MODULE 6

LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE

• Light weight concrete is a special concrete which weighs lighter than

conventional concrete.
• Density of this concrete is considerably low (300 kg/m3 to 1850 kg/m3) when
compared to normal concrete (2200kg/m3 to 2600kg/m3).
• Advantages:
i. Reduces the dead load of the building.
ii. Helps in disposal of industrial wastes like fly ash, slag, etc.
iii. Improves the workability.
iv. Has applications in shell roofs.
• Three types of LWC :
a. Light weight aggregate concrete
b. Aerated concrete
c. No – fines concrete

• The basic principle behind the making of light weight concrete is by incorporating
air into concrete.
• To achieve the above principle practically, there are 3 different ways.
i. By replacing the conventional mineral aggregates by cellular porous aggregates
(Light weight agg. Concrete).
ii. By incorporating the air or gas bubbles in concrete (Aerated concrete).
iii. By omitting the sand from the concrete (No- fines concrete).

1) Light weight aggregate concrete:

• Basically two types of light weight aggregates
i. Natural aggregates
ii. Artificial aggregates
• Natural light weight aggregates are less preferred over artificial aggregates as they
have more weight.
• Important natural aggregates – Pumice & Scoria
• Artificial aggregates are expanded Shale, Slate, Perlite, Vermiculite, etc.,
• Type of aggregates decides the density of concrete.
• Density of concrete as low as 300 kg/m3 can be achieved.
• Compressive strength varies from 0.3MPa to 40MPa.

2) Aerated concrete:
• Produced by introducing air into the concrete.
• It is also called cellular concrete having voids between 0.1mm to 1mm size.
• Concrete of densities 300kg/m3 to 1100kg/m3 can be obtained.
• Compressive strength varies from 12MPa to 14MPa for a concrete of density
500kg/m3.
• Two types of aerated concrete depending on air introduction:
 i. Gas concrete
ii. Foamed concrete
Gas concrete:
• Gas concrete is produced by incorporating gas in the concrete.
• Finely divided aluminum powder is generally used as gas producing agent.
Powdered zinc, aluminum alloy or hydrogen peroxide may also be used.
• Its quantity is about 0.2% of weight of cement.
• Aluminum powder reacts with Ca(OH)2 to liberate hydrogen bubbles.
Foamed concrete:
• Foamed concrete is produced by adding foaming agent during mixing.
Hydrolyzed protein or resin soaps or stable preformed foam is used as foaming
agent.

3) No – fines concrete:
• It is produced by omitting the fine aggregates from conventional concrete.
• This concrete has only cement, coarse aggregate and water.
• Due to absence of fine aggregates, concrete will have large voids, resulting in
light weight.
• Density of concrete will be less if coarse aggregates are of single size ranging
from 10mm to 20mm rather than well graded aggregates.
• No – fines concrete with lighter coarse aggregates, we can get density as low as
640 kg/m3.
• Compressive strength varies between 1.4MPa to 14 MPa
• Strength of no-fines concrete is controlled by
i. Water/cement ratio
ii. Aggregate/cement ratio
iii. Unit weight of concrete

HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE

• Concrete having strength above 35 MPa is known as high strength concrete

• It is made by lowering the w/c ratio below 0.35
• Due to low w/c ratio workability decreases hence admixtures like
superplasticizers need to be added.
• Methods used to obtain HSC:
i. Seeding
ii. Revibration
iii. High speed slurry mixing
iv. Use of admixtures
v. Inhibition of cracks
vi. Sulphur impregnation
• SEEDING: Adding small percentage of finely ground, fully hydrated portland
cement to the fresh concrete mix.
• REVIBRATION: Reduces plastic shrinkage, capillary channels, bleeding and
water accumulation.
• HIGH SPEED SLURRY MIXING: Formed by efficient hydration of cement
particles and water achieved in the vigorous blending of cement paste.
• USE OF ADMIXTURES: use of water reducing agents are known to produce
increased compressive strengths
• INHIBITION OF CRACKS: replacement of 2-3% of fine aggregate by
polystyrene 0.0025 mm thick and 3 to 4 mm in diameter results in higher strength.
• SULPHUR IMPREGNATION: Filling voids with sulphur
i. Moist cure the fresh concrete specimen for 24 hrs
ii. Drying at 120̊ C for 24 hrs
iii. Immersing in molten sulphur under vacuum for 2 hrs and releasing the
vacuum
iv. Gives strength upto 58 MPa
• Applications of HSC:
i. Use of HSC in columns reduces the column size
ii. Use of HSC in columns reduces the reinforcement requirement
iii. In framed structures, use of HSC reduces the no. of beams required

SELF COMPACTING CONCRETE

• Self compacted concrete is highly engineered concrete having much higher

fluidity and thus capable of filling every corner of formwork under its self weight
and thereby no segregation .
• Thus SCC eliminates the vibration for the compaction of concrete without
affecting its engineering properties.
CONSTITUENTS OF SCC: With regard to its composition, SCC consists of the
same components as of conventionally vibrated concrete, which are
i. Cement
ii. Aggregates
iii. Water
iv. Chemical Admixtures i.e. Super plasticizers and
v. Viscosity Modifying Agents
vi. Mineral Admixtures i.e., Fly ash, Silica Fume, GGBFS etc.
PROPERTIES OF SCC
• Filling ability (excellent flow characteristics) – flows easily at suitable speed into
formwork
• Passing ability (ability to pass reinforcement without blocking) -passes through
reinforcements without blocking
• High resistance to segregation- the distribution of aggregate particles remains
homogeneous in both vertical and horizontal directions

MEASUREMENT OF SCC FLOW PROPERTIES IN FRESH STATE

1) Slump Flow test:
• Slump flow test is done to assess the horizontal flow of concrete.
• Ascertains the filling ability of the SCC.
• The SCC sample is poured in to the slump cone then the slump flow diameter is
measured.
Procedure:
i. Fill the cone with SCC, no tamping is required
ii. Lift the cone
iii. Measure the diameter of the spread concrete in both perpendicular directions
iv. Note the dia as slump flow in mm.
Inference: The higher the slump flow value, the greater its ability to fill formwork under
its own weight.

2) T50 slump flow test:

• Similar to slump flow test and determines the filling ability of SCC
Procedure:
i. Fill the cone with SCC, no tamping is required
ii. The base plate on which the cone is placed is marked with a 500 mm diameter
circle from the centre point.
iii. Start a stopwatch and lift the cone
iv. Note the time taken for the concrete to reach the 500mm mark
v. That time is noted as T50 time
Inference: Lower the time taken, the greater is its ability to fill formwork under its own
weight.

3) L-box test
• The L-Box test is used to find the passing ability of SCC.
• The SCC sample is poured in to the L-Box apparatus, the plate is removed to
allow flow.
• The L-box ratio is calculated as H2/ H1.
Procedure:
i. Pour the SCC sample into the L box with the gates closed
ii. Leave the concrete standing for 1 minute
iii. Lift the gate which allows concrete to flow into the horizontal chamber
 iv. Measure the heights h1 and h2
v. Calculate the blocking ratio, h2/h1
Inference: when the ratio of h2 to h1 is larger than 0.8, self compacting concrete has good
passing ability.

4) V-funnel test :
• V-Funnel test is used to ascertain filling ability of SCC
Procedure
• The V funnel is cleaned first, moisten the inside and open the trap door to allow
water remove surplus water
• Close the trap door at the bottom of the V funnel
• Place a bucket under the V funnel to collect the concrete
• The SCC sample is poured into the V-Funnel apparatus
• Start a stopwatch and open the Trap door within 10 seconds
• Note the time for the V funnel to be emptied
Inference: If passing ability is excellent then the time taken for flow must be within 8-12
seconds

5) J Ring test
• It denotes the passing ability of concrete.
• The equipment consists of rectangular plate, slump cone and a ring of reinforced
bars
• J ring has dia of 30cm and height of 10cm. 10mm is dia of reinforcing bars
Procedure:
• A slump cone is taken and is kept within the J-ring
• Raise the cone vertically and allow the concrete to flow through the j-ring.
• Measure the difference in height between the concrete just inside J-ring bars and
just outside J-ring bars.
• Calculate the average difference in height at 4 locations.
Inference: The acceptable difference in height between inside and out side should be 0 to
10 mm.

ADVANTAGES OF SCC
• Elimination of problems associated with vibration.
• Faster construction
• Less noise from vibrators and reduced danger from hand-arm vibration syndrome
(HAVS).
• Ease of placement results in cost savings through reduced equipment and labour
requirement.
• Improves the quality, durability, and reliability of concrete structures due to better
compaction and homogeneity of concrete.
• Reduced wear and tear on forms from vibration.
• Reduced permeability.
 ROLLER COMPACTED CONCRETE

• These are ordinary concrete except for the difference in

i. nature of the mix –mix is dry and has no slump
ii. compacting method adopted –roller compacted.
• Here, a vibratory or pneumatic roller is rolled over the surface of concrete.
• The concrete gets compacted under the pressure of the roller rolling along on the
surface of concrete
• Suitable for dry and lean mixes.
• Used in construction of roads, pavements, etc.

READY MIXED CONCRETE

• Concrete which is proportioned and mixed at a mixing plant and delivered to the
construction area in a freshly mixed and unhardened state is known as Ready
Mixed Concrete.
• Popularly known as RMC
• Advantages of RMC
i. Elimination of storage space for basic materials at site
ii. Elimination of hiring of plant and machinery
iii. Better quality concrete is produced
iv. Time required is greatly reduced.
v. Noise and dust pollution at site is reduced
• RMC can be ordered in three ways
i. Option A: It is a performance based. It requires the purchaser to specify the
compressive strength only. The concrete producer selects the mixture
proportions needed to obtain the required compressive strength.
ii. Option B: It is a prescription based. The purchaser specifies-Mixture
proportions i.e., Cement, Water and Admixture contents.
iii. Option C: It is performance and prescription based. Purchaser specifies-
Compressive strength, Cement content, Admixture content. Concrete producer
can select the mix proportions.

FIBRE REINFORCED CONCRETE

• A concrete consisting of, cement, water, fine and coarse aggregate, along with
discrete discontinuous fibres is called as FRC.
• Addition of fibres increases the tensile strength of concrete and also acts as crack
arresters
• Types of fibres used
i. Natural fibres: e.g. asbestos, sisal, cellulose
 ii. Manufactured fibres: e.g. glass, steel, carbon
• Advantages of FRC:
i. Improves toughness of concrete
ii. Flexural strength is improved by up to 30%
iii. Improves tensile strength

Factors affecting properties of FRC:

1. Relative fibre matrix stiffness
• Fibre should be significantly stiffer than matrix
• Low modulus of fibres imparts more energy absorption while high modulus of
fibres imparts strength and stiffness.
• Low modulus fibres e.g. nylon, polypropylene
• High modulus fibres e.g. steel, glass and carbon fibres.
2. Volume of fibres
• Increase in the volume of fibres increase the tensile strength & toughness linearly.
• Use of higher percentage of fibre cause segregation & harshness of concrete and
mortar.
3. Aspect ratio of fibre
• Up to aspect ratio of 75, increase in aspect ratio increases the ultimate strength of
concrete.
• Beyond aspect ratio of 75, relative strength & toughness is reduced.
4. Orientation of fibres
The different orientations of fibre include
– Fibres aligned parallel to the direction of load
– Fibres aligned perpendicular to direction of load
– Fibres which are randomly oriented
It was observed that fibres aligned parallel to direction of load offered more tensile
strength & toughness.
5. Workability & compaction
• Addition of fibres decrease the workability and thus affects consolidation of fresh
mix. Poor workability leads to non-uniform distribution of fibres.
6. Size of coarse aggregate
• Should be restricted to 10 mm. The inter particle friction between fibres and
aggregates controls the orientation & distribution of fibres. Friction reducing
admixtures can improve the quality of the mix

POLYMER CONCRETE

• Concrete has voids present in it and thus porous.

• The presence of these voids lead to damages in concrete. Reducing the voids leads
to a high strength and durable concrete.
 • Polymer concrete is a kind of concrete in which a monomer is impregnated into
the concrete and polymerized to reduce the porosity of concrete
• Terms:
Monomer : An organic molecule which is capable of combining chemically with
similar or different molecules to form high molecular weight material.
Polymer : Formed by the chemical combination of numerous monomers which are
linked together in a chain like structure
Polymerization : The chemical process of formation of polymers

• Types of Polymer Concrete:

i. Polymer Impregnated concrete
ii. Polymer Cement Concrete
iii. Polymer Concrete
iv. Partially Impregnated and Surface Coated concrete

1) Polymer Impregnated Concrete

• Conventional Portland cement concrete is dried and subsequently saturated with a
liquid monomer
• Polymerization is achieved by gamma radiation or by application of heat.
• Advantages
a) Higher compressive, tensile and impact strength
b) Higher modulus of elasticity
c) Lower creep and drying shrinkage
d) Higher resistance to freezing, thawing, abrasion & chemical .

2) Polymer Cement Concrete

• A monomer is added at the time of mixing of ordinary concrete.
• This concrete mix is cured, dried and then polymerized so that monomer gets
converted to polymer
• Advantages
a) Improved durability
b) Better adhesion characteristics
c) Resistance to freezing & thawing
d) Resistance to abrasion & impact loading
3) Polymer Concrete
• Aggregates are prepacked and vibrated in mould
• Monomer is diffused up through the aggregates
• Polymerisation is done by radiation

4) Partially Impregnated and Surface Coated concrete

• The concrete specimen is dried and then soaked in a liquid monomer
• Then the specimen is sealed off using a surface coating material
• This specimen is then polymerized
 SPRAYED CONCRETE

• Concrete conveyed through a hose and pneumatically projected at high velocity

onto a backing surface or formwork is called Sprayed Concrete
• This is also known as Shotcrete
• Shotcreting can be done in two days depending upon the process of mixing of
materials-Dry mix process and Wet mix Process

• Dry Mix Process:

i. Step1: Dry or semi-dampened materials are placed into shotcrete equipment and
pumped through a hose.
ii. Step2: Compressed air conveys materials at high velocity to the nozzle where the
water is added.
iii. Step3: This mixture of concrete is sprayed onto formwork at high velocity. This
impact of concrete onto formwork at high velocity consolidates the concrete mass

• Wet mix process:

i. Step1: All ingredients, including water, are thoroughly mixed to form a concrete
mix.
ii. Step 2: This mix is introduced into the shotcrete equipment.
iii. Step 3: Concrete is pumped to the nozzle where compressed air is introduced to
increase the velocity at which the concrete mix meets the formwork to get
compacted.

UNDERWATER CONCRETE

• It is basically normal concrete which is placed under the water using suitable
methods.
• For underwater concreting we use Quick setting cement which allows the cement
concrete to set within 5 mins
• Most commonly used underwater concreting technique is by Tremie concreting
Tremie Concreting:
• Concrete is mixed in required proportion.
• Concrete is transferred to the bottom using a pipe. Pipe is called Tremie Pipe. It
has a dia of 20cm and can be easily coupled with other tremie pipe sections to
facilitate increase or decrease in height.
• The top of the pipe is fitted with a funnel to facilitate pouring of concrete and
bottom pipe is closed with a plug to prevent entry of water into the pipe
• The tremie pipe is extended till the pipe is in contact with the bottom end of the
ground bed.
• Then concrete is poured into pipe and once pipe is filled it is slightly lifted and
jolted to break the plug allowing concrete to fall. The pipe is slowly lifted up as
the concrete fills up beneath.
 MASS CONCRETE

• Any large volume of cast-in-place concrete with dimensions large enough to

require that measures be taken to cope with the generation of heat to minimize
cracking. –ACI
• Mass Concrete is a concrete having considerable dimensions that may get affected
by thermal behavior of concrete. E.g.. Concrete Dam
• The primary considerations are given to the aspect of how to reduce the heat of
hydration to reduce the adverse effect in the form of cracks.
• Steps to control/minimize heat of Hydration in Mass Concrete
i. Use of chilled water and ice flakes can be done in place of normal water
ii. Concrete be poured in layers of equal depths so that each layer get some time to
release the initial heat of hydration.
iii. Use of chilled aggregates can be made to control/minimize the heat of hydration
in mass concrete structures.

SLIPFORM CONSTRUCTION

• Slip form construction, or continuously formed construction, is a construction

method in which concrete is poured into a continuously moving formwork.
• Basically, this method involves the continuous placing of concrete in a shallow
mould having the same plan as the building to be constructed.
• This rigid mould, called "slip-form", forms the working deck which is raised
slowly upwards using a jack at a controlled rate until the required elevation is
reached.
• Types of Slip form construction:-Vertical and Horizontal Slipform construction

PREFABRICATION TECHNOLOGY

• Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a

factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies to the
construction site
• Prefabricated sections are produced in large quantities in a factory and then
transported to various construction sites.
• Prefabrication work is carried out in two stages:
i. Manufacturing components at factory
ii. erection of components at the required location.
• This requires certain stages of preparation. They are
i. Casting: Cast in mould of required shape and size
ii. Curing: Member is demoulded after 24 hrs and subjected to suitable curing
methods
iii. Transportation and erection: Cured members are transported to the site in trucks
or trailers and erected at site using erecting equipments

• Advantages
i. Precasting can be carried out in poor weather conditions
ii. Permits the speedy erection of structures.
iii. Saving in cost, material, time & manpower.
iv. Shuttering and scaffolding is not necessary.
v. Clean and dry work at site.

• Disadvantages:
i. High transport cost
ii. Need of erection equipment at site
iii. Handling and transportation may cause breakages of members during the transit
iv. Skilled labour and supervision is required.