Structural Materials

CONCRETE MATERIALS
Concrete is a mixture of paste and aggregates (sand and rock). The paste, composed of cement and water, costs the surface of the fine (sand) and coarse aggregates ( rock) and binds together into a rock-like mass known as concrete.

Unit weight : Normal concrete density = 23.6 kN/m3

Aggregate

The total aggregate (fine + coarse) are used in concrete as filler and generally occupy 60% to 75% of the concrete volume (70% to 85% by weight) Fine aggregate generally consist of natural sand or crushed stone with most particles smaller than 4.6 mm size. Coarse aggregates consist of one or a combination of gravels or crushed aggregate with particles larger than 4.6 mm. ( 10 mm < coarse aggregate < 20mm)

Cement:
Type I : Normal

It is general-purpose cement use in concrete for making pavements, floors, reinforced, concrete buildings, bridges, tanks, pipes, etc. It is for all uses where the special properties of other cement types are not required, such as sulfate attack from soil and water, or to an objectionable temperature rise.

Type II: Moderate sulfate resistance It is used where precaution against moderate sulfate attack is important, as in drainage structures, which may be subjected to a moderate sulfate concentration from ground waters. It is generates less heat of hydration at a slower than type I cement therefore can be used in mass structures such as large piers, heavy abutments, and retaining walls. Due to less heat generation it can be preferred in hot weather.

Type III: High early strength It is chemically and physically similar to type I cement, except that its particles have been ground finer. It provide high early strengths at the early period, usually a week or less. It is used when forms need to be removed as soon as possible It used in precast factories It is preferred in cold weather for reduction in the curing period.

Type IV: Low heat of hydration It is used where the rate and amount of heat generated from hydration must be minimized. It develops strength at a slower rate than other cement types. It is most suitably used in massive concrete structures, such as large gravity dams, where the temperature rise resulting from heat generated during hardening and must be minimized to control the concrete cracking.

Type V: High sulfate resistance It is used only in concrete exposed to severe sulfate action principally where soils or ground waters have high sulfate content, levels reach foundations. Its high sulfate resistance is due to its low C3A content of about 4% It is not resistant to acids and other highly corrosive substances It used in off-shore structures

Mixing water for concrete

Water helps in hydration of cement. It should be clean and free from dirt and dust or salts. Drinkable water is good for making concrete.

Concrete Design Mix (BS 5328 : 1981)

Admixtures:
To control certain properties of concrete, we add special materials, called admixtures, to give desired properties: Air-Entraining admixtures: to create voids in concrete, are used primarily to increase concretes resistance to freeing. Improves durability under temperature changes, but reduce strength (15%) Accelerating admixtures: such as calcium chloride to concrete will accelerate its early strength development.

Retarding admixtures: are used to show the sitting of the concrete and to retard temperate increases. Used in large mass structures, such as dams. Workability admixtures: used to make concrete easier to handle and place into molds, without in creating water/cement ratio. Superplasticizers admixtures: made from organic sulfonates, their use enables engineers to reduce the water content in concrete substantially while at the same time increasing their slump.

PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE
The properties of concrete are its characteristics or basic qualities. The main properties of concrete are: Strength: the concrete resists compressive stresses and not tensile stresses; therefore, compressive strength is criterion of quality concrete. Workability: is used to describe the ease or difficulty with which the concrete is hadle.

As water to cement ratio increase, its strength decreases its workability increase. Workability is usually indirectly measured in the field by the slump test. Workability of concrete ( how easily the concrete flows) is an indication of how easy it is placed in its molds.

For low w/c, strength is high, but concrete is difficult to place in molds. For high w/c, strength is not high.

We can obtain high strength concrete ( using low w/c ration) and high workability by using admixtures.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE

1.

Water-cement ratio: one of the most important factors affecting the strength of concrete. A w/c of 0.5 and 0.7 may produce a concrete strength of about 35 MPa and 21 MPa respectively.
Method of Mixing: the use of mechanical concrete mixers and the proper time of mixing both have favorable effects on strength of concrete. Also, the use of vibrators produces dense concrete with a minimum percentage of voids. A void ratio of 5% may reduce the concrete strength by about 30%.

2.

3.

Method of curing: the curing conditions exercise an important influence on the strength of concrete. Both moisture and temperature have a direct effect on the hydration of cement. Age of the concrete: the strength of the concrete increases appreciably with age, and hydration of cement continues for months.

4.

5.

Loading conditions: the compressive strength of concrete is estimated by testing a cylinder or cube to failure in a few minutes. Under sustained loads for years, the ultimate strength of uncrate is reduced by about 30%.

STRESS OF CONCRETE
Typical concrete compressive strength,

R/C structures: Prestressed concrete: High strength concrete:

fc= 20 to 45 MPa fc = 35 to 55 MPa fc = 50 to 150 MPa

(in high rise buildings)

Tensile strength of concrete

The tensile strength of concrete is relatively low, the direct tensile strength, for example, range from about 3 to 5 fc for normal density concrete.

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