Author: Ibrahim

Thorough mixing of materials is essential to produce homogeneous concrete. Mixing should ensure that the mass is uniform, uniform in color and consistency. Two methods are adopted for mixing concrete. HandshakeMechanical blending

The main factors affecting the workability of concrete are given below. Water contentMix the proportions.The size of collections Use of compoundsForm of CollectionsClassification of Collections

Slump test is done to assess the workability of concrete. It does not measure all factors contributing to workability, nor is it always representative of concrete placement. However, it is easily used as a control test and gives an indication of the uniformity of the concrete from batch to batch. The apparatus for conducting the…

Concrete must be able to withstand the forces of cracking due to natural and chemical causes. Durability of concrete can be increased by using good quality materials, adopting optimum water to cement ratio, using dense grade aggregates, careful mixing and compaction and proper curing.

The concrete must be strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted on it with the required factor of safety. Concrete strength is measured in N/mm2 as mentioned earlier and is the ultimate compressive strength of 15 cm cubes after 28 days of curing (sometimes 7 days of curing strength is also known). The tensile strength…

Cement concrete has the following important properties: It has a high compressive strength. It is corrosion free and has no appreciable effect of environmental agents.It provides a hard surface that is able to resist abrasion.It is more economical than steel, as sand and coarse aggregates, which are the bulk of concrete, are generally available at…

Cement and water are the only two chemically active elements in concrete. By their combination they form a glue-like binder paste, which surrounds and coats the particles of the inert mineral aggregates, sets and upon hardening binds the entire product into a composite mass. Next only to cement, water is the most important element in…

Sand or fine aggregates form an important component of concrete. It helps to increase the bulk or volume of concrete, which in turn reduces the cost. It helps to adjust the strength of concrete by varying its ratio with cement. It also increases resistance to crushing. Aggregates reduce shrinkage and affect economy. Previously, aggregates were…

The inert material, most of which is passed on a 4.75 mm sieve and contains no more than 0-10% fines, is known as coarse aggregate. They can be placed in the following categories. The function of the coarse aggregate is to act as the main load-bearing component of the concrete. The nature of work decides…

Fine aggregate is inert or chemically inert material, most of which passes a 4.75 mm IS sieve and contains no more than 5% coarse material. They can be classified as follows: The fine aggregates serve the purpose of filling all the open spaces in between the coarse particles. Thus, it reduces the porosity of the…