LECTURE #04

CONCRETE
Concrete is made by mixing: Cement, water, fine
aggregates, coarse aggregates and admixtures (if
required).
Properties of concrete
Properties Of Fresh Concrete are
a) Workability
b) Consistency
c) Segregation
d) Bleeding
e) Setting Time
a) Workability

Workability means how easy it is to:

PLACE
HANDLE
COMPACT and
FINISH the concrete.
Concrete that is stiff or dry may be difficult to handle,
place, compact and finish and, if not constructed properly,
will not be as strong or durable when finally hardened. A
slump test can be used to measure the workability of
concrete.

Workability is affected by:

THE AMOUNT OF CEMENT PASTE
By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 1
 LECTURE #04

The cement paste is the soft or liquid part of the

concrete mix. The more paste mixed with the coarse
and fine aggregates, the more workable a mix.
THE AGGREGATE PROPERTIES AND GRADING
Well-graded, smooth, rounded aggregates improve the
workability of a mix.

To make a more workable mix:

Add more CEMENT PASTE.
Use WELL GRADED aggregates.
Use an ADMIXTURE (admixtures that improve
workability are known as plasticizers
.

b) Consistency
Consistency is the fluidity or degree of wetness of
concrete. It is a major factor in indicating the workability
of freshly mixed concrete.
c) Segregation
Segregation refers to a separation of the components of
fresh concrete, resulting in a non-uniform mix.
Segregation makes the concrete:
WEAKER,
LESS DURABLE,
and will leave A POOR SURFACE FINISH.
By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 2
 LECTURE #04

The primary causes of segregation are differences in

specific gravity and size of constituents of concrete.
Moreover, improper mixing, improper placing and
improper consolidation also lead to segregation.

To avoid segregation:
Check the concrete is not 'too wet' or 'too dry'.
Make sure the concrete is properly mixed. It is
important that the concrete is mixed at the correct
speed in a transit mixer for at least two minutes
immediately prior to discharge. The concrete should
be placed as soon as possible. When transporting the
mix, load carefully.
If placing concrete straight from a truck, place
vertically and never let the concrete fall more than
one-and-a-half meters.
Always place new concrete into the face of concrete
already in place.
When compacting with a poker vibrator be sure to
use it carefully.
Never spread concrete sideways with a poker vibrator
as this may cause segregation of the mix.
Always be sure to vibrate concrete evenly.

d) Bleeding

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 3

 LECTURE #04

Bleeding is the tendency of water to rise to the surface of

freshly placed concrete. It is caused by the inability of
solid constituents of the mix to hold all of the mixing
water as they settle down. It is special case of segregation.

e) Setting Time
The transition process of changing of concrete from
plastic state to hardened state. Setting of concrete is based
or related to the setting of cement paste. Thus cement
properties greatly affect the setting time.
f) Temperature
The higher the temperature of the concrete at placement
the greater the initial rate of strength development, but
the lower long-term strength. This is why important to
reduce the temperature of fresh concrete when
concreting in hot climate.
g) Cohesiveness

Cohesiveness is how well concrete HOLDS

TOGETHER when plastic.
Cohesiveness is affected by:
THE AGGREGATE GRADING
Graded aggregate means that there is a range of size of
aggregates, from large rocks to small sands. Well-
By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 4
 LECTURE #04

graded aggregates give a more cohesive mix; too

much coarse aggregate gives a boney mix.
WATER CONTENT
A mix that has too much water will not be cohesive
and may allow materials to separate (segregate).
Properties of Hardened Concrete
a) Strength
b) Permeability & durability
c) creep deformations
a) Strength
The strength of concrete is basically referred to
compressive strength. Strength of Concrete depends on
Strength of cement paste
Strength of aggregate
Interface between cement paste and aggregates
b) Permeability & durability
The permeability of concrete is controlled by capillary
pores. The permeability depends mostly on w/c, age,
degree of hydration.
In general the higher the strength of cement paste, the
higher is the durability & the lower is the permeability.
Durability
Concrete should be strong and durable. Durability
increases with density of concrete.
By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 5
 LECTURE #04

c)Creep Deformations
Creep in concrete can reduce the pre-stress and possibly
lead to cracking.
Water Cement Ratio
Water cement ratio is the ratio of water to cement (by
weight or by volume) used in the preparation of concrete.
Effect of water cement ratio upon strength of concrete.
The single most important indicator of strength is the
water cement ratio. Basically, the lower this ratio is, the
higher the final concrete strength will be. A minimum w/c
ratio (water-to-cement ratio) of about 0.3 by weight is
necessary to ensure that the water comes into contact with
all cement particles (thus assuring complete hydration).
Typical values are 0.4 to 0.6.
Water cement ratio should not be allowed to exceed the
specified limits for various types of concrete because too
much of water results in segregation of aggregates and
give porous concrete of low strength.
Also by keeping the water cement ratio less than the
specified limits, then there shall not be sufficient quantity
of water to hydrate the cement and hence will result in
porous and weak concrete.

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 6

 LECTURE #04

Different Mixes Recommended For Constructions

Cement, fine aggregates and the coarse aggregates are
mixed in a definite proportion so as to get a strong,
durable, workable and economical mix. the proportion of
various constituents in a concrete is known as the mix of
concrete.
Commonly used mixes of concrete used for various types
of works are
High strength concrete 1:1:2 and 1:1.2:2.4
General RCC work 1:1.5:3 and 1:2:4
Mass concrete work 1:3:6 and 1:4:8
Adequate quantity of water is then added to the mix
depending upon the consistency and workability required.

Qualities of water used for concrete mixes

The common specifications regarding quality of mixing
water is water should be fit for drinking. Some bad effects
of water containing impurities are following.
Presence of salt in water such as Calcium Chloride, Iron
Salts, inorganic salts and sodium etc. are so dangerous
that they reduce initial strength of concrete

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 7

 LECTURE #04

Presence of acid, alkali, industrial waste, sanitary sewage

and water with sugar also reduce the strength of concrete.
Presence of silt or suspended particles in water has
adverse effect on strength of concrete.
Presence of oil such as linseed oil, vegetable oil or
mineral oil in water above 2 % reduces the strength of
concrete up to 25 %.
Presence of algae/vegetable growth in water used for
mixing in cement concrete reduce the strength of concrete
considerably and also reduce the bond between cement
paste and aggregate.
Process of manufacturing of concrete:
Various stages for manufacturing of concrete are:
Batching
Mixing
Transporting
Placing
Compacting
Finishing
Curing

Batching:

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 8

 LECTURE #04

Batching is the process of measuring concrete mix

ingredients (cements, aggregates, water and admixtures)
by either mass or volume.
Volume batching: this method is generally adopted for
small jobs. Gauge boxes are used for measuring fine and
coarse aggregates. The volume of gauge box is equal to
the volume of one bag of cement.
Volume batching is not a good method for proportioning
the material because of the difficulty it offers to measure
granular material in terms of volume.
Volume of moist sand in a loose condition weighs much
less than the same volume of dry compacted sand.
The effect of bulking should be considered for moist
fine aggregate.
For unimportant concrete or for any small job, concrete
may be batched by volume.
Weigh Batching:
Batching by weight is more preferable to volume
batching, as it is more accurate and leads to more uniform
proportioning.
It does not have uncertainties associated with bulking.
On large work sites, the weigh bucket type of weighing
equipment's are used.
Mixing:
Thorough mixing of the materials is essential for the
production of uniform concrete.
By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 9
 LECTURE #04

The mixing should ensure that the mass becomes

homogeneous, uniform in colour and consistency.
There are two methods adopted for mixing concrete: (i )
Hand mixing (ii )Machine mixing
Hand mixing
Hand mixing is practised for small scale unimportant
concrete works.
As the mixing cannot be thorough and efficient, it is
desirable to add 10 per cent more cement to cater for the
inferior concrete produced by this method.
Hand mixing should be done over an impervious
concrete or brick floor of sufficiently large size to take
one bag of cement.
Spread out the measured quantity of coarse aggregate
and fine aggregate in alternate layers.
Pour the cement on the top of it, and mix them dry by
shovel, turning the mixture over and over again until
uniformity of colour is achieved.
Water is taken in a water-can fitted with a rose-head and
sprinkled over the mixture and simultaneously turned
over.
This operation is continued till such time a good
uniform, homogeneous concrete is obtained.
Machine Mixing
Mixing of concrete is almost invariably carried out by
machine, for reinforced concrete work and for medium or
large scale mass concrete work.

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 10

 LECTURE #04

Machine mixing is not only efficient, but also

economical, when the quantity of concrete to be produced
is large.
They can be classified as batch-mixers and continuous
mixers.
Batch mixers produce concrete, batch by batch with
time interval, whereas continuous mixers produce
concrete continuously without stoppage till such time the
plant is working.
In normal concrete work, it is the batch mixers that are
used. Batch mixer may be of pan type or drum type.
The drum type may be further classified as tilting, non-
tilting, reversing or forced action type.
Transporting concrete: The concrete should be
handled from place of mixing to the final deposit as
fast as possible without segregation. If segregation
happened then concrete should be mixed at the site
once again. During hot or cold climate the concrete
should be transported in deep containers to avoid loss
of water or heat.

The method used to transport concrete depends on which

one is the most cost effective and easiest for the job size
and site.
Transport methods include:
1. Mortar pan: concrete is carried in small quantities.

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 11

 LECTURE #04

2. Wheel barrows: short flat hauls on all types of onsite

concrete construction.
3. Belt conveyors: carrying concrete horizontally or
higher/lower level.
4. Cranes and buckets: used for work above ground
level.
5. Pumps: conveying concrete from central discharge
point to formwork.
6. Transit mixer: used for transporting concrete over
long distance.
Always transport concrete as little as possible on site to
reduce problems of segregation and wastage.
PLACING OF CONCRETE:
The concrete should be placed before the setting starts.
Before placing the forms should be rigid and well oiled.
Concrete should be poured into the forms at one point and
uniformly spread before the compaction.
Start placing from the corners of the formwork or, in the
case of a sloping site, from the lowest level.
Compaction of concrete:
Compaction is the shaking or vibrating of the concrete to
liquify it and expel any trapped air.
WHY COMPACT Properly compacted concrete is more
dense, strong and durable. Off-form finishes will also be
better.

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 12

 LECTURE #04

There are three types of vibrators that can be used for

compaction namely: internal vibrator, external vibrator
and surface vibrator.
INTERNAL VIBRATION Internal vibration is done
with a mechanical vibrator or poker vibrator. The POKER
is put into concrete and vibrates it from the inside.
Mechanical compacting is used when the mix is stiff.
Mechanical compacting are three types: Roding, tamping
and hammering. Over vibration is harmful.

Finishing:
Finishing is screeding, floating and/or toweling the
concrete surface to densify and further compact the
surface layer of concrete, as well as giving it the look you
want.
Finishing takes place in two stages:
INITIAL and
FINAL finishing.
INITIAL FINISHING Concrete is first screeded to the
level of the formwork, then bull floated and left to set.

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 13

 LECTURE #04

In some cases screeding leaves a good enough finish,

especially if floor coverings are to be used over the
concrete.
Water then appears on the surface of the concrete. This
water is called bleed water.
Excess bleed water can be removed by dragging an
ordinary garden hose across the surface of the concrete.
Never try to dry up the bleed water using stone dust or
cement as this will weaken the concrete surface in the
long run.
Once the bleed water dries up and concrete can support a
persons weight, with only a slight marking to the surface,
the final finishing can begin.
FINAL FINISHING This involves floating, trowelling,
edging, jointing or patterning the concrete. Special
finishes such as brooming, colouring or patterned finishes
can be applied to the surface.
Curing

Curing means to keep concrete MOIST for some time

(typically 37 days).
By keeping concrete moist the bond between the paste
and the aggregates gets stronger. Concrete doesnt harden
properly if it is left to dry out quickly.
WHEN TO CURE Curing is commenced just after
finishing the concrete surface.
By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 14
 LECTURE #04

WHY CURE Concrete that is cured is:

LESS LIKELY TO CRACK.
STRONGER.
MORE DURABLE.
Cured concrete has a surface that wears better, lasts
longer and better protects the steel reinforcement.
Properly cured concrete is stronger and can carry more
weight without breaking.

HOW TO CURE The most common ways of curing are:

Applying extra water to the surface of the concrete, or
REDUCING the rate of moisture loss from the concrete.

By Engr. Asghar Hussain Shah Page 15