ARC134

Building Material -Concrete

Concrete
Concrete is an artificial stone manufactured from a mixture of binding materials and
inert materials with water

Concrete= Binding materials + Inert materials + water

Binding materials: cement and lime

Inert materials: aggregate

Type of aggregate
•Fine aggregate : Sand and Surki , not larger than 3/16” in dia
•Coarse aggregate : Brick khoa, broken stone, gravel , pebbles, clinkers;
3/16” to 2” are commonly used as khoa
Function of water in concrete
1. To wet the surface of aggregate
2. To prepare a plastic mixture of various ingredients
3. Hydration of cementing materials to set and harden

Classification of concrete
1. Lime concrete :
• Lime, surki , khoa=1:2:5
• Concrete is to be laid in layers not exceeding 3” thickness
• Lime concrete is mainly used in foundation and terrace roofing
2. Cement concrete:
• Cement,sand and khoa = 1: 2: 4 or 1:3:6
• Ingredients are measured dry separately by volume
• The khoa or stones are soaked in water thoroughly
• Fine and course aggregate are mixed dry, then cement is added until the
color is uniform
• The required quantity of water is then added
Concrete is characterized by the type of aggregate or cement used, by the specific
qualities it manifests , or by the methods used to produce it.

Characteristic and Durability:

In ordinary structural concrete, the character of the concrete is largely determined by a

water-to-cement ratio. The lower the water content, all else being equal, the stronger the
concrete. The mixture must have just enough water to ensure that each aggregate particle
is completely surrounded by the cement paste, that the spaces between the aggregate are
filled, and that the concrete is liquid enough to be poured and spread effectively.

Another durability factor is the amount of cement in relation to the aggregate (expressed
as a three-part ratio—cement to fine aggregate to coarse aggregate). Where especially
strong concrete is needed, there will be relatively less aggregate.
Strength:

The strength of concrete is measured in pounds per square inch or kilograms per square
centimeter of force needed to crush a sample of a given age or hardness. Concrete’s
strength is affected by environmental factors, especially temperature and moisture.

In the process known as curing, the concrete is kept damp for some time after pouring to
slow the shrinkage that occurs as it hardens.

Low temperatures also adversely affect its strength. To compensate for this, an additive
such as calcium chloride is mixed in with the cement. This accelerates the setting process,
which in turn generates heat sufficient to counteract moderately low temperatures. Large
concrete forms that cannot be adequately covered are not poured in freezing
temperatures.
Pre-stressed Concrete:

Another innovation in masonry construction is the use of pre-stressed concrete. It is

achieved by either pre-tensioning or post-tensioning processes. In pre-tensioning, lengths
of steel wire, cables, or ropes are laid in the empty mold and then stretched and
anchored. After the concrete has been poured and allowed to set, the anchors are
released and, as the steel seeks to return to its original length, it compresses the concrete.
Advantage of concrete
• Free from defects and flaws which natural stone are associated
• Manufactured to desired strength and durability with economy
• Cast to any desired shape
• Maintenance cost is almost negligible
• Concrete does not deteriorate appreciably with age
Special terms related to properties of concrete

Segregation :
•Separation of the constituents of a heterogeneous mixture so that
their distribution is no longer uniform
•The difference in the size of particles and in the specific gravity of the mixed
constituents are primary reason for segregation
Special terms related to properties of concrete

Bleeding :
•A form of segregation in which some of the water in the concrete mix tend to
rise to the surface of freshly placed concretes
Special terms related to properties of concrete

Laitance :
• The formation of a crust of squeezed out mortar on the surface of concrete
•This is due bleeding and bad workmanship
Translucent concrete

Translucent concrete (also: light-transmitting concrete) is a concrete based building

material with light-trans missive properties due to embedded light optical elements —
usually optical fibers. Light is conducted through the stone from one end to the other.
Therefore, the fibers have to go through the whole object. This results in a certain light
pattern on the other surface, depending on the fiber structure. Shadows cast onto one side
appear as silhouettes through the material
Translucent concrete is used in fine architecture as a facade material and for cladding of
interior walls. Light-transmitting concrete has also been applied to various design products

Several ways of producing translucent concrete exist. All are based on a fine grain concrete
and only 5% light conducting elements that are added during casting process. After setting,
the concrete is cut to plates or stones with standard machinery for cutting stone materials

Due to bends in the fibers and rough nesses on the cut surfaces of the fibers, light
transmission is generally a bit less than half the incident light on the fibers, so given five
percent fibers, about two percent . As the human eye's response to light is non-linear, this
can still give useful daylighting.
Translucent concrete has been first mentioned in a 1935 Canadian patent. But since the
development of optical glass fibers and polymer based optical fibers the rate of inventions
and developments in this field has drastically increased.
Fair-faced concrete
Be it for modern administrative buildings or for housing, fair-faced concrete is becoming
increasingly popular. Fair-faced concrete is not plastered or veneered; the simple appearance
of the concrete meets aesthetic requirements.
Fair-faced concrete refers to concrete surfaces with special requirements in terms of concrete
aesthetics and structure. We distinguish between four different classes of fair-faced concrete:
Ferrocement concrete
Ferrocement is a construction material consisting of wire meshes and cement mortar.
Applications of ferrocement in construction is vast due to the low self weight, lack of skilled
workers, no need of framework etc.
Constituent Materials for Ferrocement

1.Cement
2.Fine Aggregate
3.Water
4.Admixture
5.Mortar Mix
6.Reinforcing mesh
7.Skeletal Steel
8.Coating
Properties of Ferrocement
•Highly versatile form of reinforced concrete.
•It’s a type of thin reinforced concrete construction, in which large amount of small
diameter wire meshes uniformly throughout the cross section.
•Mesh may be metal or suitable material.
•Instead of concrete Portland cement mortar is used.
•Strength depends on two factors quality of sand/cement mortar mix and quantity of
reinforcing materials used.