Making of

Concrete block
with different
admixture and
finding it’s
strength
Group members – Ashutosh yadav
Ishant Verma
Avdhesh Kumar yadav
Animesh Mishra
 ABSTRACT

Concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, water, coarse and fine aggregates and
sometimes admixtures. Proportioning a concrete mix for a given purpose is the art of
obtaining a suitable ratio of various ingredients of concrete with the required properties at the
lower cost. The primary difference between high-strength concrete and normal-strength
concrete relates to the compressive strength.

High strength concrete has compressive strength of up to 100 MPa as against

conventional concrete which has compressive strengths of less than 40 MPa. Low water-
cement ratio is a crucial aspect which can be achieved by using chemical admixtures such as
plasticizers. A mineral admixture introduces favourable behaviour with respect to shrinkage
and high evolution of heat of hydration and enhances durability. The project revolves around
the development of high compressive strength using proper mix of ingredients.
 INTRODUCTION

❖ What is High Strength Concrete?

• As name suggests, it is concrete of high strength.

• It has compressive strengths of up to 100 MPa.
• Concrete designed by conventional methods have strengths up to 40 MPa.
• Certain admixtures are used to produce high strength concrete.
• There are two crucial aspects to be considered:
o Low water-cement ratio
o Dense particle packing
• So approach is to achieve concrete mix of high strength by using admixtures.
 AIM & OBJECTIVES

❖ Aim:
• Our aim is to produce a concrete mix of high strength – greater than 40 MPa by
using proper proportion of materials and various admixtures.
• Following are the objectives to reach our aim.

❖ Objectives:
• To learn the developments in materials, production method and mechanical
properties and their uses.
• To study the functions of admixtures.
• To learn the important aspects of high strength concrete.
• To achieve a concrete mix of strength greater than 40 MPa.
 METHODOLOGY

❖ Method Used:
• Trial and error method
• Target strength: 50 MPa

❖ Important Criteria:

High Strength Concrete

Mix

Low Water-Binder Ratio Proper Mix For

(0.30-0.45) Minimum Voids

Rich Mix with Addition of

Use of Plasticizers Mineral Binder

• High strength is achieved if the particle packing is dense with minimum voids. For
this high paste volume is essential.
• A rich mix is used.
• Mineral and chemical admixtures are used.
• Two batches of concrete were prepared: one without superplasticizer, one with
superplasticizer.
 INGREDIENTS OF HSC

• Apart from conventional ingredients of concrete, chemical and mineral admixtures

are used.
• Ingredient materials are as follows:

Ingredient Size/ Grade

Cement OPC 53 Grade

Fly Ash Class-F

Fine Aggregates 2.36 mm

Coarse Aggregates 10 mm

Coarse Aggregates 20 mm

Water Potable

Plasticizer Auramix-400

Marble Dust 2.36 mm

INGREDIENTS OF HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE

OPC 53 Grade Fly Ash

Sand-1 (2.36 mm) Sand-2 (finer)

Marble Dust Superplasticizer

Water
 IMPORTANCE OF ADMIXTURES

❖ Admixtures:
• Admixtures are used to modify the properties of fresh and hardened concrete.
• Types of admixtures:

Chemical
Admixtures
Admixtures Reactive
Mineral
Admixtures
Inert

❖ Admixtures Used:

Chemical Admixtures Mineral Admixtures

Superplasticizer Fly Ash

Marble Dust
❖ Superplasticizer:
• Name: Auramix-400 (FOSROC)
• Auramix 400 is a combination of the latest generation superplasticisers, based on
a polycarboxylic ether polymer with long lateral chains.
• It allows water reduction and also gives good workability.

❖ Fly Ash:
• Class-F fly ash
• It is a byproduct resulting from burning of anthracite and bituminous coals. So use
of fly ash leads to cost and energy savings.
• It has pozzolonic properties; hence it is used as replacement of cement.
• It increases late compressive strength of the concrete.
• Also gives good durability due to decreased permeability.

❖ Marble Dust:
• It is free of cost material.
• It is used as filler. It increases density by filling voids.
• 5 to 10% of cement content by weight is recommended to add in mix.
❖ Superplasticizer: Why it is used and how it works…

• Addition of water to improve workability results in weak concrete mix and

reducing water content may result in stiffer mix which would be less workable.
• So care should be taken while determining water content. Reducing water content
in a concrete mix should be done in such a way so that complete hydration process
may take place and sufficient workability is maintained for placement.
• Superplasticizers, also known as ‘High Range Water Reducers’ are used to
improve workability of the concrete while not affecting strength of the concrete.

• Working of Superplasticizer:

• Cement particles form flocs and water gets trapped in these flocs.
• If this trapped water could be released, it would improve flowability of concrete.
• Superplasticizer does the same. Superplasticizer gets adsorbed by cement particles
and forms a thin film around these cement particles.
• Now negatively charged particles impart repulsive forces on each other.
• Hence there will be deflocculation of the cement particles and entrapped water
will be released. This water will improve flow characteristics of the concrete.
• Superplasticizer allows water reduction this way.

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 TRAIL MIX - 1

❖ Proportion Of Key Ingredients:

Powder Fine Aggregates Coarse Aggregates
(Cement+Fly Ash)
1 1.25 1.65

❖ Water to Powder Ratio:

Water/Powder

0.42

❖ Mineral Admixture Content:

Admixture Quantity

Fly Ash 10% replacement of cement

Marble Dust 10% of binder content

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❖ Quantity of Materials:
No. Material Quantity (kg)

1 OPC 21.6

2 Fly Ash 2.4

3 Sand-1 (2.36 mm) 15

4 Sand-2 (1.18 mm) 15

5 C. A. (10 mm) 20

6 C. A. (20 mm) 20

7 Marble Dust 2.4

8 Water 10
 TRAIL MIX - 2

❖ Proportion of Key Ingredients:

Powder Fine Aggregates Coarse Aggregates
(Cement + Fly Ash)
1 1.30 1.70

❖ Water to Powder Ratio:

Water/Powder

0.32

❖ Mineral Admixture Content:

Admixture Quantity

Fly Ash 10% replacement of cement

Marble Dust 10% of binder content

Superplasticizer 1% of binder content

❖ Quantity of Materials:
No. Material Quantity (kg)

1 OPC 35.3

2 Fly Ash 3.9

3 Sand-1 (2.36 mm) 25.5

4 Sand-2 (1.18 mm) 25.5

5 C. A. (10 mm) 33

6 C. A. (20 mm) 33

7 Marble Dust 3.9

8 Superplasticizer 0.39

9 Water 12.68

❖ Results:
CHART 2: Compressive Strength
Trail Mix - 2
60
52.9
Compressive Strength (MPa)

48.88 49.64 50.47

50
43.37
39.32 40.2 40.96
40

30 26.07 26.32 25.01

22.64
20

10

0
3 Day 7 Day 28 Day
Days

Cube 1 Cube 2 Cube 3 Average

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 CHAPTER 9: ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

❖ Comparison of Results of Two Mixes:

Chart 3: Comparison of Strength

Compressive Strength (MPa)

60 50.47
50
40.96
40 42
30 28.01
33.56
20 25.01
10
0
3 Day 7 Day 28 Day
Days

W/C=0.42 W/C=0.32

❖ % Strength Gain:

Chart 4: % Strength Gain

120.00%
99%
100.00%
80%
% Strength

80.00% 65%
79%
60.00%
40.00% 50%
20.00%
0.00%
3 Day 7 Day 28 Day
Days

W/C 0.42 W/C 0.32

❖ Analysis of Results: Trail Mix - 1
• Water to cement ratio: 0.42
• Superplasticizer was not used.
• 28 day compressive strength: 42 MPa
• Cubes tested : 3 for each test
• 65% strength was gained within 3 days.

❖ Analysis of Results: Trial Mix 2

• Water to cement ratio: 0.32
• Superplasticizer was used.
• 28 day compressive strength: 50.47 MPa
• Cubes tested: 3 for each test
• Almost 50% strength was gained within 3 days.
• Reduction of w/c ratio from 0.42 to 0.32 resulted in 20% increase in compressive
strength.
 CONCLUSIONS

❖ After testing two batches of concrete mix, we came down to

these conclusions:

1. By using certain admixtures, we achieved concrete of high strength.

2. Fly ash and marble dust should be used as partial replacement of cement.
3. To achieve high strength, more paste volume is required. Rich mix should be used,
i. e. more binder content and fine aggregates.
4. Reduction in w/c ratio resulted in increased compressive strength.
5. Superplasticizer allows reduction of water content.
6. This mix gives high early strength. About 50% strength is gained after only 3
days.
7. Formworks can be removed earlier and member can be loaded earlier.
8. Good surface finishing due to high paste volume.
9. Collapse was observed in slump test. Hence good self-compaction.
10. The results justify the importance of low w/c ratio and dense particle packing.
11. We designed high strength concrete of M50 grade by trial and error method.
12. This design can be used to produce M50 grade concrete, which will also have
good durability.

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