NAME:

AKIN-ADENIYI, TOLULOPE . J .

MATRIC NUMBER:
DEPARTMENT:

120403024

ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

LEVEL:

300

COURSE: CEG311- CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

(LABORATORY)

LAB0RATORY MANUAL NUMBER:

GROUP:

37

EXPERIMENT 3: PROPERTIES OF NORMAL CONCRETE

DATE PERFORMED:

23TH OF APRIL 2014

REPORT SUBMITTED ON: 16TH OF MAY 2014

OBJECTIVES:
(a)
To determine the standard consistence of normal
concrete using slump test

(b)
To determine the workability of normal concrete by
compacting factor test

INTRODUCTION:
Two essential properties of hardened concrete are durability
and strength. Both properties are affected by the voids or
capillaries in concrete which are caused by incomplete
compaction of by excessive water in the mix. Within certain limits,
the higher the cement content and the lower the water/cement
ratio, the stronger and more durable will be the concrete. In
summary the factors which most affect the strength of concrete
are compaction, water/cement ratio (w/c) and method of curing .
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of
cement (commonly Portland cement) and other materials such as
fly ash and slag cement, aggregates (fine and coarse aggregates),
water and chemical admixtures.
Over the years, the importance of concrete for the survival of man
has geometrically increased. The demand for one of the most
important basic needs of man Shelter has made concrete and
concrete technology increasingly important. Developments
through the ages due to technological advancements and
increasing needs gave birth to the modern day concrete.
Until very recently, the major concern of engineers was the
strength of the prepared concrete. Nowadays, durability is equally
very important. Due to this, researches are being done daily to
improve the quality of concrete. Also, to check the efficiency of
concrete, various tests have been designed.
Compared to other construction materials, concrete possess so
many advantages like: Reliability, Availability, Cheapness and so
on.

Considering the level of usage of concrete today, it has become

essential for engineers to study the properties of concrete and
that is the major objective of this experiment.

Theory:
Constituents and classification
Concrete is a multiphase composite material-that is, it is a
heterogeneous mixture composed of different materials in
different phases; viz
a) Cement (binder)
b) Sand (fine aggregates)
c) aggregates; and
d) water
e) admixtures ( if required)
The above listed materials constitute the matrix of the concrete.
The variation in any of the composing materials of concrete
automatically alters the properties of the resulting concrete.
Based, on this concrete can be grouped under two broad
categories viz:
1) Normal Concrete;

and

2) Special concrete

Normal concrete is the ordinary day to day concrete used for

construction work. Special concrete on the other hand is concrete
that has unique features added to it, e.g. pre stressed concrete,
reinforced concrete etc.
These two broad classes can then be subdivided according t their
features such as:
a) Workability:

i) Stiff consistency

ii) Plastic Consistency

Workability of concrete is a measure of the ease with which it can

be operated on or used at site. Workability is a function of the
amount of cement and water present in a concrete mix i.e. water
cement ratio (w/c). There are stiff and plastic consistencies
concrete with a stiff consistency is very difficult to work with while
concrete with plastic consistency is quite easy to handle.
b) Density:
i) Normal weight

ii) High weight iii) Low weight

Concrete can also be classified based on its weight to volume

ratio. Different kinds of concrete are produced based on their
intended uses. For instance, in the construction of bridges high
weight concrete is the preferred choice.
c) Types of Binders:
Concretes are also classified based on the binder used to prepare
it. There are various kinds of binders such as; limestone cement,
Portland cement etc. the binder in concrete is the most important
constituent. Hence based on the type of job involved various
kinds of binder are used. For instance in ornamental work gypsum
concrete is used and in smart structures polymer-concrete is
used. The various common classes of concrete are listed below
i)cement-concrete ii) Gypsum-concrete iii) Polymer-concrete iv)
lime-concrete

If cement is used the concrete formed is known as cementconcrete. If gypsum is used the concrete formed is called gypsumconcrete.
d) Matrix aggregate Used:
Concretes are also classified based on the composing aggregate
i.e aggregate type used in making it. Depending on their uses
different types of aggregates are used in making concrete. Based
on this system of classification, aggregates can be classified viz:
i)

Normal-weight concrete

ii)

Heavy weight concrete

iii)

Light weight concrete; and

iv)

organic concrete

Normal weight concrete is the type of concrete most commonly

available. It is mixed using medium density aggregates and is
used for day to day construction work. However for the
construction of bridges and other high rise structures heavy
weight concrete is used. It is made by used high density igneous
rock aggregates. Light weight concretes and organic concretes,
which are mainly used in the agricultural sector e.g. for making
fish ponds, are made using low density sedimentary rock
aggregates and organic matter.
e) Porosity:
Concrete can also be classified based on the porosity. Porosity is a
very cardinal feature that distinguishes one concrete from
another. For instance in the design of structures that are in

contact with water, impervious concrete is used. However for

some special purposes e.g. filter beds. Concrete that possesses
some degree of permeability is used. Hence some common types
of concrete are hereunder listed:
i)

Cellular concrete

ii)

Impervious (compact) concrete

iii)

Intermediate concrete

Concrete can also be miscellaneously classified based on its

specific purpose. Based on this the following types of concrete are
also found
i)

Insulation concrete (this class of concrete posses good

thermal properties)

ii)

Radiation protective concrete (this kind of concrete

mainly used in the nuclear industry has the ability to resist
the penetration of radioactive materials)

iii)

Structural concrete

How is concrete made?

Going from the preceding chapter, concrete is made by mixing
cement, water, coarse and fine aggregates, and sometimes
admixtures according to a well defined ratio. The cement is mixed
with water and this forms the binder. It is this binder that holds all
the other components of the concrete in one piece. Concrete is
made such that it is easy to transport it, place it in the desired

location, compact it and give it a good finishing. Commercially

concrete is made using mixers. These are mechanical devices that
perform the mixing of the concrete components. The making of
concrete is the stage that determines about 95% of the final
strength of the concrete.

Properties and states of concrete

The properties of concrete are its basic features and
characteristics. It is the property of concrete that determines its
short-medium and long term qualities. Though there are very
many properties of concrete depending on the scope of work yet
four basic properties stand out, they are:
a) Workability
b) Durability
c) Strength
d) Durability
In addition to its properties, concrete also exists in different
states, and the four properties listed above have various values
and qualities depending on the state of the concrete. These states
are listed below;
Plastic state: this is the first state of concrete. It occurs when the
concrete is first mixed. During the plastic phase the concrete
prepared flows, is soft and is easily workable. Plastic concrete is a
Bingham liquid and obeys the laws of fluid mechanics. The plastic
state of concrete is short lived. The most important properties

that define the state of concrete are its workability and

cohesiveness.
Setting state: the setting of the concrete is when the concrete
begins to stiffen. The stiffening of concrete when it is no longer
soft is called setting. Setting takes place after compaction and
during finishing.
Hardening state: In this state, the set concrete hardens and
begins to gain strength. The properties that define the hardened
state of the concrete are its strength and durability.
All the aforementioned states of concrete set in gradually and
sequentially, one after the other.
Workability
Workability is a property of concrete that describes how easy it is
to handle it, place it, compact it, and finish it. Concrete that is too
viscous is said to have a high workability, and concrete that has a
very low viscosity is said to have a high workability. Workability is
affected by the amount of cement paste, the grading of the
aggregates and the presence of admixtures. The greater the ratio
of the cement paste, the higher the workability of the resulting
concrete. Aggregates affect concrete workability; smooth well
rounded and properly graded aggregates result in highly workable
concrete. In special cases some admixtures are added to the
concrete mix to increase its workability.
The measurement of the workability of fresh concrete is of
importance in assessing the practicability of compacting the mix
and also in maintaining consistency. Workability tests are also
used as an indirect check on the water/cement ration of the
concrete.
The workability of a concrete is very important to an engineer;
hence many tests have been developed to test for this; one of
such tests is the slump test.

The slump test: is done to make sure that a mix is workable. The
measured slump must be within a set range or tolerance form the
target slump. It involves filling a sample of the concrete in to a
conical mould; compacting it, removing the mould and measuring
the depth of slump of the formed concrete. Various types of
slumps can be obtained depending on the consistence of the
concrete. A true slump can be obtained, a shear slump can be
obtained and a collapse
Slump can be obtained. This test is by far the most popular test of
consistence and it is used when the concrete is in the plastic
phase.
Consistence
The standard consistence of a normal concrete is a measure of its
workability. The consistence of concrete is indicated by a ratio
known as its compacting factor. One way the consistence of
concrete is measured is via the compacting factor test.
The compacting factor test is a more sensitive method of
measuring the workability of concrete. In this test, the density of
the concrete after a standardized degree of partial compaction is
compared with the density after full compaction. The compacting
factor is the ratio of the density of the partially compacted
concrete to the density of the fully compacted concrete.
The two aforementioned tests are sufficient for determining the
properties of normal concrete in normal circumstances. However,
for advance work other tests such as the vebe consistometer test
are used. It is essentially used to determine the workability of stiff
concrete.

APPARATUS
Apparatus (Consistence by the Slump Test):
1)

Truncated conical mould:

The apparatus consists of a truncated conical mould 100mm (4)

diameter at the top, 200mm (8) at the bottom and 300mm (12)
high

2)Steel tamping rod: 16 mm diameter, 600mm long and rounded

at one end
3) Steel rule
4) Flat impervious metal base

Apparatus (Workability by Compacting Factor Test):

1)

Compacting factor apparatus: It consists of two conical hoppers

mounted above a cylinder. Underneath each hopper is a trap door
that can be opened and closed.
2) Trowel
3) Tamping Rod

DIAGRAMS

COMPACTING FACTOR APPARATUS

TAMPING ROD

TRUNCATED CONICAL MOULD

Procedure:
During the experiment, the following procedures were carried out:
Consistence of Wet Concrete by Slump Test
1) A cement: sand: aggregate ratio of 1:2:4 and a water cement
(w/c) ratio of 0.7 was used for this test.
2) All the materials i.e. cement sand and water were measured
out and weighed based on the given ratios.

3) The cement, sand and aggregate with water were thoroughly

worked into a homogeneous mix of concrete.
4) The conical mould was placed on top of the impervious metal
plate. Its two lower handles (foot pieces) and upper handles were
used to support it by stepping on it.
5) The freshly prepared concrete by means of a hand trowel, was
fed into the mould until it was filled. This actually was done in four
layers (each was about of the height of the mould)-after each
layer was filled, it was tamped 25 times using the tamping rod.
6) After the mould was filled, using a trowel, the surface of the
concrete was finished level. Also the area around the mould was
cleaned of leaked mortar.
7) The mould was lifted vertically and carefully out from the
concrete.
8) At the instant when the mould was removed, the concrete form
slumped (reduced in height). The mould was placed beside the
slumped concrete form and the straight edge of the tamping rod
was placed across the mould and over the slumped concrete
form.
9) Using a metric ruler the height difference between the top of
the mould and the highest point of the slumped concrete form
was measured and recorded. This height is the slump.

Compacting Factor Test

1) The concrete used for the slump test was also used for this
test.
2) The trap door of the upper hopper of the compacting factor
apparatus was closed and the concrete was filled into the upper
hopper.

3) With the trap door of the lower hopper closed, the trap door of
the upper hopper was opened and the concrete fell into the lower
hopper.
4) Next, the trap door of the lower hopper was opened and the
concrete fell into the cylindrical container.
5) The partially compacted concrete was then weighed.
6) Using a tamping rod, the partially compacted concrete was
given 25 blows thereby fully compacting it. As a result there was
a drop in the level of concrete in the cylindrical container.
Additional concrete was introduced to fill up the created void. The
new mass of the concrete was then measured.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. We ensured that we eradicated every air space when filling
the mould.
2. We ensured that we mixed the concrete in the least time
possible to avoid setting before the experiment.
3. When taking readings from the meter rule, we ensured we
avoided error due to parallax.
4. All materials used were weighed.

CALCULATIONS

SLUMP = 16mm

TYPE : TRUE SLUMP

-Weight of cylinder = 5.2kg

-Weight of cylinder with partially compacted concrete mix =
16.3kg
-Weight of cylinder with fully compacted concrete mix = 18.15kg
Therefore,
Weight of partially compacted concrete mix = 16.3 5.2 =
11.1kg
Weight of fully compacted concrete mix = 18.15 5.2 =
12.95kg

OBSERVATION

1) The slum test results in a height difference of 16mm

2) The compacting factor obtained was 0.857
3) During the mixing of the concrete, the more the gravel added,
the more the water required and the higher the water cement
ratio.
4) During the C.F. test, the concrete started to compact as it falls
through various heights.
5) Tamping using tamping rod helped to maximize the available
space & reduced air bubbles in the concrete mixture.

DISCUSSION
In determining the consistency and workability of concrete, apart
from the slump and compacting factor test, the vebe
consistometer is also used.
In this test, a random sample of the concrete is placed in a hollow
cylindrical container on top of a vibrating plate. The time taken for
the concrete to be moulded into the shape of the cylinder is
measured. This time is known as the Vebe degree and it is a
function of the workability of the concrete. A higher time indicates
a lower time and vice-versa.
The vebe test is usually preferred to the slump and compacting
factor tests when the water-cement ratio (w/c) is very low. That is,
for a very stiff grade of concrete.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS:
The results obtained; that is, the depth of slump and the
compacting factor of the concrete are very important. They are
very important to the site engineer. The consistency and
workability of concrete is used for quality control purposes on site.
Also when ordering ring for concrete, a slump test is always used
to determine if the concrete supplied has meet the required
specifications.

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ERROR

During the performance of the test, some difficulties were
encountered; some of which are:
When mixing the concrete, the water introduced tried to leak, that
is , to flow out of the mixture therefore extra effort had to be
applied to fully integrate the water into the concrete mix.
The concrete was mixed to a cement-sand aggregate ratio of
1:2:4. Due to the accuracy of the weighing balance, getting the
exact mass of the constituents involved extra care.
The water used was not very clean hence it could have affected
the obtained experimental readings.
CONCLUSION AND INFERENCE:
From the analysis of the experimental data from experiment and
the results obtained, the objectives of this experiment have been
met.