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Concrete Technolgy
Causes of Cracks in RCC Slabs

Causes of cracks in rcc slab:

1: Improper mixing of concrete mix

2: When we do less curing of concrete.
3: Insufficient concrete cover for reinforcement.
4: More spacing of main bars and distribution bars.
5: Due to grade of concrete.
6: Less amount of steel reinforcement.

7: Early opening of formwork.

8: More span in slab.

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9: Opening of binding wires from steel.
10: Wrong structural design.

How to reduce segregation in Concrete?

Hello Friends, In this article today I we will discuss how to reduce segregation in concrete? so after
reading this article you will be able to know how to control segregation in concrete, Lets get start.

What is Segregation in Concrete?

Segregation is the separation of particle which are present in the concrete, Cement , sand and
aggregate so when these particle are separate from each other in concrete so that is called segregation
of concrete.

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 How to reduce Segregation in Concrete:
1: The concrete water cement ratio should be in limit.
2: The concrete should be not too wet and too dry.
3: Never place concrete from large height.
4: Concrete transportation should be correctly.
5: Choose the shortest route for transportation of concrete mix.
6: The vibrator should be use in concrete just for right time not too long and not too less.

7: The formwork should be tight.

8: Don’t vibrate the formwork.
9: Don’t allow concrete to flow.

Tips to keep in mind while concrete curing

5160232 – construction worker watering fresh concrete slab using a hose

 As soon as possible curing should be start for after casting concrete within 3 to 7 hours.
 Concrete curing period should not be less than 10 days in hot weather conditions.
 Good temperature for curing is 27°C.
 Use potable water for curing.
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 If the blended cement are used in concrete it is recommended that minimum curing period extended to 14
days.
 For proper curing of concrete we need sufficient amount of water.
 We should use clean water for curing and it should be free from oil , acids , salt , organic materials .
 For concrete column curing use Gunny bags to keep the concrete column moisture.
 Use different method for concrete curing for different concrete structures to keep concrete surface moisture.
 Do proper curing for concrete to make concrete stronger and better.

Checklist for Concrete Slab while casting.

Checklist for Concrete Slab while casting

1: Remember never keep the concrete surface smooth in slab.
2: During placing concrete should be vibrate otherwise it make voids in the slab.
3: Don’t place dry cement on concrete after finishing otherwise it makes scratch on the slab surface.
4: Quality of concrete is affected when the form work is not properly aligned, not leak proof etc.

5: Check the slab level in all direction during concreting work.

6: Concrete should be compact during its placing.

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7: In rainy, windy weather to protect the concrete from damage we have to cover the plastic or
tarpaulin over the slab.
8: During concreting the clear cover should be check of for slab.
9: Before starting concrete steel should be clean from dust and corrosion.
10: The formwork should be clean from standing water before the placing of concrete.
11: Concrete should be dropped from the allowed distance.

12 The reinforcement steel should be free of any loose scale, rust, mud, or oil.

Curing of Concrete | Curing time & Duration | Curing

methods

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Why curing of concrete is done:
Actually we know that reaction b/w cement and water is called hydration , and its an exothermic
reaction which releases ( heat) so after adding water to concrete mix than its start hydration process,
which makes concrete dry due to out an exothermic reaction which release the heart from concrete
mix. there for we curing concrete to to keep it moist.

When to start curing of concrete ?

we have to apply the water for some days on the concrete surface after its setting.

What is the curing period of concrete?

The minimum period for curing concrete to attain maximum strength is 28 Days.
see the below image for period of concrete

in above graph can clear us the concrete can get 50% strength when we cured the concrete for 3 to 7
days, and its gain 75% compressive strength after 14 days and 90% strength can achieve after 28
days.

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we cured concrete for the purpose of given factors
we cured concrete due to its chemical reaction between cement and water.
To make good size and shape of concrete member
For atmospheric temperature
For grade of concrete.
To specify the strength of concrete.

Concrete Curing Methods

we can use the given method to keep the concrete moist.

1: Ponding method:
this method we can use in floor slab. we use in this method small pond on slab to keep the slab moist.

.2: Wet Covering

This method is suitable for those concrete structures where we can not make pond but we use this
method specially for Column,footing and bottom surface of slabs.and we use to gunny bags to keep
the concrete moist.

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6 Properties of Concrete for Mix Design Mix

PROPERTIES OF HARDENED CONCRETE

Flexural Strength Test Arrangement

The following are the properties of concrete in its hardened state, used by the designer during design
process of reinforced concrete structure.

1. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
The characteristics strength is defined as the strength of concrete below which not more than 5% of
the test results are expected to fall. As per IS: 456 concrete mix always designed for the target
strength computed as,
Target strength: Characteristics strength + (1.65 x standard deviation)
M20 is the minimum grade of concrete for use in RCC work.

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 2. TENSILE STRENGTH
Flexural strength is one measure of the Tensile strength of concrete. In concrete structure one set of
visible cracks occur under flexure to compute load factor against cracking .According to IS: 456 the
tensile strength of concrete can be computed from the compressive strength using empirical relation
given by:
Flexural strength: fcr=0.7√fck N/mm2

3. MODULUS ELASTICITY
Modulus of elasticity of concrete which is significantly influenced by the following factors.

 Type of the aggregates used,

 Type of cement and
 Mix proportions

This property is required for the computations of deflections of structural concrete members which
forms an important limit state in the design of concrete members. In the absence of test data, the
modulus of elasticity of concrete is normally related to the compressive strength and is computed by
the empirical relation recommended by IS: 456-2000 code and is expressed as,
Ec=5000√fck
Where Ec is the short term static modulus of elasticity of concrete expressed in N/mm 2
fck is the characteristic compressive strength of concrete expressed in N/mm2.

4. SHRINKAGE OF CONCRETE
The ingredients of concrete and environmental conditions like temperature and humidity influence
the total shrinkage of concrete. Water content in concrete significantly affects the shrinkage. The IS:
456-2000 recommends the total shrinkage strain as 0.0003 in the absence of test data. Drying
shrinkage in plain concrete may result in surface cracks. Shrinkage of concrete also influences the
deflections of reinforced concrete members.

5. CREEP OF CONCRETE
The inelastic time dependent strain developed in a concrete emeber under sustained loading is refered
to as creep of concrete. Creep of concrete is influenced by following factors.

 Cement content,
 W/C ratio,
 Temperature and humidity,
 Size of structural element,
 Type of loading and period of loading.

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In the absence of reliable experimental data, the creep coefficient is expressed as the ratio of ultimate
creep strain/elastic strain at various ages of loading as recommended by IS: 456-2000 are given
below.
Age at Loading Creep Coefficient

7 days 2.2

28 days 1.6

1 year 1.1

Creep of concrete significantly affects the deflections of reinforced concrete flexural members.
Higher creep coefficient results in large deflections. The value of creep coefficient is useful in the
computation of time dependent deflections in reinforced concrete members.

6. COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION

The coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete, influenced mainly by the type of aggregate used in
concrete is required for the design of structures like chimneys, water tanks, silos etc. the values
recommended in IS:456-2000 are compiled below.
Type of Aggregate Coefficient of Thermal Expansion for Concrete

Quartzite 1.2 to 1.3 x 10-5

Sandstone 0.9 to 1.2 x 10-5

Granite 0.7 to 0.95 x 10-5

Basalt 0.8 to 0.95 x 10-5

Lime stone 0.6 to 0.9 x 10-5

What is Admixture in Concrete & Use of Admixture ?

Hello friends, In this article today I will discuss about use of admixture in concrete that why we used
admixture in concrete, many students they don’t know admixture and also their use so after reading
this article you will be able to know what is concrete admixture and its use. let’s get start.

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What is Concrete Admixture?
Admixture is the other type of materials than water and its used in the concrete or mortar to controle
setting and early hardening and workbabality .
Admixture are used for

To reduce water content in concrete i.e. keep water cement ratio as less as possible.
To increase compressive strength and durability parameter of concrete.
To enhance the workability and give more transportation and placing time.
To impart specific property of concrete or to create favourable condition during placing.
To achieve specific concrete properties more effectively.
To ensure quality of concrete during mixing, transporting, placing, and curing in adverse weather
condition.

Modify the rate or capacity for bleeding.

Increase bond between existing and new concrete.

Different between Concrete and Mortar

Hello Friends, In this article today I will discuss the different between concrete and mortar. After
reading this article you will be able to know the different between concrete and cement mortar, so
let’s get start.

Concrete
Concete is a compostie of a buidling matarial which made from a mixture of Cement , Sand, Crush
and water.
Concrete are used in structural projects but its usually used in reifnoce with steel rebar to get more
strength. In building construction concrete are used in Column , beam , slab , retaining wall , dams
etc.
Concrete is so strong from other buuilding materials thats why we used concrete in building
construction works.

Mortar
Mortar is also building materials which made from Cement , Sand and water. In mortar the water
cement ratio is high but in concrete mixture water cement ratio is low from mortar.

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Mortar strength is low from concrete and we are not able to use the steel rebar in mortar because its
not strong from concrete .
In Building Construction works we used mortar in plastering and where we don’t required the high
strength and just for filling works we can use mortar so make the surface smooth and normal strong.

Different between Concrete and Mortar

1: Concrete is more strong than mortar
2: Mortar is thicker than cnocrete
3: We use high water cement ration in mortar than concrete
4: we can’t used steel in mortar
5: we can used steel bars in concrete
6: Motar is use in bricks masonry works
7: concrete is not used in bricks masonry woks
8: Concrete can be used for life time.
9: Mortar should be replace after 20 to 25 years.
10: we can get more strength from concrete than mortar.

Cracks in Concrete
Hi Friends , In this article today I will teach you about Cracks in Concrete, so what the reason and
why cracks can come in concrete, so in this topic you are able to learn about crack in concrete and
why cracks can come in concrete, so Let’s get start.

What is Concrete :
Concrete is a building material which made from mixture of cement , sand ,crush or gravel and
water. and we poured this mixture in the form work which can give us the different shapes of element
like stone which is too mush strong.

Why Concrete Cracks :

1: Excess of water in concrete
2: Improper Compaction of concrete
3: Rapid drying of concrete
4: Temperature Variation

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1: Excess of water in concrete

Concrete does not required much water to get maximum strength . we required limit water in
concrete to achieve the maximum strength of concrete. when we increase the water in concrete so it
can lose the strength , so therefore concrete can crack. water is just reducing in concrete to make
workabality of concrete . so increasing of water can reduce the strength of concrete.

2: Improper Compaction of concrete

before placing concrete we have to proper compact the soil. and after that when we placed concrete
so concrete should be compacted properly . when the concrete is not compacted so after that concrete
gets start to crack after some time of placing of concrete. Because when we don’t compact the
concrete so its also reduce the strength.

3: Rapid drying of concrete

when concrete rapid drying so its also danger for concrete , Because the rapid drying of concrete is
the possibility of cracking. Because there are chemical reaction in concrete its why that concrete
change from liquid or plastic to solid form so its required the water. So the hydration process starting
in the concrete due to cement presence for weeks after pouring concrete.

4: Temperature Variation
Cracks in concrete is also depend on the temperature, Because the temperature is high at noon time
and at after noon time the temperature is reducing. Due to this expansion concrete gets staring
cracking.

Segregation and Bleeding in Concrete | Causes of

Segregation & bleeding |
In this article I will discuss about Segregation and bleeding of concrete and also causes of bleeding
and segregation, Many students they face the problem about segregation and bleeding of concrete, so
after reading this article you will be able to know about segregation and bleeding and also its causes
in detail.

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What is segregation?
In civil Engineering segregation is the separation of particle which are present in the concrete,
Cement , sand and aggregate so when these particle are separate from each other in concrete so that is
called segregation of concrete.
The segregation in concrete can occur during handling , transporting and placing of concrete.
when the concrete is falling during placing that time the the particle ( cement , sand , aggregate and
water) are separate from each other.

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We have three types of segregation in concrete
1: Separation of course aggregate form concrete
2: Separation of Cement paste from concrete mixture
3: Separation of water form concrete mix which is called bleeding of concrete.

Caused of Segregation in concrete

1: when we use high water in concrete ,
2: when the concrete are mixed by unskillful labors.
3: When concrete is fall from more than 1.5 meter height on the ground than the concrete can
segregate.
4: when we vibrate the concrete form long time.
5: The transporting concrete mixes for long distances.

What is Bleeding in concrete ?

Bleeding is the form of segregation, in placing of concrete the water (Cement paste) are become out
from the concrete mix , and bleeding can occur when the water amount are high in the concrete
when the water cement ratio are high in the concrete so it makes concrete weak.

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if the bleeding is normal in concrete so its ok, but if it become high than it can make the concrete
weak.

Caused of Bleeding in concrete

1: When the concrete fall from more than height of 1.5 meter.
2: When the water cement ratio is high.
3: When the concrete is not mix properly.
4: When the space is present between the particle than bleeding in occur

What is Water Cement Ratio and Why we use water in

Cement Concrete
In this article today I will teach you water cement ration and role of water in Cement Concrete. So
after reading this article you will be able to know about water cement ration and water role in cement
concrete which is too much important for civil engineers.

What is Water Cement Ratio?

In civil engineering Water Cement Ratio means the ratio between the weight of water to the weight
of cement used in concrete mix. Or amount of water which we used in the cement concrete.
we know that the water cement ratio is directly affect on the strength of concrete If we use the limit
amount of water for cement concrete so it will give us the good strength of concrete.
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Normally we used the water cement ratio falls under 0.4 to 0.6 as per IS Code 10262 (2009) for
nominal mix M7.5 , M10, M15 , M20 and M25.

Why we Use Water in Cement?

If we don’t use the water in cement concrete so we can not mix the concrete because the water can
perform the good role in Concrete, therefore water is the main key for Cement concrete which can
combine all the material with each other and give us the good strength of any Construction work.

Grade of Concrete and their Ratio

What is Grade of Concrete:

Grade of Concrete is the base of strength and we have different grade of Concrete which are given
below.
M10
M15
M20
M25
M30
M35
Here M stands for Mix and Number is the minimum compressive strength of concrete after 28 day
which is direct compressive test.

Grade of Concrete and Their Ratio:

Grade of Concrete Mix Ratio
M10 1: 3: 6
M15 1: 2 : 4
M20 1 : 1.5 : 3
M25 1:1:2
M30 Base on Mix Design
M35 Base on Mix Design

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Concrete Cover for RCC Structural Members
In this article today I will discuss you about the concrete cover for reinforcement work in detail, so
after reading this article you will be able to select the concrete cover thickness for different structure.

Define Concrete Cover :

Concrete cover is the least distance between the surface of embedded reinforcement and the outer
surface of the concrete in the slab , beam or column etc. And the Concrete cover depth should be
measured with a cover meter. A cover meter is used to work out the deepness of the concrete cover.
Concrete cover is too much important in RCC works when the concrete cover is not provide or if its
depth is minimum so the slab or any RRC structure steel can be make corrosion, and the concrete
cover is also strong resistance capacity of the bars implanted in the concrete against fire.
Given are the Concrete Cover for different RCC structural members with specification in
detail.
Ever reinforcement bar should not be less than = 25 mm
Toward longitudinal reinforcing bar in column = 40 mm
For the beam, not less than = 30 mm

Toward retaining wall, grade beam, footing sides and top = 50 mm

Toward slab and normal wall = 15 mm
For any other reinforcement objects, it should not be under 15 mm

Water Cement Ratio

In this article today I will discuss about water cement ratio in detail.

what is water cement ratio?

Water cement ratio is the ratio of water and cement by weigh and also by volume used in the
preparation of concrete mix.
OR
Water Cement Ratio means the ratio between the weight of water to the weight of cement used in
concrete mix. And normally water cement ratio is falls under from 0.4 to 0.6 for normal mix like
M10 , M15 to M 25. and we know that water cement is directly affect strength of concrete. Therefore
it increase the strength if we used the correct proportion of or decrease it, so it depend on the water
cement ratio.
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Quantity of water is very necessary for the mixing of concrete.
If the percentage of water use is less then there will not be sufficient quantity of water to cement. It
should result in porous and weak concrete. So the good result of concrete mix depends on the water
cement ratio.
The water which gives as more workable mix , but it does not vie sound of concrete. In Concrete the
use of too much water gives us the results in segregation of aggregates and vies us porous concrete
and also low strength and low density of concrete.
When we want to make concrete workable to be place in position for that water is more needed.
If we use a lot of water so it makes concrete workable but the strength can become less , so there for
we have to use sufficient water for the concrete. Because quantity of more water can make a concrete
weak and also its make segregation during the placement of concrete.

Water cement ration is directly propositional to strength of concrete. When water ratio Is maximum
the strength of concrete become decrease. If the water ration is minimum the strength will be increase
in Concrete.
Strength of concrete is depends on the strength of cement paste and also in other way, the strength of
Concrete increases with cement content and decreases with water content.
There for we have to use limit water which are sufficient for the concrete or cement paste.
In also in concrete too much water result become segregation of the sand, Cement and Aggregate in
placing.

Water Cement Ratio Amount

We should take the ratio of water in concrete from 0.45% to 0.60% between this ration we will use
the water quantity for the concrete.

Example Of Water Cement Ratio

The batching of concrete has gallons of water for the 900 lbs of cement and the water cement ratio
can be calculating by this formula:
R = 8.33 x 45 (gallons) / 900 (lbs)
R = 0.42.

There for the we can put any %age In this formula and you can find out the quantity of water in
concrete.
Note: with the above cement ratio formula you can use for concrete mix design, when we keep to
adding water to increase the workability. Because the concrete has a lot of fluid materials where the
aggregate will be settle down.the water cement ration is directly proportional to the concrete. when

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we increase the water so it increase workability of concrete. but when we do not use more water so it
does not increase the workability of concrete.

Good Quality Of Concrete

In this article today We will discuss about Concrete and good quality of concrete in construction
works.

What is Concrete?
Concrete is an engineering materials which becomes with the properties of rock and the combination
of particles closely with each other. the concrete is simply a blend of aggregate. it is normally a kind
of natural sand and crush rock.Concrete is very strong and its resist with compression.
Good concrete depends on good aggregate. Coarse aggregate can be as much as 75% of the volume
in a mix. The best stone for making concrete is hard, durable particles with moderate absorption. The
worst aggregate used to make concrete is friable, weakly cemented sandstone with high absorption.
Where concrete is exposed to freeze/thaw cycles, lightweight cherts, ochres, shales, and weakly
cemented materials such as conglomerate must be avoided.
The concrete is the most important material in construction works. And concrete is a good material
we can get many types shape in mold. therefore we can design any thing easily with a good shape.

We have given quality of good concrete:

Strong
Durable
Watertight
Workable
Dense
Resist Wear and Tear
Strong
The concrete should be strong in compression and it will be weak in tension. And concrete used in a
construction of load carrying for different structures same like dames, construction of bridges, pair
and abutment of bridges etc. In these structure we must be used steel bar with concrete to extend the
strength of concrete. Then it will be able to resist the loads.
Durability

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The concrete should be able to against of weather action, such a wind, rain, storm and variation of
temperature. So when we used the concrete in the construction of dames, sewer line or in sea water
then it should be able to withstand of the action of chemical salts. Then the concrete will be safe from
environmental problems.
Watertight
When we use the concrete In Construction of water like culvert , retaining wall , dames or in water
canal so in these construction the use of concrete is very necessary so there for the concrete must be
watertight the against of water. If the concrete is not watertight with construction of water palaces.
then those steel bars which we used in the concrete it can be rust (corrosion). Then structure will
become fail.
Workability
The concrete must be easily workable in using of construction. For that we have to use the water in
limit. Then concrete will be workable and strong. But if the water ratio is max in the concrete so it’s
making segregation of course aggregate and fine aggregate. And the max water ratio result is also
bleeding of concrete. When the concrete making bleeding then the concrete strength is becomes loss.
Density

The concrete must be compacted and there should be no voids or hollow left in the concrete. And the
weight of concrete must be 3000kg/cu meter. So that is the good quality of concrete.
Resist to Wear and Tear
When we used concrete in the construction of road and floor, so the concrete must be able abrasive
for well. If the concrete is not able to resist with different problems so that will be not the good
properties of concrete.

Workability of concrete

what is workability of concrete:

Workability is one of the physical parameters of concrete which depend on the water. With water
process it increase and decrease the strength and durability of concrete and also cost of labor.
OR
The workability of concrete can be defined as the property of fresh concrete mix that will meet the
diverse requirements of mixability, stability, transportability, placeability, mobility, compactability
and Finishability of the fresh concrete. This property of the concrete is composite in nature.The
workability of concrete increase with the addition of water, But it reduce the strength of
concrete.Concrete could be workable when it is easily placed and compacted homogeneously without
bleeding or Segregation

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 When the water amount is maximum then it loss the strength but its easy in placing and also it is too
much easy for labor to take to one place to another. If the water amount is less in concrete so the
concrete can gain the strength but it not easy to place and compact during concreting.
There for the concrete workability depend on the water cement ratio. If the water percentage is
maximum in the concrete so the concrete become segregate and making bleeding during the placing
of concrete.
Use of aggregate which are round and have a smooth surface so it is increase the workability of
concrete.
keep the cement, aggregate .ratio in the same value. If the quantity of course aggregates is increased
then the workability of concrete will improve.
There for slum test gives us the idea of workability of wet concrete or fresh concrete. The
workability of concrete is the best determined by compaction factor test.

Factor effecting of work ability

1. Water content
2. Aggregate or cement ratio
3. Size of aggregate
4. Shape of aggregate
5. Grading of aggregate
6. Surface or texture of aggregate
7. Used of admixture

Water Content.
Workability of concrete increases and decrease workability of concrete. If we use more water in the
concrete it’s make disadvantages to aggregate .

1. Increased quantity of water may cause bleeding in concrete.

2. Cement slurry also escapes through the joints of formwork
3. Strength of concrete may reduced.

Aggregate or Concrete ratio.

.The use of higher aggregate or cement ratio makes the concrete resulting poor workability for the
concrete. So we have to use normal aggregate and cement ratio.
Size of Aggregate
Bigger size aggregates make the concrete workable and also it gives the strength to concrete. size of
aggregate is also depend on the workability of concrete.
Shape of Aggregate.

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 Workability of aggregate is also affected by the shape of aggregate. These are the given following

1. Angular aggregate
2. Flaky aggregate
3. Elongated aggregate
4. Rounded aggregate
5. Sub-rounded aggregate
6. Cubical aggregate etc.

Grading of Concrete

Grading of aggregate is also the maximum influence on workability.. When total void are less, excess
paste is available to give better lubricating effect.
Surface or Texture Of Aggregate
Surface or Texture of Aggregate is also effect of workability when Porous and non-saturated
aggregate will be require more water than a non-absorbant aggregate. For same degree of workability
latter will require less water.
Use Of Admixture
Air-entraining admixtures are used to purposely and introduce stabilize microscopic air bubbles in
concrete.

Compressive Strength Of Concrete

In this Article Today I am teaching you That what is the compressive strength of concrete from 7
days to 28 days.

Compressive Strength Of Concrete.

But Remember one thing that the compressive strength of the concrete should be in N/mm2. I made
the also the video Lecture about this Article.Compressive strength has the same degree of importance
when it comes to the evaluation of existing structures. Structural engineers used it for modeling
different structural properties, such as tensile strength, and to predict the flexural and shear capacity
of the elements. Other structural characteristics such as ductility and stiffness can be also defined as a
function of compressive strength.

Note : Compressive strength of the concrete is depend on the Grade of concrete. Because different
Grade of concrete his different compressive strength in 7 days 14 days or 28 days etc.

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 What is Grade of Concrete?
Grade of Concrete is denoted by : M5 , M7.5 , M10 , M10 , M15 , M20 , M25 , M30 , M35 , M40 ,
M45 ect are the compressive strength of concrete.
So here “M” Stands for Mix And “Number” shows the Show N/mm2.
For Example M25 Grade of concrete Compressive strength is 25N/mm2.
What is the Minimum Compressive Strength of Concrete N/mm2 in 7 day’s
Compressive strength of concrete procedure :
For cube test two types of specimens either cubes of 15cm X 15cm X 15cm or 10cm X 10cm x 10cm
depending upon the size of aggregate are used. For most of the works cubical moulds of size 15cm x
15cm x 15cm are commonly used.

This concrete is poured in the mould and tempered properly so as not to have any voids. After 24
hours these moulds are removed and test specimens are put in water for curing. The top surface of
these specimen should be made even and smooth. This is done by putting cement paste and spreading
smoothly on whole area of specimen.
These specimens are tested by compression testing machine after 7 days curing or 28 days curing.
Load should be applied gradually at the rate of 140 kg/cm2 per minute till the Specimens fails. Load
at the failure divided by area of specimen gives the compressive strength of concrete.

 Before Starting construction work we have to Test the Concrete compressive strength in different days,
 For that we have to make the concrete Cube which size should be 150 mm x 150 mm .
 The concrete cube Should be fully vibrated and fully curing. Than we are able to find out the compressive
strength of concrete in compression machine.

Below List for the compressive strength of concrete.

Grade of Concrete Minimum

Compressive Strength of concrete N/mm2 after 7 days
M10 7 N/mm2
M15 10 N/mm2
M20 13.5 N/mm2
M25 17 N/mm2
M30 20 N/mm2
M35 23.5 N/mm2

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M40 27 N/mm2
M45 30 N/mm2
Compressive strength of concrete N/mm2 after 28 day’s

Grade of Concrete Minimum

Compressive Strength of concrete N/mm2 after 28 days
M10 10 N/mm2
M15 15 N/mm2
M20 20 N/mm2
M25 25 N/mm2
M30 30 N/mm2
M35 35 N/mm2
M40 40 N/mm2
M45 45 N/mm2

Note: If the 150 mm x 150 Concrete cube does not give you the above compressive strength of
concrete so it mean that you did not fully vibrate the concrete cube therefore it can not able to give
you the above Strength.
So the concrete cube Must be vibrate and Fully Curing with water than it will give you the standard
strength which is required for any grade.

How to select suitable grade of concrete for

construction

In this article i will understand you that how to select the suitable Grade for concrete construction for
different works.
How to Select Grade of Concrete:
Grade of concrete construction is select by the base on Structure design requirements. And the Grade
of concrete should be change for different project construction.But remember one thing That select
the suitable grade of concrete for any building construction. And for that I am discussing the Types
of Grade in which you will be able

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We have two types of concrete mix:
1: Nominal Mix
2: Design Mix
Nominal Mix : Nominal mix concrete is used for the small scale construction which are simple
projects like residential buildings. Where the high strength is not required, so we used the nominal
mix concrete. So it mean that the nominal mix concrete used for the normal buildings. And we just
take care of factor of safety for quality control problem during concrete construction of any structure.
In nominal mix concrete we have M5 , M7.5 , M10 M15 , M20, M25. These grade of concrete is also
too much good, but the M15 to M25 these are used for RCC works. Because it his the high strength.
Used of Nominal Mix Concrete in construction works :
I have already explained you that the suitable grad of concrete should be select by the base on the
structure design. SO the therefore Nominal Mix Concrete Grades are such as M15, M20, M25 are
used for the small project construction where the high strength is not required. so the above Grade of
concrete (M15, M20, M25) should be count with Nominal mix concrete.
Note: The M15 Grade of concrete is just used for the Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) construction
works. which is used to get normal strength for the structure . M20 Grade of concrete is used for the
Reinforcement Cement Concrete (RCC) construction works we used Minimum M20 Grade of
concrete which is high strength concrete.

Design Mix Concrete: The design mix concrete is that which mix proportions can be obtained from
various lab tests. And design mix concrete is used for the good quality control when we are selection
the materials , Mixing and transportation of concrete. And this kind of Concrete types is used for the
Mega projects, where the high strength are required for the project, Than we are able to select this
Design mix concrete.
The Design max concrete are used to gain the high strength of concrete to construct the mega project.
But the Design mix concrete is too much expensive therefore it used for the high level projects.

Grade of Concrete
In this Article Today we will discuss about that what is Grade of Concrete and Types of Concrete
Grade. After reading this article we will be able to know Grade of concrete and their types.

what is Grade of Concrete?

Simply we can define that grade of concrete is the compressive strength of concrete after 28 days in
N/mm2. in we have in different Grade of concrete strenght like
M5
M7.5
M10

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M15
M20
M25
M30
M35
M40 etc.
So it Means that if I say M15 so it means that this grade of concrete strength is 15N/mm2 but this
strength of concrete is after 28 days . And for that we have to take the concrete Cubic and than we
used Concrete mix ratio M15 Means we used Proportion of Concrete (1:2:4) It mean that (1) is
Cement (2) is Sand and (4) is Crush or Aggregate.
When for above grade of Concrete when the (M15) when the 28 days completed than we applied the
load on that a Concrete Cubic in compression machine the give image is for that Compression Test.
So for M20 , M25 etc for all these Grade of concrete we used the same method . example if the M25
Grade of concrete So it means that this grade of concrete strength should be 25N/mm2 after 28 days.

Types of grade of concrete:

Nominal Mix : Nominal mix concrete is used for the small scale construction which are simple
projects like residential buildings. Where the high strength is not required, so we used the nominal
mix concrete. So it mean that the nominal mix concrete used for the normal buildings. And we just
take care of factor of safety for quality control problem during concrete construction of any structure.
In nominal mix concrete we have M5 , M7.5 , M10 M15 , M20, M25. These grade of concrete is also
too much good, but the M15 to M25 these are used for RCC works. Because it his the high strength.

Used of Nominal Mix Concrete in construction works :

I have already explained you that the suitable grad of concrete should be select by the base on the
structure design. SO the therefore Nominal Mix Concrete Grades are such as M15, M20, M25 are
used for the small project construction where the high strength is not required. so the above Grade of
concrete (M15, M20, M25) should be count with Nominal mix concrete.

Design Mix Concrete:

The design mix concrete is that which mix proportions can be obtained from various lab tests. And
design mix concrete is used for the good quality control when we are selection the materials , Mixing
and transportation of concrete. And this kind of Concrete types is used for the Mega projects, where
the high strength are required for the project, Than we are able to select this Design mix concrete.
The Design max concrete are used to gain the high strength of concrete to construct the mega project.
But the Design mix concrete is too much expensive therefore it used for the high level projects.

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Used of Design Mix Concrete :
For mega project construction we used the design mix concrete. Because there are required the high
strength of concrete. Therefor we select the higher grade of concrete same like M30, M35 , M30 ,
M45 etc. Because these proportion of concrete should be design for any mega project by their
requirements of project construction.And design mix concrete is used to construct the dams and
airport etc. where we required the high strength of concrete so make the good quality of project
Note: For Different Construction works we design the Grade of Concrete that is this Grade of
concrete is better for the design work or not. So Strength of concrete is depend on the Grade of
concrete . there we used the Different Grade of concrete for the different construction works.
But for most of the Construction works we have to design the Grade of concrete Because For
foundation works or for Slab , Beam , column these all are change from each other and these
structures can support the different types of load therefor we have to use for any structure different
grade of concrete, and we have to also keep the Quality Control for the construction works.

What Is Prestressed Concrete |High strength concrete

used for prestressed construction|

In this Article today we will discuss about that What is High Strength Concrete and where we used
the high strength concrete in construction works.

What is Prestressed Concrete

Concrete is basically a compressive material, with its strength in tensionbeingrelativelylow.
Prestressing applies a precompression to the member that reduces or eliminates undesirable tensile
stresses that would otherwise be present.
1.Reinforced concrete cracked under load.
2.Post-tensioned concrete before loading.
3.Post-tensioned concrete after loading.

High Strength Concrete Used for Prestressed

Construction
Although the exact definition is arbitrary, the term generally refers to concrete having uniaxial
compressive strength in the range of about 8000 to 15,000 psi or higher.

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Such concretes can be made using carefully selected but widely available cements, sands, and stone;
certain admixtures including high-range water-reducing super plasticizers, fly ash, and silica fume;
plus very careful quality control during production.

Advantages

High strength concrete has a higher elastic modulus than the low strength concrete, so that loss of
prestress force resulting fromelastic shortening of the concrete is reduced.
Creep and shrinkage losses are also low.
High bearing stresses in the vicinity of tendon anchorages for post tensioned members are more
easily accommodated.
In the case of pretensioned elements, higher bond strength results in a reduction in the development
length required to transfer prestress force from the cables to the concrete.
Finally, concrete of higher compressive strength also has a higher tensile strength so that the
formation of flexural and diagonal tension crack is delayed.

Methods of Prestressing
Although many methods have been used to produce the desired state of pre-
compression in concrete members, all pre-stressed concrete members can be placed in one of two
categories:
Pre-tensioned,
Post-tensioned.

Pre-tensioning(Procedure)
The strands are tensioned over the full length of the casting bed at one time, after which a number of
individual members are cast along the stressed tendon.
When the jacking force is released, the prestress force is transferred to each member by bond, and the
strands are cut freebetween member.
In present practice anchorage and jacking abutments may be as muchas 800 ft apart.  Cable
depressors are often used with long-line prestressing, just as with individual members.

Pre-tensioning(Advantages)

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Well suited to the mass production of beams using the longline method of prestressing.
Pretensioning is a particularly economical method of prestressing, not only because the
standardization of design permits reusable steel or fiberglass forms, but also because the
simultaneous prestressing of many members at once results in great saving of labor. In addition,
expensive end anchorage hardware is eliminated.
With the tendon anchored by special fittings at the far end of the member, it is stretched, and then
anchored at the jacking end by similar fittings, and the jack removed.
The tension is gauged by measuring both the jacking pressure and the elongation of the steel.
The tendons are normally tensioned one at a time, although each tendon mayconsist of many strands
or wires.

Post-tensioning(Advantage)
Asignificant advantage of all post-tensioning schemes is the ease with which the tendon eccentricity
can be varied along the span to provide the desired counter moment.

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