INDEX

SR.NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION 4
2 WORKABILITY 5
3 SEGREGATION 8
4 BLEEDING 9
5 SETTING TIME 11

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INTRODUCTION

Fresh concrete:
 Fresh concrete or plastic concrete is a freshly mixed material which can be
moulded into any shape. The relative quantities of cement, sand, aggregates
and water mixed together, control the properties of concrete in waste state as
well as in a hardened state.
 The proportion of water plays an important role in making the state of the
concrete. Thus it is utmost necessary to maintain the water/cement ratio in the
concrete for its good workability.
 Fresh concrete contains about 30% voids in its state.
 Fresh concrete should have the property, which while compacting can easily
flow and move to attain the desired shape. Thus it should have proper
compatibility and mobility.

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Workability of concrete

 The workability of concrete can be defined as the consistency of concrete such

that the concrete can be transported, placed and finished easily and without
segregation.
 A concrete which has high consistency and which is more mobile, need be of
right workability for a particular job. Thus every job requires particular
workability. A concrete which is considered workable for mass concrete
foundation is not workable for concrete used in roof construction. A concrete
considered workable when used in thick section is not workable when
required to be used in thin sections.
 Therefore the word workability assumes full significance of the type of work,
thickness of sections, extent of reinforcement and mode of compaction.

Factors affecting workability:

 Water content
 Amount and type of aggregate
 Aggregate cement ratio
 Weather conditions
 Use of admixtures
 Sand to aggregate ratio

I. Water content or Water Cement Ratio

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More the water cement ratio more will be workability of concrete. Since by
simply adding water the inter particle lubrication is increased.

High water content results in a higher fluidity and greater workability. Increased
water content also results in bleeding. Another effect of increased water content
can also be that cement slurry will escape through joints of formwork.

ii. Amount and type of Aggregate

More the amount of aggregate less will be workability.

 Using smooth and round aggregate increases the workability. Workability

reduces if angular and rough aggregate is used.
 Greater size of Aggregate- less water is required to lubricate it, the extra
water is available for workability
 Angular aggregates increases flakiness or elongation thus reduces
workability. Round smooth aggregates require less water and less
lubrication and greater workability in a given w/c ratio
 Porous aggregates require more water compared to non absorbent
aggregates for achieving same degree of workability.

iii. Aggregate Cement ratio

More ratios, less workability. Since less cement mean less water, so the paste is
stiff.

iv. Weather Conditions

1. Temperature

If temperature is high, evaporation increases, thus workability decreases.

2. Wind:

If wind is moving with greater velocity, the rate of evaporation also increase
reduces the amount of water and ultimately reducing workability.

v. Admixtures
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Chemical admixtures can be used to increase workability.

Use of air entraining agent produces air bubbles which acts as a sort of ball
bearing between particles and increases mobility, workability and decreases
bleeding, segregation. The use of fine pozzolanic materials also has better
lubricating effect and more workability

vi. Sand to Aggregate ratio

If the amount of sand is more the workability will reduce because sand has more
surface area and more contact area causing more resistance.

Measurement of workability

Some of the test measure the parameters very close to workability and provide
satisfactory results and information.
The following tests are commonly employed to measure workability:

 Slump test
 Flow test
 Compacting test
 Vee bee consistometer test
 Kelly ball test

Slump test
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Slump test is used to determine the workability of fresh concrete. Slump test as
per IS: 1199 – 1959 is followed. The apparatus used for doing slump test are
Slump cone and Tamping rod.

Procedure to determine workability of fresh concrete by slump test.

i) The internal surface of the mould is thoroughly cleaned and applied with a light
coat of oil.
ii) The mould is placed on a smooth, horizontal, rigid and nonabsorbent surface.
iii) The mould is then filled in four layers with freshly mixed concrete, each
approximately to one-fourth of the height of the mould.
iv) Each layer is tamped 25 times by the rounded end of the tamping rod (strokes
are distributed evenly over the cross section).
v) After the top layer is rodded, the concrete is struck off the level with a trowel.
vi) The mould is removed from the concrete immediately by raising it slowly in
the vertical direction.
vii) The difference in level between the height of the mould and that of the
highest point of the subsided concrete is measured.
viii) This difference in height in mm is the slump of the concrete.

COMPACTING FACTOR
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Compacting factor of fresh concrete is done to determine the workability of fresh
concrete by compacting factor test as per IS: 1199 – 1959. The apparatus used is
Compacting factor apparatus.

Procedure to determine workability of fresh concrete by compacting factor

test.

i) The sample of concrete is placed in the upper hopper up to the brim.

ii) The trap-door is opened so that the concrete falls into the lower hopper.
iii) The trap-door of the lower hopper is opened and the concrete is allowed to
fall into the cylinder.
iv) The excess concrete remaining above the top level of the cylinder is then cut
off with the help of plane blades.
v) The concrete in the cylinder is weighed. This is known as weight of partially
compacted concrete.
vi) The cylinder is filled with a fresh sample of concrete and vibrated to obtain
full compaction. The concrete in the cylinder is weighed again. This weight is
known as the weight of fully compacted concrete.

Compacting factor = (Weight of partially compacted concrete)/(Weight of

fully compacted concrete)

SEGREGATION
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Segregation can be defined as the separation of the constituent material of
concrete. A good concrete is one in which all the ingredients are properly
distributed to make a homogenous mixture.
If a sample of concrete exhibits a tendency for separation of say, coarse
aggregates from rest of ingredients, then the sample is said to be showing the
tendency of segregation.
Such concrete is not only good to be weak; lack of homogeneity is also going
to induce all undesirable properties in the hardened concrete.
Segregation may be of three types;
 The coarse aggregate separating out of or setting down from rest of the
matrix.
 The paste or matrix separating away from coarse aggregate.
 Water separating out from the rest of the material being a material of the
lowest specific gravity.

A well made concrete, taking into consideration various parameters such as

grading, size, shape, texture of the aggregates with optimum quantity of water
makes a cohesive mix. Such concrete will not exhibit a tendency of
segregation.
The conditions favourable for segregation are, as can be seen from the the
badly proportioned mix where sufficient matrix is not there to bind and
contain the aggregate. Insufficiently mixed concrete with excess water content
shows a higher tendency for segregation.

Prevention of Segregation
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 Good quality cement helps much in reducing the effect of segregation.
 Segregation can be reduced by proper proportioning and uniform and
complete mixing.
 Using of standard quality aggregates also responsible in reducing the
segregation.
 Proper mixing of water in proper proportion can also avoids the segregation.

BLEEDING
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 Bleeding is sometimes known as gain of water. It is a particular form of
segregation in which some of the water comes out of the surface of the
concrete being of the lowest specific gravity among all the ingredients of
concrete.
 Bleeding is seen in a highly wet mix, badly proportioned and insufficiently
mixed concrete.
 In thin members like roof slab or road slabs and when concrete is placed in
sunny weather shoe excessive bleeding.
 Due to the excessive bleeding the water and cement comes to top and the
aggregates goes down .This formation of the cement on the top is known as
“Laitance” in such a case, the top surface of the slabs and the pavements will
not have good wearing quality.
 This Laitance formed on the road produces dust in summer and mud in rainy
season.
 Water while traversing from bottom to top makes continuous channels. If the
water cement ratio used is more than 0.7, the bleeding channels will remain
continuous and un segmented. These continuous bleeding channels are often
responsible for causing permeability of the concrete structures.
 While mixing water is in the process of coming up, it may be intercepted by
aggregates.
 The bleeding water is likely to accumulate below the aggregates. This
accumulation of water creates water voids and reduces the bond between the
aggregates and the paste.
 Bleeding rate increases with time up to about one hour or so and thereafter the
rate decreases but continuous more or less till the final setting time of cement.
 Bleeding is not completely harmful if the rate of evaporation of water from
the surface is equal to the rate of bleeding.

Prevention of bleeding
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 Bleeding can be reduced by proper proportioning and uniform and complete
mixing.
 Use of finely divided pozzolanic material reduces bleeding by creating a
longer path for water to traverse.
 Air entraining agent is very effective in reducing the bleeding.
 Bleeding can be reduced by using finer cement or cement with low alkali
content.

SETTING TIME

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 The setting time of concrete is the time taken by the concrete to set to the
hardened state. This state comes in action after the plastic state.
 Setting time of the concrete depends upon the w/c ratio, temperature
conditions, and type of cement, use of mineral admixtures, and use of
plasticizers.
 The setting time of the concrete is more of practical significance for site
engineers than setting time of cement.
 When retarding plasticizers are used, the increase in setting time, the duration
up to which concrete remains in plastic condition is of special interest.

Factors affecting setting:

Following are the factors that affect the setting of concrete.

1. Water Cement ratio

2. Suitable temperature
3. Cement content
4. Type of Cement
5. Fineness of Cement
6. Relative Humidity
7. Admixtures
8. Type and amount of Aggregate

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