Ratio
 Compaction of Concrete
 Ratio of Aggregate to Cement
 Effect of Maximum size of Aggregate
 Coarse / fine aggregate ratio
 Time After Concreting(Age)
 Influence of Temperature
 Relative humidity & curing
 Quality of Materials

• Cement: Provided the cement conforms with the

appropriate standard and it has been stored correctly (i.e. in
dry conditions), it should be suitable for use in concrete. 
• Aggregates: Quality of aggregates, its size, shape, texture,
strength etc determines the strength of concrete. The
presence of salts (chlorides and sulphates), silt and clay also
reduces the strength of concrete. 
• Water: frequently the quality of the water is covered by a
clause stating “..the water should be fit for drinking..”. This
criterion though is not absolute and reference should be
made to respective codes for testing of water construction
purpose.
Factors affecting strength of
concrete
•
Water/cement ratio and degree of compaction
•
 Water/cement ratio and degree of
compaction
• Strength of concrete primarily depends upon the
strength of cement paste.
• The strength of cement paste depends upon the
dilution of paste or in other words, the strength of paste
increases with cement content and decreases with air and water
content.
• In 1918; Abrams’law states that “assuming full age and
compaction, and at a given normal temperature, strength of
concrete can be taken to be inversely proportional to the
water/cement ratio”
 Abrams’
law
where:
• σ is the strength of concrete
•A and B are constants
•w/c is the mass ratio of water to cement
•DEGREE OF COMPACTION:-
•Any entrapped air resulting from inadequate
compaction of the plastic concrete will lead to a
reduction in strength. If there was 10% trapped
air in the concrete, the strength will fall down in
the range of 30 to 40%.
 Water/cement ratio and degree
of compaction

Water/Cement Ratio:
Typically: 0.35 –
0.45
Smaller w/c ratio →
stronger concrete
 Influence of Aggregate/Cement Ratio
The majority of the volume of concrete is represented by the aggregates;
fine aggregates and coarse aggregates.
Cement after reacting with water create the bond with the aggregates to
create the concrete.
Cement content and aggregate volume ratio is related to the strength of the
as shown in the following figure extracted from a technical paper
 Effect of Maximum size of
Aggregate
• The larger the aggregate the lower is the total surface
area and, therefore, the lower is the requirement of water
for the given workability.
• The use of larger size aggregate did not contribute to
higher strength as expected from the theoretical
considerations due to the following reasons.
• The larger maximum size aggregate gives lower surface
area for developments of gel bonds which is responsible
for the lower strength of the concrete.
• Secondly bigger aggregate size causes a more
heterogeneity in the concrete which will prevent the uniform
distribution of load when stressed.
 Effect of Maximum size of
Aggregate
• When large size aggregate is used, due to internal
bleeding, the transition zone will become
much weaker due to the development of micro cracks
which result in lower compressive
strength.
Effect of Maximum size of
Aggregate
 Coarse / fine aggregate ratio

If the proportion of fines is increased in relation to the

coarse aggregate, the overall aggregate surface area will
increase.
If the surface area of the aggregate has increased, the water
demand will also increase.
Assuming the water demand has increased, the water cement
ratio will increase.
Since the water cement ratio has increased, the compressive
strength will decrease.
 Age of Concrete
• With an increase in age, the degree of hydration
generally increases increases gel/space ratio so that strength

• Increase in the strength of concrete (at same w/c

ratio) with increase in early age (from 1 to 28 days) of
concrete.
Age of Concrete
 Influence of Temperature on Strength
The rise in the curing temperature Speeds up the
chemical reactions of hydration and Thus affects
beneficially the early strength of concrete without any ill-
effects on the later strength.
Rapid initial hydration appears to form products of a
poorer physical structure, probably more porous, so that a
proportion of the pores will always remain unfilled.
The gel//space ratio rule that this will lead to a lower
strength compared with a less porous, though slowly
hydrating, cement paste in which a high gel//space ratio
will eventually be reached.
 Relative humidity & curing
• the concrete is allowed to dry out, the hydration reaction will stop. The
hydration reaction cannot proceed without moisture. The three curves
shows the strength development of similar concretes exposed to different
conditions.
• It should be clear from what has been said above that the detrimental
effects of storage of concrete in a dry environment can be reduced if the
concrete is adequately cured to prevent excessive moisture loss.
Comparison of strengths of CUBE and CYLINDER

In general, in cylindrical sample testing the end plates give

less end restraints so there is more similarity in the results of
sample. So that cylindrical sampling in research laboratories
has increased.
 The cylindrical sample is tested in the same position in
which it is cast. When the cube is cast in direction , it is
tested in the perpendicular direction.
Thus, the casting and loading in the field is according to the
cylindrical pattern, not the cube.
Cylindrical, therefore, creates a situation like a really
structural member in the field.
In the field, the shape of the structural members is more like
a cube while less like a cylindrical one. This point is in favor
of the cube.
Comparison of strengths of CUBE and CYLINDER

Capping is not required in a cube while capping is required in

a cylindrical.
The capping material used in the cylinder also affects the
strength.
The strength of a cube of size 15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm is
considered the standard strength.
If a cube of size 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm is used, the strength
of the concrete is high. So that it should be reduced by 10%
to get the standard strength.
Standard Strength = (Cube Strength of 10 cm) x 0.90
If cylindrical test of 15 cm diameter, 30 cm height is done, its
strength should be increased by 20%.
Comparison of strengths of CUBE and CYLINDER

If cylindrical test of 15 cm diameter, 30 cm height is done, its strength

should be increased by 20%.

If a cube larger than 15 cm is used, its strength does not change.
If a cylindrical test with a h/d ratio less than 2 is performed, in addition to
the correction mentioned above, the following correction.
 E.g,A cylindrical is cut from concrete slab with a diameter of 100 mm
and a thickness of 160 mm. so h/d=160/100=1.6
from graph correction factor is 0.955
Suppose compressive strength is 21.5 N/mm2
so cylinder strength= 21.5 * 0.955= 20.53 N/mm2
So standard cube strength= cylinder strength/0.8=20.52/0.8=25.66
N/mm2
If compressive strength of 100 mm cube is 24.6 Mpa
then standard cube strength= 24.6* 0.9= 22.14 N/mm2
Comparison of strengths of CUBE and CYLINDER

If cylindrical test of 15 cm diameter, 30 cm height is done, its strength

should be increased by 20%.

If a cube larger than 15 cm is used, its strength does not change.
If a cylindrical test with a h/d ratio less than 2 is performed, in addition to
the correction mentioned above, the following correction.
 E.g,A cylindrical is cut from concrete slab with a diameter of 100 mm
and a thickness of 160 mm. so h/d=160/100=1.6
from graph correction factor is 0.955
Suppose compressive strength is 21.5 N/mm2
so cylinder strength= 21.5 * 0.955= 20.53 N/mm2
So standard cube strength= cylinder strength/0.8=20.52/0.8=25.66
N/mm2
If compressive strength of 100 mm cube is 24.6 Mpa
then standard cube strength= 24.6* 0.9= 22.14 N/mm2
Thanks…