KIOT

Wollo University
Kombolcha Institute of Technology
Department of Construction Technology and Management

Construction Materials - II
(CoTM 2062)
Lecture-1

Prepared by: Abduselam H.

Chapter -1 Concrete
What is Concrete?
Concrete is one of the most commonly used
building materials.
Concrete is a composite material made up of inert
materials of varying sizes, which are bound
together by a binding medium.
Concrete is a versatile material that can easily be
mixed to meet a variety of special needs and
formed to virtually any shape.
Cont’d…
Concrete is a stone like material composed
essentially of four materials: Cement, water and
aggregate (fine and course which are “inert”
mineral fillers). Sometimes a fifth material, an
admixture (additive for concrete) is added for a
variety of specific purposes, such as acceleration
or retardation of setting or hardening.
the cement, water, and air combine to form a
paste that binds the aggregates together (like
glue)
often looked upon as “man made rock”.
Cont’d…
Concrete

Coarse Aggregate Mortar Admixture

Grout

Fine Aggregate Paste

Water Cementitious
Materials

Grout – Thin liquid cement mortar.

Cont’d…
For practical concrete mixes, the cement, water and
aggregates should be so proportioned that the resulting
concrete has the following properties:
1. When freshly mixed it is workable enough for
economical and easy uniform placement, but not
excessively fluid.
2. When hardened it possesses strength and durability
adequate to the purpose for which it is intended.
3. It involves minimum cost consistent with acceptable
quality.
Cont’d…
Typical Concrete composition
Process
Cement + Coarse Aggregate +
Fine aggregate + Water +
Admixtures

Hydration of cement paste

Fresh concrete  Plastic state

(can be placed and compacted)

Hardened concrete
(retains shape, develops
strength)
Requirements of Concrete Making Materials
Water:
 Water fit for drinking is generally suitable
for making concrete.
Water used in concrete mixes has two
functions: 
The first is to react chemically with the
cement, which will finally set and harden,
The second function is to lubricate all other
materials and make the concrete workable.
Cont’d…
The total amount of water required per unit volume
of fresh concrete depends on the following factors.
1. The desired consistency of the concrete,
which may be expressed, as will be seen
by the slump or ball penetration test.
2. The maximum size, particle shape and
grading of the aggregate.
3. Water reducing or air entraining
admixtures.
Cont’d…
Cement:
Usually, Portland cement is
specified for general concrete
construction work and should
confirm to standard specifications.
AGGREGATE
1. Fine Aggregate(Sand):
In general the maximum size of the inert
particles(sand) in mortar is less than 5mm.
Sand is a natural product which is obtained as
river sand, sea sand and pit sand.
Sand may be obtained artificially by crushing
hard stones to get jelly (coarse aggregate).
Cont’d…
However sea sand should not be used for the
following reasons:
1. It contains salt and hence structure will
remain damp. The mortar is affected by
efflorescence and blisters appear.
2. It contains shells and other organic matter,
which decompose after some time, reducing
the life and binding capacity of the mortar.
Purpose of sand
Sand is used in mortar and concrete for the following
purpose:
1. It adds to the density of the mortar and prevents the
shrinkage of the cementing material.
2. It fills up the gap between the building blocks and
spreads the binding material.
3. It allows carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reach
some depth and thereby improve setting power.
4. The cost of cementing material per unit volume is reduced
as this low cost material increases the volume of mortar.
The properties of good sand are:
1. It should be chemically inert.
2. It should be free from organic or vegetable
matter.
3. It should be free from salt.
4. It should contain sharp, angular and coarse
grains.
5. It should be well graded.
6. It should be hard.
Cont’d…
The presence of dust, loam, clay, and vegetable
materials is objectionable because they prevent
adhesion, thereby reducing the strength of the
mortar and increasing its porosity.
Therefore; Silt test could be made at the
Construction site using an ordinary clear glass
bottle or fruit jar
Procedure:
1. Fill the jar to a depth of 5 cm with a
representative sample of the sand to be
tested.
2. Add water until the jar or the bottle is about
three fourth full.
3. shake vigorously for one minute, the last
few shakes being in a sidewise direction to
level off the sand.
4. Allow the jar to stand for an hour during
which time any silt will be deposited in a
Cont’d…
5) If this layer is more than 3 mm thick that in terms of
percentage 3/50 = 6%, the sand of which this sample
representative is unsuitable for mortar work unless the
excess silt is removed by washing.
Cont’d…
The Sand that containing silt or organic matter should be
washed. A simple washing device is shown below. While the
sand is gently stirred, a stream of water is run through. The
water will overflow at the lower end carrying away the particles
or dirt, and the sand will remain in the through.
 Water for mortar mix should be clean, free from industrial
wastes.
Batching
Materials used for making mortar should be
accurately measured.
 Cement is usually measured by weight in
cement bags whereas (wet) slaked lime and
sand are measured by volume.
Each cement bag, as delivered by the factories, contains a
net weight of 50kg which corresponds to about 35 liter
loose volumes.
Cont’d…
For convenience, the other materials can be measured by using
a measuring box made to hold quantities in multiples of 35 liter
would be 40cm long, 35cm wide and 25cm deep internally.

V= L*W* H
= 40 * 35 *25
= 35000cc = 35L
 Wollo University
Kombolcha Institute of Technology
Department of Construction Technology and Management

Construction Materials - II
(CoTM 2)
Lecture -2

Prepared by: Abduselam H.

2. Course Aggregate(Gravel):
• Though the term inert mineral fillers is often
used to describe aggregates, they are not truly
inert.
• Properties of concrete are influenced by the
Physical, thermal and
Chemical properties of aggregates.
• In choosing aggregate for use in a particular
concrete attention should be given.
 Cont’d…
The three important requirements are:
1. Workability: when fresh for which the size and grading
of the aggregate should be such that undue labor in
mixing and placing will not be required.
2. Strength and durability: when hardened - for which the
aggregate should:
a) Be stronger than the required concrete strength
b) Contain no impurities, which adversely affect strength
and durability.
 Cont’d…
c) Not undergo into undesirable reaction with the
cement.
d) Be resistant to weathering action

3. Economy of the mixture - meaning to say that the

aggregate should be:
e) Available from local and easily accessible deposit or
quarry.
f) Well graded in order to minimize paste, hence
cement requirement.
Classification of Aggregates
• Aggregates are generally classified based on their
source, their chemical composition, their weight, their
size or the mode of preparation.
Based on source
• Natural aggregates: are taken from natural deposits
(river beds like sand, gravel and quarries like crashed
rock)) without change in their nature during production,
with the exception of crushing, sizing or grading during
production.
• Artificial aggregates: generally obtained from
industrial wastes such as the blast furnace slag.
 CONT’D…
Based on chemical composition
• Argillaceous: composed primarily of
aluminum (Al2O3), the chief component of clay.
• Siliceous: composed primarily of silicon
dioxide (SiO2), the principal ingredient of
quartz sand.
• Calcareous: composed primarily of calcium
carbonate or lime (CaCO3).
 CONT’D…

Based on Weight
• Heavy weight aggregates: includes hematite, barite,
limonite, magnetite, and iron and steel-punching (weight
from 2800 to 6400Kg/m3) concrete .
• Normal weight aggregates: includes sand, gravel,
crushed stone, and air cooled blast furnace (weight from
2160 to 2560 Kg/m3)
• Lightweight aggregates: (Weight from 1360 kg/m3 to
1840Kg/m3) for structural concrete, expanded clay, shale,
slate, and slag are used whereas for insulating concrete
pumice, scoria, perlite, vermiculite, and diatomite are used.
 CONT’D…
Based on size
It is widely used method of classification.
• Coarse aggregates: aggregate predominantly retained
on the No.4 (4.75mm) sieve. (Bigger than 4.75mm)

Fine aggregates: aggregate particles passing the No.4

(4.75mm) sieve and retained on the No. 200 (75-µm)
sieve. (Smaller than 4.75mm)
Properties of Aggregate
Important properties of aggregates include:
1. Grading (grain size distribution)
2. Shape and surface texture
3. Bulk unit weight
4. Specific gravity (relative density)
5. Absorption
 Cont’d…
6. Hardness (resistance to abrasion or wear)
7. Durability (resistance to weathering)
8. Crushing strength
9. Cleanliness (deleterious substances)
10. Chemical stability
 1.Grading of Aggregate
Definition::It is the proportions of particles of different
size in the aggregate.
• The size normally used in concrete varies from 37.5 to
0.15 mm.
•  Grading is determined by a sieve analysis.
• The table below gives standard series of sieves of square
openings which are used in the sieve analysis of fine and
coarse aggregates.
• Any sieve down the list has half the clear opening of the
one above
Standard Sieve Size and Square Opening
Cont’d…
 Steps in Sieve Analysis
• A sample of aggregate for sieve analysis is first surface
dried and then sieved through the series, starting with
the largest.
• Any sieve down the list has half the clear opening of
the one above.
• The weight retained on each sieve is recorded and the
percentage computed.
• The summation of the cumulative percentage of the
material retained on the sieves (not including the
intermediate sieves) divided by 100 is called the
Fineness Modulus.
 Cont’d…
F.M = ∑% Cumulative Retained
100
• The fineness modulus can be looked upon as a
weighted average size of a sieve on which the
material is retained, the being counted from the
finest.
• For instance, a fineness modulus of 4.00 can be
interpreted to mean that the fourth sieve,
1.18mm (No 16 ASTM) is the average size.
 Cont’d…
• Fineness modulus is used as an index to
the fineness or coarseness and
uniformity of aggregate supplied.
Example 1.
Sieve analysis of fine aggregate:
Q. Find the Percentage Passing and Fines Modulus of the
given fine aggregate. W=500g
 Cont’d…
Weight of F.A = 500gram

Fineness modulus = 300 = 3

100
 Cont’d…
The smaller the value of the fineness
modulus, the finer the sand. The finesse
modulus for good sand should range
between 2.25 -3.25.

Example 2. Sieve analysis of Coarse Aggregate

Q. Find the Percentage Passing and Fines Modulus of the
given Coarse Aggregate. W=5000g
 Cont’d…
Weight of C.A =5000g

*Intermediate sieves.
#
Sum doesn’t include intermediate sieves.
 Cont’d…
Solution:
Fineness modulus = 707.08 =7.07
100
For Commonly use:
FM for F.A= 2.0- 3.5
FM for C.A= 5.5-8.0

 For all in Aggregate (F.A and C.A), F.M= 3.6 to 6.5

 Very fine sand and very coarse sand are objectionable, fine
sand is uneconomical and coarse sand gives harsh
unworkable mixes.
 Cont’d…
The use of grading aggregates is:
So as to have different sizes of particles, from
the required largest size to the very fine. This
results can:
improved workability of the concrete and
 economy of the cement since such aggregate
has a decreased amount of voids.
It is important to have a well-graded coarse
and fine aggregate with maximum possible
size.
 Grading Charts
The results obtained as percent passing or percent
coarser can be shown graphically in aggregate grading
charts.
• On the horizontal axis the sieve openings are read with
arithmetic or logarithmic scale. They are arranged with
increasing sieve-opening sizes from left to right.
• On the vertical axis on the left side of the chart the total
percentage coarser are indicated as 0 to 100, from
bottom to top. The corresponding values for the
percentage passing are read on the right side of the chart.
 2. Shape and Surface Texture
The particle shape and the surface texture of aggregates
influence the properties of fresh concrete more than those of
hardened concrete.
 Particle shape: is classified as rounded, irregular, angular,
flaky, elongated, flaky and elongated.

R I El
F
An
R

Fl
&E
l
 Cont’d…
Rounded : fully water worn or completely shaped
Irregular: naturally irregular
Flaky: materials of which thickness is smaller than the
other dimensions (t<< L and B)
Angular: possessing well defined edges.
Elongated: materials having length is considerably
larger than (L>> t or B)
Flaky and Elongated: L>>B>>t
 Cont’d…
surface texture and Bonding: is assessed as glassy,
smooth, granular, rough, crystalline or honeycombed.

A rougher texture results in a greater adhesion or bond

between the particles and the cement matrix.
• The same is true for angular aggregates due to its larger
surface area.
• A better bond is also obtained with softer, porous and
mineralogically heterogeneous particles.
Strength: should be greater than or at least equal to the
compressive strength of concrete.
 3. Absorption
A tendency of aggregates to absorb/sort water
in the amount of 5 to 20 percent of their own
dry weight , depending on the type of aggregate
and its pore structure .
4. Moisture Content
Two types of moisture are recognized in
aggregates: absorbed moisture and surface
moisture.
Absorbed moisture is that which is taken in by
the voids in aggregate particles and may not be
apparent on the surface, while surface moisture
 Cont’d…
 The moisture conditions of aggregates are designated as
follows:
Oven-Dry (OD): In this condition they are fully
absorbent.
Air-Dry (AD): Particles are dry at the surface but
contain some interior moisture. They are therefore
somewhat absorbent.
Saturated surface-Dry (SSD): In this condition there
is no water on the surface, but the particle contains
moisture in all its interior part. It will neither absorb
moisture from nor contribute moisture to the mix.
Damp or Wet (DW): The particles contain an excess
of moisture on the surface and will contribute
 Cont’d…
State Oven dry Air dry Saturated surface dry
Damp (moist)
 5. Durability
One measure of the strength of an aggregate is its
resistance to freeze thaw.
The freeze-thaw resistance of an aggregate is
related to its porosity, absorption, and pore
structure.
If a particle of the aggregate absorbs so much
water that there is no enough pore space available,
it will not accommodate the expansion, which
takes place when the water freezes, and the
particles will fall.
 6. Cleanness (Deleterious Substances)
The cleanliness of the aggregate affects the bond between the
paste and the aggregate surface, and therefore, affects the
strength and water tightness of the concrete.
Deleterious (harmful substances) have the following effects on
concrete:
# weaken bondage between cement paste and aggregates
# Interfere with hydration
# Reduce strength and durability
# Affect water tightness of the concrete
# Modify setting action and
# Cause efflorescence
 7. Chemical stability
Aggregates need to be chemically stable
so that they will neither react chemically
with cement nor be affected chemically by
outside influences.
In some cases aggregates with certain
chemical constituents react with alkalis in
cement.
This reaction may cause abnormal
expansion and will results cracking of
THE
END