BACK TO BASICS 3A6 Concrete Technology

Dr. Roger P. West

November 2006

Part A: Basic Concepts and Site Practice

1. Introduction 2. Sampling Concrete Materials 3. Workability and Workability Measurement 4. Strength Development and Strength Measurement 5. Sampling, Slump Testing and Cube Making

1. Introduction:

Testing to ensure:

Concrete has been specified, made and transported correctly. Quality satisfactory for purpose intended.

2. Sampling Concrete Materials

Sampling: IS EN 12350-1. Provide certificate. Good equipment. Take care / make representative. Take from mixer or as close to discharge as possible, or both.

1. Sample in middle section of load not ends (slump alternative). 2. At irregular times not evident to mixer operator. 3. Note appearance, stony, creamy, sandy etc..

Sampling

3. Workability and Workability Testing

Objective is to produce a fully compacted concrete without a loss of homogeneity or workability Includes mixing, transporting, discharging, placing, compacting and finishing
Problems: Improper constituents (e.g. additional water) Loss of workability prior to discharge (e.g. segregation / slump loss) Lack of compaction Finishing problems (e.g. excessive bleeding)

Workability

Strongly associated with the slump test Factors such as the fluidity, stability, pumpability, compactability and finishability all affect the workability These properties are affected by:

Design of mix Adjustment to the mix constituents Environmental Conditions:

Ambient and concrete temperature Relative humidity and the air speed Degree of agitation and friability of aggregrates Elapsed time since mixing

EN206-1 uses concept of consistence

Plastic testing: Slump

Slump test: IS EN 12350-2.

4. Strength Development and Strength Measurement

Aggregates glued together by cement paste to form concrete Cement hydration is a chemical reaction which requires water Strength gain reflects degree of hydration Strength gain depends on

Type of cement Temperature history temperature and time Curing Admixtures

Factors Affecting Compressive Strength at 28 days

Aggregate content Cement type and fineness Water/cement ratio Degree of compaction Extent of curing Temperature

Between 65 and 80% of 28 day strength at 7 days

Strength Measurement

100mm or 150mm cubes at 7 and 28 days (note ratio 1:1 and square in plan) 300mm x 150mm cylinders at 7 and 28 days (note ratio 2:1 and circular in plan) Other tests direct tension, bending and cores Non-destructive testing

Cube Making:

Cube making: IS EN 12390-2 Prime objectives to achieve full compaction avoid loss of moisture keep at proper temperature when in curing tank Use proper tools. Advantage of cube shape is ease of making accurate sides. Effect of cube shape.

The Slump Test

Cube Making

Part B: Specifications and Non-Compliance

6. Cube Curing and Cube Testing 7. Specification and Compliance Slump Classes and New Concrete Grades 8. Cube Reports and Cube Failures

6. Cube Curing and Cube Testing

Curing: IS EN 12390-3 De-mould when stability of cube allows. Prevent loss of moisture before placing in curing tank. Loss in strength due to initial drying out is unrecoverable. No provision for in-situ cubes. BS1881 gives method for temperature matched curing.

Cube curing

Cube testing:

Cube test: IS EN 12380-3 Specification compliance. Desirable properties enhanced by increasing strength. Effect of load rate, dry cubes. Effects of different machines. General variations. Validity of uniaxial compression.

7. Specification and Compliance

Consistence Classes New Concrete Grades

Consistence Classes

Quantitative tests include the slump test, Vebe, degree of compaction and flow table values according to ISEN 12350, Parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively
Table 11 ISEN 206-1: Tolerances for target values of consistence Target Value(mm) < 40 50 90 >100 Tolerance(mm) 10 20 30

Table 3 from ISEN206-1: Slump classes Class Slump in mm

S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 10 40 50 - 90 100 - 150 160 - 210 > 220

Identity Testing
Extract from Table B-1, EN206 1: Identity criteria for slump For samples taken in accordance For spot samples taken from initial with I.S. EN 12350-1 discharge Specified slump class Not less than Not more than Not less than Not more than mm mm mm mm S1 0 60 0 70 S2 40 110 30 120 S3 90 170 80 180 S4 150 230 140 240 S5 210 No requirement 200 No requirement Specified target slump, Not more than the following from the specified target value mm mm < 40 -20 +30 -30 +40 50 to 90 -30 +40 -40 +50 > 100 -40 +50 -50 +60

Meeting Concrete Specification - Compliance

The delivery docket doesnt have to state the precise mix proportions of the concrete if a product data sheet is accepted The docket must declare that it conforms to the specification in ISEN206-1. Other information such as time of batching may be relevant, in the case of noncompliance (if the concrete exceeds the consistence class tolerances) The addition of water and admixtures is forbidden In special circumstances, the producer can take responsibility for adding water providing that:

the limiting values in the specification are not exceeded.

Sampling for Assessing Conformity: Test Plan

Conformity assessed on site, in accordance with Table 13

Minimum rate of sampling First 50 m3 of Subsequent to first 50 m3 of productiona production Concrete with Concrete without production control production control certification certification 3 3 samples 1/200 m or 1/150 m3 or 2/production week 1/production day 1/400 m3 or 1/production week

Production

Initial (until at least 35 test results are obtained) Continuousb (when at least 35 test results are available)
a

Sampling shall be distributed throughout the production and should not be more than 1 sample within each 25 m3. Where the standard deviation of the last 15 test results exceeds 1,37 , the sampling rate shall be increased to that required for initial production for the next 35 tests results.
b

New Concrete Grades

Previously had 5 classes of exposure (mild, moderate, severe, very severe, extreme) in IS326 (or BS8110), with a reasonable choice of grades between 20 and 50 concrete. Now in ISEN206, or Eurocode 2, have 18 exposure classes and only 5 grades in this range (cube strengths 20, 30, 35, 37, 45MPa) Specify cylinder/cube strengths as , for example, C30/37. ISEN206 NA Table X

Exposure classes

No risk of corro s-ion or attac k

Carbonation-induced corrosion

Chloride-induced corrosion

Freeze/thaw attack

Aggressive chemical environments

Sea water

Chloride other than sea water XS 3

0.45

X0

XC 1
0.65

XC 2
0.60

XC 3
0.55

XC 4
0.55

XS 1
0.55

XS 2
0.50

XD 1
0.55

XD 2
0.50

XD 3
0.45

XF 1
0.60

XF 2
0.55

XF 3
0.55

XF 4
0.45

XA 1

XA 2

XA 3

---

0.55

0.50

0.45

Maxim um w/c ratio Minim um strengt h class

--280 300 320 320 320 360 400 320 360 400 300 320 320 400 C12/1 5 C25/ 30 C28/ 35 C30/ 37 C30/ 37 C30/ 37 C35/ 45 C40/ 50 C30/ 37 C35/ 45 C40/ 50 C28/ 35 C30/ 37 C30/ 37 C40/ 50 C30/37 C35/45 C40/50

Minim um cement content (kg/m3 ) Minim um air content

If less than C40/50 use 5.5% (10 agg.) 4.5% (14 agg.) 3.5% (20 agg.) 3.0% (40 agg.)

320( 1)

2 8 0 (2 )

360 (1), (3)

320 (2)

400 (1) (3)

360 (2)

(1) CEM I (2) Sulfate resisting cement (3) Use sulfate resisting cement if SO42 > 1400 mg/l

Criteria for cube failures

A strength (the characteristic 28-day strength) is specified based on design the concrete Grade In compression test, two tested cubes at 28 days = one result Provided difference between individual results is within 15% of average Running average of four cube results (for Grades < 50): average of any 4 consecutive results must be greater than characteristic + 3MPa (or N/mm2) Individual cube result: every individual result must be greater than the characteristic -3MPa

Concrete Cube Test Result Variability

Variability 28 day cube results have a mean strength and a standard deviation For an expected 5% defective level, the target mean strength is the specified characteristic strength plus 1.64 times the standard deviation

Example

Grade 35 specified Over 100 cube results available from site Consider individual results and running group of 4 average Consider percentage 7 vs 28 day results Inspect histogram and calculate mean and standard deviation Ensure actual mean is greater than target mean strength

Cube Ref. 21 22

7 day A 35.0 32.0

28 day B 45.0 43.0

28 day C 48.0 42.5

28 day Avge. 46.5 42.8

% diff. Of 28d 6.5 1.1

Ratio Runn7/28 % ing Avge 75 75 45.1 44.7

Comment

OK OK

23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31.5
28.0 32.0 35.0 23.0 20.5 17.5 25.5

39.5
39.0 37.5 42.0 28.5 25.5 33.0 34.5

32.5
40.0 42.5 41.0 31.0 25.5 31.5 30.5

36.0
39.5 39.8 41.5 29.8 25.5 32.3 32.5

19.4
2.5 12.7 2.4 8.4 0.0 4.6 10.7

88
71 80 84 77 78 54 78 43.1 42.2 40.9 37.7 34.2 32.3 30.0

OMIT >15%
OK OK OK Ind & Gp FAIL Ind & Gp FAIL Gp FAIL Gp FAIL

31
32 33 34 35

37.8
35.5 38.0 37.5 32.5

44.5
41.5 47.0 44.5 36.5

45.5 42.0 41.5 39.0 43.5 44.5 43.0 37.8 9.2 11.2 7.0 6.6 82 85 87 86 33.5 38.2 40.9 42.2

OMIT 1no. 28d

Gp FAIL OK OK OK

Actual Mean Compared to Target Mean Compressive Strength

30 26 25 20
Frequency

Characteristic =35MPa Actual Mean = 40.2MPa

20 15 10 5 5 1 0 1 2 3 4 1 9

18 16 12 Series1

Standard Deviation = 4.65MPa

10

Cube Result Range (MPa)

Target Mean Strength = Characteristic + 1.64 Standard Deviation or TMS of 35 + 1.64 x 4.65 = 42.6MPa > Actual Mean => PROBLEM !

Failure modes - Normal

Failure modes - Abnormal

Consequences of failure
In-situ testing, methods, validity, representative of what? Cost of delays, loss in reputation.