quantitConcrete

Good Durable Concrete = the concrete we describe as good, durable concrete, or quality
concrete, is concrete that meets the structural and aesthetic requirements for the required life
of the structure at maximum economy. The properties of this concrete must have are:
1. Workability in fresh condition
2. Strength in accordance with design, avoiding overstrength (uneconomical) as well as
understrength (dangerous)
3. Durability to resist attack by weather or substances
4. Volume Stability = that is minimum drying shrinkage and changes in volume caused by
moisture and temperature variations
5. Freedom from Cracks by reducing tendency to crack (volume stability) and installation
of joints and crack control devices.
6. Freedom from Blemishes such as rock pockets, scaling, pop out surface softness and
bug holes.
7. Water Tightness (where applicable)
8. Economy
9. Good Appearance

Workability = may be defined as a composite characteristics indicative of the ease with which
the mass of plastic material may be deposited in its final place without segregation during
placement, and its ability to conform to fine forming details.

Factors Affecting Workability

1. Size and gradation of aggregates
2. Amount of mixing water
3. Time of mixing
4. Amount of cement
5. The size and shape of forms
6. Amount and characteristics of admixture (plasticizers)

Elements of Workability
a. Consistency = is a measure of fluidity or wetness of the concrete and is measured by the
slump test
3% increase in mixing water
1 inch slump increase

b. Cohesiveness and plasticity = is the element of workability that indicates whether the
concrete is harsh, sticky, or plastic. A good, plastic mixture is neither harsh nor sticky.

A harsh concrete lacks plasticity and cohesiveness. It segregates easily. Cause of

harshness, other than high slump resulting from too much mix water are low cement
content lean mixes, coarse sand, a mix deficient of fines, rough and angular aggregates, or
aggregate containing an excess of elongated or flat particles.
 Sticky mixes are those that posses a high cement content or contain large amounts of
rocks, dust or similar material. A fine sand mix causes a sticky mix. Sticky mixes do not
segregate easily because of their high water demand they frequently develop shrinkage
cracking.

Concurrent property (with workability)

Segregation = the separation of the coarse aggregate from the mortar. Results rock
pocket (honey comb)

Sand streaks, porous layers, scaling, laitance and bond failure at construction joint

Causes:
Harsh mixture: too wet mixes, very dry mixes, those that are undersanded

Bleeding = tendency of moisture to go up because of capillary action

Laitance = milk of concrete which develops at the top

Other Concurrent Properties (with workability)

1. Segregation
2. Bleeding = during the period after concrete has been leveled off, surface water in the
concrete rises to the top surface of the concrete. This movement of water is termed as
bleeding.

Detrimental Effects = delays in finishing, formation of a weak, non-durable surface if the

concrete is finished when bleed water is present, formation of laitance, settlement of aggregate
particles away from the underside of horizontal rebars or large aggregate particles, the voids
thus formed become filled with water, causing a loss of bond with the steel on aggregate, and
increased porosity of the concrete because of the water channels that were formed.

3. Laitance = is a light gray or nearly white substance which appears on the top surface of a
slab during or following consolidation and finishing. It consists of water, cement and
fine sand or silt particles, it has no strength and is detrimental to the surface.

Parameters Affecting Concrete Quality

1. Quality of cement
2. Proportion of cement in relation to water in the mix
3. Strength and cleanliness of the aggregate
4. Interaction or adhesion between cement paste and the aggregates.
5. Adequate mixing of the ingredients
6. Proper placing, finishing and compaction of the fresh concrete
7. Curing at a temperature not below 50oF (23oC) while the placed concrete gains strength
8. Chloride content not to exceed 0.15% in reinforced concrete exposed to chlorides in
service and 1% for dry protected concrete.
 Resistance to Appropriate
weathering and cement type low
chemicals (C3Al, MgO) free
lime low Na2O and
K2O

Controlled proportions
Ideal Durable Concrete Resistance to
Controlled materials
Quality control wear and
deterioration

Controlled handling Economy

Strength Controlled placing

Economy
 Admixture and entrained air
 Quality assurance and control
 Large maximum aggregate size
 Efficient grading
 Minimum slump
 Minimum cement content
 Optimal automated plant operation

Strength
 Good quality of paste
 Low water cement and paste ratio
 Optimal cement content
 Sound aggregate, grading and vibration
 Low air content

Resistance to weathering and chemicals

 Appropriate cement type
 Low water cement ratio
 Proper curing
 Alkali resistance aggregate
 Suitable mixture
 Uses of super plasticizer or polymer as admixture
 Air entrainment
Resistance to wear and deterioration
 Low water cement ratio
 Proper curing
 Dense homogeneous concrete
 High strength
 Wear resistance aggregate
 Good surface texture

Properties of Hardened Concrete

1. Short term or instantaneous properties
a. Strength in compression, tension and shear
b. Stiffness measured by modulus of elasticity

2. Long term properties

a. Shrinkage
b. Creep

Properties of Hardened Concrete

A. Compressive Strength = 28th day compressive strength of a 6” x 12” concrete cylinder
d = 6”

L/D = 2

L = 12”

Compression strength (f’c) = ultimate compressive strength of concrete at 28 days.

L/D ratio Correction factor

2 1.0
1.75 0.98
1.5 0.96
1.25 0.93
1 0.87

B. Flexural strength (modulus of rupture) = The modulus of rupture is a measure of the

flexural strength and is determined by testing a small beam, usually 6in x 6in cross
section in bending. It may be loaded at center point or at third points. The ACI specifies
a value of 7.5√ fc ' (psi)
 P
150
75

75
L

C. Tensile strength = relatively low as compared to the compressive strength. Ranges from
0.10fc’ to 0.20fc’. Measured using the split cylinder test.

6 (150mm) d 6” x 12” concrete cylinder

loaded along its side

2P
T=
πld
T =splitting tensile strength
P=maximum applied load
l=length
d=diameter

D. Shear strength, Torsion and combined stress

Difficult to determine experimentally than the other test because of the difficulty
in isolating shear from other stresses.
Varies from 20% in normal load to a considerably higher, percentage of up to
85% of fc’ in case where direct shear exist in combination with compression

E. Modulus of Elasticity = adopts the secant modulus of elasticity

 tangent
tangent

stress
0.4fc’

secant

strain

Ec=33 Wc √ fc' for 90<Wc , 155 lbs/ft 3

1.5

For normal weight concrete (Wc = 145 lbs/ft3)

Ec=57000 √ f c ' psi

Ec=4730 √ f c ' MPa

F. Shrinkage
Two types
1. Plastic shrinkage = occurs during the first few hours after placing fresh concrete in
the forms. Exposed surfaces such as floor slab are more easily affected by exposure
to dry
2. Drying Shrinkage = occurs after the concrete has already attained its final set and a
good portion of the chemical hydration process in the cement gel has been
accomplished.

Factors that Affect the Magnitude of Drying Shrinkage

1. Aggregate
2. Water cement ratio = the higher the water cement ratio, the higher the shrinkage
3. Size of the concrete element
4. Medium ambient conditions
5. Amount of reinforcement
6. Admixture = the finer the sand, there would be greater shrinkage
7. Types of cement = finer cement – greater cement
8. Carbonation = free lime
9. Creep = is the increase in strain with time due to a sustained load

Total strain = elastic strain + creep strain + shrinkage strain