Concrete Technology Questions

COCRETE TECHNOLOGY
1) What are the main elements present in OPC?

The typical oxide composition of Ordinary Portland cement is shown in the table below:
OXIDE
%-AGE RANGE
AVG. %-AGE
CaO
60.0 67.0
63.0
SiO2
17.0 25.0
20.0
Al2O3
3.0 8.0
6.0
Fe2O3
0.5 - 6.0
3.0
MgO
0.5 - 4.0
1.5
0.3 - 1.2
1.0
2.0 - 3.5
2.0
Alkalis(K20
+Na2O)
SO3
The raw materials containing these oxides are used for the production of Portland
cement. It should however be mentioned that these are just the typical compositions,
these oxide compositions could be very well varied to produce cements of different
properties for specific uses.
2) What are the main compounds present in OPC?
Main compounds present in Ordinary Portland Cement are:
Compound
Oxide composition
Abbreviation
Avg. %age
Tricalcium Silicate
3CaO. SiO2
C3S
54.1
Dicalcium silicate
2CaO. SiO2
C2S
16.6
Tricalcium Aluminate
3CaO. Al2O3
C3A
10.8
Tetracalcium
Aluminoferrite
4 CaO. Al2O3. Fe2O3
C4AF
9.10
3) What is the difference between OPC, PPC & PSC?

Ordinary Portland Cement: - OPC is produced by finely grinding OPC clinker obtained
from the cement kilns. This cement on hydration produces C-S-H gel, which provides
cementation property, along with Ca(OH) 2, which does not provide any strength, rather it
causes further problems of leaching in concrete.
Calcium Silicates
+ Waterby inter-grinding
C-S-H gel OPC clinker along with
Portland Pozzolana Cement:
- PPC is produced
some pozzolanic material like fly ash.
cement
also produces on hydration, C-S-H gel
+ This
Ca(OH)
2
along with Ca(OH)2, which further reacts with the pozzolanic material to produce more
amount of C-S-H gel, which provides additional cementation and thus increases the
overall strength and reduces Ca(OH)2 content.
Calcium Silicates + Water C-S-H gel
Ca(OH)2
Portland Slag Cement:- PSC is obtained by mixing Portland cement clinker, gypsum and
granulated blast furnace slag in suitable proportions and grinding the mixture to get a
thorough and intimate mixture between the constituents. The resultant product is a
cement which has physical properties similar to OPC. It has low heat of hydration and is
relatively better resistant to chlorides and hence can be used for marine works.
4) If the elemental composition is available, how we can calculate compound
composition?
By using following equations, suggested by Bogue, we can calculate percentage of main
compounds from the percentage of elemental composition.
C3S = 4.07(CaO) 7.60(SiO2) 6.72(Al2O3) 1.43(Fe2O3)
2.85(SO3)
C2S = 2.87(SiO2) 0.754(C3S)
C3A = 2.65(Al2O3) 1.69(Fe2O3)
5) What is the role of C3A in the hydration process?
The reaction of C3A with water is very quick and violent, and leads to immediate
stiffening of
paste, known as flash set. The hydration product formed is tricalcium
aluminate hydrate(C3AH6).
C3 A + 6 H
C3AH6
This reaction requires much more water than that required for the
hydration of silicates. This causes shortage of water and there is incomplete hydration of
silicates. To prevent this Gypsum(CaSO4.2H2O)
is added to cement clinker. Gypsum
reacts with C3A to form insoluble calcium sulphoaluminate (3Cao.Al2O3.3CaSO4.31H2O),

but eventually tricalcium aluminate hydrate(C3AH6) is formed.
6) List the compounds present in cement according to their contribution towards
heat generation.
The contribution to heat generation in (cal/g) by different compounds at different times
is as shown:Compound
At 3 days
At 90 days
At 13 years
C3 S
58
104
122
C2 S
12
42
59
C3 A
212
311
324
C4AF
69
98
102
7) Discuss the manufacturing of cement using dry process. Illustrate your answer
with schematic diagrams.
In the dry process of manufacturing of cement the raw materials are crushed and fed
in the correct proportions into a grinding mill, where they are dried and reduced in
size to a fine powder.
The dry powder, called raw meal, is then pumped into a blending silo and final
adjustment is made in the proportions of the material.
Raw meal having moisture content about 2% is passed through a pre-heater, usually
of a suspension type(i.e. the raw meal particles are suspended in the rising
gases).Here the raw meal is heated to about 800C before being fed into the kiln.
In the kiln pulverized coal is blown by an air blast at the lower end where the
temperature reaches about 1400C.The mass (raw meal) then fuses into balls, 3-25
mm in diameter known as clinker.
On exit from the kiln the clinker is cooled and the heat being used to the pre-heat of
the combustion air.
The cool clinker which is characteristically black and hard is interground with gypsum
in order to prevent the flash set of cement. Grinding is done in a ball mill consisting of
several compartments with progressively smaller steal balls.
The cement discharged by the mill is passed through a separator, fine particles being
removed to the storage silo by an air current while the coarser particles are passed
through the mill once again.
Lime Stone,
Shale
Crusher
Ball Mill
Raw Meal Silo
Raw Meal PreHeater
Rotary Kiln
Clinker Cooler
Gypsum
Ball Mill
8) What is the advantage of dry process over wet process in manufacturing

Cement Silo
cement?
Dry process has the following advantages over wet process: In the wet process, the slurry contains 35-50% water whereas in dry process materials
are already in dry state. Thus, the obvious disadvantage of wet process was that when
the slurry was introduced into the kiln, a large amount of extra fuel is used in
evaporating the water.
In a wet process, the material is in the kiln for 2 to 3 hours. This time is reduced to 1
to 2 hours for a dry process. Some new heat exchanges only require 20 minutes. Thus
the dry process requires significantly lesser fuel compared to the wet process.
Quantity of coal required to produce 1 Ton of cement is only about 100 kg in case of
dry process compared to 350 kg for wet process.
9) Discuss ten types of cement indicating their compositions, codal provisions
and usage.
Type of
Compositio
cement
Codal Provisions
Usage
Specification given in : IS 269:1989 (33 Grade

OPC)
IS 8112:1989 (43 Grade
OPC)
IS 12269:1987 (53 Grade
OPC)
Fineness: Blaines air permeability test :
specific surface 225m2/kg
Soundness: La Chatelier test : Expansion
Ordinar
10mm
Autoclave test : Expansion 0.8
y
Portlan
d
Cemen
t
C3S, C2S,
percent
Setting
Time:
Vicat test : Initial Setting Time
C3A, C4AF
30 min
Final Setting Time 600
min
Compressive Strength(Min):
33 Grade 43 Grade
Rapid
Contains
Harden
more C3S
-ing
and Less
Portlan
C2S than
OPC
Cemen
t
of construction
where no special
durability
condition is
present
53
Grade
721hr :
16 Mpa
23 MPa
27 MPa
1682hr :
22 Mpa
33 MPa
37 MPa
6724hr :
33 Mpa
43 MPa
53 MPa
Specification given in : IS 8041:1990
2
specific surface 325m /kg

10mm
percent
Setting Time: Vicat test : Initial Setting Time
30 min
Any General type
i) In prefabricated
concrete
construction.
ii) Where formwork
needs to be
removed to use
elsewhere.
ii)Road repair
Final Setting Time 600 works.

iv)Cold weather
min
24hr30minutes : 16 Mpa
721hr :
27 Mpa
concrete where
rapid hardening
reduces chances of

2

Sulphat
e
Resisti
2C3A+C4AF
ng
should not
Portlan
exceed 25
percent
Cemen
cement
Portlan
Cemen
granulated
slag which
continuous wetting
and drying. In
marine
construction.
ii) Concrete used in
Final Setting Time 600 construction where

soil is infested with
10 Mpa
16 Mpa
33 Mpa
Codal Provisions
n
A mixture Specification given in : IS 455:1989
of Portland
cement
clinker and
10mm
blast
furnace
accelerated by
basement
30 min
Compositio
d Slag
t
percent
min
721hr :
1682hr :
6724hr :
Type of
10mm
frost action
i) Sulphate attack
percent
30 min
sulphates.
iii) In sewage
treatment work
Usage
Low heat of
hydration so used
in mass
concreteing
is a waste
Supers
ulphate
d
Cemen
t
min
product in Compressive Strength(Min):
721hr :
16 Mpa
making of
1682hr :
22 Mpa
pig iron.
6724hr :
33 Mpa
produced Specification given in : IS 6909:1990
by
intergrindi
ng a
5mm
mixture of
80 to 85 %
granulated
blastfurnac
e slag, 10
to 15
percent
calcium
sulphate
percent
30 min
i) In marine
construction.
ii) Concrete used in
basement
construction where
soil is infested with
sulphates
iii) In sewage
Final Setting Time 600 treatment work.

min
721hr :
1682hr :
6724hr :
15 Mpa
22 Mpa
30 Mpa
and a
small
amount of
Portland
cement
Low
Lower
Heat
content of
Portlan
rapidly
hydrating
Cemen
compound
Type of
Compositio
cement
10mm
percent
Mass concreting.
30 min
min
721hr :
1682hr :
6724hr :
10 Mpa
16 Mpa
35 Mpa
Codal Provisions
Usage
Specification given in :
IS 1489(Part1):1991(fly ash based)
IS 1489(Part2):1991(calcined clay
based)
Portlan
Pozzolanic
material is
Pozzola
mixed with
na
portland
Cemen
cement
clinker
Hydrop
Grinding
hobic
with water
Cemen
repellant
film
forming
substances
like oleic

10mm
percent
30 min
min
721hr :
16 Mpa
1682hr :
22 Mpa
6724hr :
33 Mpa
10mm
percent
i) Economical,
Reduce
permeability, Used
For hydraulic
structure
ii) For marine
structure.
iii) Mass concreting
for Dam etc.
Used when cement

to be stored for
long time.
acid,
stearic
30 min
acid etc.
Film get
broken
when
mixing is

min
721hr :
1682hr :
6724hr :
15.69 Mpa
21.57 Mpa
30.4 Mpa
done.
Used by the
Oil-well
petroleum industry
cement of
for cementing gas
classes A,
B, C, D, E,
F, G and H,
Oil well
Cemen
t
shall be
manufactur
edby
grinding
clinker

2

10mm
percent
30 min
consisting
of hydraulic
The total
have to remain
pumpable at this
elevated temp and
press for a
sufficient length of
time and then
rapidly.
Cemen
of such cement
silicates.
cement
pressures. Slurries
harden fairly
Compositio
Alumin
temperatures and
calcium
Type of
High
min
and oil-wells at high
alumina
content
(Al2O3)
shall not be
less than
32 percent
by mass.
Codal Provisions
Usage

5mm
Where very high

rate of strength
development is
30 min
Final Setting Time 600 required.

min
24hr30 minutes : 30 Mpa
721hr :
35 Mpa
10) How do you measure consistency, setting time, fineness and soundness of
cement? Answer in brief.
Consistency test(P)
300 gm of cement is mixed with 25% water. The paste is filled in the mould(40 mm
height) of Vicats apparatus. And the surface of the filled paste is smoothened and
levelled. A square needle(10mm*10 mm) attached to the plunger is then lowered gently
over the cement paste surface and is released quickly. The plunger pierces the cement
paste. The reading on the attached scale is recorded. When the reading is 5-7 mm from
the bottom of the mould, the amount of water added is the correct percentage of water
for normal consistency.
Setting Time
After preparing the cement paste by adding 0.85 times then water required to give a
paste of standard consistency the mould is filled completely with the paste and placed
into the vicat apparatus. The test is conducted at room temperature of 272C. Initial
setting time is the time required for the needle of the apparatus to reach the level of
5mm measured from the bottom of the mould.
The cement is considered to be finally set when upon applying the needle gently to the
surface of test block, the needle makes an impression, but the attachment fails to do so.
Fineness
Degree of fineness of cement is the measure of mean size of grains in it.3 methods are
generally used for testing fineness: Sieve Method, Blains Air Permeability Method,
Wagner Turbidimeter Method. The last two methods measure the surface area of per
gram of cement whereas the first one measures percent residue by weight.
Soundness
Soundness of cement may be tested by Le-Chatelier Method or by Autoclave Method. In
Le-Chatelier Method, a mould is prepared by mixing 100 gram of cement with o.78 times
the water required to give a paste of standard consistency. Mould is covered with a glass
sheet and submerged in water at temperature of 27-32C.After 24 hours ,mould is taken
out and the distance separating the indicator point is measured. After that mould is
submerged in the boiled water for 3 hours. After removing the mould from water it is
cooled and the distance between the indicator points is measured again. The difference
between the two measurements represents the unsoundness of the cement. In autoclave
test at first Neat cement specimen of 25mm x 25mm x 250mm placed inside autoclave.
Temp of autoclave shall be raised at such a rate as will bring the gauge pressure of the
steam to 2.1 MPa in 1 to 1 h from the time the heat is turned on and maintained for 3
hours. After that pressure is reduced slowly and specimen is removed and cooled.
Change in length of the specimen is measured.
11) How the fineness of cement affects the properties of concrete?
1. The rate of hydration depends directly on the fineness of the cement as finer cements
offer greater surface area for hydration to take place, and for rapid development of
strength, high fineness is necessary. But higher rate of hydration means higher rate of
early heat evolution.
2. Increasing the fineness of cement reduces the amount of bleeding in concrete by
increasing the water requirement of concrete.
3. The workability of non-air-entrained concrete is increased by increasing the cement
fineness.
4. The 28-day compressive strength & modulus of elasticity of concrete, with or without
entrained air, increases with an increase in cement fineness. The difference in
compressive strength due to difference in fineness of cement is considerably less at 1

year's age.
5. The fineness of cement influences the drying shrinkage of concrete. When the water
content is increased because of fineness, the drying shrinkage is increased. However, if
excessive bleeding due to coarseness of the cement takes place, a reduction in the
drying shrinkage occurs.
6. The resistance of air-entrained concrete to deterioration caused by freezing and
thawing decreases with an increase in cement fineness. The same trend is noted with
non air-entrained concrete, but to a lesser degree.
7. Both air-entrained and non air-entrained concrete containing 100 percent reactive
aggregate are detrimentally affected by increased expansion at all ages by increases in
the fineness of a high-alkali cement.
12) What do you mean by the term ITZ? (Interfacial zone of concrete) and discuss
its effect on concrete.
The cement particles in fresh concrete, which are suspended in the mix water,
cannot pack together as efficiently when they are in the close vicinity of a much larger
solid object, such an aggregate particle. This is actually a general phenomenon
associated with particle packing, known as the "wall effect." In the case of concrete,
this is effect is magnified by the shearing stresses exerted on the cement paste by the
aggregate particles during mixing, which tend to cause the water to separate from the
cement particles. The result is a narrow region around the aggregate particles with
fewer cement particles, and thus more water. This is called the interfacial transition
zone, abbreviated ITZ.
The ITZ is a region with a higher w/c, and thus a higher porosity, than
the bulk paste. It is not uniform, but varies from point to point along each aggregate
particle. ITZ thickness will depend on the median size of the cement grains, and not
on the aggregate size. The median diameter of most cements in common use is
around 10-30 micrometers, so this is typically the kind of width one finds associated
with ITZ's.
Effect of ITZ on concrete: The ITZ has important effects on the properties of
concrete, because it tends to act as the "weak link in the chain" when compared to the
bulk cement paste and the aggregate particles. Thus the lower strength and stiffness
of the ITZ translate directly into lower strength and stiffness values for concrete as
compared to cement paste. The total volume of ITZ in a concrete increases with the
total amount of large aggregate and with the average size of the aggregate, which
explains why the strength is observed to decrease with both of these parameters. The
ITZ is also more permeable than the bulk paste, due to its higher porosity. In most
concretes the ITZs are linked (percolated), creating a continuous high-permability
phase across the structure. As a result, the permability of concrete can be 1000 times
greater than that of the pure cement paste it contains. The durability of concrete is
inversely related to the permeability, as most damage mechanisms involve the

diffusion of reactive ions into the concrete to attack either the cement paste or the
steel reinforcement.
13) What is the role of water reducing admixture in concrete? Discuss the
chemistry behind it. Name a few commercial water reducing admixture in
market.
The basic role of water reducers is to deflocculate the cement particles agglomerated
together and release the water tied up in these agglomerations, producing more fluid
paste at lower water contents. Thus water reducing admixtures reduces water required
for a given higher workability.
The mode of action of water reducing admixtures isThe principal components of these admixtures are surface active agents. They gets
adsorbed on cement particles imparting negative charge to them which causes
deflocculation due to repulsion between particles. Thus dispersion of the cement
particles is stabilized. Even air bubbles are also repelled & cant get adhered to cement
particles. The flocculated mass traps some water increasing availability of water for
hydration. The repulsive action increases surface area of cement available for initial
hydration. As a result early strength gain in concrete is observed due to greater
exposure of surface area.
14) List ten important admixtures/plasticizers commonly used in construction and
discuss their role in enhancing properties of concrete. Mention the doses of
these admixtures/plasticizers of few (max 3-4) companies.
15) What is the difference between HSC and HPC?

High Performance Concrete
High Strength Concrete
ACI defines high-performance

concrete as a concrete meeting special
combinations
of
performance
and
uniformity requirements that cannot
always be achieved routinely using
conventional constituents and normal
mixing, placing, and curing practice.
A greater degree of quality control is
required for the successful production of
high-performance concrete.
A HPC is not always a HSC.
Concrete is defined as highstrength concrete solely on the basis of

its compressive strength measured at a
given age.
Relatively lesser degree of quality

control is required, than that required for
HPC.
A HSC is always a HPC.
16) What is the difference between segregation and bleeding? How can we control
segregation, bleeding using additives/admixtures/plasticizers?
Segregation:Segregation is defined as the separation of the constituent materials of concrete. There
is a considerable difference in the sizes and specific gravities of the constituent
ingredients of concrete, so there is a natural tendency of the materials to fall apart.
Segregation may be of three types:
The coarse aggregate separating out or settling down from the rest of the mix.
The paste or matrix separating out from the rest of the material.
The water, being of lowest specific gravity, separating out from the rest of the
material.
Bleeding:- Bleeding is a particular form of segregation, in which some of the water in
the mix tends to
rise to the surface of the freshly mixed concrete. This is caused by the inability of the
solid
constituents of the mix to hold all of the mixing water when they settle
downwards, water having the lowest specific gravity of all the mix constituents.
Additives such as fly ash increase the effective surface area of particles thereby reducing
the pores of concrete. Thus chance of bleeding gets reduced. Also available water gets
reduced due to increase of surface area.
17) What is the difference between self-compacting concrete and conventional
concrete?
1. Self-compacting concrete is able to flow and consolidate under its own weight and
completely fills the formwork, even in the presence of dense reinforcement, without the
need of any vibration, whilst maintaining homogeneity. Conventional concrete is one
which needs vibration for consolidation under reinforcements.
2. SCC has lower coarse aggregate contents to reduce the friction between them and
therefore enhances the overall concrete fluidity
3. SCC has higher amounts of sand & cementitious materials including Portland cement
to further increase fluidity as well as enhances its cohesiveness and resistance to
segregation and viscosity.
18) What are the different tests and criterions for self-compacting concrete?
Property measured
Flowability / Filling
ability
Passing ability
Segregation
potential
Test method
Material
Slump flow
Concrete
T50
Concrete
V funnel
Concrete /
mortar
Orimet
Mortar
U box
Concrete
L box
Concrete
J - ring
Concrete
Settlement
column test
Sieve stability
test
Penetration test
Recommended values
(acceptance criterion)
650 800 mm
Average flow diameter
2 5 sec
Time to flow 500 mm
6 12 sec
Time for emptying of funnel
0 5 sec
Time for emptying of apparatus
0 30 mm
Difference in heights in two limbs
0.8 1.0
Ratio of heights at beginning and end of
flow
0 10 mm
Difference in heights at the beginning
and end of flow
Concrete
> 0.95 Segregation ratio
Concrete
5 15% sample passing through 5 mm

sieve
Concrete
Penetration depth < 8 mm
19) What is fly ash concrete?

Fly-ash concrete is a special type of concrete which is made up of PPC, in which the
pozzolanic material used is Fly-ash. Fly ash is a non-combusted by-product of coal-fired
power plants and is collected in the electrostatic precipitator. When high volumes of flyash are used in concrete (displacing more than 25% of the cement), it creates a
stronger, more durable product and reduces concretes bad environmental impact
considerably. Due to its strength and lower water content, cracking is reduced.
The nature of fly ash, tiny spherically shaped particles that act as ball bearings,
make it able to fill small voids and produce denser concrete that requires less water for
installation, resulting in water savings. Its density makes it less permeable to water in
finished form, protecting reinforcing steel and increasing the concretes durability. Able
to produce more cementitious paste, fly ash produces a stronger concrete. It also lowers
the heat of hydration, in turn reducing shrinkage and thermal cracking. Two types of fly
ash are generally used: Class C fly ash, which is typically light or tan colored and is
produced from burning lignite or sub-bituminous coal, and Class F fly ash, which is dark
grey and is produced from burning anthracite or bituminous coal.
20) What are the advantages of fly ash concrete over conventional concrete?
The advantages are listed below:-
The manufacture of Fly-ash concrete is less energy intensive, and the raw material
used is cheaper. Thus reducing the overall cost.
In fly-ash concrete more gel is formed so the ultimate strength is higher than that
of a conventional concrete.
The small particles of fly-ash help better packing, which reduces the permeability
and increases durability.
Fly-ash concrete generates less heat of hydration, as compared to conventional
concrete, so the chances of development of cracks get reduced.
Water requirement of fly-ash concrete is much lesser than that of conventional
concrete.
Fly-ash concrete puts a waste material to good use, and causes fewer global
warming problems.
21) What is fiber concrete and advantages of it over conventional concrete?
Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is concrete containing fibrous material which increases
its structural integrity. It contains short discrete fibers that are uniformly distributed and
randomly oriented. Fibers include steel fibers, glass fibers, synthetic fibers and natural
fibers each of which lend varying properties to the concrete.
Their main purpose is to increase the energy absorption capacity and
toughness of the material, but it also increases the tensile and flexural strength of
concrete. There is considerable improvement in the post-cracking behavior of concretes
containing fibers. Although the ultimate tensile strengths do not increase appreciably,
the tensile strains at rupture do. Compared to plain concrete, fiber-reinforced
concrete is much tougher and more resistant to impact.
The benefits provided by FRC are listed below:-
Polypropylene and Nylon fibers can:

Improve mix cohesion, improving pumpability over long distances.
Improve freeze-thaw resistance.
Improve resistance to explosive spalling in case of a severe fire.
Improve impact resistance.
Increase resistance to plastic shrinkage during curing.
Steel fibers can:
Improve structural strength.
Reduce steel reinforcement requirements.
Improve ductility.
Reduce crack widths and control the crack widths tightly, thus improving durability.
Improve impact and abrasionresistance.
Improve freeze-thaw resistance.
22) Discuss post cracking behaviour of steel FRC. Illustrate with graph.
The fiber-reinforced concrete composite will carry increasing loads after the first cracking
of the matrix if the pull-out resistance of the fibers at the first crack is greater than the
load at first cracking. At the cracked section, the matrix does not resist any tension and
the fibers carry the entire load taken by the composite. With an increasing load on the
composite, the fibers will tend to transfer the additional stress to the matrix through
bond stresses. This process of multiple cracking will continue until either fibers fail or the
accumulated local debonding will lead to fiber pull-out.
23) What is geo-polymer concrete? Is it different from fly ash concrete?
Geopolymer is essentially a cement free concrete.
source material
It results from the reaction of a
that is rich in silica and alumina with alkaline liquid. Unlike ordinary
portland/pozzolanic cements, geopolymers do not form calcium-silicate-hydrates (CSHs)

for matrix formation and strength, but utilise the polycondensation of silica and alumina
precursors to attain structural strength.
Following materials are generally used to produce GPCCs:
Source material:
Fly ash,
GGBS,
Fine aggregates and
Coarse aggregates
Catalytic liquid system (CLS): It is an alkaline activator solution (AAS) for GPCC. It
is a
combination of solutions of alkali silicates and hydroxides, besides distilled water.
The role
of AAS is to activate the geopolymeric source materials (containing Si and Al)
such as fly ash and GGBS.

24) How the properties of FA and CA affect the strength and workability of
concrete?
The properties of aggregate especially its shape and surface texture effects the strength
of concrete in compression. It has been observed that concrete made of smooth gravel
crack at lower stresses than rough and angular crushed rock probably because
mechanical bond is influenced by the shape of coarse aggregate. Thus a well graded
aggregate with coarse sand can help in developing higher strength of concrete by
reducing porosity and increasing mechanical bond between aggregates.
If w/c ratio is kept unaltered then maximum size of aggregates, its grading, shape and
texture mostly affects workability. Some amount of water is utilized in making the
aggregates saturated, thereby lowering the available w/c ratio, the value of coarse/fine
aggregate ratio needs to be evaluated for getting highest workability.
The condition of aggregates i.e., dry or saturated while mixing also affect workability.
Fine aggregate can hold upto 10% of moisture which gets released during mixing
thereby increasing workability of the mix.
Reducing aggregate/cement ratio and keeping w/c ratio workability can be increased as
surface as solids(aggregate and cement) decreases so that same amount of water
increases workability.
25) Discuss in brief regarding properties of FA and CA. Mention IS code provisions
and brief detail of the tests.
The properties of aggregates are
i) Size: aggregates having size more than 4.75 mm are called coarse aggregates and
aggregates whose size is less than 4.75 mm are known as fine aggregates.
ii) Shape: shape of aggregate is an important property. It affects workability of concrete.
Coarse aggregates are classified as
a) Rounded
b) Irregular or partly rounded
c) Angular
d) Flaky
iii) Texture: The relative degree to which surface of admixture are polished or dull,
smooth or rough is called texture. Surface texture are classified as
a) Glassy
b) Smooth
c) Granular
d) Crystalline
e) Honeycomb & porous
iv)
Strength: it depends on the strength of parent rock to some extent. It is measured
by aggregate crushing value. Strength of aggregate refer to the load it can take
v)
before getting crushed

Toughness: the property of aggregate to resist sudden shock or impact is called
vi)
toughness. It is measured by aggregate impact value test.

Hardness: the property by which aggregates are able to resist the wear & tear on
its surface is called hardness of aggregate. It is usually measured by Los Angeles
vii)
Abrasion test.
Absorption & Moisture content: some aggregates are porous and absorptive which
will therefore effect the w/c ratio & hence the workability of concrete. The free
moisture content of fine aggregate result in bulking of aggregate. Due to bulking
fine aggregate shows more volume which if not taken proper care can result in a
concrete mix which is under-sanded and harsh.
Testing of aggregates
i)
As per IS 2386(PartI)-1963, tests are performed to determine the flakiness index

and elongation index of aggregates. Flakiness index is the percentage by wt of
particles in it whose least dimension is less than 3/5 th of their mean dimension.
Elongation index is the percentage by wt of particles whose greatest dimension is
greater than 1.8 times their mean dimension. IS code does not specify the linmit
of both test. Flakiness index is taken as the wt of the material passing the various
thickness gauge expressed as a percentage of the total wt of sample taken.
Elongation index is taken as the total wt the material retained on the various
length gauge expressed as a percentage of the total wt of the sample taken.
ii)
To determine strength of concrete aggregate crushing value is determined. A

gradually increasing compressive load is applied on aggregate passing 12.5 mm IS
sieve and retained on 10 mm IS sieve. The load is increased upto 40 tonnes in 10
mins and then released. The material is then sieved on 2.5 IS sieve and the ratio
of material passing .36 mm IS sieve to the original wt of sample is called
aggregate crushing value. Aggregate crushing value of more than 45% is not
iii)
suited for concrete work.

To determine resistance to sudden shock or impact aggregate impact test is
performed as per IS2386(part IV). The test sample is selected as above. After
placing the sample in the steel cup the hammer weighing 14 kgs is allowed to fall
freely through a distance of 380 mm. After 15 such blow the whole of it is sieved
through 2.36 mm IS sieve and the ratio of the wt of fraction passing through the
2.36 mm sieve to the total wt of sample gives the aggregate impact value. A
aggregate impact value greater than 45% of the wt of aggregates should not be
iv)
used for concrete work.

IS 2386(part IV) covers two methods for determining abrasion value for
aggregates: Devals abrasion testing & Los Angeles abrasion testing . the abrasive
charge consists of cast iron or steel spheres approximately 48 mm in dia &
weighing between 390 to 440 gm. After specified no of revolutions the material is
sieved on 1.7 mm IS sieve. The Ratio of material passing trough 1.7 mm IS sieve
to the original wt of sample is called abrasion value which should not be more
than 16% for concrete aggregates.
26) What is the objective of concrete mix design? What should be the right
approach to design a concrete mix?
The selection of mix proportion is simply the process of choosing suitable ingredient of
concrete and determining their relative quantities with the object of producing as
economically as possible concrete of certain minimum properties notable strength,
durability and required consistency. Also workability of the mix should be upto the mark
to meet the requirement of placing the concrete at the site.
To design a concrete mix of appropriate strength and durability and of required
workability one need study the property of concrete in detail with special emphasis on
the rheological behavior of concrete. The properties of admixture should be taken into
account to ascertain workability. Also w/c ratio should be controlled effectively to get the
maximum compressive strength for a fixed aggregate/cement ratio. Now- a-days
porosity of concrete is controlled in an effective manner to control strength and
compactness of concrete. Also computer modeling of the properties of constituents of
concrete should be made to controlled; and measure the properties of all the materials
to produce more appropriate mixes.
27) What are the different methods of concrete mix design generally used? What
are the advantages and disadvantages of these methods? Provide your
opinion regarding applicability of these methods in different situations.
The commonly used methods of mix design are
a) Thw ACI committee 211 method
b) The DOE method
c) The Indian Standard recommended method (as per IS 10262-82)
d) Mix desih=gn of pumpable concrete
The ACI committee 211 method
The advantages of this method arei) It takes into account the amount of water content in agg.
ii) The effects of angularilities of coarse aggregate is reflected in the void content,
thus angular coarse aggregate require more mortar than rounded aggregate.
iii)It takes into account the fact that a definite percentage of air remains
entrapped which is inversely proportional to the maximum aggregate size.

The DOE method
This method can be used for most purposes including road, this method was
developed by the department of environment (U.K.), can be used for pumpable
concrete.
The Indian Standard recommended method (as per IS 10262-82)
The advantages of this method are:1. Based on statistical variation, the target strength is fixed on a conservative
side.
2. Water absorption of fine and coarse aggregate is taken into consideration.
3. It incorporates the strength of cement to effect the economy in mix design.
The disadvantage of this method are:1. Now a days high strength cement is available so the 28 days strength
categories should be reviewed.
2. Graph connecting strength of cement and w/c ratio needs to be reestablished.
3. The graph connecting 28 days strength of cement and w/c ratio is to be
extended upto 80 MPa for high strength concrete.
4. As per revised edition of IS 456-2000 the mix design procedure should be
based on degree of workability expressed in terms of slump instead of
compacting factor. This results in the change of values in estimating
approximate sand and water content.

Mix design for pumpable concrete
A concrete which can be pushed through a pipe is called pumpable concrete. It is
proportioned in such a manner that its friction with the inner wall of the pipeline
does not become so high to prevent its movement at the pressure applied by the
pump. The content of fines is adjusted to offer at the inner line of the pipeline
under pressure from the pump the mix does not segregate or bleed.
28) What is the difference between a low modulus fiber and a high modulus fiber
used to produce FRC?
Fibre reinforced concrete is defined as a composite material consisting of mixture of
cement, mortar of concrete and discontinuous, discrete, and uniformly dispersed
suitable fibre. Its properties largely on the type of fibre, fibre geometry, fibre content,
orientation & distribution of fibre, mixing and compaction techniques and size shape of
the aggregates.
The modulus of elasticity of the matrix must be much lower than that of fibre for efficient
stress transfer. Low modulus fibre such as nylon and polypropylene are therefore unlikely
to give strength improvement but they helps in the absorption of large energy and
therefore impart greater degree of toughness and resistance to impact. High modulus
fibre such as steel, grass and carbon impart strength and stiffness to te composite.
29) Discuss the change in behaviour of concrete exposed to different levels of
temperature up to 1000c.
Up to about 300 C, the concrete undergoes normal thermal expansion.
Above that temperature, shrinkage occurs due to water loss; however, the aggregate
continues expanding, which causes internal stresses.
At 450-550 C the cement hydrate decomposes, yielding calcium oxide.
Up to about 500 C, the major structural changes are carbonatation and coarsening of
pores.
At 573 C, quartz undergoes rapid expansion due to phase transition.
Calcium carbonate decomposes at about 600 C.
Concrete exposed to up to 100 C is normally considered as healthy. The parts of a
concrete structure that is exposed to temperatures above approximately 300 C
(dependent of water/cement ratio) will most likely get a pink color. Over approximately
600 C the concrete will turn light grey, and over approximately 1000 C it turns yellowbrown. Usually, pink colored concrete is considered as a damaged one that should be
removed.
30) What is the basic requirement of Refractory concrete or high temperature
resistant concrete?
Refractory concrete made with high alumina cement has a good resistance to acid
attack, the chemical attack is increased by firing at 900-1000C. The concrete can be
brought up to service temperature as soon as it is hardened i.e. it does have to be prefired. Refractory high-alumina cement can withstand a considerable thermal shock.
31) What is creep in concrete?
Creep is defined as a time-dependent deformation under a constant load. The
creep develops in a concrete rapidly at the beginning and gradually decreases with time.
Approximately 75% of the ultimate creep in concrete occurs during the first year. The
total deformation of a reinforced concrete specimen consists of the instantaneous
deformation, shrinkage deformation, and creep.
32) Discuss few salient features of creep in concrete. Illustrate your answer with
graphs.
1) Under normal conditions of loading, the instantaneous strain recorded depends on the
speed of
some creep.
application of the load and thus includes not only the elastic strain but also
2) It is difficult to differentiate accurately between the immediate elastic strain and early
creep, but this is
not of practical importance as it is the total strain induced by the
application of load that matters.

3) If the stress is removed after some period of time, there is an instantaneous recovery
of the elastic strain and then slower recovery of some of the creep, but not all. If the
concrete is reloaded at some later date, instantaneous and creep deformations develop
again.
4) Creep in concrete is a post-elastic phenomena. In practice, drying shrinkage and
viscoelastic behavior such as creep usually take place simultaneously. Considering the
various combination of loading, restaining, and humidity conditions, the following terms
are defined:
I. True or Basic Creep is defined as the creep that occurs under conditions that there is
no drying shrinkage or moisture movement between concrete and ambient environment.
II. Specific Creep: is defined as creep strain per unit of applied stress:
III. Drying Creep: is the additional creep that occurs when the specimen under load is
also drying.
IV. Creep Coefficient: is defined as the ratio of creep strain to elastic coefficient.
33) What is shrinkage of concrete? How can you control shrinkage of concrete?
Shrinkage of concrete is the time-dependent strain measured in an unloaded and
unrestrained specimen at constant temperature. It can be classified as(a) Plastic Shrinkage
Shrinkage of this type manifests itself soon after the concrete is placed in the forms
while the concrete is still in the plastic state. Loss of water by evaporation from the
surface of concrete or by the absorption by aggregate or subgrade, is believed to be
the reasons of plastic shrinkage. The loss of water results in the reduction of volume.
The aggregate particles or the reinforcement comes in the way of subsidence due to
which cracks may appear at the surface or internally around the aggregate or
reinforcement.
(b) Drying Shrinkage
Under drying conditions, the gel water is lost progressively over a long time, as long
as the concrete is kept in drying conditions. Cement paste shrinks more than mortar
and mortar shrinks more than concrete.
(c) Autogeneous Shrinkage
Autogeneous shrinkage is the consequence of withdrawl of water from the capillary
pores by the anhydrous cement particles. Most of
the anhydrous shrinkage takes
place at the early age of hydration of cement.

(d) Carbonation Shrinkage
Carbonation shrinkage is probably caused by the dissolution of crystals of calcium
hydroxide and deposition of calcium carbonate in its place. As the new product is less
in volume than the product replaced, shrinkage takes place.
Plastic shrinkage can be reduced mainly by preventing the rapid loss of water from
surface. This can be done by covering the surface with polyethylene sheeting
immediately on finishing operation; by fog spray that keeps the surface moist.
34) What are the precautions that need to be taken during mass concreting to
avoid huge heat of hydration?
Concrete can be precooled by using chilled batch water, substituting ice for a
portion of the batch water, or by liquid nitrogen injection into the fresh concrete. If
significant precooling is required, internal cooling pipes can be used to reduce the
amount of precooling. Second, the concrete surface will likely also need to be insulated.
Insulation is needed to limit the temperature difference between the center and surface
so that thermal cracking is prevented or minimized. One or two layers of concrete
insulating blankets are often used.
35) What is the role of gypsum in cement?
Gypsum is the set retarder for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Without gypsum, ground
clinker exhibits flash setting in a few minutes, due to the rapid hydration of calcium
aluminates to form calcium aluminate hydrate (CAH). By this exothermic reaction the
matrix gets stiffened. The CAH, thus formed, does not contribute for strength of the
matrix and, moreover, hampers the hydration of calcium silicate. Chemical reaction in
the absence of gypsum:
Due to affinity of C3A with SO3, aluminate tends to react with sulphate and in this process
reaction of C3A with water get prevented. Ultimately, gypsum was identified as the most
effective form of sulphate to control hydration reactions of C 3A that incidentally resulted
in better workability for a longer duration.
Chemical reaction in the presence of gypsum is given below:
36) What is an ettringite?

Ettringite is a hydrous calcium aluminium sulfate mineral with formula:
(CaO)3(Al2O3)(CaSO4)3.32H2O. The prismatic crystals are typically colourless, turning
white on partial dehydration.Ettringite is formed in hydration process of cement after the

reaction of calcium sulphate with tricalcium aluminate.
Some properties of this material are:
Density: 1.77 g/cm3
Transparency: Transparent.
37) How can we measure the amount of micro-pores and size of maximum
diameter of pore using a sophisticated table?
Mercury porosimetry is a powerful technique utilized for the evaluation of
porosity, pore size distribution, and pore volume (among others) to characterize a wide
variety of solid and powder materials. The technique involves the intrusion of a nonwetting liquid (often mercury) at high pressure into a material through the use of a
porosimeter. The pore size can be determined based on the external pressure needed to
force the liquid into a pore against the opposing force of the liquid's surface tension.
The instrument, known as a porosimeter, employs a pressurized chamber to force
mercury to intrude into the voids in concrete. As pressure is applied, mercury fills the
larger pores first.
pores.
As pressure increases, the filling proceeds to smaller and smaller
Both the inter-particle pores (between the individual particles) and the intra-
particle pores (within the particle itself) can be characterized using this technique.
A force balance equation known as Washburn's equation for the above material
having cylindrical pores is given as:
= pressure of liquid
= pressure of gas
= surface tension of liquid
= contact angle of intrusion liquid
= pore diameter
38) Discuss XRD/EDX Method to understand the composition.
X-ray defraction (XRD) or Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) is an
analytical technique used for the elemental analysis or chemical characterization of a
sample. It relies on the investigation of an interaction of some source of X-ray excitation
and a sample. Its characterization capabilities are due in large part to the fundamental
principle that each element has a unique atomic structure allowing unique set of peaks
on its X-ray spectrum. To stimulate the emission of characteristic X-rays from a
specimen, a high-energy beam of charged particles such as electrons or protons, or a
beam of X-rays, is focused into the sample being studied. At rest, an atom within the
sample contains ground state (or unexcited) electrons in discrete energy levels or
electron shells bound to the nucleus. The incident beam may excite an electron in an
inner shell, ejecting it from the shell while creating an electron hole where the electron
was. An electron from an outer, higher-energy shell then fills the hole, and the difference
in energy between the higher-energy shell and the lower energy shell may be released in
the form of an X-ray. The number and energy of the X-rays emitted from a specimen can
be measured by an energy-dispersive spectrometer. As the energy of the X-rays are
characteristic of the difference in energy between the two shells, and of the atomic
structure of the element from which they were emitted, this allows the elemental
composition of the specimen to be measured.
39) Discuss Alkali-aggregate Reaction. How can you control Alkali-aggregate
Reaction?
The mixing water turns to be a strongly caustic solution due to solubility of
alkalies from the cement. The caustic solution attacks reactive silica of aggregate to
form alkali-silica gel of unlimited swelling type. Continuous growth of silica gel exerts
strong osmotic pressure to cause pattern cracking particularly in thin section like
pavement. This phenomenon results in loss of strength and elasticity.
Alkali aggregate reaction can be controlled by:
a)Selection of non-reactive aggregates.
b)By use of low alkali cement,
c)By the use of corrective admixture such as pozzolanas.
d)By controlling void space in concrete
e)By controlling moisture condition and temperature.
40) What do you mean by rheological properties of concrete? What is a
rheometer?
41) What do you mean by durability of concrete? Discuss with examples of acid
attack, carbonate attack.
Durability of concrete is defined as its ability to resist weathering action, chemical
attack, abrasion, or any other process of deterioration to maintain its original form,
quality, and serviceability when exposed to its intended service environment.
Acid attack:
Most acid solutions will slowly or rapidly disintegrate portland cement concrete
depending upon the type and concentration of acid. Most vulnerable part of cement
hydrate is Ca(OH)2 but C-S-H gel can also be attacked. Concrete can be attacked by
water of pH value less than 6.5, but attack is severe when pH value is less than 5.5. As
the attack proceeds, all cementitious materials leached away together with any
carbonate aggregate. If acids are able to reach the reinforcing steel through cracks,
corrosion can occur.
Carbonate attack:
Carbonation of concrete is a process by which CO 2 from the air penetrates into
concrete and reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium carbonates. Rate of
carbonation depends upon several factors like relative humidity, grade of concrete,
permeability of concrete etc. The highest rate of carbonation occurs at a relative
humidity of between 50 to 70 percent.
42) What is leaching of concrete? Discuss with an example providing emphasis on
chemistry.
When water flows through cracks present in concrete, water may dissolve various
minerals present in the hardened cement paste or in the aggregates, if the solution is
unsaturated with respect to them. Dissolved ions, such as calcium (Ca2+), are leached
out and transported in solution some distance. If the physico-chemical conditions
prevailing in the seeping water evolve with distance along the water path and water
becomes supersaturated with respect to certain minerals, they can further precipitate,
making deposits or efflorescences inside the cracks, or at the concrete outer surface.
This process can cause the self-healing of fractures in particular conditions.
43) What is the effect of water vapour pressure inside the pores of concrete for
concrete subjected to high temperature?
There is always some amount of moisture entrapped within the voids of concrete.
Generally these interstitial voids of concrete are interconnected. In concretes subjected
to high temperature, this water gets evaporated, which causes an increase in volume
and also the vapour pressure. Through the interconnected voids this vapour pressure
moves to different portions of concrete and gets dissipated. This is known as moisture
movement.
But if we use finer additives like fly ash and silica fume in the concrete, the voids
decrease to a very low amount and are no longer interconnected. This prevents the
moisture movement, and results in the increase in tremendous vapour pressure at a
single point. This pressure gets dissipated suddenly causing a big explosion.
44) How to assess durability of concrete by fracture energy approach?
45) How can you relate fracture energy concrete with ductility of concrete
46) Discuss beam test relating assessment of fracturing energy.
47) What do you mean by porosity and sorptivity of concrete?
Sorptivity is a measure of how quickly concrete will draw water in by capillary
action with no pressure head. This is a sensitive measurement method. Sorptivity can
sometimes be estimated from absorption or volume of permeable voids but other
parameters may negate this.
48) What do you mean by gel-space ratio?
The gel-space ratio is the ratio of the volume of solid products of hydration to the space
available for these hydration products.
Let, C=weight of cement in gm.
V=Specific volume of cement in ml/gm. =0.319
w=water cement ratio
Assuming 1ml of cement on hydration produces 2.06ml of gel,
Volume of gel=C x .319 x 2.06 =0.657C
Space available=0.319C+w.C
Gel-space ratio after complete hydration=0.657/ (0.319+w)
A higher gel-space ratio reduces the porosity and therefore increases the strength of
concrete. A higher water-cement ratio decreases the gel-space ratio increasing the
porosity thereby decreasing the strength of concrete.
Power and Brown yard established relationship between gel-space ratio and strength.
S=240r3
Where, S=Strength of concrete and r=gel-space ratio
49) What do you mean by secondary hydration of PPC?

Portland cement produces calcium silicate hydrate gel and lime by the process of
hydration. This hydration process is known as primary hydration.
Primary Hydration Reaction:
PPC is a Portland cement blended with pozzolana. Pozzolana is a siliceous or siliceous
and aluminous material, which in itself possesses little or no cementing property. But in
finely divided form and in the presence of moisture, it chemically reacts with lime
(liberated by Portland cement) at ordinary temperatures to form compounds possessing
cementitious properties. This process is termed as secondary hydration of PPC.
Secondary Hydration Reaction:
50) What is polymer concrete?

Concrete which uses polymers to supplement or replace cement as a binder is termed as
polymer concrete. In polymer concrete, thermosetting resins are used as the principal
polymer component due to their high thermal stability and resistance to a wide variety
of chemicals. Polymer concrete is also composed of aggregates that include silica,
quartz, granite, limestone, and other high quality material. The aggregate must be of
good quality, free of dust and other debris, and dry. Failure of these criteria can reduce
the bond strength between the polymer binder and the aggregate.
Advantages of polymer concrete include:
a) Rapid curing at ambient temperatures
b) High tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths
c) Good adhesion to most surfaces
d) Good long-term durability with respect to freeze and thaw cycles
e) Low permeability to water and aggressive solutions
f) Good chemical resistance
g) Good resistance against corrosion
h) Lightweight (Density=2260 kg/m3)
Some safety issues arise out of the use of polymer concrete. The monomers can be
volatile, combustible, and toxic. Initiators, which are used as catalysts, are combustible
and harmful to human skin. Polymer concretes also cost significantly more than
conventional concrete.

Concrete Technology Questions

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Concrete Technology Questions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

COCRETE TECHNOLOGY

1) What are the main elements present in OPC?

4 CaO. Al2O3. Fe2O3

3) What is the difference between OPC, PPC & PSC?

paste, known as flash set. The hydration product formed is tricalcium

is added to cement clinker. Gypsum

reacts with C3A to form insoluble calcium sulphoaluminate (3Cao.Al2O3.3CaSO4.31H2O),

8) What is the advantage of dry process over wet process in manufacturing

Specification given in : IS 269:1989 (33 Grade

specific surface 325m /kg

Any General type

Final Setting Time 600 works.

Specification given in : IS 12330:1988

specific surface 225m /kg

Final Setting Time 600 construction where

Final Setting Time 600 treatment work.

specific surface 300m2/kg

Used when cement

Final Setting Time 600

for cementing gas

Specification given in : IS 8229:1986

specific surface 225m /kg

and oil-wells at high

Specification given in : IS 6452:1989

Where very high

Final Setting Time 600 required.

compressive strength due to difference in fineness of cement is considerably less at 1

inversely related to the permeability, as most damage mechanisms involve the

15) What is the difference between HSC and HPC?

High Strength Concrete

ACI defines high-performance

Concrete is defined as highstrength concrete solely on the basis of

Relatively lesser degree of quality

> 0.95 Segregation ratio

5 15% sample passing through 5 mm

Penetration depth < 8 mm

19) What is fly ash concrete?

Polypropylene and Nylon fibers can:

It results from the reaction of a

portland/pozzolanic cements, geopolymers do not form calcium-silicate-hydrates (CSHs)

combination of solutions of alkali silicates and hydroxides, besides distilled water.

of AAS is to activate the geopolymeric source materials (containing Si and Al)

such as fly ash and GGBS.

before getting crushed

toughness. It is measured by aggregate impact value test.

As per IS 2386(PartI)-1963, tests are performed to determine the flakiness index

To determine strength of concrete aggregate crushing value is determined. A

suited for concrete work.

used for concrete work.

entrapped which is inversely proportional to the maximum aggregate size.

approximate sand and water content.

not of practical importance as it is the total strain induced by the

application of load that matters.

the anhydrous shrinkage takes

place at the early age of hydration of cement.

36) What is an ettringite?

white on partial dehydration.Ettringite is formed in hydration process of cement after the

As pressure increases, the filling proceeds to smaller and smaller

49) What do you mean by secondary hydration of PPC?

50) What is polymer concrete?

You might also like