Its not enough that a concrete mix correctly

designed, batched, mixed and transported, its of utmost importance that the concrete must be placed in systematic manner to yield optimum results. The precautions and methods of placing concrete in various conditions are as follows

 Eg.Foundation concrete for a wall or column

Before placing concrete in foundation, the bed is

prepared by removing loose earth, roots of trees passing through it, when bed is dry ,it is damped so that water is not absorbed by bed from the concrete and in case of wet bed or rain-soaked ,water and slush must be removed completely to expose firm bed.

 Eg.Road slab and Airfield slab The groung surface must be free from loose earth,pool

of water and other organic matterslike grass, roots, leaves etc. The earth must be properly compacted and made sufficiently damp to prevent absorption of water from concrete by polyethylene sheets. Concrete must be placed in required thickness with suitable joints

 Eg. Construction of dam ,abutment

When concrete is laid in great thickness, it is placed in

layers . Thickness of layer is limited by method of compaction and concrete of 15 to 30cm is generally adopted and in case of mass concrete, 35 to 45 cm is adopted. Several such layers may be placed in succession to form one lift. Before placing concrete, surface of previous lift is cleaned and roughed by water jet, wire brush, sand blasting.etc.

 Under this condition, concrete is placed as follows 1.Bottom bucket method Concrete is taken through water in water-tight box or

bucket and on reaching the final place of deposition the e bottom is made to open by some mechanism and the whole concrete is dumped slowly. 2.Dry or semi-dry mixture of cement, fine and coarse aggregate are filled in cement bags and such bags are deposited on bed below the water. 3.Tremie pipe method A tremie pipe is of 20cm diameter with funnel fitted at top and bottom end is closed with plug, so no water enter the pipe.When pipe is filled wirh slump concrete of 15 to 0cm, tremie pipe is lifted up and a slight jerk is given by a awinch and a pully arrangement.

 So, due to weight of concrete, plug falls and concrete

gets discharged. Care is taken that end of pipe remains inside concrete, so that no water enters into pipe from bottom.

 Formwork should not be removed until the concrete

has developed strength of at least twice the stress to which concrete may be subjected at the time of removal of formwork.

 In this method,