Lecture 3

Properties of Concrete
Main properties of fresh concrete
Workability
Consistency
Segregation
Bleeding
Workability
The workability is also defined as the ease with which a
freshly mixed concrete can be properly compacted and
also that it can be transported, placed, and finished
properly.
Significance of workability- A workable concrete
allows full compaction using a reasonable amount of
work. This helps in achieving maximum possible
density (i.e. minimum possible voids) of concrete,
which results in more strength and durability of
concrete.


Measurement of workability
The test employed for workability in India are:-
1. Slump test
2. Compaction factor test
Slump test
Slump test is used to determine the workability of
fresh concrete. Slump test as per IS: 1199 1959 is
followed.
The apparatus used for doing slump test are Slump
cone and Tamping rod.
Figure of slump cone
Procedure
The internal surface of the mould is thoroughly cleaned and applied
with a light coat of oil.
The mould is placed on a smooth, horizontal, rigid and non absorbent
surface.
The mould is then filled in four layers with freshly mixed concrete,
each approximately to one-fourth of the height of the mould.
Each layer is tamped 25 times by the rounded end of the tamping rod
(strokes are distributed evenly over the cross section).
After the top layer is rodded, the concrete is struck off the level with a
trowel.
The mould is removed from the concrete immediately by raising it
slowly in the vertical direction.
The difference in level between the height of the mould and that of the
highest point of the subsided concrete is measured.
This difference in height in mm is the slump of the concrete.
Review questions
What is workability ?
How is it measured from slump test ?
Compaction factor test
Compacting factor of fresh concrete is done to
determine the workability of fresh concrete by
compacting factor test as per IS: 1199 1959.
The apparatus used is Compacting factor apparatus.
Compaction factor apparatus
Procedure
The sample of concrete is placed in the upper hopper up to the brim.
The trap-door is opened so that the concrete falls into the lower
hopper.
The trap-door of the lower hopper is opened and the concrete is
allowed to fall into the cylinder.
The excess concrete remaining above the top level of the cylinder is
then cut off with the help of plane blades.
The concrete in the cylinder is weighed. This is known as weight of
partially compacted concrete.
The cylinder is filled with a fresh sample of concrete and vibrated to
obtain full compaction. The concrete in the cylinder is weighed again.
This weight is known as the weight of fully compacted concrete.

Compacting factor = (Weight of partially compacted
concrete)/(Weight of fully compacted
concrete)
Factor affecting workability
In general, the workability of concrete mixtures is
controlled by the following factors:
1. Water content-
For a given maximum size of coarse aggregate, the slump
or consistency of concrete is a direct function of the water
content; i.e., within limits it is independent of other
factors such as aggregate grading and cement content.
At a constant water/cement ratio reduction in the
aggregate/cement ratio causes increase in the water
content, which consequently results into the increases in
consistency of concrete.
At a constant water content reduction in the
aggregate/cement ratio decreases the water/cement ratio
and consistency would not be affected

Contd.
2. Cement content
In normal concrete, at given water content, a
considerable lowering of the cement content
tends to produce harsh (i.e., low workable)
mixtures with poor finish ability.
Concretes containing a very high proportion of
cement or a very fine cement show excellent
cohesiveness but tend to be sticky.

Contd.
3. Aggregate characteristics
The particle size of coarse aggregate influences
the water requirement for a given consistency.
At same water content very fine sands or angular
sands produce lesser workable concrete as
compared to a coarser or a well-rounded sand.

Contd.
4. Admixtures
At given water content, air-entraining admixtures
improve the consistency and cohesiveness of the
concrete by increasing the volume of paste.
Pozzolanic admixtures tend to improve the
cohesiveness of concrete. Fly ash, when used as a
partial replacement for fine aggregate, generally
increases the consistency at a given water content.
At a constant water content of a concrete mixture,
the addition of a water-reducing admixture will
increase the consistency.

Consistency
Consistency is very closely related to workability. It is a
term which describes the state of fresh concrete. It
refers to the ease with which the concrete flows. It
is used to indicate the degree of wetness.
Review question
How compaction factor test is carried out ?
What are the factors affecting workability ?
How consistency is closely related to workability ?
Segregation
The separation of coarse aggregate particles from
the main mass of concrete in its plastic state is
called segregation.

Precautions for freedom from
segregation
The concrete mix should be properly designed. It
should not be wetter than necessary.
Every operation of handling, placing, and compaction
should be carefully planned and controlled. The
concrete should not be allowed to fall from greater
heights. It should be placed as near its final position as
possible.

Bleeding
The appearance of water on the surface of freshly
mixed concrete is known as bleeding.
It is due to the inability of the concrete materials to
hold all the mixing water.
Bleeding disturbs the homogeneity of concrete and
causes undesirable results i.e., rendering the concrete
surface permeable.
Factors tending to minimize
bleeding
Properly graded and proportioned aggregates.
Low water cement ratio.
Relatively high cement content.
Natural sand with sufficient fines.
Air entraining agents.
Air entrainment
Air entrainment in concrete is defined as that air which is
intentionally introduced in the concrete in the shape of
uniformly distributed minute bubbles by a suitable agent.
Entrained air is different from entrapped air which is
accidently entrapped during batching and mixing
operations and is random in amount and size.
Air entrainment in fresh concrete:
1. Reduces mixing water
2. Increases workability
3. Reduces bleeding and segregation
Placing, compacting and curing of
concrete
Good concrete is concrete that has been placed, compacted
and cured properly. In simple terms, poor compaction and
poor curing produce poor concrete with lower durability.
Placing- the concrete should be placed and compacted
before setting commences. It should not be subsequently
disturbed. The method of placing should be such as to
prevent segregation.
Compaction- All fresh concrete contains tiny bubbles of
air. If nothing is done to get rid of them, the resultant
blowholes or honeycombing weaken the finished concrete
and make it less able to resist water penetration. They can
also reduce the bond between the concrete and
reinforcement
Curing
Curing is the process of controlling the rate and extent of
moisture loss from concrete during cement hydration. It
may be either after it has been placed in position (or during
the manufacture of concrete products), thereby providing
time for the hydration of the cement to occur.
Methods of curing-
1. Impermeable membrane (plastic sheeting)
2. By water ponding
3. Wet covering (Jute covering)
4. By sprinkling
5. Fog curing
Review questions
What is segregation ? What are the preventing
measures for segregation ?
What is bleeding ? What precautions should be taken
to avoid bleeding ?
what is curing ? Why curing is done ?
Compressive strength of concrete
Concrete is strong in compression but it is weak in
tension and has low strain at fracture. The low tensile
strength of concrete is due to the presence of
numerous micro cracks. These micro cracks further
propagate under load and result in poor strength of
concrete.
Determination of compressive
strength of concrete
Casting of moulds- For each mix 9 cube specimens of
size 150 x 150 x 150mm were cast in C.I. moulds. 3 cubes
was tested at 7 days, 3 cubes was tested at 14 days and
the remaining 3 cubes were tested at 28 days of curing.
Each compressive strength result is the average of 3
test results.
Contd.
Testing of cubes for compressive strength- After
7,14 and 28 days of curing, the cubes were removed
from the curing tank, weighed and tested for
compressive strength in a 3000 KN digital compression
testing machine with the cast face parallel to the axis
of loading at the rate of 140Kg/cm
2
/minute as per IS:
516-1959114.
The load at which the specimen fails is recorded.
The experimental compressive strength was obtained
by dividing the maximum load applied on the
specimen during the test by its cross sectional area.
Durability of concrete
The durability of concrete is defined as its ability to
resist weathering action, chemical attack, abrasion, or
any other process of deterioration.

The common durability problems in concrete are as
follows.
1) Sulphate and other chemical attacks of concrete.
2) Alkali-aggregate reaction.
3) Freezing and thawing damage in cold regions.
4) Corrosion of steel bars or tendons.

Contd.
The durability of concrete is intrinsically related to its
water tightness or permeability. Hence, the concrete
should have low permeability and there should be
adequate cover to reinforcing bars.
The selection of proper materials and good quality
control are essential for durability of concrete.


Nominal mix and design mix
Concrete mix design- Concrete mix design is defined
as the appropriate selection and proportioning of
constituents to produce a concrete with pre-defined
characteristics in the fresh and hardened states.
Nominal mix design- it is a ordinary concrete design
as per IS:456-1978. Nominal mix grade of concrete vary
from M5, M10, M15 & M20.
Review questions
What do you understand by compressive strength of
concrete ? How is it determined ?
Discuss factors affecting durability of concrete.
Differentiate between Nominal mix and Design mix.
Typical questions
Ques 1. What is the ideal value of slump?
Answer 1 In case of a dry sample, slump will be in the range of 25-50 mm that is 1-2 inches. But in case
of a wet concrete, the slump may vary from 150-175 mm or say 6-7 inches. So the value of slump is
specifically mentioned along the mix design and thus it should be checked as per your location.Slump
depends on many factors like properties of concrete ingredients aggregates etc. Also temperature
has its effect on slump value. So all these parameters should be kept in mind when deciding the ideal
slump
Ques 2. How does a super plasticizer effect the slump of concrete?
Answer 2 Value of Slump can be increased by the addition of chemical admixtures like mid-range or
high-range water reducing agents (super-plasticizers) without changing the water/cement ratio.
Ques 3. How much time one should take to raise the cone?
Answer 3 Once the cone is filled and topped off [ excessive concrete from top is cleared ] raise the
cone within 5-10 seconds.
Ques 4. What are the dimensions of the cone used in Slump Test?
Answer 3 The dimensions are
Top Diameter 10cm
Bottom Diameter 20cm
Height 30cm