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Lean(Blinding) concrete

Lean Concrete It is a plain type of concrete with a larger aggregate to cement ratio than structural concrete. Lean concrete is mainly used for filling and not structural duties, as it has low weight bearing strength.

Main function of the lean concrete is to provide the uniform surface to the foundation concrete and to prevent the direct contact of foundation concrete from the soil.

The purpose of this is to seal in underlying material and prevent dirt and mud from interfering with the structure. This is a thin concrete layer, fine gravel applied to a surface to smoothen over the gaps to give a cleaner, drier and durable finish.
a blinding concrete is a thin layer of lean concrete
it's main purpose from our perspective is to provide a workable surface over what is often a clay or silty clay soil which otherwise would not be suitable for formwork and rebar placing etc.

there are two grades of PCC (plain cement concrete) specified for blinding mats underneath all foundations. One is called M10 (requiring 10MPa cube strength - 8MPa cylinder strength). The other is M15 (15MPa cube - 12MPa cylinder). The "weaker" one is for light structures - say median drains, toe drains, sign foundations, etc. The "stronger" one is for bridge spread foundations, as an example.

To proper bonding with Roller-Compacted Concrete RCC & PCC Reinforcement is not touch directly to earth

It also stops water from the freshly poured foundation concrete from seeping away into the soil. Blinding concrete is required just to form a level base for the waterproofing layer and for placing rebar before casting the raft, so it is not meant to be water-tight by itself.

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04
Cover for concrete in foundations shall be as follows: Structural concrete cast against blinding or cast against formwork and subsequently backfilled Structural concrete cast directly against the soil
Minimum cover (mm), excl c

40 mm 60 mm

What is the need to put blinding at the footing of a structure. Why can the beam not just sit directly on the compacted ground? Unless you are in an area that has this as a code requirement, as long as the bottom of the excavation is stable, relatively dry, non-reactive to concrete, and compactible, then there is no reason you would have to use a blinding layer. Provided you have adequate cover on the rebar, concrete may be cast against earth.
there are practical reasons for using a blinding layer. It helps a lot in fickle weather conditions to create a stable, hard base to work off rather than chancing that the bottom of your footing will turn to mud. Sometimes where the required bearing pressure is achieved at varying levels, it is more practical to replace the soft material with low strength concrete than to lower the actual reinforced pad. This material in the overexcavated area is often called blinding concrete. Another use for blinding concrete is under a continuous slab or mat foundation which is required to be waterproofed. The waterproofing is done on a blinding layer, then the mat is built.

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