3 Semester Civil

rd

Concrete Technology
 Ordinary Portland cement is one of the most widely used type of
Cement.  In 1824 Joseph Aspdin gave the name as Portland
cement as it has similarity in colour and quality found in Portland
stone, which is a white grey limestone in island of Portland,
Unit – 1 Dorset.

Properties of Cement  The principal raw materials used in the manufacture of

• properties of cement – fineness, standard consistency,
initial & final setting time compressive strength &
Ordinary Portland Cement are:
soundness.

• grades of opc 33, 43 , 53 & their specification.

 Argillaceous or silicates of alumina in the form of clays and
• Adulteration of cement (field test).
shales.
• Types of Cement
i) Rapid hardening cement
ii) Low heat cement
 Calcareous or calcium carbonate, in the form of limestone,
iii) Pozzolana Portland cement
iv) Blast furnace slag cement chalk and marl which is a mixture of clay and calcium
v) White cement
carbonate.
 The ingredients are mixed in the proportion of about two parts
of calcareous materials to one part of argillaceous materials.
  The chief chemical constituents of Portland cement are as
follows:

Lime (CaO) 60 to 67%

Silica (SiO2) 17 to 25%

Alumina (Al2O3) 3 to 8%

Constituents of Iron oxide (Fe2O3) 0.5 to 6%

Cement. Magnesia (MgO) 0.1 to 4%

Sulphur trioxide (SO3) 1 to 3%

Soda and/or Potash (Na2O+K2O) 0.5 to 1.3%

 The size of the particles of the cement is its fineness. The
required fineness of good cement is achieved through
grinding the clinker in the last step of cement production
process. As hydration rate of cement is directly related to
the cement particle size, fineness of cement is very
important.

Fineness of  Importance of Cement Fineness

 The fineness of cement affects hydration rate, and in turn,
Cement. the strength. Increasing fineness causes an increased
rate of hydration, high strength, and high heat generation.
 Bleeding can be reduced by increasing fineness.
However, increased fineness can also lead to the
requirement of more water for workability,resulting in a
higher possibility of dry shrinkage.
 Virtual Lab URL - http://civ02.vlabs.ac.in/exp6/index.html
 YouTube link for Hindi- https://youtu.be/eP8_yrP8xc0
  As per IS:4031 Part 4 The standard consistency of a
cement paste is defined as that consistency which will
permit the Standard Vicat plunger to penetrate to a point 5
Standard to 7 mm from the bottom of the Vicat mould.

Consistency of  The percentage of water required for standard consistency as

taken as the minimum water required for complete hydration of
Cement. cement particles. That means, in any case, the working Water
Cement Ratio cannot go below Normal Consistency.
 The test to be conducted in controlled condition of
temperature 27±2˚C and Relative humidity 65±5%.
 Virtual lab URL - http://civ02.vlabs.ac.in/exp7/index.html
 YouTube link for Hindi - https://youtu.be/RQKfQcVewuo
  The initial setting time is the exact moment when the concrete starts to harden.
In theory, this time starts as soon as the water is added to the cement. The final
setting time is the moment the concrete has hardened enough so that a five-
millimetre square needle no longer penetrates the surface.

 Technical aspects of concrete setting time.

 It is important that concrete does not set too quickly or too slowly. If the initial
setting time is too fast, the concrete will start to set while it is being
transported and before it can be poured. If the final setting time is too long, the

Initial and final structure will not have enough strength to support the weight of additional
construction and machinery on top of it.
setting time of
concrete.  Note that setting should not be confused with hardening. Hardening of
concrete refers to the strengthening and solidifying of the material. Setting is
simply when the cement paste starts to reach a defined consistency by losing
its plasticity and workability. 

 The initial setting time is important to know for contractors and cement
suppliers as it determines how much time is needed for transport, placing and
compaction of the concrete. The final setting time also tells contractors when
the concrete will completely lose its plasticity and be able to support its own
shape and weight without formwork or supports. The final time is the earliest
point at which scaffolding and formwork can be removed.
 Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering URL -
http://www.iricen.gov.in/LAB/res/html/Test-20.html
  Cement, basically is known by its compressive strength.Cement is
identified by its grade like 53 grade, 43 grade, 33 grade of cement.This
grade indicates the compressive strength of cement, i.e. 53 grade of
cement indicates that compressive strength of cement cube after 28
days of curing will be 53 N/mm2 (MPa) or 530 kg/cm2.
 The compressive strength of the hardened cement is the essential
COMPRESSIV property when water is added in the cement. Cement hydrates and
shows cohesion and solidity. The strength of cement-based compound,
E STRENGTH such as mortar or concrete depends upon the type and nature of
cement.
OF CEMENT.  Basically, because of strength,nature of cement, both mortar and
concrete are very strong in compression and weak in tension, hence
testing of cement for compressive strength is most important because it
is the major purpose for which it is used.
 Link of compressive test procedures and video by Indian Railway Institute
of Civil Engineering - http://www.iricen.gov.in/LAB/res/html/Test-23.html

 YouTube Link- https://youtu.be/DLqM2xxTCD4

  Soundness of cement can be defined as its ability to retain its volume after it gets
hardened. This means that a properly sound cement will undergo minimum
volume change after it converts into the hardened state.

 Soundness of cement is affected by the presence of excess lime (CaO) in

the cement. This excess lime hydrates very slowly and forms slaked lime
that occupies a larger volume than the original free calcium oxide. The
slow hydration process, therefore, affects the properties of hardened

Soundness of concrete. The difference in the rate of hydration of free lime and slaked
lime leads to change in volume of hardened concrete. The cement which

Cement exhibits this type of volume changes is described as unsound cement. In

the soundness test of cement, we determine the amount of excess lime.

 Therefore, a limit has been set in the ordinary Portland cement regarding
the presence of free lime and is determined by test. In the soundness test  a
specimen of hardened cement paste is boiled for a fixed time so that any
tendency to expand is speeded up and can be detected This test can be
conducted by Le-chatelier method and Autoclave Method.

 3D Animation video URL - https://youtu.be/je5ztHs9tII

 NPTEL Video demonstration- https://youtu.be/J7opp28cRe4
  OPC is the most commonly used type of cement in the
world. OPC is the basic form of cement produced by inter-
grinding cement clinker with 3-5% gypsum.
 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has classified OPC into
3 different grades namely, OPC 33 Grade, OPC 43 Grade
and OPC 53 Grade cements. The grade number indicates
the minimum compressive strength that the cement is
required to attain at the end of 28 days eg., the minimum
compressive strength of 53 Grade OPC attained on the
Grades of OPC 28th day shall not be less than 53 MPa or 530 kg/sqcm.
 It may be noted that OPC 33, OPC 43 and OPC 53
grades do not differ in chemical content. The only
difference is that the higher grade cements are ground
much finer during the final grinding process, creating a
product that is much stronger and more durable than the
less finely ground cement.
  This grade of cement is used for general construction under
normal environmental condition. But low compressive strength
and availability of higher grades of cement have impacted the
use and demand of OPC 33.
 IS Code – IS 269 : 1989 for Ordinary Portland Cement, 33
1. OPC 33 Grade.

Grade Cement  Compressive Strength of OPC 33 – The average compressive

strength of at least three mortar cubes, is taken into account
while checking the compressive strength. These mortar cubes
are composed of one part of cement and three parts of standard
a)sand (1:3).
3 days
Not less than 16 N/mm2

b) 7 days Not less than 22 N/mm2

c) 28 days Not less than 33 N/mm2

  This grade of cement is the most popular cement used in the
country today. OPC 43 is used for general RCC construction
where the grade of concrete is up to M30. It is also used for the
construction of precast items such as blocks, tiles, asbestos
products like sheets and pipes, and for non-structural works
such as plastering, flooring etc.

2. OPC 43  IS Code – IS 8112: 1989 for 43 Grade Ordinary Portland

Cement.
Grade Cement  Compressive Strength of OPC 43 –

a) 3 days Not less than 23 N/mm2

b) 7 days Not less than 33 N/mm2

c) 28 days Not less than 43 N/mm2

  OPC 53 is used when we need higher strength concrete. In
concrete mix design, for concrete M20 and above we can
achieve 8 to 10% saving in cement with the use of OPC 53.
 This cement grade is used for specialized works such as
prestressed concrete components, precast items such as paving

3. OPC 53 blocks, building blocks etc, runways, concrete roads, bridges,

and other RCC works where the grade of concrete is M25 and
Grade Cement above.
 IS Code – IS 12269 : 1987 for Specification for 53 grade
ordinary portland cement.
 Compressive Strength of OPC 53

a) 3 days Not less than 27 N/mm2

b) 7 days Not less than 37 N/mm2

c) 28 days Not less than 53 N/mm2

  Sometimes it may be required to perform cement quality tests at a site within a very
short period of time for evaluating the condition of the supplied cement. In most of the
cases, it is not possible to have any laboratory test in the short period of time.
Therefore, the quality check is performed with the help of some basic field tests. 
 Field Tests of Cement –
 Date of Manufacturing: As the strength of cement reduces with age, the date
of manufacturing of cement bags should be checked. It should not be older then 3
months.

Adulteration of  Cement Color: The color of cement should be uniform. It should be typical cement
color i.e. gray color with a light greenish shade.

Cement  Whether Hard Lumps are Formed: Cement should be free from hard lumps. Such
lumps are formed by the absorption of moisture from the atmosphere.

(Field Test)  Temperature Inside Cement Bag: If the hand is plunged into a bag of cement, it
should be feel cool inside the cement bag.
 Smoothness Test: When cement is touched or rubbed in between fingers, it should
give a smooth feeling. If it felt rough, it indicates adulteration with sand.
 Water Sinking Test: If a small quantity of cement is thrown into the water, it should
float some time before finally sinking.
 Glass Plate Test: A thick paste of cement with water is made on a piece of a glass
plate and it is kept under water for 24 hours. It should set and not crack.
Types of Cement  Rapid hardening cement attains high strength in the early days;
it is used in concrete where formworks are removed at an early

1) stage. Its initial and final setting times are similar to ordinary
portland cement (OPC).
Rapid  Its 3 days strength is equal to 7 days strength of OPC.
Hardening  This cement has increased lime content and higher c3s content

Cement and finer grinding, which gives higher strength development

than OPC at an early stage.
  Low heat cement is produced by maintaining the percentage of
tricalcium aluminate below 6% by increasing the proportion of
C2S. A small quantity of tricalcium aluminate makes the
concrete to produce low heat of hydration.
2) Low Heat  Low heat cement suitable for mass concrete construction like
Cement gravity dams, as the low heat of hydration, prevents the
cracking of concrete due to heat.
 This cement has increased power against sulphates and is less
reactive and initial setting time is greater than OPC.
  It is prepared by grinding pozzolanic clinker with Portland
cement. It is also produced by adding pozzolana with the
addition of gypsum or calcium sulfate or by intimately and
uniformly blending Portland cement and fine pozzolana.
3) Portland  This cement has a high resistance to various chemical attacks
Pozzolana on concrete compared with ordinary portland cement, and thus,
Cement (PPC) it is widely used.
 It is used in marine structures, sewage works, sewage works,
and for laying concrete underwater, such as bridges, piers,
dams, and mass concrete works, etc.
  Slag is the residual waste obtained from steel
manufacturing industries.
4) Blast Furnace  It has pozzolonic properties.
Slag Cement  Blast furnace slag cement is obtained by grinding the
clinkers with about 60% slag and resembles more or less in
properties of Portland cement. It can be used for works
where economic considerations are predominant.
  It is prepared from raw materials free from Iron oxide and
is a type of ordinary portland cement, which is white.

5) White   It is costlier than any other cement.

Cement  Used for architectural purposes. such as precast curtain

wall and facing panels, terrazzo surface, etc. and for
interior and exterior decorative work like external
renderings of buildings, facing slabs, floorings, ornamental
concrete products, paths of gardens, swimming pools, etc.