Fresh Concrete

UNIT III

QUALITY OF MIXING WATER

Process of
Hydration of
Cement

Most important yet least expensive

Used in mixing as well as curing of
concrete
Lubricant
between the
fne and coarse
aggregate

WATER CEMENT RATIO

Cement requires 3/10th of its weight of

water for hydration i.e. w/c ration
minimum of 0.3
With minimum amount of water,
concrete will be harsh and difficult to
place.
Additional water is required to lubricate
the mix making it workable.
Additional quantity should be minimal
decreases the strength of concrete

WATER CEMENT RATIO (CONTD.)

Influenced by

Grade of Concrete
Nature and Type of Aggregates
Workability
Durability, etc.

WATER QUALITY

Potable water is the best option

Presence of impurities

Decrease in strength and durability

Difference in setting times of Portland

cement
Difference of up to 10% of the compressive
strength is considered Satisfactory

EFFECTS OF IMPURITIES IN WATER

Presence of 5% of NaCl reduces the total

strength of concrete by 30%
Major concern of the sea water is not
decrease in strength but corrosion of the
reinforcement
Chlorides cause efflorescence.

FRESH CONCRETE

Fresh concrete is that stage of concrete in

which concrete can be moulded and it isin
plasticstate.
Also called as Green Concrete
Another term used to describe the state of
fresh concrete isconsistence

ease with which concrete will flow

Properties (differ from hardened concrete)

Setting
Workability
Bleeding and Segregation
Hydration

SETTING OF CONCRETE

Hardening of concrete before its hydration

or
Hardening of concrete before it gains
strength
or
Transition process of changing from plastic
state to hardened state

SETTING OF CEMENT

WaterCement ratio
Suitable Temperature
Cement content
Type of Cement
Fineness of Cement
Relative Humidity
Admixtures
Type and amount of Aggregate

WORKABILITY

Simplest defnition of workability is the ease

by which one can handle the concrete
IS 6461 (part VII) 1973 defnes Workability as
Property of fresh mixed concrete or mortar
which determines the ease and homogeneity
with which it can be mixed, placed,
compacted and fnished
Two Main Components:
Consistency Ease of flow of concrete
Cohesiveness tendency of concrete not

WORKABILITY

The internal work done required to overcome

the frictional forces between concrete
ingredients for full compaction
Process of compaction and importance
Presence of voids adversely and signifcantly
affect the strength of concrete.
5% of voids can lower the strength by as
much as 30%
Voids are bubbles of entrapped air / spaces
left after the excess water has been removed

FACTORS AFFECTING WORKABILITY

Water-Cement ratio
Amount and type of Aggregate
Amount and type of Cement
ChemicalAdmixtures
Weather conditions

Temperature
Wind

FACTORS AFFECTING WORKABILITY

Water-Cement ratio

Higher water content results in higher fluidity and

thereby higher workability
Adding water increases the inter particle
lubrication
Excess water results in bleeding
Escape of cement slurry through joints of
formwork

FACTORS AFFECTING WORKABILITY

Amount and type of Aggregate

Well graded aggregate different size fractions are

chosen so as to minimize the void content.
Using smooth and round aggregate increases the
workability.
Workability reduces if angular and rough
aggregate is used.
Justifcation of usage of river sand is preferred to
crushed sand and aggregate

FACTORS AFFECTING WORKABILITY

Amount and type of Cement

Lesser effective than aggregate properties

Use of rapid hardening cement reduces
workability as compared to Portland cement.
More fner cement increases the surface area
hydrates more rapidly problem of bleeding

MEASUREMENT OF WORKABILITY

No direct test to measure workability of

concrete directly.
Universally accepted methods:

Slump Test
Compaction Factor Test
Vee-Bee Consistency Test

SLUMP TEST

Popular due to the simplicity of apparatus

used and simple procedure
Tools and apparatus used:

Standard slump cone

Small scoop
Bullet-nosed rod
Rule
Slump plate

SLUMP TEST

If a shear or collapse slump is achieved, a

fresh sample should be taken and the test
repeated.
A collapse slump is an indication of too wet a
mix.
Only a true slump is of any use in the test.

SLUMP TEST RESULTS

Very dry mixes: having slump 0 25mm are

used in road making,
Low workability mixes: having slump 10
40mm are used for foundations with light
reinforcement,
Medium workability mixes: 50 - 90 for normal
reinforced concrete placed with vibration,
High workability concrete: > 100mm

COMPACTION FACTOR TEST

Compaction factor test is more

efficient and precise compared to
Slump Test
To calculate compaction factor
Compacting factor = (Weight of
partially compacted concrete) /
(Weight of fully compacted
concrete)
Normal Range of compaction
factor lies between (0.8 0.92)

VEE-BEE CONSISTOMETER

More reliable test as results are not

influenced by personal factors
More suitable for stiff concrete mixes having
low or very low workability (slump value
cannot be determined by slump test.
Treatment of the concrete in the test is very
close to the actual treatment provided in the
feld.

VEE-BEE CONSISTOMETER PROCEDURE

Slump test is done by using

Cone A in Cylinder B.
After completion of the test,
remove Cone A and the
glass disc C is turned and
placed on cylinder B.
Controlled vibrations are
started by using electric
vibrator D, till the conical
slump is changed to
cylindrical.
Time in seconds for the

SEGREGATION

Segregation is defned as separation of

ingredients, particularly the coarse and fne
aggregates, of concrete mix from the cement
water paste or mortar.

Due to segregation concrete mix looses its

homogeneity and as non-homogeneous mix
cannot be fully compacted the strength of
such concrete in hardened state gets reduced

Different causes for segregation

SEGREGATION FACTORS
RESPONSIBLE

Large quantity of water with insufficient mixing,

which reduces the consistency of the mix.
Improper grading of aggregates or large
difference in aggregate sizes.
Dropping of concrete from greater height.
Over-compaction of concrete.
Lesser quantity of cement, which leads to harsh
and less cohesive mix.
Maximum size of aggregate is very large.
Too long transporting methods of concrete

BLEEDING

Defned as separation of cement paste from the

concrete mix under troweling or compaction
operation.
A special form of segregation
Phenomenon is more common for surface structures
like, slabs, floors, etc.
The cement paste comes out to the surface of the
concrete member leaving rest of the concrete mass
with lack of cement and water.
The permeability of concrete increases and the
strength and durability of concrete reduces
The cement paste, which comes out at the surface
forms a layer and is popularly known as Laitance

BLEEDING FACTORS RESPONSIBLE

Highly wet mix with bad proportion of

ingredients or insufficient mixing.
Over-compaction or over-troweling of concrete
High alkali or high C3A content
Thin sections of concrete members

ADMIXTURES - WHAT AND WHY?

WHAT

Ingredients other than:

Cement
Water
Aggregates

Added before or during mixing of concrete

WHY

To reduce the cost of concrete construction

To modify properties of fresh & hardened concrete
To ensure the quality of concrete during mixing,
transporting, placing & curing
To overcome certain unexpected emergencies
during concrete operations (i.e. set retarders)

ADMIXTURES OTHER USES

To increase workability without changing water

content
To reduce water content without changing
workability
To adjust setting time
To reduce segregation and/or bleeding
To improve pumpability
To accelerate the rate of strength development at
early ages as well as to increase the fnal strength
To reduce the total cost of the materials used in
the Concrete
To compensate for poor aggregate properties

ADMIXTURES TYPES

Categorized according to their effect

Accelerators
Retarders
Plasticizers (water-reducing agents)
Superplasticizers (high range water
reducers)
Air entrainers
Some other specialty types exist:

Color, corrosion inhibitors, etc.

ACCELERATORS (ACCELERATING ADMIXTURES)

These admixtures speed up the chemical reaction

of the cement and water and so accelerate the
rate of setting and/or early gain in strength of
concrete
Calcium Chloride is the most common
accelerator
Chloride-free options are studied now a days as
chloride might promote corrosion of steel
reinforcement
Among the main types of accelerators

chloride based, and

non-chloride bases

ACCELERATORS (ACCELERATING ADMIXTURES)

Dosage

Chloride based: 500 ml to 2 000 ml per 100 kg

cement
Non-chloride based: 500 ml to 2 000 ml per 100
kg cement

Uses

Where rapid setting and high early strengths are

required (e.g. in shaft sinking).
Where rapid turnover of moulds or formwork is
required.
Where concreting takes place under very cold
conditions.

ACCELERATORS (ACCELERATING ADMIXTURES)

Practical considerations

All chloride-based accelerators promote corrosion

of reinforcing steel and should not be used in:

Reinforced concrete
Water-retaining structures
Pre-stressed concrete
Steam-cured concrete

Overdosing with these materials can cause instant

setting of the concrete resulting in equipment
damage
Accelerators work more effectively at lower
ambient temperatures

RETARDERS (RETARDING ADMIXTURES)

These admixtures slow the chemical reaction

of the cement and water leading to longer
setting times and slower initial strength gain
The most common retarders are
hydroxylated carboxylic acids, lignins, sugar
and some phosphates
Dosage

Typical dosages for retarders are between 150 ml

and 500 ml per 100 kg cementitious material

RETARDERS (RETARDING ADMIXTURES)

Uses

When placing concrete in hot weather, particularly

when the concrete is pumped
To prevent cold joints due to duration of placing
In concrete which has to be transported for a long
time

Practical Considerations

If a mix is overdosed beyond the limit recommended

by the supplier, retardation can last for days
Retarders often increase plastic shrinkage and
plastic settlement cracking
Delayed addition of retarders can result in extended
retardation

PLASTICIZERS (WATER-REDUCING ADMIXTURES)

When added to a concrete mix, plasticizers

(water-reducing agents) are absorbed on the
surface of the binder particles, causing them
to repel each other and deflocculate
This results in improved workability and
provides a more even distribution of the
binder particles through the mix
Main types are lignosulphonic acids and their
salts, hydroxylated carboxylic acids and their
salts

PLASTICIZERS (WATER-REDUCING ADMIXTURES)

Dosage

200 ml to 450 ml per 100 kg of cementitious

material

Usage

Plasticizers usually increase the slump of concrete

with a given water content.
Plasticizers can reduce the water requirement of a
concrete mix for a given workability, as a rule-ofthumb, by about 10%.
The addition of a plasticizer makes it possible to
achieve a given strength with a lower cement
content.
Plasticizers may improve pumpability.

PLASTICIZERS (WATER-REDUCING ADMIXTURES)

Practical Considerations

A number of plasticizers contain a retarder and

can cause problems if overdosed
While some plasticizers entrain varying amounts
of air, others are reasonably consistent in the
amount of air they entrain
Where plasticizers are used to increase
workability, the shrinkage and creep will
invariably be increased

SUPERPLASTICIZER

These admixtures are chemically distinct from

normal plasticizers and although their action is
basically the same, it is more marked
When they are used to produce flowing
concrete a rapid loss of workability can be
expected and therefore they should be added
just prior to placing
Superplasticizers are usually chemical
compounds such as sulphonated melamine
formaldehyde, sulphonated naphthalene
formaldehyde, modifed lignosulphonates and
Polycarboxylate based materials.

SUPERPLASTICIZER

Dosage

Uses

750 ml and 2500 ml per 100 kg of cementitious

material
In areas of congested reinforcement
Where a self-levelling consistence facilitates placing
For high-strength concretes by decreasing the water:
cement ratio as a result of reducing the water
content by 1525%

Practical Considerations

They have a relatively high unit cost

The effect of a superplasticizer will last between 30
minutes to 6 hours depending on the admixture used.

OTHER ADMIXTURES

Air Entrainers

introduces air in the form of minute bubbles

distributed uniformly throughout the cement
paste
main types include salts of wood resins, animal or
vegetable fats and oils and sulphonated
hydrocarbons
For improved workability, especially in harsh or
lean mixes
To reduce bleeding and segregation
Air entrainment may reduce the strength of
concrete and overdosing can cause major loss of
strength

OTHER ADMIXTURES

Mineral Admixtures

Fly Ash
Silica Fume
Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag