Addis Ababa University: Faculty of Technology (South)
Addis Ababa University: Faculty of Technology (South)
Addis Ababa University: Faculty of Technology (South)
Construction Materials II
(COTM 1203)
Concrete Technology
Lecture prepared by:
Belayneh Berhanu
Topics discussed
Definition
Types and uses of concrete
Properties of concrete
Advantages and disadvantages of concrete
Ingredients of concrete: cement, water,
aggregates, and admixtures
Aggregate terms and types
Properties of aggregates
Handling and stockpiling of aggregates
Fresh concrete
Properties of fresh concrete
Cont’d
Measurement of workability of concrete
Calculation of volume of fresh concrete
Concrete mix design
Batching ingredients of concrete
Mixing of concrete ingredients
Transporting fresh concrete
Formwork
Placing fresh concrete
Curing concrete
Properties of hardened concrete
Concrete grades
Definition of Concrete
Concrete is a composite material made up of
inert materials of varying sizes, which are bound
together by a binding medium. Concrete contains
coarse aggregate in addition to cement, water,
air and fine aggregate. The cement, water, and
air combine to from a paste that binds the
aggregates together.
Thus, the strength of concrete is dependent on
the strength of the aggregate matrix bond.
Composition of Concrete
Portland Cement
Water Paste
Air (entrapped or entrained)
Concrete
Fine Aggregate (Sand)
Aggregate
Coarse Aggregate (Gravel)
2. No-fines concrete
4. Aerated concrete
Made by introducing air or gas into a cement-
sand mix (without coarse aggregate), for thermal
insulating, non-structural uses and lightweight
building blocks. Disadvantages are low
resistance to abrasion, excessive shrinkage and
permeability. However, it is easy to handle and
can be cut with a saw and nailed like timber.
Cont’d
6. Prestressed concrete
Which is reinforced concrete with the steel
reinforcement held under tension during
production, to achieve stiffness, crack resistance
and lighter constructions of components, such
as beams, slabs, trusses, stairways and other
large-span units. By prestressing, less steel is
needed and the concrete is held under
compression, enabling it to carry much higher
loads before this compression is overcome.
Advantages of Concrete
Concrete has many properties that make it a popular
construction material. Good-quality concrete has
many advantages that add to its popularity.
It is economical when ingredients are readily
available.
1.Dissolved chemicals
Rounded
Aggregate Shapes
Elongated Angular
Aggregate Shapes
Proper compaction:
Increase significantly the ultimate strength of
concrete and
• Enhances the bond with reinforcement.
• Increases the abrasion resistance and general
durability of the concrete,
• Decreases the permeability and helps to minimize
its shrinkage-and-creep characteristics.
• Also ensures that the formwork is completely filled
– i.e. there are no pockets of honeycombed
material – and that the required finish is obtained
on vertical surfaces.
Stages of Compaction
Compaction of
concrete is a two-
stage process.
First the aggregate
particles are set in
motion and slump to
fill the form giving a
level top surface.
In the second stage,
entrapped air is
expelled.
Effect of compaction on hardened concrete
1. Immersion Vibrator
Immersion vibrators consist
essentially of a tubular housing
which contains a rotating
eccentric weight. The out-of-
balance rotating weight causes
the casing to vibrate and,
when immersed in concrete,
the concrete itself. Depending
on the diameter of the casing,
and on the frequency and the
amplitude of the vibration, an
immersion vibrator may have a
radius of action between 100
and 600 mm.
Immersion Vibrator
Cont’d
2. Surface Vibrators