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Building Technology

Concrete
Comprehensive Review Course for Architect’s Licensure Exam
Concrete
• Artificial Stone
• Proportioned mixture of;
– Cement
– Sand (Fine Aggregates)
– Gravel (Coarse
Aggregates)
• Plastic mass which can
be cast, molded or
formed into
predetermined size or
shape
Concrete
• Upon hydration,
becomes stone-like in
strength, hardness and
durability.
• The hardening of
concrete is called setting.
• Good in Compression
• Poor in Tension
• Reinforced with steel to
add Tensile Properties
Qualities of Concrete
• Strong
– Compressive
• Durable
– Resistance to
Weathering
• of Uniform Quality
– Consistency of Mix
• Thoroughly Sound
– Monolithic
Qualities of Concrete
• Careful selection of
materials
• Correct proportioning
• Thorough mixing
• Careful transporting
and placing
• Proper curing or
protection of the
concrete after it is
placed
Cement
• Serves as Binder for both Fine
and Coarse Aggregates.
• Not Associated with Strength.
• Should Conform to High Grade
Standards inscribed by the
American Society for Testing
Materials (ASTM) in terms of;
– Soundness (Constancy of
Volume)
– Setting Time
– Fineness
– Tensile Strength

• Each bag of cement is equivalent

to approximately 1 cu. ft. and
weighs 40 kgs.
Aggregates
• Inert mineral fillers used
with cement and water
in making concrete.
• Should be particles that
are durable strong, clean,
hard and uncoated, and
which are free from
deleterious substances
• There are two;
– Fine Aggregates
– Coarse Aggregates
Fine Aggregates
• Aggregates smaller than
6mm (¼”) in size
• Consists of sand, stone
screenings or other inert
materials of similar
characteristics.
• 80 to 95% shall pass a
No. 4 wire cloth sieve
and not more than 30%
nor less than 10% shall
pass a No. 50 sieve
Coarse Aggregates
• Aggregate larger than ¼” in size
• Consists of crushed stones,
gravel or other inert materials of
similar characteristics.
• Will readily pass between all
reinforcing bars and between
reinforcement and forms
• But not exceed 25mm (1”) in size
for reinforced beams, floor slabs,
& thin walls.
• May range up to 50mm (2”) for
less highly reinforced parts of the
structures such as footings, thick
walls, and massive work
Special Aggregates
• Special aggregates, such as;
– Blast furnace slag (Light)
– Expanded shale or clay
– Perlite (Light and Fire-rated)
– Vermiculite (Fire and Noise),
and;
– Sawdust
may produce:
– Lightweight
– Nailable
– Thermal insulating concrete.
Water
• Should be free from other deleterious
substances
• Should be reasonably clear and clean.
• The use of sea or brackish water is
not allowed.
• Water combines with cement to
form a paste which binds aggregates.
• The strength of the mixture
therefore depends directly upon the
strength of the paste (Water-Cement
Ratio)
• If there be an excess of water the
paste becomes thin and weak and its
holding power is reduced.
Water
• The water-cement ratio is the
amount of water used per bag of
cement
• This usually varies from 5 to 7
gallons, with 6.5 gallons as average
for ordinary job conditions. The less
water used in mixing, the better the
quality of concrete.
• The ideal mix is one that is plastic
and workable. It should not be too
dry that it becomes too difficult to
place in the forms, nor too wet that
separation of the ingredients result.
Water-Cement Ratio
Slump Test
• Measures
– Water Content
– Workability
– And Consistency or State of
Fluidity of Mix
Of Concrete
• In this test the tendency of a mix to
“slump”, or reduce its height due to
gravity action, is measured.
• The apparatus consist of metal cone:
– bottom opening being 200mm
(8”) diameter,
– top opening being 100mm (4”),
– height exactly 300mm (12”)
Slump Test
• A harsh mix is efficient for slabs, pavements, or mass concrete where
the lowest possible water-cement ratio is desirable.
• The following table gives the permissible slump for various types of
concrete in relation to their uses:
Proportioning
• Common mixes expressed in proportions by
volumes of cement to fine aggregate to
coarse aggregate are as follows:
Mixing Concrete
• Reinforced-concrete work
is ideally mixed by
machine .
• Machine-mixed concrete
is usually or more uniform
quality than that mixed by
hand and is generally less
expensive when in large
volume.
• The strength of concrete is
very largely dependent
upon the thoroughness of
mixing.
Machine Mixing
• In machine-mixing, the
mixing of each batch should
continue not less than one
minute after all the materials
are in the mixer and whenever
practicable,
• The length of the mixing time
should be increased to 1.5 or 2
minutes.
• The entire contents of the
drum should be discharged
before recharging the mixer.
• The mixer should be cleaned
at frequent intervals while in
use.
Machine Mixing
• Batch mixers
– Materials are placed one time to
make a convenient size batch of
concrete, the whole amount
being discharged in one mass
after it is mixed.
• Continuous/Bulk mixers
– into which the materials are fed
constantly and from which the
concrete is discharged in a steady
stream.
• Other Classifications
– Drum mixers (Most Common)
– Trough mixers
– Gravity mixers, and
– Pneumatic mixers
Hand Mixing
• Hand-mixing must be done
on a water-tight platform.
• Cement and fine aggregate
shall first be mixed dry
until the whole is a uniform
color.
• Water and coarse aggregate
shall then be added and
Hand Mixing
• The entire mass turned at least
three times, or until a
homogeneous mixture of the
required consistency is obtained
• Since initial set of concrete takes
place 1 to 3 hours after mixing, a
batch may be used anytime
before initial set takes place,
provided that the mix is plastic.
• Regaging or retempering of
concrete that has been allowed to
stand more than ½ hour is not to
be permitted.
Transporting and Placing
• Transit Mixers should
reach the site on or before
30 Minutes.
• Should be continuous and
uninterrupted.
• Chutes should be sloped
properly (1:2 or 1:3)
• Secure formworks
properly.
• Should not be dropped
freely over 5 ft. for
unexposed work, and 3 ft.
for exposed work.
Curing Concrete
• Concrete must be allowed to
“cure” or harden after it is placed.
• •Hardening is a rather slow
process in which the cement and
water unite to form compounds
that give strength and durability
to the concrete.
• Main factors that affect
hardening:
– Age or time
– Temperature
– Moisture
Curing Concrete
• For about 7 days after placing, should
be protected which is critical to the
chemical process of concrete.
• The strength increases with age
when the curing conditions remains
favorable.
• Increase in strength is rapid during
the early ages and continues
cumulatively.
• The compressive strength reaches
about 60% of its own maximum
value at an age of 28 days and about
80% at an age of 3 months.
Curing Concrete
• Curing consists primarily
in keeping the concrete
from drying out too rapidly.
This may be done by:
1. Covering the concrete
2. Removal of forms at
prescribed time
3. Sprinkling with water.
4. Using curing
compounds
Stripping of Forms
Stripping of Forms
Admixtures
• Substances added to
cements, mortars, and
concrete for the purpose
of improving or
imparting particular
properties.
• Admixtures come in
powder, paste, and liquid
form, and are usually
patented and sold under
trademark names.
Admixtures
• Accelerators
– Speed up setting time, to
develop earlier strength,
and to reduce length of
time for protection.
– Disadvantages:
• They increase the
expansion and
contraction of concrete,
reduce resistance to
sulfate attack, and
increases efflorescence
and corrosion of high
tension steels.
Admixtures
• Retarders
– Slow down the
hydration of the
cement during very
hot weather.
– Disadvantages:
• May cause some loss of
early strength and will
therefore require
careful control and
more frequent slump
tests, also reduces the
expansion and
contraction of concrete.
Admixtures
• Air-entraining agents
– Increase the resistance
of concrete to freezing
and thawing, increase
plasticity and reduce
bleeding.
– Disadvantages:
• These require careful
control and more
frequent slump tests.
They may also cause
some loss of strength.
Admixtures
• Plasticizer
– To increase workability in
concrete.
• Integral Waterproofing
• Colored Pigments
– Dry-cast
• Applied on Surface then
troweled.
– Integral Colors
• Pigments are integrated on
concrete topping, mixed
dry with cement and
aggregates before adding
water.
• 10% of cement weight max.
Admixtures
• Plasticizer
– To increase workability in
concrete.
• Integral Waterproofing
• Colored Pigments
– Dry-cast
• Applied on Surface then
troweled.
– Integral Colors
• Pigments are integrated on
concrete topping, mixed
dry with cement and
aggregates before adding
water.
• 10% of cement weight max.
Processed Concrete
• Aerocrete
– Light–weight, expanded structural
concrete
– Produced by adding a small amount
of metallic aluminum powder to the
mixture of Portland cement and sand
of cinders.
– On the addition of water, a gas is
generated which expands the wet
mix and forms small air cells
throughout the material.
– Used for structural floor and roof
slabs, partition blocks for sound
proofing, wall insulation, in rooms of
refrigerator plants, lightweight fill on
top of structural floor and roof slabs.
– Has excellent fire-resistive qualities
Processed Concrete
• Gunite
– This is the mixture of sand and
cement deposited under high
pneumatic pressure with a machine
manufactured under the trade name
CEMENT GUN, to which the
required supply of water is added just
before the dry constituents emerge
from nozzle.
– Gunite is used for encasing structural
steel, when reinforced, for floor and
roof slabs and curtain walls. Ideal for
swimming pool construction.
Processed Concrete
• Ready-Mix Concrete
– Supplied from a Batching Plant
– Transported Through Transit
Mixers
– Standard of 7 cubic meters per
Transit Mixer
• Pumpcrete
– Type of distributing concrete to
inaccessible areas.
– Ideal for multi-storey projects
– From the Transit Mixer, Concrete is
pumped from a Boom.