CONCRETE water/cement ratio. This ratio can also be expressed in d.

Sand Lightweight Concrete – the result if the sand

terms of gallons of water per bag of cement. For is used for fine aggregate and if the coarse
Concrete consists primarily of a mixture of cement and complete hydration of the cement in a mix, a aggregate is replaced with lightweight aggregate.
fine and coarse aggregates (sand, gravel, crushed rock, water/cement ratio of 0.35 to 0.40 is required. To e. High Strength Aggregate – Concrete with
and/or other materials) to which water has been added increase the workability of the concrete (the ease with compression strengths exceeding 42MPa
as a necessary ingredient for the chemical reaction of which it can be mixed, handled, and placed), higher
curing. The bulk of the mixture consists of the fine and water/cement ratios are normally used. PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE
coarse aggregates. The resulting concrete strength and A. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH – compressive strength
durability are a function of the proportions of the mix 2. AGGREGATES of concrete “f’c” shall not be less than 17MPa. This
as well as other factors, such as the concrete placing, In ordinary structural concretes, the aggregates occupy is determined by testing to failure 28 day-old
finishing, and curing history. approximately 70% to 75% of the volume of the concrete cylinders at a specified rate of loading.
hardened mass. Aggregates are classified as fine or Strength test shall be the average of the strengths
The compressive strength of concrete is relatively high. coarse. Fine aggregate is generally sand and may be of two cylinders made from the same sample of
Yet it is a relatively brittle material, the tensile strength categorized as consisting of particles that will pass a concrete and tested at 28 days or at test age
of which is small compared with its compressive No. 4 sieve (four openings per linear inch). Coarse designated for the termination of the f’c. Strength
strength. Hence steel reinforcing rods (which have high aggregate consists of particles that would be retained level of an individual
tensile and compressive strength) are used in on a No. 4 sieve. Strength level of an individual class of concrete
combination with the concrete; the steel will resist the The maximum size aggregates that can be used in a shall be considered satisfactory is both the ff.
tension and the concrete the compression. Reinforced reinforced concrete with limiting values are as follows: requirements are met:
concrete is the result of this combination of steel and a. 1/5 of the narrowest dimensions between size • Every arithmetic average of three consecutive
concrete. In many instances, steel and concrete are of the forms strength tests equals or exceeds f’c
positioned in members so that they both resist b. 1/3 of the depth of slabs • No individual strength test (average of two
compression. c. 3/4 of the minimum clear spacing between the cylinders) falls below f’c by more than 3.5MPa
reinforcement when f’c is 35MPa or less or by more than
COMPOSITION OF CONCRETE 0.10f’c when f’c is more than 35MPa
1. CEMENT AND WATER TYPES OF CONCRETE
Cement is a material that has adhesive and cohesive a. Normal Weight Concrete – concrete that have 28-
properties enabling it to bond mineral fragments. day strength equal or greater than 17MPa and air
Structural concrete uses, almost exclusively, hydraulic dry weighs around 24kN/cu.m
cement. With this cement, water is necessary for the b. Structural Lightweight Concrete - Concrete that
chemical reaction of hydration. In the process of have 28-day strength equal to or greater than
hydration, the cement sets and bonds the fresh 17MPa and air dry weighs equal to or less than
concrete into one mass. Portland cement, which 18kN/cu.m
originated in England, is undoubtedly the most c. All Lightweight Concrete – The result when
common form of cement. Portland cement consists lightweight aggregates are used for both fine and
chiefly of calcium and aluminum silicates. coarse aggregates

In fresh concrete, the ratio of the amount of water to

the amount of cement, by weight, is termed the
B. TENSILE STRENGTH – the tensile strength of b. Carbonation Shrinkage – usually occurs in of a material over considerable lengths of time at
concrete ranges from 8-15% of its compressive carbon dioxide rich atmosphere, such as constant stress or load
strength, although tensile strength is normally those found in parking garage. The F. BLEEDING – voids are created by air bubbles
neglected in design computations shrinkage occurs because carbon dioxide produced during the mixing process and by
reacts with calcium hydroxide in the segregation of the coarse aggregate from the
C. MODULUS OF ELASTICITY – is the ratio of the cement paste to form calcium carbonate. mortar when concrete is poured in the forms. Since
normal stress to corresponding strain for tensile or This chemical reaction reduces the volume approximately twice as much is needed for
compressive stresses below the proportional limit of the hydrated paste. At higher and lower workability than is required to react with the
of material. humidity, the carbonation shrinkage cement, fine channels develop throughout the
Concrete has a modulus of elasticity which varies decreases. concrete as excess water rises to the surface when
with different concrete strength, concrete age, c. Plastic shrinkage – occurs during the first the concrete is vibrated. The rise of the water to
type of loading and the proportions of cement and few hours after placing fresh concrete in the surface is called bleeding
aggregates. the forms. In such cases, moisture G. WORKABILITY – In order to produce high quality
Modulus of elasticity Ec for concrete shall be evaporates faster from the concrete concrete, sufficient water must be added to make
permitted ti be taken as surface than it is replaced by the bleed the concrete fluid so it can work into all parts of the
a. Ec= wc1.50.043√𝒇′𝒄 water from lower layers of concrete containing forms. However if excessive amount of
𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔 elements water is added it will result to a high shrinking of
for wc≤ 2500 𝑐𝑢.𝑚 and wc≥ 1500 𝑐𝑢.𝑚
concrete
To minimize tensile cracking due to H. DUCTILITY – is the ability of the section to deform
b. Ec=4700 √𝒇′𝒄 shrinkage beyond its yield point without significant strength
for normal weight concrete (wc=2300kg/cu.m) i. Curing: Prevents rapid moisture loss, while yield point represents the end of the
loss and ensures proper hydration. elastic range behavior. When the applied factored
D. SHRINKAGE – is the decrease in volume of ii. Reinforcements: Controls crack moment to the section continue to increase after
concrete during hardening and drying under width and limits structural issues. the cracking point, the tension stress in the
constant temp. The magnitude of shrinkage strains iii. Joints: Relieve internal stresses reinforcement and the compression stress in the
upon the composition of concrete. The hardened caused by shrinkage. concrete will steadily increase, until the steel or
cement paste shrinks but the aggregate does not iv. Minimizing water content: concrete will reach its respective capacity and steel
shrink, thus the larger fraction of the total volume Reduces shrinkage because excess reinforcement start to yield or concrete will crush.
of concrete that is made up of hydrated cement water evaporates, leaving voids. It is recommended that reinforce concrete section
paste, the greater is the shrinkage. v. Limiting concrete area/length: shall be under-reinforced so that the steel will yield
a. Drying shrinkage – is due to the loss of Reduces the potential for large before concrete reaches its maximum usable strain
layer of absorbed water from the surface shrinkage-induced tensile of 0.003 as recommended by NSCP
of gel particles. This will occur as the stresses.
moisture diffuses out of concrete, and as a E. CREEP - Under sustained compressive loads,
result the exterior shrinks more rapidly concrete will continue to deform for long periods
than the interior. Drying shrinkage is the of time. After the initial deformation occurs, the
decrease in the volume of a concrete additional deformation is called creep, or plastic
element when it loses moisture by flow. In other words, creep is the slow deformation
evaporation
REINFORCED CONCRETE AS A STRUCTURAL MATERIAL 7. A special feature of concrete is its ability to be cast not as carefully as is the production of other
Concrete into an extraordinary variety of shapes from simple materials, such as structural steel and laminated
• Is a mixture of sand, gravel, crushed rock or slabs, beams, and columns to great arches and wood.
other aggregates held together in a rocklike shells.
mass with a paste of cement and water. 8. In most areas, concrete takes advantage of DESIGN CODES
• Has a high compressive strength and a very low inexpensive local (sand, gravel and water) and ACI-318-14
tensile strength. requires relatively small amounts of cement and American Concrete Institute’s Building Code
Reinforced Concrete reinforcing steel, which may have to be shipped Requirement for Structural Concrete
• Is a combination of concrete and steel wherein from other parts of the country. • Most important code in the United States for
the steel reinforcement provides the tensile 9. A lower grade of skilled labor is required for reinforced concrete design
strength lacking in the concrete. erection as compared to other materials such as • Not legally enforceable document
structural steel. • Set of recommendations or statement of
ADVANTAGES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE AS A current good practice in reinforced concrete
STRUCTURAL MATERIAL DISADVANTAGES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE AS A design.
1. It has considerable compressive strength per unit STRUCTURAL MATERIAL Author - American Concrete Institute
cost compared with most materials. 1. Concrete has a very low tensile strength requiring • Is a non-profit technical society and standards
2. Reinforced concrete has great resistance to the the use of tensile reinforcing. developing organization
actions of fire and water and, in fact, is the best 2. Forms are required to hold the concrete in place
structural material available for situations where until it hardens sufficiently. In addition, falseworks NSCP 2015
water is present. During fires of average intensity, or shoring may be necessary to keep the forms in National Structural Code of the Philippines
members with a satisfactory cover of concrete place for roofs, walls, floors and similar structures • Structural code addressing the design and
over the reinforcing bars suffer only surface until the concrete members gain sufficient installation of structural systems in the
damage without failure. strength to support themselves. Formwork is very Philippines
3. Reinforced concrete structures are very rigid expensive. • Not legally enforceable document
4. It has a low-maintenance material 3. The low strength per unit weight of concrete leads • Set of recommendations or statement of
5. As compared with other materials, it has a very to heavy members. This becomes an increasingly current good practice in reinforced concrete
long service life. Under proper conditions, important matter for a long span structure, where design.
reinforced concrete structures can be used concrete’s large dead weight has a great effect on Author – Association of Structural Engineers of the
indefinitely without reduction of their load- bending moments. Lightweight aggregates can be Philippines
carrying abilities. This can be explained by the fact used to reduce concrete weight, but the cost of the
that the strength of concrete does not decrease concrete is increased.
with time but actually increases over a very long 4. Similarly, the low strength per unit volume of BASIC PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE AND STEEL
period, measured in years, because of the lengthy concrete means members will be relatively large,
solidification of the cement paste. an important consideration for tall buildings and COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE
6. It is usually the only economical material available long-span structures. For Ordinary Applications
for footings, floors slabs, basement walls, piers and 5. The properties of concrete vary widely because of 3000psi – 4000psi (20.68MPa – 27.58MPa)
similar applications variations in its proportioning and mixing. For Prestressed Constructions
Furthermore, the placing and curing of concrete is 5000psi – 6000psi (34.47MPa – 41.37MPa)
REINFORCING STEEL
Plain Reinforcing Steel
• Are not used very often except for wrapping
around longitudinal bars, primarily in columns.
Deformed Reinforcing Bars
• Used for almost all applications
• Have ribbed projections rolled onto their
surfaces (patterns differing with different
manufacturers) to provide better bonding
between the concrete and the steel.
• The metric bar dimensions are merely soft
conversions customary sizes
Lengths
• 6m (commercial length)
• 7.5m
• 9m
• 10.5m