Concrete Making

Materials
S A Reddi
Dy. MD (Retd) Gammon India Ltd.
General Characteristics of Concrete
„ Strength
„ Workability
„ Durability
„ Permeability
„ Fire Resistance
„ Abrasion Resistance
„ Creep, Shrinkage
Thermal Expansion
 Concrete Making Materials
„ Cement
„ Mineral Admixtures
„ Aggregates
„ Water
„ Chemical Admixtures
 Cement
IS-456 Specifies 10 Types
More Common Cements

„ Ordinary Portland Cement, Gr 33, 43,53

„ Portland Pozzalana Cement (PPC)
„ Portland Slag Cement (PSC)
„ Low Heat Portland Cement (LHPC)
„ Sulfate Resisting Portland Cement (SRC)
 More Common Cements
„ Only OPC Graded as 33, 43 & 53
„ Other Cements not Strength Graded
„ IS Code for PPC specifies Strength
equivalent to OPC 33; some
manufacturers are able to get higher
strengths, but are not authorized to offer
them in higher Grades
„ Only OPC recommended for Higher
grades of Concrete
 Portland Pozzalana Cement

„ As Per IS Code, PPC has 28 day strength

of 33mPa only; not suitable / not
recommended for Concrete of higher
strengths; Certainly not for PSC
„ Indian Manufacturers do not declare the
fly ash content; depending on the
manufacturer, the fly ash content varies;
resultant uncertain Quality
„ Advantageous for concrete in Sea Water
 EN Standards PFA Use
„ Use only PFA obtained by electrostatic /
mechanical precipitation. Ash obtained by
other means shall not be used
„ PFA to be processed to remove all
impurities / oversize materials to ensure
reasonable gradation and particle size
„ As per Euro Code for Concrete, Only
Processed Fly ash permitted in Concrete
 Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement
PBFSC
„ Produced by grinding together Portland
Cement and Blast Furnace Slag
„ Suitable for concrete in aggressive soils
and water
„ Use compulsory for concrete exposed to
Sulfate attack, refer Table 4 of IS 456
„ PSC with slag content more than 50%
exhibits better sulfate resisting properties
„ This is generally not available in the
Indian market
 Portland Blast Furnace Slag
Cement PBFSC IS 455
„ Fineness, Compressive strength same as 33
Grade OPC
„ Low rate of strength gain, formwork removal
times increased, slower rate of construction
„ Requires longer curing period
„ Use of slag cement improves durability of
concrete particularly in marine environment
„ IRC 21:2000, permits unrestricted use of OPC,
SRPC & slag cement for all structures
 Portland Blast Furnace Slag
Cement PBFSC IS 455
„ Slag cements are manufactured by
grinding and mixing granulated slag with
Portland cement clinker and calcium
sulfate
„ 1 tonne of OPC needs 1.5 t of raw
material and 3.53 kJ energy
„ 1 tonne of blast furnace cement
containing 65% slag needs only 0.5 t of
raw material and 1.67 kJ energy;
„ So slag should be used more widely to
save energy.
 Curing period when using PBFSC
or Pozzolona cement
„ Curing period with OPC: min 7 days

„ Curing period where mineral admixtures or

blended cements are used: min 14 days

„ Curing period for concrete exposed to dry and

hot weather conditions: min 10 days
„ Prestressed concrete contains higher quantities
of cement, generating more heat of hydration;
requires effective curing at early stages.
 Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement
IS 12330 (SRPC)
„ Tricalcuim aluminate is restricted to low value
„ Use of SRPC beneficial where the concrete is
exposed to sulphate attack
„ IS 456 prescribes use of SRPC for certain level
of sulfates in the soil or certain concentrations
in water
„ Fineness, soundness, setting time same as OPC
„ Lower compressive strength at 3 and 7 days;
28 day strength is same as OPC 33 grade
„ Used in marine structures, foundations and
basements, buried pipes in marshy region or
sulfate bearing soils, sewage treatment works
 Difficulties in Use of PPC, PBFSC
„ PFA and GGBS do not react very quickly at
early ages at normal temperatures; In cold
climates, the reaction can be considerably
retarded, affecting early strength development
„ Long term strength development and
impermeability improved provided concrete is
not allowed to dry out
„ Thus prolonged curing of surface of concrete
with blended cement is of utmost importance
 Low Heat Portland Cement IS : 12600
„ Low heat cement is particularly suited for
making concrete for Dams and other types of
water retaining structures, bridge abutments,
massive retaining walls, piers and slabs etc.
„ Evolves less heat than OPC
„ Fineness : Not less than 320 sqm. per kg.
„ Compressive Strength at 3 days 10 MPa
7 days 16 MPa
28 days 35 MPa
 Cement For Dams, Mass Concrete
Structures
„ Mass concrete generates more heat of
hydration, result in cracks. Hence prefer use :
o Low Heat Portland Cement or
o 43 gr OPC with fly ash / GGBS or
o PPC, PSC as they have lower heat of hydration
o Low Heat Portland Cement or
o 43 grade OPC with mineral admixtures (fly ash
/ GGBS); reducing heat of hydration or
o
Cement for Concrete in Hot Weather
„ Finer cements exhibit accelerated setting
and increased heat of hydration.
„ Blended cements or OPC with site mixing
of GGBS or fly ash- recommended for low
heat of hydration, improved cohesiveness
and better response to vibration.
„ Cement should be stacked in advance to
enable it to cool down to the ambient
temperature before it is batched into the
concrete mixer
 Cement for
Coastal Regions
„ SRC not suitable if
chlorides and
sulfates present
„ Due to higher free „Use OPC+GGBS /
chloride corrosion is fly ash or OPC with
initiated. 5 - 8% C3A content
 Cement For High Performance
Concrete (HPC)
„ 53 grade OPC from selected sources
recommended.
„ There is a definite correlation between the
strength of cement and strength of
concrete.
„ HPC cannot be produced using lower
grades of cement
 Control of PFA,GGBS
„ Maintain lists of authorized sources. Incl
source, type, description for traceability
„ Purchase from sources with third party
certification of the quality system to ISO
9000 or where conformity to ISO is
subject to assessment of audit
„ Tests for blend level certification by
recognized organization
„ Weekly test certificates for mean
fineness values
 PPC - Control of Materials
Indian Scene
„ Absence of third party certification
„ Difficulties in identifying source of fly ash
„ No known suppliers of processed fly ash
„ Cement producers process PFA before
blending? Method of blending not known
– whether inter-ground with clinker or
blended with cement
Need for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
„ The claims of manufacturers that PPC can
replace OPC 43 & 53 grade are not valid,
but incorrect & misleading.
„ PPC suitable for ordinary & standard
concretes up to M 35 grade; OPC
definitely required for all higher grades
„ Use of PPC results in extra cost to the
user, as more cement is required to get
the same strength
„ Formwork required to be retained for
longer period for concrete with PPC
 Cement Content for Durable Concrete
Widespread Misconception
„ Many Engineers feel that for durable concrete,
higher cement content is necessary. This is a
myth. There is a critical cement content for the
concrete mix, beyond which it is counter
productive, adding to cost without benefit
„ Excess cement content is harmful to the
structure, may lead to lower strengths as well
as cracks due to excess heat generated
„ Min specified cement content, coupled with low
water content and admixtures satisfy the need
 Maximum Cement Content IS 456
„ Max cement content shall not exceed 450
kg / cum; This value is for cement only,
does not include fly ash and slag
„ Heat generated during hydration
proportional to quantity of cement;
cement content higher than necessary
may lead to increased risk of cracking
due to drying shrinkage / to early
thermal cracking
„ Possible to proportion mixes of all grades
with minimum specified cement content
 Effects of Increased Cement Content
on Durability of Concrete
„ Risk of cracking due to drying shrinkage
or early age thermal cracking & increased
risk of damage due to alkali silica reaction
„ More cement does not add value to
concrete or increase its strength
„ Increased cement content reduces
strength
 OPC with Low C3A Content
Note 7, Table 4 of IS 456
„ “ Where chloride is encountered along
with sulphates in soil or ground water,
OPC with C3A content 5-8% shall be
desirable to be used in concrete, instead
of sulfate resisting cement
„ “Alternatively PSC having more than 50%
slag or a blend of OPC and Slag may be
used
 Blended Cements – The Way Ahead
„ The benefits of cost savings should be shared
with the users, to encourage greater use
„ Recommend blending PFA / GGBS at project
sites where facilities can be established. This
provides greater flexibility in proportioning
concrete mixes based on properties needed
„ Encourage independent facilities for processing
PFA to remove impurities and realise better
grading of PFA particles
 Advantages of Bulk Cement
•Lower unit cost
„ Cement directly fed into the batching
plant silo by the bulker within the unit
rate for supply
„ Saving in cost of labor, opening the bags
and feeding them into Dense Phase
System
„ Saving in cost of ownership and operating
the Dense Phase System
„ Reduced cost of storage
 Mineral Admixtures- IS 456
„ Fly Ash
„ GGBFS
„ Metakaolin
„ Rice Husk Ash
„ Silica Fume
 Production of Fly Ash

R 2 Y2K
From
PFA Processing Plant
ESP
PF Selecti
Storage
A on
Processed
Silo
PFA

Road
Tanker
Raw
Feed
Classifier
Oversize PFA

SAR 2 Y2K
 Difficulties in Using
Fly Ash GGBS
Small
Workability Increased
difference
Setting Substantial
Increased
Time Increase
Formwork Increased by about 10 to 20
Pressure kN/m2
Bleeding Reduced Increased
Finishing Substantial
Increased
time increase
 Use of Silica Flume
„ CSF is high reactive pozzolon, - 50 times
finer than cement
-distributes in homogeneous pattern in
transition zone,
-Augments adherence to aggregates &
mechanical properties.
„ Reduces permeability, heat of hydration
and increases ultimate strength.
 Silica Fume Dosage

„ Normally, 5% replacement of cement

adequate ; may be increased to 7.5%
„ Silica fume expensive : Rs 25 - 30 per kg
„ Resist temptation to specify higher
dosages
„ In HSC, silica fume mainly used for
improving workability, impermeability;
strength increases are incidental
„ Typically mixing time of concrete with
silica fume increased by 50%
 Mineral Admixtures
Advantages of Site Mixing
„ Possible to vary proportions to achieve
optimum concrete properties & economic
advantages
„ Savings in transport costs, compared with
transporting PFA/ GGBS to a factory for
blending and then delivering a composite
cement to site
„ Proportioning confirmed by Automatic weighing
„ Suitable where different % of Mineral
admixtures are specified; consistent strength
achieved with low standard deviation 2 MPa
with site blending
 Minimum Cement Content
Requirement for Durability
„ Function of Atmospheric Exposure
„ Refer Table 5, IS 456
„ Mild, Moderate Exposure 300 kg/cum
„ Severe 320
„ Very Severe 340
„ Extreme 360
 Minimum Cement Content
Same for all grades of concrete
„ Cement content prescribed in IS 456 is
irrespective of Grade of Cement or
concrete
„ Cement content is Inclusive of additions
such as fly ash or ground granulated
blast furnace slag
 Vizag Sea Port
Concrete Mix Grade M40
„ Cement : 123
„ GGBS : 287
„ Total Cementetious material : 410
„ Water : 135
„ Admixture : 3.5

„ a/c ratio : 4.70

„ w/c ratio : 0.33
Chemical Admixtures
Classification, Dosage
 IS 9103:1999 classifies concrete
admixtures

„ Accelerating admixtures
„ Retarding admixtures
„ Water-reducing admixtures
„ Air-entraining admixtures
„ Superplasticising admixtures
 Chemical Admixtures-Dosage
„ Use min. dosage, consistent with
workability and retardation requirements
„ Introduces additional air in concrete,
reduces strength. Concrete with admix
should have a lower W/C ratio to
compensate for the loss of strength due
to air entrainment
„ Max. dosage :(% by weight of cement)
Plasticizer 1
Super plasticizer 2
Retarder 0.6
 Super plasticizers
Increase workability, facilitate placement of
conc in congested reinforcement,
inaccessible areas
„ Reduce water content and consequently
reduces cement consumption
„ Produce high performance concrete

„ Improves surface finish, pumpability

„ Improves durability

„ Reduces temperature rise, due to reduced

cement content
Water for Concrete
 Water
„ Strength of concrete is inversely
proportional to the amount of water
added in the mix
„ Only about 80 liters of water is required
for hydration of cement
„ Codes specify a maximum of 186 liters of
water per cum concrete; reduction of
30% possible if super-plasticizers used
„ Thus water need not exceed 130 liters
„ Excess water evaporates, creates voids,
reduces concrete strength!
Aggregates For
Concrete
Is 456, IS 383
 IS 456:2000 Cl. 5.3 – Aggregates
„ Shall comply with IS 383.
Preference shall be given
to natural aggregates
This addition encourages
use of natural gravel, IS
383 permits use of gravel
Use of gravel preferable
as it reduces w/c ratio,
reduces cement or
increases workability
 IS 383 Aggregates
„ Fine aggregate includes natural sand, crushed
stone sand and crushed gravel sand
„ Coarse aggregate includes :
a) Uncrushed gravel or stone. which results
from natural disintegration of rock
b) Crushed gravel or stone
c) Blending of (a) and (b)
----- Clause 2.2 of IS 383----
 IS 383 Coarse Aggregates
„ IS, IRC , MOST Specs for Road and
Bridge Works permit use of Gravel
„ Available in plenty in river beds /
deposits in most parts of India.
„ Cheaper than crushed aggregate
„ Environmental friendly; Many cities
have banned use of crushers
„ Should be the first choice at any site
 Aggregates “Concrete Manual”
US Bureau of Reclamation
„ “Concrete is composed of sand, gravel,
crushed rock, or other aggregates held
together by a harden paste of hydraulic
cement and water”
„ “Concrete aggregate usually consists of
natural sand and gravel, crushed rock, or
mixture of these materials
„ “Natural sands and gravels are by far the
most common and are used whenever
they are of satisfactory quality and
obtained economically
 Aggregates “Concrete Manual”
US Bureau of Reclamation
„ “Crushed rock is widely used for coarse
aggregate when suitable material from natural
deposits are not economically available
„ Production of workable concrete from the
sharp, angular, crushed fragments usually
require more care and more cement than that
of concrete made with well-rounded sand and
gravel”
 Aggregates “Concrete Manual”
US Bureau of Reclamation
„ “Crushed aggregate, compared to gravel,
demands more sand to compensate for
the sharp, angular shape of the particles
in order to obtained a mix comparable in
workability
„ “About 27 % natural sand was used with
the crushed lime stone … , but only about
22% was required with gravel”
Use of Gravel (shingle) as Aggregate
„ Gravel has been in use for major projects
in India since last 50 years :
¾ Dams : Bhakra to Sardar Sarovar dam
¾ Canal linings : Teesta to Sardar Sarovar canal
¾ Power Stations : Bhakra to Teesta, Trombay
¾ PSC bridges : > 200 nos including the tallest
bridge (Kandroor), longest (Ganga bridge,
Patna), Road cum Rail Bridge (Brahmaputra)
¾ PSC silos : Nangal, Gorakhpur
¾ Aqueducts : Deo aqueduct, Sardar Sarovar
Mega Projects in Concrete
River Gravel Used
IS 456:2000 Cl. 5.3.3 – Size of Aggregates

Where there is no restriction to the

flow of concrete into sections, 40mm
or larger size may be permitted
In thin concrete elements , closely
spaced reinforcement or smaller
cover, consideration should be given
to the use of 10mm nominal
maximum size.
 Fine Aggregate
„ Many contract specifications restrict grading to
zone II of IS 383; Such restrictions are not
warranted; IS 383 permits fine aggregates
complying with any grading zone
„ Screening, washing or both as necessary
are required only if the fine aggregate does not
confirm to IS 383; washing definitely necessary
in case of pumped concrete, otherwise choking
of pipeline may occur
 Fine Aggregate
„ When the sand grading becomes finer,the
extra water demand of the finer material
should be offset by reducing the fine
aggregate content by 5-8% of the total
aggregate content; the coarse aggregate
content is increased correspondingly
„ The Engineer should be ready to take this
practical step when the sand grading is
known to have changed
 Surface Retarders
„ Used for preparation of construction
joints by green cutting of concrete after
final setting of concrete
„ They expose aggregates uniformly by
removing cement sand matrix for 5 to
7mm after eight hours of concreting or
final setting time whichever is earlier
when water under pressure is sprayed
from distance 500mm approximately
„ Surface retarder saves cost of chipping
labor, produces more effective joint
 Thank You
sareddi32@rediffmail.com
090080 96246