Properties of Concrete and Steel

Material Selection Considerations

 Economic factors
 Mechanical properties
 Non-mechanical properties
 Production/construction
 Aesthetic properties
 Sustainable considerations

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 Economic Factors

Factors to be considered:
Cost of raw materials
Manufacturing costs
Transportation cost
Placing cost
Maintenance cost

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 Mechanical Properties

Strength (tensile, flexure, shear, etc), elastic modulus,

elongation, hardness, etc.

All materials deform under load depending on:

Mechanical properties of the material
Magnitude and type of load
Geometry of the material element

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 Stress-Strain Relations
All solid materials deform under load.
 stress = force / area
s = F / A (psi, ksi, kPa, MPa, GPa)

 strain = deformation / original length

e = DL / L0 (%, in/in, mm/mm)

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 Properties of an Elastic Material
Modulus of Elasticity or Young’s Modulus

slope (rise over run) of the linear portion of stress-strain

curve
Poisson’s Ratio

as material is stretched the cross section shrinks and vice

versa for compression
Material Modulus (psi x 106) Poisson’s Ratio
Concrete 2-6 0.11-0.21
Steel 29 0.27
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 Ductile and Brittle Materials

Brittle Material
has little plastic deformation
before failure (glass, concrete)

Ductile Material
has lots of plastic deformation
before failure (structural steel,
rubber)

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 Non-Mechanical Properties

Other than load responses:

 Density and Unit Weight
 Thermal Expansion
 Surface Properties

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 Density and Unit Weight

density = r = m / V

unit weight = g = W / V

specific gravity = r / rw

The density of water is 1 gm/cm3 (1 Mg/m3) in SI units and

62.4 lb/ft3 in FPS units

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 Production and Construction

Production
availability and ability to fabricate material into
desired shapes.

 Construction
ability to build the structure on site (trained work
force).

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 Aesthetic Characteristics

The architect and the civil engineer should work with

each other.
The mix of artistic and technical design skills makes the
project acceptable to the community.

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 Sustainable Design
Sustainable design: meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs

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Concrete
 Concrete Constituents

Cements
Portland cements
Non-portland cements
Aggregates (coarse and fine)
Water
Chemical admixtures
Mineral Admixtures
 Concrete Strength

Compressive strength
Tensile strength: Splitting strength, Flexural strength
Shear strength
 Compressive Strength, f’c

• f’c is an indication of quality

• Typical compressive strength is
3,000 - 6,000 psi

Age Strength Ratio

7 days 0.67
14 days 0.86
28 days 1.0
3 months 1.17
5 years 1.35
 Split Tension Test

 To measure tensile strength

 About 10% of f'c
 Flexural Strength
Simply supported 6” x 6” x 20”

beam loaded on the 1/3

points

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 Shear Strength

Shear is the action of two equal and opposite parallel

forces applied in planes a short distance apart.

Structures must be designed to resist shear forces.

 Modulus of Elasticity

Modulus of elasticity is the

ratio of the stress to strain for
a linear material

For normal weight concrete:


Ec  57,000 f c , psi

Ec  4,731 f c , MPa

Ec = modulus of elasticity
f’c = compressive strength
 Example

a) A normal-weight concrete has an average compressive

strength of 4500 psi. What is the estimated modulus of
elasticity?

b) The third-point loading flexure strength test was performed on

a concrete beam having a cross section of 0.15 m by 0.15 m
and a span of 0.45 m. If the load at failure was 35.7 kN,
calculate the flexure strength of the concrete.
Reinforcing Steel
 Why Reinforcing Steel?
The weakness of concrete in tension could be
overcome by using steel bars in the areas under
tensional stresses.
The end result “reinforced concrete” is a very
efficient and widely used construction material.
 Grades
ASTM A615 – Standard specification for deformed
and plain – Billet Bars
 Grade 60: fy = 60 ksi (420 MPa), common in buildings
 Grade 40: fy = 40 ksi (280 MPa), ductile
 Grade 75: fy = 75 ksi (560 MPa), high strength
 Mechanical Testing of Steel
Tension Test
Determine yield strength,
ultimate (tensile) strength,
elongation, and reduction
of area (Poisson's Ratio)

Torsion Test
Bend Test
Hardness Test
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Reinforcing Steel (cont.)
Reinforcing Steel (cont.)
Reinforcing Steel (cont.)