UEBE 1213-BUILDING MATERIALS

CONCRETE (IMPORTANT VERSION)

CEMENT

Definition:
 Cement is a hydraulic binder and is defined as a finely ground inorganic
material.
 It is mixed with water to form mortar or mixed with sand, gravel,
and water to make concrete.
 Hardens by hydration reactions and processes which, after hardening
retains it's strength and stability even under water.
 Cement used in construction is characterized as hydraulic or non-
hydraulic :

1) Hydraulic cements (e.g., Portland cement)

- harden even underwater or when constantly exposed to wet weather.
(water resistant).

1) Non-hydraulic cements (e.g. Gypsum plaster)

- must be kept dry in order to retain their strength. Not resistant to
water.
 Limestone clay Cement rock Iron ore

KILN - Heated to 1200 to

1500 °C

CEMENT
MANUFACTURING
PROCESS
Clinker

Grinded

As an agent to
control the rate of
freezing cement.

Cement powder Gypsum

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF RAW
CEMENT
 The three constituents of hydraulic cements are lime, silica and alumina. In
addition, most cements contain small proportions of iron oxide, magnesia, sulphur
trioxide and alkalis.
 Table 1.1: Chemical Composition of Portland Cement
Oxide Function Composition (%)
CaO Controls strength and soundness. Its deficiency reduces strength 60-65
and setting time

SiO2 Gives strength. Excess of it causes slow setting 17-25

Al203 Responsible for quick setting, if in excess, it lowers the strength 3-8

Fe2O3 Gives color and helps in fusion of different ingredients 0.5-6

Mg0 Imparts color and hardness. If in excess, it causes cracks in mortar 0.5-4
and concrete and unsoundness
TYPES OF CEMENT
 Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
 It is a cementing material resembling a natural stone quarried from Portland in U.K.
Portland cement may be defined as a product obtained by finely pulverizing clinker.
 The ordinary Portland cement has been classified as 33 Grade (IS269:1989), 43
Grade (IS 8112:1989), and 53 Grade (IS 12669-1987). The physical requirements of
all these three types of cement are almost same except for compressive strength
 IS:10262 has classified the OPC grade-wise from A to F based on 28 day
compressive strength as follows.
 Category Strength(MPa)
A 32.5 – 37.5
B 37.5 – 42.5
C 42.5 – 47.5
D 47.5 – 52.5
E 52.5 – 57.5
F 57.5 – 62.5
 Accordingly the 33, 43 and 53 grades of cement correspond to categories A, C and
E, respectively. However, most of the 43-grade cements available in the market fall in
category D and that 53-grade cements in category F.
TYPES OF CEMENT
 Cements of unique characteristics for desired performance in a given environment are being
manufactured by changing the chemical composition of OPC or by using additives, or by using
different raw materials. Some of the cements available in the market are as follows:

 Rapid Hardening Portland Cement (IS: 8041)

 has high lime content and can be obtained by increasing the C3S content.The basis of
application of rapid hardening cement (RHC) is hardening properties and heat emission rather
than setting rate. This permits addition of a little more gypsum during manufacture to control
the rate of setting. RHC attains same strength in one day which an ordinary cement may
attain in 3 days. However, it is subjected to large shrinkage and water requirement for
workability is more. The cost of rapid hardening cement is about 10 per cent more than the
ordinary cement. Concrete made with RHC can be safely exposed to frost, since it matures
more quickly.
 Properties:
Initial setting time- 1day 30 minutes (minimum)
Final setting time - 3 day l0 hours (maximum)
 Compressive strength
1 day -16.0 N/mm2
3 day -27.5 N/mm2

 Uses: It is suitable for repair of roads and bridges and when load is applied in a short period
of time.
 High Alumina Cement (IS: 6452):

 This is not a type of Portland cement and is manufactured by fusing 40 per cent
bauxite, 40 per cent lime, 15 per iron oxide with a little of ferric oxide and silica,
magnesia, etc. at a very high temperature. The alumina content should not be less
than 32%.

 Properties: It is not quick setting: initial setting time (minimum) is 30 minutes, even
up to 2 hours. The final setting time should not exceed 600 minutes. It attains
strength in 24 hours, high early strength, high heat of hydration and resistance to
chemical attack. Compressive strength after one day is 30.0 N/mm2 and after 3 days
it is 35.0 N/mm2. After setting and hardening, there is no free hydrated lime as in
the case of ordinary Portland cement. The fineness of the cement should not be less
than 225 m2/kg. The cement should not have expansion more than 5 mm.

 Uses: It is resistant to the action of fire, sea water, acidic water and sulphates and is
used as refractory concrete, in industries and is used widely for precasting. It should
not be used in places where temperature exceeds 18°C.
AGGREGATES

Definition
• Aggregates are one of construction materials which are mixed with
binding material (cement) to produce mortar or concrete.
• Aggregates are used as filler in mortar and concrete and also to reduce
their cost.

Depending upon the size of their particles aggregates are classified as:
(1) Fine aggregates
(2) Coarse aggregates
FINE AGGREGATES

❖ Aggregates whose < 4.75mm.

❖ Most commonly used fine aggregates are sand (quarry sand, river sand and
sea sand) and crushed stone in powdered form.

Fine Aggregate (smaller than 5mm):

- Sand
2) Coarse Aggregates
❖ Aggregateswhose > 4.75 mm
❖ Most commonly used coarse aggregates are crushed
stone, gravel, broken pieces of burnt bricks,etc.

Course Aggregate (9.5mm - 37.5mm):

- Rounded gravel (left)
- Crushed stones (right)
Sieve Analysis
 Commonly known as the gradation test, is a basic
essential test for all aggregate technicians.
 The sieve analysis determines the gradation (the
distribution of aggregate particles, by size, within a
given sample) in order to determine compliance
with design, production control requirements, and
verification specifications.
 Sieve size is determined by the standard test, such as
American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM).
 According to ASTM, the size of aggregate:
> 4.75mm named coarse aggregate
< 4.75mm called fine aggregate
SIEVE ANALYSIS
Good Quality of Aggregates

An ideal aggregate used for the manufacturing of concrete and mortar,

should meet the following requirements.
(1) It should consist of natural stones, gravels and sand.
(2) It should be hard, strong and durable.
(3) It should be dense, clear and free from any coating.
(4) It should not angular and elongated pieces.
(5) It should not contain any material liable to attack steel
reinforcement in case of reinforced concrete.
TYPE OF STRUCTURE MAX SIZE OF
AGGREGATE
Mass concrete work 40 mm

i.e. dams, retaining walls,

piers and abutments, etc.

Reinforced Cement 20 mm
Concrete work
i.e. beams, columns, wall,
etc

Flooring 10 mm
Admixtures

Admixtures are formulated chemical compounds that are used to modify

certain properties of concrete.
Admixtures are the material, other than
• Cement
• Water
• Aggregates
• Concrete should be workable, strong, durable, watertight, and wear
resistant. These qualities can often be obtained easily and economically by
the selection of suitable materials.

The major reasons for using admixtures are:

• To reduce the cost of concrete construction.
• To maintain the quality of concrete during the stages of mixing,
transporting, placing, and curing in adverse weather conditions.
TYPES OF ADMIXTURE

- Materials added to alter the properties of concrete including:

Water-reducing Admixture
Accelerating admixtures
Superplasticizers
Fly-ash/Silica fiber
 Water-reducing Admixture
 Reduce the required water content for a concrete mixture by about 5 to 10
percent.
 Therefore, concrete containing a water-reducing admixture needs less water to
reach a required slump than untreated concrete. The treated concrete can have
a lower water-cement ratio.
 This usually indicates that a higher strength concrete can be produced
without increasing the amount of cement.
 Accelerating admixtures
 Increase the rate of early strength development, reduce the time required
for proper curing and protection.
 Accelerating admixtures are especially useful for modifying the properties of
concrete in cold weather.
 Concrete is a mixture of cement, fine aggregates
(FA), coarse aggregates (CA) and water.
 Ratio for concrete:
Cement : FA : CA : water
1 : 2 : 3 : a little at a time
Factors influencing compressive strength
of concrete
1) The quality of cement paste
 The quality of cement paste depends on the
water/cement ratio, (w/c).
 The extra water contributes to enhance volume of
voids, which reduce the strength of the cement paste.
Factors influencing compressive strength
of concrete
2) The characteristics of aggregate
 The hardness, shape, texture, and grading (particle
size) of both coarse and fine aggregate are know to
exercise significant influence on compressive strength of
concrete.
 Rougher the surface greater the area contacted with
cement paste, hence strong concrete will be.
 The bond between the aggregate.
Factors influencing compressive strength
of concrete
3) The ratio of cement to aggregate.
 In a concrete mix, as the volume of cement is
decreased, and correspondingly as the volume of
aggregate is increased, more water is generally
needed to attain a fixed workability.
 The decreasing aggregate, too much cement result
in lowered compressive strength lowered compressive
strength and lead to shrinkage problems.
Quality of Good concrete

 STRENGTH: The concrete should be able to withstand the

stresses that it is subjected to. It is quite strong in compression
but weak in tension.

 DENSITY: the concrete should be well compacted so that

there are no voids or hollows left.

 WATER TIGHTNESS & DURABILITY:

 used for construction of water retaining structures such as dams,
elevated tanks and water reservoirs then this property of concrete
becomes very important.
 Resistance to corrosion
 Resistance to water
Reinforced concrete
 Concrete is weak in tension but strong in
compression.
 Therefore, reinforcement is needed to resist the
tensile stresses resulting from the applied loads.
 Additional reinforcement sometimes added to the
compression zone to reduce long term deflection.
Bars

Steel link

Reinforcement
tie wire
Making and placing concrete
 Concreting process involves the following process:

1) Mixing of 2) Transporting 3) Placing

concrete concrete concrete

5) Curing 4) Compacting
concrete concrete
1) Mixing of concrete
Mixing of
concrete

Machine
Hand mixing
mixing

Operated electrically or
driven by oil engines
2) Transporting concrete
 Concrete should be handled from the place of mixing to
the place of final deposit as rapidly as practical by
methods which will prevent the segregation or loss of any
of the ingredients.
 If the segregation does occur during transport, the
concrete should be remixed before being placed.
 Method of transporting and placing concrete which
are used widely, are:
- Wheel barrows
- Power barrows
- Dumpers and trucks
- Monorail system
- Elevating towers and hoists
- cranes
- Belt conveyers and Boom conveyers
- Truck mixers
3) Placing concrete
 The concrete should be placed and compacted.
 Before concrete is placed, it should be ensured that the
forms are rigid, in their correct position, well cleaned
and oiled.
 Oiling of these forms will prevent the concrete from sticking
to it, and it will then be easier to remove the forms when they
are no longer required.
 Concrete should not be poured into the forms only at one
point, but should be uniformly spread on all the sides for
better compaction.
4) Compacting concrete
 The density and consequently, the strength and durability
of concrete depend upon this operation.
 Concrete should be thoroughly compacted during the
operation of placing and thoroughly worked around the
reinforcement & into corners of the form work.
 Concrete is compacted by vibration.Vibrators are of three
general types:
a) Internal Vibrators,
b) External Vibrators,
c) Surface Vibrators.
Internal vibrator

External vibrator

Surface vibrator
4) Curing concrete
 Curing is one of the most essential operation in which
concrete is kept continuously damp/wet for some days
to enable the concrete to gain more strength.
 Curing replenishes the loss of moisture from the concrete
due to evaporation, absorption and heat of reactions.
 The period of curing depends upon atmospheric
conditions such as temperature, humidity and wind velocity.
The normal period is between 7 and 10 days.
 There are several methods of curing the concrete:
- Covering the exposed surface with a layer of sacking,
canvas, hessian or similar absorbant materials, and
keeping them continuously wet.
- Thoroughly wetting the surface of concrete, and then keeping
it covered with a layer of suitable water proof material.
- Curing with the help of steam or hot water, resulting
in rapid development of strength.
 steam or hot water

Hessian/canvas

water proof material

CONCRETE BASIC PROPERTIES
Water/Cement Ratio
 The single most important indicator of strength is the
ratio of the water used compared to the amount of
cement (w/c ratio)
 Basically, the lower this ratio is, the higher the final
concrete strength will be.
 This concept was developed by Duff Abrams of The
Portland Cement Association in the early 1920s and is in
worldwide use today.
Water/Cement Ratio
 Advantages of low water/cement ratio:
 Increased strength
 Lower permeability
 Increased resistance to weathering
 Better bond between concrete and reinforcement
 Reduced drying shrinkage and cracking
 Less volume change from wetting and drying
Concrete Curing
Compressive Strength
 Compressive Strength - is defined as the measured
maximum resistance of a concrete or mortar specimen to
an axial load, usually expressed in psi (pounds per square
inch) at an age of 28-days.
 During the first week to 10 days of curing it is important that
the concrete not be permitted to freeze or dry out
 In practical terms, about 90% of its strength is gained in the
first 28 days.
 Concrete compressive strength depends upon many factors:
 quality and proportions of the ingredients
 the curing environment.
 Effect of voids in concrete on modulus of elasticity,
compressive strength, and flexural strength.
Freeze-Thaw Resistance
 Concrete used in structures and pavements is expected to
have long life and low maintenance.
 It must have good durability to resist anticipated exposure
conditions.
 The most potentially destructive weathering factor is freezing
and thawing while the concrete is wet, particularly in the
presence of deicing chemicals.
 Deterioration is caused by the freezing of water and
subsequent expansion in the paste, the aggregate particles, or
both.
Specimens Subjected to 150 cycles of
Freezing and Thawing
Concrete Shrinkage
 As concrete cures it shrinks because the water not used for
hydration gradually evaporates from the hardened mix
 Concrete, like all materials, also undergoes volume changes
due to thermal effects.
 The heat from the exothermic hydration process adds to this
problem.
 Since concrete is weak in tension, it will often develop cracks
due to such shrinkage and temperature changes.
Mix Proportions
 The ingredients of concrete can be proportioned by weight or
volume.
 The goal is to provide the desired strength and workability at
minimum expense.
 A low w/c ratio is used to achieve strong concrete.
Concrete Mix Design Relationships
Workability
 Workability - that property of freshly mixed concrete that
determines its working characteristics, i.e. the ease with which
it can be mixed, placed, compacted and finished.
 Factors effecting workability:
 Method and duration of transportation
 Quantity and characteristics of cementing materials
 Concrete consistency (slump)
 Aggregate grading, shape & surface texture
 % entrained air
 Water content
 Concrete & ambient air temperature
 Admixtures
Workability
 Workability should be obtained by the use of a well-graded
aggregate and one which has the largest maximum particle size
which will pass readily between & around the reinforcement
 The use of smooth and rounded, rather than irregularly shaped
aggregate also increases workability but in high strength
concretes, there may be no overall increase in strength
because with equal water:cement ratio, irregularly shaped
aggregate produces the stronger concrete
 Air-entraining admixtures improve the workability of mixes
and improve frost resistance of hardened concrete, but
reduction in density is accompanied by loss of strength up to
about 15%
Slump Test
 A good indication of the water content of a mix and thus
the workability) can be had from a standard slump test.
 Most concrete mixes have slumps in the 2- to 5-in range
 A good indication of the water content of a mix and thus
the workability) can be had from a standard slump test.
Slump Test
Consolidation
 Good consolidation (left) is needed to achieve a dense
and durable concrete.
 Poor consolidation (right can result in early corrosion of
reinforcing steel and low compressive strength
Curing of concrete
 Why cure concrete? Curing serves two main purposes:
 it retains moisture in the slab so that the concrete continues
to gain strength
 it delays drying shrinkage until the concrete is strong enough
to resist shrinkage cracking
TYPES OF CONCRETE
 REINFORCED CONCRETE
 DENSE (HEAVYWEIGHT) CONCRETE
 LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
 POLYMER CONCRETE
 READY MIXED CONCRETE (RMC)
 SHOTCRETE
 SPECIAL CONCRETE
 BACTERIAL CONCRETE
 SELF COMPACTING CONCRETE
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
 Lightweight concretes are those weighing less than
2,000kg/m3 down to 160kg/m3
 Advantages of lightweight over dense concrete include:
 Savings in the costs of handling the materials and of the
supporting structures
 Superior thermal insulation and fire resistance
 Superior sound absorption of unplastered surfaces
 Usually easier to cut, chase (to get to the point without
wasting time) and nail into
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
■ On the other hand, the disadvantages include:
– Compressive strength & the modulus of elasticity are reduced
– The moisture movement of aerated and lightweight concretes
is high
– Reversible moisture expansion is usually as great as the initial
drying shrinkage
– Protection of reinforcement against corrosion may reduce
– Sound insulation reduces as density of the concrete decreases
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
■ Lightweight concretes are made in 3 main ways:
■ Aerated or cellular concrete – minute and non-
communicating cells are formed by introducing air or gas
into a matrix of cement with, in all but the lightest non-
structural concretes, ground sand, pulverised-fuel ash or
other fine siliceous material as fine aggregate
■ Lightweight aggregate concrete – made by incorporating
a cellular coarse aggregate
■ No-fines concrete – made by omitting the fine
aggregates and the smaller particles of coarse aggregate
so as to leave voids
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
Ends..