BACK TO BASICS

3A6 Concrete Technology

Dr. Roger P. West

November 2006

Part A:
Basic Concepts and Site Practice
1. Introduction
2. Sampling Concrete Materials
3. Workability and Workability
Measurement
4. Strength Development and Strength
Measurement
5. Sampling, Slump Testing and Cube
Making

1. Introduction:

Testing to ensure:

Concrete has been

specified, made and
transported correctly.
Quality satisfactory for
purpose intended.

2. Sampling Concrete Materials

Sampling: IS EN 12350-1.
Provide certificate.
Good equipment.
Take care / make representative.
Take from mixer or as close to discharge
as possible, or both.

1. Sample in middle section of load not ends (slump alternative).

2. At irregular times not evident to mixer operator.
3. Note appearance, stony, creamy, sandy etc..

Sampling

3. Workability and Workability Testing

Objective is to produce a fully compacted concrete
without a loss of homogeneity or workability
Includes mixing, transporting, discharging, placing,
compacting and finishing
Problems:
Improper constituents (e.g. additional water)
Loss of workability prior to discharge (e.g.
segregation / slump loss)
Lack of compaction
Finishing problems (e.g. excessive bleeding)

Workability

Strongly associated with the slump test

Factors such as the fluidity, stability, pumpability,
compactability and finishability all affect the workability
These properties are affected by:

Design of mix
Adjustment to the mix constituents
Environmental Conditions:

Ambient and concrete temperature

Relative humidity and the air speed
Degree of agitation and friability of aggregrates
Elapsed time since mixing

EN206-1 uses concept of consistence

Plastic testing: Slump

Slump test: IS EN 12350-2.

4. Strength Development and Strength

Measurement

Aggregates glued together by cement paste to

form concrete
Cement hydration is a chemical reaction which
requires water
Strength gain reflects degree of hydration
Strength gain depends on

Type of cement
Temperature history temperature and time
Curing
Admixtures

Factors Affecting Compressive Strength at 28

days

Aggregate content
Cement type and fineness
Water/cement ratio
Degree of compaction
Extent of curing
Temperature

Between 65 and 80% of 28 day strength at 7 days

Strength Measurement
100mm or 150mm cubes at 7 and 28 days
(note ratio 1:1 and square in plan)
300mm x 150mm cylinders at 7 and 28 days
(note ratio 2:1 and circular in plan)
Other tests direct tension, bending and
cores
Non-destructive testing

Cube Making:

Cube making: IS EN 12390-2

Prime objectives
to achieve full compaction
avoid loss of moisture
keep at proper temperature when in curing tank
Use proper tools.
Advantage of cube shape is ease of making
accurate sides.
Effect of cube shape.

The Slump Test

Cube Making

Part B:
Specifications and Non-Compliance
6. Cube Curing and Cube Testing
7. Specification and Compliance Slump
Classes and New Concrete Grades
8. Cube Reports and Cube Failures

6. Cube Curing and Cube Testing

Curing: IS EN 12390-3
De-mould when stability of cube allows.
Prevent loss of moisture before placing in
curing tank.
Loss in strength due to initial drying out is
unrecoverable.
No provision for in-situ cubes. BS1881 gives
method for temperature matched curing.

Cube curing

Cube testing:

Cube test: IS EN 12380-3

Specification compliance.
Desirable properties enhanced by increasing
strength.
Effect of load rate, dry cubes.
Effects of different machines.
General variations.
Validity of uniaxial compression.

7. Specification and Compliance

Consistence Classes
New Concrete Grades

Consistence Classes

Quantitative tests include the slump test, Vebe, degree of

compaction and flow table values according to ISEN 12350,
Parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively

Table 3 from ISEN206-1: Table 11 ISEN 206-1:

Slump classes
Tolerances for target values of consistence
Class Slump in mm
Target Value(mm) < 40 50 90 >100
Tolerance(mm)
10
20 30
S1 10 40
S2 50 - 90
S3 100 - 150
S4 160 - 210
S5 > 220

Identity Testing
Extract from Table B-1, EN206 1: Identity criteria for slump
For samples taken in accordance
For spot samples taken from initial
with I.S. EN 12350-1
discharge
Specified slump class
Not less than
Not more than
Not less than
Not more than
mm
mm
mm
mm
S1
0
60
0
70
S2
40
110
30
120
S3
90
170
80
180
S4
150
230
140
240
S5
210
No requirement
200
No requirement
Specified target slump,
Not more than the following from the specified target value
mm
mm
< 40
-20
+30
-30
+40
50 to 90
-30
+40
-40
+50
> 100
-40
+50
-50
+60

Meeting Concrete Specification - Compliance

The delivery docket doesnt have to state the precise mix

proportions of the concrete if a product data sheet is accepted
The docket must declare that it conforms to the specification
in ISEN206-1. Other information such as time of batching
may be relevant, in the case of non-compliance (if the
concrete exceeds the consistence class tolerances)
The addition of water and admixtures is forbidden
In special circumstances, the producer can take responsibility
for adding water providing that:

the limiting values in the specification are not exceeded .

Sampling for Assessing Conformity: Test Plan

Conformity assessed on site, in accordance with Table 13

Production

Initial (until at least 35 test

results are obtained)
Continuousb (when at least
35 test results are available)

Minimum rate of sampling

First 50 m3 of Subsequent to first 50 m3 of productiona
production
Concrete with
Concrete without
production control
production control
certification
certification
3
3 samples
1/200 m or
1/150 m3 or
2/production week
1/production day
1/400 m3 or
1/production week

Sampling shall be distributed throughout the production and should not be more than
1 sample within each 25 m3.
b

Where the standard deviation of the last 15 test results exceeds 1,37 , the sampling
rate shall be increased to that required for initial production for the next 35 tests results.

New Concrete Grades

Previously had 5 classes of exposure (mild,

moderate, severe, very severe, extreme) in IS326
(or BS8110), with a reasonable choice of grades
between 20 and 50 concrete.
Now in ISEN206, or Eurocode 2, have 18
exposure classes and only 5 grades in this range
(cube strengths 20, 30, 35, 37, 45MPa)
Specify cylinder/cube strengths as , for example,
C30/37.
ISEN206 NA Table X

Exposure classes

No
risk
of
corro
s-ion
or
attac
k

Carbonation-induced
corrosion

Chloride-induced corrosion

Sea water

Freeze/thaw attack

Aggressive chemical environments

Chloride other
than sea water

X0

XC
1

XC
2

XC
3

XC
4

XS
1

XS
2

XS
3

XD
1

XD
2

XD
3

XF
1

XF
2

XF
3

XF
4

XA 1

XA 2

XA 3

---

0.65

0.60

0.55

0.55

0.55

0.50

0.45

0.55

0.50

0.45

0.60

0.55

0.55

0.45

0.55

0.50

0.45

C12/1
5

C25/
30

C28/
35

C30/
37

C30/
37

C30/
37

C35/
45

C40/
50

C30/
37

C35/
45

C40/
50

C28/
35

C30/
37

C30/
37

C40/
50

C30/37

C35/45

C40/50

---

280

300

320

320

320

360

400

320

360

400

300

320

320

400

Maxim
um
w/c
ratio
Minim
um
strengt
h
class

Minim
um
cement
conten
t
(kg/m3
)

Minim
um
air

If less than
C40/50 use
5.5% (10 agg.)
4.5% (14 agg.)
3.5% (20 agg.)

320(
1)

2
8
0
(2
)

360
(1),
(3)

320
(2)

(1) CEM I
(2) Sulfate resisting cement
(3) Use sulfate resisting cement
if SO42 > 1400 mg/l

400
(1)
(3)

360
(2)

Criteria for cube failures

A strength (the characteristic 28-day strength) is

specified based on design the concrete Grade
In compression test, two tested cubes at 28 days =
one result
Provided difference between individual results is
within 15% of average
Running average of four cube results (for Grades <
50):
average of any 4 consecutive results must be
greater than characteristic + 3MPa (or N/mm2)
Individual cube result:
every individual result must be greater than the
characteristic -3MPa

Concrete Cube Test Result Variability

Variability 28 day cube results have a
mean strength and a standard deviation
For an expected 5% defective level, the
target mean strength is the specified
characteristic strength plus 1.64 times the
standard deviation

Example

Grade 35 specified
Over 100 cube results available from site
Consider individual results and running group of
4 average
Consider percentage 7 vs 28 day results
Inspect histogram and calculate mean and standard
deviation
Ensure actual mean is greater than target mean
strength

Cube
Ref.

7
day
A

28
day
B

28
day
C

28 day
Avge.

% diff.
Of 28d

Ratio
Runn7/28 % ing
Avge

Comment

21

35.0

45.0

48.0

46.5

6.5

75

45.1

OK

22

32.0

43.0

42.5

42.8

1.1

75

44.7

OK

23

31.5

39.5

32.5

36.0

19.4

88

24

28.0

39.0

40.0

39.5

2.5

71

43.1

OK

25

32.0

37.5

42.5

39.8

12.7

80

42.2

OK

26

35.0

42.0

41.0

41.5

2.4

84

40.9

OK

27

23.0

28.5

31.0

29.8

8.4

77

37.7

Ind & Gp FAIL

28

20.5

25.5

25.5

25.5

0.0

78

34.2

Ind & Gp FAIL

29

17.5

33.0

31.5

32.3

4.6

54

32.3

Gp FAIL

30

25.5

34.5

30.5

32.5

10.7

78

30.0

Gp FAIL

31

37.8

44.5

32

35.5

41.5

45.5

43.5

9.2

82

33.5

Gp FAIL

33

38.0

47.0

42.0

44.5

11.2

85

38.2

OK

34

37.5

44.5

41.5

43.0

7.0

87

40.9

OK

35

32.5

36.5

39.0

37.8

6.6

86

42.2

OK

OMIT >15%

OMIT 1no. 28d

Actual Mean Compared to Target Mean

Compressive Strength

Characteristic =35MPa
Actual Mean = 40.2MPa
Standard Deviation = 4.65MPa

Target Mean Strength = Characteristic + 1.64 Standard Deviation

or
TMS of 35 + 1.64 x 4.65 = 42.6MPa > Actual Mean => PROBLEM !

Failure modes - Normal

Failure modes - Abnormal

Consequences of failure
In-situ testing,
methods, validity,
representative of
what?
Cost of delays, loss
in reputation.