Concrete technology II

TOPIC 1: CONCRETING PLANTS

Overview

• Concrete is the most popular construction material.

• For the concrete to be durable and attain the desired strength the ingredients of
concrete must be mixed in a definite proportion
• Batching is the process in which the quantity or proportion of materials like
cement, aggregates, water, etc. are measured based on either weight or volume
to prepare the concrete mix.
• Concrete batching also helps in improving the workability of the concrete and
helps in reducing the wastage of the materials such that one achieves all the
desired properties of both fresh as well as hardened concrete.
• Concrete batching plant is a machine in which ingredients of concrete are
mixed and blended homogeneously to obtain concrete of desired strength and
quality
Types of Concreting plants
(a) Types of Concrete Batching Plants Based on Mixers
• Concrete batching plants can be divided as transit mix plant and central
mix plant depending upon the mixers.
Transit Mix Plant/ Dry Concrete Batching Plant
✓ uses manual or digital scales to weigh the aggregates and cement.
✓ water is also weighed or volumetrically measured separately
✓ the ingredients are then poured in a transit mixer, which is
transported to the site.
✓ All the materials are mixed during transportation to the construction
site
✓ Water is either added on site or during transportation depending
upon location of plant and site.
✓ These ingredients are then mixed for a minimum of 70 to 100
revolutions during transportation to the jobsite
Central Mix Plant/Wet Concrete Batching Plant
✓ weighs all the required ingredients including water
✓ The ingredients are mixed in a mixer located at a central location in
the plant
✓ After the mixing process, the concrete is poured in to agitator truck,
which transports it to the site
✓ It should be kept in mind that the truck must be moving so that the
solidification of concrete does not occurs
(b) Types of Concrete Batching Plant Based on Location of the Plant
✓ Concrete batching plant can be classified as stationary concrete
batching plant and mobile concrete batching plant, based on the location
of the plant.
 Stationary Concrete Batching Plant
✓ Stationary concrete batching plant as the name indicates are stationary
and are located at certain distance from the construction site.
✓ The concrete is batched and transported using a truck to the
construction site or on site. Stationary concrete batching plants are easy
to install. They are large in size as compared to mobile concrete batching
plant. They have higher efficiency and produce good quality concrete.
NB. Care should be taken that the truck reaches the site at the
desired time. Otherwise, solidification of concrete will start and
hence inferior concrete will be delivered

There are two broad types of stationery concrete mixers:

Batch mixers
Drum Types Mixer
Tilting drum mixers
Non-tilting drum mixer
Reversing drum mixer
Pan Type Mixer
Continuous mixers
Mobile concrete batching
✓ Sometimes the stationary concrete batching plant is located at such a
distance that the cost of transportation of the concrete increases and
hence leads to high cost of construction. In such cases, mobile concrete
batching plant are more popular. They are compact batching plants,
which has material storage, weighing, mixing, and discharging units. It
has flexible movement and hence can be transported to the construction
site. Thus, batching of concrete is carried out on-site. After setting up the
plant, the contractor can adjust the concrete production according to the
requirement of the job.
✓ After the construction is over the batching plant is transported to another
site for further use. By using the mobile concrete batching plants, the
delay in transportation of truck can be avoided, unlike in case of
stationary plants. However, this type of concrete batching plants are said
to have less efficiency and capacity then stationary plants.
Delivery equipment

• Concrete is typically delivered to the job-site in transit mixer trucks, agitator

trucks, or non-agitator trucks
• Transit mixer trucks are designed for mixing concrete at or on the way to the
job site
• Agitator trucks deliver concrete that has already been mixed. These trucks are
not capable of mixing additional water and none may be added. Any water on
board is for cleaning purposes only, not for mixing.
 • When non-agitator trucks (figure below) are used, the truck beds are
required to be smooth, mortar tight metal containers capable of
discharging the concrete at a satisfactorily controlled rate without
segregation.

Concrete Pumps

• Concrete pumps are tools used to convey liquid concrete from the source of
concrete to the place of casting.
• Works by the principle of one piston drawing the concrete from the hopper
(concrete source) and the other piston pushing it into the discharge outlet pipe.
Types
1.Line Concrete Pumps
2.Boom Concrete Pumps
✓ Boom concrete pumps stay at one particular position for the entire time
of concrete pouring on a construction project.
✓ have a larger dimension which is placed on the ground.
 ✓ Concrete pumping can be done to different heights like in the construction of
high-rise building can be performed by boom concrete pumps
✓ Line concrete pumps are compact units that are mainly used for small
construction projects.
✓ The arrangement has a line pump attached to the back of the truck or the
trailer.
✓ Hence the arrangement is also called as trailer mounted concrete pump or
truck mounted concrete pump.

When concrete is placed. Vibration is required to compact it. Different types of

concrete vibrators are used in concrete compaction for different construction and
structural requirements.
Vibrators
Types of Concrete Vibrators
1. Immersion or needle vibrator
2. Extended or shutter vibrator
3. Surface Vibrator
4. Vibrating table
1.Immersion or Needle Vibrators
✓ Consists of a steel tube (with one end closed and rounded) having an eccentric
vibrating element inside it. This steel tube called poker is connected to an
electric motor or a diesel engine through a flexible tube. They are available in
size varying from 40 to 100 mm diameter. The diameter of the poker is decided
from the consideration of the spacing between the reinforcing bars in the form-
work.
✓ The frequency of vibration varies up to 15000 rpm. However, a range between
3000 to 6000 rpm is suggested as a desirable minimum with an acceleration of
4g to 10g.
 ✓ The normal radius of action of an immersion vibrator is 0.50 to 1.0m. However,
it would be preferable to immerse the vibrator into concrete at intervals of not
more than 600mm or 8 to 10 times the diameter of the poker.
✓ The period of vibration required may be of the order of 30 seconds to 2 minute.
The concrete should be placed in layers not more than 600mm high.
2. External or Shutter Vibrators
✓ These vibrators are clamped rigidly to the form work at the pre-determined
points so that the form and concrete are vibrated. They consume more power
for a given compaction effect than internal vibrators.
3. Surface Vibrators for Concrete
✓ These are placed directly on the concrete mass. These best suited for
compaction of shallow elements and should not be used when the depth of
concrete to be vibrated is more than 250 mm Very dry mixes can be most
effectively compacted with surface vibrators.
4. Concrete Vibrating Table
✓ The vibrating table consists of a rigidly built steel platform mounted on flexible
springs and is driven by an electric motor
NB. Slabs are best consolidated by vibrating beam compactors.
Selection of concretive plant
Before settling on a concrete plant, a number of factors should be considered which
include:
1. Construction environment, batching plant capacity & other related factors
2. Reliability of the equipment
3. Conduct batching plant cost analysis which include: Transportation costs,
Installation costs, Site preparation costs, Electrical and plumbing costs and
Tax amount, if any
4. Performance/Cost Ratio- check for equipment which offers more benefits at
less cost. It will increase the performance-cost ratio.
5. Choice of Main Engine
6. Look out for aggregate options- get to know the type of cement available in
your region. It will be the deciding factor as far as the number of bins for the
plant is concerned
7. Worth of the manufacturer’s brand name- It is vital to opt for the
manufacturer who is well-known and reliable
Estimation of plant output
Calculating output of a mixer of 200 litres capacity per day
Time required for one batch of concrete
1. Raising skip, discharging into drum and lowering = ½ min
 2. Adding water and mixing in the drum (During this time the skip is reloaded) = 2
min
3. Discharging content of drum and completing loading of skip = ½ min
Then total time required for one batch of concrete = ½ + 2 + ½ = 3 min
In a day of 8 hours there will be effective mixing for 7 hours. One hour being occupied
in clearing drum, chutes, etc and starting and oiling the engine.
No. of batches in one working hour = 60/3 = 20 (considering 3 minutes mixing cycle)
No. of batches in 7 hours = 20 x 7 = 140
Considering 90% efficiency, output per batch = 200 x (90/100) = 180 litres
Output per day = 180 x 140 = 25200 litres = 25.2 cu-m (say 25 m3)
Calculating Time Required to Complete a Job
Output also enables to calculate time required to complete a job. The following example
illustrates this.
Find the working hour required to complete a concrete slab 30 m * 50 m 8 0.20 m size
using 200 T mixer.
With three-minute cycle time for one complete operation,
The output per hour = 20 * 180 = 3600 litres i.e. 3.6 cubic meters
So number of working hours = (30*50*0.2)/3.6 = 83.3 hours

Optimum output will be determined by the efficiency of the operating machines. Timed
observations, feedback, or published tables can be used for the estimation of the
output of the plant.
Safety Precautions
✓ Always test the mixer by running it empty prior to the application. Frequently
check the loose nuts or bolts of concrete mixer and make sure, they are
tightened very well.
✓ After concreting, workers place their tools like ghamelas, trowel, etc. in the
drum of concrete mixer. Make sure all equipment and tools are removed from
the concrete or mortar mixer prior to turning it on the next time.
✓ Workers or operators have to keep their hands, clothing and tools away from
the moving part of concrete mixer.
✓ Never leave the running mixer unattended. Keep concrete mixer in good
condition as loose or damaged parts of machine may cause accident.
✓ Never overload mixer to produce concrete in lesser time. It could damage the
mixer.
 ✓ For electrically driven mixers, the wire connecting the mixers should be in good
and sound condition, and the circuit-breaker should be well maintained.
Earthing of electric motor should be done as per specifications and rules and
also with the instruction of engineer in-charge.

TOPIC 11: PRECAST CONCRETE UNITS

Precast Concrete• Concrete elements, cast and cured in a manufacturing plant, then
transported to the construction site. On the construction site, precast concrete
elements are lifted into place and assembled into structural assemblies in a process
similar to that used for structural steel.
In situ concrete-This is concrete that is worked and placed on site to form the
different elements of a structure
Some of the precast concrete elements include:
✓ Precast Concrete Slabs-Used for floor and roof decks.
✓ Precast Concrete Beams and Girders-Provide support for slabs.
✓ Precast Concrete Columns and Wall Panels- Provide support for beam and slab
elements
✓ Precast concrete stairs
Some of precast concrete systems include:
✓ Large‐panel systems
✓ Frame systems
✓ Slab‐column systems with walls
✓ Mixed systems
Important aspects of precast and in situ concrete
Casting-

precast
Elements are manufactured in a
controlled casting environment and
hence it is easier to control mix,
placement and curing. Elements can be
cast in advance and held until the hour
you need them, thereby saves time.
Weather condition has no effect on
casting work.
In situ
In the cast-in-situ concrete, column, slab
etc. elements are casted on site in the
open environment and hence it is
difficult to control mix, placement and
curing.
Elements cannot be casted in advance.
Weather condition can delay the casting
work.

Quality control-

Quality can be controlled and Quality control and maintenance is

maintained easily. difficult.
Cost-
Precast concrete is cheaper form of
construction if large structures are to be
constructed.
Maintenance cost of precast concrete
structure is higher.
Requirement of Worker & Machinery-
Less labours are required.
Skilled labours are required at
construction site.
Skilled and technical contractor is
required for construction of the precast
concrete structure.
Precast concrete requires heavy
machinery and cranes for handling i.e.
lifting and installation of heavy elements
Strength-
Precast concrete construction is quick as
it can be installed immediately and there
is no waiting for it to gain strength.
Increase in strength can be achieved by
accelerated curing.
On site strength test is not required.
High strength concrete can be used
because it is in controlled condition.
Time of Construction
Total construction time is less as
compared to cast-in-situ.
Speedy construction is possible.
Surface Finishing-
Gives smooth interior finish hence they
need minimum preparation before paint,
wallpaper etc. or the other wall coverings
can be applied directly.
In situ concrete is cheaper form of
construction for small structures.
Maintenance cost of cast-in-situ concrete
structure is less compared to the precast
concrete structure
More labours are required.
Skilled labours are required at
construction site.
Local contractors can also build the
structure.
Cast-in-situ concrete does not require
such handling equipment.
In situ concrete construction is slow as
gaining of strength requires time.
Increase in strength at situ by
accelerated curing is a difficult task.
On site strength test is required.
It will difficult to use high strength
concrete as it depends on site condition
and resources available.
Total construction time is more as
compared to precast.
Speed is less as elements are casted at
site.
In the cast-in-situ concrete construction,
you have to do plaster for the smooth
finish and also requires pre-preparation
for a paint like wall putty etc.
Precast components
Precast Concrete Slabs
Precast Concrete Beams and Girders
Precast Concrete Columns and Wall Panels
Precast concrete stairs
Precast systems
1. Large‐panel systems
2. Frame systems
3. Slab‐column systems with walls
4. Mixed systems
Advantages of Precast Concrete
High efficiency and good quality control
Durability
Very rapid speed of erection
Entire building can be precast‐walls, floors, beams

Rapid construction on site

High quality
Prestressing is easily done
Aesthetic versatility
Low maintenance and low cost
Sustainability
Disadvantages
Very heavy members
Connections may be difficult
Somewhat limited building design flexibility
It cannot be used for two‐way structural systems
Joints between panels are complicated
Skilled workmanship is required
Cranes are required to lift panels
The prestressed concrete design of a structure is influenced by either of the two
processes, pre-tensioning, and post-tensioning
Pre-Tensioning and Post-Tensioning in Prestressed
▪ Pre-tensioning is accomplished by stressing wires or strands, called tendons, to
predetermined amount by stretching them between two anchorages prior to placing
concrete.
▪ The concrete is then placed and tendons become bonded to concrete throughout
their length.
▪ After concrete has hardened, the tendons are released by cutting them at the
anchorages
▪ The tendons tend to regain their original length by shortening and in this process
transfer through bond a compressive stress to the concrete
▪ The tendons are usually stressed by the use of hydraulic jacks
▪ The stress in tendons is maintained during the placing and curing of concrete by
anchoring the ends of the tendons to abutments that may be as much as 200m
apart

Post-Tensioning in Prestressed Concrete

▪ In a post-tensioned beam, the tendons are stressed and each end is anchored to
the concrete section after the concrete has been cast and has attained sufficient
strength to safely withstand the prestressing force
▪ In post-tensioning method, tendons are coated with grease or a bituminous
material to prevent them from becoming bonded to concrete
▪ Another method used in preventing the tendons from bonding to the concrete
during placing and curing of concrete is to encase the tendon in a flexible metal
hose before placing it in the forms.
▪ After the tendon has been stressed, the void between the tendon and the sheath is
filled with grout
▪ Post-tension prestressing can be done at site. This procedure may become
necessary or desirable in certain cases
▪ In post-tensioning it is necessary to use some types of device to attach or anchor
the ends of the tendons to the concrete section.
▪ These devices are usually referred to as end anchorages