Properties of Concrete

Chapters 7.2 7.5, Text

Dr. David Scott

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology

Acknowledgements:
Dr. Kimberly Kurtis
Portland Cement Association

Fresh Properties of Concrete

Consistency / Workability
Temperature
Air Content
Density / Unit Weight
Set Time

Workability
Requirements for the period during
mixing and initial placing:
want a fluid-like material
want a cohesive material
WORKABILITY (ASTM C125) property determining the effort
required to manipulate a freshly
mixed quantity of concrete with
minimum loss of homogeneity.
Qualitative property incorporating
consistency (ease of flow) and
cohesiveness (tendency to bleed or
segregate)

Factors Affecting Workability

Key factors are:
Water content
Cement content
w/cm ratio
Aggregate characteristics
Use and characteristics of SCMs and
chemical admixtures
Ambient conditions

Water and Cement Content

Flowability increases as w/c increases

Segregation and bleeding also increase as w/c increases
Strength decreases as w/c increases
Finer cement produces a less workable mix because of
higher specific surface area and increase rate of hydration
Cement composition is much less important than the
aggregate characteristics and mix proportioning in
determining workability.

Effect of Aggregate Characteristics on Workability

Total surface area of the aggregate is important
Workability decreases as surface area increases
Workability is less in a lean mix (i.e., lower
cement/aggregate) than in a rich mix
Too little sand, however, produces a harsh
mix, that is prone to segregation and difficult to
finish
Aggregate porosity may influence workability
Roundness and smoothness of particles
increases workability

Aggregate Characteristics
Cement/Aggregate ratio is an important factor in determining workability

Near-spherical particles have a lower surface-to-volume ratio, requiring less

mortar

Estimating Workability
Traditional Slump Test

Estimating Workability: Rheometers

Rotate an impeller through fresh concrete
Measure torque (T) required for rotation as a
function of impeller rotational speed (N)
T = g + hN, where
g = flow resistance (yield)
h = torque (plastic) viscosity

We will revisit the

topic of rheology
when we cover
asphalt

Estimating Workability: New Methods

September 2012 Concrete International

Slump versus Workability

Stiff 0-2
massive sections, little reinforcement
use vibration

Medium 2-5
columns, beams, retaining walls

Fluid 5-7
heavily reinforced sections, flowable concrete

Specialty concretes can go even higher..

Slump Loss
Loss of water by hydration,
absorption (by the aggregate
or by the forms), or
evaporation leads to SLUMP
LOSS.

Slump loss is a measure of

loss of consistency over time.
Simply means that the slump
measured after a period of time
is less than the slump initially
measured.
To regain slump, concrete can
be retempered by adding water
and remixing just prior to
placement.

Ambient Conditions
For a given mix design, changes in
workability are governed by the rate of
cement hydration and the rate of water
evaporation.
Over time, more hydration and more water
evaporation lead to loss in workability
At higher ambient temperatures, hydration
and evaporation occur more quickly.
At lower relative humidity and with wind,
evaporation occurs more quickly.
OFTEN THESE CANNOT BE CONTROLLED

Effect of Ambient Temperature

Air Content
ASTM
C173:
Volumetric
Method

ASTM C231: Pressure Method

Gravimetric Method
ASTM C138
Compares the unit weight of concrete as
batched to the calculated unit weight of airfree concrete
Can also determine yield or the volume of
fresh concrete produced from a known
quantity of mix ingredients
Also used to determine unit weight
Requires specific knowledge of specific
gravity, moisture contents, and mix
proportions
Suitable for laboratory work

Gravimetric Method
A = (T-W)/Tx100

T= theoretical unit
weight, based on
mass of materials
used per unit
volume assuming
there are no voids
W= actual unit
weight

Set Time
Initial setting time
from when water is
added to when paste
ceases to be fluid and
plastic
Final setting time
required for paste to
acquire a certain
hardness (penetration)
Vicat Apparatus
(ASTM C191)

False Set rapid,

early loss of
workability (heat
from aluminates)

Curing Concrete
Wet Burlap

Shrinkage in Concrete

Plastic Shrinkage
Very Rapid Loss of Moisture
Temperature
Humidity
Wind Velocity
Differential Volume Change
Surface Layer of Concrete loses
water rapidly, is restrained by
concrete below it

Plastic Shrinkage
Prevention
Use fibers in mix
Erect windbreaks and shade
Place concrete at night
Cool the concrete
Mist the concrete after placement
Start curing ASAP
Revibration and refinishing

Drying Shrinkage
H2O

H2O

Hardened Properties
Permeability
Compressive Strength
Modulus of Elasticity
Tensile Strength
Modulus of Rupture

Strength Porosity Relationship

From Concrete by Mehta and Monterio, Prentice-Hall, 1993 and

Concrete by Mindess and Young, McGraw-Hill, 1985

Permeability

Concrete Strength
Compressive Strength fc
Easy to measure, so often used (cylinder tests)
Has become the defacto measure of concrete quality
(and this is not necessarily a good thing in all cases)
Test in accordance with ASTM C39
Standard is 28-days
1, 7, 14, 90 days also common

Tensile Strength ft
Much lower than compressive strength
Harder to directly measure
Often estimated using diametral compression (split
tension) testing

Flexural Strength fr
Combines compression and tension behavior
Modulus of Rupture measure of flexural strength

Factors Affecting Strength

Effect of Time and Curing Condition

Effect of Constituents

Strain, e

Stress Strain Relationship

Compression

Stress Strain Relationship

Compression

Cracking of Concrete

Compressive Failure
With most materials,
failure is associated
with the appearance
of cracks
Concrete intrinsically
contains many
cracks, which will
propagate under
loading
However, cracks may
or may not be visible
at the surface when
concrete fails

Modulus of Elasticity
ASTM C469 Measures E and Poissons ratio
Measure fc
Load to 0.40fc
Measured by compression loading of
6x12 cylinders 30-40 psi/sec
Measure longitudinal and lateral strains
Take average of chord moduli of 2nd and
3rd curves

Estimating Elastic Modulus: ACI 318

kg/m3

pcf

Ew

1.5

33 f 'c

0.5

E w1.5 0.043 f 'c

psi

These equations work reasonably well for normal strength concrete

fc < 9000 psi
For normal weight concrete (145pcf), the equation reduces to
Ec = 57000 fc0.5 for Ec in psi
Ec = 4.73 fc0.5 for Ec in GPa where fc is in MPa
Typical values for Ec are 2-6x106 psi for normal weight, normal
strength concrete
For lightweight concrete, there is a correction for aggregate density

0.5

MPa

Factors Influencing Ec
Aggregate volume
Eagg
Aggregate porosity
MSA
Aggregate shape
Aggregate surface texture
Aggregate mineralogy
Porosity of the paste
ITZ
Testing parameters (speed,
moisture state)

Influences microcracking
in the ITZ

Tensile Strength
ACI 318:

f t 6.7 f 'c

0.5

psi

Typically,
f t 8% 12% f 'c

f t 0.1 f 'c

2P
ft
LD

Flexural Strength
The general equation for
modulus of rupture fr tends to
overestimate tensile capacity
by 50-100% because a linear
relationship between stress
and strain is assumed
through the section (not true
for concrete)

PL
fr
bd 2

ACI 318:

f r 7.5 f 'c

0.5

psi

Typically,
f r 10% 23% f 'c