Properties of Fresh Concrete

Dr. J. Jayaprakash

Course Content (2) - Module 2 (6 Hrs)

Module 2: Properties of Concrete

Selection of materials for concrete - water cement ratio -
Properties of fresh concrete - workability - measurement of
workability - Admixtures - process of various stages of concrete
- Statistical and quality control of concrete.

1
 Properties Desired in Fresh or Plastic Concrete (1)

 Wetness or dryness – referred to as the

consistency or slump.
 Uniformity – the concrete should be mixed
thoroughly, has a standard appearance and all
ingredients are to be evenly distributed in the
mix.
 Workability – concrete mix must be easily
placed and consolidated.

Properties Desired in Hardened Concrete (2)

 Durable, strong, watertight, and resistant to abrasion.

 Strong enough to carry the heavy loads (i.e. strength).

 Durable to withstand extreme exposure conditions

and to provide long service.

 Economical.

2
 Preparation of Concrete (1)

Preparation of
Concrete (2)

 Coarse aggregate
 Fine aggregate
 Cement (Add slowly)
 Dry mix for 1 minute
 Add water
 Check after about 2-3
minutes for wetter mixes

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 Production of Ready-Mix Concrete (1)
 Manufacturer’s Duty:
selecting and proportioning the ingredients and delivered
in good condition.
 Delivered to the work site in a plastic and
unhardened state.
 User’s Duty:
placing, finishing, and curing.
 Concrete construction of High quality:
User and Concrete Manufacturer.
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Production of Ready-Mix Concrete (2)

 Additional mixing required when the
uniformity of the batch is shown to be
inadequate.
 Specification:
- delivered and discharged within 1½ hrs or before
- the drum has revolved 300 times, after the introduction
of the water to the cement and aggregates or the
cement to the aggregates.

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 Concrete Batching Plant

Small Concrete Plant

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Delivery of Fresh Ready-Mix Concrete (1)

Conventional method:
Concrete truck @ 6 m3 & 12 m3.
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 Delivery of Fresh Ready-Mix Concrete (2)

Monster truck 12 m3, 50% water added at site

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Delivery of Fresh Ready-Mix Concrete (3)

Mix dry at
plant, add
water at site.

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Delivery of Fresh Ready-Mix Concrete (4)

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 Agitator Mixer
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Duration of Mixing Concrete

Mixing duration – economically the minimum number of
cycles required to cover the aggregates with cement paste.

Typically – 50 - 80 in a drum mixer

40 - 70 in a paddle/blade mixer
30 - 50 with super plasticiser

Speed of rotation - 15-20 r.p.m.

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Advantages or Ready mix concrete (1)

 Use of modern precision batching equipment -

assures purchasers of an accurately proportioned
mix.
 Thorough mixing - produce a concrete of
uniform quality, high strength, and durability.
 It creates a more efficient operation at the job
site.
17

Advantages or Ready mix concrete (2)

 No need of storage space for cement and

aggregates.
 Specalised equipments for mixing are not required.
 No need to rent or purchase or lease a mixer for use
on site.
 Any construction location is accessible to a ready mix
concrete.
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 Risks of adding water to ready mix concrete

 Addition of extra water will seriously affect the

strength, durability, and watertightness of the finished
concrete.
 Additional man-hours required for finishing.
 Finishers have to wait for the water to soak
into the subgrade or evaporate.

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Delivery of fresh concrete – control

samples

Cube tests

Take consistency
samples 15 mins after
mixing

Slump tests

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What is workability?

 Amount of useful internal work necessary

to produce full compaction.

 Determines ease of placement and the

resistance to segregation.

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Tests on fresh concrete or Measurement of

Workability
 Tests for consistency (i.e. Slump test)
 Compaction Factor test
 Vebe Test
 Ball penetration test
 Flow Table test

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11
 Slump Test (1)

 Used a roughly measure the consistency of the

concrete (i.e. how wet or dry the concrete is).
 Not considered as a measure of workability or water content.

 Any change in slump indicates that the changes were

made in grading or proportions of aggregate or in the
water content.

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Slump Test (2)

 To obtain the proper consistency, adjust the

amounts and proportions of the sand and coarse
aggregates used.

 Useful in detecting the variation in the

uniformity of a mix.

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 Slump Test (3)
 Slump cone of 16-
gage galvanised metal.
 Diameter of cone at
base – 8 inches
 Diameter of cone at
top – 4 inches
 Height of cone: 12
inches
Slump Test Apparatus
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Slump Test (4)

 Mould is provided with foot pieces and handles.

 Concrete sample should be taken just before the

concrete placed in the forms.

 Mould is dampened and placed on a flat surface

(i.e. Smooth plank or slab of concrete)

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 Slump Test (5)

Mould is filled with Each layer is rodded 25

concrete to about times and each stroke
1/3rd capacity must penetrate into the
underlying layer
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Slump Test (6)

Cone is again filled in two more layers of concrete.

Top surface of concrete Pull off the mould by

must be flattened with raising vertically in 5± 2
the tamping rod. seconds
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 Slump Test (7)

Partial mix being Full concrete mix

revealed by is ready for
removing the mould measurement

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Slump Test (8)

 Alternatively, the mould is
placed beside the concrete
specimen and the slump is
measured at the displaced
original centre of the top
Trapezoidal frame is surface of the specimen.
lifted to measure the  The test is run within an
slump from the top of elapsed time of 2.5
the concrete
minutes.
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Slump Test (9)

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Slump Test (10)

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Slump
 True Slump –The measurement is taken
between the top of the cone and the top of the
concrete after the cone has been removed. the
concrete simply subsides, keeping more or less
to shape.
 Zero Slump
- Indication of very low water-cement ratio,
which results in dry mixes.
- These type of concrete is generally used
for road construction. 33

Slump
 Collapsed Slump – It shows that the water-cement
ratio is too high, i.e. concrete mix is too wet or it is a
high workability mix, for which a slump test is not
appropriate.
 Shear Slump
- In a shear slump the top portion of the
concrete shears off and slips sideways.
- Indicates lack of cohesion in the concrete mix.
Shear slump may occur in the case of a harsh mix.
- It may undergo segregation and bleeding and
thus is undesirable for the durability of concrete.
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 Slump Test (11)

Description of Slump
workability mm inches
No slump 0 0
Very low 5 – 10 ¼–½
Low 15 – 30 ¾–1
Medium 35 – 75 1½–3

High 80 – 155 3¼–6

Very High 160 to collapse 6 ¼ to collapse
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Compaction Factor Test (1)

 Developed in Great Britain.

 Measures the degree of compaction when a
concrete mixture is subjected to amount of
work.
 Glanville et. al (1947) stated the definition of
workability - no acceptable method of directly
measuring the amount of work necessary to achieve
full compaction.
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 Compaction Factor Test (2)

 IS: 1199-1959, BS 1881: Part 103: 1993 & ACI

211.3-75: Concrete with a maximum size of
aggregate up to 40mm.
Test Procedure
 Two hoppers fitted, each in shape of a frustum of
a cone, fitted with doors at the base and placed
one above the other.
 A 6 inches cylinder placed below the hoppers.
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Compaction Factor Test (3)

Big Size - Hopper

Door

Small size - Hopper

Door

6’’ Cylinder

Compaction Factor Apparatus

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 Compaction Factor Test (4)

 Upper hopper is bigger than lower, is filled with concrete

and struck off without compacting.
 The bottom door is released and the concrete is allowed to
fall by gravity into the lower hopper which overflows.
 This assures that a given amount of concrete is
obtained in standard state of compaction without
the influence of human factor.

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Compaction Factor Test (5)

 Door of the lower hopper is released and allow

the concrete to fall into the cylinder.
 Excess concrete is struck off and the net
mass of concrete in the known volume of the
cylinder is determined.

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 Compaction Factor Test (6)

 Calculate the density of concrete in the

cylinder and this density divided by density of the
fully compacted concrete.
 The fully compacted concrete can be
determined by filling the cylinder with concrete in
four layers each layer is tamped or vibrated.

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Compaction Factor Test (7)

The degree of compaction, called the

compacting factor, is measured by the
density ratio.
That is,

density actually achived in the test

density of the same concrete fully compacted

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 Compaction Factor Test (8)

Description of Compacting Corresponding

workability Factor slump (mm)
Very low < 0.85 0 – 25

Low 0.85 - 0.9 25 – 50

Medium 0.9 – 0.95 50 – 100

High > 0.95 100 – 175

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Ve Be Time Test (1)

• It also consists of a sheet metal slump cone, a
weighing balance, cylindrical container, a standard
iron tamping rod and trowels.

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 VeBe Time Test (1)
• The slump cone A is placed
inside the cylinder B container
that is placed in the
consistometer.
• Place concrete into inverted
slump cone, denoted as “A”, in
three equal layers and compact
using steel tamping rod (25
times each layer) by hands.
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VeBe Time Test (1)

• The glass disc has to be placed such that it touches the top of
the concrete level and the reading is measured from the
graduated rod.

• The cylindrical cone is now removed immediately by raising

the cone slowly in the vertical direction. The transparent disc
on the top of the concrete is placed down to the new position
and the reading is determined. The difference in the values
measured will give the slump.

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 VeBe Time Test (1)

• Turn on VB vibrating machine, denoted as “D” and at the

same time we have to start the stop watch. The concrete is
allowed to spread out in the cylindrical container. Until the
concrete is remolded the vibration is continued. This stage is
when the surface of the concrete becomes horizontal and the
concrete surface completely adheres uniformly to the
transparent disc.

• Measure the time taken for concrete to fully cover glass

surface, denoted as “C” . 47

VeBe Time Test (2)

Slump (mm) C.F. V-B time (sec)

Heavily
High 100 - 175 > 0.95 X reinforced

Normal RC with
Medium 50 - 100 0.9 - 0.95 2-4
1 - 4% rebar

Mass
Low 25 - 50 0.85 - 0.9 4-7 concrete

Rolled,
Very low 0-25 < 0.85 7 - 15 hammered

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 Factors affecting workability (1)

Water Content:

 Workability of concrete mix largely depends upon

its water content.

 With the increases of water, the workability also

increases. However too much water results into
concrete of low strength and poor durability.

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Factors affecting workability (2)

Aggregate Characteristics:
 The particle size of coarse aggregate influences the water
requirement for a given consistency.
 Very fine sands or angular sands -require more water
for a given consistency; alternatively, they will
produce harsh and unworkable mixtures at a
water content that might have been adequate with
a coarser or well rounded sand.
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Factors affecting workability (3)

Size of Aggregate:

 Workability increases with the increase in the size of

the aggregate.

 Large size particles provide less surface area as

compared to surface area given by smaller size
particles. Hence, for same degree of workability,
less water is required for large size aggregate.
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Factors affecting workability (4)

Size of Aggregate:

 Lesser quantity of water used in large size aggregate also

reduces the quantity of cement for given water-cement ratio
and is therefore economical.

 From practical point of view, the maximum size of

aggregate to be used will depend upon the handling, mixing
and placing equipment, thickness of section and quantity of
reinforcement.

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 Factors affecting workability (5)

Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate:

 Porous and non-saturated aggregate will require more water

than a non-porous and saturated aggregate.

 For same degree or workability, the latter will require

less quantity of water.

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Oven-dry (OD): This is Air-dry (AD): The surface

achieved when the aggregate of the aggregate is dry
is heated to 1050 C for an and the internal pores
extended period. Under this may be partially filled with
condition, all moisture is water.
removed from the aggregate’s
pores. 54 54

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 Saturated surface-dry Damp or Wet: All the pores
(SSD): This is achieved under are completely filled with water
laboratory conditions when all and the surface of the
the pores are completely filled aggregate contains free water.
with water but no free water
remains on the surface of the
aggregate.

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Factors affecting workability (6)

Admixtures:
 Workability also increases with addition of admixture.

Temperature:

 The temperature at which the concrete mix is prepared also

affects its workability.

 The slump of the concrete mix decreases as the temperature of the mix
increases.

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 Factors affecting workability (7)

Cement Content:
 In normal concrete, at a given water content, a
considerable lowering of cement content tends to
produce harsh mixtures with poor
finishability.
 Concretes containing a very high proportion of cement
or a very fine cement show excellent cohesiveness
but tend to be sticky.
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Factors affecting workability (8)

 Concrete mixture with very high consistency tends to
segregate and bleed therefore adversely affecting
the finishability.
 Concrete mixtures with too low consistency may be
difficult to place and compact, and the coarse
aggregate may segregate on placement.

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 Placing of Concrete (1)

 Should be placed as near as possible to its final

position.

 To reduce segregation, concrete should not be

moved for too long a distance as it is being
placed in forms or slabs.

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Placing of Concrete (2)

 Concrete is deposited in horizontal layers of

uniform thickness.

 Each layer is thoroughly compacted before

next layer is placed.

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 Placing of Concrete (3)

 Rate of placement is kept rapid (to retain

the layer plastic)

 Rate of rapid placement prevents cold joints,

flow lines, and planes of weakness that
results when fresh concrete placed on
hardened concrete.
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Placing of Concrete (4)

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 Placing of Concrete (4)

Placement and levelling

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Compaction (1)

 Process of moulding concrete within the

forms and around embedded parts to
eliminate the pockets of entrapped air.

 Can be done by hand rodding, tamping, and

mechanical methods.

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 Compaction (2)
 Vibrators: make it possible to place stiff
mixtures with low water/cement ratio or high coarse-
aggregate content.

 High consistency mixtures should be

consolidated with care because concrete is
likely to segregate when intensively
compacted.
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Compaction (3)

 Vibrators are used to compact concrete and not to

move it horizontally, as a result
segregation occur.

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 Compaction (4)
Max layer depth about 500 mm in beams and slabs
(1 m in a wall or column)

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Compaction (5)

Effect on compaction of strength Vs water/cement ratio 68

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 Compaction (4)

Types of vibrators

- Internal or immersion type vibrators

- External or form vibrators

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Internal or immersion type vibrators (1)

 Poker vibrators are used.

 Flexible shaft vibrators consist of a

cylindrical vibrating head, ¾ to 7 in. in
diameter, connected to a driving motor by a
flexible shaft.

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 Internal or immersion type vibrators (2)

Tamping Rod
Poker Vibrator
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Internal or immersion type vibrators (3)

 Inside the head an unbalanced weight rotates at high

speed, causing the head to revolve in a circular orbit.
 Small vibrators: frequency ranging from 10,000 to
15,000 vibration per minute and low amplitude,
between 0.015 and 0.03 in.
 As diameter increases, the frequency decreases
and the amplitude increases.

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Internal or immersion type vibrators (4)

Heads and shafts

are inter-
changeable
2m, 3m and 4.5 m
(extension casing
and core)

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Internal or immersion type vibrators (5)

Poker compaction; wait for the air bubbles to appear;

stop when water-cement slurry appears!
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 External or Form Vibrators (1)

 Perfectly clamped to the outside of the

forms.

 Used for compacting thin or heavily

reinforced concrete members.

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External or Form Vibrators (2)

External Vibrators
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 External or Form Vibrators (3)

 Vibration of members congested with rebars helps

to remove air and water that may be entrapped

underneath the reinforcing bars, thus improving

the rebar-concrete bond.

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External or Form Vibrators (4)

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External or Form Vibrators (5)

Vibrating Table
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External or Form Vibrators (6)

Vibrating table; wait for the air bubbles to appear;

stop when water-cement slurry appears!

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 External or Form Vibrators (7)

 Precasting plants use vibrating tables with

suitable controls so that the frequency and
amplitude can be varied according to the size of the
member and consistency of concrete.

 Surface vibrators (i.e. vibrating screeds): used

to consolidate concrete in floor and slabs up to
6 in. thick.
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Segregation

Separation of the components of fresh concrete so

that they are no longer uniformly distributed.

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Segregation
Two forms of segregation:
1st form
coarser particles tend to separate out
because they tend to travel further along the
slope or to settle more than finer particles.

When this situation would occur?

If the mix is too dry this type of segregation
occur.
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Segregation
2nd form
Particularly occur in wet mixes, is manifested by
the separation of cement paste from the mix.

When this situation would occur?

When the mix is too wet the second type of
segregation would takes place.

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 Segregation
 Amount of segregation depends on handling and placing of
concrete.

 When danger of segregation is small ?

Concrete does not have far to travel and is

transferred directly from the bucket to the
formwork.

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How the segregation can be reduced?

 With proper method of handling, transporting,
and placing.

 In dry mixtures-reduced by increasing the water

content slightly.

 Aggregate grading: lowering of the maximum size of

coarse aggregate and use of more sand or finer sand

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 Measurement of Segregation

Difficult to measure quantitatively but visual

observation and inspection of cores of hardened

concrete are adequate to determine segregation.

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Segregation
 List out situations encourage segregation?
- Dropping concrete from considerable height
- passing along a chute
- particularly with changes of direction and
- discharging against obstacle
- improper use of vibrator (i.e. too long vibration).

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 Bleeding

What is bleeding?

 Known as water gain.

 Form of segregation in which some of the water in

the mix tends to rise to the surface of freshly

placed concrete.

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What is the cause of Bleeding?

 Water is the lightest component (i.e. lowest specific
gravity) in the concrete mix; thus bleeding is a form of
segregation because solids in suspension tends to settle down
under the force of gravity.

 By inability of the solid constituents of the mix to hold

all of the mixing water in dispersed state when the
heavy solids settle down.
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 How the bleeding is expressed?
 Bleeding can be expressed quantitatively as the total
settlement per unit height of concrete or as a
percentage of the mixing water; in extreme cases this
may reach 20 percent.

 ASTM prescribes two methods of determination of

total bleeding.

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Bleeding

 The initial bleeding proceeds at constant rate but subsequently

the rate of bleeding decreases steadily. This continues until the

cement paste has stiffened sufficiently to put an end to the

process of sedimentation.

 If the bleeding water is remixed during finishing of the top

surface, a weak wearing surface will be formed. This is called

Laitance.
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Bleeding
What is Laitance and how it can be reduced?
 If the bleeding water is remixed during finishing of the
top surface, a weak wearing surface will be formed. This is
called Laitance.

 Avoided by delaying the finishing operation until the bleed

water has evaporated and also by use of wood floats and
avoidance of overworking the surface.

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Bleeding

What happens if evaporation of water is faster

than bleeding rate?

 if evaporation of water from concrete surface is

faster than bleeding rate, plastic shrinkage

crack may result.

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Bleeding
When bleeding can be reduced?

 Tendency of bleeding depends on the properties of cement.

 By increasing the fineness of cement (because finer particles

hydrate earlier and their rate of sedimentation is lower).

 Less bleeding - when cement has high alkali content, high

C3A (tricalcium aluminate) content or when calcium chloride is

added.
95

Bleeding
When bleeding can be reduced?

 Adequate proportion of fine aggregate particles (especially

smaller than 150μm (No. 100 Sieve) significantly reduces
bleeding.

 When crushed fine aggregate contains excess very fine material (up to
about 15 percent passing the 150μm (No. 100 Sieve)) bleeding
is reduced.

Very fine material - crusher dust only and not clay.

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Bleeding

When bleeding can be reduced?

 Addition of pozzolans or other fine material or aluminum

powder.

 Addition of mortar or fly ash or silica fume.

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Thank You

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