CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY

Far Western University

School of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
CE 368
Year /sem :III/II

Er.Dipendra Pd Joshi

1
Chapter 1
Introduction to Concrete and concrete material

Introduction Ingredients of concrete

Concrete: Concrete is a
construction material Binding material-A binder or binding material is any material
composed of binding or substance that holds or draws other materials together to form
material, fine aggregates a cohesive whole mechanically, chemically, by adhesion or
(sand), and coarse cohesion.
aggregates mixed with
water which hardens with Fine aggregate- Fine aggregates are the particles that pass
time. through 4.75 mm sieve and retain on 0.075 mm sieve.(eg.sand,
surki, stone screenings, burnt clays, fly ash, etc).
Concrete technology: Coarse aggregate -Coarse aggregates are the particles that
Concrete technology retain on 4.75 mm sieve(eg. bricks chips (broken bricks), stone
deals with the study of
chips (broken stones), gravels, pebbles, clinkers etc)
the properties of concrete
and its practical
applications. Water 2
Uses of concrete in the Benefits of concrete
structures
It is a relatively cheap material and has a relatively
 Pavements long life with few maintenance requirements.
 Architectural structures It is strong in compression.
Before it hardens it is a very pliable substance that
 Foundations
can easily be shaped.
 Motorways It is non-combustible.
 Roads and bridges
Limitations of concrete
 Overpasses
Relatively low tensile strength when compared to
 Parking structures
other building materials.
 Walls and footings for Low ductability.
gates Low strength-to-weight ratio.
 Fences and poles It is susceptible to cracking.
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Classification of Concrete Plain concrete
It is the simplest kind of concrete that does not
Based on Cementing material require any reinforcement. The most commonly used
1.Lime concrete mix is cement, aggregates and water in the proportion
2.Gypsum concrete 1:2:4.
3.Cement concrete
Based on Place of casting Lightweight concrete:
1.In situ concrete Also known as cellular concrete, this is a very
2.precast concrete 'flowable' material and so can be easily poured by
Based on Bulk density using gravity and is self-levelling. It is typically used
1.Heavy concrete to construct floor slabs, window panels and roofs.
2.Dense concrete
3.Lightweight concrete High-density concrete:
4.Extra lightweight concrete greater density than other types and is manufactured
using crushed rocks as coarse aggregate. As it
Based on Perspective
provides good protection from x-rays and radiation, it
specifications
Nominal Mix is often used in nuclear power plants and other such
Design mix concrete buildings. 4
Reinforced concrete: Prestressed concrete:
Prestressed concrete is a structural material that
To increase its overall strength, steel
rods, wires, mesh or cables can be allows for predetermined, engineering stresses to
embedded in concrete before it sets (or be placed in members to counteract the stresses
laid before the concrete is poured). that will occur when they are subject to loading.
Reinforced concrete (RC) is a versatile  It combines the high-strength compressive
composite and one of the most widely properties of concrete with the high tensile
used materials in modern construction. strength of steel.

Precast concrete: This is a form of Air-entrained concrete:

concrete that is prepared, cast, and cured This is a form of plain concrete that contains
off-site, usually in a controlled factory microscopic air bubbles, air bubbles create
environment, using reusable molds. chambers for water to expand into when it
freezes, thereby relieving internal pressure on the
Prestressed concrete: This is a form of concrete.
concrete that is prepared, cast and cured It is manufactured by introducing air-entraining
off-site, usually in a controlled factory agents as the concrete is mixed, or by using air-
environment, using reusable molds . entraining Portland cement.
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 Role of different materials(Aggregates, Cement, Water, and Admixtures)

Aggregates
Aggregates are chemically inert, granular, inexpensive materials such as sand,
gravel, slag, crushed stone, etc. which is mixed with cement paste to make
concrete.
Properties of Aggregates.
 It should be chemically inert, i.e., it should not react with cement or any other
aggregate or admixture.
 It should possess sufficient hardness to resist scratching and abrasion in the
hardened state.
 It should possess sufficient toughness to bear impact and vibratory loads.
It should be strong enough to bear compressive and normal tensile loads in the
ordinary mixture.
 It should be free from impurities, inorganic or organic in nature, which will affect
adversely on its quality.
It should be capable of producing an easily workable plastic mixture on combining
with cement and water.
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 Types of Aggregates.
A. Aggregate Types on the basis of Grain Size.
Fine Aggregates.
In the Fine Aggregates, the grain size lies between 4.75 mm and 0.15 mm.
In other words, these pass-through from a sieve with the mesh size of 4.75 mm and are
retained on a sieve of 0.15 mesh size.
Sand is the most universally available natural Fine Aggregate.

Coarse Aggregates:
Coarse aggregates are those that are retained on the sieve of mesh size 4.75 mm.
Their upper size is generally around 7.5 mm.
Gravels from river bed are the best coarse aggregates in the making of Common
Concrete.
In those situations, if they are not easily available, Suitable rock types are crushed to
the desired particle sizes for making coarse aggregates.
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B.Types on the Basis of origin
Natural
• These include all those types of fine and coarse aggregates, that are available in almost
ready-to-use form, from natural resources.
• Examples are sands from river beds, pits and beaches, and gravels from river banks.

Bye-product:
• These include materials obtained as wastes from some industrial and metallurgical
engineering operations, which possess suitable properties for being used as aggregate.
• Examples: Cinder obtained from burning of coal in locomotives and kilns.
• And Slag is obtained from blast furnaces as Scum is the best example from this category.

Processed:
• These form a special class in Aggregate. They are specifically manufactured for use in
making Quality Concretes.
• Examples: They include burnt clay, Shales. They are essential Ingredients of Lightweight
Concrete.

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C. Types on the Basis of Density
Standard or Normal:
• These types of aggregates give strength and weighting to the Concrete of around 2300 to
2500 kg/m3.
• Gravels, Sand, and Crushed stone are all classed as Standard or Normal Aggregates.

High-Density Aggregates:
• These are that type of Aggregates, which is used in standard proportions yield in heavyweight
concretes.
• Such concretes are especially useful as shields against X-rays and radiations in the atomic
power plant.
• Concretes with such aggregate usually weigh above 4000 kg/m3.

Light weight Aggregate:

• They consist of natural and artificial materials of very low density so that the resulting
concrete is also quite light in weight, generally within a range of 350 to 750 kg/m3.
• They are specially used in soundproofing and fireproofing constructions.
• They are also used extensively in the manufacture of lightweight Pre-Cast concrete blocks.
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 Properties of aggregate

Physical properties Mechanical Properties

Shape Bond and bond strength
Size crushing strength
Texture - Abrasion strength (hardness)
Specific gravity Impact valve (toughness)
Apparent specific gravity
 Bulk density Chemical properties
Porosity Alkali aggregate reaction
Bulking of sand
Thermal properties
specific heat-
Coefficient of expansion
 Thermal conductivity
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 A. Physical Properties
1.Shape
i)Rounded (considered best for economy point of view)
ii) Irregular
iii) Flaky (makes poor concrete when used in excess)
• A particle is said to be flaky if its least dimension is less than 0.6 (3/5) times the
mean sieve size.
iv) Angular
a) The dimension of a particle passes a well-defined edge, it is called an angular
particle.
b) Interlocking between angular aggregate is best and hence suitable for high-strength
concrete.
v) Elongated
If the largest dimension of the particle is 1.8 times the mean sieve size, then the particle is
called elongated. 11
2.Size
i) Larger the size of coarse aggregate, lesser is the quantity of fine aggregate and cement
required.
ii) Maximum size of concrete's aggregate ≤ of a minimum thickness of the member
iii) Maximum size of aggregate depends upon:
a) Workability
b) Reinforcement spacing
c) Cover provided to reinforcement
d) Selection thickness

3. Texture
i) It is the surface appearance of the particle i.e. Rough, Granular, Crystalline
Honeycombed (visible Pores and cavity)
ii) For smooth surface → less contact areas → less bonding strength. For rough surface
more contact areas
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4. Specific Gravity
i) Specific gravity (Gs) = (Weight of material/weight of the Same volume of water)
ii) It is the property to be dealt with in the case of heavyweight and lightweight aggregates.
iii) Low specific gravity generally indicates porous, weak absorptive materials.
iv) High specific gravity indicates good quality materials.
vi) Average specific gravity volume may vary from 2.6 to 2.8.

5. Bulk density
i) Bulk density shows how dense aggregates are packed when they are filled in a standard
container.

6. Bulking of sand
i) The increase in the volume of sand due to the presence of moisture content is called bulking
of sand.
ii) Bulking is caused by films of water pushing the sand particles apart due to surface tension.
iii) Bulking phenomenon occurs much more in case of fine sands rather than in coarse ones.
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 B.Mechanical Properties

1. Bond and bond strength

i) Bond is the interlocking capacity of aggregate and adhesion between aggregate and cement
paste.
ii) Bond strength is the resistance developed to split the aggregate particles from hardened
cement paste.

2. Crushing strength
i) Crushing strength of an aggregate gives the measure of compressive force it can bear.
ii) The compressive strength of concrete cannot exceed that of aggregate used there in.

3. Abrasion Strength (Hardness)

i) It is the property by the virtue of which aggregate can resist the wearing and tearing effect.
(Los Angel’s test)

4. Impact Value (Toughness) : It is the ability of aggregate to resist the effect of sudden impact
or shock and repeating loads.
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 C. Chemical properties
1. Alkali aggregate reaction
Aggregates are generally called inert materials but they are not fully inert. Aggregate may
contain silica, which is reactive and reacts with the alkali present in cement. The reaction of
aggregate is affected by
a) Particle size and porosity
b) Quality of cement
c) Quantity of cement present in cement
d) Permeability of paste.
e) Availability of water in paste.
f) Reactive type of aggregates.

D. Thermal properties
(i) Specific heat and thermal conductivity affect the insulation properties of lightweight
concrete
(ii) Specific heat and thermal conductivity are considered important only in mass concreting
where temperature control is necessary. 15
Gradation of Aggregates
The particle size distribution of an aggregate as determined by sieve analysis is termed the
gradation of aggregates.
 If all the particles of an aggregate are of uniform size, the compacted mass will contain more
voids whereas aggregate comprising particles of various sizes will give a mass with lesser
voids.
The particle size distribution of a mass of aggregate should be such that the smaller particles
fill the voids between the larger particles.
The proper grading of an aggregate produces dense concrete and needs less quantity of fine
aggregate and cement waste, therefore, it is essential that coarse and fine aggregates be well-
graded to produce quality concrete.

Fineness Modulus of aggregate (F.M.)

A fineness modulus is an index number used to indicate the average size of particles in the
aggregate. It is the sum of cumulative percentage retained on the sieves of the standard series,
divided by 100.
High value of FM represents coarser particle and low value of FM represents the presence of
finer materials.
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Gradation of Aggregates

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 Grading Curve
The grading of aggregates is
represented in the form of a curve
or an S-CURVE
The curve showing the
cumulative percentages of the
material passing the sieves
represented on the ordinate with
the sieve openings to the
logarithmic scale represented on
the abscissa is termed as Grading
Curve.
The grading curve for a particular
sample indicates whether the
grading of a given sample
conforms to that specified, or it is
too coarse or too fine, or deficient
in a particular size.
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 Gap-graded aggregate
 contains only a small percentage of aggregate particles
in the mid-size range.
 The curve is flat in the mid-size range.
• Missing middle sizes.
• No grain-to-grain contact.
• Moderate void content.
• Moderate permeability.
Dense-or well-graded aggregate
• Low stability.
 A well-graded aggregate contains particles of • Easy to compact.
a wide range of sizes and has a good
representation of all sizes of aggregate.
 By having a dense gradation, most of the air
voids between the materials are filled with
particles.
 A dense gradation will result in an even curve
on the gradation graph.
• Wide range of sizes.
• Grain-to-grain contact.
• Low void content.
• Low permeability.
• High stability.
• Difficult to compact.
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 Uniformly graded aggregate OPEN-GRADED AGGREGATE

contains most of the particles in a Only a small percentage of fine

very narrow size range. aggregate particles present.
In essence, all the particles are the  This results in more air voids because
same size. there are not enough small particles to
fill in the voids between the larger
The curve is steep and only occupies
particles.
the narrow size range specified.
The curve is near vertical in the mid-
 Narrow range of sizes. size range, and flat and near-zero in the
 Grain-to-grain contact. small-size range.
 High void content.  Narrow range of sizes.
 Grain-to-grain contact.
 High permeability.
 High void content.
 Low stability.  High permeability.
 Difficult to compact  Low stability.
 Difficult to compact
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 Bogue’s Compounds
Cement:
i) Cement is defined as binding Bogues compounds are complex compounds formed during the
material which possess adhesive burning process and are responsible for the setting and hydration
of cement. When water is mixed in cement, it reacts to form
and cohesive properties .
complex compounds simply called bogue’s compounds.
ii) Portland cement is cement
obtained by mixing together
calcareous and argillaceous rock
bearing materials burning them at
a clinkering temperature, and
grinding aids may be added after
burning.

Chemical Composition of cement :

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 TYPES OF CEMENT: (1) ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT:
 It is called Portland cement because on
1. Ordinary Portland Cement
2. Rapid Hardening Cement (or) hardening (setting) its color resembles with
High Early Strength cement rocks near Portland in England. It was first of all
3. Extra Rapid Hardening introduced in 1824 by Joseph Asp din, England.
Cement
Most important type
4. Sulphate Resisting Cement
5. Quick Setting Cement  Classified into three grades, namely 33 grade,
6. Low Heat Cement 43 grade, and 53 grade.
7. Portland Pozzolana Cement
8. Portland Slag Cement
9. High Alumina Cement
10. Air Entraining Cement
11. Supersulphated Cement
12. Masonry Cement
13. Expansive Cement
14. Colored Cement
15. White Cement 22
 Functions of Cement Manufacturing
Chemical Composition of O.P. Cement:
Constituents
O.P.C. has the following approximate
chemical composition: A. Lime (CaO):
Lime forms nearly two-thirds (2/3) of
the cement. Therefore sufficient
quantity of lime must be in the raw
materials for the manufacturing of
cement.
Its proportion has an important effect
on the cement. A sufficient quantity of
lime forms dicalcium silicate and tri-
calcium silicate in the manufacturing
of cement.
Lime in excess, causes the cement to
expand and disintegrate.
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24
Manufacture of Portland
cement
There are four stages in
the manufacture of
portland cement:
(1) Crushing and grinding
the raw materials
(2) Blending the materials
in the correct proportions,
(3) Burning the prepared
mix in a kiln,
(4) Grinding the burned
product, known as
“clinker,” together with
some 5 percent of gypsum
(to control the time of the
set of the cement).
Raw materials used in the Manufacture of cement
 Cement Manufacturing Processes:
Two processes of manufacture of Portland cement are
1. Dry process
The raw materials are dry and fed as a dry powder to the
kiln.
Wet process
The raw material is fed to the kiln as slurry.
Difference between Dry and Wet Process
 (2) RAPID HARDENING CEMENT: (3) EXTRA RAPID HARDENING
 Also known as early gain in strength of CEMENT:
cement. This cement contains more  It is obtained by inter-grinding
percentage of C3S and less percentage of Cacl2 with rapid hardening
C2S, a high proportion of C3S will impart cement.
quicker hydration.  Addition of Cacl2 should not
 The high strength at the early stage is due
exceed 2% by weight of the
to finer grinding, as the fineness of
rapid hardening cement.
cement will expose the greater surface
area for the action of water.  Concrete made by using this
 The strength obtained by this cement in 3 cement should be transported,
days is the same as obtained by O.P.C in 7 placed, compacted & finished
days. within about 20 minutes.
 Initial and final setting times are the  Strength is higher than 25% than
same as OPC ,i.e. 30mins and 10 hrs. And that of rapid hardening cement
soundness test by Le-Chatielier is 10mm at 1 or 2 days.
and Autoclave is 0.8%.
 Greater lime content than OPC
30
 4) SULPHATE 5) QUICK SETTING (6) LOW HEAT CEMENT:
RESISTING CEMENT: CEMENT:
 Low percentage of tri-
 It is a modified form of  This cement is calcium aluminates (C3A)
O.P.C and is specially manufactured by and silicate (C3S) and
manufactured to resist adding small high %age of dicalcium
sulphates. percentage of silicate (C2S) to keep
 This cement contains a aluminum sulphate heat generation low.
low percentage of 𝐶3 𝐴 (𝐴𝑙2 𝑆𝑂4 ) which  Very slow rate of
and high percentage of accelerates the developing strength as
𝐶3 𝑆. setting action. the rate of C3S Content is
 This cement requires  Gypsum content is low.
longer period of reduced.  Heat evolved @ 7 days-66
curing.  Sets faster than OPC. cal/g and 28 days-75
 It develops strength  Initial setting time is cal/gm.
slowly, but ultimately 5 minutes. The final  initial set time-1 hr, final
it is as strong as O.P.C. setting time is 30 set time-10 hrs.
minutes.  Better resistance to
chemical attack than OPC.31
 (7) Portland Pozzolana Cement:
(8) Portland Slag Cement:
 OPC clinker and Pozzolana (Calcined Clay,
Surkhi and Fly ash) ground together.  Produced by mixing Portland
 Produces less heat of hydration and offers cement clinker, gypsum and
great resistance to attacks of Sulphates.
granulated blast furnace slag
 Used in marine works and mass concreting.
 Ultimate strength is more than OPC.
which shall not exceed 65%.
 Low shrinkage on drying.  blackish grey in color.
 Water tightness. OPC clinker and Pozzolana  Lesser heat of hydration.
(Calcined Clay, Surkhi and Fly ash) ground  Suitable for marine works,
together. mass concreting.
 Produces less heat of hydration and offers  Offers good resistance to the
great resistance to attacks of Sulphates.
 Used in marine works and mass concreting.
attack of sulphate.
 Ultimate strength is more than OPC.
 Low shrinkage on drying.
 Water tightness.
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 (9) HIGH ALUMINA (10) AIR ENTRAINING (11) Supersulphated
CEMENT CEMENT Cement

 Different from OPC.  OPC with a small Ground blast furnace

 Characterized by its quantity of air-entraining slag + OPC +
dark color, high heat materials (oils, fats, fatty CaSO4.The heat of
of hydration and acids) ground together. hydration is
resistance to chemical  Air is entrained in the considerably lower. It
attack. form of tiny air bubbles is also resistant to
 Initial setting time of 4 which enhances Sulphate attack. Used
hrs and final setting workability and reduces in a) Marine
time of 5 hrs. segregation and Structures, b) Mass
 Raw materials used bleeding. concrete works.
are limestone and
bauxite.  It increases sulphate
water resistance of
concrete.
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 (12) Masonry Cement (13) Expansive Cement
(14) Colored Cement:
 Unlike ordinary  The main difference in this
cement is the increase in volume  Suitable pigments
cement, it is more
that occurs when it sets. are used to impart
plastic.
the desired color.
 Made by mixing  Used to neutralize shrinkage of
hydrated lime, concrete made from ordinary
cement so as to eliminate cracks.  Pigments used
crushed stone, should be durable
granulated slag, or A small percentage of this
cement with concrete will not let under light, sun,
highly colloidal or weather.​
clays are mixed with it crack. It is especially desirable
it. for hydraulic structures.
 Addition of the  In repair work, it is essential that
above-mentioned the new concrete should be tight-
materials reduces fitting in the old concrete. This
the strength of can be done by using this cement
cement. 34
 Water in Concrete
15) White Cement:  Water is the key ingredient, which when mixed with
cement, forms a paste that binds the aggregate together.
 OPC with pure white color  The water causes the hardening of concrete through a
produced with white chalk or process called hydration.
 Hydration is a chemical reaction in which the major
clay free from iron oxide. compounds in cement form chemical bonds with water
 As iron oxide gives a grey molecules and become hydrates or hydration products.
color to cement, it is,  Too much water reduces concrete strength, while too
therefore, necessary for little will make the concrete unworkable.
white cement to keep the  The amount of water in concrete controls many fresh
and hardened properties in concrete including
content of iron oxide as low workability, compressive strengths, permeability and
as possible. water tightness, durability and weathering, drying
 Instead of coal, oil fuel is used shrinkage, and potential for cracking.
for burning.  For these reasons, limiting and controlling the amount of
water in the concrete is important for both
constructability and service life.
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Use of water in concrete
1. Mixing
2. Curing
Curing water

Mixing Water Water used for mixing is

Quality of water generally suitable for
Quality of water is important because bad curing.
quality and impurities in water lead to the  Iron and organic matter
following: may cause staining,
1. Interfere with the setting of the cement. particularly if water
2. Affect the strength of the concrete. evaporates rapidly.
3. Cause staining of its surface. Curing by seawater may
4. Lead to corrosion of the reinforcement. lead to the attack of
The suitability of water includes suitable reinforcement.
for both mixing and curing.
36
 Admixture
Introduction  To increase durability and workability
It is defined as a material other than of concrete.
water, aggregate, and cement that is used as  To increase resistance to chemical
an ingredient of concrete to modify the attack.
properties of fresh or hardened concrete.  To increase resistance to freezing and
Materials added to the concrete besides thawing effects.
cement, water, and aggregate to improve  To reduce shrinkage during setting
the properties of the concrete required.  To reduce the permeability of
concrete.
Uses of Admixtures  To control alkali-aggregate reaction.
 To impart desirable characteristics of  To improve wear resistance to
concrete. concrete.
 To accelerate or retard the rate of  To reduce segregation and bleeding
hydration of cement. of concrete.
 To increase the strength of concrete.
37
 1.ACCELARATOR:
Types of Admixture
 Added to increase the rate of hydration
of concrete mix which then leads to the
Admixtures can be divided in 2 groups increases in the rate of development of
a) Chemical admixtures strength and greater heat evolution and
b) Mineral admixtures to shorten the setting time.
 More rapid gain of strength & rapid
Chemical admixture used are: setting.
a) Accelerator  Disadvantages are possible cracking due
b) Water reducing Admixture/ plasticizer to heat evolution & the possibility of
c) Air Entraining Admixtures corrosion of embedded reinforcement.
d) Retarding Admixtures  Some of the accelerating admixtures are
f) Pozzolanic Admixtures triethanolamine, calcium formate, silica
g) Damp proofing Admixtures fume, calcium chloride, finely divided
h) Alkali-Aggregate Reaction Inhibiting silica gel etc.
Admixtures  Calcium chloride is the cheap and
commonly used accelerating admixture. 38
 2. WATER REDUCING ADMIXTURE
Water reducing admixtures are also
 They are used to minimize the called as plasticizers and these are
classified into three types
water demand in a concrete mix.
• Normal plasticizers-reduces the water
 Workability is the important demand up to 10%.
property of concrete which is • Mid-range plasticizers - reduce the
improved with the addition of water water demand up to 15%
but if water is added more than • Superplasticizers - reduce the water
required the strength and durability demand up to 30%.
properties of concrete gets
affected. In addition, to an increase  Calcium, sodium, and ammonium
in workability, it also improves the lignosulphonates are commonly used
strength of concrete, good bond plasticizers. Some of the new
between concrete and steel, generation super plasticizers are acrylic
prevents cracking, segregation, polymer based, poly carboxylate,
honeycombing, bleeding etc. multicarbovylatethers etc. 39
 3. AIR ENTRAINING ADMIXTURES 4. RETARDING ADMIXTURE
 Their primary function is to increase the  Retarding admixtures slow down the rate of
durability of concrete under freezing and hydration of cement in its initial stage and
thawing conditions. increase the initial setting time of concrete.
 When added to the concrete mix, these  These are also called retarders and are used
admixtures will form millions of air bubbles
especially in high-temperature zones where
throughout the mix and improve the
concrete will set quickly.
properties of concrete.
 The quick setting in some situations may
 Air entrainment in concrete will also improve
lead to discontinuities in structure, the poor
the workability of concrete, prevent
segregation and bleeding, lower the unit bond between the surfaces creates
weight and modulus of elasticity of concrete, unnecessary voids in concrete, etc. Retarders
improve the chemical resistance of concrete, are useful to eliminate this type of problem.
and reduction of cement or sand or water  Commonly used retarding admixture is
content in concrete, etc. calcium sulphate or gypsum. Starch,
 Most used air entrainment admixtures are cellulose products, common sugar, salts of
vinsol resin, darex, Teepol, Cheecol, etc. acids are some other retarders.
These admixtures are actually made of  Most of the water reducing admixtures are
Natural wood resins, alkali salts, animal and also act as retarding admixtures and they are
vegetable fats, oils, etc. called retarding plasticizers. 40
 5. Pozzolanic Admixtures 6. Damp-proofing Admixtures

 Pozzolanic admixtures are used to prepare  Damp proofing or waterproofing

dense concrete mix which is best suitable admixtures are used to make the
for water retaining structures like dams, concrete structure impermeable against
reservoirs, etc. water and to prevent dampness on the
 They also reduce the heat of hydration and concrete surface.
thermal shrinkage. Best pozzolanic  In addition to the waterproof property,
materials in optimum quantity give the they also act as accelerators in the early
best results and prevent or reduce many stage of concrete hardening.
risks such as alkali-aggregate reaction,  Damp proofing admixtures are available
leaching, sulfate attack, etc. in liquid form, powder form, paste form,
 Pozzolanic materials used as admixtures etc.
are either natural or artificial. Naturally  The main constituents of these
occurring Pozzolanic materials are the clay,
admixtures are aluminum sulfate, zinc
shale, volcanic tuffs, pumice, etc. and
sulfate aluminum chloride, calcium
artificial pozzolans available are fly ash,
chloride, silicate of soda, etc. which are
silica fume, blast furnace slag, rice husk
chemically active pore fillers.
ash, surkhi, etc. 41
7. Alkali Aggregate Expansion Preventing 8. MINERAL ADMIXTURES
Admixtures
 They are also called supplementary
 Alkali aggregate expansion in concrete cementing materials because they do not
is happened by the reaction of alkali of possess cementing property in themselves
cement with the silica present in the but react chemically with Ca(OH), of
aggregates. cement to form compounds to low
 It forms a gel-like substance and causes solubility having to cement properties.
volumetric expansion of concrete which  They are used to increase the workability
may lead to cracking and disintegration. and strength of concrete and to reduce
 Use of pozzolanic admixtures will the cost of concrete.
prevent the alkali-aggregate reaction
a) Natural Minerals Admixtures
and in some cases, air-entraining
• All natural pozzolanas
admixtures are also useful.
• Clays and shale
 Generally used admixtures to reduce
• Volcanic gases
the risk of alkali-aggregate reaction are
aluminum powder and lithium salts. • Minerals
• Volcanic huffs and pumicities. 42
 b) By-product minerals admixture 4. Silica fume:
1. Surkhi:  It is the product resulting from the reduction of
• Common Pozzolanic materials which is used with high purity quartz with coal in an electric furnace is
Portland cement as well as lime. in the manufacture of silicon.
• Used as waterproofing agent, surkhi is made by  Used for the manufacture of high-performance
powdering bricks of burnt clay balls. concrete.
• It is not commonly used nowadays  Causes dense packing and acts as pore filler to
2. Metakaoline: contribute to the strength property of concrete.
• Unpurified materials like activated ordinary clay
and kaolintic clay are termed as 'Merakaoline’. Uses of minerals admixtures in concrete
• It has potential to compete with silica fumes. • To act as a replacement of cement up to some
• Manufactured by processing to remove extent(5-10%).
uncreative impurities to make complete reactive • To increase the rate of strength development at an
pozzolana. early age.
3. Rice husk ash • To increase water tightness.
• Generally, obtained by controlled burning of rice • To retard initial setting time.
husk.
• To improve resistance to attack by sulphate soils and
• The high SiO₂ content of it is used as an
seawater.
admixture. It exhibits high pozzolanic characters.
• To increase workability.
• Rice husk ash contains 90% SiO₂, 5% C and 2%
K,O. • To increase resistance to freezing and thawing
effects, etc. 43