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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CE8404 – CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY

Unit – 1

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Constituent Materials

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Part – A
1. What is meant by heat of hydration?
Concrete generates heat during hardening as a result of internal chemical reactions.
This heat generated is referred to as heat of hydration. The amount of heat generated depends
on various factors such as ambient temperature, w/c ratio, characteristics of cement, use of

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chemical admixtures, size of structural element and surrounding environment..

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2. What are the raw materials used for the production of cement?
 Calcium (CaO)
 Silica (SiO2)
 Alumina (Al2O 3)
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 Iron oxide (Fe2O3)
3. What is clinker and how is it produced?

The main raw material for the production of cement is clinker. Clinker is an artificial
rock made by heating limestone and other raw materials in specific quantities to a very high
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temperature in a specially made klin.

4. What are the Bouge’s chemical compound compositions of Portland cement?

Name of Compound Formula Abbreviated formula

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Tricalcium silicate 3CaO.SiO2 C3 S

Dicalcium silicate 2CaO.SiO2 C2 S
Tricalcium aluminate 3Cao.Al2O3 C3 A
Tetracalcium aluminoferrite 4CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3 C4AF
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5. State the general properties of cement.

 It is an excellent building material
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 It attains early setting

 It is easily workable
 If offers good resistance to moisture
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 It possesses a good plasticity

6. List out the varieties of cement.

 Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)  Oil Well Cement

 Low Heat Cement  Portland Pozzolana Cement
(PPC)

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 Portland Slag Cement (PSC)  Rapid Hardening Cement
 White Cement  Quick Setting Cement
 Low – Alkali Cement  High Strength Cement (HSC)
 Hydrophobic Cement
7. Define setting of cement.

When water is added to cement, hydration takes place immediately as it continuous,

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cement paste which is plastic becomes stiff and rigid known as setting of cement.

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8. What are pozzolonas?

These are silicious materials which, while having no cementitious values within
themselves, will chemically react with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperature and in the

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presence of moisture to form compounds possessing cementitious properties

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9. What is natural cement?

Natural cement is manufactured by burning and then crushing the natural cement
stones. Natural cement stones are such stones which contain 20% to 40% of argillaceous
matter i.e. clay, and remaining content mainly calcareous matter which is either calcium
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carbonate alone or a mixture of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.

10. What is artificial cement?

Artificial cement is manufactured by burning approximately proportioned mixture of

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calcareous and argillaceous materials at a very high temperature and then grinding the
resulting burnt mixture to a fine powder.

11. What are the harmful constituents of cement?

Alkalies which are oxides of potassium and sodium and magnesium oxide are the
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harmful constituents of cement.

12. What is the function of gypsum in the manufacture of cement?

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In order to delay the setting action of cement, when mixed with water, a little
percentage of gypsum is added in the clinker before grinding them to fine powder.

13. What are the two methods of manufacture of cement?

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 Dry process
 Wet process
14. What is known as clinker?
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Artificial cement is manufactured by burning approximately proportioned mixture of

calcareous and argillaceous materials at a very high temperature and then grinding the
resulting burnt mixture to a fine powder. The burnt mixture of calcareous and argillaceous
matter is known as clinker.

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15. Define aggregate.

Aggregates are defined as inert, granular and inorganic materials that normally
consist of stone or stone-like solids. Aggregates can be used alone (in road bases and various
types of fill) or can be used with cementing materials (such as Portland cement or asphalt
cement) to form composite materials or concrete.

16. What is the common classification of aggregates?

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The most common classification of aggregates on the basis of bulk specific gravity is
lightweight, normal-weight and heavyweight aggregates.

17. What is a light weight aggregate?

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Lightweight concrete contains aggregate that is natural or synthetic which weighs less

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than 1100 kg/m3. The lightweight is due to the cellular or high internal porous
microstructure, which gives this type of aggregate at low bulk specific gravity. The most
important aspect of lightweight aggregate is the porosity. They have high absorption values,
which require a modified approach to concrete proportioning.
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18. What are the effects of alkali aggregate reaction?
 A high moisture level, within the concrete
 Cement with high alkali content or another source of alkali
 Aggregate containing an alkali reactive constituent
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19. Define heavy weight aggregates.

Heavyweight concrete contains aggregates that are natural or synthetic which weigh
more than 2080 kg/m3 and can range up to 4485 kg/m3. Heavyweight is most commonly used
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for radiation shielding, counterweights and other applications where a high mass-to-volume
ratio is desired.

20. What are the various tests which are to be done on aggregates?
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Various test which are done on aggregates are listed below

 Sieve Analysis
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 Water Absorption
 Aggregate Impact Value
 Aggregate Abrasion Value
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 Aggregate Crushing Value

21. What is meant by grading of aggregates?

Grading of aggregate means particle size distribution of the aggregate. If all the
particle of an aggregate were of one size, more voids will be left on the aggregate mass.

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Properly graded aggregate produces dense concrete and needs smaller quantities of fine
aggregate and cement.

Grading determines the workability of the mix, which controls segregation, bleeding,
w/c ratio, handling, placing and other characteristics of the mix.

22. Define fineness modulus of aggregates.

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The characterize the overall coarseness or fineness of an aggregate, a concept of

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fineness modulus is developed. To calculate the fineness modulus, the sum of the cumulative
percentages retained on a definitely specified set of sieves needs to be determined, and the
result is then divided by 100.

23. What are the factors affecting particle size distribution?

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 Workability

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 Mix proportioning
 Freeze-thaw resistance

24. Mention the various types of gradation of aggregate.

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a) Uniform grading
b) Continuous grading
c) Gap grading

25. Mention the classification of aggregate in accordance with size.

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Coarse aggregate: Aggregates passing on 20 mm sieve and predominately retained
on 4.75 mm sieve.

Fine aggregate (sand): Aggregates passing on 4.75 mm sieve and predominately

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retained on 75μm sieve.

26. What are the tests to be conducted to ensure the cement supplied at the site is good?
 Open the bag and take a good look at the cement, there should not be any visible
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lumbs.
 Thrust your hand into the cement bag should feel cool feeling.
 Take a pinch of cement and feel between the fingers. It should give a smooth felling
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not a gritty feeling.

 Take a hand full of cement and throw it on a bucket full of water, the particle should
float for sometime before they sink
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27. Describe the importance of the quality of water used for concreting.

The quality of water used must be checked for ensuring good quality concrete. Water
used for mixing and curing should be free from oil, acid and alkali, salts and organic
material. It should be of potable quality and generally purer than that required for drinking.

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28. What is the purpose of water in concrete?
 It distributes the cement evenly.
 It reacts with cement chemically and produces calcium silicate hydrate gel.
 It provide for workability, i.e., it lubricates the mix.

29. Write the two sources of water in concrete.

 Intentionally added water, known as mix water

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 Aggregate moisture, which can either add water to the mixture or absorb water from

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the mixture.

30. Mention the test adopted to test the quality of water.

 Determination of acids and alkalis

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 Determination of total solids

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Part – B

1. Distinguish between specific surface and surface index of aggregates.

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2. Explain the experimental procedure for determination of clay, fine slit and fine dust from
fine aggregate.
3. What is unsoundness in cement? What causes it and what is its effect? How is it
determined in the laboratory? Give the BIS specification for the same.
4. State and explain the various characteristics of aggregates that influence the quality of
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concrete.
5. How would you conduct the aggregate crushing value and impact value test? What are
the acceptance criteria?
6. Explain in detail of any three tests for aggregates.
7. Write the procedure and specification for testing of aggregate
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a) Specific gravity
b) Bulk density and Voids
8. Explain in details the field tests employed for cement to ascertain its quality.
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9. Explain the following in detail:-

a) Grading of aggregate
b) Quality of water for concrete preparation
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10. Explain the methods to measurement of moisture content of aggregates?

11. Explain the following types of cement highlighting. How it is different from ordinary
Portland cement?
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12. Explain in details the different tests employed for cement to ascertain its quality as per IS
specification.
13. Write a note on the use of sea water for concrete preparation.

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Unit – 2
Chemical and Mineral Admixtures
Part – A
1. What are the various purpose for which admixtures are used in concrete?
 Some chemical are mixed with concrete ingredients and spread throughout the body

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of concrete to favorably modify the moulding and setting properties of the concrete

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mix. Such chemical are generally known as chemical admixtures.
 Some chemicals are applied on the surface of concrete mix. Such chemical are
generally known as chemical admixtures.
 Some chemicals are applied on the surface of concrete to protect it during or after its
setting.

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 Some chemical are applied to bond or repair broken or chipped concrete.

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2. What are the uses of retarders?
 Retarders increase the setting time of the concrete mix and reduced the w/c ratio.
 Usually up to 10% water reduction can be achieved.
 A wide range of water-reducing and set-retarding admixtures are used in ready mixed
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concrete.

3. What is meant by artificial pozzolanas?

Pozzolanic materials are siliceous or siliceous and aluminous materials, which in

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themselves possess little or no cementitious value, but will, in finely divided form and in the
presence of moisture, chemically react with calcium hydroxide liberated on hydration, at
ordinary temperature, to form compounds, possessing cementitious properties.

Artificial pozzolans
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 Fly Ash  Rice Husk Ash

 Blast Furnace Slag  Metakoaline
 Silica Fume Surkhi
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
4. What are admixtures?

Admixtures are ingredients other than cement, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate to
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improve the quality of concrete. The addition of an admixture may improve the concrete with
respect to its strength, hardness, workability, water resisting power etc.,
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5. What are the types of Admixtures?

A. Chemical admixtures  Super plasticizers

 Accelerators  Air entraining agents, etc.
 Retarders B. Mineral admixtures
 Water-reducing agents  Fly-Ash

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 Silica Fume  Rice Husk Ash
 GGBS  Metakaoline

6. Define chemical admixtures.

Chemicals mixed with concrete ingredients and spread throughout the body of
concrete to favourably modify the molding and setting properties of concrete mix is known

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as chemical admixtures.

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7. Define mineral admixtures.

It is the siliceous materials used to strengthen the durability properties that are
classified as pozzolanic or cementitious materials. It acts as by-product agent.

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8. What are accelerators?

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Accelerators reduce the setting time and produce early removal of forms and speed up
hardening. They are helpful in cold weather concreting. The common accelerators are CaCl2,
Al2Cl, NaCl and Na2SO4.

9. What are plasticizers?

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Plasticizers for concrete increase the workability of the wet mix or reduce the water
required to achieve the desired workability and are usually not intended to affect the
properties of the final product after it hardens.
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10. What are retarders?

Retarders increase the setting time of the concrete mix and reduce the w/c ratio.
Usually up to 10% water reduction can be achieved. A wide range of water-reducing and set-
retarding admixtures are used in ready mixes concrete.
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11. What is the purpose of adding admixture in concrete?

 To improve the strength of concrete
 To accelerate the initial setting of concrete
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 To retard the initial set

 To improve workability
 To inhibit the corrosion of concrete
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 To increase the durability of concrete

 To increase the resistance to chemical attack.
12. What is fly ash?
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The fly ash or pulverized fuel ash is the residue from the combustion of pulverized
coal collected by the mechanical dust collectors or electrostatic precipitous or separators
from fuel gases of thermal power plants.

13. What is Granulated blast furnace slag?

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It is a waste industrial by-product obtained during the production of iron. The blast
furnace slag is non-metallic product having oxide composition similar to that of Portland
cement clinker, it consists essentially of silicates and aluminates of calcium and other bases
but if contains lesser calcium oxide.

14. What is metakaoline?

Metakaoline is refined kaolin clay that is fired (calcined) under carefully controlled

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conditions to create an amorphous aluminosilicate that is reactive in concrete. Like other

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pozzolans (fly ash and silica fume are two common pozzolans), metakaolin reacts with the
calcium hydroxide (lime) by-products produced during cement hydration.

15. What is the purpose of using accelerators?

 To permit earlier removal of formwork

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 Reduce the required period of curing

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 Advance the time that a structure can be placed in service
 In the emergency repair work partially compensate for the retarding effect of low
temperature during cold weather concreting
16. What is silica fume?
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Silica fume also called micro silica is a light to dark grey or pink or white cementing
material composed of atleast 85% ultra-fine, amorohous non-crystalline spherical silicon
dioxide particles give silica fume the super pozzolanic properties.

17. How does metakaolin boost compressive strength?

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Calcium hydroxide accounts for up to 25% of the hydrated Portland cement and
calcium hydroxide does not contribute to the concrete strength or durability. Metakaolin
combines with the calcium hydroxide to produce additional cementing compounds, the
material responsible for holding concrete together. Less calcium hydroxide and more
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cementing compounds means stronger concrete.

18. How does metakaolin reduce efflorescence?

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Efflorescence which appears as a whitish haze on concrete is caused when calcium

hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Because metakaolin consumes
calcium hydroxide, it reduces efflorescence
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19. How does metakaolin mitigate alkali-silica reaction?

Alkali-silica reaction is a reaction between calcium hydroxide (the alkali) and glass
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(the silica) which can cause decorative glass embedment’s in concrete to pop out. Because
metakaolin consumes calcium hydroxide, it takes away the alkali and the reaction does not
occur.

20. What is Air Entrainment?

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The production within the concrete mix of a large number of small bubbles of air.
Normally these bubbles are less than 1mm in diameter. The bubbles must be stable and
remain in the concrete as it is transported and placed so that they are still present in the
hardened mass of concrete. To provide freeze and thaw resistance the bubbles must be evenly
spread throughout the concrete.

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Part – B

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1. What is super plasticizer? What are the classifications of super plasticizers?
2. Explain the effects of super plasticizers on fresh and hardened concrete.
3. Define air entrained concrete. Explain the factors affecting of air entrainment.
4. Mention the various types of chemical admixtures that influence used. Explain the
application of any two chemical admixtures.

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5. When are mineral admixtures preferred over chemical admixtures? Explain the use of

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mineral admixtures bringing out their effect on the concrete properties.
6. What are the important purpose using admixtures in concrete?
7. Write short notes on Silica Fume. Explain the composition and properties of Silica Fume
and admixtures bringing out their effect on the concrete properties.
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8. Write short notes on Fly Ash. Explain the composition and properties of Fly Ash and
admixtures bringing out their effect on the concrete properties.
9. Write short notes on: a) High Volume Fly Ash Concrete
b) Ground Granulated Blast Furnace slag c) Metakaolin
10. Write short notes on: a) Plasticizers b) Water Proofers
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11. Write short notes on: a) Retarders b) Accelerators

Unit – 3
Proportioning of Concrete Mix
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Part – A
1. What are nominal mix and design mix? Which is better? Why?

Nominal mix: it is used for relatively unimportant and simpler concrete works. In
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this type of mix, all the ingredients are prescribed and their proportions are specified.
Therefore there is no scope for any deviation by the designer. Nominal mix concrete may be
used for concrete of M20 or lower.
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Design mix: it is a performance based mix where choice of ingredients and

proportioning are left to the designer to be decided. The user has to specify only the
requirements of concrete in fresh as well as hardened state. The requirements in fresh
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concrete are workability and finishing characteristics whereas in hardened concrete these are
mainly the compressive strength and durability.

2. Define concrete.

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Concrete is obtained by mixing cementing materials, water, aggregate and sometimes
admixtures in required proportions. This mixture when placed in forms and allowed to cure
hardens into rock like mass known as concrete.

3. List out the advantages of Design mix.

 Properties of all materials are used.
 Cement content is low and hence the mix design is economical.

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4. List out the disadvantages of nominal mix.
 Nominal mix does not say which type of sand, cement, aggregate to be used.
 High cement is required which leads to high cost.

5. List the various methods of proportioning of concrete mix.

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 Arbitrary proportion  Mix design based on flexural

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 Fineness modulus method strength
 Maximum density method  ACI committee 211 method
 Surface area method  DOE method
 Indian Road Congress, IRC 44  Indian standard recommended
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method
 High strength concrete mix
design
method IS:10262-2009

6. Differentiate average design strength and specified minimum strength..

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In the design of concrete mixes the average design strength to be aimed at should be
appreciably higher than the minimum strength stipulated by the structural designer. The
value of average design strength to be aimed at will depend upon the quality control
exercised at the time of making concrete.
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7. What is proportioning of concrete mix?

Proportioning of concrete mix is the art of obtaining a suitable ratio of the various
ingredients of concrete with the required properties at the lowest cost.
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8. Define mix design.

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Mix design can be defined as the process of selecting suitable ingredients of concrete
and determining their relative proportions with the object of producing concrete of certain
minimum strength and durability as economically as possible.
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9. Define Standard mixes.

The nominal mixes of fixed cement-aggregate ratio (by volume) vary widely in
strength and may result in under or over-rich mixes. For this reason, the minimum
compressive strength has been included in many specifications. These mixes are termed
standard mixes. IS 456-2000 has designated the concrete mixes into a number of grades as

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M10, M15, M20, M25, M30, M35 and M40. In this designation the letter M refers to the mix
and the number to the specified 28 days cube strength of mix in N/mm2. The mixes of grades
M10, M15, M20 and M25 correspond approximately to the mix proportions (1:3:6), (1:2:4),
(1:1.5:3), and (1:1:2) respectively.

10. What are the variable factors to be considered in connection with specifying a
concrete mix?

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 Water cement ratio

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 Cement content or cement-aggregate ratio
 Gradation of the aggregates
 Consistency

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11. Mention the properties related to mix design.

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 Durability
 Workability
 Strength
 High strength concrete
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12. What is meant by statistical quality control?

The aim of quality control is to limit the variability as much as practicable. Statistical
quality control method provides a scientific approach to the concrete designer to understand
the realistic variability of the materials so as to lay down design specifications with proper
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tolerance to cater for unavoidable variations. The acceptance criteria are based on statistical
evaluation of the test result of samples taken at random during execution.

13. What are the common terminologies used in the statistical quality control?
 Mean strength
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 Variance
 Standard deviation
 Coefficient of variation
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14. What are the steps are taken for choosing the appropriate w/c ratio?
 Verify the types of cement and determine the seven-day cement strength.
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 Choose the corresponding w/c ratio versus strength curve.

 For the required concrete strength on the Y-axis, read off the w/c ratio from the
corresponding curve.
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15. What is the information required for grade of concrete?

 Type of mix that is design mix or  Type of cement
nominal mix  Maximum nominal size of
 Grade designation aggregate

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 Minimum cement content  Exposure condition as per IS 456
 Maximum water-cement ratio  Maximum temperature of
 Workability concrete at the time of placing
 Mix proportion (for nominal  Method of placing
mix)  Degree of supervision

16. What are the requirements of concrete mix design?

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 The minimum compressive strength required from structural consideration

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 The adequate workability necessary for full compaction with the compacting
equipment available.
 Maximum w/c ratio and/or maximum cement content to give adequate durability for
the particular site conditions.

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 Maximum cement content to avoid shrinkage cracking due to temperature cycle in
mass concrete.

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17. Mention the types of mixes.
 Nominal mixes
 Standard mixes
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 Designed mixes
18. What are the factors affecting the choice of mix proportions?
 Compressive strength
 Workability
 Durability
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 Maximum nominal size of aggregate
 Grading and type of aggregate
 Quality control
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19. What are the factors to be considered for mix design?

 The grade designation giving the characteristic strength requirement of concrete
 The type of cement influences the rate of development of compressive strength of
concrete
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 The cement content is to be limited from shrinkage, cracking and creep.

20. What are the methods used to concrete mix design for ordinary concrete?
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 Arbitrary proportion
 Fineness modulus method
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 Maximum density method

 Surface area method
 Indian Road Congress, IRC 44 method
 High strength concrete mix design

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Part – B

1. Distinguish between the term sampling and acceptance criteria in proportioning of

concrete mix.
2. Explain the factors that influence the choice of mix design.
3. Discuss inn details the Principles of mix proportioning.

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4. Discuss in details the Properties of concrete related to mix design.

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5. Discuss in details the Physical properties of materials required for mix design.
6. Write short notes on different types of concrete mix.
7. What are the various methods used for proportioning concrete? And explain any four
methods.
8. Write the step by step procedure of IS method of mix design.

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9. Design of M20 concrete mix as per IS 10262:2009; cement – OPC, specific gravity – 3.15,

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Sand – grading zone – I, Coarse aggregate – 20mm angular, Exposure condition – Mild,
Water absorption of coarse aggregate 0.6% & fine aggregate 1%, Workability – 75 mm
(slump).
10. Design of M30 concrete mix as per IS 10262:2009; cement – OPC, specific gravity – 3.15,
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Sand – grading zone – II, Coarse aggregate – 20mm angular, Exposure condition –
Moderate, Water absorption of coarse aggregate 0.6% & fine aggregate 1%, Workability
– 50 mm (slump).
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Unit – 4
Fresh and Hardened Properties of Concrete
Part – A
1. What is concrete slump? With example sketches show how a concrete can undergo
slump?
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The concrete slump test is an empirical test that measures the workability of fresh
concrete. More specifically it measures the consistency of the concrete in that specific batch.
This test is performed to check the consistency of freshly made concrete.
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2. Enumerate the factors which affect the strength of concrete.

 Quality of cement and chemical  Quality of water to making water
constituents  Grade of aggregate

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 Degree of compaction  Curing efficiency
 Curing temperature
3. Define gel/space ratio.

The gel/space ratio is the ratio of solid products of hydration to the space available for
these hydration products.

Gel is the hydrated cement while space is volume occupied by hydrated cement plus

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capillary pores. Hence gel/space ratio is the fraction of volume occupied by hydrated cement

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in the total space occupied by hydrated cement and capillary pores.

4. What is batching of concrete?

Batching is the process of measuring concrete mix ingredients by either mass or

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volume and introducing them into the mixer. To produce concrete of uniform quality, the

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ingredients must be measured accurately for each batch..

5. Define weigh batching.

Weigh batching is defined as measuring the constituent materials for mortar or

concrete by weight.
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6. What is volume batching?

Volume batching is defined as the measuring of the constituent materials for mortar
or concrete by volume.
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7. Define Abram’s water cement law.

According to Abram’s water cement law, the strength of concrete depends on the
w/c ratio used.
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8. Define bleeding.

The tendency of water to rise to the surface of freshly laid concrete is known as
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bleeding.

9. What are the steps adopted to control bleeding?

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 By adding more cement

 By using more finely ground cement
 By using little air entraining agent
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 By increasing finer part of fine aggregate

 By properly designing the mix and using minimum quantity of water.

10. Write the factors influencing durability of concrete.

 The environment
 The cover to embedded steel

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 The type and quality of constituent materials
 The cement content and w/c ratio of the concrete
 Workmanship, to obtain full compaction and efficient curing
 The size and shape of the member

11. Write the factors influencing consistency.

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The consistency of fresh concrete depends on many factors, the main ones being:

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 Water content (kg/m3)  Use of water reducers
 Water/cement ratio (plasticizers/super plasticizers)
 Fineness modulus of the  Type and shape of aggregate
aggregate  Entrained air content

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12. Define segregation.

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The tendency of separation of coarse aggregate grains from the concrete mass is
called segregation.

13. What are the methods adopted to avoid segregation of concrete?

 Addition of little air entraining agents in the mix.
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 Restricting the amount of water to the smallest possible amount.
 Concrete should be allowed to fall from larger heights.

14. Give the types of concrete mixes.

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 Nominal mixes
 Standard mixes
 Designed mixes

15. Define workability.

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Workability is that property of concrete which determines the amount of internal

work necessary to produce full compaction. It is a measure with which concrete can be
handled from the mixer stage to its final fully compacted stage.
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16. What are the factors affecting workability?

 Quantity of water in the mix
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 Proper grading of the aggregate mix

 Ratio of fine aggregate and coarse aggregate
 Maximum size of coarse aggregate
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 Method of compaction of concrete

17. What are the factors affecting proportioning of concrete mixes?

 Water cement ratio
 Cement content

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 Temperature
 Age of concrete
 Size, shape and grading of aggregate
 Curing

18. What are the tests to find the workability of concrete?

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Workability of concrete can be determined by

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 Slump test
 Compacting factor test
 Flow test
 Kelly ball test

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 Vee Bee test

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19. List out the requirements of fresh concrete.
 Mixability
 Stability
 Mobility
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 Compactability
 Finishability

20. What are the methods adopted in compaction?

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 Hand compaction - Table vibrator
- Rodding - Platform vibrator
- Ramming - Surface vibrator (screed vibrator)
- Tamping - Vibratory roller
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 Machine compaction  Compaction by pressure and jolting

- Internal vibrator  Compaction by spinning
- Formwork vibrator
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21. Define compaction factor.

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Compaction factor is the ratio of the weight of partially compacted concrete to the
weight of the concrete when fully compacted in the same mould.

22. What is the purpose of compaction?

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Compaction is done to eliminate air voids in concrete.

23. Define mixing of concrete.

The process of mixing cement, water, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate in suitable
proportion is known as mixing of concrete.

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24. Define curing of concrete.

Curing is the operation by which moist conditions are maintained on finished

concrete surface, to promote continued hydration of cement.

25. What are the characteristics of good concrete?

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 It should have high compressive strength.

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 On hardening, it should exhibit minimum shrinkage.
 It must be adequately dense. The density of a good concrete should be about 24
kN/m3.
 It should be adequately durable to resist the effects of weathering agencies.
 It should have minimum creep.

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 It should have minimum thermal expansion so as to provide good resistance to fire.

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26. List out the usage of slump values.
 Slump 0 – 25 mm is used in road making.
 10 – 40 mm is used for foundations with light reinforcement
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 50 – 90 mm for normal reinforced concrete placed with vibration

27. What is hardened concrete? And mention the factors influence its strength.

Hardened concrete gives an overall idea about the quality of concrete. It depends on
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 Water cement ratio
 Degree of compaction
 Age of aggregate
 Richness of mix
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 Curing of concrete
 Temperature of concrete

28. Define curing.

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 Curing is done to keep the concrete saturated until the water filled space in concrete is
filled up by the product of hydration.
 Curing is done to prevent the loss of water by evaporation and to maintain the process
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of hydration.

29. Define shrinkage.

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Volume change due to loss of moisture affects durability and strength, causes cracks
in concrete at different stage due to alkali aggregate reaction, sulphate action and settlement
of fresh concrete is shrinkage.

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30. Define creep.

When a concrete member is loaded it deforms to a certain extent as soon as the load is
applied. When the load is kept constant, the deformation increases with time. This increase in
strain under sustained stress is called creep of concrete.

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31. Mention the test conducted to test the properties of hardened concrete.

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 Compression testing machine
 Flexure strength testing machine
 Lateral extensometer
 Split tensile test
 Shear strength

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 Bond strength

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32. List out the factors affecting the results of strength test.
 Size and shape of aggregate
 Condition of casting
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 Moisture condition
 Bearing condition
 Rate of loading

33. What are the factors affecting strength of hardened concrete?

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The strength of hardened concrete depends on many factors, the main ones being:

 W/C ratio
 Strength of the cement
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 Type and shape of aggregate

 Entrained air content

34. How to improve the workability of concrete.

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 Increase water/cement ratio

 Increase size of aggregate
 Increase the mixing time
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 Increase the mixing temperature

 Use non-porous and saturated aggregate
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 With addition of air entraining mixtures.

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Part – B

1. Explain the various steps involved in manufacturing of concrete.

2. Define the term workability. What are the various tests conducted to determine the
workability of concrete and explain them. (OR) Explain with neat sketch the various tests
on fresh concrete.

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3. Explain the procedure of compacting factor test.

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4. Explain in detail the various factors affecting workability of concrete.
5. Distinguish between segregation and bleeding of concrete.
6. Describe in details the various properties of fresh and hardened concrete.
7. With neat sketches explain the various tests on hardened concrete.
8. Explain with neat sketches the non-destructive test on concrete.

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9. What is re-vibration? Is it detrimental to concrete? Where is it practiced?

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10. Discuss maturity of concrete? How is it measured? What is its practical use in the
concrete industry?
11. Explain the significance of quality control.
12. How dose freeze-thaw damage occur?
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Special Concretes
Part – A
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1. State the applications and advantages of light weight concrete.

Application

 Thermal insulating and sound-proofing

 Remodeling of existing buildings
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 Leveling of floors and paving stairs

 Docks and floating platforms

Advantages
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 There are many advantages of having low density

 Light weight concrete very economy
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 Low thermal conductivity

 Low density
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2. What do you understand by high performance concrete? How is it different from

normal concrete?

High performance concrete is used for concrete mixture which possess high
workability, high modulus of elasticity, high density, high dimensional, stability, low
permeability and resistance to chemical attack.

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It may be recalled that in normal concrete, relatively low strength and elastic modulus
are the result of high heterogeneous nature of structure of the material, particularly the
porous and week transition zone, which exists at the cement paste-aggregate interface.

3. What is meant by high density concrete?

Density of normal concrete is in the order of about 2400 kg/m3. The density of light
weight concrete will be less than about density 1990 kg/m3. To call the concrete, as high

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density concrete, in must have unit weight ranging from about 3360 kg/m 3 to 3840 kg/m3,

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which is about 50% higher than the unit weight of conventional concrete.

4. What are the applications of sulphur-infiltrated concrete?

The sulphur-infiltrated concrete can be employed in the precast industry. This

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methods of achieving high strength can be used in the manufacture if precast roofing
elements, fencing posts, sewer pipes and railway sleepers, sulphur-infiltrated concrete should

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find considerable use in industrial situations, where high corrosion resistant concrete.

5. Write a short note on sulphur infiltrated concrete.

Sulphur was made to impregnate (saturate) into lean porous concrete, to improve its
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strength and other useful properties considerably. In this method, the quantity of sulphur used
is also comparatively less and thereby the process is made economical. It is reported that
compressive strength of about 100 MPa could be achieved in about 2 days time.

6. What is the density of concrete?

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The density of concrete varies between 2200 to 2600 kg/m3.

7. Define light weight concrete.

The concrete is said to be light weight concrete whose density is between 300 to
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1850 kg/m3.

8. Define high density concrete.

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The concrete is said to be high weight concrete whose density is between 3360 to
3
3840 kg/m .
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9. Name some of the natural light weight aggregates.

 Pumice  Rice husk
 Volcanic cinders  Diatiomite
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 Saw dust  Scoria

10. Name some of the artificial light weight aggregate.

 Brick bat  Expanded perlite
 Sintered fly ash  Foamed slag
 Exfoliated vermiculite  Cinder and clinker

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11. What are the special methods of making high strength concrete?
 Seeding
 Re-vibration
 High speed slurry mixing
 Use of admixtures
 Inhibition of cracks

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 Sulphur impregnation

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 Use of cementitious aggregates
12. Why high strength concrete is used for concrete repairs?

High strength concrete for concrete repair is used to provide a concrete with
improved resistance to chemical attack, better abrasion resistance, improved resistance to
freezing and thawing and reduced permeability

.
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13. Name the types of joints in concrete.
 Construction joints
 Expansion joints
 Contraction joints
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 Warping joints

14. What are the types of concrete?

 Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC)
 Light weight concrete (LWC)
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 High performance concrete (HPC)
 High strength concrete (HSC)
 Ferrocement
 Ready mixed concrete (RMC)
 Gunite or shotcrete
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 Polymer concrete
 Geopolymer concrete
 Slurry infiltrated fibrous reinforced concrete (SIFCON)
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15. What is HPC?

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HPC is a concrete made with appropriate materials combined as per selected mix
design, carefully mixed, transported, placed and cured so that the resultant concrete give
excellent performance in the structure in which it is used in the environment to which it is
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likely to be exposed and with the load to which it is subject to design life.

16. Mention the applications of sulphur infiltrated concrete.

 Precast industry
 Railway sleepers

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 Fencing post
 Sewer pipes

17. What are the advantages of using high strength concrete?

 Reduction in self weight and a consequent reduction in the foundation cost
 Reduction in axial shortening effects in column

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 Reduction in floor thickness and beam height
 Reduction in member size

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 Reduction in maintenance costs
 Lower creep and shrinkage

18. What are the applications of polymer cement concrete?

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Polymer cement concrete is made by mixing cement, aggregates, water and

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monomers, such plastic mixture is cast in moulds, cured, dried and polymerized.

19. What is ready mix concrete?

Ready mix concrete has cement, aggregates, water and other ingredients which are
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weighing batched at a centrally located plant. This is then delivered to the construction site in
transit mixers and can be used straight away without any further treatment.

20. What are the advantages of RMC over site mix concrete?
 A centralized concrete batching plant can serve a wide area.
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 Better quality concrete is produced.
 Elimination of storage space for basic materials at site.
 Wastage of basic materials is avoided.
 Time required is greatly reduced.
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21. What is self-compacting concrete?

Self-compacting concrete is a non-segregating concrete that is placed by means of its

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own weight. The importance of self-compacting concrete is that maintains all concrete
durability and characteristics, meeting expected performance requirements

22. What is Shotcrete?

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Shotcrete is a concrete conveyed through a hose and pneumatically projected at high

velocity onto a surface, as a construction technique. Shotcrete undergoes placement and
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compaction at the same time due to the force with which it is projected from the nozzle. It
can be impacted into any type or shape of surface, including vertical or overhead areas.

23. What is the general use of Shotcrete?

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While most shotcrete placed is the traditional dry-mix and wet-mix shotcrete, the use
of specially shotcretes has become common. The addition of accelerators, fibers and silica
fume can provide shotcrete with significantly enhanced performance.

24. What are the different types of polymers used in concrete?

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 Vinyl

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 Urethanes
 Acrylics
 Styrene butadiene
 Epoxies

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25. Give a list of components of a typical ready mixed concrete plant.

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 Overhead crane
 Cement weigh hopper
 Pan mixer
 Skip hoist winch
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 Service walkway
 Weighing cage
 Skip
 Control cabin
 Electro compressor
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 Loading screw feed
 Cement silo
 Aggregates partition walls
26. Define Guniting or shotcrete?
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It is define as a mortar conveyed through a hose and pneumatically projected at a high

velocity on to a surface.

27. What is meant by Ferro-cement?

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Ferro cement is defined as a thin-wall reinforced concrete spaced layers of continuous

and relatively small diameter mesh. The mesh may be made of a metallic or other suitable
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material. Ferro cement is both a method and a material used in building or sculpture with
cement, sand, water and wire mesh material, often called the thin shell.

28. Mention some of the materials used for ferrocement.

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 The reinforcing wire

 Wire netting
 Cement
 Sand

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 Water
 Admixtures

Part – B

1. Define high performance concrete. Explain the properties and application.

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2. What is meant by RMC? Explain their advantages and disadvantages.

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3. What are the various fibers that are used in the manufactures of fibre reinforced concrete?
4. What is polymer concrete? What are the various types? Explain properties and
application.
5. Why is light weight concrete preferred for construction particulars in multi-storey
building? Explain with respect to their physical characteristics of light weight aggregate

.
concrete?

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6. Describe the important fresh state properties of high strength concrete.
7. How the various quality controls is tests done to ensure good performance of polymer
concrete?
8. Give the typical layout of ready mixed concrete plant.
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9. What are the special features of transportation of ready mixed concrete from the plant to
the site?
10. What special features are to be considered while handling and placing ready mixed
concrete?
11. Explain in detail the method of design of light weight concreting.
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12. Describe the procedure of mass concrete.
13. Write short notes on Shotcrete.
14. Write short notes of Grouting (or) write short notes on shotcrete.
15. Explain the properties of polymer impregnated concrete.
16. Write short notes on high density concrete.
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17. Explain the various methods of polymer concrete.

18. What are the advantages of using ready mixed concrete instead of site mixed concrete?
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