Module 1

STUDY OF ADVANCED CONCRETE

Light weight concrete
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).
 Maximum slump for light weight concrete is limited to
100mm.
 Natural light weight aggregate used in concrete are prepared
by crushing and sizing natural rocks.
Principle behind LWC:
The basic principle behind the making of light weight concrete
is by inducing the air in concrete.
To achieve the above principle practically, there are 3 different
ways.
 By replacing the conventional aggregates by cellular porous
aggregates (Light weight agg. Concrete).
 By incorporating the air or gas bubbles in concrete (Aerated
concrete).
 By omitting the sand from the concrete (No- fines concrete).
Types of light weight concrete

 1.Light weight aggregate concrete

 2.Aerated or foamed concrete
 3.No fine concrete
1.Light weight aggregate concrete
Porous light weight aggregate of low specific gravity is used in this light weight
concrete instead of conventional Aggregate.

The lightweight aggregate can be:

1.Natural aggregate such as pumice, scoria and all of those of

volcanic origin.

2.Artificial aggregate such as expanded blast-furnace slag,

vermiculite and clinker aggregate.

The main characteristic of this light weight aggregate is its high porosity which
results in a low specific gravity.
Listed below are several types of lightweight
aggregates suitable for structural reinforced
concrete:-

 Pumice
 Foamed Slag
 Expanded Clays and Shales
 Sintered Pulverised
2.Aerated or foamed concrete
 Aerated concrete has the lowest density, thermal
conductivity and strength. Like timber it can be sawn,
screwed and nailed, but there are non-combustible. For
works in-situ the usual methods of aeration are by mixing in
stabilized foam or by whipping air in with the aid of an air
entraining agent.
3.No Fines Concrete
 It is defined as LWC consists of coarse aggregates, cement
and water without any fine aggregates.
 Its compressive strength of no-fine concrete lies between 5
and 15 N/mm2. which is less than conventional concrete.
 The bond strength of no-fine concrete is low and hence the
use of reinforcement in wall should be avoided.
 The w/c ratio kept low, between 0.4 and 0.45 to ensure the
coating of aggregate with cement paste and avoid run-off of
the paste.
 No fine concrete should be placed within 20 min after
mixing, otherwise its workability get reduced.
 No-fines concrete usually used for both load bearing and
non-load bearing for external and partitions.
 The strength of no-fines concrete increases as the cement
content is increased.
 However, it is sensitive to the water composition.
 Architects considers this is an attractive construction
material.
Advantages:
 Reduces the dead load of the building.
 Easy to handle and hence reduces the cost of transportation
and handling.
 Improves the workability.
 Relatively low thermal conductivity
 Comparatively more durable
 Good resistance to freezing & thawing action when compared
to conventional concrete.
Disadvantages:
 Very Sensitive with water content in the mixture.
 Difficult to place and finish because of porosity and
angularity of the aggregate .In some mixes the cement
mortar may separate the aggregate and float towards the
surface
 Mixing time is longer than conventional concrete to assure
proper mixing .
Applications:
 Since the strength of L.W.C. is low, it is used in the
construction of roof slabs, small houses with load bearing
walls etc.
 It is also used in the construction of stairs, windows, garden
walls, etc.
 In large buildings also, this is used in the construction of
partition walls.
 These are moulded in the form of slabs and used as thermal
insulators inside the building.
High Density concrete
 Density of normal concrete is - 2400kg/m3.
 Density of light weight will be less than 1900kg/m3.
 Density, which is about higher than 50% of conventional
concrete. I,e3350 to 3850kg/m3.
 The high density concrete is normally used in construction of
radiation shields.
 Advent of nuclear energy industry, large production of
penetrating radiation and radio active materials.
Types of radiation

 1.Electromagnetic waves

 2.Nuclear Particles
1.Electromagnetic waves
 High energy and high frequency waves known as x-rays and
gamma rays which requires shielding.
 They are similar to light rays but of higher energy and greater
penetrating power.
 Hence it can be absorbed by providing appropriate thickness
of concrete shield.
2.Nuclear Particles
 Consist of nuclei of atoms and fragments thereof.
 Includes neutrons, protons, alpha and beta particles.
 Neutrons posses electric charge, if they are uncharged they
continue to interact with the nucleus.
 Protons, alpha and beta particles carry electrical charges
which interact with electric field, and loose their energy
considerably.
 Hence the question of shielding resolves into protection
against x-rays, gamma rays and neutron.
 Apart from the biological hazards, along with nuclear
reaction very high temperature is also generated.
Shielding ability of concrete
 Concrete posses needed characteristics for both neutrons and
gamma rays.
 Has satisfactory mechanical properties and has low initial and
maintenance cost.
 Aggregates whose sp.gravity is more than 3.5 is used for
making HDC.
 Some of the commercially available aggregate are:barite,
magnitite, ilminite,limonite,hematite etc.
 In general, heavy weight aggregate should be clean, strong,
inert and relatively free from deleterious materials.
Concrete for radiation shielding
 Concrete should be highly dense and should have high
strength even a thigh temperature.
 w/c ratio, use of appropriate admixture and vibration for
good compaction is required.
 High modulus of elasticity, low thermal expansion and low
elastic and creep deformation are desired properties.
High Performance Concrete
Concrete is the most widely used construction material in India with
annual consumption exceeding 100 million cubic meters.
Conventional Portland cement concrete is found deficient in respect
of:
 Durability in severe environs (Shorter service life and require
maintenance)
 Time of construction (longer release time of forms and slower
gain of strength).
 Energy absorption capacity (for earthquake - resistant
structures)
 Repair and retrofitting jobs
High performance concrete (HPC) successfully meets the above
requirement.
HPC is an engineered concrete possessing the most desirable
properties during fresh as well as hardened concrete stages.
In the other words a high performance concrete is a concrete in
which certain characteristics are developed for a particular
application and environment.

Definition
 HPC was defined as “concrete, which meets special
performance and uniformity requirements that cannot be
always be achieved routinely by using only conventional
materials and normal mixing, placing and curing practices”.
Fiber Reinforced 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.
History of Reinforced Concrete
 Fibers have been used for concrete reinforcement since
prehistoric times though technology has improved
significantly, as is applicable for other fields.
 In the early age, straw and mortar were used for producing
mud bricks, and horsehair was used for their reinforcement.
 As the fiber technology developed, cement was reinforced by
asbestos fibers in the early twentieth century.
APPICATION OF FRC
 It is used on account of the advantages of increased static and
dynamic tensile strength and better fatigue strength.
 It has been tried on overlays of air-field, road pavements,
industrial footings, bridge decks, canal lining, explosive
resistant structures, refractory linings, etc.
 Used for the fabrication of precast products like pipes, boats,
beams, stair case steps, wall panels, roof panels, manhole
covers etc.
 It is also being tried for the manufacture of prefabricated
formwork moulds of “U” shape for casting lintels and small
beams.
Typical stress-strain curves for fibre-
reinforced concrete
Fibre reinforced concrete is used for
 Industrial flooring
 Sprayed concrete
 Slender structures (usually in precast plants)
 Fire resistant structures
 mortar applications (rehabilitation)
Types of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
 Steel fibre

 Polypropylene & Nylon fibre

 Asbestos fibre

 Glass fibre

 Carbon fibre
Steel Fibre-Reinforced Concrete:

 Steel fiber-reinforced concrete is basically a cheaper

and easier to use form of rebar reinforced concrete.
 Most commonly used
 Generally round, dia metervary from 0.25 to 0.75 mm
 Significant improvement in flexural, impact and Fatigue
strength.
 Overlays of roads, airfield pavements and Bridge decks.
Types of steel fibres
Polypropylene & Nylon fibre

 Are suitable to increase impact strength.

 Very high tensile strength, and higher elongation.
 Do not contribute to the flexural strength.
Asbestos Fibres

 Mineral fibre has proved to be most successful of all fibres as

it can be mixed with portland cement.
 Tensile strength of asbestos varies between 560 & 980 Mpa.
Glass Fibres

 Recent introduction in making fibre concrete.

 It has very high tensile strength 1020 to 4080 Mpa.
 Alkali – Resistant glass fibre by trade name “CEM-FIL” has
been developed and used.
Carbon Fibres

 Posses very high tensile strength 2110 to 2815 Mpa.

 Used for structures like cladding, panel sand shells.
Effects of fiber reinforced
concretes
 Improved durability of the structure
 Increased tensile and flexural strengths
 Higher resistance to later cracking
 Improved crack distribution
 Reduced shrinkage of early age concrete
 Increased fire resistance of concrete
 Negative influence on workability
 Improved homogeneity of fresh concrete
Applications
Runway, Aircraft Parking, and Pavements:
 For the same wheel load FRC slabs could be about one half
the thickness of plain concrete slab.
 Compared to a 375 mm thickness of conventionally
reinforced concrete slab, a 150 mm thick FRC slab was
used to overlay an existing asphaltic – paved air craft
parking area.
Tunnel Lining and Slope Stabilization:
 Steel fiber reinforced shotcrete (SFRS) are being used to
line under ground openings and rock slope stabilization.
 It eliminates the need for mesh reinforcement and
scaffolding
Thin Shell, Walls, Pipes, and Manholes:
 Fibrous concrete permits the use of thinner flat and curved
structural elements.
 Steel fibrous shotcrete is used in the construction of hemispherical
domes using the inflated membrane process.
 Glass fiber reinforced cement or concrete (GFRC), made by the
spray – up process, have been used to construct wall panels.
 Steel and glass fibers addition in concrete pipe sand manholes
improves strength, reduces thickness, and diminishes handling
damages.

Dams and Hydraulic Structure:

 FRC is being used for the construction and repair of dams and
other hydraulic structures to provide resistance to cavitation and
severe erosion.
Polymer Concrete.
 Polymer concretes are a type of concrete that use polymers to
replace lime-type cements as a binder.
 In some cases the polymer is used in addition to portland cement
to form Polymer Cement Concrete
Properties
Highly Impermeable
 The polymer phase in the concrete will help reduce the
porosity and microcraks that are formed in cement matrix.
This acts as an additional binding material other than the
Portland cement used.
High Durability
 A dense and water tight concrete is obtained by the use of
PCC. This prevents chemical attacks, water penetration and
hence no chance of corrosion. The internal micro cracks in
cement matrix too is prevented. This increases the life of the
structure.
Resistance to weathering Conditions
 The PCC structure being impermeable they are less affected
by the changing weather conditions.
Applications of Polymer Cement
Concrete
 1. Bridge deck coverings
 2. Floor construction
 3. Precast construction
 4. Used as patching compounds
ADMIXTURE
ADMIXTURE
 An admixture is a material other than water, aggregates, or
cement which is used as an ingredient of concrete or mortar
to control setting and early hardening, workability, or to
provide additional qualities to concrete.
 Admixtures are natural or manufactured chemicals which are
added to the concrete before or during mixing.
 The most often used admixtures are air-entraining agents,
water reducers, water-reducing retarders and accelerators.
Functions of Admixture
1. To accelerate the initial set of concrete, i.e; to speed up the
rate of development of strength at early ages.
2. To retard the initial setting
3. To increase the strength of the concrete.
4. To improve the workability.
5. To reduce heat of evolution.
6. To increase the durability of concrete.
7. To resistance to freezing and thawing.
8. To control the expansion caused by aggregate – alkali
reactions.
9. To decrease capillary flow of water and to make it
impermeable.
10. To strengthen the bond between old and new concrete
surface and that between steel reinforcement and concrete.
11. To increase the penetration and pumpability of concrete.
12. To reduce segregation in grouts.
13. To inhibit corrosion of concrete, increase resistance to
chemical attack
14. To produce coloured and cellular concrete.
15. To produce concrete of fungicidal
16. To produce non-skid concrete surfaces.
TYPES OF CONCRETE ADMIXTURES
 a) Accelerating admixtures
 b) Retarding admixtures
 c) Air-entraining admixtures
 d) Water-reducing admixtures
a) Accelerating Concrete Admixtures
or Accelerator.
 An admixtures used to speed up the initial set of concrete is
called accelerator.
 Advantage – underwater concreting, the basement
waterproofing operations are possible.
 Uses – To increase the rate of hydration of hydraulic cement.
To shorten the setting time.
 Example – calcium formate, Nacl, NaOH, KOH and calcium
chloride.
b) Retarding Concrete Admixtures
 The set retarding admixtures slow down the initial rate of
hydration of cement or prolong the setting time.
 Advantage – In ready mix concrete practices retarders are
often used.
 Uses – They are used primarily to offset the accelaerating and
damaging effect of high temperature and to keep the
concrete workable.
Also used in grouting oil wells.
 Example – sugar, soluble starch, dextrin, hydroxides of zinc
and lead.
c) Air-entraining admixtures
 An air entraining admixtures helps to incorporate a
controlled amount of minute non-coalescing bubbles
distributed throughout the body of concrete during mixing.
 Advantage – Enhanced durability to frost without incresing
cement, improvement in workability and cellular concrete.
 Uses – Entraining of air into concrete.
 Example – Hydrogen peroxide.
d) Water-reducing admixtures
Plasticizers
 Plasticizers are the organic or combination of organic and
inorganic substances which reduces water content for certain
degree of workability, when added in mix.
 Plasticizers are mixed from 0.1% to 0.4% by weight of
cement used and it reduces 5% to 15% of water with the
increment of workability from 3 to 8 cm slump.
 Example – carbohydrate derivatives and calcium
lignosulphate.
Super-Plasticizers
 Super-plasticizers are the improvement of plasticizers. In
other words, use of super-plasticizers reduces much more
segregations and bleedings than any normal plasticizers.
Hence super-plasticizers are most effective mix ingredient
for concrete.
 Advantages – water reducing admixtures enable a given fresh
concrete mix to higher flow ability without increasing the
water content.
 Example – sulphonated melamine, Naphthalene sulphonate.
Water Repellent
 Water repellent admixtures can minimise water movement
within the concrete and hence reduce water absorption and
efflorescence of the concrete.
 Examples : Soda, potash soap, calcium soap, vegetable oil,
fats, waxes, coal tar residues.
Waterproofing
 Waterproofing in buildings is the formation of an impervious
barrier over surfaces of foundations, roofs, walls and other
structural members of building to prevent water
penetrations through these surfaces. The building surfaces
are made water-resistant and sometimes waterproof.
 Commonly used materials for waterproofing in building is
cementitious material, bituminous material, liquid
waterproofing membrane and polyurethane liquid
membrane etc.
 Waterproofing in buildings and structures are generally required
for basement of structure, walls, bathrooms and kitchen,
balconies, decks, terrace or roofs, green roofs, water
tanks and swimming pools etc.
Types of Waterproofing Methods for
Buildings

 Cementitious Waterproofing
 Liquid Waterproofing Membrane
 Bituminous Membrane
 Bituminous Coating
 Polyurethane Liquid Membrane
1. Cementitious Waterproofing Method
 Cementitious waterproofing is the easiest method of
waterproofing in construction. The materials for
cementitious waterproofing is easily available from suppliers
of masonry products, and they’re easy to mix and apply.
 This method is often used in the internal wet areas such as
toilets. This method is usually a rigid or semi-flexible type
waterproofing, but since it is used in internal areas such as
toilets, it is not exposed to sunlight and weathering. Thus
cementitious waterproofing does not go through contract
and expansion process.
Applications of Cementitious Waterproofing.

 Water Treatment Plants

 Sewage Treatment Plants
 Bridges
 Dams
 Railway & Subway Systems
 Marine Cargo Ports & Docks
 River Locks/Channels & Concrete Dykes
 Parking Structures & Lots
 Tunnels
2. Liquid Waterproofing Membrane
Method
 Liquid membrane is a thin coating which consists of usually a
primer coat and two coats of top coats which are applied by spray,
roller, or trowel. It offers more flexibility than the cementitious
types of waterproofing.
 The liquid cures into a rubbery coating on the wall. The elongation
properties of the coating can reach as high as 280%. The durability
of the waterproofing coating depends on what type of polymer the
manufacturer use for the making of the liquid waterproofing.
 Liquid waterproofing membrane can be of spray-applied liquid
membrane composed of polymer-modified asphalt. Polyurethane
liquid membranes in separate grades for trowel, roller, or spray
are also available from various manufacturers.
3. Bituminous Coating Waterproofing
Method
 Bituminous coating is a type of coating used for waterproofing and
flexible protective coat in accordance with its formulation and
polymerization grade. Its flexibility and protection against water
can be influenced by the polymer grade as well as reinforcement
of fiber.
 Bituminous coating is also called as asphalt coating. The most
common applications of bituminous coatings include areas that are
beneath screed wet. It is an excellent protective coating and
waterproofing agent, especially on surfaces such as concrete
foundations.
 The flexibility of the finished products always depends on the solid
content of the polymer added to the bitumen.
4. Bituminous Membrane
Waterproofing Method
 Bituminous membrane waterproofing is a popular method used
for low-sloped roofs due to their proven performance. Bituminous
waterproofing membrane have torch on membrane and self-
adhesive membrane.
 Self-adhesive compounds comprise asphalt, polymers and filler;
additionally, certain resins and oils may be added to improve
adhesion characteristics. The self-adhesive type has low shelf life as
bonding properties of the membrane reduces with time.
 Torch on membrane have exposed and covered types. Exposed
membrane often has mineral granular aggregate to withstand the
wear and tear of the weathering and the other types of membrane,
contractor need to apply one protective screed to prevent the
puncture of the membrane.
5. Polyurethane Liquid Membrane
Waterproofing Method
 Polyurethane liquid membrane method of waterproofing is
used for the flat roof area and exposed to weathering. This
waterproofing method is expensive.
 Polyurethane Liquid Membrane can offer higher flexibility.
Polyurethane is very sensitive to moisture content present,
therefore before application, one has to be very careful
evaluating the moisture content of the concrete slab,
otherwise peeling or de-bonding of membranes may happen
after some time.
Causes of leakages
 Water in any of its forms must be present.
 Water must be moved along by some type of force, including wind,
gravity for above-structure and hydrostatic pressure or capillary action
for below-structure.
 Finally and the most important, there must be a breach (hole, brake, or
some type of opening) in the envelope to facilitate the entry of water
into the protected spaces
Available water is moved into the interior of a structure by
numerous forces that include:
 Natural gravity
 Surface tension
 Wind/Air currents
 Capillary action
 Hydrostatic pressure