Properties of Fresh Concrete

Slgnlcance
The first 48 hours are very important for
the performance of the concrete
structure.
It controls the long term behavior
It controls the long-term behavior,
influence fc, Ec, creep, and durability.
roperues aL Larly Age
Workability
Workability
Slump Loss
Segregation/Bleeding
Plastic Shrinkage Plastic Shrinkage
Time of Set Temperature
Temperature -Curing
roperues of fresh concreLe
WorkablllLy
ease of placemenL
reslsLance Lo segregauon
homogeneous mass
ConslsLency
ablllLy Lo ow
Semng and Pardenlng
Slump 1esL
lnverLed cone
ll lL up wlLh Lhree layers
of equal volume
rod each layer 23 umes
scrape o Lhe surface
8
4
12
Slump 1esL
slump cone
rod
concrete
Slump LesL
Slump
Ruler
Slump 1esL
Slump LesL resulLs
su 0-2"
masslve secuons, llule relnforcemenL
use vlbrauon
medlum 2-3"
columns, beams, reLalnlng walls
lluld 3-7"
heavlly relnforced secuon, owable concreLe
lacLors aecung slump
waLer cemenL rauo
w/c = welghL of waLer / welghL of cemenL
example:
welghL of waLer mlxed aL Lhe planL 292 lbs.
welghL of cemenL 683 lbs./cu. yard
w/c = 292/683 = 0.43
waLer cemenL rauo
lf you add 10 gallons of waLer per cublc yard aL [ob slLe,
Lhen:
exLra waLer
10 gallons/cublc yard * (3.8 llLers/gallon) * (2.2 lbs./kg) *
( 1kg/llLer) = 83.77 lbs.
LoLal waLer 282 + 83.77 = 363.77
new w/c = 363.77 / 683 = 0.334 >> 0.43
lacLors aecung slump-
pasLe conLenL
consLanL waLer cemenL rauo
lncrease pasLe conLenL
lncrease slump
nC CCCu
consLanL cemenL conLenL
lncrease waLer conLenL
lncrease slump
nC CCCu
lacLors Aecung Slump-
WaLer ConLenL
Add waLer aL Lhe consLanL cemenL conLenL, w/
c lncreases, slump lncreases.
Add waLer aL a consLanL waLer cemenL rauo,
have Lo lncrease cemenL as well, slump
lncreases.
AdmlxLures
seL reLardlng admlxLures
seL acceleraung admlxLures
waLer reduclng admlxLures
superplasuclzers
alr enLralnlng admlxLures
lacLors aecung slump
AggregaLes
gradlng Lhe larger Lhe parucle slze, Lhe hlgher Lhe
slump for a glven pasLe conLenL
8leedlng and Segregauon
Segregauon: coarse aggregaLe Lends Lo segregaLe due
Lo gravlLy. 1yplcal of dry mlxes.
8leedlng: waLer rlslng Lo Lhe surface. 1yplcal of weL
mlxes.
When excesslve, cemenL parucles and waLer go Lo
Lhe surface poroslLy goes up - pasLe can easlly be
abraded --> dusung.
Segregauon
8leedlng and lLs conLrol
CreaLes problems:
poor pumpablllLy
delays ln nlshlng
hlgh w/c aL Lhe Lop
poor bond beLween
Lwo layers
! causes
! lack of fines
! too much water content
! Remedies
! more fines
! adjust grading
! entrained air
! reduce water content
Alr ConLenL
Larly-Age volume Change
(Larly Cracklng)
lree Shrlnkage,
causes volume change, buL no sLresses
before shrinkage
After Shrinkage
8esLralned Shrlnkage- creaLes sLresses, whlch
may cause cracklng
8esLralned shrlnkage cracklng
Parallel cracking perpendicular
to the direction of shrinkage
Causes of lasuc Shrlnkage Cracklng
waLer evaporaLes fasLer Lhan lL can reach Lhe
Lop surface
drylng whlle plasuc
cracklng
lasuc Shrlnkage Cracklng-8emedles
ConLrol Lhe wlnd veloclLy
reduce Lhe concreLe's LemperaLure
use lce as mlxlng waLer
lncrease Lhe humldlLy aL Lhe surface
fogglng
cover w/polyeLhylene
curlng compound
llber relnforcemenL
Curlng
1he ume needed for Lhe chemlcal reacuon of
porLland cemenL wlLh waLer.
Clue ls belng made.
concreLe aer 14 days of curlng has
compleLed only 40 of lLs poLenual.
70 aL 28 days.
Curlng ups
ample waLer
do noL leL lL dry
dry concreLe = dead concreLe, all reacuons sLop
can noL revlLallze concreLe aer lL drles
keep LemperaLure aL a moderaLe level
concreLe wlLh yash requlres longer curlng
1emperaLure eecLs on curlng
1he hlgher Lhe LemperaLure Lhe fasLer Lhe curlng
besL LemperaLure ls room LemperaLure
sLrongesL concreLe ls made aL LemperaLure around
40 l.(noL pracucal)
lf concreLe freezes durlng Lhe rsL 24 hrs., lL may
never be able Lo aualn lLs orlglnal properues.
1emperaLure eecLs on curlng
real hlgh LemperaLures above 120 l can cause
serlous damage slnce cemenL may seL Loo fasL.
acceleraLed curlng procedures produce sLrong
concreLe, buL durablllLy mlghL suer.
auLoclave curlng.