Plain Cement Concrete

Subject – BMS III

Presentation by – Ar. Sahil Singh Kapoor, MBS SPA
Date – 9 September 2019
What is PCC (plain cement concrete)?
 The intimate mixture of cement, sand, coarse aggregate (jelly) and
water is known as plain cement concrete. A small quantities of
admixtures like air entraining agents, water proofing agents,
workability agents may also be added to impart special properties to
the plain cement concrete.
What is PCC (plain cement concrete)?
 Plain Cement Concrete is a mixture of coarse (stone or brick chips) and fine
(generally sand or crushed stone) aggregates with a paste of binder material
(usually Portland cement) and water.
 When cement is mixed with a small amount of water, it hydrates to form
microscopic opaque crystal lattices encapsulating and locking the aggregate
into a rigid structure.
 The aggregates used for making concrete should be free from harmful
substances like organic impurities, silt, clay, lignite etc. Typical concrete
mixes have high resistance to compressive stresses however, any appreciable
tension (e.g., due to bending) will break the microscopic rigid lattice,
resulting in cracking and separation of the concrete. For this reason, typical
non-reinforced concrete must be well supported to prevent the development
of tension.
Specifications for PCC
Cement:
Portland cement (P.P.C) is normally used for Plain cement concrete. It should
conform to the specifications and tests.
Sand:
Sand to be used for concrete work should be clean, well graded, hard, strong,
durable, and should meet the requirements specified for its use.
Coarse Aggregate:
The size of the aggregate used for PCC varies from 10-12 mm to 40 mm
depending on where they are to be used.
Fine Aggregate:
Fine aggregate shall be of coarse sand consisting of hard, sharp and angular
grains and shall pass through a screen of 4.75mm square mesh.
Water:
Water shall be clean and free from alkaline and substances should be suitable for
drinking purposes.
Properties of PCC
Strength of concrete
 It should contain high compressive strength. The tensile and shear strengths
usually remain 8 to 12% and 8 to 10% of their compressive strength relatively.
The compressive strength of concrete is influenced by the following factors :-
• Quality of the material and grading of the aggregates
• Water
• Water cement ratio
• Cement content
• Age of the concrete
• Method of mixing, placing, compacting and curing.
Properties of PCC
Durability of concrete
The concrete comprises of an extreme durability value since it is not significantly
affected with climatic action. Conversely, with the age, the concrete gets
hardened and as a result, the strength is greatly increased.
Elasticity of concrete
The concrete is not a perfectly elastic material and elastic modulus is influenced
by the strength, age and moisture content of the concrete and the type of
aggregate utilized. The concrete experiences an extra strain apart from
momentary pressure due to a load or stress. This additional strain is known as
creep of concrete. It is persistent in character and can’t be recovered on the
exclusion of load.
Properties of PCC
Shrinkage of concrete
The shrinkage occurs because of the following reasons :-
Preliminary shrinkage of cement concrete primarily occurs owing to loss of water
through forms and absorption by surface of forms. The shrinkage of cement
concrete happens when it gets solidified. This type of shrinkage on one hand
produces cracks in concrete whereas on the other, it holds the reinforcement
firmly and makes perfect connection among concrete and reinforcement when
utilized in R.C.C. work.
Fire resistance of concrete
Concrete is a good conductor of heat and it has good fire resistance strength
because of the existence of pores and water.
Workability
Workability is the most subtle properly of concrete. A concrete becomes
functional when it is blended easily, managed, transported, arranged in position
and compacted. A workable concrete should not demonstrate any segregation or
bleeding.
Main Purpose of PCC
 It is used as a protective layer for the RCC above so that water from the RCC
is not absorbed by the earth below.
 Moisture available in soil should not absorbed by R.C.C footings which causes
corrosion of reinforcement.
 PCC provides a base for the concrete and also helps workers to set out the
structure above in a easier way.
 It provides a flat base for upcoming foundation rather than undulated base.
 The effective depth of RCC member is achieved as the form-works can be
easily and sturdily fixed.
 As the Grade of concrete of PCC and Foundation is different it also provide
material difference for ground bacterial effect on foundation.
 Act as a cover to reinforced cement concrete i.e. resist corrosion of steel bars
in footings.
 Some time it can decrease the stresses to the soil.
PCC
Grades of Concrete

Concrete Grade Mix Ratio Compressive

(cement : sand : Strength psi
aggregates) MPa (N/mm2)
M5 1 : 5 : 10 5 MPa 725 psi
M7.5 1:4:8 7.5 MPa 1087 psi
M10 1:3:6 10 MPa 1450 psi
M15 1:2:4 15 MPa 2175 psi
M20 1 : 1.5 : 3 20 MPa 2900 psi
Grades of Concrete
 In this designation M20 or M15 grade of concrete the letter M refers to the MIX
of cement, fine aggregate and courses aggregate, and the number (15 and 20)
to the specified 28 day cube strength of mix in N/mm2.
 M20 represents mix proportions of (1:1.5:3) respectively, where 1:1.5:3 mean
1 part of cement, 1.5 part of sand (fine aggregate) and 3 parts of course
aggregate (crushed stone) in volume and then batched for mixing. & M15
represents mix proportions of 1:2:4 (which is 1 part of cement : 2 part of sand
or fine aggregate : 3 parts of course aggregate) in volume.
 And number defines of 28 days strength of cube in N/mm2.
 M10 means (1:3:6)10, 1 part of cement:3 part of fine aggregate:6 part of
coarse aggregate. after 28 days the strength obtains by cube will be minimum
10 N/mm2.
Curing of PCC
 After two hours of laying of concrete, when the concrete has begun to
harden, it shall be kept damp by covering with wet gunny bags for 24 hours.
 After 24 hours of placing PCC, keep the concrete surface moist by flooding
with water or by covering with moist gunny bags.
 Curing of PCC may be done by either pouring water with buckets or with
pipes.
 Curing should be carried out for a minimum 14 days.
Formwork
 Formwork centring and shuttering shall be provided as per the standard
specification before laying concrete to confine to support or to keep the
concrete in position. To prevent sticking of concrete, the inner surface of
shuttering shall be oiled.