CONCRETE

BRIEF INSIGHT

AIM : TO MIX MATERIALS IN MEASURED AMOUNTS

TO MAKE CONCRETE THAT IS EASY TO:

TRANSPORT
PLACE
COMPACT
FINISH

The amount of each

material (i.e cement,
water and
aggregates) affects
the properties of
hardened concrete.

AGGREGATES

Aggregates are of two basic types:

COARSE
: crushed rock, gravel or screenings like crushed
rock, gravel or screenings
FINE
: fine and coarse sands and crusher fines like
fine and coarse sands and crusher fines.

Aggregates should be:

GRADED

STRONG & HARD

Rounded aggregates give a more

workable mix.

CHEMICALLY INACTIVE

Angular aggregates make concrete

harder to place, work and compact,
but can make concrete stronger.

WATER

Water is mixed with the cement powder to form a paste which holds the
aggregates together like glue.

ADMIXTURES are mixed into the concrete to change or alter its

properties, i.e the time concrete takes to set and harden, or its
workability.

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS

Measured amounts of the coarse and fine
aggregates are mixed together

A measured amount of cement is added and mixed in. Enough water is added to make
the mix workable. All the materials are then mixed together well. The cement powder
and water form a paste which bonds the aggregates together like glue.

THE PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE ARE ITS

CHARACTERISTICS OR BASIC QUALITIES
The four main properties of concrete are:
WORKABILITY , COHESIVENESS, STRENGTH and DURABILITY

WORKABILITY

means
How easy it is to PLACE, HANDLE, COMPACT and FINISH a concrete mix.

Workability is affected by:

The amount of cement paste : The cement paste is the soft or liquid
part of the concrete mix.
The aggregate grading : Well-graded, smooth, rounded aggregates
improve the workability of a mix.
Water Cement ratio : maintain appropriate W/C ratio

To make a more workable mix:

Use WELL GRADED aggregates.
Use an ADMIXTURE
Proper W/C ratio

NOTE:
NEVER TRY TO MAKE A MIXTURE MORE
WORKABLE BY JUST ADDING MORE WATER
BECAUSE THIS LOWERS THE STRENGTH
AND DURABILITY OF CONCRETE.

STRENGTH AND DURABILITY

Well made concrete is a naturally strong and durable material. It is
DENSE, reasonably WATERTIGHT, able to resist changes in
TEMPERATURE, as well as wear and tear from WEATHERING.

STRENGTH AND DURABILITY ARE AFFECTED BY:

COMPACTION : is removing the air from concrete.

CURING : is keeping concrete damp for a period, to allow it to reach
maximum strength.
WEATHER : Warmer weather will cause concrete to have a higher early
strength.
TYPE OF CEMENT : Different types of cement will affect concrete
properties i.e how quickly or slowly concrete gains strength.
WATER TO CEMENT RATIO : Too much water and not enough cement
means concrete will be weaker and less durable.

PROPORTIONING OF MIX

TRANSPORTING AND PLACING CONCRETE

When transporting and placing concrete,
AVOID
DELAY
SEGREGATION and
WASTAGE

CONCRETE TESTING

THE SLUMP TEST

The slump test is done to make sure a concrete mix is workable.

The measured slump must be within a set range, or tolerance, from the target slump.

THE SLUMP TEST

DOS AND DONTS

IT IS WORSE TO UNDER-VIBRATE THAN TO OVER-VIBRATE CONCRETE

FINISHING CONCRETE

Water that appears on the

surface of the concrete is
called BLEED WATER.
Excess bleed water can be
removed by dragging across
the surface of the concrete.

EDGING AND GROOVING

CURING CONCRETE