Concrete

COMMON CONCRETE COMPOSITION

1. water

2. cement

3. aggregates (gravel and/or sand)

4. concrete additives

CONCRETE: INTRODUCTION
the most widely used construction material

an artificial stone-like mass made by mixing water with a binding agent and aggregate; the mix hardens through the process called
hydration

a similar material was developed by Egyptians by mixing lime and gypsum, but it was the Romans who developed the composition
and used it widely across the empire

CEMENT
the vital glue that binds the ingredients of concrete together

a fine powder made by crushing and then heating limestone or chalk, with a few other materials, including clay or shale

typically comprises only 7 — 15% of the concrete mixture

MOST USED TYPES OF CEMENT

1. OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement)

a. most used

b. developed in the 1800s

2. PPC (Pozzolanic Portland Cement)

a. variation of OPC

AGGREGATES
inert or chemically inactive materials — when bonded together by cement, it forms concrete

naturally occuring aggregates such as crushed rock, gravel, and sand

classified as fine or coarse, depending on the sizes

makes up 60 — 80% of the concrete by volume

strongly influence concrete’s freshly mixed and hardened properties, mixture, proportions, and economy

COARSE AGGREGATES
at least 4.75mm (1/5”), but mostly 3/8” to 1.5”

fine gravel 4mm — 8mm

medium gravel 8mm — 16mm

course gravel 16mm — 64mm

cobbles 64mm — 256mm

boulders > 256mm

FINE AGGREGATES
less than 4.755mm, but mostly 0.06mm to 2.0mm

coarse sand 2.0mm — 0.5mm

medium sand 0.5mm — 0.25mm

fine sand 0.25mm — 0.6mm

silt 0.08mm — 0.002mm

clay < 0.002mm

SUITABILITY OF AGGREGATES
strength

size

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 particle shape

surface texture

grading

impermeability

cleanlines

chemical interness

physical and chemical stability (dimensional stability)

co-efficient of thermal expansion (lower = better)

WATER
acts chemically with the cement to form the binding paste for the aggregate and reinforcement; acts as lubricant for the fine and
coarse aggregates

also used for curing the concrete after it has been case into the forms (evens out the drying process and minimizes cracks)

should be free from deleterious materials; impure water used in a concrete mix can cause problems when setting which may lead
premature failure of the structure

impropoer water-cement ratio can harshly affect the propoerties of concrete

WATER-CEMENT RATIO
less water is better for concrete strength

more water is better for workability

hydration occurs at a 0.25 water-cement ratio

ideal: 0.35 — 0.40

COMPONENTS OF CONCRETE
air cement water aggregates

8% 7% — 15% 14% — 21% 60% — 75%

CONCRETE COVERS — SPACER

ADMIXTURES
optional concrete additives that are added immediately before or during mixing

reduce the cost of concrete construction; modify the properties of hardened concrete; ensure the quality of concrete during mixing,
transporting, placing, and curing; and overcome certain emergencies during concrete operations

mostly supplied in ready-to-use liquid form and added at the batching plant or at the jobsite

CONCRETE ADDITIVES
effectivement depends on many factors; type and amount of cement, water content, mixing time, slump, and temperatures of the
concrete and air

1. fly ash

2. GGBS

3. RHA

4. silica fume

5. metakaolin

6. POFA

5 TYPES OF ADMIXTURES
1. air-entraining (ideal for non-load bearing walls)

a. improves thermal properties and fire resistance

b. makes up for a percentage of volume

2. water-reducing

3. retarding

4. accelerating

5. plasticizers and super plasticizers

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 all other varieties of admixtures fall into the specialty category whose functions include corrosion inhibition, shrinkage reduction,
alkali-silica reactivity reduction, workability enhancement, bonding, damp proofing, and coloring

CONCRETE MIX DESIGN

mix proportioning

aggregate sizes and shapes; admixtures

consider things like permeability, shrinkage, workability, pumpability, stampability, and stainability

CONCRETE MIX DESIGN

placeability — characteristics of wet or fresh (green) concrete that allows it to be placed and finished; commonly measured as a
slump

strength — specifically compressive strength achieved after a certain number of days (usually 28 days); specified by international
standards to be a certain value (ASTM)

durability — as important as the first two although sometimes compromises have to be made in cetain applications; achieved by
getting low-permeability, low-shrinkage, and proper distribution of entrained air

appearance — often important in surface and decorative applications; cracking or spalling which affects may be due to shrinkage
and reduced strength and surface hardeners may be helpful

CONCRETE MIX PROPORTIONS

rules of thumb

no additives yet

standard fine and coarse aggregates

the proportions of cement, fine and coarse aggregates, and water determines the probable strength of concrete

water-cement ratio (0.35 to 0.40)

categories:

M line

CLASS Cement : Sand : Gravel by Volume Probable Strength (28 days)

M5 1 : 5: 10 5 MPa

M7.5 1:4:8 7.5 MPa

M10 1 : 3: 6 10 MPa

M20 1:2:4 20 MPa

M25 1:1:2 25 MPa

M30 1:1:3 30 MPa

Class line

Cement : Sand : Probable

Cement (bag) Typical
CLASS Gravel by Strength (28 Sand (cu.m) Gravel (cu.m)
50 kg | 40 kg Applications
Volume days)

retaining walls,
AA 1 : 1 - 1/2 : 3 3500 — 4000 psi 9.5 | 12 0.5 1.0 concrete under
water

beams, slabs,
A 1:2:4 2500 — 3000 psi 7|9 0.5 1.0
columns, footings

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 pedestals, curbs,
B 1 : 2 - 1/2 : 5 1500 — 2000 psi 6 | 7.5 0.5 1.0
gutters, sidewalks

plantboxes, non-
C 1:3:6 500 — 1000 psi 5|6 0.5 1.0
critical areas

garden plants and

D 1 : 3 - 1/2 : 7 < 500 psi 4|5 0.5 1.0 similar
applications

CONCRETE TESTING
done on wet or fresh concrete or on hardened concrete

fresh concrete: slump testing, air content, unit weight, and temperature

hardened concrete: compressive strength, density, and permeability

TESTING FRESH CONCRETE

slump test is based on the ASTM C143

determine the workability of concrete mix prepared at the batch plant or the construction site during the progress of the work

sampling (ASTM C172) for the slump test should be done together with sampling for the other tests

suitable for slumps of medium to low workability, slump test in the range of 5 — 260mm; for aggregates of less than 38mm

TESTING HARDENED CONCRETE

compressive strength (ASTM C39)

involves samplingof concrete mix (together with slump test) where a total of 9 (+3) samples are taken so that 2 to 3 sameples
may be tested after 7 days, 14 daysm and 28 days (+3 sample are for spare)

7 days: 65% — 70% desired strength

14 days: 90% desired strength

28 days: 99% desired strength

sometimes testing is done after 28 days (up to 60 days)

WATER PERMEABILITY (ASTM C642)

measures durability by determining resistance to water penetration under hydrostatic pressure

done on concrete for foundation, water tank, retaining walls, etc.

REINFORCED CONCRETE
concrete in which steel is embedded in such a manner that the two materials act together in resisting forces

CONCRETE

good compressive strength

concrete cover protects the steel reinforcement from natural deterioration and rusting

STEEL REINFORCEMENT

good tensile strength

absorbs the tensile and shear stress brought by earthquakes, vibrations, wind, etc.

CAST-IN-PLACE

concrete is poured onsite; concrete mix is done on site or in batch point

ideal for small to medium scale projects due to easier logistics

requires formworks or molds to shape concrete until it hardens, mostly made using shuttering plywood with surfaced lumber,
or other sheathing materials like PVC and other plastics, or even aluminum

reinforcement steel is positioned in place before pouring of concrete; steel must be protected from effects of minimum
concrete cover is needed as per danger exposure

PRECAST OR PREFABRICATED

made off-site (in a plant or factory)

large scale projects and repeating structural members

PRESTRESSED CONCRETE

prestressing force is applied though high-strength steel cables to improve both compressive and tensile strength

CONCRETE COVER

least distance between surface of the embedded reinforcement steel and the outer surface of the concrete as per NSCP

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 concrete exposure structural member rebar size (diameter) cover (mm)

permanently in contact with the ground all all sizes 75

50
20 mm to 58 mm
exposed to weather or in contract with ground all
16 mm or smaller
40

slabs, joists, and walls 40

40 mm to 58 mm

not exposed to weather nor in contact with the 36mm or smaller

20
ground
main rebars, stirrups, ties,
beams, columns, pedestals, tension
spirals
ties 40

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