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Culture Documents
Introduction
concrete
Constituents
Mixture of Aggregate and Paste
Paste 30 40%
Portland cement 7- 15% by volume
Water 14 to 21% by volume
Aggregate 60 -70%
Coarse aggregates
Fine aggregate sand
Admixtures
concrete
Initially plastic material
Takes shape of mould or formwork
Hardened
Dense
Loadbearing
Lightweight
Thermal insulating
Properties depend on aggregate used
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Concrete
Cements
Ordinary Portland Cement
90% all cement production
Heat limestone and clay
Clinker
Add 5% gypsum CaSO4
Regulates rate of setting
concrete
Cements
Dry powder of very fine particles
Forms paste when mixed with water
Chemical reaction hydration
Rate which water is absorbed
Paste coats all aggregates together
Hardens to form solid mass
concrete
Aggregates
Cheap fillers
Hard material
Provide volume stability
Reduce volume changes ( shrinkage)
Provide abrasion resistance
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concrete
Aggregates
Most variable material in concrete
Grades affect amount of water required
Fine grade more water
Coarse grade - less water
Same degree of workability
Sharp edged rough surface
More water than smooth rounded particles
Same workability
concrete
Aggregates
Sharp edged rough surface
Increase cement content crushed aggregate
size
concrete
Aggregates
Proportion fine / coarse aggregate
Obtain required workability
Minimum water required
Bad proportion
More water for adequate workability
Low strength
Poor durability
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concrete
Water
Needed for 2 purposes
Chemical reaction with cement
Workability
concrete
Water
Good for preventing
plastic shrinkage
Cracking
Bad for
Permeability
Penetrates substrate filling holes
Strength
durability
concrete
Water
Avoid variation in quality or quantity
Water / cement ratio
Most important for consistent strength
Use minimum necessary for full compaction
Quantity
Absorption by dry / porous aggregates
Free surface water of wet aggregates
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concrete
Admixtures
Added to concrete during mixing
Modify one or more of its properties
Set retarders
Set accelerators
Water reducing / plasticisers
Air Entraining
concrete
Admixture
Set retarders
Decrease rate of set
Dont affect 28 day strength
Extend workable life of ready mix to 36 hrs
Phosphates
Hydroxycarboxyic acid
concrete
Admixtures
Set Accelerators
Increase rate of reaction
Increase rate of set
Advantageous in pre-casting
Early removal of formwork
Reduce frost damage
Chlorine free
Calcium formate
Chlorine attacks reinforcement
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concrete
Admixtures
Water reducing plasticisers
Increase workability
concrete
Admixtures
Air- Entrained
Stabilise air bubbles
Reduce segregation
Wood resins
Synthetic surfactants
Fairy liquid
concrete
Concrete mixes
Essential properties of hardened concrete
Durability
Strength
Both affected by voids
Complete compaction
Excessive water
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concrete
Concrete mixes
cement water/cement ratio
More durable
Greater strength
Mechanical compaction
Drier
Stronger
More durable
Mixes can be designed to reach full strength
concrete
Concrete classifications
Designed mixes
Strength main criterion
Strength tested
Cement content specified for durability
Supplier responsible
Prescribed mix
Cement content / mix proportions given
Specifier responsible
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concrete
Control of Quality
Fresh concrete
Workability
Ease of placement
Resistance to segregation
Homogeneous mass
Consistency
Ability to flow
concrete
Control of Quality
Fresh concrete
Slump test
Vebe consistomer test
Hardened Concrete
Cube crushing test at 7 and 28 days
concrete
Concrete properties
Strength
Increases with age -hydration drying out
Compressive strength
Possible most important
Good in compression
High strength
Nature of aggregate important
Good control of operations
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concrete
Concrete properties
Resistance to weather and chemical attack
Durability permeability
concrete
Practical Concreting
Batching
Measure proportions of materials correctly
Extremely important
Coarse aggregate
Cement
Fine aggregate
Water
Low workability extend mix time
concrete
Practical Concreting
Transporting Placing Compacting
Dont cause delay or segregation
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Concrete Transporting
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT
VERTICAL MOVEMENT
Buckets and Skips Skips and buckets moved by crane with skips discharged from the
bottom and buckets tipped. Capacity from 0.5 m3 to 6 m3.
Conveyor Belts Not used regularly over the past few years. Most likely to be seen
mounted on some truck mixers to allow discharge where chutes are
not long enough (normally 10 m of conveyor).
Hoists Used on tall buildings to transport concrete in containers such as
barrows.
Pumping Pumps are convenient for moving concrete on sites. They can be
static or mobile and have the capacity to move large amounts of
concrete. Normal coverage is 50 m vertically and 100 m horizontally.
Pumps can deliver 30 m3 per hour.
Concrete placing
Practical Concreting
Placing
Compact while placing
Minimise air voids
Less than 1m high
Avoid segregation
Concrete compacting
Practical Concreting
Compacting
Bonds to reinforcement better
5% air voids vol = 30% reduction compressive strength
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Concrete
Mechanical Vibration
Internal -Poker
A cylindrical vibrator
connected to a motor by
a flexible drive shaft,
diameters ranging from
25-75 mm. Concrete
should be placed in
layers of 300-500 mm
depending on the length
of poker used. Care
must be taken not to
touch reinforcement as
this will result in de-
bonding between the
reinforcement and the
surrounding concrete.
Concrete compacting
Practical Concreting
Mechanical Vibration
External (Clamp On)
Vibrators
Motors which are
designed to vibrate
are clamped to the
formwork allowing
the formwork to
vibrate the
concrete. Often
used in pre-cast
work. Formwork
must be designed
and constructed to
resist the constant
vibration.
Concrete compacting
Surface
Beam vibrators
Designed for use on
concrete slabs which are
too thick for hand tamping
(over 100 mm), the beam
vibrator is made up of a
metal beam with a clamp
on vibrator fixed to the top.
The need for level side
forms that will not move
when the vibrating beam is
used is essential. The
beam is pulled along the
side forms and will leave a
flat level surface on the
floor slab.
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Concrete curing
Practical Concreting
Curing
Concrete hardens by reaction between cement and
water
Shrinkage occurs internal moisture loss
Minimise cracking
Practical Concreting
Curing
METHOD OF CURING WEATHER PROTECTION COMMENTS
Covering concrete with Protects from mild frosts Care must be taken to ensure concrete is
damp sand or hessian and light rainfall dry enough to prevent marking or
contamination when surface is covered
Ponding flooding of the Protects from sun and wind Freezing could cause damage to
surface with water surfaces
Spraying water sprayed None Labour intensive, continual spraying
on surface could cause damage if not carefully
controlled
Sheet polythene retains Protects from all forms of Placed as quickly as possible on a frame
moisture in the concrete weather damage if surface is likely to be damaged. Sheet
weighted at edges preventing wind under
sheet. Tape joints between sheets when
curing slabs
Sprayed compounds Provides protection from Resins have to be applied carefully in
resin sprayed on to rain and wind when dry order to ensure they work properly.
concrete surfaces to form a after application Designed to degrade without effecting
protective skin sealing in concrete after the curing period
moisture
concrete
Pre-cast concrete
Cast
Vertically
Horizontally
Most common
Face up
Face down
Better quality
control
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concrete
Pre-cast concrete
Moulds
Plywood
More complex forms
Modify to non standard units
Steel
More durable repeated use
Designed for dismantling
Tight tolerances = quality control
Concrete moulds
concrete
Pre-cast concrete
Moulds
High initial cost
Limit variations
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