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Fresh Concrete: Batching, Mixing, Transportation, Placing: Lecture No. 07

The document discusses different methods for compacting and curing fresh concrete. It describes hand compaction techniques like rodding, ramming, and tamping. It also discusses vibration compaction using internal vibrators, form vibrators, table vibrators, and surface vibrators. Further, it covers curing methods like water curing, membrane curing, heat curing through steam or infrared heating, and electrical curing. Proper compaction and curing are important to remove air, achieve maximum density, and allow continued hydration of cement for high strength concrete.

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Nisarg Suthar
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30 views

Fresh Concrete: Batching, Mixing, Transportation, Placing: Lecture No. 07

The document discusses different methods for compacting and curing fresh concrete. It describes hand compaction techniques like rodding, ramming, and tamping. It also discusses vibration compaction using internal vibrators, form vibrators, table vibrators, and surface vibrators. Further, it covers curing methods like water curing, membrane curing, heat curing through steam or infrared heating, and electrical curing. Proper compaction and curing are important to remove air, achieve maximum density, and allow continued hydration of cement for high strength concrete.

Uploaded by

Nisarg Suthar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Fresh Concrete: Batching, Mixing,

Transportation, Placing
Lecture No. 07
Compaction of Concrete
 Compaction of concrete is the process adopted for expelling
the entrapped air from the concrete.
 In the process of mixing, transporting and placing of concrete
air is likely to get entrapped in the concrete.
 In other words, stiff concrete mix has high percentage of
entrapped air and, therefore , would need higher compacting
efforts than high workable mixes.
 In order to achieve full compaction and maximum density, with
reasonable compacting efforts available at site, it is necessary
to use a mix with adequate workability.
Compaction of Concrete
 The following methods are adopted for compacting the
concrete:
(a) Hand Compaction
(i ) Rodding (ii ) Ramming (iii ) Tamping
(b) Compaction by Vibration
(i ) Internal vibrator (Needle vibrator)
(ii ) Formwork vibrator (External vibrator)
(iii ) Table vibrator
(iv ) Platform vibrator
(v ) Surface vibrator (Screed vibrator)
(vi ) Vibratory Roller.
(c ) Compaction by Pressure and Jolting
(d) Compaction by Spinning.
Compaction of Concrete: Hand Compaction
 Hand compaction of concrete is adopted in case of
unimportant concrete work of small magnitude.
 Rodding is done continuously over the complete area to
effectively pack the concrete and drive away entrapped air.
 Light ramming can be permitted in unreinforced foundation
concrete or in ground floor construction.
 Tamping is one of the usual methods adopted in compacting
roof or floor slab or road pavements where the thickness of
concrete is comparatively less and the surface to be finished
smooth and level. Tamping consists of beating the top surface
by wooden cross beam
Compaction of Concrete: Hand Compaction
Compaction of Concrete: By 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.
 A concrete with about 4 cm slump can be placed and
compacted fully in a closely spaced reinforced concrete work,
whereas, for hand compaction, much higher consistency say
about 12 cm slump may be required.
 The action of vibration is to set the particles of fresh concrete
in motion, reducing the friction between them and affecting a
temporary liquefaction of concrete which enables easy
settlement.
Compaction of Concrete: By Vibration
 Internal Vibrator: Of all the vibrators, the internal vibrator is
most commonly used. This is also called, “Needle Vibrator”, or
“Poker Vibrator”. This essentially consists of a power unit, a
flexible shaft and a needle.
 Formwork Vibrator (External Vibrator): Formwork vibrators
are used for concreting columns, thin walls or in the casting of
precast units. The machine is clamped on to the external wall
surface of the formwork.
 Table Vibrator: This is the special case of formwork vibrator,
where the vibrator is clamped to the table. They are
commonly used for vibrating concrete cubes.
Compaction of Concrete: By Vibration
 Platform Vibrator: Platform vibrator is nothing but a table
vibrator, but it is larger in size. This is used in the manufacture
of large prefabricated concrete elements such as electric poles,
railway sleepers, prefabricated roofing elements etc.
 Surface Vibrator: Surface vibrators are sometimes knows as,
“Screed Board Vibrators”. A small vibrator placed on the
screed board gives an effective method of compacting and
leveling of thin concrete members, such as floor slabs, roof
slabs and road surface.
 Vibratory Roller: One of the recent developments of
compacting very dry and lean concrete is the use of Vibratory
Roller. Such concrete is known as Roller Compacted
Concrete.
Compaction of Concrete: By Vibration
Compaction of Concrete: By Vibration
Compaction of Concrete: By Vibration
Curing of Concrete
 Concrete derives its strength by the hydration of cement
particles. The hydration of cement is not a momentary action
but a process continuing for long time. The quantity of the
product of hydration and consequently the amount of gel
formed depends upon the extent of hydration.
 Cement requires a water/cement ratio about 0.23 for
hydration and a water/cement ratio of 0.15 for filling the voids
in the gel pores. In other words, a water/cement ratio of about
0.38 would be required to hydrate all the particles of cement
and also to occupy the space in the gel pores.
Curing of Concrete
 Curing is the process of controlling the rate and extent of
moisture loss from concrete during cement hydration
 Curing can also be described as keeping the concrete moist
and warm enough so that the hydration of cement can
continue.
 Curing methods may be divided broadly into four categories:
(a) Water curing (b) Membrane curing (c) Application of heat
(d) Miscellaneous
Curing of Concrete
Curing of Concrete: Water curing
 This is by far the best
method of curing as it
satisfies all the
requirements of curing,
namely, promotion of
hydration, elimination of
shrinkage and absorption of
the heat of hydration.
 (a) Immersion (b) Ponding
(c) Spraying or Fogging (d)
Wet covering
Curing of Concrete
Water curing is when the
concrete is covered with a
layer of water for a period of
time and the evaporation of
moisture is from the surface
of the water.

Membrane curing is the


most practical with today's
Construction schedules.
Curing of Concrete: Membrane Curing
 Sometimes, concrete works are carried out in places where
there is acute shortage of water.
 The quantity of water, normally mixed for making concrete is
more than sufficient to hydrate the cement, provided this
water is not allowed to go out from the body of concrete.
 Concrete could be covered with membrane which will
effectively seal off the evaporation of water from concrete.
 Curing compounds are liquids which are usually sprayed
directly onto concrete surfaces and which then dry to form a
relatively impermeable membrane that retards the loss of
moisture from the concrete.
Curing of Concrete: Membrane Curing
Curing of Concrete: Application of heat
 When concrete is subjected to higher temperature it
accelerates the hydration process resulting in faster
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) Steam curing at ordinary pressure.
 (b) Steam curing at high pressure.
 (c) Curing by Infra-red radiation.
 (d) Electrical curing.
Curing of Concrete: Application of heat
 A faster attainment of strength will contribute to many other
advantages mentioned below.
 (a ) Concrete is vulnerable to damage only for short time.

 (b) Concrete member can be handled very quickly.

 (d ) A smaller curing tank will be sufficient.

 (e) The work can be put on to service at a much early time,

 (f) Prestressing bed can be released early for further casting.


 (g) A fewer number of formwork will be sufficient or alternatively
with the given number of formwork more outturn will be achieved.
Steam curing at ordinary pressure
 Application of steam curing to in situ construction will be a
little difficult task. However, at some places it has been tried
for in situ construction by forming a steam jacket with the
help of tarpaulin or thick polyethylene sheets.
High Pressure Steam Curing
 The high pressure steam curing is something different from
ordinary steam curing, in that the curing is carried out in a
closed chamber.
 High pressure steam cured concrete develops in one day, or
less the strength as much as the 28 days’ strength of normally
cured concrete. The strength developed does not show
retrogression.
 High pressure steam cured concrete exhibits higher resistance
to sulphate attack, freezing and thawing action and chemical
action. It also shows less efflorescence.
High Pressure Steam Curing
 High pressure steam cured concrete exhibits lower drying
shrinkage, and moisture movement.
 In high pressure steam curing, concrete is subjected to a
maximum temperature of about 175°C which corresponds to
a steam pressure of about 8.5 kg/sq.cm.
Curing by Infra-red Radiation
 Curing of concrete by Infra-red Radiation has been practised
in very cold climatic regions in Russia.
 It is claimed that much more rapid gain of strength can be
obtained than with steam curing and that rapid initial
temperature does not cause a decrease in the ultimate
strength as in the case of steam curing at ordinary pressure.
 The system is very often adopted for the curing of hollow
concrete products. The normal operative temperature is kept
at about 90°C.
Electrical Curing
 Concrete can be cured electrically by passing an alternating
current (Electrolysis trouble will be encountered if direct
current is used) through the concrete itself between two
electrodes either buried in or applied to the surface of the
concrete.
 Care must be taken to prevent the moisture from going out
leaving the concrete completely dry.

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