TODAYS CONCRETE

THE CONCRETE INDUSTRY IN USA

Concrete is the worlds most used

construction material.

The USA is expected to consume

228,000,000yds in 2013.

66% of concrete is used by state and

local governments to build streets,
highway, and other infrastructure.
 WHAT IS CONCRETE?
Concrete is made of 4 general
constituents:
Binding agent (powders of various

compositions)
Binding activator (liquid)

Coarse aggregate

Fine aggregate
 WHAT IS CONCRETE?
BINDER- several types exist
Cement/Binder:
Cement
Type I to V
Numerous blends
SCMs
Fly ash: C or F,
ultrafine
GGBS/slag
Silica fume
Metakaolin
Sulfur* (sulfurcrete)
 BINDERS
CEMENT:
ASTM C 150 provides
the specification for
cements. It covers
10 different types
of cement. Not all
will be readily
available in every
region of the USA.
 BINDERS
SCMs (supplementary cementitious materials)

SCMs are used to improve concrete performance in

its fresh and hardened state (workability,
durability, and strength)

These materials are generally byproducts (waste)

from other processes or natural materials
(pozzolans).
 BINDERS: SCMs
FLY ASH
Flyash is defined in Cement and Concrete Terminology (ACI Committee 116)
as the finely divided residue resulting from the combustion of ground or
powdered coal, which is transported from the firebox through the boiler by
flue gases. Flyash is a by-product of coal-fired electric generating plants.

Two classifications of flyash are produced, according to the type of coal used.
Anthracite and bituminous coal produces flyash classified as Class F. Class
C flyash is produced by burning lignite or subbituminous coal.

Flyash affects the plastic properties of concrete by improving workability,

reducing water demand, reducing segregation and bleeding, and lowering
heat of hydration. Flyash increases strength, reduces permeability,
reduces corrosion of reinforcing steel, increases sulphate resistance, and
reduces alkali-aggregate reaction.
Thirteen million tons of coal ash is produced in Texas each year and only
eleven percent of this ash is used in the production of concrete.
SCMs
 SCMs
GGBS/SLAG
Obtained by quenching molten
iron slag (a by-product of iron and
steel making) from a blast furnace
in water or steam, to produce a
glassy, granular product that is
then dried and ground into a fine
powder similar to cement.
 SCMs
Silica Fume:
An ultrafine powder collected as a
by-product of the silicon and
ferrosilicon alloy production.
Approximately 100 times smaller
than the average cement
particle.
Dosage ranges from 5-15% of cement
by mass.
Addition of silica fume reduces the
permeability of concrete to
chloride ions, which protects the
reinforcing steel of concrete from
corrosion.
 SCMs
Metakaolin:
A processed form of
the clay mineral
kaolinite.
The particle size is
smaller than
cement but not as
fine as silica fume.
Considered to have
twice the reactivity
of most other
pozzolans.
 AGGREGATES
Aggregates make up a
large portion of the
total volume in
concrete (60-80%).
ASTM C33 identifies 2
types of aggregates:
coarse and fine
Aggregates can be
natural or man-made,
pending economy and
design criteria being
applied.
 COARSE AGGREGATE
All concrete will contain a coarse
aggregate (CA); otherwise, it
is known as grout or slurry.

CA can vary from 6 down to

1/4 and either be naturally
occurring, requiring minimal
processing/screening such as
river rock or be produced in a
quarry through crushing and
screening OR it can be man-
made for example,
lightweight aggregate.
 FINE AGGREGATE
Fine aggregate, otherwise known
as sand is sourced from
naturally occurring deposits
and from rivers. Screening and
washing is generally required
to get it meet the requirements
for use in concrete.

Manufactured sand is made from

the crushing of stone and has
slightly dissimilar grading
characteristics to natural
sands.
 BINDER ACTIVATOR
Under most circumstances, water is
the activator of hydration in
concrete. Potable water is not the
only form possible for use as per
ASTM C 1602.

Pure flyash concretes use a

combination of water and
proprietary liquid activators in
order to promote
hydration/strength development.

In the case of sulfurcrete, heat is

used with a proprietary polymer in
order to bind with the other
materials to form a concrete.
ADMIXTURES
 CONCRETE APPLICATIONS
Concrete is used for
various types of
construction:
Structural
Normal
Lightweight
heavyweight
Pavements
Architectural
(aesthetics)
Mass
dams
Infill
Corrective
Schedule
enhancement
Insulation
 APPLICATIONS
Concrete is used in many forms other
than structural, decorative variances
abound.
 PLACEMENT METHODS
Getting concrete from its transport source to its final resting place is left
to ones imagination as to the choices possible.
Some of the most popular are:
Pumping
Direct
Buggy
Slipform (vertical/horizontal)
 PRODUCTION METHODS
Concrete can be produced by
several different methods:
Central mix
Dry batch
Decumulative/accumulative
Dribble
Volumetric
Manually
Some methods may have more
control/consistency than
others and may be restricted
to use in project specifications.
 PRODUCTION METHODS

A classic concrete
recipe is one shovelful
of Portland cement to
two shovels of sand to
three of small rock and
water to get
workability. This
method is seen in
many non-developed
countries.
MIX DESIGNS
 TESTING/SAMPLING
Nearly all non-
residential concrete
will have testing to
verify its
workability and
quality.
 CLOSING REMARKS
Concrete is used everywhere, but is
not a simple product.
There are numerous
uses/applications for concrete.
There are many ways to produce
concrete, pending the application