CONCRETE QUALITY CONTROL

DURING CONSTRUCTION
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By
1) KAUSHAL KISHORE
Materials Engineer
Roorkee
Kaushal Kishore is retired from IIT, Roorkee and now a Consulting Materials Engineer. He has
over 50 years of experience in all types of Concrete Mix Design.
2) RAKESH SHARMA
Vice President Project
Supertech Limited
Rakesh Sharma is Vice President Project of M/s Supertech Limited. He has 28 years of
experience in Construction.
I.T. Park, Doon Square Mall at Dehradun, Uttarakhand is being constructed by M/s Supertech
Ltd. For this site M-30 grade of concrete suitable for pumped concrete is required. Aggregates
for construction was stored at site. Its analysis report is given in Table 2.
For laboratory trial 5 brands of PPC cement bags were taken from local market. They were
identified as cement brand, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Two reputed brands of normal superplasticizers
based on sulphonated naphthalene formaldehyde (SNF) were taken for trials. They were
identified as SP (A) and SP (B) to find their compatibility with the given 5 brands of PPC cement
identified as cement brand 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
COMPATIBILITY
The behavior of concrete in the presence of superplasticizers is related to the amount and type of
sulfate added to the clinker. The rheological and setting Behavior are changed depending on
whether the sulfate is added as anhydrite, hemihydrates, or gypsum. The difference are explained
by the different rates of dissolution of these sulfates.
It is also important to note that all admixtures belonging to the same generic type may not
behave similarly in concrete because of the variations in the molecular weight, cautions
associated with them, chain length, etc. Similarly the same type of cement generically may be
different in mineral, alkali and sulfate contents, and fineness.
As per IS: 456-2000 Admixture should not impair durability of concrete nor combine with the
constituent to form harmful compounds nor increase the risk of corrosion of reinforcement. The

workability, compressive strength and the slump loss of concrete with an without the use of
admixtures shall be established during the trial mixes before use of admixtures. If two or more
admixtures are used simultaneously in the same concrete mix, data should be obtained to assess
their interaction and to ensure their compatibility.
The performance of concrete admixtures including superplasticizers depend upon the admixtures
and concrete making materials and their compatibility. It is necessary to evaluate concrete
admixtures for specific use with the concrete making materials and mix proportions to be used
on the work under actual field conditions.
Cement is composed of four major compounds, namely, C3s, C2s, C3A and C4AF. In additions, a
number of minor oxide such as K2O and Na2O, MgO and SO3 which is contributed by gypsum,
which is added in the final stages of cement manufacture as a set regulator. When there is less
C3A available, superplasticizer would tend to get absorbed in higher amount on C3S and C2S,
resulting in a reduction in the strength development.
Table 1 : Superplasticing chemicals
Ref.: 1
S.No.
1.
2.

3.

4.

Class

Origin
Relative cost
Derived from neutralization, precipitation,
and fermentation processes of the waste
Lignosulphonates
1
liquor obtained during production of papermaking pulp from wood
Sulphonated melamine Manufactured by normal resinification of
4
formaldehyde (SMF) melamine formaldehyde
Produced from naphthalene by oleum or
Sulphonated
SO3 sulphonation; subsequent reaction with
naphthalene
formaldehyde leads to polymerization and 2
formaldehyde (SNF) the sulphonic acid neutralized with sodium
hydroxide or lime
Free radical mechanism using peroxide
Polycarboxylic ether
initiators is used for polymerization process 4
(PCE)
in these systems

MIX DESIGN DETAILS

1. As per IS: 456-2000, M-30 grade of concrete design for a mean target strength of
30 + 1.65 x 5 = 38.3 N/mm2
at 28 days age

2. Workability (a) Mix with NO admixture, only for comparison

Slump + 40 mm
(b) Mix with superplasticizer for pumped concrete slump +90 mm.
Pouring time with in 40 minutes.
3. From many laboratory trials, the following mix design identified for final trials.
M-30 grade of concrete quantity of materials per cu.m of concrete on the basis of saturated and
surface dry aggregates.
180 kg/m3

1. Water =

2. Cement, PPC =
3. Sand =

410 kg/m3

750 kg/m3

4. 5 mm crushed aggregate =
5. 20 mm crushed aggregate =
6. Normal superplasticizer =

500 kg/m3
540 kg/m3
5.800 kg/m3

Total =

2385.8 kg/m3

Note: With cement brand No. 3 and SP (B) 28 days laboratory cubes average density found to
be 2394 kg/m3.
4. All the 150 mm cube samples are the average of 3 cubes and they are with in + 15% of
the average value.
5. For conclusion of Lab trials the cubes compressive strength is given in Table 3.
6. The mix design is carried out from references 2 and 3.
7. The above given design mix is used in all the Lab trial mixes. The same design mix along
with cement brand 3 with superplasticizer (B) is followed in the construction. Site cube
results are given in Table 4.
CONCLUSION
1. If we are producing concrete into superplasticizer, then we can achieved 11% more strength
compare to normal concrete with respect to about 4% increments in cost per cubic meter. This is

very important superplasticizer must be compatiable with the cement proposed to be used in the
construction.
2. On the basis of laboratory experimental investigations and studies carried out in the present
work, it is concluded that though the concrete mix proportion is the same in all the trial mixes,
the workability, compressive strength and setting times of cement concrete are considerably
different depending on the brand of the cement and brand of superplasticizer.
3. If superplasticizer is not compatiable with the cement lower strength will be obtained. This can
be seen in Table 3.
4. The results given in this paper are our findings other researchers/sites should draw conclusions
by testing with their own site materials, and not depend upon the test results of this paper.
5. In the mix design cement is 410 kg/m3. With the present set of materials this cannot be reduce,
as per reasons given below:
(a) Water = 180 kg + 3.654 kg water in the superplasticizer total water = 183.654 kg/m3. Free
W/c ratio = 183.654/410 = 0.45.
(b) For workability consideration water cannot be reduce. For durability requirements free W/c
ratio also cannot be increase from 0.45.
(c) The dosage of superplasticizer cannot be increase due to retardation of setting time of
concrete.
REFERENCES
1. R. Rixom and N. Mailvaganam, Chemical Admixture for Concrete, E & FN Spon, London
1999.
2. Kishore Kaushal, Mix Design for Pumped Concrete, Journal of Central Board of Irrigation
and Power, Vol. 49. No.2, Apr. 1992, pp. 81-92.
3. Kishore Kaushal, Mix Design for Pumped Concrete, NBM & CW Sept. 2010, pp. 204-217.
4. IS: 456-2000, Plan and Reinforced Concrete Code of Practice (Fourth Revision) BIS, New
Delhi.
5. IS: 1489, Specifications for Portland Pozzolana Cement, BIS, New Delhi.
6. IS: 9103-1999, Specification for Admixtures for Concrete (First revision) BIS, New Delhi.
Table 2. Test report of site aggregates
Percentage passing by mass
I.S. Sieve size

Sand
(crushers)

Crushed Agg

12.5 m

20 mm

Combine
grading of
mix

Suitable combine
grading for
pumped concrete

40 mm
20 mm
12.5 mm
10 mm
4.75 mm
2.36 mm
1.18 mm
600 Micron
300 Micron
150 Micron
Specific gravity
Water absorption %
Bulk density kg/lit

42%

28%

30%

100
100
X
100
92
80
50
36
21
10
2.65
0.9
1.67

100
100
85
58
6
0

100
94
X
7
0

2.65
0.6
1.40

2.65
0.5
1.39

100
98
X
60
40
34
21
15
9
4

100
100
X
60-73
40-58
28-46
18-35
12-25
7-15
2-06

Table 3 : Cube compressive strength (N/mm2) Laboratory results

Cement
Brand
Numbers
1
2
3
4
5

Mix without Admixture

Mix with SP (A)

Mix with SP (B)

3 days

7 days 28 days 3 days 7 days 28 days 3 days 7 days 28 days

23.8
27.2
19.3
15.9
20.0

27.3
32.5
25.9
19.7
23.5

39.9
40.7
35.7
29.6
34.0

23.9
22.1
16.0
17.7
18.9

24.5
30.0
21.6
21.2
23.9

32.9
42.5
35.3
27.7
33.2

24.9
25.9
23.6
18.9
23.3

25.2
30.8
26.0
23.6
26.9

35.1
41.8
39.7
30.0
33.0

Note:
1. Cement brand 2 and 3 found to be achieving the designed target strength of 38.3 N/mm2 with
superplasticizer brand (B). As cement brand 3 is found to be available in bulk at site. Hence
cement brand 3 and superplasticizer brand (B) is allowed in the construction.
2. Manufacturer of all the 5 brands of PP cement claims, cement conforms to IS: 1489
Manufacturer of 2 brands of superplasticizer claims, their product conforms to IS: 9103-1999.
Table 4 : Cube compressive strength construction site results with cement brand number 3
and superplasticizer brand SP (B). All the samples are of M-30 grade concrete of the same
site.
Sample Number
1
2
3

28 days compressive strength in N/mm2

39.5
31.0
39.9

4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

39.7
41.7
34.4
39.1
35.6
37.1
37.8
39.5
40.1

REMARKS
1. Characteristic compressive strength compliance requirements IS: 456-2000 with amendments
Table 11 (clause 16.1 and 16.3)
Specified grade
1)

M15 and above

Mean of group of 4 Nonoverlapping consecutive Test

results in N/mm2 Mi
2)
fck + 0.825 x establishe
standard deviation (round off
to nearest 0.5 N/mm2)
or
> fck + 3 N/mm2
whichever is greater

Individual test results in

N/mm2 Min
3)

> fck 3 N/mm2

RESULT : The site concrete have the compliance of M-30 grade of concrete.
2. With the present sets of material further economy in cement cannot be obtained. See item 5 of
conclusion of this paper.
More Entries :

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Concrete Strength Acceptance Criteria IS:456-2000