Concrete

Man made stone

 constituents
 mixture of aggregate and paste
 paste 30 to 40%
 portland cement 7% to 15% by Vol.
 water 14% to 21% by Vol.
 Aggregates 60% to 70%
 coarse aggregates
 Fine aggregates

 Admixtures
 Portland Cement
 Dry powder of very fine particles
 forms a paste when mixed with water
 chemical reaction-Hydration
 glue
 paste coats all the aggregates together
 hardens and forms a solid mass
 Water
 needed for two purposes:
 chemical reaction with cement
 workability
 only 1/3 of the water is needed for chemical reaction
 extra water remains in pores and holes
 results in porosity
 Good for preventing plastic shrinkage cracking and
workability
 Bad for permeability, strength, durability.
 Aggregates
 cheap fillers
 hard material
 provide for volume stability
 reduce volume changes
 provide abrasion resistance
 Admixtures
 chemical
 set retarders
 set accelerators
 water reducing
 air entraining

 mineral
 fly ash
 silica fume
 slags
 Properties of fresh concrete
 Workability
 ease of placement
 resistance to segregation
 homogeneous mass

 Consistency
 ability to flow
 Slump Test
 Inverted cone 4”
 fill it up with three layers
of equal volume
12”
 rod each layer 25 times
 scrape off the surface
8”
 Slump Test
slump cone

rod

concrete
Slump test
Ruler

Slump
 Slump test results
 stiff 0-2”
 massive sections, little reinforcement
 use vibration

 medium 2-5”
 columns, beams, retaining walls
 Fluid 5-7”
 heavily reinforced section, flowable concrete
 Factors affecting slump
 water cement ratio
 w/c = weight of water / weight of cement
example:
weight of water mixed at the plant 292 lbs.
weight of cement 685 lbs./cu. yard

w/c = 292/685 = 0.43

water cement ratio
if you add 10 gallons of water per cubic yard at job
site, then:

extra water
10 gallons/cubic yard * (3.8 liters/gallon) * (2.2
lbs./kg) *( 1kg/liter) = 83.77 lbs.

total water 282 + 83.77 = 365.77

new w/c = 365.77 / 685 = 0.534 >> 0.43
 Factors affecting slump-
paste content
 constant water cement ratio
 increase paste content
 increase
slump
 NO GOOD

 constant cement content

 increase water content
 increase
slump
 NO GOOD
 Factors Affecting Slump-
Water Content
 Add water at the constant cement content,
w/c increases, slump increases.
 Add water at a constant water cement ratio,
have to increase cement as well, slump
increases.
Factors affecting slump-paste
content

Low paste content High paste content

Harsh mix Rich mix
 ball bearing effect-start
starting height
ball bearing effect-end

slump
 Admixtures
 set retarding admixtures
 set accelerating admixtures
 water reducing admixtures
 superplasticizers
 air entraining admixtures
 Factors affecting slump
 Aggregates
 grading the larger the particle size, the higher
the slump for a given paste content
effect of aggregate size

1”

1”
1”

Consider a single aggregate the size of 1”x1”x1”

 Compute the surface area as
you break up the particles
block surface area = 0.5*0.5*6=1.5
block surface area = 1*1*6= 6

volume = 1 cubic in
surface area = 6 square inches volume = 1 cubic in
surface area = 1.5*8= 12 square inches
Break it up further
 Compute the surface area
surface area = 0.25*0.25*6*8*8=24

0.5 in

0.25 in
Larger particles, less surface area,
thicker coating, easy sliding of particles
Smaller particles, more surface area,
thinner coating, interlocking of particles
 Effect of aggregate size
size # of particles volume surface area
1" 1 1 cubic inch 6 square inches
.5" 8 1 cubic inch 12 square inches
0.25 64 1 cubic inch 24 square inches
0.125 512 1 cubic inch 48 square inches
 Angularity and surface texture
of aggregates

angular and rough smooth aggregate

aggregate river gravel
 Temperature

fresh concrete

aggregates paste
Bleeding
Water accumulation on surface
Examine the concrete surface
 Interaction between bleeding and evaporation

Evaporation

surface water

Bleed water

Bleed water = evaporation

 Too much evaporation leads to surface cracking

Evaporation
no surface water
drying

Bleed water < Evaporation

Side diagram of surface contraction

Wants to shrink

Does not want to shrink

 Free Shrinkage,
causes volume change, but no stresses

before shrinkage After Shrinkage

Restrained Shrinkage- creates
stresses, which may cause cracking
 Restrained shrinkage cracking
Parallel cracking perpendicular
to the direction of shrinkage
 Bleeding and its control
 Creates problems:  causes
 poor pumpability  lack of fines
 delays in finishing  too much water content

 high w/c at the top  Remedies

 poor bond between  more fines
two layers  adjust grading
 entrained air
 reduce water content
 Causes of Plastic Shrinkage Cracking

 water evaporates faster than it can reach the

top surface
 drying while plastic
 cracking
 Plastic Shrinkage Cracking-
Remedies
 Control the wind velocity
 reduce the concrete’s temperature
 use ice as mixing water
 increase the humidity at the surface
 fogging
 cover w/polyethylene
 curing compound

 Fiber reinforcement
 Curing
 The time needed for the chemical reaction
of portland cement with water.
 Glue is being made.
 concrete after 14 days of curing has
completed only 40% of its potential.
 70 % at 28 days.
 Curing tips
 ample water
 do not let it dry
 dry concrete = dead concrete, all reactions stop
 can not revitalize concrete after it dries
 keep temperature at a moderate level
 concrete with flyash requires longer curing
 Temperature effects on curing
 The higher the temperature the faster the curing
 best temperature is room temperature
 strongest concrete is made at temperature around
40 F.(not practical)
 If concrete freezes during the first 24 hrs., it may
never be able to attain its original properties.
 Temperature effects on curing
 real high temperatures above 120 F can cause
serious damage since cement may set too fast.
 accelerated curing procedures produce strong
concrete, but durability might suffer.
 autoclave curing.