Institute of Technology,

Nirma University.
M.Tech CASAD Semester I
CL1105 Advanced materials 2014-2015
Assignment I
Revision of Concrete Technology
Tejas M. Patil
M. Tech. 1st Year
14MCLC22
Due date - 11th August 2014

Question 1.2
Discuss in brief the equipments used, the procedure for the evaluation of following properties of cement along with their significance.
Fineness, Standard consistency, Setting time, Compressive strength.
Answer,1. Fineness test- The fineness of cement has an important bearing on
the rate of hydration and hence on the rate of gain of strength and also
on the rate of evolution of heat. Finer cement offers a greater surface
area for hydration and hence faster the development of strength. Different cements are ground to different fineness. The disadvantages of
fine grinding is that it is susceptible to air-set and early deterioration.
Hence optimum grinding should be chosen.
Sieve Test- Weigh correctly 100 grams of cement and take it on
a standard IS Sieve No. 9 (90 microns). Break down the air-set
lumps in the sample with fingers. Continuously sieve the sample
giving circular and vertical motion for a period of 15 minutes.
Weigh the residue left on the sieve. This weight shall not exceed
10% for ordinary cement.
Air Permeability Method- This method of test covers the
procedure for determining the fineness of cement as represented
by specific surface expressed as total surface area in sq. cm/gm.
of cement. The principle is based on the relation between the flow
of air through the cement bed and the surface area of the particles
comprising the cement bed.From this the surface area per unit
weight of the body material can be related to the permeability of
a bed of a given porosity.
2. Standard Consistency- The standard consistency of a cement paste
is defined as that consistency which will permit a Vicat plunger having
10 mm diameter and 50 mm length to penetrate to a depth of 33-35
mm from the top of the mould shown in Vicat Apparatus.
For finding out initial setting time, final setting time and soundness of
cement, and strength a parameter known as standard consistency has
to be used.
Procedure Take about 400 gms of cement and prepare a paste with a weighed
quantity of water for the first trial. The paste must be prepared
2

Figure 1: Vicats Apparatus

in a standard manner and filled into the Vicat mould within 3-5
minutes.After completely filling the mould, shake the mould to
expel air.
Standard plunger, 10 mm diameter, 50 mm long is attached and
brought down to touch the surface of the paste in the test block
and quickly released allowing it to sink into the paste by its own
weight. Take the reading by noting the depth of penetration of
the plunger.
Conduct a 2nd trial. Similarly, conduct trials with different water/cement ratios till such time the plunger penetrates for a depth
of 33-35 mm from the top.
3. Setting Time Test- Initial setting time is regarded as the time
elapsed between the moment that the water is added to the cement,
to the time that the paste starts losing its plasticity(Usually 30 mins).
The final setting time is the time elapsed between the moment the
water is added to the cement, and the time when the paste has completely lost its plasticity and has attained sufficient firmness to resist
certain definite pressure(Usually 10 hrs).
procedure3

 Take 500 gm. of cement sample and guage it with 0.85 times the
water required to produce cement paste of standard consistency
(0.85 P).
The paste shall be guaged and filled into the Vicat mould in
specified manner within 3-5 minutes.
Start the stop watch the moment water is added to the cement.
The period elapsing between the time when water is added to
the cement and the time at which the needle penetrates the test
block to a depth equal to 33-35 mm from the top is taken as
initial setting time.
Replace the needle of the Vicat apparatus by a circular attachment. The cement shall be considered as finally set when, upon,
lowering the attachment gently cover the surface of the test block,
the centre needle makes an impression, while the circular cutting
edge of the attachment fails to do so.
4. Soundness test- The testing of soundness of cement, is done to ensure
that the cement does not show any appreciable subsequent expansion
is of prime importance.
procedure-

Figure 2: Apparatus for Soundness Test

The apparatus is shown in Fig. It consists of a small split cylinder.
On either side of the split are attached two indicator arms.
Cement is gauged with 0.78 times the water required for standard
consistency (0.78 P), in a standard manner and filled into the
4

mould kept on a glass plate. The mould is covered on the top

with another glass plate. The whole assembly is immersed in
water at a temperature of 27C 32C and kept there for 24 hours.
Measure the distance between the indicator points. Submerge
the mould again in water. Heat the water and bring to boiling
point in about 25-30 minutes and keep it boiling for 3 hours.
Remove the mould from the water, allow it to cool and measure
the distance between the indicator points. The difference between
these two measurements represents the expansion of cement. This
must not exceed 10 mm for ordinary, rapid hardening and low
heat Portland cements. If in case the expansion is more than 10
mm as tested above, the cement is said to be unsound.
5. Compressive strength - The compressive strength of hardened cement is the most important of all the properties. cement is always
tested for its strength at the laboratory before the cement is used in
important works.
Procedure, Take 1:3 cement sand mixture in a non-porous enamel tray and
mix them with a trowel for one minute, then add water of quantity
(P/4 + 3.0) per cent of combined weight of cement and sand
and mix the three ingredients thoroughly until the mixture is of
uniform colour.
Until the mixture is of uniform colour. The time of mixing should
not be less than 3 minutes nor more than 4 minutes. Immediately
after mixing, the mortar is filled into a cube mould of size 7.06
cm. The area of the face of the cube will be equal to 50 sq cm.
Compact the mortar either by hand compaction in a standard
specified manner or on the vibrating equipment for 2 minutes.
Keep the compacted cube in the mould at a temperature of 27C
2C and at least 90 per cent relative humidity for 24 hours. After
24 hours the cubes are removed from the mould and immersed in
clean fresh water until taken out for testing.
Three cubes are tested for compressive strength at the periods.
he compressive strength shall be the average of the strengths of
the three cubes for each period respectively.

Question 1.3
Discuss in detail the phenomenon of Hydration of cement.
Answer, Hydration of cement- The chemical reactions that take place between cement and water is called Hydration of Cement. By the process of hydration, Portland cement when mixed with sand gravel and
water produces the synthetic rock we call concrete. The reaction with
water is termed hydration. This involves many different reactions,
often occurring at the same time. As the reactions proceed, the products of the hydration process gradually bond together the individual
sand and gravel particles, and other components of the concrete, to
form a solid mass. These products are important because they have
cementing or adhesive values. The hydration of cement can be explained in two ways namely, through solution and solid state mechanisms. In through solution mechanism, compounds dissolve to produce supersaturated solution from which different hydrated products
get precipitated. During solid state mechanism, water attacks cement compounds to produce hydrated products starting from surface
and proceeding to interior of compounds with time. It is likely that,
both mechanisms may occur during the course of hydration reaction
depending upon availability of water.
Heat of Hydration- When water is added, the reactions which occur
are mostly exothermic, that is, the reactions generate heat. We can
get an indication of the rate at which the minerals are reacting by
monitoring the rate at which heat is evolved using a technique called
conduction calorimetry. On mixing cement with water, the rapid heat
evolution occurs. It is mainly due to Aluminates and Sulphates and
ceases quickly due to Gypsum. The next heat evolution is because
of ettrignite and partly due to reaction of C3 S. Different compounds
hydrate at different rates to produce different amount of heat. Fig
shows rate of hydration of different compounds. It is noticeable that
Aluminate have very high rate of hydration but retarders, like Gypsum control their solubility. So, heat of hydration is mainly due to
hydration of C3 S.
Hydration of silicates-

Figure 3: Rate of liberation of heat

2C3 S + 6H2 O (CaO)3 (SiO)2 (H2 O)3 + 3CaOH
2C2 S + 4H2 O (CaO)3 (SiO)2 (H2 O)3 + CaOH
1. Both, C2 S and C3 S produce C-S-H and Ca(OH)2 as reaction
products.
2. C2 S Produces less Ca(OH)2 . (important for durability in sulfate
rich environments).
3. More heat is evolved during C3 S hydration.

Figure 4: Rate of Hydration of pure compounds

4. C3 S Hydration is more rapid, contributing to early age strength

(2-3h to 14 days).
5. C2 S Hydration occurs more slowly to contributing to strength
after 14 days.
C-S-H
1. Known as Calcium silicate hydrate.
2. C/S ratio varies between 1.5 2.
3. H2 O is even more variable.
4. Structure ranges from poorly crystalline to amorphous - highly
variable and poorly understood.
5. Occupies 50-60 % of the solid volume of the hydrated cement
paste (hcp).
6. Huge surface area (100-700 m2 /g)
7. Strength due to covalent/ionic bonding (65%) and Van der Waals
bonding (35%) within the complex structure.
8. Primary strength-giving phase in portland cement concrete.
Calcium Hydroxide
1. Calcium hydroxide or Ca(OH)2 .
2. Definite stoichiometry.
3. Large, hexagonal prism morphology.
4. Size of the crystals depends on the amount of space available.
5. Occupies 20-25% of the solid volume in the hcp.
6. Much lower surface area than C-S-H.
7. Does not contribute much to strength.
8. Keeps the pore solution alkaline (pH 12.4-13.5).
Hydration of the Calcium Aluminates
C3 A + 3(CaO)(SiO2 )(H2 O)2 + 26(H2 O)
(CaO)6 (Al2 O3 )(SiO2 )3 (H2 O)32
When more C3 A remains

(CaO)6 (Al2 O3 )(SiO2 )3 (H2 O)32 + 2(C3 A) + 4(H2 O)

3(CaO)4 (Al2 O3 )(SiO2 )(H2 O)12
Reaction of C4 AF occurs more slowly
C4 AF + 2CaOH2 + 14(H2 O)
(CaO)4 ((Al2 O3 ), (F e2 O3 ))(H2 O)13 + (Al2 O3 )(F e2 O3 ))(H2 O)3
1. Reaction of C3 A with water occurs very quickly and liberates
much heat - Flash Set.
2. Gypsum is added to the cement to control the hydration of C3 A
Calcium Aluminates and Calcium Sulfoaluminates
1. Includes ettringite, monosulfate hydration, calcium aluminate hydrates, and ferric-aluminum hydroxide gels.
2. Comprise 15-20% of solid volume of hcp.
3. Do not contribute much to strength.
4. Formation of ettringite, in particular, does influence setting time.
5. High heat of hydration for C3 A can be favorable or unfavorable,
depending upon application.

Question 1.8
Discuss in detail the various stages in manufacturing of concrete.
Answer,Bad concrete and good concrete, are both made of essentially the same
materials or ingredients. The only thing most often separates them is, the
care taken during at each stage of manufacturing of concrete. The various
stages of manufacturing of concrete are as follows.
1. batching
batching of concrete is nothing but the measurement of concrete.
Volume batching(a) In this method, measurement is done in volume.
(b) Since it is very difficult to measure granular material in terms
of volume,this method is not preffered for batching.
(c) Gauge boxes are used for measuring the fine and coarse aggregates. Usually, The volume of the box is made equal to
the volume of one bag of cement. i.e., 35 liters.
(d) in India volume batching is adopted even for large concreting
operations.
(e) Correction to the effect of bulking should be made to cater
for bulking of fine aggregate, when the fine aggregate is moist
and volume batching is adopted.
Weigh batching(a) Measurement is done by weight.
(b) Since measurement of weight provides accuracy, flexibility
and simplicity to operation, Weigh batching is the more precise and correct method of measuring than Volume batching.
(c) in smaller works, the weighing arrangement consists of two
weighing buckets, each connected through a system of levers
to spring-loaded dials which indicate the load. On large work
sites, the weigh bucket type of weighing equipments are used.
The weighing is done through a lever-arm system and two
interlinked beams and jockey weights the materials.
(d) Addition of water by graduated bucket in terms of liters will
not be accurate enough for the reason of spillage of water etc.
It is usual to have the water measured in a horizontal tank
or vertical tank fitted to the mixer.

10

2. Mixing- Mixing is essential to ensure that the mass becomes homogeneous, uniform in colour and consistency. There are two methods of
mixing.
Hand Mixing(a) Hand mixing is practiced for small scale unimportant concrete works.
(b) The measured quantity of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate are spread in alternate layers. The cement is poured on
the top of it, and mixed dry by shovel, turning the mixture
over and over again until uniformity of colour is achieved.
Water is taken in a water-can fitted with a rose-head and
sprinkled over the mixture and simultaneously turned over.
This operation is continued till such time a good uniform,
homogeneous concrete is obtained.
Machine Mixing(a) Mixing of concrete is carried out by machine, for reinforced
concrete work and for medium or large scale mass concrete
work.
(b) Many types of mixers are available for mixing concrete. They
can be classified as batch-mixers and continuous mixers.
(c) Machine mixing is efficient and economical, especially in large
plants.
(d) As per I.S. 17911985, concrete mixers are designated by a
number representing its nominal mixed batch capacity in
liters. The following are the standardized sizes of three types:
Tilting( 85 T, 100 T, 140 T, 200 T), Non-Tilting( 200 NT,
280 NT, 375 NT, 500 NT, 1000 NT), Reversing( 200 R, 280
R, 375 R, 500 R and 1000 R). The letters T, NT, R denote
tilting, non-tilting and reversing respectively.
3. Transporting Concrete- Main objective of transporting concrete is
that homogeneity obtained at the time of mixing should be maintained
while being transported to the final place of deposition.
(a) Motar Pan. Use of mortar pan for transportation of concrete
is labour intensive, and one of the common methods adopted in
India.

11

(b) Wheel Barrow, Hand cart. This method is employed for

hauling concrete for comparatively longer distance as in the case
of concrete road construction.
(c) Crane, Bucket and Rope way. Cranes are fast and versatile to
move concrete horizontally as well as vertically along the boom
and allows the placement of concrete at the exact point. This
quality makes them one of the right equipment for transporting
concrete above ground level.
Rope way and bucket of various sizes are used for transporting
concrete to a place, where simple method of transporting concrete
is found not feasible. exa, Valley, Dam.
(d) Truck Mixer and Dumper. For large concrete works particularly for concrete to be placed at ground level for longer distances,
trucks and dumpers or ordinary open steel-body tipping lorries
can be used.
(e) Belt conveyors. Conveyors can place large volumes of concrete
quickly where access is limited. There are portable belt conveyors
used for short distances or lifts.
(f) Chute. Chutes are generally provided for transporting concrete
from ground level to a lower level. The lay-out is made in such a
way that the concrete will slide evenly under effect of gravity in
a compact mass without any separation or segregation.
(g) Skip and Hoist. This is one of the widely adopted methods
for transporting concrete vertically up for multistorey building
construction.
(h) Tansit Mixer. Transit mixer is one of the most popular equipments for transporting concrete over a long distance particularly
in Ready Mixed Concrete plant.
(i) Pump and Pipe Line. Pump and pipe line are adopted for
transportation of pumpable concrete.
4. Placing- It is important to ensure that concrete is placed in systematically to yield optimum results.
Form work: Form work shall be designed and constructed so
as to remain sufficiently rigid during placing and compaction of
concrete. Formwork should not be removed until the concrete has
developed a strength of at least twice the stress to which concrete
may be subjected at the time of removal of formwork.
12

 Underwater concrete: Concrete is often required to be placed

underwater or in a trench filled with the bentonite slurry. In such
cases, use of bottom dump bucket or tremie pipe is made use of.
In the bottom dump bucket concrete is taken through the water
in a water-tight box or bucket and on reaching the final place of
deposition the bottom is made to open by some mechanism and
the whole concrete is dumped slowly.
Slip form technique: Slip-forming of vertical construction is a
proven method of concrete construction generally adopted for tall
structures. In this method, concrete is continuously placed, compacted and formwork is pulled up by number of hydraulic Jacks,
giving reaction, against jack rods or main reinforcements.The rate
of slipping the formwork will vary depending upon the temperature and strength development of concrete to withstand without
the support of formwork.
5. Compaction- Compaction of concrete is the process adopted for expelling the entrapped air from the concrete. The following methods
are adopted for compacting the concrete:
Hand Compaction. Hand compaction of concrete is adopted
in case of unimportant concrete work of small magnitude. It
involves mainly (a) Rodding
(b) Ramming
(c) Tamping
Vibration. Where high strength is required, it is necessary that
stiff concrete, with low water/cement ratio be used. To compact
such concrete, mechanically operated vibratory equipment, must
be used. Also,Re-vibration is delayed vibration of concrete that
has already been placed and compacted. It may occur while
placing successive layers of concrete, when vibrations in the upper
layer of fresh concrete are transmitted to the underlaying layer
which has partially hardened or may be done intentionally to
achieve certain advantages. it can be classified on the basis of
type of vibrator used. mainly(a) Internal vibrator (Needle vibrator)
(b) Formwork vibrator (External vibrator)
(c) Table vibrator
13

(d) Platform vibrator

(e) Surface vibrator (Screed vibrator)
(f) Vibratory Roller
Compaction by Pressure and Jolting.
Compaction by Spinning.
6. Curing- Water used in concrete evaporates and water available is not
often sufficient. If the hydration is to continue unbated, extra water
must be added to replenish the loss of water on account of absorption
and evaporation. Alternatively, some measures must be taken by way
of provision of impervious covering or application of curing compounds
to prevent the loss of water from the surface of the concrete. Therefore,
the curing can be considered as creation of a favourable environment
during the early period for uninterrupted hydration. Curing methods
may be divided broadly into four categories:
Water Curing This method is preferred in most cases as it satisfies all criteria of curing mainly, promotion of hydration, elimination of shrinkage and absorption of the heat of hydration. Water
curing can be done in following ways:
(a) Immersion concrete items are normally immersed in curing
tanks for a certain duration.
(b) Ponding Pavement slabs, roof slab etc. are covered under
water by making small ponds.
(c) Spraying Vertical retaining wall or plastered surfaces or concrete columns etc. are cured by spraying water.
(d) Wet covering wet coverings such as wet gunny bags, hessian cloth, jute matting, straw etc., are wrapped to vertical
surface for keeping the concrete wet.
Membrane curing concrete could be covered with membrane
which will effectively seal off the evaporation of water from concrete. It is found that the application of membrane or a sealing
compound, after a short spell of water curing for one or two days
is sometimes beneficial. Membrane curing is a good method of
maintaining a satisfactory state of wetness in the body of concrete
to promote continuous hydration when original water/cement ratio used is not less than 0.5.
Application of heat When concrete is subjected to higher temperature it accelerates the hydration process resulting in faster
14

development of strength. Therefore, subjecting the concrete to

higher temperature and maintaining the required wetness can be
achieved by subjecting the concrete to steam curing.The exposure of concrete to higher temperature is done in the following
manner:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Steam curing at ordinary pressure.

Steam curing at high pressure.
Curing by Infra-red radiation.
Electrical curing

Miscellaneous
(a) Calcium chloride is used either as a surface coating or as an
admixture. It can be used as curing medium since it absorbs
moisture from atmoshpere and retains at surface.
(b) Formwork prevents escaping of moisture from the concrete,
particularly, in the case of beams and columns. Keeping the
formwork intact and sealing the joint with wax or any other
sealing compound prevents the evaporation of moisture from
the concrete. This can also be seen as method of curing.
7. Finishing- Concrete is often dubbed as a drab material, incapable of
offering pleasant architectural appearance and finish. This shortcoming of concrete is being rectified and concretes these days are made to
exhibit pleasant surface by process of finishing. Surface finishes may
be grouped as under:
Formwork Finishes. Concrete obeys the shape of formwork
i.e., centering work. By judiciously assembling the formwork,
pleasant finishing can be achieved.
Surface Treatment. This is one of the methods of giving good
look to the concrete surface.
Applied Finishes. The term applied finish is used to denote the
application of rendering to the exteriors of concrete structures.

15

Question 1.9
Explain in detail the what you mean by Shrinkage, Creep and Modulus of
Elasticity of concrete.
Answer,1. Shrinkage is a reduction in volume, and in concrete, it is mainly
caused by the loss of water. In most cases, shrinkage is measured by
monitoring longitudinal strain. When tensile stresses due to restrained
volume contraction exceed the tensile strength of concrete, the shrinkage leads to cracking, which is called shrinkage cracking. Shrinkage
is classified based on the causes of volume change and the state of
concrete.
Plastic shrinkage is the shrinkage that occurs due to loss of
moisture from fresh concrete. This loss may in be in form of surface evaporation or moisture loss to the subgrade, for slabs on the
ground. The loss of moisture leads to the formation of menisci.
These menisci generate negative capillary pressures, which cause
a volume reduction in the cement paste (Mindess, Young, and
Darwin 2003). Because the loss of moisture is concentrated at the
exposed surfaces, the volume contraction is uneven. Differential
volume changes produce tensile stresses in concrete, which may
result in the formation of cracks in the plastic concrete. This type
of cracking generally appears in random patterns and is shallow.
Autogenous Shrinkage (also known as chemical shrinkage) is
a volume change that occurs without moisture loss to the surrounding environment. It occurs when water in cement paste is
consumed by the hydration reactions, and results due to self desiccation of the concrete. This type of shrinkage mainly occurs
in the mixes with low water-cement (w/c) ratios and may be increased by the use of reactive pozzolans. For the concretes with
w/c ratios of 0.42 and greater, autogenous shrinkage is normally
small and can be considered as a part of drying shrinkage.
Drying shrinkage occurs due to the loss of moisture from hardened concrete. Among the different types of shrinkage, drying
shrinkage usually results in the largest volume change. Moisture
loss causes volume changes based on three mechanisms that result
in changes in capillary stress, disjoining pressure, and surface free
energy. Capillary stress occurs between relative humidity of 45
16

and 95 percent, when a meniscus forms in the pore water within

pores in cement paste. The meniscus is under hydrostatic tension,
and adopts a curved surface. The water exerts the corresponding
compression on the solid skeleton, reducing the size of the pores.
Disjoining pressure is the pressure caused by adsorbed water confined within the small spaces of capillary pores. In this narrow
space, water exerts pressure on the adjacent cement surfaces.
When the adsorbed water is lost, the disjoining pressure is reduced and the cement particles are drawn closer together, which
results in shrinkage.
shrinkage also can be explained by changes in surface energy. As
the most strongly adsorbed water surrounding the cement particles is removed, the free surface energy of the solid increases
significantly. This water has high surface tension and exerts a
compressive pressure on cement particle, causing a reduction in
volume.
Drying shrinkage is by far the most common cause of shrinkage.
Drying shrinkage occurs in hardened concrete as a result of water movement. The reaction of cement and water results in the
formation of a calcium silicate hydrate gel (C-S-H) with waterfilled space. The size of the pores in the water-filled space varies
from large capillary pores to smaller voids in the C-S-H gel that
are filled with adsorbed water (0.5-2.5 nm). As drying occurs,
disjoining pressure removes adsorbed water from these pores and
hydrostatic forces (capillary stresses) form a meniscus that exerts
stresses on the C-S-H skeleton causing the cement paste to shrink.
One of the most substantial factors influencing free shrinkage is
the water-to cement ratio (w/c). The w/c required for complete
hydration is typically assumed to be approximately 0.42 depending on the amount of gel porosity that is assumed. The amount
of water has a direct influence on the size and magnitude of the
porosity (i.e. Higher w/c pastes have higher porosity). Therefore,
specimens with a lower w/c have a lower amount of pore water
and consequently exhibit lower drying shrinkage. It should be
noted that recently the use of high-range water-reducing admixtures (HRWRA) hassled to increased workability for lower w/c
mixtures. Other factors that influence shrinkage include chemical
admixtures, mineral admixtures, and cement composition, since
they typically alter the reaction products, porosity, and mechanical stiffness.
17

 Carbonation shrinkage occurs as the result of chemical reactions between hardened cement paste and carbon dioxide. It is
believed that CO2 reacts with calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H)
inducing a decrease in its calcium-silica (C/S) ratio with a concomitant water loss. Carbonation shrinkage is a function of relative humidity and is greatest around 50 percent relative humidity.
Carbonation shrinkage, although not very significant itself, can
add to the effect of drying shrinkage and thereby lead to cracking.
2. Creep- The degree of curvature of the stress-strain relationship depends upon many factors amongst which the intensity of stress and
time for which the load is acting are of significant interest. Therefore,
it clearly shows that the relation between stress and strain for concrete
is a function of time. The gradual increase in strain, without increase
in stress, with the time is due to creep. Creep can also be defined as
the increase in strain under sustained stress.
One of the explanations given to the mechanics of creeps is based
on the theory that the colloidal particles slide against each other to
re-adjust their position displacing the water held in gel pores and capillary cavities. This flow of gel and the consequent displacement of
water is responsible for complex deformation behaviour and creep of
concrete.
Measurement of Creep- it is generally assumed that the creep
continues to assume a limiting value after an infinite time under
load. It is estimated that 26 per cent of the 20 year creep occurs
in 2 weeks. 55 per cent of 20 year creep occurs in 3 months and
76 per cent of 20 year creep occurs in one year. If creep after one
year is taken as unity, then the average value of creep at later
ages are:
1.14 after 2 years
1.20 after 5 years
1.26 after 10 years
1.33 after 20 years and
1.36 after 30 years
There are many expressions to give the magnitude of ultimate
creep in concrete member. Ross suggested the relation between
specific creep (creep strain per unit stress)c and time under load
t in the form c=
18

t
a+bt

 Creep is influenced by changes in Aggregates, Mix proportioning,

and Age.
3. Modulus of Elasticity In view of the peculiar and complex behaviour of stress-strain
relationship, the modulus of elasticity of concrete is defined in
somewhat arbitrary manner. The term Youngs modulus of elasticity can strictly be applied only to the straight part of stressstrain curve. In the case of concrete, since no part of the graph
is straight, the modulus of elasticity is found out with reference
to the tangent drawn to the curve at the origin. The modulus
found from this tangent is referred as initial tangent modulus.
This gives satisfactory results only at low stress value.
The modulus of elasticity most commonly used in practice is secant modulus. There is no standard method of determining the
secant modulus. Sometime it is measured at stresses ranging from
3 to 14 MPa and sometime the secant is drawn to point representing a stress level of 15, 25, 33, or 50 per cent of ultimate
strength.
Modulus of elasticity may be measured in tension, compression
or shear. The modulus in tension is usually equal to the modulus
in compression.
Relation between Modulus of Elasticity and Strength
Modulus of elasticity of concrete increases approximately with
the square root of the strength. The IS 456 of 2000 gives the
Modulus of elasticity as,
Ec = 5000 f ck
where Ec is the short term static modulus of elasticity in N/mm2 .

19