QT-003 Concreting (Including Weather Conditions)

QTBT#3: CONCRETING
(Including Weather Conditions)

Prepared by: Giannis Kastanas, QA/QC Manager
Prime Property Group
Quality Toolbox#3 – CONCRETING (INCLUDING
WEATHER CONDITIONS)
CONTENTS – SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION:
• What is Concrete?
• Types of Concrete and their purpose?
• Standards for Concrete based on PPC and PPD project specs (for
Materials, Production, Testing, Strength)?
• Types of Cement? Methodology of Cement production process? Basic
Cement Testing Standards? Example of Cement Compressive strength
calculation?
• What is Water / Cement ratio and why is important?
• Types of Admixtures (Chemical Admixtures, Mineral Admixtures)?
• Properties of fresh Concrete?
• Properties of Hardened Concrete?
• Preparations and Requirements prior and during Casting
• Weather Conditions, Curing and Concrete protection?
• Major things that need to Avoid during Concreting or Curing? Main
causes of faulty Concreting.
• Testing of Materials?
• Field Quality Assurance and Quality Control? Checks sheets and MS?
• Tolerances?
• Discussion.
08/12/2020 2
WHAT IS CONCRETE?
Concrete is a basically a mixture of:

 Paste (Portland Cement and Water).
 Aggregates (Sand, Gravel and Crush stone).
 Admixture (optional)
Where:
 Aggregates are divided into:
 Fine, consist of natural or manufactured sand with
particle size up to 3/8 inch.
 Coarse aggregates, particles are retained on the #4 sieve
and range up to 6 inches.
3
TYPES OF CONCRETE & THEIR PURPOSES?
Standards for Concrete based on PPC and PPD project
specs (for Materials, Production, Testing, Strength)?
5
Standards for Concrete based on PPG and PPC project
….continued
6
….continued
7
….continued
8
….continued
9
….continued
10
CATEGORIES OF CEMENTS
Types of cements, CYS EN 197-1: 2000 and BS

EN 197-1: 2011 covers 27 standard cements classified
into five main types:
CEM I Portland cement (ordinary)

CEM II Portland composite cement
CEM III Blast furnace slag cement
CEM IV Pozzolanic cement
CEM V Composite cement
11
CATEGORIES OF CEMENTS …continued
12
METHODOLOGY OF CEMENT PRODUCTION
PROCESS (Modern Dry Process-1)
13
14
15
16
BASIC CEMENT TESTING STANDARDS
• EN 197-1 Cement- Part 1: Composition, specifications and

conformity criteria for common cements
• EN 197-2 Cement- Part 2: Conformity evaluation
• EN 196-1 Methods of testing cement- Part 1: Determination of
strength
• EN 196-2 Methods of testing cement- Part 2: Chemical analysis
of cement
setting time and soundness
• EN 196-5 Methods of testing cement- Part 5: Pozzolanicity test
for pozzolanic cements
fineness
17
CATEGORIES OF CEMENTS …continued
Example of Cement compressive

strength
The 28-day compressive strength test results obtained on six modified cubes
(40 mm) are given below. The mortar bars are prepared with CEM I 42.5. Are
the results acceptable? 88, 83, 82, 90, 94, 98 kN
Average Pmax=(88+83+82+90+94+98)/6=89.2 kN
c = Pmax/A=89.2x1000 N/1600 mm2=55.75 MPa
≥ 42.5 MPa and ≤ 62.5 MPa ok.
18
WHAT IS WATER / CEMENT RATIO AND WHY IS
IMPORTANT?
 Only the correct ratio can give you concrete which provides
maximum strength with easy workability. Even the smallest
change in water proportion can create disproportionate changes in
concrete strength.
 If the quantity of water is less (say w/c= 1/4 = 0.25), then your
concrete mix will be difficult to mold and set into place. It will
become harsh and results in honeycombing or porous nature due
to poor workability.
 If the quantity of water is more (say w/c = 3/4 = 0.75), your
concrete will develop a honeycomb-like structure, which will
decrease its durability and strength. The concrete undergoes
segregation and bleeding. Thus finally concrete shows defects in
it.
19
IMPORTANT? … continued
 Therefore w/c ratio should be optimum, which
depends on grade of concrete and exposure
conditions hence w/c ratio should be selected from
BS 5328: Part2 , and BS 8110.
 Typical w/c ratios are as follows:
 Normal for ordinary concrete (sidewalks and
driveways): 0.6 to 0.7
 Specified if a higher quality concrete is desired:
0.4. Workability can be resolved with the use of
plasticizers or super-plasticizers.
 The practical range of the w/c ratio is from about
0.3 to over 0.8.
20
Exposure Classes related to
Environmental Conditions
21
Strength Classes for Concrete
22
TYPES OF ADMIXTURES (CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES
MINERAL ADMIXTURES)
 Admixtures affect plastic and hardened properties of concrete and

are commonly used to:
 Increase set time.
 Decrease set time.
 Increase workability.
 Adjust other concrete properties.
 Reduce water demand.
 Entrain air.
 Inhibit corrosion
23
MINERAL ADMIXTURES) …continued
 Air-Entraining Admixtures: It create microscopic air bubbles in
concrete. Bubbles formed by the mixing action, and the air-entraining
agents keep the bubbles form breaking up. Entrained air should not be
confused with entrapped air, which consists of ordinary, larger air
bubbles trapped in the concrete during mixing and placing. Air entrained
air bubbles are uniformly distributed throughout the concrete, giving it
greatly improved ability to withstand damage caused by freezing and
thawing cycles.
 Accelerating Admixtures: Speed up the setting and hardening of
concrete. Useful in cold weather because concrete hardens slowly at
temperatures below about 10oC. Most common of these admixtures was
calcium chloride. Calcium chloride increases the potential for corrosion
of reinforcing steel. When required by the specifications, non-chloride
accelerating admixtures are available. 24
 Retarding Admixtures: Slows down the initial setting of the concrete. Used
in hot weather to keep the concrete from setting before it can be placed and
finished. Most retarding admixtures are also water-reducing admixtures.
They do not reduce slump loss – an increase in correct stiffness with time –
which is caused by a combination of evaporation and hydration reactions.
Slump is a measure of concrete’s stiffness or consistency and is described
later.
 Water-Reducing Admixtures: Reduce the amount of water needed to
produce concrete of a given slump. Used without reducing the amount of
water, water-reducing admixtures will increase the slump of the concrete.
Some water-reducing admixtures contain calcium chloride. They reduce the
water requirement more than normal water-reducing admixtures, and usually
don’t affect the set time as much. Water-reducers can entrain air above the
3% level recommends as the maximum for slabs requiring a hard-trowel
finish. 25
 High-Range Water-Reducing Admixtures (HRWR): Commonly called

super-plasticizers where reduces the water requirement, increase slump of
concrete to make it more flowable and easier to place in areas of congested
reinforcement. Reduces the water while improving workability of concretes
that are consolidated by vibration. Maintains slump for only an extended
period that varies depending on the product and concrete temperatures; the
concrete may then stiffen rapidly. Usually added at the batch plant but can
be added on site to prolong the concrete’s effective slump. Their use does
not necessarily reduce the shrinkage.
26
Properties of Fresh Concrete
Workability: It is the property of freshly mixed concrete that determines the
ease and homogeneity by which it could be mixed, placed, compacted, and
completed .Influence to workability have the Mix Proportions, Aggregates,
Admixtures, and the time
Temperature: Concrete is not recommended to be placed at temperature

above 40oC without proper precautions. Special problems are encountered in the
preparation, placement, and curing of concrete in hot weather. The First 24 to 72
hours after placing fresh concrete are of extreme importance. In this period,
hydration of concrete occurs, which is a chemical process in which concrete
gains its strength. If the temperature of concrete beyond the maximum during
hydration, then cracks are formed in concrete. On the other hand if temperature
falls below the minimum temperature of 3oC, then concrete takes a large time to
set and the hydration process slows down. 27
Properties of Fresh Concrete … continued
Water Cement Ratio: As described above.
Segregation: It is the separation of coarse aggregates from the concrete in
which they are composed due to differences in the size, shape, and other
properties of the material. Segregation is usually caused by excessive vibration
of cement. The different materials that make up the concrete mix have different
weights, so while the concrete is a liquid state, there is a tendency for heavier
materials to settle to the bottom, and the lighter slurry to rise to the top. Effects
of segregation are the Honey comps on concrete, high permeability of concrete,
low compressive strength, and poor finishing of surfaces.
28
Bleeding: It is sometimes referred to as water gain. This is special form of

separation, in which some water from the concrete flows to the surface of the concrete,
with the lowest specific gravity among all concrete components. Bleeding can be
reduced with appropriate proportions and uniform and complete mixing. Bleeding is
reduced by the use of finely divided pozzolanic materials, making a long way to cross
the water. The air-penetrating agent is very effective for reducing blood. Bleeding can
be reduced by the use of fine cement or cement with low alkali cement
Plastic Shrinkage: These cracks appear in the surface of

fresh concrete soon after it is placed and while it is still plastic.
Plastic shrinkage cracks are unsightly but rarely impair the strength
or durability of concrete floors and slabs. The development of these
cracks can be minimized if appropriate measures are taken prior to and during placing
and finishing concrete
29
Setting Time: When concrete changes its state from fresh to hardened then this
process is called setting. And the time required to complete this process is known as
Setting Time of Concrete. Setting time depends on the type of cement and it can be
increase or decrease by adding admixture in concrete
Hydration: When cement comes in contact with water, a chemical reaction

begins. This reaction is known as hydration. Hydration occurs more rapidly at
higher air temperatures. Hydration itself also generates heat. This heat of
hydration can be helpful during cold-weather construction but harmful during
hot-weather construction.
30
Properties of Hardened Concrete
Strength: Concrete is used for compressive loads. Compressive strength is easily

obtained. It is good measure of all the other properties. Compressive strength is
determined by loading properly prepared and cured concrete cube. Concrete cubes
specimens are crushed after rotating them 90 degrees to decrease the amount of friction
caused by rough finishing
Permeability & durability: The penetration of some aggressive solution may result in
leaching out of Ca(OH)2 which adversely affects the durability of concrete. The
moisture penetration depends on permeability & if concrete becomes saturated it is more
liable to frost-action. In some structural members permeability itself is of importance,
such as, dams, water retaining tanks. A durable concrete is the one which will withstand
in a satisfactory degree, the effects of service conditions to which it will be subjected.
Factors affecting the Durability are External → Environmental, Internal → Permeability,
Characteristics of ingredients, Air-Void System...e.t.c. 31
Properties of Hardened Concrete …continued
Shrinkage & creep deformations:

 Concrete Macrostructure visible cracks in hcp and aggregates due to volume changes (to
understand cause of cracks, microstructure should be examined). Microstructure are
1.Alkali-silica reaction: Reaction product forms at TZ and expands, 2.Frost action:
Water freezes in capillary pores and expands, 3.Sulfate attack: reaction products form in
hcp and expand.
 Creep deformation we mostly mean the leaching & efflorescence when water penetrating
into concrete, it dissolves the non-hydraulic (and various salts, sulfates and carbonates).
These salts are taken outside of concrete by water and leave a salt deposit
 Sulfate attack is the problem with seawater when is frequent wetting/drying and
corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete. To reduce the sulfate attack 1. Use low w/c
ratio→ reduced permeability & porosity, 2. Use proper cement → reduced C3A and
C3S, 3. Use pozzolans → they use up some of the CH to produce C-S-H
Response to temperature variations: Water when freezes expands in volume.
Air-entrained should be used in this case to the concrete. High temperatures
could be control by use of cold water or ice during concrete mixing, and curing
control during concrete hydration and hardening
32
Preparations and Requirements prior and during Casting
Site Engineer and/or Foreman should be verified that shuttering; shoring and
propping are properly aligned, plumbed and ready to receive concrete and
vibration
All the work shall set-out/positioned as accurately as possible. Upper level of
columns and walls shall be marked on main vertical bars and also on formwork
The formwork and steel reinforcement shall be cleaned and moistened before
placing the concrete
Secure approval from Consultant prior to concreting of any structural element
either foundation or walls or columns or slab
All structural members shall be poured as per Approved Drawings
In order to achieve concrete of very good quality, without imperfections and
following repairs, the formwork joints between panels and surfaces of different
matters should be tight appropriately to eliminate aggregates/grout loss. The
fixing methods should provide adequate uniformity of formworks during entire
casting time. Deflection of the formwork/ falsework should be controlled by Site
Engineer or/and Foreman during casting; counter measures/additional fixtures
should be taken to eliminate the deflections. 33
… continued
Concrete shall be delivered from approved Batching Plant
The Concrete shall be transported in the truck mixers and shall be delivered
and spread within 1.5 hours from the mixing time of concrete as per delivery
ticket
The amount of Vibrators and Vibrators pocket sizes shall be decided from the
Site Engineer and/or Foreman. Compact the concrete using the proper selected
immersion types of vibrators (4inches and 3 inches). Use suitable size of hose-
needle for vibrating equipment. Below is table in order to give guidance of
choose a good vibrationGuidance
poker for
based
chooseon each capacity
of Vibration and radius of action:
Poker capacity:
Internal Vibrator diameter (mm) Radius of action (mm) Capacity with rapid placing (m3/h) Applications
Exceptionally narrow and

20 to 30mm 80 to 150mm 1 to 3 densely reinforced
structures
35 to 40mm 130 to 250mm 3 to 8 Narrow and heavily

reinforced structures
Bridges, columns, normal

50 to 70mm 180 to 350mm 8 to 15 walls, floors and industrial
buildings
Heavy construction i.e. deep

Over 70mm 250 to 400mm Over 15 bases, plinths, slabs, mass
concrete
34
… continued
Tamper the sides of the structural member shuttering for preventing air from
being trapped and the existence of cavities, especially on junctions of columns,
walls and beams were the bulk of reinforcement is normally located
Ensure that concrete is not drop of the concrete pump hose inside shuttering
from the height more than 1m, that may cause concrete segregation
All structural members shall be filled up in 3 – 4 layers depending of the
formwork height and the interval between layers shall not exceed 15min
Make sure interval between concrete trucks to be deliver in timely manner
With internal vibration, care must be taken not to damage the form face or
disturb “cast-in” items or reinforcement. The choice of poker diameter depends
on a number of factors such as wall thickness, density of the steel and concrete
design mix.
The vibration intervals shall not be greater than 8 times of the poker diameter,
and in case of walls, columns and beams where the finish is of special
importance the intervals shall be kept in range 200mm
35
… continued
The poker should be withdrawn slowly, particularly near the surface. Internal
vibration, carried out carefully, systematically with close insertions will produce
concrete of high density, strength and with very good surface finish. When
impermeable formwork such as steel or film-faced plywood are used, more /
longer vibration need to achieve good quality of finish
At the time of placement, the temperature of the Concrete shall not exceed
32oC
The temperature of the concrete shall be determined immediately from
Laboratory, using infrared thermometers, after the truck has arrived on site
Concrete cubes should be taken from the Laboratory after the first 1m3 of each
truck has been poured. Laboratory should take 6 samples for the first 20m3, and
then 6 samples for every additional 40m3, or other specified from Consultant /
relaxation or project specs
The vibrator poker shall penetrate at least 100mm into the previously vibrated
layer, which must be still plastic. This will ensure a satisfactory bond between
the layers
36
… continued
The top 600mm of vertical elements should be re-vibrated 0.5 – 1 hour after
placement (depending on outside temperature / humidity and mix design, the
concrete should be still workable re-vibration)
The position of day joints and construction joints should be agreed
37
… continued
Immediately after finishing and before the concrete has stiffened, start spraying
water on concrete top like a very light rain in order to keep moisturize in the
surface
Curing provides adequate moisture, temperature and time to allow the concrete
to achieve the desired properties for its intended use. Maintaining similar levels
of moisture in the concrete while keeping an air flow around the surface will
prevent permanent discoloration. It is useful to combine protection and curing as
one operation by covering or boxing in surfaces with an air gap until the concrete
is ready for handover
During curing, a spray curing shall be applied, plastic sheets are necessary in
case ambient temperature exceeds +28oC. Curing compounds should be
specified as non-staining. Plastic sheets, if used should be held 15 to 20mm away
from the face of concrete to ensure that they do not touch the concrete as this can
cause different curing conditions locally and hence a variation in color
38
WEATHER CONDITIONS, CURING & CONCRETE
PROTECTION
HOT WEATHER CONCRETING
 Hot weather is any combination of the following conditions that tends to
impair the quality of freshly mixed or hardened concrete by accelerating
the rate of moisture loss and rate of cement hydration, or otherwise
causing detrimental results:
 High concrete temperature;

 Low relative humidity;
 Wind speed
 Solar radiation.
 High ambient temperature.
39
PROTECTION … continued
Difficulties in Hot Weather:
• Increased water demand.
• Accelerated slump loss.
• Increased rate of setting.
• Increased tendency of plastic shrinkage cracking.
• Critical need for prompt early curing
40
Temperature:
• Certain precautions should be taken in order to reduce the difficulties in

hot weather conditions.
• Temperature ranging from 10 to 15˚C is desirable, but such

temperatures are not always practical.
• Many specifications require that concrete when placed should have a

temperature of less than 29 to 32˚C (our Project Specifications
mentioned that fresh concrete temperature must be less than 32˚C).
41
Precautions:
• Use materials and mix proportions that have a good record in hot weather
conditions.
• Cool the concrete or one or more of its ingredients.
• Use a concrete consistency that allows rapid placement.
• Reduce the time of transporting, placing, and finishing as possible.
• Schedule concrete placements to avoid extreme weather, such as at night or during

favorable weather conditions.
• Consider the methods to limit moisture loss during placing and finishing such as
sunshades, wind screens, fogging, and spraying.
42
Effect of High Concrete Temperature:

• As concrete temperature increases there is a loss in slump that is
often unadvisedly compensated for by adding water to the concrete
at the jobsite. At higher temperatures a greater amount of water is
required to hold slump constant than is needed at lower
temperatures.
• Increase the rate of setting and shorten the length of time. Setting
time can be reduced by 2 or more hours with a 10°C increase in
concrete temperature
43
Effect of High Concrete Temperature …:
• There is an increased tendency for cracks to form both before and after
hardening.
• Rapid evaporation of water from freshly placed concrete can cause
plastic-shrinkage cracks before the surface has hardened.
• Cracks may also develop in the hardened concrete because of increased
drying shrinkage due to higher water contents or thermal volume
changes as the concrete cools.
44
Cooling Concrete Materials:
• Lower the temperature of concrete materials before mixing.
• The contribution of each material is related to

– Temperature.
– Specific heat.
– Quantity of each material.
45
Cooling Concrete Materials …:
 Without adding ice

instead of some of
water amount
46
 With adding
ice instead of
some of water
amount
47
If ice is not adding the temp of concrete is 31.1˚C. With addind of Ice instead of
some portion of water the temperature of fresh concrete become 24.1 ˚C, 7 ˚C less than
the expected concrete temperature without adding of ice!!!
48
Supplementary Cementitious Materials:
• The use of supplementary materials (fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace
slag) can help in hot weather conditions.
• These material slow the rate of setting as well as the rate of slump loss.
49
Preparation Before Placing:
• Mixers, chutes, conveyor belts, hoppers, pump lines, and other equipments for handling
concrete should be shaded, painted white, or covered with wet burlap to reduce solar
heat.
• Forms, reinforcing steel, and subgrade should be fogged or sprinkled with cool water
just before concrete is placed.
• Restrict placement of concrete to early morning, evening, or night time hours,
especially in arid climates. This will help in minimizing thermal shrinkage and
cracking of thick slabs and pavements.
50
Transporting, Placing, and Finishing:

• Should be done as quickly as practical during hot weather.
• Delays contribute to the loss of slump and increase in concrete temperature.
• Prolonged mixing should be avoided.
• If delays occur, stopping mixer and then agitating can minimize the heat
generated by mixing.
• Setting of concrete is more rapid in hot weather.
• Extra care must be taken with placement techniques to avoid cold joints.
• Temporary sunshades and windbreaks help to minimize cold joints.
51
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking :
• Associated with hot-weather concreting,
• It can occur any time ambient conditions produce rapid evaporation of moisture from the concrete surface.
• These cracks occur when water evaporates from the surface faster than it can rise to the surface during the
bleeding process.
• Rapid drying shrinkage creates tensile stresses in the surface that often result in short, irregular cracks.
• Plastic shrinkage cracking increases with:

1. Low air temperature
2. High concrete temperature
3. Low humidity
4. High wind speed
• When the rate of evaporation exceeds 1 kg/m2 per hour, precautionary measures such as windscreens are
required around all sides of concrete elements.
• With concrete mixtures containing pozzolans, cracking is possible if the rate of evaporation exceeds 0.5
kg/m2 per hour.
• Concrete containing silica fume is particularly prone to plastic shrinkage because bleeding rates are
commonly only 0.25 kg/m2 per hour
52
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking …:
Le
ng
th
ra
ng
es
fro
m
5
to
10
0 cm
Spaced in an irregular pattern

from 5 to 60 cm
53
Precautions to Minimize Plastic Shrinkage Cracking:
1. Moisten concrete aggregates that are dry and absorptive.
2. Keep the concrete temperature low by cooling aggregates and

mixing water.
3. Dampen the subgrade and fog forms prior to placing concrete.
4. Erect temporary windbreaks to reduce wind velocity over the

concrete surface.
5. Erect temporary sunshades to reduce concrete surface

temperatures.
6. Protect the concrete with temporary coverings, such as

polyethylene sheeting, during any appreciable delay between
placing and finishing.
7. Add plastic fibers to the concrete mixture to help reduce plastic
shrinkage crack formation.
54
Curing in Hot Weather:
• The need for moist curing of concrete slabs is greatest during the first few hours after
finishing.
• To prevent the drying of exposed concrete surfaces, moist curing should commence as
soon as the surfaces are finished.
• When the air temperature is at or above 27°C, curing during the basic curing period
should be accomplished by water spray or by using saturated absorptive fabric
• For mass concrete, curing should be by water for the basic curing period when the air
temperature is at or above 20°C, in order to minimize the temperature rise of the concrete.
• If approved, the application of the curing compound should be preceded by 24 hours of
moist curing.
• Crazing cracks are very fine and barely visible except when the concrete is drying after
the surface has been wet. They do not penetrate much below the surface.
55
Admixtures:
• A retarding admixtures can be very helpful in delaying the setting time, despite
increased rate of slump loss resulting from their use.
• A hydration control admixture can be used to stop cement hydration and setting. As a
general rule a 5°C to 9°C temperature rise per 45 kg of Portland cement can be expected
from the heat of hydration.
56
COLD WEATHER CONCRETING
 Cold weather is defined on European Standards as a period when for
more than 3 successive days the average daily air temperature drops below
5oC and stays below 10oC for more than one-half of any 24 hour period.
 Under these circumstances, all materials and equipment needed for
adequate protection and curing.
 Normal concreting practices can be resumed once the ambient temperature
is above 3oC.
57
Cold Weather – Preparation for Concreting:

• Preparations should be made to protect the concrete; enclosures,
windbreaks, portable, heaters, insulated forms, and blankets should be
ready to maintain the concrete temperature
• Forms, reinforcing steel, and embedded fixtures must be clear of snow
and ice at the time concrete is placed
• Thermometers and proper storage facilities for test cylinders should be
available to verify that precautions are adequate
58
Effect of Frozen Water:

• Up to 50% reduction of ultimate strength can occur if frozen:
– Within a few hours
– Before reaching a strength of 3.5Mpa
• Frozen only once at an early age:

– Less resistance to weathering
– More permeable
Thumb Rule
For every 10oC reduction in concrete temperature the times of setting of the
concrete double, thus increasing the amount of time that the concrete is
vulnerable to damage due to freezing
59
Cold Weather – Precautions:

• Specially designed accelerating admixtures allow concrete to be
placed at temperatures down to -7oC
• The purpose of these admixtures is to reduce the time of initial
setting, but not necessarily to speed up strength gain. Covering
concrete to keep out moisture and to retain heat of hydration is still
necessary
• Traditional antifreezes solutions are used
• Air-Entrained admixture or/and Air-Entrained concrete could be
used in cold weather:
– To reduce freezing and thawing we can use air entrained
concrete.
– Air entrainment provides the capacity to absorb stresses due to
ice formation within the concrete
60
Cold Weather – Concrete protection:
Insulating Blankets Heat and temperature

to control Heat control by covering
Hydration with Polyethylene
Sheets the area or
Curtains Indirect-Fired
Heater
61
MAJOR THINGS THAT NEED TO AVOID DURING
CONCRETING
OR CURING
Main Causes of Faulty Concreting:
• Understaffed during concreting
• Reinforcement issues
• Not enough curing time
• Too much water
• Choosing the wrong Concrete mix
• Improper finishing of concrete surface
62
CONCRETING
OR CURING
Causes of Defects in Concrete Structures:
1. Structural deficiency resulting from errors in design (Re-entrant
corners, abrupt changes in section., defection limits, poorly
detailed drips and scuppers, Inadequate or improper drainage,
poor detail on expansion joints), loading criteria, unexpected
overloading, etc
2. Structural deficiency due to construction defects (e.x. raw
materials, non adoption of designed concrete mix, defective
construction plan, defective workmanship, inadequate quality
detailing)
3. Damage due to fire, floods, earthquake, physical phenomena, etc
4. Damage due to chemical attack
5. Damage due to marine environments
6. Damage due to abrasion of granular materials
7. Movement of concrete due to physical characteristics
63
CONCRETING
OR CURING
Types of Concrete Defects:
1. Cracking 5. Dusting
2. Crazing 6. Curling
3. Blistering 7. Efflorescence
4. Delamination 8. Scaling and Spalling
64
CONCRETING
OR CURING
Causes of Concrete Formwork Failures:
1. Improper Stripping and shore 5. Vibration impact
removal
6. Unstable soil under mudsills

2. Inadequate bracing and out of plumb shores
3. Inadequate control of Concrete 7. Lack of attention to formwork

placement details
4. Inadequate concrete strength 8. When Formwork is not at fault

development
65
TESTING OF MATERIALS
• Design mix should be specified by Consultant in order to comply with

design specifications. Site Engineer or/and Site Manager or/and QA/QC
Manager need to make sure that Concrete Batching Plant is obliged to
strictly follow design fix proportions
• Ready mixed concrete, which has been manufactured in local batching
plant, shall suit stated performance requirements. Quality and mix
proportions to be assured.
• Testing of concrete mixing materials should be submitted as a package of
Concrete Mix Design from Concrete Batching Plant supplier for Site
Manager review. Then Site Manager will submit to Consultant for approval
• Cubes compressive strength and testing as per Drawings and Project
Specifications. All cubes results should submitted to Consultant
• Monitoring concrete – pouring and casting that all procedures are following
correctly
• Any changes to Concrete Mix, should be approved first from
Consultant !!!
66
Field Quality Assurance and Quality Control? Checks
sheets and MS?
67
sheets and MS …continued?
• Method Statements, Checklists and Forms templates are available

on “Public Folder”  P:\!_Bin\QUALITY MANAGEMENT\
PRIME - METHOD STATEMENTS & SOPs & FORMS IN USE
• Also the above are available on “ProCore”  Company level
documents  Quality Management
• In Addition, on All Projects Documents folders on “ProCore”, you
can find all Method Statements, Checklists and Forms templates
68
sheets and MS …continued?
• Checklists can be completed through ProCore from PC or ProCore
mobile app for: Excavation & Backfilling, Pre-Concreting,
Masonry works, Rendering & Plastering, Pre-Screeding, Prior-
Parquet Installation …e.t.c.
• Checklists are in English or Greek language for use for everyone
Foreman / Site Engineer / QA-QC Manager
OR
69
TOLERANCES
STEEL REINFORCEMENT INSTALLATION DEVIATION

Description: Size in mm
Deviations between main (effective) reinforcement bars:

-Columns and soffits ±10
-Slabs and Walls ±20
Deviations between distribution reinforcement bars:

-Slabs and soffits, thickness ≤ 1m ±10
-Elements, thickness ≥ 1m ±20
Deviations of reinforcement steel covering, for all elements, thickness ≤ 15mm +5
Element section 100 – 300mm, thickness 16 – 20mm +10; -3
Element section ≥ 300mm, thickness 16 – 20mm +25; -5
Element section 100-300mm, thickness ≥ 20mm +8; -5
Element section ≥ 300mm, thickness ≥ 20mm +15; -5
70
TOLERANCES …continued
CONCRETE / FORMWORK DEVIATION
Fair Faced Concrete – Typical Formwork Deviations
Concrete Component of a Structure Deviation – Tolerance (mm)
WALLS: Verticality up to 2m ±4mm
Verticality up to 3m ±6mm
Straightness in 5m length ±3mm
COLUMNS: Verticality up to 3m ±5mm

Cross section up to 300mm ±2mm

Cross section 300mm – 600mm ±3mm
Cross section 600mm – 1.5m ±4mm
Squareness ±3mm
BEAMS: Depth up to 300mm ±3mm

Depth up to 600mm ±4mm
Depth over 600mm ±5mm
Variation in datum ±5mm
Straightness in 5m length ±3mm
SOFFITS: Flatness (on 2.5m grid) ±9mm
Variation in datum ±8mm

71
Abrupt changes of insitu (e.g. form joints) 1mm
Quality Toolbox#3 – CONCRETING (INCLUDING
WEATHER CONDITIONS)
THE END!!!
 ANY QUESTIONS?
??
Thank you for your attention!

QT-003 Concreting (Including Weather Conditions)

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QT-003 Concreting (Including Weather Conditions)

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QTBT#3: CONCRETING

(Including Weather Conditions)

Concrete is a basically a mixture of:

Types of cements, CYS EN 197-1: 2000 and BS

CEM I Portland cement (ordinary)

• EN 197-1 Cement- Part 1: Composition, specifications and

Example of Cement compressive

c = Pmax/A=89.2x1000 N/1600 mm2=55.75 MPa

≥ 42.5 MPa and ≤ 62.5 MPa ok.

Strength Classes for Concrete

 Admixtures affect plastic and hardened properties of concrete and

 High-Range Water-Reducing Admixtures (HRWR): Commonly called

Temperature: Concrete is not recommended to be placed at temperature

Bleeding: It is sometimes referred to as water gain. This is special form of

Plastic Shrinkage: These cracks appear in the surface of

Hydration: When cement comes in contact with water, a chemical reaction

Strength: Concrete is used for compressive loads. Compressive strength is easily

Shrinkage & creep deformations:

Exceptionally narrow and

35 to 40mm 130 to 250mm 3 to 8 Narrow and heavily

Bridges, columns, normal

Heavy construction i.e. deep

 High concrete temperature;

Difficulties in Hot Weather:

• Increased water demand.

• Accelerated slump loss.

• Increased rate of setting.

• Increased tendency of plastic shrinkage cracking.

• Critical need for prompt early curing

• Certain precautions should be taken in order to reduce the difficulties in

• Temperature ranging from 10 to 15˚C is desirable, but such

• Many specifications require that concrete when placed should have a

• Cool the concrete or one or more of its ingredients.

• Use a concrete consistency that allows rapid placement.

• Reduce the time of transporting, placing, and finishing as possible.

• Schedule concrete placements to avoid extreme weather, such as at night or during

Effect of High Concrete Temperature:

• Lower the temperature of concrete materials before mixing.

• The contribution of each material is related to

 Without adding ice

Supplementary Cementitious Materials:

Transporting, Placing, and Finishing:

• Delays contribute to the loss of slump and increase in concrete temperature.

• Prolonged mixing should be avoided.

• Temporary sunshades and windbreaks help to minimize cold joints.

• Plastic shrinkage cracking increases with:

Spaced in an irregular pattern

2. Keep the concrete temperature low by cooling aggregates and

3. Dampen the subgrade and fog forms prior to placing concrete.

4. Erect temporary windbreaks to reduce wind velocity over the

5. Erect temporary sunshades to reduce concrete surface

6. Protect the concrete with temporary coverings, such as

Cold Weather – Preparation for Concreting:

Effect of Frozen Water:

• Frozen only once at an early age:

Cold Weather – Precautions:

Insulating Blankets Heat and temperature

4. Delamination 8. Scaling and Spalling

6. Unstable soil under mudsills

3. Inadequate control of Concrete 7. Lack of attention to formwork

4. Inadequate concrete strength 8. When Formwork is not at fault

• Design mix should be specified by Consultant in order to comply with

• Method Statements, Checklists and Forms templates are available

STEEL REINFORCEMENT INSTALLATION DEVIATION