“Concrete - Introduction”

September 2016
 What is Concrete?

 Concrete is the most widely

used construction material in
the world.
 Concrete is a construction
material composed of crushed
rock or gravel and sand bound
together with a hardened paste
of cement and water.
 Basic Materials

 Cement
 Water
.
 Aggregates
 Admixtures (if required)
 Types of Cements
 Cements
 Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
 Rapid Hardening Portland Cement
 Sulphate Resistant Portland Cement
 Low Heat Portland Cement
 White Portland Cement
 Pulverised fuel ash (PFA) in cement
 Raw Material of OPC

 Limestone: Calcium
carbonate CaCo3 on heating
gives CaO (quicklime),
abbreviated C.
 Clay or shale
 Silica SiO2,
abbreviated S
 Ferrite Fe2O3,
abbreviated F
Alumina Al2O3,
abbreviated A.
 Manufacture of OPC

 Portland cement is produced by mixing ground

limestone, clay, shale, sand and iron ore
 This mixture is heated in a rotary kiln to temperature
as high as 1,600 degrees Celsius
 The heating process causes the materials to break
down and recombine into new compounds
 About 5% gypsum is heated to moderate flash setting
Manufacture of OPC
 Chief Compounds in OPC

 Dicalcium silicate,
C2S: slow strength
gain and responsible
for long-term strength

 Tricalcium silicate
C3S: rapid strength
gain and responsible
for early strength
 Chief Compounds in OPC

 Tricalcium aluminate
C3A: quick setting
(controlled by gypsum)
but susceptible to
sulphate attack

 Tetracalcium
aluminoferrite C4AF:
little contribution to
setting or strength and
responsible for grey
colour of OPC
 Rapid-Hardening PC
 Obtained by increasing the C3S content
 Early strength development is considerably
higher than that of OPC, while long-term
strength is similar
 Application: -
 Permit increased speed of construction
 Less risk of concrete freezing in frosty weather
 Sulphate Resistant PC
 Low tricalcium aluminate content (C3A)
 Achieved by adding iron oxide to decrease
aluminate proportions
 Resistant to sulphates but not resistant to
strong acids
 Reduced early heat
 Low-heat PC
 Lower quantities of the rapidly hydration
compounds C3S and C3A
 Early strength is less than that of OPC but
long term strength is similar
 Application
 Large raft foundations and dams to reduce
temperature differences between interior and
exterior of the mass concrete
 Pulverized-fuel Ash PC
 From burning pulverized coal in power station
furnaces
 Reacts with calcium oxide (quick lime) to form
cementitious material
 Resistant to sulphates but not resistant to
strong acids
 Reduced early heat of hydration
 Reduced early age strength
 White PC
 Contains not more than 1% of iron oxide,
which is responsible for grey color of OPC
 For aesthetic or light-reflecting qualities
 Storage of Cement

 Cement should be
stored off the ground in
a well-aired, clean, dry
place
 Wrapping the cement
bags in plastic sheets
give extra protection
 Bulk cement will
normally be stored in
silos
 Water

 Should be free from impurities

 Unsuitable if it contains
 Salts
 Sulphates
 Chlorides

 Sea water must not be used for reinforced concrete

 Drinking water is suitable for production of concrete
 Hydration

 Setting and hardening results from a

chemical reaction between the cement and
the water, not from a drying process
 The reaction is irreversible. The heat
produced is known as the ‘Heat of Hydration’.
C3A and C3S are the compounds primarily
responsible.
 The paste is usually workable up to 3-4hrs
before it begins to set.
 Strength gain continues indefinitely provided
moisture is present (curing).
 Aggregates

 Gravels, crushed rock and sands that

are mixed with cement and water to
produce concrete
 Coarse aggregates are those that do
not pass through a 5mm sieve
 Fine aggregates are those that pass
through a 5mm sieve
 Generally make from 70% to 80% of
the concrete mix
 Used to reduce cost and modify and
improve properties like strength and
drying shrinkage
 Aggregates

 Quality requirements
 Durability – hard,
adequate strength, no
deleterious material
 Cleanliness – free from
chemical impurities, free
from organic material, free
from dust, avoid silica acid
aggregates
 Shape – rough-textured
and angular shape, not flat
shape
 Aggregates Types

 Normal density – most gravels and crushed

rock, divided into coarse and fine
 Lightweight – weak porous solids, good
thermal properties
 High density – radioactive screening
 Grading of Aggregates
 Grading: proportions of coarse and fine aggregates
 Aggregates for concrete are usually graded to ensure that
all voids between larger particles are filled without an
excess of fine material
 Grading is determined by passing aggregates through a set
of standard sieves – sieve analysis
 Admixtures

 Additives to the concrete mix to improve

certain properties
 Must be used with care as excessive
amounts can have adverse effects on the
concrete
 Admixtures

 Accelerators
 Increases the rate of strength gain at an early
age
 Most common is calcium chloride but may
corrode steel
 Does not increase final strength
 Facilitate early stripping of formwork and also
for repair work where early setting is desirable
 Admixtures

 Water reducing admixtures (Plasticisers)

 Reduces the amount of water required for a given
workability
 Most common is calcium sulphate
 Reduces the risk of evaporation cracks

 Superplasticisers
 Based on compounds such as melamine, formaldehyde
 Can be used at a higher dosages than ordinary water
reducers without the same side effects but expensive
 Usually added to the concrete just before placing
because of short lived (30-45 min)
 Admixtures

 Air entraining admixtures

 Generates evenly dispersed air bubbles in the
mix
 Improves durability against from frost and
marine environments
 Also improves the workability and
cohesiveness of the concrete
 Admixtures

 Retarding agents
 Reduces the rate of evolution of heat
 Necessary for very large concrete pours
 Also necessary for concrete pours in hot
weather to reduce any premature stiffening of
the concrete
End