Tests on Concrete 2017

Tests for Workability of Concrete

Various tests for workability of concrete at construction sites i.e slump test, Vee-bee test,
Compaction factor test and its recommended values are given below.

What is workability of concrete and what are tests is generally performed at site for its
determination? And what are its recommended values for different purposes?
Workability of concrete describes the ease or difficulty with which the concrete is handled,
transported and placed between the forms with minimum loss of homogeneity.

Workability is important because, if

i. the concrete mixture is too wet, coarse aggregates settle at the bottom of concrete mass and
as a result concrete becomes non-uniform composition,

ii. the concrete mixture is too dry, it will be difficult to handle and place it in position

Tests for Workability of Concrete

Workability of concrete mixture is measured by:

a) Vee-bee consistometer test

b) Compaction factor test

c) Slump test
The first two tests are laboratory tests while the third test is the field test.

Concrete Slump Test

This test is carried out with a mould called slump cone whose top diameter is 10cm, bottom
diameter is 20 cm and height is 30 cm. the test may be performed in the following steps:

1. Place the slump mould on a smooth flat and non-absorbent surface.

2. Mix the dry ingredients of the concrete thoroughly till a uniform colour is obtained and then
add the required quantity of water.

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3. Place the mixed concrete in the mould to about one-fourth of its height.

4. Compact the concrete 25 times with the help of a tamping rod uniformly all over the area.

5. Place the concrete in the mould about half of its height and compact it again.

6. Place the concrete up to its three fourth height and then up to its top. Compact each layer 25
times with the help of tamping rod uniformly. For the second subsequent layers, the tamping
rod should penetrate into underlying layers.

7. Strike off the top surface of mould with a trowel or tamping rod so that the mould is filled to
its top.

8. Remove the mould immediately, ensuring its movement in vertical direction.

9. When the settlement of concrete stops, measure the subsidence of the concrete in
millimeters which is the required slump of the concrete.

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Figure: Measurement of slump

Suitability of Slump Test:

The slump test is suitable only for the concrete of high or medium workability.

Recommended Values of Concrete Slump Tests for Various

Purposes:
No. Types of concrete Slump

1 Concrete for road construction 20 to 40 mm

Concrete for tops of curbs, parapets, piers, slabs

2 40 to 50 mm
and wall

3 Concrete for canal lining 70 to 80 mm

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4 Normal RCC work 80 to 150 mm

5 Mass concrete 20 to 50 mm

6 Concrete to be vibrated 10 to 25 mm

Concrete slump test is to determine the workability or consistency of concrete mix prepared at
the laboratory or the construction site during the progress of the work. Concrete slump test is
carried out from batch to batch to check the uniform quality of concrete during construction.

The slump test is the most simple workability test for concrete, involves low cost and provides
immediate results. Due to this fact, it has been widely used for workability tests since 1922. The
slump is carried out as per procedures mentioned in ASTM C143 in the United States, IS: 1199
– 1959 in India and EN 12350-2 in Europe.
Generally concrete slump value is used to find the workability, which indicates water-cement
ratio, but there are various factors including properties of materials, mixing methods, dosage,
admixtures etc. also affect the concrete slump value.
Factors which influence the concrete slump test:
1. Material properties like chemistry, fineness, particle size distribution, moisture
content and temperature of cementitious materials. Size, texture, combined grading, cleanliness and
moisture content of the aggregates,
2. Chemical admixtures dosage, type, combination, interaction, sequence of addition and its effectiveness,
3. Air content of concrete,
4. Concrete batching, mixing and transporting methods and equipment,
5. Temperature of the concrete,
6. Sampling of concrete, slump-testing technique and the condition of test equipment,
7. The amount of free water in the concrete, and
8. Time since mixing of concrete at the time of testing.

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Equipments Required for Concrete Slump Test:

Mould for slump test, non-porous base plate, measuring scale, temping rod. The mould for the
test is in the form of the frustum of a cone having height 30 cm, bottom diameter 20 cm and
top diameter 10 cm. The tamping rod is of steel 16 mm diameter and 60cm long and rounded at
one end.

Sampling of Materials for Slump Test:

A concrete mix (M15 or other) by weight with suitable water/ cement ratio is prepaid in the
laboratory similar to that explained in 5.9 and required for casting 6 cubes after conducting
Slump test.

Figure-1: Measuring Slump of Concrete

Procedure for Concrete Slump Test:
1. Clean the internal surface of the mould and apply oil.
2. Place the mould on a smooth horizontal non- porous base plate.
3. Fill the mould with the prepared concrete mix in 4 approximately equal layers.

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4. Tamp each layer with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the tamping rod in a uniform manner over the
cross section of the mould. For the subsequent layers, the tamping should penetrate into the underlying
layer.
5. Remove the excess concrete and level the surface with a trowel.
6. Clean away the mortar or water leaked out between the mould and the base plate.
7. Raise the mould from the concrete immediately and slowly in vertical direction.
8. Measure the slump as the difference between the height of the mould and that of height point of the
specimen being tested.

Figure-2: Concrete Slump Test Procedure

NOTE:
The above operation should be carried out at a place free from Vibrations or shock and within a
period of 2 minutes after sampling.

Slump Value Observation:

The slump (Vertical settlement) measured shall be recorded in terms of millimeters of
subsidence of the specimen during the test.

Results of Slump Test on Concrete:

Slump for the given sample= _____mm

When the slump test is carried out, following are the shape of the concrete slump that can be
observed:

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Figure-3: Types of Concrete Slump Test Results

o True Slump – True slump is the only slump that can be measured in the test. The measurement
is taken between the top of the cone and the top of the concrete after the cone has been
removed as shown in figure-1.
o Zero Slump – Zero slump is the indication of very low water-cement ratio, which results in dry
mixes. These type of concrete is generally used for road construction.
o Collapsed Slump – This is an indication that the water-cement ratio is too high, i.e. concrete
mix is too wet or it is a high workability mix, for which a slump test is not appropriate.
o Shear Slump – The shear slump indicates that the result is incomplete, and concrete to be
retested.

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Compressive strength of concrete cube test provides an idea about all the characteristics of
concrete. By this single test one judge that whether Concreting has been done properly or not.
Compressive strength of concrete depends on many factors such as water-cement ratio,
cement strength, quality of concrete material, quality control during production of concrete
etc.

Test for compressive strength is carried out either on cube or cylinder. Various standard codes
recommends concrete cylinder or concrete cube as the standard specimen for the test.
American Society for Testing Materials ASTM C39/C39M provides Standard Test Method
for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens.
Procedure: Compressive Strength Test of Concrete Cubes
For cube test two types of specimens either cubes of 15cm X 15cm X 15cm or 10cm X 10cm x
10cm depending upon the size of aggregate are used. For most of the works cubical moulds of
size 15cm x 15cm x 15cm are commonly used.

This concrete is poured in the mould and tempered properly so as not to have any voids. After
24 hours these moulds are removed and test specimens are put in water for curing. The top
surface of these specimen should be made even and smooth. This is done by putting cement
paste and spreading smoothly on whole area of specimen.

These specimens are tested by compression testing machine after 7 days curing or 28 days
curing. Load should be applied gradually at the rate of 140 kg/cm2 per minute till the
Specimens fails. Load at the failure divided by area of specimen gives the compressive strength
of concrete.

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Following are the procedure for testing Compressive strength of Concrete Cubes
Apparatus for Concrete Cube Test
Compression testing machine

Preparation of Concrete Cube Specimen

The proportion and material for making these test specimens are from the same concrete used
in the field.

Specimen
6 cubes of 15 cm size Mix. M15 or above

Mixing of Concrete for Cube Test

Mix the concrete either by hand or in a laboratory batch mixer

Hand Mixing
(i)Mix the cement and fine aggregate on a water tight none-absorbent platform until the
mixture is thoroughly blended and is of uniform color

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(ii)Add the coarse aggregate and mix with cement and fine aggregate until the coarse aggregate
is uniformly distributed throughout the batch

(iii)Add water and mix it until the concrete appears to be homogeneous and of the desired
consistency

Sampling of Cubes for Test

(i) Clean the mounds and apply oil

(ii) Fill the concrete in the molds in layers approximately 5cm thick

(iii) Compact each layer with not less than 35strokes per layer using a tamping rod (steel bar
16mm diameter and 60cm long, bullet pointed at lower end)

(iv) Level the top surface and smoothen it with a trowel

Curing of Cubes
The test specimens are stored in moist air for 24 hours and after this period the specimens are
marked and removed from the molds and kept submerged in clear fresh water until taken out
prior to test.

Precautions for Tests

The water for curing should be tested every 7 days and the temperature of water must be at
27+-2oC.

Procedure for Cube Test

(I) Remove the specimen from water after specified curing time and wipe out excess water
from the surface.

(II) Take the dimension of the specimen to the nearest 0.2m

(III) Clean the bearing surface of the testing machine

(IV) Place the specimen in the machine in such a manner that the load shall be applied to the
opposite sides of the cube cast.
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(V) Align the specimen centrally on the base plate of the machine.

(VI) Rotate the movable portion gently by hand so that it touches the top surface of the
specimen.

(VII) Apply the load gradually without shock and continuously at the rate of 140 kg/cm 2/minute
till the specimen fails
(VIII) Record the maximum load and note any unusual features in the type of failure.

Note:
Minimum three specimens should be tested at each selected age. If strength of any specimen
varies by more than 15 per cent of average strength, results of such specimen should be
rejected. Average of three specimens gives the crushing strength of concrete. The strength
requirements of concrete.

Calculations for Concrete Cube Tests for Compressive Strength

Size of the cube =15cm x15cm x15cm

Area of the specimen (calculated from the mean size of the specimen )=225 cm 2
Characteristic compressive strength(f ck)at 7 days =

Expected maximum load =fck x area x f.s

Range to be selected is …………………..

Similar calculation should be done for 28 day compressive strength

Maximum load applied =……….tones = ………….N

Compressive strength = (Load in N/ Area in mm2)=……………N/mm2

=……………………….N/mm2
Reports of Cube Test
a) Identification mark

b) Date of test
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c) Age of specimen

d) Curing conditions, including date of manufacture of specimen

f) Appearance of fractured faces of concrete and the type of fracture if they are unusual

Results of Concrete Cube Test

Average compressive strength of the concrete cube = ………….N/ mm2 (at 7 days)
Average compressive strength of the concrete cube =………. N/mm2 (at 28 days)
Compressive Strength of Concrete at Various Ages:
The strength of concrete increases with age. Table shows the strength of concrete at different
ages in comparison with the strength at 28 days after casting.

Age Strength per cent

1 day 16%

3 days 40%

7 days 65%

14 days 90%

28 days 99%

Compressive Strength of Different Grades of Concrete at 7 and

28 Days
Specified characteristic
Grade of Minimum compressive strength
compressive strength (N/mm2) at
Concrete N/mm2 at 7 days
28 days

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M15 10 15

M20 13.5 20

M25 17 25

M30 20 30

M35 23.5 35

M40 27 40

M45 30 45

ACCEPTANCE OF CONCRETE CUBE TEST RESULTS

ACI-5.6 2008 requires that all the tests to be performed on fresh, hardened or old concrete are
to be performed by qualified field testing technicians. They should collect and prepare all the
specimens for testing and should record temperature and other important information about
the fresh concrete.

1. Frequency Of Testing
A strength test is considered as the average of the strengths of at least two 150 by 300 mm
cylinders or at least three 100 by 200 mm cylinders made from the same sample of concrete
and tested at 28 days or at test age designated for determination of fc’.
As mentioned in the earlier chapters, samples for strength tests of each class of concrete placed
each day must be taken not less than all of the following:

a) Once a day

b) Once for each 110 cum of concrete

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c) Once for each 460 sqm of surface area for slabs or walls. Only one side of the slab or wall
should be considered in calculating the area. This criterion requires more frequent sampling
than once for each 110 m3 of concrete placed if the average wall or slab thickness is less than
240 mm.

d) At least five randomly selected samples for a given class of concrete.

e) According to ACI, when total quantity of a given class of concrete is less than 38 m3, strength
tests are not required when evidence of satisfactory strength is submitted to and approved by
the building official.

2. Acceptance Based On Standard-Cured Specimens

Strength of a new concrete determined by standard-cured specimens is considered satisfactory
if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

a) Every arithmetic average of any three consecutive strength tests equals or exceeds fc?
b) No strength test falls below fc? by more than 3.5MPa when fc? is 35 MPa or less; or by more
than 0.10 fc? when fc? is more than 35 MPa.
If the above conditions are not satisfied, steps must be taken to increase the average of
subsequent strength test results.

3. Acceptance Of Field-Cured Specimens

Field-cured test cylinders should be molded at the same time and from the same samples as
laboratory-cured test cylinders. These results are not directly used as acceptance criterion but
give idea about the field curing procedure. Procedures for protecting and curing concrete are to
be improved when strength of field cured cylinders at test age designated for determination
of fc? is less than 85 percent of that of companion laboratory-cured cylinders. The 85 percent
limitation need not to be applied if field-cured strength exceeds fc? by more than 3.5 MPa.
4. Investigation Of Low-Strength Test Results
If the strength tests of laboratory-cured cylinders do not satisfy the criterion for acceptance or
if tests of field-cured cylinders indicate deficiencies in protection and curing, immediate actions
are required to avoid under-strength construction. If it is almost confirmed that the concrete
may be of low strength, three cores must be taken for each under-strength test. Cores are
tested after 48 hours but not, later than 7 days after coring unless approved by the licensed
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design professional. The strength of concrete may be considered satisfactory if the average of
three cores is equal to at least 85 percent of fc? and if no single core is less than 75 percent
of fc?. If these criteria are not satisfied, it is allowed to extract and test additional cores. Cores
taken to confirm structural adequacy are usually taken at ages later than those specified for
determination of fc?. If the core test also fails and the doubt about the concrete strength still
exists, structural strength evaluation / load test may be recommended.

Tests for checking quality of concrete should be done for the following possible purposes:
1. To detect the variation of quality of concrete being supplied for a given specification.

2. To establish whether the concrete has attained a sufficient strength or concrete has set
sufficiently for stripping, stressing, de-propping, opening to traffic etc.

3. To establish whether the concrete has gained sufficient strength for the intended purpose.

There are so many tests available for testing different qualities of concrete. Different tests give
results for their respective quality of concrete. Thus it is not possible to conduct all the tests as
it involves cost and time. Thus, it is very important to be sure about purpose of quality tests for
concrete. The most important test for quality check of concrete is to detect the variation of
concrete quality with the given specification and mix design during concrete mixing and
placement. It will ensure that right quality of concrete is being placed at site and with checks for
concrete placement in place, the quality of constructed concrete members will be as desired.

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Following are the lists of various tests conducted for Concrete Quality:
Tests on hardened concrete:
o Compressive strength (cylinder, cube, core)
o Tensile strength: Direct tension
o Modulus of rupture
o Indirect (splitting) Test
o Density
o Shrinkage
o Creep
o Modulus of elasticity
o Absorption
o Permeability Tests on Concrete
o Freeze/thaw resistance
o Resistance to aggressive chemicals
o Resistance to abrasion
o Bond to reinforcement
o Analysis for cement content and proportions
o In situ tests: Schmidt Hammer, Concrete pull-out, break-off, cones etc.
o Ultrasonic, nuclear.

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Tests on fresh concrete:

o Workability Tests (slump test and others)
o Bleeding
o Air content
o Setting time
o Segregation resistance
o Unit weight
o Wet analysis
o Temperature
o Heat generation

Of these many tests for concrete quality, in practice well over 90% of all routine tests on
concrete are concentrated on compression tests and slump tests. It is also desirable to conduct
fresh concrete temperature and hardened concrete density determination tests.

The reasons for the selection of compressive strength test and slump test in practice for
quality control testing of concrete are:
1. All or most other properties of concrete are related to its compressive strength.

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2. Compressive strength test is the easiest, most economical or most accurately determinable
test.

3. Compressive strength testing is the best means available to determine the variability of
concrete.

4. Slump tests also checks for variation of construction materials in mix, mainly water-cement
ratio.

5. Slump test is easy and fast to determine quality of concrete before placement based on
recommended slump values for the type of construction.

6. Slump test is most economical because it is done at site and does not require any laboratory
or expensive testing machine.

7. Slump tests is done before the placement of concrete, so the quality of control is high as
rejected mix can be discarded before pouring into the structural member. So, dismantling or
repair of defective concrete members can be avoided

NDT TESTING EQUIPMENTS FOR CONCRETE STRENGTH

Non-Destructive Tests are useful for testing and evaluation of concrete strength after
construction and during its lifetime. NDT tests are conducted to ensure the quality of concrete
construction as per required specification for intended use. Various Non Destructive Testing
Equipments for concrete strength evaluation are available. These NDT Testing equipments are
useful to assess concrete construction quality.

Following are various NDT Test equipments for concrete strength evaluation:
1. Rebound Hammer:
Rebound hammer is used for testing surface strength of concrete. Rebound hammer provides
rebound number after testing of concrete which is used for concrete strength estimation.

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2. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Meter:

Ultrasonic pulse velocity meter is used for quality of concrete after construction. Qualities such
as uniformity and homogeneity of concrete, location of internal defects in concrete, porosity,
cracks.

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3. Concrete Pull off Tester:

Concrete pull off testing equipment is used for testing of bond strength of concrete. This test is
used for assessment of surface zone strength of concrete.

4. Pull out Testing Equipment:

There are two types of pull out tests. One is Pull out “LOK” test which is used for testing
concrete during construction stage while other test Pull Out “Capo” Test is used for testing
concrete after construction. Both of these tests are used for assessment of concrete surface
zone strength and measures the pull out force for concrete.

5. Break off Tester:

Break off test is used for assessment of compressive strength or flexure strength of concrete.
This test is continued till the concrete fails.

6. Windsor Probe Test:

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Windsor probe test is also used for assessment of surface zone strength of concrete. This test is
done to assess the penetration resistance of concrete.

7. Micro Core Test Apparatus:

This equipment is used for testing the core (micro core) strength of concrete. This is a in-situ
test for concrete structures.

8. Bond Tester:
Bond tester equipment is used for testing the bond strength between two concrete layer. Bond
strength between two layers also indicates the tensile strength of concrete between two layers.

9. Maturity Meters:
Maturity meters are used for estimation of compressive strength of concrete after placement
of concrete and initial setting. This test predicts the concrete strength based on the
temperature of history of concrete. This tests is a measure of progress of hydration reaction of
concrete. This test can be useful for strength estimation if structure has to be occupied before
final setting of concrete, or the construction of structure above has to be started.

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Workability of Concrete
Workability of concrete is the property of freshly mixed concrete which
determines the ease and homogeneity with which it can be mixed, placed,
consolidated and finished’ as defined by ACI Standard 116R-90 (ACI 1990b).

ASTM defines it as “that property determining the effort required to

manipulate a freshly mixed quantity of concrete with minimum loss of
homogeneity”.

The workability of concrete depends on many factors which are explained

in factors affecting workability of concrete. Water cement ratio has much effect in
the workability. Workability is directly proportional to water cement ratio. An
increase in water-cement ratio increases the workability of concrete.

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Types of Workability of Concrete

Workability of concrete can be divided into following three types:

1. Unworkable Concrete
2. Medium Workable
3. Highly Workable Concrete

1. Unworkable Concrete – Harsh Concrete

An unworkable concrete can also be called as harsh concrete. It is a concrete
with very little amount of water. The hand mixing of such concrete is not
easy.

Such type of concrete has high segregation of aggregates as cement paste is

not lubricated properly to stick to the aggregates. It is very difficult to
maintain the homogeneity of concrete mix and compaction of concrete
requires much effort. Water cement ratio of such concrete is below 0.4.

2. Medium Workable Concrete

This type of concrete workability is used in most of the construction works.
This concrete is relatively easy to mix, transport, place and compact without
much segregation and loss of homogeneity.

This type of concrete workability is generally used in all concrete

construction with light reinforcement (spacing of reinforcement is which
allows the concrete to be compacted effectively). Water cement ratio for
medium workable concrete is 0.4 to 0.55.

3. Highly Workable Concrete

A highly workable concrete is very easy to mix, transport, place and compact
in structures. Such concrete is used where effective compaction of concrete
is not possible or in mass concrete. Such concrete flow easily and settle
down without much effort. But there is high chances of segregation and loss
of homogeneity in this case.

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The coarse aggregates tend to settle at the bottom and the concrete paste
comes up. Such concrete is used in case of heavy reinforcement is used
where vibration of concrete is not possible. Example of highly workable
concrete is self-compacting concrete. Water cement ratio of such concrete is
more than 0.55.

Workability requirement of concrete varies with each type of construction

and compaction method used. For example, concrete workability required for
a slab construction can be same as a mass concrete footing construction.

Workability requirement when vibrators are used for construction are

different from when vibrators are not used. Similarly, concrete workability
used in thick section is not workable when used in thin sections.

Factors Affecting Workability of Concrete

The workability requirements for a concrete construction depends on:

o Water cement ratio

o Type of construction work
o Method of mixing concrete
o Thickness of concrete section
o Extent of reinforcement
o Method of compaction
o Distance of transporting
o Method of placement
o Environmental condition

Workability Vs. Strength of Concrete

The following figure explains the relation between workability and
compressive strength of concrete:

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Fig: Workability Vs. Strength of Concrete

As you can see from figure, the strength of concrete decreases with increase
in water cement ratio. The increase in water cement ratio indicates increase
in workability of concrete. Thus, the strength of concrete inversely
proportional to the workability of concrete.

The reason for this relation is that water from the concrete dries up and
leaves voids when setting of concrete occurs. The more the water is, the
more will be the number of voids. Thus, increase in number of voids
decreases the compressive strength of concrete. Thus it is important to
balance the strength and workability requirement for concrete work.

The workability of concrete can be enhanced by use of rounded aggregates

and by the use of workability enhancing admixtures. With the use of
admixture such as air-entraining admixtures, the workability in increased
without increase in water-cement ratio. This helps in attaining required
strength and workability for concrete work.

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Factors affecting the workability of concrete are materials such as water content,
cement concrete, sand and aggregate properties such as size, shape, grading, mix
design ratio and use of admixtures. Each and every process and materials involved
in concrete mixing affects the workability of concrete.

Workability of concrete is measured in terms of ease with which it can be

mixed, transported to construction site, placed in forms and compacted. It is
easy to work with a highly workable concrete as it can be easily mixed,
transported, placed and compacted.

Workability and strength of concrete are inversely proportional. Strength of

concrete decreases with increase in workability of normal concrete affecting
the durability of concrete.

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Factors Affecting Workability of Concrete

Factors which affect workability of concrete are:
o Cement content of concrete
o Water content of concrete
o Mix proportions of concrete
o Size of aggregates
o Shape of aggregates
o Grading of aggregates
o Surface texture of aggregates
o Use of admixtures in concrete
o Use of supplementary cementitious materials

The primary materials of concrete are cement, fine aggregates (sand),

coarse aggregates and water. Many times admixtures are used in concrete
to enhance its properties. Therefore, properties of these materials and their
content affect the workability of concrete.

Following are the general factors affecting concrete workability:

Cement Content of Concrete

Cement content affects the workability of concrete in good measure. More
the quantity of cement, the more will be the paste available to coat the
surface of aggregates and fill the voids between them. This will help to
reduce the friction between aggregates and smooth movement of
aggregates during mixing, transporting, placing and compacting of concrete.

Also, for a given water-cement ratio, the increase in the cement content will
also increase the water content per unit volume of concrete increasing the
workability of concrete. Thus increase in cement content of concrete also
increases the workability of concrete.

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Type and Composition of Cement

There are also effect of type of cement or characteristics of cement on the
workability of concrete. The cement with increase in fineness will require
more water for same workability than the comparatively less fine cement.
The water demand increased for cement with high Al2O3 or C2S contents.

Water/Cement Ratio or Water Content of Concrete

Water/cement ratio is one of the most important factor which influence the
concrete workability. Generally, a water cement ratio of 0.45 to 0.6 is used
for good workable concrete without the use of any admixture. Higher the
water/cement ratio, higher will be the water content per volume of concrete
and concrete will be more workable.

Higher water/cement ratio is generally used for manual concrete mixing to

make the mixing process easier. For machine mixing, the water/cement ratio
can be reduced. These generalised method of using water content per
volume of concrete is used only for nominal mixes.

For designed mix concrete, the strength and durability of concrete is of

utmost importance and hence water cement ratio is mentioned with the
design. Generally designed concrete uses low water/cement ratio so that
desired strength and durability of concrete can be achieved.

Mix Proportions of Concrete

Mix proportion of concrete tells us the ratio of fine aggregates and coarse
aggregates w.r.t. cement quantity. This can also be called as the aggregate
cement ratio of concrete. The more cement is used, concrete becomes richer
and aggregates will have proper lubrications for easy mobility or flow of
aggregates.

The low quantity of cement w.r.t. aggregates will make the less paste
available for aggregates and mobility of aggregates is restrained.

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Size of Aggregates
Surface area of aggregates depends on the size of aggregates. For a unit
volume of aggregates with large size, the surface area is less compared to
same volume of aggregates with small sizes.

When the surface area increases, the requirement of cement quantity also
increase to cover up the entire surface of aggregates with paste. This will
make more use of water to lubricate each aggregates.

Hence, lower sizes of aggregates with same water content are less workable
than the large size aggregates.

Shape of Aggregates
The shape of aggregates affects the workability of concrete. It is easy to
understand that rounded aggregates will be easy to mix than elongated,
angular and flaky aggregates due to less frictional resistance.

Other than that, the round aggregates also have less surface area compared
to elongated or irregular shaped aggregates. This will make less requirement
of water for same workability of concrete. This is why river sands are
commonly preferred for concrete as they are rounded in shape.

Grading of Aggregates
Grading of aggregates have the maximum effect on the workability of
concrete. A well graded aggregates have all sizes in required percentages.
This helps in reducing the voids in a given volume of aggregates.

The less volume of voids makes the cement paste available for aggregate
surfaces to provide better lubrication to the aggregates.

With less volume of voids, the aggregate particles slide past each other and
less compacting effort is required for proper consolidation of aggregates.
Thus low water cement ratio is sufficient for properly graded aggregates.

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Surface Texture of Aggregates

Surface texture such as rough surface and smooth surface of aggregates
affects the workability of concrete in the same way as the shape of
aggregates.

With rough texture of aggregates, the surface area is more than the
aggregates of same volume with smooth texture. Thus concrete with smooth
surfaces are more workable than with rough textured aggregates.

Use of Admixtures in Concrete

There are many types of admixtures used in concrete for enhancing its
properties. There are some workability enhancer admixtures such as
plasticizers and superplasticizers which increases the workability of concrete
even with low water/cement ratio.

They are also called as water reducing concrete admixtures. They reduce the
quantity of water required for same value of slump.

Air entraining concrete admixtures are used in concrete to increase its

workability. This admixture reduces the friction between aggregates by the
use of small air bubbles which acts as the ball bearings between the
aggregate particles.

Use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials

Supplementary cementitious materials are those which are used with cement
to modify the properties of fresh concrete. Fly ash, fibers, silica fume, slag
cements are used as supplementary cementitious materials.

The use of fly ash in improves the workability of concrete by reducing the
water content required for same degree of workability or slump value.
The use of steel or synthetic fibers in concrete reduces the workability of concrete
as it makes the movement of aggregates harder by reducing the lubricating
effect of cement paste.

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 Tests on Concrete 2017

The workability of concrete is reduced and increased based on the quantity

of silica fume. The use of silica fume in concrete can improves workability
when used at low replacement rates, but can reduce workability when added
at higher replacement rates. Silica fume are used as pumping aid for
concrete when used as 2 to 3% by mass of cement.
The use of slag cement also improves workability but its effect depends on the
characteristics of the concrete mixture in which it is used.
References: ACI 238.1R-08 – Report on Measurements of Workability and
Rheology of Fresh Concrete

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