Concrete Microstructure

Concrete Microstructure
May 13, 2020

Online Session
Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use
Concrete is a mass of sand, crushed rock, or other
aggregates bonded together by a hardened paste
of hydraulic cement and water.

Hydraulic cement is cement that sets and hardens by chemical reaction
with water (hydration) and is capable of doing so under water (ACI 225R)

Non-hydraulic cement is more basic and was the first form of cement invented by
early scientists. Non-hydraulic cement is cement which cannot harden while in
contact with water. Non-hydraulic cements are created using materials such as
non-hydraulic lime and gypsum plasters.

Concrete History
The use of cementing materials is very old.
The first concrete history - Greeks and Romans.
Calcined Limestone + Water Greeks &

Romans
Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone
 After the decline of the roman empire, there was a decline in the quality of cement, mortar
and concrete used for building construction.

Concrete History - 1756
Calcined Limestone + Water Greeks

&
Romans
Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Pozzolana
Clayey
John Smeaton
Matter

Concrete History
 Eddystone Lighthouse – in use till 1877

 Rebuilt
 Important in the History of development of cement
 Identified the compositional requirements needed to obtain “hydraulicity” in lime

Concrete History
Portrait of John Smeaton, with the Eddystone Lighthouse in the background.

Concrete History

Smeaton's lighthouse was rebuilt on
Plymouth Hoe, in Plymouth, as a
memorial.

Concrete History
In 1824, a patent for Portland cement was taken out by Joseph Aspdin, which was
produced by heating a mixture of finely divided clay and hard limestone in a furnace un till
CO2 was driven off.
Joseph Aspdin

Concrete History

&
Romans
Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Clay
Joseph Aspdin

Concrete History
In 1841, William Aspdin, the inventor of modern

Portland cement, set up a plant at Rotherhithe.
Aspdin's product caused a sensation, and Issac
Johnson set to work trying to copy it.
Joseph Aspdin

Concrete History
After nearly two years' work, he succeeded in

this, and started marketing his own version. He
always claimed that his cement was better than
that of Aspdin. Because Aspdin's product was not
protected by an explicit patent, Johnson was able
to claim until his dying day that he was the
inventor of "true" Portland cement, and he is still
named as such in some modern texts.

Concrete History
&
Romans

Concrete History
The prototype of modern cement in 1845 by Isaac Johnson,
 He discovered the importance of the intermixing

of chalk and clay in proportion with water and
also the clinkering of the mixture.
 He also modified the kiln so that the chimney
was tapered to increase the draught and thus
the temperature.

Concrete History
 First rotary kiln designed to produce Portland cement patented in 1885 by Frederick
Ransome.
 In 1899 Atlas Cement Company improved the technology of the rotary kiln and fuel
economy by replacing fuel oil with powdered coal dust.

Concrete History
Aspdin's 'Beehive' kiln, used to make the first genuine Portland

Cement, can still be seen at Northfleet. The oldest surviving
cement kiln in the world, it has been opened up by Blue Circle
for public viewing.

Why Concrete?
There has been no looking back for concrete since its modern development. Known as the
strongest building material, concrete has found major uses in dams, highways, buildings
and many different kinds of building and construction.

Why Concrete?
 Ambient temperature hardened material

Why Concrete?
 Excellent resistance to water

Why Concrete?
 Concrete is completely non-combustible and has a slow rate of heat transfer, making it
highly effective against the spread of fire.

Why Concrete?
 Concrete requires very little maintenance and is easy to clean.

Why Concrete?
 Concrete is exceptionally durable.

Why Concrete?
 Concrete allows endless possibilities for creative custom design

Why Concrete?
 Ability to consume waste

Why Concrete?
 Ability to work with reinforced steel

CEMENT
Why the name PORTLAND CEMENT?

CEMENT
The name Portland cement given originally due to the resemblance of the color and quality
of the hardened cement to Portland stone- a limestone quarried in Dorset- has remained
throughout the world to this day to describe a cement obtained by intimately mixing together
calcareous and argillaceous, or other silica, alumina, and oxide bearing materials.

CEMENT
 the basic ingredient of concrete.
 limestone, shells, and chalk or marl combined with shale, clay, slate or blast furnace
slag, silica sand, and iron ore.
 closely controlled chemical combination of calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and small
amounts of other ingredients.
 Lime and silica make up about 85% of the mass.
 What else is added in the final grinding process?

CEMENT
Limestone Shale
Shell Clay Rock
Chalk Slate Rock

CEMENT- Manufacturing Processes
The mixing and grinding

of the raw materials can
be done either in water
or in a dry condition,
hence the names “Wet”
and “Dry” processes.

CEMENT- Types of Manufacturing Processes
 Wet Process
 Dry Process - 74% of cement produced
 Pre-heater/Pre - Calciner Process

Limestone quarrying

Crushing

CEMENT- Manufacturing Process (Wet)
 Crushed limestone is fed into a ball mill with the clay dispersed in water. There the
grinding of the limestone (to the fineness of flour) is completed and the resultant slurry is
pumped into storage tanks.

Finally, the slurry with the desired lime content passes into the rotary kiln - a large
refractory lined steel cylinder, up to 8m in diameter, sometimes as long as 230m, slowly
rotating about its axis, which is slightly inclined to the horizontal.

Refractory Lining
Rotary kilns are steel tubes having an inner refractory

lining, with a slope of 3-4 percent to the horizontal, and
rotating on its long axis usually with a speed of 1 to 2 rpm.
The tubes generally have a diameter in the range of 2.5 to
5 m (up to 8 m). The length of the tubes vary from 14-17
to 32-35 times the diameter. The tube is mounted on a
number of roller supports.

Refractory Lining
Substances which can with stand high temperature without undergoing deformation are
called Refractories.
Examples: Fire clay Bricks, Magnesite bricks, Alumina Bricks, Zirconia Bricks etc.,

The slurry is fed in at the upper end while pulverized coal is blown in by an air blast at the
lower end of the kiln, where the temp. reaches about 1450oC.

Rotary Kiln (Furnace)

 The slurry, in its movement down the kiln, encounters a progressively higher temperature.
 At first, the water is driven off and carbon dioxide is liberated, further on the dry material
undergoes a series of chemical reactions until finally in the hottest part of the kiln, some
20 to 30% of the material becomes liquid and lime, silica and alumina combine.
 The mass then fuses into balls 3 to 25mm in diameter known as CLINKER. The clinker
drops into coolers.
 The kiln has to operate continuously in order to ensure a steady regime and therefore
uniformity of clinker and also to reduce the deterioration of the refractory lining. It should
be noted that the flame temperature reaches 1650oC.

pyroprocess2.avi




CEMENT- Manufacturing (DRY Process)
 In modern works, the blended raw material enters the kiln via the pre-heater tower, an
integral part of the process, a heat exchanger called a ‘suspension pre-heater.’
 Here, hot gases from the kiln, and probably

the cooled clinker at the far end of the kiln,
are used to heat the raw meal.
 As a result, the raw meal is already hot before
it enters the kiln.
 This is a tower with a series of cyclones in
which fast-moving hot gases keep the meal
powder suspended in air.
 All the time, the meal gets hotter and the gas
gets cooler until the meal is at almost the
same temperature as the gas.

CEMENT- Manufacturing Process (DRY)
 A dry process kiln is much more thermally efficient than a wet process kiln.
 Firstly, and most obviously, this is because the meal is a dry powder and there is little or no
water that has to be evaporated.
 Secondly, and less obviously, the process of transferring heat is much more efficient in a dry
process kiln.
In the dry process, the raw meal, which has a moisture content of 0.2%, is heated to
about 800 ° C, before being fed into the kiln.


The heating process is efficient because
the meal particles have a very high
surface area in relation to their size and
because of the large difference in
temperature between the hot gas and
the cooler meal. Typically, 30%-40% of
the meal is decarbonated before
entering the kiln.

CEMENT- Manufacturing Process
 A development of this process is the ‘pre-calciner’ kiln.
 Most new cement plants are of this type.
 The principle is similar to that of the dry process pre-heater kiln but with the major addition
of another burner, or pre-calciner.
 With the additional heat, about 85%-95% of the meal is de-carbonated before it enters the
kiln.




CEMENT- Manufacturing

Comparison of Processes
 Wet process easiest to control chemistry & better for moist raw materials.
 Wet process high fuel requirements - fuel needed to evaporate 30+% slurry water.
 Dry process kilns less fuel requirements.
 Pre heater /pre calciners further enhance fuel efficiency & allow for high production rates.

Clinker

CEMENT
 What else is added in the final grinding process?
Gypsum

CEMENT

The clinker is ground with Gypsum in a ball mill- a horizontal steel tube filled with steel balls.
As the tube rotates, the steel balls tumble and crush the clinker into a superfine powder.


Inside a (stationary!) cement mill. The part-ground clinker and steel grinding
media are clearly visible.

CEMENT CLINKER
GYPSUM

From the grinding mills, the cement is conveyed to silos, where it awaits shipment.
Video

CEMENT- Clinker Chemistry
Alite or 3CaO•SiO2 or C3S (50-70%)
Belite or 2CaO• SiO2 or C2S (15-30%)
Aluminate or 3CaO• Al2O3 or C3A (5-10%)
Ferrite or 4CaO• Al2O3 • Fe2O3 or C4AF (5-15%)

Which country is the first largest cement producer in the world?

Where is India’s position in cement production in the world?
How much cement is produced by India per year?

India was "the best of the rest" with 270
million metric tons while the United States
produced 86.3 million, an amount China
blitzes every single month.

Flash set & False Set

False Set
 False set is evidenced by a significant loss of plasticity, i.e. stiffening, without the evolution
of much heat shortly after mixing.
 False set cause no difficulty in placing and handling of concrete if the concrete is mixed for a
longer time than usual or if it is remixed without additional water before it is transported or
placed.

Flash Set
 Evidence by a quick and early loss of workability and it is usually accompanied by evolution
of considerable heat from the hydration of aluminates.
 The workability can not be regained without the addition of water.

CEMENT- Clinker Chemistry
Alite or 3CaO•SiO2 or C3S (50-70%)
Hydrates & hardens quickly
High early strength
Higher heat of hydration (setting)
Belite or 2CaO• SiO2 or C2S (15-30%)
Hydrates & hardens slower than alite
Gives off less heat
High late strength (> 7 days)
Aluminate or 3CaO• Al2O3 or C3A (5-10%)
Very high heat of hydration
Some contribution to early strength
Low C3A for sulfate resistance
Ferrite or 4CaO• Al2O3 • Fe2O3 or C4AF (5-15%)
Little contribution to strength
Lowers clinkering temperature
Controls the color of cement

HYDRATION OF CEMENT
The process by which cement reacts with water is termed HYDRATION.
In cement, this involves many different reactions (mostly exothermic), often occurring at
the same time.
As the reactions proceed, the products of the cement hydration process gradually bond
together the individual sand and gravel particles and other components of the concrete to
form a solid mass.
Cement Hydration

Cement + Water =
1
C3S + Water = CSH + Ca(OH)2
Gel
2 C2S + Water = CSH + Ca(OH)2

Gel
C3A
3 C4AF + Water = C6AS3H32
CaSo4

CSH
Gel
+
Ca(OH)2
+
Cement + Water =
C6AS3H32
+
Heat
+
Pores
2 C3S + 6H → C3S2H3 +3 Ca(OH)2
100 + 24 → 75 + 49
2 C2S + 4H → C3S2H3 + Ca(OH)2
100 + 24 → 99 + 22
C3A + Gypsum + 26H → C6AS3H32
Ettringite C6ASH32
C4AF forms the same sequence of

hydration products as does C3A

HYDRATION OF CEMENT
Portland Cement + Water  Calcium silicate hydrate (CSH)

+
Calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2]

HEAT OF HYDRATION
 Hydration of cement compounds is exothermic reaction, and the quantity of heat (in
joules or calories) per gram of unhydrated cement, evolved upon complete hydration at a
given temperature, is defined as the heat of hydration.
 For the usual range of Portland cements, about ½ of the total heat is librated between 1 &
3 days, about 3/4 in 7 days, and nearly 90% in 6 months.
 Heat of hydration depends on the chemical composition of the cement, and is
approximately equal to the sum of the heats of hydration of the individual pure
compounds when their respective proportions by mass are hydrated separately

HEAT OF HYDRATION OF PURE COMPOUND

HEAT OF HYDRATION OF PURE COMPOUND
 By reducing the proportions of C3A & C3S, the heat of hydration (and its rate) of cement
can be reduced.
 Fineness of cement affects the rate of heat development but not the total amount of heat
librated.
 The two compounds primarily responsible for the strength of hydrated cement are C3S &
C2S.
 Convenient rule assumes that C3S contributes most to the strength development during
the first four weeks and C2S influences the later gain in strength.
 At the age of about one year, the two compounds, mass for mass; contribute
approximately equally to the strength of hydrated cement.

Development of strength of PURE COMPOUND
Video HOH
Hydration of cement video

SEMs of Hardened Cement Paste

Cement hydration end product at 10,000x magnification

Cement hydration end product at 10,000x magnification

HYDRATION OF CEMENT

HYDRATION OF CEMENT
Gel Pores
 Space between layers in C-S-H with thickness between 0.5 and 2.5 nm
----- Includes interlayer spaces, micro pores, and small isolated capillary pores
 Can contribute 28% of paste porosity
 Little impact on strength and permeability
 Can influence shrinkage and creep

HYDRATION OF CEMENT
Capillary Voids
 Depend on initial separation of cement particles, which is controlled by the w/c
 It is estimated that 1 cm3 of anhydrous portland cement requires 2 cm3 of

space to accommodate the hydration products
 Space not taken up by cement or hydration products is capillary porosity
 Of the order of 10 to 50 nm, although larger for higher w/c (3 to 5 mm)
 Larger voids affect strength and permeability, whereas smaller voids impact shrinkage

Size of Capillary, Gel and Air entrainment pores
Type of Pores Size
Gel pores 1.5 nm diameter
Capillary Voids 10-50 nm diameter
Entrained Air
10-100 μm,
Bubbles

High Permeability
(Capillary Pores Interconnected)
Capillary Pores
C-S-H
Framework

Low-Permeability Capillary Pores Segmented and Only Partially
Connected
Capillary Pores
C-S-H
Framework

Interfacial Transition Zone

 Zone between the aggregate and bulk paste
 Has a major impact on the strength and permeability of the concrete
 The interfacial zone is 10 to 50 µm in thickness
 Generally weaker than either the paste or aggregate due to locally high w/c and the “wall
effect” (packing problems) – in some cases predominately large crystals of calcium
hydroxide and ettringite are oriented perpendicular to aggregate surface
 Greater porosity and few un hydrated cement grains
 Micro-cracking commonly exists in transition zone
 Results in shear-bond failure and interconnected macro porosity, which influences

permeability
 Modification of transition zone is key to improving concrete.


VOLUME INSTABILITY
 An important characteristic of cement paste is that an unloaded specimen undergoes

several kinds of volume changes from the presetting period through a very mature stage.
 This can appear as an increase in volume called expansion or a reduction in volume
called shrinkage.
 Volume instability especially shrinkage is perhaps the major drawback of cement paste,
and consequently of mortars and concretes.
 The reason for this is that these volume changes produce undesirable stresses in the
mass that in many cases, are high as to cause intensive cracking.

Indian & International Standards on Concrete
 BIS – (Bureau of Indian Standards)

 ASTM – (American Society of Testing of Materials)
 BS – (British Standards)

2 C3S + 6H → C3S2H3 +3 Ca(OH)2
Hydraulic Activity -
Fly Ash + Water
Fly Ash + Ca(OH)2 C3S2H3

Pozzolanic Activity

Admixtures
 Chemical Admixtures (Accelerators, Retarders, Plasticizers etc….)
 Mineral Admixtures (Fly ash, GGBFS, Silica Fume etc….)
SCMs
Naturals Processed/
Manufactured
 Produced from natural mineral deposits (e.g., volcanic ash or pumicite, diatomaceous earth,
opaline cherts and Shales)
 May require heat treatment (e.g.,metakaolin or calcined clay, calcined shale, rice husk ash,
calcined shale)

Supplementary Cementitious Materials / Mineral Admixtures
SCMs are a class of mineral-based materials which possess pozzolanic reactivity and/or
latent hydraulic reactivity.
Pozzolanic Activity – a siliceous or alumino-siliceous material that, in finely divided form

and in the presence of moisture, chemically reacts at ordinary temperatures with calcium
hydroxide released by the hydration of Portland cement to form compounds possessing
cementing properties
Hydraulic Activity - cement reacts chemically with water to form compounds (hydrates)
that have cementing properties – e.g. Portland cement

Supplementary Cementitious Materials / Mineral Admixtures

 Improved workability
 Better pumpability
Fly ash
Cement/Aggregates

TYPES OF CEMENTS
By changing the chemical composition of the cement (by varying the percentage of the four
basic compounds) it is possible to obtain several types of cements, each with some unique
characteristics. Hence the cement can be manufactured for the required performance.

TYPES OF CEMENTS
1) Ordinary Portland Cement
a) O.P.C 33 Grade - IS:269
b) O.P.C 43 Grade - IS:8112:1989
c) O.P.C 53 Grade - IS:12269:1987
2) Rapid Hardening Cement - IS:8041:1990
3) Sulphate Resisting Cement - IS:12330:1988
4) Portland Slag Cement - IS:455:1989
5) Low Heat Cement - IS:12600:1989
6) Portland Pozzolana Cement - IS:1489 (Part I)

TYPES OF CEMENTS
Requirem ents As Per
Description IS:8112 IS:12269 IS:1489
(43 Grade) (53 Grade) (part I)(PPC)
1) Fineness
Specific Surface (Blaine's m2/kg) Min. 225 225 300
2) Soundness
a) By Le-chatelier mould (mm) Max 10 10 10
b) By Autoclave (%) Max 0.8 0.8 0.8
3) Setting Tim e
a) Initial Set (minutes) Min. 30 30 30
b) Final Set (minutes) Max 600 600 600
4) Com pressive Strength
a) 3 Days (MPa) Min. 23 27 16
b) 7 Days (MPa) Min. 33 37 22
c) 28 Days (MPa) Min. 43 53 33

TYPES OF CEMENTS

TYPES OF CEMENTS
Type Name
Type I Normal
Type IA Normal, air-entraining
Type II Moderate sulfate resistance
Type IIA Moderate sulfate resistance, air-entraining
Type III High early strength
Type IIIA High early strength, air-entraining
Type IV Low heat of hydration
Type V High sulfate resistance

Type I cement
 It is a general-purpose cement used in concrete for making pavements, floors, reinforced

concrete buildings, bridges, tanks, pipes, etc.
 It is for all uses where the special properties of other cement types are not required, such
as sulfate attack from soil and water, or to an objectionable temperature rise.

Application of Type I Cement

Type II cement
 It is used where precaution against moderate sulfate attack is important, as in drainage

structures, which may be subjected to a moderate sulfate concentration from ground
waters. It has moderate sulfate resistance because it contains no more than 8%
tricalcium aluminate (C3A).
 It usually generates less heat of hydration at a slower rate than Type I cement and
therefore can be used in mass structures such as large piers, heavy abutments, and
retaining walls.
 Due to less heat generation it can be preferred in hot weather.

Application of Type II Cement

Type III cement
 It is chemically and physically similar to Type I cement, except that its particles have been
ground finer.
 It provides high early strengths at an early period, usually a week or less.
 It is used when forms need to be removed as soon as possible or when the structure must
be put into service quickly.
 It is preferred in cold weather for reduction in the curing period.

Application of Type III Cement

Type IV cement
 It is used where the rate and amount of heat generated from hydration must be minimized.
 It develops strength at a slower rate than other cement types.
 It is most suitably used in massive concrete structures, such as large gravity dams, where
the temperature rise resulting from heat generated during hardening and must be
minimized to control the concrete cracking.

Application of Type IV Cement

Type V cement
 It is used only in concrete exposed to severe sulfate action – principally where soils or
ground waters have a high sulfate content.
 Its high sulfate resistance is due to its low C3A content of about 4%.
 It is not resistant to acids and other highly corrosive substances.

Thank You

Concrete Microstructure

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

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 Microstructure

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Concrete Microstructure

May 13, 2020

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

The use of cementing materials is very old.

The first concrete history - Greeks and Romans.

Calcined Limestone + Water Greeks &

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Calcined Limestone + Water Greeks

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Pozzolana

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Eddystone Lighthouse – in use till 1877

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Portrait of John Smeaton, with the Eddystone Lighthouse in the background.

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Calcined Limestone + Water Greeks

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Pozzolana

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Clay

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

In 1841, William Aspdin, the inventor of modern

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

After nearly two years' work, he succeeded in

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Pozzolana

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Clay

Limestone + Water + Sand + Crushed stone + Clay

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

The prototype of modern cement in 1845 by Isaac Johnson,

 He discovered the importance of the intermixing

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Aspdin's 'Beehive' kiln, used to make the first genuine Portland

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Ambient temperature hardened material

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Excellent resistance to water

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Concrete requires very little maintenance and is easy to clean.

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Concrete is exceptionally durable.

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Concrete allows endless possibilities for creative custom design

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Ability to consume waste

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

 Ability to work with reinforced steel

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Why the name PORTLAND CEMENT?

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Sensitivity: LNT Construction Internal Use

Shell Clay Rock

Chalk Slate Rock