By: Dr.

Shamshad Ahmad
LECTURE NO. 18 & 19
PRODUCTION, DELIVERY AND CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES
Objectives:
To explain the following practices involved in concrete
production, delivery, and construction:
– Batching
– Mixing
– Transporting and handling
– Placing
– Compacting
– Finishing
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

BATCHING
• Batching is the process of weighing out or
volumetrically measuring out all of the ingredients
for producing a batch of concrete

• One batch of concrete means the quantity of

concrete produced at any one time

• The size of a batch is usually designated by the

number of bags of cement used in the batch

• A six-sack (six-bag) batch means six sacks of

cement per yard3 of concrete

• The amount of concrete–in ft3–produced per sack of

cement is called „yield’ or „return’
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
BATCHING----contd.
• Weight-batching is recommended
as it provides greater accuracy
and simplicity and avoids the
problem created by bulking of
damp sand

• Weight-batching equipment
facilitated with control panel, as
shown, in ready mixed concrete
plants where a large quantity of
concrete is daily produced

• However, volume-batching, is
used for concrete mixed in a
continuous mixer and for certain
places where weighing facilities
are not available

• The accuracies in measuring the quantities of the ingredients of concrete in individual

batches are as follows: water 1%, cement 1%, aggregates 2%, and admixtures 3%
• The liquid admixtures should be considered as part of the mixing water
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

MIXING: Types of Mixers

 Tilting drum mixer
 Non-tilting drum mixer
 Pan-type mixer
 Dual or triple drum mixer (used in highway
construction)
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

MIXING: Size of Mixer

• The size of the mixer is described by the volume of

concrete after compaction, not by the volume of the
unmixed ingredients in a loose state (which is up to
50% greater than the compacted volume
• Mixer size ranges from 0.04 to 13m3 (1.5 ft3 to 17 yd3)
• Use of oversized mixer is uneconomical and may
result into a non-uniform mix, which is a bad practice
• Overloading the mixer by up to 10% is generally
harmless, but, if greater, a uniform mix will not be
obtained, which is very bad practice
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
MIXING: Charging The Mixer
• Charging the mixer means introducing ingredients of
concrete into mixer in a proper sequence
 There are no general rules on the order of feeding the
ingredients into the mixer as this depends on the properties
of the mixer and of the mix
 Usually, a small amount of water (normally 10% of the
mixing water) is first fed, followed by all the solid materials
also adding greater part of water simultaneously with solids,
the remainder water being added uniformly after the solids
leaving about 10% to be added at the end after all other
ingredients are in the mixer
• The cement should be added after about 10% of the
aggregates have been charged
 For very dry mixes, in drum mixers it is necessary to feed
the coarse aggregate just after the small initial water feed in
order to ensure that the aggregate surface is sufficiently
wetted
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
MIXING: Charging The Mixer
 Addition of CA before other finer solids is also advisable
to avoid head pack (i.e. accumulation of finer ingredients
in the head of the mixer, when they are added before CA)
 With small laboratory pan mixer and very stiff mixes, the
sand should be fed first, then a part of CA, cement and
water, and finally the remainder of the CA so as to break
up any nodules of mortar
 Since a significant amount of mortar gets adhered to the
sides of the drum, a certain amount of mortar should be
introduced into the drum prior to mixing the concrete for
compensating the loss of mortar from the first batch of
concrete mixed in a drum type mixer. This procedure is
known as "buttering"
 Or, alternatively, the concrete of the first batch should be
discarded
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

MIXING: Charging The Mixer

• In case of cold weather concreting where heated
water is used, addition of cement should be delayed
until most of the aggregate and water have
intermingled in the mixer to prevent possible rapid
stiffening
• Mineral admixtures are generally added with the cement,
but water-soluble admixtures should be dissolved in the
mixing water
• Addition of the admixture should be completed not later
than 1 minute after addition of water to the cement has
been completed or prior to the start of the last ¾ of the
mixing cycle, whichever occurs first
• If two or more admixtures are used in the same batch of
concrete, they should be added separately to avoid any
interaction that might interfere with the efficiency of any
of the admixtures and adversely affect the concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
MIXING: Mixing Time
• The ingredients of concrete should be mixed thoroughly for
sufficient time so as to produce a concrete uniform in
appearance, with all ingredients evenly distributed

• Mixing should be done for an optimum time and should be

measured from the time the mixer is fully charged

• The optimum mixing time depends on:

– The type of mixer
– The condition of the mixer
– The speed of rotation
– The size of the charge
– The nature of the ingredients

• A good rule of thumb for minimum mixing time (once the mixer
is fully charged) is 1 min of mixing time for up to 1 m3 of
concrete plus ¼ min for each additional 1 m3
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
MIXING: Mixing Time
• Minimum mixing times for different capacities of mixer
recommended by USA Standards are as follows:
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

MIXING: Adequacy of Mixing

• The purpose of mixing the ingredients is to ensure that
each particle of aggregate in fresh concrete will be
coated with the cement paste
• A concrete is said to be adequately mixed if the samples
taken from different portions of a batch will have
essentially the same unit weight, air content, slump, and
coarse-aggregate content within the permissible errors
• According to ASTM, for a mix said to be uniformly mixed
the difference in the properties of the two samples
should not exceed any of the following:
o Density: 16 kg/m3
o Air content: 1%
o Slump: 25 mm (when average is less than 100 mm)
40 mm (when average is 100 to 150 mm)
o Aggregate retained on 4.75 mm sieve: 6%
o Density of air-free mortar: 1.6%
o f'c,7d (average of 3 cylinders): 7.5%
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

MIXING: Output of Mixer

• For increasing the output, concrete mixers should
neither be overloaded nor be speeded up than the
designed capacities and speed

• For an increased output, the use of a larger mixer or

additional mixers are recommended

• A mixer becomes less efficient if its blades either get

worn or coated with hardened concrete

• Therefore, for better mixing action the badly worn

blades should be replaced and hardened concrete
should be removed preferably after each day‟s of
production of concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

MIXING: Prolonged Mixing

Prolonged mixing results into the following:
• loss of workability
• increase in strength
• grinding of the soft aggregate, the grading thus
becomes finer and the workability lower
• reduction in the air content in the case of air-
entrained concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

MIXING: Remixing or Re-tempering

• Intermittent remixing up to 3 and 6 hours is harmless
as far as strength and durability are concerned, but
workability decreases unless the evaporation of
water from the mix is prevented

• Remixing with additional water to restore workability,

known as re-tempering

• Re-tempering without adjusting the w/c ratio may

result into the loss of strength and increase in
shrinkage
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

TYPES OF CONCRETE BASED ON MIXING

1. Jobsite mixed concrete

2. Ready mixed concrete

3. Mobile batcher mixed concrete

4. High-energy mixed concrete

5. Remixed concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

1. JOBSITE MIXED CONCRETE

• Concrete produced at construction site is called jobsite mixed
concrete
• For producing jobsite mixed concrete, all the ingredients are
brought to the construction site and mixing is done mostly in a
stationary mixer, as shown in figure below:
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
2. READY MIXED CONCRETE
Ready mixed concrete is proportioned
and mixed off the project site and is
delivered to the construction area in a
freshly mixed and unhardened state

Schematic of a ready mix plant

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

2. READY MIXED CONCRETE

• Ready-mixed concrete is used extensively as it offers the
following advantages in comparison with the on-site concrete
o Close quality control of batching which reduces the variability of
the desired properties of hardened concrete
o Use on congested sites or in highway construction where there is
little space for a mixing plant and aggregate stockpiles
o Use of agitator trucks to ensure care in transportation, thus
preventing segregation and maintaining workability
o Convenience when small quantities of concrete or intermittent
placing is required
• Depending upon the way in which mixing is to be carried out,
ready mixed concrete is manufactured by any of the following
three methods:
– Central-mixed concrete
– Shrink-mixed concrete
– Truck-mixed concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

2. READY MIXED CONCRETE: Central-Mixed Concrete

Central-mixed concrete is mixed completely in a central stationary mixer
and is delivered either in a truck agitator (that is a truck mixer operating
at agitating speed) or a special non-agitating truck

Central-mixed concrete is being Central-mixed concrete is loaded in a

delivered in a truck mixer operating non-agitating truck for delivering large
at agitating speed amount of concrete quickly at a short
distance
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
2. READY MIXED CONCRETE:
Shrink-Mixed and Truck-Mixed Concrete
• Shrink-mixed concrete is mixed partially in a stationary mixer at the
plant to reduce–or shrink–the total volume, and is completely mixed
in a truck-mixer during transit
• Truck-mixed concrete is completely mixed in a truck-mixer

• As shown, the batch plant

in case of truck-mixed
concrete only batches the
ingredients for loading in
the truck and does not mix
them
• The ready mixed concrete
plant in this case is called a
“dry plant”
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

2. READY MIXED CONCRETE: General Notes

• When a truck-mixer is used for complete mixing, 70 to 100
revolutions of the drum or blades at the rate of rotation
designated by the manufacturer as mixing speed
(generally about 6 to 18 rpm) are generally required to
produce the specified uniformity of concrete
• No more than 100 revolutions at mixing speed should be
used
• All revolutions after 100 should be at a rate of rotation
designated by the manufacturer as agitating speed
(usually about 2 to 6 rpm)
• Mixing at high speeds for long periods of time, about 1 or
more hours, can result in concrete strength loss,
temperature rise, excessive loss of entrained air, and
accelerated slump loss
• Concrete should be delivered and discharged within 1½
hours or before the drum has revolved 300 times after
introduction of water to the cement and aggregates
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

2. READY MIXED CONCRETE:

General Notes----contd.
The purchaser of ready mixed concrete should
specify the following:
– Designated maximum size of coarse aggregate
– Desired (or maximum) slump at the point of delivery
– Air content (for air-entrained concrete)
– Mix design requirements, such as: cement content,
maximum water content and admixtures, minimum
compressive strength at 28 days
– Unit weight required (for structural lightweight concrete)
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

2. READY MIXED CONCRETE:

General Notes----contd.
• For quality control, concrete delivered at site should be tested for
slump, air content, and strength for:
– Not less than once each day a given class of work is placed
– Not less than once for each 150 yard3 (115 m3) of each class of concrete
placed each day
– Once for each 5000 ft2 (465 m2) of surface area of slabs or walls placed
each day
• Slump tests should not be made before 10% or after 90% of the batch
has been discharged
– Slump measured within a period of 30 min from arrival at the jobsite should
be within the tolerance limit of the specified value
• At least two specimens are required for each strength test for taking
the average of the two strength test values as the test strength
– No more than 10% of the strength test results should have values less than
the specified strength
– The average of any three consecutive strength tests should be equal to or
greater than the specified strength
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

3. MOBILE BATCHER MIXED CONCRETE

(Continuous Mixer)
• Mobile batcher mixers are special trucks, as shown in below, that batch
by volume and continuously mix concrete as the dry materials, water,
and admixtures are continuously fed into the mixer
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

4. HIGH-ENERGY MIXED CONCRETE

(Concrete mixed in high-energy mixers)
• High-energy mixed concrete is produced by first blending
cement and water into a slurry with high-speed rotating blades
then by adding the slurry to aggregates and mixing with
conventional mixing equipment to produce a uniform concrete

• High-energy mixing causes water to intermix more completely

with cement particles, resulting in more complete hydration of
cement

• More complete cement hydration results in more efficient use of

cement, higher strength, and improvements in several other
concrete properties

• High- energy mixers were first used in ready mixed concrete

production in USA in 1987
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

5. REMIXED CONCRETE
• Remixed concrete is that which is remixed to restore its
plasticity (i.e. workability) after it has got little bit stiffened
in absence of proper agitation

• Under careful supervision a small amount of water may be

added to remix the concrete provided the following
conditions are met:
– maximum allowable w/c ratio is not exceeded
– maximum allowable slump is not exceeded
– maximum allowable mixing time and agitating time (or drum
revolutions) are not exceeded
– concrete is remixed for at least half the minimum required mixing
time or number of revolutions
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Introduction)
• There are many different ways of transporting and
handling concrete, and the choice depends mostly on the
following:
– The amount of concrete involved
– The size and type of construction
– The topography of the jobsite
– The location of the batch plant
– The relative costs
• The method of transporting and handling the fresh
concrete should be chosen for avoiding the following
problems:
– Delays in concreting work, which may reduce the
productivity
– Early stiffening and drying out, which may create problem in
placing and finishing the concrete
– Segregation of coarse aggregate from the sand-cement
mortar
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Methods and Equipment)
• Methods and equipment for transporting and handling
concrete may be broadly classified into the following
categories:
– Truck and buggy
– Bucket and crane
– Chute
– Conveyor
– Pump
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Buggy)
• Manual or motorized buggies can be used to transport
small loads around the jobsite on good terrain

Power buggy carrying a small amount of concrete to

move concrete over a short distance
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Bucket and Crane)
• Buckets are a versatile means of moving concrete about
the jobsite by the use of a hoist, crane, overhead
cableway, helicopter, etc.

• Large quantities (up to 6 m3 at a time) can be moved

horizontally or vertically

• Buckets should be designed so that discharge can be

properly regulated and so that segregation does not
occur during discharge

• The bucket should slope down to the exit gate and the
concrete should be released vertically

• Also the concrete should be released vertically while

charging the bucket
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Bucket and Crane--------contd.)

Concrete in a bucket is being Concrete in a bucket is being moved

moved using a tower crane using a helicopter at an inaccessible site
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Bucket and Crane--------contd.)

Concrete is being discharged from a bucket

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Chute)
• Chutes can be used when the concrete is being placed at
points below the point of delivery.

Concrete is being placed directly from a truck using a chute

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Conveyor)
• Belt conveyors are also used to transport concrete both
horizontally and vertically
• But following special cares should be taken with this
form of transportation:
– For preventing concrete from segregation, a drop-chute
should be used as concrete leaves the belt
– For preventing mortar from adhering to the belt, a scraper
should be used at the point of discharge
– Belts should be protected from direct sunlight and wind,
and their use is not recommended in very hot conditions
because concrete thinly spread on belts may rapidly loose
the slump due to accelerated evaporation of water from
concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Conveyor------contd.)

A conveyor belt mounted on a truck-mixer places concrete up to about

12 meters (40 ft) without the need for additional handling equipment
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Pump)
• Pumped concrete is conveyed under pressure through a rigid
pipe or flexible hose and deposited at the desired point within a
construction site.
• Concrete pumping through pipelines helps to transport large
quantities of concrete over quite large distances to locations
which are not easily accessible by other means
• Concrete is regularly pumped over quite large distances,
typically more than 450 m (1500 ft) horizontally and 150 m (500
ft) vertically
• Special high pressure pumps have delivered concrete to
distances as great as 1400 m (4600 ft) horizontally and 420 m
(1400 ft) vertically
• The distance concrete can be pumped depends on many job
factors: the capacity of the pump; the size of the pipeline; the
number of obstructions to uniform flow; the velocity of
pumping; and the characteristics of the concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Pump)
• The concrete pumping system consists essentially of a hopper
into which concrete is discharged from the mixer, a concrete
pump, and the pipes through which the concrete is pumped
• Piston-type pump is shown in the following figure:

• Outputs: up to 60 m3/h
through 220 mm pipe

• Distance transported: up to
450 m horizontally and 40 m
vertically
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Pump)
• Squeeze-type pump is shown in the following figure:

• Outputs: up to 20 m3/h through 75 mm pipe

• Distance transported: up to 90 m horizontally and 30 m vertically
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Pump-----contd.)
• Special attention should be paid to mix design when concrete
is to be pumped
• Concrete with slumps in the range 50 to 150 mm (2 to 6 in.) can
be successfully pumped if properly proportioned
• Following requirements should be satisfied for concrete to be
pumped:
– The ratio of maximum size of aggregate to the smallest inside
diameter of pipe should not exceed 0.33 for angular aggregates, or
0.40 for well-rounded gravels
– The amount of coarse aggregate is usually reduced (by up to 10%)
compared to mixes that are not pumped
– Size gradation of both fine and coarse aggregate should be as
close as possible to the middle range of the grading limits given in
ASTM C 33
– For small pipe diameters (< 125 mm) 15 to 30% of fine aggregate
should pass the 300-μm sieve and 5 to 10% should pass the
150-μm sieve
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Pump-----contd.)

A truck-mounted pump and boom conveniently moving

concrete vertically or horizontally to the desired location
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE
(Pump-----contd.)

View of concrete discharging from flexible hose connected to

rigid pipeline leading from the pump
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

CORRECT AND INCORRECT HANDLING PRACTICES

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

CORRECT AND INCORRECT HANDLING PRACTICES

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

CORRECT AND INCORRECT HANDLING PRACTICES

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

PLACING CONCRETE
Placing of concrete mainly consists of the
following activities:
• Preparation before placing concrete
• Depositing concrete
• Consolidating the deposited concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Preparation before placing
Preparation before placing concrete mainly includes
the following:
• Trimming, moistening, and compacting the sub-grade
• Erecting the form
• Setting the reinforcing steel and other items to be
embedded such as electrical and plumbing items, firmly in
place
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Preparation before placing-----contd.

A base course foundation for concrete pavement is

shaped by an auto-trimmer
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Preparation before placing-----contd.

Water truck with spray-bars is being used to moisten sub-

grades and base course layers to achieve adequate compaction
and to reduce soaking of water from concrete by the sub-grade
and base course, especially in hot, dry weather
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Preparation before placing-----contd.

A base course foundation for concrete is being

compacted using a vibratory roller (top) and
using a vibratory plate compactor (bottom)
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Preparation before placing-----contd.

• Forms should be accurately

set, clean, tight, adequately
braced, and lined with a
suitable material which will
help in removing the form
work from the hardened
concrete
• Wood forms, unless oiled or
otherwise treated with a form-
release agent, should be
moistened before placing
concrete, otherwise they will
absorb water from the
concrete and swell

Form work for footing and slab

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Preparation before placing-----contd.

Setting the reinforcing steel

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Depositing concrete
• Concrete should be deposited continuously as near as
possible to its final position, as shown below:

• In slab construction, placing should be started along the

perimeter at one end of the work with each batch discharged
against previously placed concrete
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Depositing concrete-------contd.
• Concrete should not be dumped in separate piles and then
leveled and work together; nor should concrete be deposited
in large piles and moved horizontally into final position. Such
a practice result in segregation

• In general, concrete should be placed in horizontal layers of

uniform thickness, each layer being thoroughly consolidated
before the next is placed

• In walls, beams, and girders, the first batches in each lift

should be placed at the ends, with subsequent placements
progressing toward the center

• To avoid cracking, concrete in columns and walls should be

allowed to stand for at least two hours, and preferably
overnight, before concreting is continued in any slabs,
beams, or girders framing into them
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

CORRECT AND INCORRECT PLACING PRACTICES

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

CORRECT AND INCORRECT PLACING PRACTICES

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

CORRECT AND INCORRECT PLACING PRACTICES

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

CORRECT AND INCORRECT PLACING PRACTICES

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Consolidating concrete
• Consolidation is the process of compacting fresh concrete to
mold it within the forms and around embedded items and
reinforcement and to eliminate stone pockets, honeycomb,
and entrapped air

• Honeycombs and rock pockets are shown below in concrete

with inadequate consolidation
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Consolidating concrete-----contd.
• Consolidation is accompanied either by hand (hand
rodding) or by mechanical methods (vibrating)

• The method to be chosen depends on the

consistency (i.e., workability) of the concrete and
placing conditions, such as complexity of the
formwork and amount and spacing of reinforcement

• Workable, flowing mixtures can be consolidated by

hand rodding. Such mixtures should not be
consolidated by mechanical methods because the
concrete is likely to segregate under intense
mechanical action
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Consolidating concrete-----contd.
• Stiff mixtures with low water-cement ratios and high
coarse-aggregate contents, associated with high-
quality concrete, can be properly consolidated by
the mechanical methods, even in highly reinforced
elements, as shown below:
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Consolidating concrete-----contd.
There are two types of the mechanical methods for
consolidating the stiff concrete:
(i) Internal vibration:
Internal or immersion-type vibrators, often called spud
or poker vibrators, are commonly used to consolidate
concrete in walls, columns, beams, and slabs

(ii) External vibration:

External vibrators can be form vibrators, vibrating
tables, or surface vibrators such as vibratory screeds,
etc.
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Consolidating concrete-----contd.

Consolidation of concrete using a Consolidation of concrete using

needle vibrator (internal vibrator) vibratory screeds (external vibrator)
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
PLACING CONCRETE:
Consolidating concrete-----contd.
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad

FINISHING CONCRETE:

• Mainly, concrete cast in slabs require an extensive

finishing work before stiffening will start
• Finishing concrete consists of eliminating high and
low spots and to embed large aggregate particles
• Finishing of concrete is done by the following
methods:
– Darbying
– Bullfloating
– Power floating
– Troweling
– Brooming
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
FINISHING CONCRETE:
Darbying

• Darbying brings the

surface to the specified
level
• It is done in tight places
where a bullfloat cannot
reach
• Darbying must be
completed before bleed
water accumulates on
the surface

Darbying
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
FINISHING CONCRETE:
Bullfloating

• Bullfloating also brings

the surface to the
specified level
• Bullfloating must be
completed before bleed
water accumulates on
the surface

Bullfloating
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
FINISHING CONCRETE:
Power floating

• Power floating is done

when the bleedwater
sheen has evaporated
and the concrete will
sustain foot pressure
with only slight
indentation

Power floating using walk-behind and ride-on equipment

By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
FINISHING CONCRETE:
Troweling

• Floating should be
followed by steel
troweling
• Troweling is done where a
smooth, hard, dense
surface is desired

Troweling
By: Dr. Shamshad Ahmad
FINISHING CONCRETE:
Brooming

• Tining the surface of fresh

concrete for obtaining a slip-
resistant surface is called
„brooming‟
• Brooming should be performed
before the concrete has
thoroughly hardened, but it
should be sufficiently hard to
retain the scoring impression

Brooming