Concrete

introduction:-

Concrete is a composite material composed mainly of water,

aggregate, and cement. Often,additives and reinforcements are included in the
mixture to achieve the desired physicalproperties of the finished material. When
these ingredients are mixed together, they form afluid mass that is easily
molded into shape. Over time, the cement forms a hard matrix whichbinds the
rest of the ingredients together into a durable stone-like material with many
uses.

The aim is to mix these materials in measured amounts to make concrete that is
easy to Transport, place, compact, finish and which will set, and harden, to give
a strong and durableproduct. The amount of each material (ie cement, water and
aggregates) affects the propertiesof hardened concrete.

Constituent materials:-

Concrete is a mixture of cement (11%), fineaggregates(26%), coarse

aggregates (41%) andwater (16%) and air (6%).

In simple terms:
 cement + water = cement paste;
 cement paste + sand = mortar; and
 mortar + stone = concrete.

Properties of Concrete in Construction:-

Concrete is a mixture of several materials.
At the hardened state, this heterogeneous material becomes stone-like
mass. The extensive use of concrete in the construction field has made it a
material of huge concern for engineers. To participate in the vast uses of
concrete an engineer must know its properties. Here in this article, we
have provided a glimpse of the properties of concrete.
The properties of concrete in construction are listed as follows:
 ➢ Strength
➢ Durability
➢ Workability
➢ Elastic Properties
➢ Impermeability
➢ Segregation
➢ Bleeding
➢ Fatigue
Strength:-
Perhaps most widely known property of concrete in its hardened state is its
strength, which is split into four types:
• Compressive
• Tensile
• Flexural
• Shear
Compressive:-
The compressive strength of concrete is considered one of the
most important structural properties it has. As an industrial standard,
concrete is classified by different grades. These grades are based on the
compressive strength of the material when a specimen of it is made into a
cube or a cylinder. According to the British Standard, the strength of the
cylinder specimen should be equal to three quarters of the strength of the
cube.
Tensile:-
Tensile strength in ordinary concrete is weak, ranging from between seven
and ten percent of the compressive strength. It is measured by the units of
Force per Cross-Sectional area.

Flexural:-
The flexural strength in ordinary concrete almost entirely depends on the
tensile strength. It is the measure of an unreinforced concrete beam or
slab’s resistance to failure in bending.
Shear:-
This is the real factor which determines the compressive strength of short
columns. The average strength of concrete mixtures in shear varies from
about half the compressive strength if the mixture is strong, to 0.8 of the
compressive strength if the mixture is considered lean.

Durability:-
The durability of concrete is the property which determines
whether or not it can withstand the condition it was designed to endure,
without breaking down, over a number of years. Concrete can lack
durability owing to factors caused by external agents, such as the
environment, or internal agents, such as faults within the concrete. These
causes can be physical, chemical or mechanical.

Workability:-
How strong a concrete mix is can be determined quite
highly by its degree of compaction. As such, it is extremely important that
the consistency of the mix used means that the concrete can be supplied,
installed and finished quickly and easily, without segregation. Concrete
mixes which can do this are called “workable” mixes, and the factors
which affect this status are:
• Mix proportions
• Size and shape of aggregates
• Grading and surface texture of aggregates
• Water content
• Use of admixtures
• Use of supplementary materials
• Temperature
• Time
To determine the workability as a property of concrete, a slump test will
often be carried out. This measures the ease at which a mixture flows and
can indicate when a batch has been improperly mixed.

Elastic Properties:-
The elastic properties of concrete will vary with the richness of the mix
used, the age of the concrete and the intensity of the stress.

Impermeability:-
Ensuring that a concrete mix is impermeable is vital, as
permeable concrete can be left open to penetration from materials that will
affect its durability. This becomes especially important for the property in
reinforced concrete, as water, frost and air can all result in the corrosion of
the steel reinforcing fibres mixed into the material. As the steel expands
with the corrosion, this can result in the concrete becoming cracked and
damaged.
A concrete floor which has become cracked and damaged from within will
eventually become structurally unsound, potentially causing safety issues
and definitely leading the floor to require being replaced. In order to save
yourself time and money that would have been wasted on an imperfect
concrete mix, it is highly recommended that you contact a professional
concrete company to carry out work for you.
Get in touch with us today if you would are determined to ensure
your concrete floor is of the highest standards and is impermeable. We
know and understand the properties of reinforced concrete and we can
make sure your floors are installed exactly as they should be.

Segregation:-
The separation of coarse aggregate from the rest of the
concrete mass is referred to as segregation. This happens and increases
when the concrete mix is both too lean and too wet, or when aggregate
which is large and has a rough texture is used. You can avoid this problem
when mixing concrete by:
• Adding little air entraining agents into the mix
• Restricting how much water is poured into the mix
• Ensuring handling, placing and consolidation is conducted carefully
– the concrete especially must not be allowed to fall from a large
height

Bleeding :-
After concrete has been laid, it is common for water to rise to the surface
in a process known as bleeding. When it does ths, it will often carry
particles of sand and cement with it, forming a scum layer called laitance.
This problem can be reduced or avoided by:
• Adding more cement to your mix
• Using a more finely ground type of cement
• Using the minimum quantity of water needed in a properly designed mix
• Using more fine aggregate
• Using little air entraining agent
Fatigue:-
When subjected to flexure, ordinary concrete will exhibit fatigue. The
ability of concrete to resist flexure is indicated by an already-established
endurance limit. The value of this limit is dependent upon the number of
repetitions and strength.

The characteristics of concrete:-

Depending on the materials employed to carry out the mixture of the concrete,
the characteristics of this element change. However, we can distinguish some
common characteristics.

• Resistance and durability: used in a lot of constructions, concrete

appears in bridges, buildings or roads, because it is a very resistant
 element, a characteristic that increases with time. In fact, it is capable of
increasing its strenght over the years, withstanding the force of natural
disasters and accidents. In addition, it does not become weak with the
apparition of mold and mildew.

• Little maintenance: it is an inert material, non-porous and compact, that

is why it does not requiere much effort in its maintenance and maitains all
of its essential properties for a long time.

• Fire resistance: another essential feature of concrete is its fire resistance,

a great option to protect buildings from fires.

• Versatility: as we have mentioned before, concrete has a presence in a lot

of buildings and major structures, so it is very useful in a lot of types of
construction.

• Thermal mass: it is not just a very resistant material, but it is capable to

create heat barriers, retaining temperatures. Thus, buildings need less heat
during cold season and less cooling during the summer months. This
implies not just a better resistance to temperatures, but also a greater
energy saving.

• Affordability: the concrete is not an expensive material, so it is easy to

justify its use in a lot of constructions.
• Light reflection: the concrete has the albedo effect. In other words, the
greater the amount of light that is reflected in this material, the lower the
heat that is absorbed.

• Production and local use: because it is a heavy element, its recolocation

to the construction zone is difficult. That is why, as soon as the mixture
has been mixed, the place where it is made must not be far for the place
where it is to be used.
Production of concrete:-
Manufacturing of concrete includes the following stages
1.Batching
2.Mixing
3.Transporting
4.Placing&Compacting
5.Curing&Finishing
1.Batching:-
The measurement of materials for making concrete is known as batching.
Methods of batching 
• Volume batching
• Weigh batching
Volume batching :-
The required ingredients of conc. Are measured by volume basis

 Volume batching is done by various types of gauge boxes

 The gauge boxes are made with comparatively deeper with narrow
surface
 Some times bottomless gauge boxes are used but it should be avoided

Volume batching is not a good practice because of the difficulties it offers to

granular material.

Some of the sand in loose condition weighs much less than the same volume of
dry compacted soil.

gauge boxe
Weigh batching :-

It is the correct method of measuring materials for concrete.

Use of weight system in batching ,facilitates accuracy flexibility and simplicity

The different types of weigh batching are there, they are used based on the
different situation.

In small works the weighing arrangement consist of two weighing buckets

connected to the levers of spring loaded dials which indicates the load,

The weighing buckets are mounted on a central spindle about which they rotate

On large works the weigh bucket type of weighing equipment used ,the
materials are fed from the over head storage hopper and it discharges by gravity.

2.Mixing :-
Thorough mixing of materials is essential for the production of
uniform concrete .The mixing should ensure that the mass becomes
homogeneous uniform in color and consistency.Generally 20 revolution of
concrete in mixture providessufficient mixing.
Methods of Mixing
1. Hand Mixing
2. machine mixing
Hand mixing:-
 Mixing ingredients of concrete by hands using ordinary tools like, hand
shovels etc. This type ofmixing is done for Less output of concrete.
 This type of mixing is adopted for small jobs. Wherequantity of concrete
involved is small.
 Used for unimportant works.
 For hand mixing a brick platform is prepared bylaying the bricks on the
ground. It must be 2 m wide and 3.5 m long. Following operations are
involved
 Mixing time should be approximately 2 minutes and should never exceed
3minutes.

Machine Mixing:
 When a large quantity of concrete of the desired quality is
tobe produced at a faster rate with better quality machinemixing is used.

3.Transporting and Placing:-

Methods of transporting concrete vary
widely from wheelbarrow and manual hauling to conveyor belt operations,
to more advanced projects involving cranes and pumps. All of these
methods require some level of manual operating demanding advanced
safety wear. From physically hauling wheelbarrows to operating and
securing larger machines and equipment hauling the concrete, companies
have an obligation to ensure their gloves meet safety requirements.

4.Compacting and Placing:-

 During mixing and transport air is often entrapped, greatly
reducing the quality and strength. One of the final stages of production involves
compacting the product to eliminate the air pockets and ensure durability. This
can be done by involving machinery that temporarily liquefies the
concrete, instantly expelling trapped air, or by hand tooling. The extremely
lightweight and waterproof MG9648, shown in this picture, is the ideal choice for
one using hand tools.

5.Curing and Finishing:-

This process takes place immediately after
concrete is compressed and involves close attention to detail regarding moisture
levels and contracting as it dries. This process is crucial in preventing cracking
and durability issues. Many types of curation involve potent chemicals to seal
the slab that can be incredibly hazardous to workers if exposed.

Tests for Concrete Quality Check:-

Each quality test conducted on concrete determines their respective quality
result of concrete. Hence, it is not possible to conduct all the test to determine
the quality of concrete. We have to choose the best tests that can give good
judgment of the concrete quality.
Most Common Quality Tests on Fresh concrete are:
1. Workability Tests
2. Air content
3. Setting Time
1. Workability Tests:-Workability of concrete mixture is measured by, Vee-bee
consistometer test, Compaction factor Test, Slump test,Flow test,andKelly Ball
Test (Ball Penetration Test)
Vee-bee consistometer test:-
The main objective of Vee-Bee test is to determine the workability of the
freshly mixed concrete. The Vee-Bee test gives an indication about the mobility
and the compactibility aspect of the freshly mixed concrete.
Vee-bee test carries out the relative effort measurement to change the mass of
the concrete from a definite shape to the other. That is, as per the test, from the
conical shape to the cylindrical shape by undergoing vibration process.
The experiment is named after the developer V Bahrmer of Sweden. The
method can be also applied for dry concrete. For concrete that have slump value
more than 50mm, the remolding activity will be so fast that the measurement of
time is not possible.

Compaction factor Test:-

Compaction factor test works on the principle of determining the degree of
compaction achieved by a standard amount of work done by allowing the
concrete to fall through a standard height. This is specially designed for
laboratory use, but if the circumstances favours, it can also be used on the
working site/field.
Compaction factor test of concrete is more precise and sensitive than the
concrete slump test; hence it is more favorable and useful for low workable
concrete or dry concrete which is generally used when concrete is to be
compacted by vibration.

Slump test:-
The concrete slump test or slump cone test is the most common
test for workability of freshly mixed concrete which can be performed either at the
working site/field or in the laboratory. To maintain the workability and quality
of fresh concrete, it is necessary to check batch by batch inspection of the
concrete slump. This can be easily done with the concrete slump test. The
slump test is the simplest test to determine workability of concrete that involves
low cost and provides immediate results.
Flow test:-
The flow test is a laboratory test, which gives an indication of the quality of
concrete with respect to consistency or workability and cohesiveness. In the
flow test, a standard mass of concrete is subjected to jolting. This test is
generally used for high/ very high workability concrete.
Similar laboratory test named ‘Flow Table Test ‘was developed in Germany
in1933 and it has been described in ‘BS 1881:105: 1984’. This method is used
for the high and very high workable concrete which would exhibit the collapse
slump.

Kelly Ball Test (Ball Penetration Test):-

This test is developed by J.W Kelly, hence it’s known as a Kelly ball test. Kelly
ball test is a simple and inexpensive field test which measures workability of
fresh concrete with the similar to the concrete slump test, but it is more accurate
and faster than a slump test. This test uses a device that consist of metal
hemisphere (ball) thereby indicating the consistency of fresh concrete by its
level of penetration when the metal hemisphere drops. Thus, in this test, depth
is determined through metal hemisphere, which sinks under its own weight into
fresh concrete.

2. Air content:-
Air content measures the total air content in a sample of fresh concrete but does
not indicate what the final in-place air content is, because a certain amount of
air is lost in transportation Consolidating, placement, and finishing.

3. Setting Time:-
The action of changing mixed cement from a fluid state to a solid state is called
“Setting of Cement”.
Initial Setting Time is defined as the period elapsing between the time when
water is added to the cement and the time at which the needle of 1 mm square
section fails to pierce the test block to a depth of about 5 mm from the bottom
of the mold.
Final Setting Time is defined as the period elapsing between the time when
water is added to cement and the time at which the needle of 1 mm square
section with 5 mm diameter attachment makes an impression on the test block.
masonry units of concrete:-