MODULE 1

PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE AS A
CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL
1.1 CONCRETE AND REINFORCED CONCRETE
Concrete is a mixture of sand, gravel, crushed rock, or other
aggregates held together in a rocklike mass with a paste of cement and water.
Sometimes one or more admixtures are added to change certain
characteristics of the concrete such as its workability, durability, and time of
hardening.

As with most rocklike substances, concrete has a high compressive

strength and a very low tensile strength. Reinforced concrete is a combination
of concrete and steel wherein the steel reinforcement provides the tensile
strength lacking in the concrete. Steel reinforcing is also capable of resisting
compression forces and is used in columns as well as in other situations, which
are described later.
1.2 ADVANTAGES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE AS A STRUCTURAL MATERIAL
1.3 DISADVANTAGES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE AS A STRUCTURAL MATERIAL
1.4 COMPARISON OF REINFORCED CONCRETE AND STRUCTURAL STEEL FOR BUILDINGS &
BRIDGES
1.5 COMPATIBILITY OF CONCRETE AND STEEL 1.6 TYPES OF PORTLAND CEMENT
1.7 ADMIXTURES
1.8 PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE
For high-strength
concrete (above
6000 psi)
𝑓𝑟 = 0.7 𝑓𝑐 MPa, in SI
1.9 AGGREGATES
 MODIFICATION FACTORS AS 𝝀 MULTIPLIER OF 𝒇′ 𝒄

1. 𝜆 = 0.85 for sand-lightweight concrete

2. 𝜆 = 0.75 for all lightweight concrete
3. 𝜆 = 1 for normal weight concrete
𝑓′ 𝑐𝑡
4. 𝜆= ≤ 1.0 for average splitting tensile strength of
0.56 𝑓′ 𝑐
lightweight concrete f’ct

1.10 HIGH-STRENGTH CONCRETES

 1.11 REINFORCING STEEL
Reinforcement used for concrete structures maybe in
the form of bars or welded wire fabric. Reinforcing bars are referred
to as plane or deformed bars. The deformed bars ribbed projections
rolled into their surfaces to provide better bonding between the
concrete and steel. Plane bars are not used very often except for
wrapping around longitudinal bars primarily in columns.
1.12 GRADES OF REINFORCING STEEL
1.13 CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENTS 1.14 LOADS
• DEAD LOADS
Dead loads consist of the weight of all materials of
construction incorporated into the building or other structure,
including but not limited to walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, stairways,
built-in partitions, finishes, cladding and other similarly
incorporated architectural and structural items, and fixed service
equipment, including the weight of cranes.

• LIVE LOADS
Live loads shall be the maximum loads expected by the
intended use or occupancy but in no case shall be less than the
loads required by this section.

• ENVIRONMENT LOADS
Environment loads are caused by the environment with
the structure is located.
1 𝑝𝑠𝑓 = 0.047853 𝑘𝑃𝑎
PRACTICE PROBLEM #1
1. What is the dry weight of the coarse aggregate per cu. m. of
The following information is submitted for a proposed concrete mix. concrete?
2. What is the absolute volume of the coarse aggregate per cu. m.
CEMENT: CONCRETE: of concrete?
Specific gravity: 3.15 Slump: 125 mm 3. What is the water cement ratio?
Wt. of one bag: 40 kg Water: 26 lit/bag 4. What is the weight of cement per cu. m. of fresh concrete.
Air content: 4% 5. What is the absolute volume of fine aggregate in 1 m^3 of
FINE AGGREGATES: Cement content: 6.5 bags mix fresh concrete?
Fineness modulus: 2.65 Coarse aggregate: 0.57 bulk 6. What is the absolute volume of cement in 1 m^3 of fresh
Specific gravity: 2.48 concrete?
Absorption: 3% 7. What is the volume of water designed for use in 1 m^3 of
concrete?
COARSE AGGREGATES: 8. What is the weight of sand per m^3 of fresh concrete?
Specific gravity: 2.68 9. What is the unit weight of the concrete mix in kN/m^3?
Dry bulk density: 1680 kg/m^3 10. If the oven-dry weight of the coarse aggregate were 957.6 kg,
Absorption: 0.7% how much water would it need to absorb?
SOLUTION:

1. Dry weight of the coarse aggregate per cu. m. of concrete. wt. of cement per cu. m. = 6.5 (40) bags/m^3 . kg/bag
wt. = 0.57(1680) = 260 kg/m^3
wt. = 957.6 kg/m^3 (9.81 m/s^2)
wt. = 9.39 kN/m^3 5. Absolute volume of fine aggregate in 1 m^3 of fresh concrete:

2. Absolute volume of the coarse aggregate per cu. m. of concrete: Materials Weight (kg) Volume (m^3)
vol. = W/D 260
vol. = 9.39 / 2.68(9.81) Cement 260 = 0.0825 𝑚3
3.15(1000)
vol. = 0.36 m^3
Coarse 1680
1680 = 0.6268 𝑚3
3. Water cement ratio: Aggregate 2.68(1000)
𝑚3 𝑘𝑔
0.026 1000 3 169
WCR = = 0.65
𝑏𝑎𝑔 𝑚
𝑘𝑔
Water 260(0.65)=169 = 0.1690 𝑚3
40
𝑏𝑎𝑔
1000
Air 0 0.04 𝑚3 / 0.9183 𝑚3
4. Weight of cement per cu. m. of fresh concrete:
SOLUTION:

vol. of fine aggregate = 1-0.9183 9. Unit weight of the concrete mix in kN/ 𝑚3 :
= 0.0817 𝒎𝟑 unit wt. of mix = 260 +1680 + 169 + 46.38
= 2155.38 kg/ 𝑚3
6. Absolute volume of cement in 1 m^3 of this fresh concrete: 2155.38(9.81)
abs. vol. of concrete = 260/3.15(1000) unit wt. of mix = = 21.14 kN/ 𝒎𝟑
1000
= 0.0825 𝒎𝟑
10. Water needed to absorb if the oven-dry weight of the coarse
7. Volume of water designed for use in 1 𝑚 of concrete:
3
aggregate were 957.6 kg.
wt. of water = 260(0.65) = 169 wt. of water = 0.007 (957.6)
vol. of water = 169/1000 = 0.1690 𝒎𝟑 = 6.70 kg

8. Weight of sand per 𝑚3 of fresh concrete:

wt. of sand = wt. of fine aggregate
wt. of sand = 0.0187(2.48)(1000)
= 46.38 kg
PRACTICE PROBLEM #2 SOLUTION:

𝑊𝑤
= 0.63
Roller compacted concrete is ordered using the following 𝑊𝑐
parameters:
𝑊𝑤 1100
𝑊𝑐 = = = 1746 𝑁/𝑚3
water-cement ratio = 0.63 0.63 0.63
weight of water = 1100 N/𝑚3
Volume of cementitious material:
specific gravity or Portland Cement = 3.15 𝑊𝑐 1746
specific gravity of fly ash = 2.25 𝑉𝑐 = = = 0.0565 𝑚3
𝑠𝑝. 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 (9810) 3.15(9810)
percentage of fly ash in cementitious material = 40% by volume
Volume of fly ash:
What is the weight of fly ash per cu. m. of roller compacted
𝑉𝑓 = 0.40 0.0565 = 0.0226 𝑚3
concrete?
Weight of fly ash:
𝑊𝑓 = 𝑉𝑓 𝑆𝑝. 𝐺𝑟. 9810
𝑊𝑓 = 0.0226 2.26 9810 = 𝟓𝟎𝟏 𝑵/𝒎𝟑
ASSIGNMENT #1 10. It is required to produce 22 cu. m. of concrete mix with a
mixture of 1:2:4 using 40 kg (per bag) of Portland Cement having
1. Name several of the admixtures that are used in concrete the following properties:
mixes. What is the purpose of each?
2. What is Poisson’s ratio, and where can it be of significance in Materials Sp. Gravity Density
concrete work?
Cement 3.10 1506 𝑘𝑔ൗ𝑚3
3. What factors influence the creep of concrete?
4. What steps can be taken to reduce creep? Sand 2.65 1680 𝑘𝑔ൗ𝑚3
5. What is the effect of creep om reinforced concrete column that
are subjected to axial compression loads? Gravel 2.50 1525 𝑘𝑔ൗ𝑚3
6. Why is silica fume used in high-strength concrete? What does it Water 26 liters per bag of cement
do?
7. Why do surfaces of reinforcing bars have rolled-on Assume one bag of cement per 0.028 𝑚3 of concrete.
deformations?
8. What is shrinkage and how can we minimize it? 1. Compute the total volume of concrete per bag of cement.
9. What are the three factors that influence the magnitude of the 2. Compute the total number of bags of cement needed.
earthquake load on a structure? 3. Compute the total volume of water needed in liters.