STRUCTURAL CONSTRUCTION

WORKS
Level – I
Based on March, 2022 Curriculum Version- I

Module Title: - Prepare and Mix Mortar, Cast, and Level

Concrete Work

Module code: EIS SCW1 M 09 0322

Nominal duration: 70Hour
Prepared by: Ministry of Labor and Skill
AUG, 2022 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Catalog
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Acknowledgment......................................................................................................................8

Acronym.................................................................................................................................... 9

Introduction to the Module...................................................................................................10

Unit one: Work instruction.................................................................................................... 11

1.1 Work Instruction.........................................................................................................12

1.1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................12

1.1.3 Plan / working drawing.....................................................................................12

1.1.5 Specifications................................................................................................... 15

1.1.4 Quality Requirmrnt........................................................................................... 17

1.1.2 Work opration for concrete making...................................................................18

1.2 Safety requirements...................................................................................................20

1.2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................20

1.2.2 General Concrete Dangers...............................................................................20

1.2.3 Dry and Wet Concrete Dangers.......................................................................21

1.2.4 Construction Site Safety...................................................................................21

1.2.5 Hazard communication....................................................................................23

1.3 Signage/barricade requirements................................................................................23

1.3.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................23

1.3.2 Signage requirment..........................................................................................24

1.3.3 Barricading requirements.................................................................................28

1.4. Plant, tools and equipment....................................................................................... 30

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 1.4.1 Concrete making Hand Tools..........................................................................30

1.4.2 Concrete making Power Tools.........................................................................37

1.4.3 Concrete Making plant.....................................................................................39

1.5 Calculate quantity of Concrete and mortar materials.................................................41

1.5.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................41

1.5.2 Basic data for calculating material....................................................................42

1.5.3. Mixing Ratio.....................................................................................................43

1.5.4 Concrete materials clculation...........................................................................44

1.5.5 Mortar Material calculation...............................................................................45

1.6 Safely Handled and storge materials.........................................................................49

1.6.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................49

1.7 Environmental protection requirements.....................................................................52

1.7.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................52

Self check-1...............................................................................................................53

Self check-2...............................................................................................................54

Self check-3...............................................................................................................54

OPERATION SHEET 1............................................................................................. 54

OPERATION SHEET 2............................................................................................. 55

Unit Two: Gauge and Mix Mortar and Concrete.................................................................57

2.1 Mortar and concrete safe and healthy.......................................................................57

2.2 Selection of concrete material....................................................................................58

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 2.3 Batching and Mixing Concrete....................................................................................63

2.4.Types of Concrete......................................................................................................68

Self check-1...............................................................................................................71

Self check-2...............................................................................................................71

Self check-3...............................................................................................................72

Opration sheet -1.......................................................................................................72

LAP Test -1............................................................................................................... 73

Unit Three: Delivery and Dispatch Concrete......................................................................74

3.1 Delivery material order...............................................................................................74

3.2 Delivery / transportation/ of Concrete.......................................................................76

3.3. Concrete discharge with pump................................................................................. 78

3.4 Consistence Test....................................................................................................... 79

Self check-1...............................................................................................................82

Self check-2...............................................................................................................82

Oration sheet -1.........................................................................................................84

LAP Test -1............................................................................................................... 85

Unit Four : Prepare work area............................................................................................86

4.1 Concrete surface preparation.........................................................................................86

4.2 Cleaning, Maintaining and Sorting.............................................................................87

4.3 Plant, tools and equipment........................................................................................ 89

4.4 Wet surface area........................................................................................................90

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 Self check-1...............................................................................................................91

Unit Five : Place, compact and vibrate the concrete..........................................................92

5.1 Placing and leveling concrete....................................................................................93

5.2 Prevent Concrete segregation...................................................................................96

5.3 Compaction................................................................................................................97

5.4. Finish and Level concrete.........................................................................................99

Self check-1.............................................................................................................101

Self check-2.............................................................................................................101

Oration sheet -1.......................................................................................................102

LAP Test -1............................................................................................................. 103

Unit Six : Concrete Finishing............................................................................................. 104

6.1 Concrete Screed......................................................................................................105

6.1.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................105

6.1.2 How to Screed Concrete................................................................................105

Fig 6.1 Concrete screeding..........................................................................................106

6.1. 3 Step to Concrete screeding...........................................................................106

6.2 Applying Float and trowel.........................................................................................107

6.2.1 Guide to Floating Concrete.............................................................................107

6.3. Mechanical (powere) trowelling..............................................................................113

6.3.1 How To Use A Trowel Machine......................................................................113

6.4 Control joints............................................................................................................114

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 6.6.2 Rules for Designing Contraction Joints..........................................................115

6.5 Curing concrete.......................................................................................................117

6.5.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................117

6.5.2 Advantage of Curing.......................................................................................118

6.5.3 Methods of curing...........................................................................................118

6.6 Run off devices........................................................................................................ 123

6.7 Curing compound/method........................................................................................124

Self check-1.............................................................................................................127

Self check-2.............................................................................................................127

Oration sheet -1.......................................................................................................129

Oration sheet -2.......................................................................................................130

LAP Test -1............................................................................................................. 131

Unit Seven : Cleaning...........................................................................................................133

7.1 Clean Work area and Materials..............................................................................133

7.1.1. Housekeeping............................................................................................... 133

7.2. Dispos , reus or recycl materials.............................................................................136

7.2.1 Disposing, reusing and recycling waste materials..........................................136

7.3 Maintain Plant, tools and equipment.......................................................................139

7.3.1 Maintain construction tools and equipment....................................................139

Self check-1.............................................................................................................140

Self check-2.............................................................................................................141

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 OPERATION SHEET-1...........................................................................................143

OPERATION SHEET-2...........................................................................................144

OPERATION SHEET-3...........................................................................................145

LAP Test..................................................................................................................146

Reference................................................................................................................................ 148

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Acknowledgment

Ministry of Labor and Skills wish to extend thanks and appreciation to the many representatives of
TVET instructors and respective industry experts who donated their time and expertise to the
development of this Teaching, Training and Learning Materials (TTLM).

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 Acronym

PP...........................................polypropylene
TTLM ....................................Teaching Training Learning material
PPE............................................. Personal protective equipment
W/C ..........................................Water cement ratio
OHS...........................................Occupational Health and Safety
CY.............................................. cubic yards

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 Introduction to the Module
In Structural construction work filed ; Prepare and Mix Mortar, Cast, and Level Concrete Work project
helps to know Work instruction ; to gauge and mix concrete and mortar and to Receive and dispatch concrete ,
to Prepare work area, to Place, compact and vibrate the concrete, Finish concrete, Clean up for structural
construction work. This module is designed to meet the industry requirement under the structural
construction occupational standard, particularly for the unit of competency: Laying Smooth and
Rough cement screed.
This module covers the units:
 Work instruction
 Gauge and mix concrete and mortar
 Receive and dispatch concrete
 Prepare work area
 Place, compact and vibrate the concrete
 Finish concrete
 Clean up.
Learning Objective of the Module
 Apply Work instruction
 Gauge and mix concere and mortar
 Receive and dispatch concrete
 Prepare work area
 Place, compact and vibrate the concrete
 Finish and concrete
 Clean up.
Module Instruction
For effective use this modules trainees are expected to follow the following module instruction:
Read the information written in each unit
Accomplish the Self-checks at the end of each unit
Perform Operation Sheets which were provided at the end of units
Do the “LAP test” giver at the end of each unit and
Read the identified reference book for Examples and exercise

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Unit one: Work instruction
This unit is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following content
coverage and topics:
 Work instruction and operation
 Safety requirements
 Signage/barricade requirements
 Tools and equipment
 Concrete and mortar Materials estimation

 Environmental protection requirements

This unit will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Apply work instruction and operation
 Identify and explaining safe work practices.
 Identify signage/barricade.
 Select Tools and equipment
 Identify and calculate concrete and mortar materials
 Identify Environmental protection requirements

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1.1 Work Instruction

1.1.1 Introduction
A work instruction is a document that provides specific instructions to carry out any activity in
concrete works. Make Concrete without a Mixer a cement mixer does a great job at mixing concrete
(also referred to as "mixing cement"), thoroughly blending cement, gravel and sand to give a consistent
result. But is it possible to mix concrete by hand without a mixer? Yes, with a little care and some
effort.

1.1.3 Plan / working drawing

A plans is a set of drawings or two-dimensional diagrams used to describe a place or object, or to
communicate building or fabrication instructions. Usually plans are drawn or printed on paper, but they
can take the form of a digital file. Construction drawings are necessary in most spheres of the building
industry, as being the best means of conveying detailed and often complex information from the
designer to all those concerned with the job. Building trades people should be familiar with the basic
principles involved in understanding and reading drawings correctly.
Mistakes on either side – in design or interpretation of the design – can be costly, as drawings form a
legal part of the contract between architect/client and builder. This applies even on small jobs, where
only goodwill may suffer; for this reason, if a non-contractual drawing or sketch is supplied, it should
be kept for a period of time after completion of the job, in case any queries should arise.
 How to read engineering drawings
Engineering drawings are typically used as visual tools in the creation of homes, bridges, and other
buildings. While these drawings can be quite straightforward to individuals who are skilled in the field
of engineering or architecture, they can be quite difficult to interpret for laypeople. Knowing how to
read engineering drawings will help provide you with a better idea of the building plans.
 Familiarize yourself with the scale of the drawings.
Understanding how large or small certain items are essential when reading engineering drawings. While
most engineering drawings are created in "scale" versions of 1/4-1/8 inches (.55-.275 centimeters) per
foot, other scales may be used for very large creations. Always determine the scale of the drawing
before examining it in detail. If the scale is not obviously evident on the drawing, consult with the
engineer who drew it for clarification.

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Fig. 1.1: scale of the drawings
 Understand the basic symbols used in the engineering drawings.
As these drawings are done on such a small scale, the use of symbols is often required. While many
symbols exist, understanding a few of the basics can be very helpful when reading engineering
drawings. Some of the most common symbols used in these drawings include rectangles, circles, and
triangles. As with determining the scale, consulting with the engineer who created the drawing can
provide great insight as to the symbols used.

Fig.1. 2: Understand the basic symbols

 Look for circled numbers.

As discussed previously, engineering drawings are typically done on a scale so small that creating detail
is almost impossible. Because of this, engineers often add circled numbers to certain parts of the
drawings. These circled numbers indicate that the area identified is shown in greater detail on another
page.

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Fig.1. 3: indicate that the area identified
 Identify specific abbreviations.
Abbreviations are a useful tool for engineers. Like symbols, they can indicate shapes, processes, and
even dimensions through a few letters. Some of the most common abbreviations used in engineering
drawings include DP, which stands for depth, and DIA, which stands for diameter.

Fig. 1.4: the most common abbreviations

 Work with colleagues.

When all else fails, consult with other professionals to better clarify the drawings. While it may be
embarrassing to admit that you are having difficulty interpreting the drawing, those who regularly work
with and understand the drawings will help you read them. Ask "in the know" individuals on the project
to clarify anything you do not understand; better that this happens in the early stages of a project than to
encounter a mistake farther into a project because of improperly reading engineering drawings.

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Fig. 1.5: understand the drawings will help you read them

Fig. 1.1: section plan which shows flooring material.

Fig. 1.2: floor plan which shows floor finishing material.

1.1.5 Specifications
Specifications are devices for organizing the information depicted on the drawings and they are written
descriptions of the legal and technical requirements forming the concrete work Specification is defined
as the designation or statement by which Written instructions are given distinguishing and/or limiting
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and Describing the particular trade of work to be executed. a specification contains a detailed written
description of the quality of materials and workmanship necessary to complete the concrete mortar
work.
Specifications and plan generally describe the following:
 Assess type of concrete and curing time in predicted weather conditions for each pour and
schedule tasks to meet project requirements.
 Review work health and safety (whs) and environmental requirements, and apply to planning.
 Develop or adapt safe work method statements (swmss) for individual tasks in accordance
with workplace procedures and safety requirements.
 Assess potential hazards and contingencies and develop risk controls.
 Calculate dimensions of each concrete pour and calculate document and source material in
preparation for work to commence on time and on budget.
 Identify, document and source plant, tools and equipment required for each project stage in
line with task schedule to ensure availability on site.
 Identify, document and source plant, tools and equipment required for each project stage in
line with task schedule to ensure availability on site.
 The purpose of specifications generally includes
 Provide guidance for the execution of the work
 Guide workers for the concrete materials
 Guide the work to identify his capacity to execute the work
 Serve as fabrication and installation concrete guide for temporary and permanent works.
 Guide the function and use hiring of equipment’s.
 Generally specification mortar concrete materials follow:
 All mortar is if possible mixed in an approved mechanical batch mixer. If not possible it
could be mixed by hand until its color and consistency are uniform
 Lime for mortar in freshly burnt limestone. Lime shall be delivered to the site in large
lumps, slaked, run to putty and mature for not less than two weeks before use.
 If hydraulic lime is used, it is stored in the same manner as described for cement.
 Cement used in mortar is Portland cement and have quality as described for concrete
works.
 Sand for mortar is of quality as described for concrete works.
 Water is of quality described for concrete works.
 Cement mortar consists of cement and sand as specified. If not given in the specification,
check that cement mortar consists of one part cement to three parts of sand (1:3) measured
by volume.
 Compo mortar consists of cement, lime and sand as specified. If not specified, check that
the compo mortar is composed of one part cements two parts of lime and nine parts of sand
(1:2:9) measured by volume.

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  Cement mortar is used within 30 minutes of the duration of cement.

1.1.4 Quality Requirement

Concrete is one of the major construction materials in building construction industry and it is produced
from three basic ingredients; namely, cement, aggregate and water. In addition admixture is sometimes
used to improve some properties of concretes like workability and setting times. The ingredients of
concrete should be of good quality that satisfies the requirements set in standards.
It is not enough to have only good quality concrete ingredients; the production processes also have the
most important influences on concrete quality.

These production processes are batching, mixing, transporting, placing, compacting and curing which
requires proper and scientific approaches. A good and a bad concrete may be made of exactly the same
ingredients if there is a difference on the quality control of the production.

Quality control is a means of checking that concrete ingredients and production processes are in
compliance with the requirements stated in code of practices. In order to have a good quality of concrete
it should be done as per the contract document in the contract agreement. Standard is something
considered by an authority or by a general consent as a basis of comparisons
It is a must to work according to the sated standard in order to obtain a good quality of concrete. In
addition to the production processes and the compliance of the standard that determines the quality of
concrete the workman ship also affect the quality of concrete. It must be in accordance with the stated
standards.

To get quality concrete products, proper care and control has to be done during ingredient selection,
checking compliance with the standards, production processes and workman ship. It should also be
reminded that all professionals and firms involved in the construction industry have to give special
emphasis to quality control.

The quality of the material and workman ship is as per the contract the contractor ensures document in
the contract agreement. The consulting engineer also approves the quality control work under taken by
the contractor. In most parts of Ethiopia, especially in major cities and towns building construction is
highly observed. Most of these buildings are reinforced concrete structures in which concrete takes the
major proportion.

It is an indication as how much the quality of concrete is important for the overall quality of a building
that the major component of a building made with reinforced concrete such as beams, columns, slabs
and foundations are load bearing as opposed to other non load bearing elements which are rather loads
to be carried by reinforced concrete structural parts. Furthermore, concrete is a non-factory product,
which is mostly produced on site; as a result, there are a number of factors that bring variations on
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concrete quality.These include quality of ingredients, variation in concrete production processes,
compliance with the standards and quality of workman ship.

Hence, proper quality control is highly necessitated, especially to concrete, which forms the critical part
of a building. Hence, the fact that concrete forms the load bearing parts of a building and the variability
in concrete product became leading motivational factors to undertake research on this area so that to
identify the problems associated with the quality standards of concrete and workman ship in the newly
flourishing construction industry and at the end to suggest ways of improving it.

Quality in concrete and mortar work can be defined as the attainment of acceptable levels of
performance from construction activities. This performance would be attained when the activity meets
the requirements of quality in concrete.

1.1.2 Work operation for concrete making

A good quality concrete is essentially a homogeneous mixture of cement, coarse and fine aggregates
and water which consolidates into a hard mass due to chemical action between the cement and water.
Each of the four constituents has a specific function. The coarser aggregate acts as a filler. The fine
aggregate fills up the voids between the paste and the coarse aggregate. The cement in conjunction with
water acts as a binder. The mobility of the mixture is aided by the cement paste, fines and nowadays,
increasingly by the use of admixtures.

Most of the properties of the hardened concrete depend on the care exercised at every stage of the
manufacture of concrete. A rational proportioning of the ingredients of concrete is the essence of the
mix design. However, it may not guarantee of having achieved the objective of th e quality concrete
work. The aim of quality control is to ensure the production of con crete of uniform strength from batch
to batch. This requires some rules to be followed in the various stages of concrete production and are
discussed as follows.
The stages of concrete production are:
1. Batching or measureme nt of materials
2. Mixing
3. Transporting
4. Placing
5. Compacting
6. Curing
7. Finishing

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1.2 Safety requirements

1.2.1 Introduction
Required Safety Rules When Working With Concrete
Everyone who works with concrete should be aware of the required safety precautions by Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), including wearing gloves and safety glasses during a
concrete pour, as well as have an eyewash station nearby. As stated above, these basic safety rules are
not enough, and there are other crucial safety precautions to take when working with concrete.
But we will give you the general safety rules you should know about. So here’s a quick overview of the
noteworthy hazards when working with concrete:
 Mixing risks. Concrete dust can cause breathing problems. Concrete is composed of small
pieces of stone, called aggregate. When these stones are mixed with cement, the tiny particles of
aggregate dust can be dispersed into the air and inhaled.
 Pouring risks. Concrete can be slippery until it dries. If any bit of the wet mixture gets on a
worker’s boots or the ground, it can cause the worker to slip and fall. Furthermore, the alkaline
properties of wet cement can be caustic. If the cement splashes on the skin and isn’t removed
quickly, the chemicals in the mixture can lead to third-degree burns.
 Drying risks. Concrete slabs can weigh more than 800 pounds and are at risk for tipping,
shifting, and falling on those around them.
Almost every job that you can have as a concrete subcontractor or construction worker carries a
possibility of working with concrete, which ultimately increases your chances of sustaining serious
injuries.

1.2.2 General Concrete Dangers

General Concrete Dangers When Working with Concrete

Concrete construction accidents can happen in many different ways. When working on or around
concrete, you need to be continually vigilant to ensure you work as safely as possible. Some common
mishaps that can cause concrete construction accidents include:
 Workers falling onto concrete slabs.
 Workers being crushed by slabs falling from cranes or forklifts.
 Workers getting pinned between concrete slabs.
 Workers suffering heatstroke while cleaning truck mixer drums.
 Workers being impaled on rebar sticking out of concrete slabs.
 Workers getting caught in concrete mixers or covered with concrete.
 Workers being burned or blinded by concrete chemicals.
 Workers suffering back injuries from lifting heavy concrete slabs.

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A few of these accidents are pure chance accidents, and there is nothing that can be done to prevent
them. However, the much more common scenario is that these incidents—and the injuries that result—
are the direct result of someone else’s negligence.

1.2.3 Dry and Wet Concrete Dangers

I – Dry Concrete
Dry concrete can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as the skin. When dry concrete makes
contact with skin, it can result in minor irritation to cracking of the skin. Those who are exposed to
silica dust, a main component in dry concrete, for long periods of time are at risk for developing
silicosis or lung cancer.
To ensure dry concrete does not cause any harm or damage, it’s important to follow the following safety
precautions:
If you get concrete dust in your eyes, immediately flush eyes out at the eyewash station.
After working with dry concrete, wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly to avoid skin
damage.
To avoid developing serious illnesses, wear an N-95 respirator to decrease the inhalation of dust.
When taking a break on a construction site, eat or drink in dust-free areas or inside to avoid ingesting
any cement dust.
II – Wet Concrete
When working with wet concrete, it’s true that the risk of silica exposure decreases, but there are still
many hazards to be aware of. For example, an overexposure of wet concrete can result in many adverse
health effects, and the following safety precautions should be taken seriously:
To protect your skin and eyes, wear alkali-resistant gloves, long sleeves and long pants to keep skin
covered, waterproof boots, and eye protection. It is good practice to keep extra gloves and safety glasses
at construction sites.

When wet concrete makes contact with skin, it can result in severe chemical burns. If this happens to
you, wash the contaminated skin areas with cold water and non-alkaline soap as soon as possible to
prevent skin damage.
If wet concrete somehow gets on your face or in your eyes, use the eyewash station for 15 minutes and
consider going to the hospital for more treatment.

1.2.4 Construction Site Safety

Construction Site Safety Tips When Working With Concrete

Considering the amount of risk involved when dealing with concrete, it’s no surprise that the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration has mandated specific safety standards for construction
workers. These mandates include:
 Protect Your Skin
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Contact with wet or unhardened concrete mortar cement, or cement mixtures can cause skin irritation,
severe chemical burns up to third-degree, or serious eye damage. Cement burns are extremely painful
and disfiguring. Unfortunately, the pain is not felt for hours and may not be severe for days. By the time
medical attention is sought, a third-degree burn often has occurred.
Frequent exposure may be associated with irritant and/or allergic contact dermatitis. Wear water-proof
gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, full-length pants, and proper eye protection when working with these
materials. If you have to stand in wet concrete, use water-proof boots that are high enough to keep
concrete from flowing into them.

Wash wet concrete, mortar, cement, or cement mixtures from your skin immediately. Flush eyes with
clean water immediately after contact and seek immediate medical attention. In-direct contact through
clothing can be as serious as direct contact, so promptly rinse out wet concrete, mortar, cement, or
cement mixtures from clothing. Seek immediate medical attention if you have persistent or severe
discomfort.
 Protect Your Head
Always wear an approved hard hat when on a construction job site. Be sure to take proper care of your
hard hat. Do not punch holes into it and don’t store or carry it on the rear window shelf of a vehicle as
the sunlight and extreme heat may weaken it. Do not wear the hat backward or when it is damaged.
Don’t wear a steel hard hat, which can conduct electricity.
 Protect Your Eyes
Wear shatterproof safety eye protection at all times to keep cement, flying particles, dust and toxic
fumes out of your eyes. Don’t wear contact lenses on the job. Chemicals, gases or dust may get under
them and irritate or damage the eyes.
 Protect Your Ears
There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss. To avoid damage, wear self-fitting earplugs made of
waxed cotton, foam or glass fiber wool which are available in most drug stores. Preformed or molded
earplugs that are fitted to your ears specifically can also be purchased from a professional. Do not use
disposable earplugs more than once.
 Protect Your Feet
To protect your feet from falling objects, crushing hazards or punctures from sharp objects like rebar or
tie wire, wear steel-toed safety boots. If you have to stand in wet concrete, wear waterproof rubber
boots.
 Protect Your Back
Back problems from overexertion are a common construction site injury. Do not lift too much! Keep
your back straight, knees bent and the load close to your body when lifting to minimize strain. Lift with
your legs, not your back. Never twist your body when carrying a load; pivot your feet, not your spine.
When a load is too heavy, ask for help. Concrete weighs between 120 and 150 pounds per cubic foot
which is a lot of weight in a small volume. Use wheeled carts whenever possible and don’t overload it.
Make sure the path is clear of tripping, slipping or falling hazards.
 Protect Your Respiratory System
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1.3 Signage/barricade requirements.
Employers must provide their workers with face masks or ventilators when there is a threat of cement-
related air pollution on site.

1.2.5 Hazard communication.

In addition to warning their employees of the potential risks, employers must also provide adequate
warning signs and guards when cement hazards are present on the construction site. It is also important
to warn others of any concrete dangers immediately which is possible through a concrete subcontractor
software like Pro Crew Schedule where communication is fast. Plus, you can also attach photos of the
danger zone so others can easily recognize it when they pass through it.
Unfortunately, despite the safety mandates from OSHA, many business owners fail to take all the
necessary precautionary steps to protect their employees. While the liability of a workplace accident
may vary depending on the circumstances, the general rule is that if someone else’s negligence caused
an injury, the injured person deserves compensation. So as a concrete subcontractor or a general
contractor, see to it that these basic safety precautions are observed at the construction site to avoid
delays and claims.

1.3.1 Introduction
Concepts signage/barricade requirements
Construction site premise in concrete work every working man should be protected against the dangers
of injury sickness or death through safe and healthy working condition, thereby assuming the
conservation of valuable manpower resources and the prevention of loss of damage to lives and
properties.
Construction work should be fenced off and suitably signed. This will protect people from site dangers.
For some jobs the workplace will have to be shared. Perhaps the work will be done in an operating
mixer. Agree who has to control each area. Agree what fences, barriers, means of separation or permits
to work are required to keep both construction workers away from hazards created by others and other
people away from hazards created by the concrete work.
Generally Construction site requires
 Complete understanding between the owner and the contractor
 Practical experience in running construction jobs
 Accident prevention as part of advance planning
 Protection of workers and the public
 Applicable government standard regulations

1.3.2 Signage requirement

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is to defend or block something by building a barricade. It’s a line of objects placed across a road, etc.to
stop people from getting pass. Signage is the design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a
message to specific group , usually for the purpose marketing or any kinds of visual graphics.
Barricades and signage that are no longer required are removed as Barricading controls shall be
implemented and authorized as part of barricaded area it shall have its own barricading and label to
identify the hazard.
The identification, isolation, and control of these causes are distance Advance Warning Signs may be
required on any type roadway, but particularly on multi-lane the lines, then barricades or cones shall be
used to channel traffic around the work area.(this includes the driving tools and the implement being
driven)Signage and barriers use when construction is inactive. Contractor is responsible to implement
any requirements specified in the contract. Determine the responsibility of each contractor for lights,
barricades, and warning sign.
 Construction safety signage
Safety signs in the workplace are an indispensable way of protecting employees from accidents. Their
purpose is to convey information in a comprehensive way about objects and situations that can be
dangerous. In case of a fire, for instance, well placed signs can speed up the evacuation of a building
and help those giving first aid. Construction premises shall have adequate fire, Emergency or danger
sign and safety instruction standard colours and sizes visible at all times. Visual alerting devices gives
information on the nature and degree of potential hazards which can cause injury or death should alert
persons to the following:
 Specific Hazards
 Degree or level of seriousness
 Probable consequence of involvement with the hazards
 how hazards can be avoided
Safety sign shall be placed visible to the intended viewer and should be protected against unforeseeable
damage, fading or visual obstruction caused by abrasion, ultra- violet light, or substance such as
lubricants, chemical and dirt.
 Panel sign
Area of safety sign having distinctive background color different from adjacent areas of the sign which
is clearly delineated by line, border or margin
 Signal word panel
Area of safety that contains the signal word and the safety alert symbol
 Message panel
Area of the safety sign that contains the word messages which identify the has indicate how to avoid the
hazard and advises of the probable consequence of avoiding the hazard.
 Safety sign color
Color play an important role when it comes to safety signs: they convey a message – and each safety
color has a specific meaning.

24
 The color of the sign specifies its nature:
 Red signs are prohibitive;
 Blue signs are mandatory;
 Yellow signs are warnings; and
 Green is used for safe condition and first aid signs. Similar rules apply to the different
shapes:
 Prohibitive and obligatory signs are circular:
 Warning signs are triangular; and
 Oblong signs offer help and directions

A. Safety red: Prohibition sign and danger alarm

A sign prohibiting behaviour likely to increase or cause danger, to call attention to fire protection
equipment apparatus and facilities.

Fig 3.1 Fire Equipment Signs

25
Intrinsic features for;-
Rectangular shape;
White pictogram on Red background, Black edging

Fig1.3 safety sign

B. Safety Green: precaution emergency escape or first-aid sign
A sign giving information on emergency exits, first aid, or rescue facilities Intrinsic features:
Rectangular or square shape;
White pictogram on a green background (the green part to take up at least 50% of the area of the sign).
C. Safety Yellow: warning sign (Caution)
A sign giving warning of a hazard or danger such as striking against stumbling, falling, tripping and
caught in between, danger: electricity ‘Intrinsic features:
(a) Triangular shape;
(b) Black pictogram on a yellow background with black edging (the yellow part to take up at least 50%
of the area of the sign). Fig 3.2

26
D. Safety Blue: mandatory sign (precaution)
A sign prescribing specific behaviour, To designate cautions limited to warring against starting use of,
or moving equipment which is under repair or being worked upon. Intrinsic features:
Round shape; White pictogram on a blue background (the blue part to take up at least 50% of the area
of the sign).

27
 Symbols and arrows on signage.
Use symbols in place of text where the symbol is universally recognized. For example, public
information symbols.
 Signage symbols, contrast, colour, positioning Checklist
 Use symbols in place of text or to supplement text where possible.
 Use arrows to indicate direction.
 There should be good contrast between the signboard and any mounting or background surface.
 There should also be good contrast between the text and background colour of the sign itself so
that it is easy to read.
Purpose of Signage/barricade
The main purpose of sign is to communicate, to convey information designed to assist the receiver with
decision –making based on the information provided. Signage/barricade of Symbol:- Warning
illumination usually is provided by incandescent or fluorescent lamps or spotlights. These may be used
to illuminate barriers and primary warning signs.
 Where signage is needed
 Usage of PPE prior to entry to the project site
 Potential risks of falling objects
 Potential risk of falling
 Explosive an flammables substances are used or stored
 Tripping or slipping hazards
 Danger from toxic or irritant airborne contaminates/ substances may exist
 Contact with or proximity to electrical/ facility equipment
 Contact with dangerous moving parts of machinery and equipment
 Fire alarm and firefighting equipment
 Instructions on the usage of specific construction equipment

1.3.3 Barricading requirements

Barricading controls shall be implemented and authorized as part of the safe work system to protect
persons from hazards such as:
Being struck by falling objects;
Being struck by moving plant;
Fall from height, including falling into open excavations, penetrations, and falls
from unprotected edges such as removed flooring, walkways, stairs and / or hand
railings.

28
 Exposure to hazardous chemicals;
Types of barricading
Barricades can be classed as either a soft barricade or a hard (solid) barricade. Soft barricades are those
that use an approved tape to prevent or restrict access to an area. A hard barricade is a physical structure
such as scaffold tubes or water filled devices that prevent or restrict access to an area.
A. Soft barricades:- they are to be used to identify and protect personnel from general hazards and
also those which are high risk and may pose a risk to life and health.

Fig A. Soft barricades

B, Solid barricades:- the purpose of a solid barricade is to provide a physical barrier capable of
performing the same function as a permanent guardrail.
A solid barricade shall:
 Have a solid top and mid rail (E.g. scaffold tube or equivalent) with the applicable sign attached.
 The installation of a kick rail or mesh to contain objects etc. shall be by risk assessment and
detailed in the unprotected edge risk control authorization.

29
1.4. Tools and equipment
 Where solid barricades are used they shall be accompanied with signs to communicate the
hazard information. As appropriate, barricade tape may be used to highlight the existence of the
barricaded area.
Solid barricades example

Fig. Solid barricades:-

1.4.1 Concrete making Hand Tools

Construction tools list for building construction works such as concrete, brick masonry, leveling,
woodworks, floor works, slab works, bricklaying, plastering, etc. is provided. Every construction tool is
necessary to achieve good results in the whole project.
1. Meter - are used to take measurement.

2. Manson Squire - is used to check to get right angle.

30
3. Plumb-Bob- is used to check only that surface vertical leveling

4. Masonry Hammer - is used to dress stones in the quarry.

Crushing Hammer - is used to remove irregular bushing and rough dressing.

31
6. Chisel - is used to dress hard stone , concrete et

7. String - is use to make layout in excavation and maintain alignments.

8. Sprit Level - is used to with straight edge for getting horizontal and vertical surface levelness. the
leveling tube is filled alcohol and bubble of air.

9. Rubber tube water level - is PVC tube filled with water to check horizontal levels of floors
and walls etc.

32
10. Trowel - us used for lifting and spreading mortar on the wall. for forming joint and for cutting brick
it’s the major tool for brick, block and stone laying plastering.

11. Bucket - is used to carry water, mortar, concrete from one place to another place transporting in the
construction site.

Float - could be made for metal, wood, sponge, plastic it used to have smooth mortar or concrete finish.

33
13. Claw hammer - is used to puling/driving and pushing nails.

14. Bow saw - it used to cutting wood and timber.

15. Bar cutter - used for cutting soft, medium and hard metal/reinforcement.

16. Bar bender - used for bending reinforcing.

34
17. Hack saw - used for cutting reinforcement bar.

18. Crow bar - is used for pulling out nails and dismantle wooden materials

19. Varner caliper - which used to measure the diameter of bar.

20. Scriber - used like pencil scribe lines on metal.

Spade - it used to mixing concrete and spreading excavation soil.

35
22. Vice:- The parallel vice grips the work equally to the full depth of the jaws. The Smith’s legs vice is
made of wrought iron with cast steel jaws inserts. It is used for heavy work hammering, bending and
sawing. The vices are mounted on bench or woo

23. Strike off board - professional uses are made of metal or wood board to strike off board. it gives as
true smooth concrete surface. it usually require two workers to do the job.

24. Tamper - it used to compact concrete manually system. you can use any rod on piece of 1.2m long
x 5cm x 5cm. timber can also used for tamping purpose.

25. Batching box - used for volume batch of concrete materials such as aggregate and sad. the
international standard size of the box 50x40x20cm, 50x40x18cm, 50x40x16cm.

36
26. Weight balance- it used to weight aggregate materials it is possible to change the volume batch to
weight.

Pliers:- Used to tie transverse reinforcement bars with help of tying wire when reinforcements are
placed in their position in the form work

1.4.2 Concrete making Power Tools

Equipment is stationery /movable device term 'equipment' generally refers to a set of tools used for a
single purpose.
The term 'plant' generally refers to heavy machinery and equipment. At the smaller scale, there may be
some overlap between what is considered to be plant, small plant, tools, small tools, light equipment or
equipment.
1. Extension cable- to connect all electrical driven equipment properly.

37
2. mixer - it used to mix the concrete mixers are available inform different capacities mixer can produce
250 liter and up to 6000 liter it mixers are driven with diesel, benzene and electrical power.

Advantages of mixer
- in case where a large quantity of is to be produces.
- Hand mix be com costly, even if the labour cheap.
- it can be produce at the faster rate and better quality of concrete produce.
3. Vibrator - to compact the fresh concrete in the for work. i.e. footing, columns, beams, slab,
stair, etc.

4. Wheel barrow - it used to dispose disposal materials from transport or serve materials and tools in
the construction.

6. drilling machine - to make or drill hole in the concrete. drilling machine is depending up on the
material to be drill, i.e. the drill bit.

38
1.4.3 Concrete Making plant

VI. Check Plant, tools and equipment for serviceability

Performing materials, tools, and equipment inspection is imperative in any manufacturing industry.
What is the best practice in conducting this task?
In the manufacturing industry, an inspection of the materials, tools, and equipment is vital. Improper
checks on those components may halt the production process. It can cause a significant loss for the
manufacturer. There are many things to learn about materials inspection and other kinds of inspection in
manufacturing.
Why do you need to do Materials, Tools, & Equipment Inspection?
Inspection is done to detect defects on any component in the manufacturing process. When a tool,
material, or equipment is defective, the manufacturing process can be disrupted. As a result, there might
be issues in the quality of manufactured products. There is also an increased risk of accidents when
manufacturing with defective equipment.

39
With regular inspection, those issues can be avoided. Upon finding defects in the manufacturing
equipment, you can see whether those items are salvageable. In the end, the decision if the defective
tools are to be repaired, replaced, or removed can be made with conviction.
When is the Right Time for Materials, Tools, & Equipment Inspection?

Inspecting manufacturing equipment regularly is necessary. But how often should you perform this
task? The answer may vary based on your current need. However, you have to make it a priority to do
the inspection as often as possible. Take a look at the following explanations
1. Basic Inspection

This inspection must be done daily, specifically before the manufacturing process starts that day. In the
daily inspection, employees mainly focus on major manufacturing process components. It is done to
make sure that production can run safely.
2. Thorough Inspection
A thorough check-up is done once every few months. In addition to scrutinizing the system's major
parts, this inspection also pays more attention to minor components. Understandably, it takes more time
to perform this inspection as there are more things to check on.

3. Immediate Check
This is an emergency case. Sometimes a problem arises when the production process has commenced.
When the tools do not operate as they are supposed to be, the manufacturing stage must be stopped
immediately. This issue can be prevented with regular check-ups.
What you Need to Make Sure in Materials, Tools, & Equipment Inspection
You should never miss any part in an inspection because even one missed component can obstruct the
entire system. Here are some of the most crucial checkups, based on the type of the component:
1. Powered tools
Manufacturing tools are mostly powered tools. It means that they are running with an electric current. A
faulty electric link is hazardous because it can lead to a fire in the manufacturing facilities. The things
that you need to check to include:
 Damages switches
 A cracked or loose plug
 Signs of wear and tear in the chord
 Loose double handles
2. Construction or installation
During an installation or construction process in the manufacture, inspections should be performed as
well. The inspector needs to have the approved plan on hand to make a comparison with the actual
results. Supporting tools are also used to ensure that the measurements are accurate.
3. Site evaluation
In addition to materials and tools inspection, conducting site evaluation is also necessary. It is done to
make sure that the new site will be able to accommodate the production process well.

40
1.5 Concrete and mortar Materials estimation

How to Conduct the Materials, Tools, & Equipment Assessment Effectively and Efficiently
In the manufacturing industry, a minor problem can grow big. It means that inspection must be
performed very carefully. To ensure that you are not missing out on anything, you need to keep a record
of every part being inspected. It also ensures that you record everything that needs further checkups in
the future.
An excellent record for manufacturing inspection tends to fulfill the following criteria:
 Each component is labeled for ease of identification.
 Categorization of components for easier finding.
 Notes on past damages and repairs of the components.

 Staying up to date with the record.

1.5.1 Introduction
Calculating Quantity of Materials
Calculating is quantities of materials for concrete, mortar, bar, of a building before construction. This
estimate should not be far away from the actual quantities of materials for concrete of the building after
completion of the project.
Calculate Material quantity requirements with plans and specifications
The unit of measurement for concrete is meter cube for thick surfaces such as ground floor, slab, beam,,
hcb and brick meter and finishing square , stone masonry meter cube etc. The data given below can be
used to calculated materials required for making concrete, the materials needed depends on the grade of
concrete as given on the data.
It is done by mathematical calculation based on working trainings. First of all the quantity of the work
is calculated based on standard unit of measurement for each work. This unit of measurement can be
pieces (No), meter linear, meter square and meter cube.
quantities of materials for concrete such as cement, sand and aggregates for production of required
quantity of concrete of given mix proportions such as 1:2:4 (C15), 1:1.5: 3 (C20), 1:1:2 (C25) can be
calculated by absolute volume method.
This method is based on the principle that the volume of fully compacted concrete is equal to the
absolute volume of all the materials of concrete, i.e. cement, sand, coarse aggregates and water.
General formula for calculating material list of concrete and mortar

41
 1.5.2 Basic data for calculating material
Density of cement - - - - 1400 kg/m3
Density of Sand - - - - 1840 kg./m3
Density of Stone Aggregate - - - - 2250 kg/m3
Density of Lime - - - - 1900 kg/m3
Density of Cement Mortar - - - - 2300 kg/m3
Density of Compo Mortar - - - - 1200 kg/m3
Density of Tracheae - - - - 2600 kg/m3
Assuming 30% Shrinkage 5% Wastage
For: Mechanical mix Water / Cement = 0.4-0.5
Hand mix Water/ Cement = 0.4-0.65

Item Type of work Material required to produce 1m3

Concrete
Concrete c-7 Cement = 150 kegs (3 bags)
Mechanical mix Sand = 773 kgs (0.42 m3)
Mix ratio 1:4:8 Gravel = 1890 kgs (0.84 m3)
Water = 60 liters
Concrete c-15 Cement = 200 kgs (4 bags)
Mechanical mix Sand = 754 kgs (0.41 m3)
Mix ratio 1:3:6 Gravel = 1843 kgs (0.82 m3)
Water = 80 liters
Concrete c-20 Cement = 275 kgs (5.5 bags)
Mechanical mix Sand = 718 kgs (0.39 m3)
Mix ratio 1:2:4 Gravel = 1755 kgs (0.78 m3)
Water = 110 liters
Concrete c-30 Cement = 325 kgs (6.5 bags)
Mechanical mix Sand = 837 kgs (0.45 m3)
Mix ratio 1:2:3 Gravel = 1536 kgs (0.68 m3)
Water = 130 liters
Concrete c-7 Cement = 153 kgs (3.06 bags)
Mechanical mix Sand = 704 kgs (0.38 m3)
Mix ratio 1:3:9:8 Gravel = 1966 kgs (0.87 m3)
Water = 92 liters
Concrete c-15 Cement = 202 kgs (4.04 bags)
Mechanical mix Sand = 661 kgs (0.36 m3)
Mix ratio 1:2:5:6 Gravel = 1940 kgs (0.82 m3)
42
 Water = 121 liters

\1) Concrete Mix = 1:3:6

Let volume of concrete = Zm3

1.5.3. Mixing Ratio

There are two methods of getting proportions of the ingredients of concrete, these methods are a)
Nominal mix. In mix design the concret4 prepositions are designed to have an average strength
corresponding to the value specified using scientific design methods. This concrete should have
adequate workability for conditions prevailing on the work in question, and can be properly compacted
with the means available.
In nominal mix method, it is not practicable to use controlled concrete. Nominal mix method may be
used for grades of concrete up to C-20. In proportioning nominal mix, the quantity of cement can be
determined by weight.
The quantity of fine and coarse aggregate may be determined by volume, though there should also preferably
be determined by weight. If the fine aggregate is moist and volume batching is adopted, allowance should be
made for bulking. The most commonly med batching boxes size in an country are 50 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm and
50 cm x 40 cm x 18 cm.
Even though 6 grades of concrete are mentioned below, only 5 of them are suitable for nominal mix,
since on this concrete no strict control through supervision is done. These five grades of concrete are C-
5, C-7, C-10, C-15, and C-20.
The table below gives mix ratio for nominal mix concretes.

43
 Type of Concrete Mix Ratio *
Concrete C - 7
1 1:4:8
Mechanical mix
Concrete C - 15
2 1:3:6
Mechanical mix
Concrete C – 20
3 1:2:4
Mechanical mix
Concrete C – 30
4 1:2:3
Mechanical mix
Concrete C – 7
5 1 : 31/2 : 8
Hand mix

1.5.4 Concrete materials clculation

Problem1.
Calculate Materials for 1 m3 concrete structure by using 1:2:3 mix ratio.
Wet (fresh) concrete mix ………….= 1 m3
Quantity for dry base analysis…….= 1.5*1.0 m3 = 1.5 m3
Volume of cement…………………= 1/6*1.5 = 0.25 m3 = 0.25 m3/0.035 m3 per bag
= 7.1 bags of cement
Sands ………………………………= 2/6* 1.5 = 0.5 m3 of sand
Coarse aggregate…………………...= 3/6 *1.5 = 0.75 m3 of coarse aggregate
Example Concrete Slab:
Problem 2
Proposed concrete pavement has a general dimension of 10 cm thick, 3.00 meters wide and 5.00 meters
long. Determine the quantity of cement in bags, sand and gravel in cubic meters required using class
“C” mixture.

Figure1 concrete slab

Solution:

44
1. Determine the volume of the proposed pavement.
Volume= Thickness x Width x Length
= .10 x3.00 x 5.00
= 1.5 cubic meter
2 .Refer to Table 1-2 Using 50 kg. cement class
“C“ mixture; multiply the volume by the corresponding values:
Cement =1.5 x 5.0 = 7.5 bags
Sand = 1.5 x 0.50 = 0.75 cu. m.
Gravel = 1.5 x 1.0 = 1.50 cu. M.
3. Take note that the computation is for a 50 kg. cement. Suppose there is no 50 kilograms cement and
what is available are 40 kilograms per bag. How many bags well be ordered using the later.
SOLUTION -2 (Using a 40 kg. Cement)
Knowing the volume to be 1.5 cubic meters, refer again to Table 1-2 Under 40 kg. cement using class
“C” mixture; multiply the volume by corresponding values.
Cement = 1.5 x 6.0 = 9.0 bags
sand = 1.5 x 0.50 = 0.75 cu. M.
Gravel = 1.5 x 1.0 = 1.50 cu. M.
Problem 3.
A rural road 6.00 meters wide after base preparation requires concreting of one kilometer long. Fined
the number of bags cement,sand and gravel required using class “A” concrete if the slab is 15
centimeter thick.
Solution:
Solve for the volume of concrete pavement.
V = Thickness x width x Length
V = 0.15 X 6.00 X 1,000.00 m.
V = 900.00 cubic meters
Refer to Table 1-2. using 50 kg. cement, multiply the volume by the corresponding values:
Cement = 900 x 7.0 = 6,300 bags
Sand = 900 x 0.50 = 450 cu. M.
Gravel = 900 x 1.0 =900 cu. M
1.5.5 Mortar Material calculation
Mortar is an intimate mixture of binding material, fine aggregate and water. When water is added to
the dry mixture of binding material and the inert material, binding material develops the property that
binds not only the inert material but also the surrounding stones and bricks. If the cement is the binding
material, then the mortar is known as cement mortar. Other mortars commonly used are lime mortar and
mud mortar.

45
For cement sand mortar, cement = dry volume / ( sum of ratios) x numeral of cement. For 1:4 cement sand
mortar, cement will be 2/5 x 1 = 0.4 cubic meter. For 1:4 cement sand mortar, sand will be 2/5 x 4 = 1.6 cubic
meter. In this way you can calculate the dry volume of any ratio of mortar ingredients.
1. Quantity of materials required for brick masonry laid in 1:4 cement mortar
Qty of brick masonry = 1 m3 (4 m2 for 25cm thick brick wall)
Size of one brick = 24x12x6 cm (common in Ethiopia)
Size of one mortared brick = 25x13x7 cm;
Volume of each mortared brick = 0.25x0.13x0.07 = 2.275x10-3 m3
Number of bricks required = 1/ 2.275x10-3 m3 = 440 mortared bricks per m3
Add 2% for breakage = 9
Take 450 bricks per m3 or 450/4 = 112.5 bricks/ m2; take 115 bricks/ m2
Volume of one nominal (un-mortared) brick = 0.24x0.12x0.06 = 1.728x10-3 m3
Volume of 440 un-mortared bricks = 440x1.728x10-3 m3 = 0.76032 m3
Volume of wet mortar in 1 m3 of wet masonry = 1 - 0.76032 = 0.23968 m3
Percentage of wet masonry in 1 m3 masonry work = (0.23968/1)*100 = 23.96%
(can be taken as 25%).
Factor of conversion of wet mortar into dry mortar (quantity for dry base analysis)
Volume of wet mortar in 1m3 of wet masonry = 0.23968m3
Add 10% for wastage = 0.023968 m3
Sum Total = 0.263648 m3
Assume 20% voids in sand (Note that cement fills the voids b/n sand particles)
Volume of dry base analysis = wet mortar volume + increment because of voids in sand
= 0.263648 m3 + 20/100* 0.263648 m3
= 0.31638 m3 ; nearly 30% of the volume of construction
Factor of conversion = volume of material required on dry base/ volume of wet mortar
= 0.31638 m3 / 0.263648 m3 =1.2
Cement mortar of 1:4 mix by volume (1+4 = 5)
Qty of cement required = 1/5 * 0.316 = 0.0632 m3/ m3 of construction
Number of bags of cement = 0.0632 m 3/ 0.035 m3per bag = 1.81 bags per m 3 of construction; 1.81/4 =
0.45 bags per m2
46
Qty of sand required = 4/5 * 0.316 = 0.253 m3 per m3 of construction = 0.063 m3/ m2.
Exercise: Define qty of materials required to construct 1m2 HCB wall laid in 1: 4 cement mortar;
Take nominal size of blocks as 40x20x20 cm, 40x20x15cm, or 40x20x10 cm.
How to calculate quantity of concrete block and mortar for wall
 volume of given wall
 volume of one concrete block
 volume of one concrete block with mortar
 number of concrete block
 volume of all concrete block
 volume of required mortar
 quantity of cement calculation
 quantity of sand calculation
2. Quantity of Materials required for stone masonry laid in 1:3 cement mortar
Quantity of stone masonry work ….= 1 m3
Quantity of undressed stone ………= 1.1 m3 (taken 110%)
Quantity of mortar required……….= 0.35 m3 (taken 35%)
Quantity of cement ………………. = 1/4 *0.35 = 0.0875 m3 = 0.0875/0.035 = 2.5 bags
Quantity of sand required …………= 3/4 * 0.35 = 0.263 m3
3. Materials required for 12mm thick cement plaster in 1: 4 cement mortar
30% more mortar is required to fill up joints and uneven surfaces. This total wet mortar is increased by
20% to convert to dry mortar (for the effect of voids). Thus, wet mortar is multiplied by 1.55 to define
quantity of material required on dry base.
Area to be plastered = 1 m2
Thickness of plaster = 12mm
Volume of the mortar = 1*0.012 = 0.012 m3
Volume for dry quantity = 1.55 * 0.012 = 0.019 m3
Cement required = 1/5 * 0.019 = 0.0038 m3 = 0.11 bags of cement
Sand required = 4/5 * 0.019 = 0.015 m3
Materials required for pointing in cement mortar of 1:2
Area to be pointed = 1 m2 [total wall area]
In 1 m2 wall area, number of mortared bricks of 25x13x7cm size (assuming 25cm thick double brick
wall) = 1/(0.25*0.07) = 57
Face area of the 57 nominal bricks = 57*0.24*0.07 = 0.82 m2
Area covered by joints (pointed) = 1 – 0.82 = 0.18 m2
Average thickness of pointing = 20mm
Volume of wet mortar = 0.02*0.18 = 0.0036 m3
Volume for dry quantity = 1.55* 0.0036 = 0.006 m3
Cement required = 1/3 *0.006 = 0.002 m3= 0.05 bags
Sand required = 2/3 * 0.006 = 0.004 m3
47
1.6 Safely Handled and storage materials
5. Floor Finishes
Item: Plain cement tiles 20 mm thick over cement mortar (1:6) screeding, including cement float, etc.
The quantities of plain cement tiles, cement and sand required for flooring 10 sq.m area will be
determined as follows:
Plain cement tiles including 5% wastage = 10.5 sq.m
Quantity of mortar for screeding, assuming 20 mm thickness = 10 (sq.m) x 2 / 1000 (m) = 0.2 cum.
Quantity of Cement required for (1:6) proportion = 0.26 / (1+6) = 0.037 cum. = 0.037 x 30 = 1.11 bags
of cement and
Quantity of cement required for float, assuming 1.5 mm thickness = 10 x 0.0015 =0.015 cum.
=0.015 x 30 = 0.45 bags of cement

48
 Fig
1.6.2 Storeg materils
Fig 1.6.1 Handiling matrials

1.6.1 Introduction
Material handling and storage is one of the most important aspects that can determine the success or
failure of a construction project. If done well, it can help reduce costs and construction-related injuries.
So, to ensure you’ve got a smooth construction process, it'd be helpful to implement the strategies
mentioned here.

Safe handling and storage of materials are essential for many businesses, and construction firms are no
exemption. Some materials found in a construction site are poisonous and others contain flammable
gases. Coming into contact with such materials can leave you severely injured or even dead.
Also, when exposed to different weather conditions, some of the construction materials can lose their
usefulness. That’s why there’s a need to develop some effective strategies to help you avoid these
accidents.
So, if you want to keep your construction materials safe and retain their usefulness, it'd be beneficial to
read this article because you’re going to learn simple yet effective strategies. When properly
implemented, these can help you handle and store construction materials properly. Read on.

Defining Material Handling And Storing

Material handling is the process of moving, protecting, storing, and controlling materials throughout the
construction process. It includes the steps taken when dealing with construction materials from when
they're delivered to the construction site until when they're disposed of. On the other hand, material
storage is a sub-section of the handling process. It involves holding construction materials in a safe
place until these are required during the construction process.
Material handling and storage can be made easier by using forklifts to help move them around and by
having polypropylene (pp) bags to cover them. Polypropylene woven bags help ensure that the materials
are easy to handle. They also act as a safeguard for construction materials against changing weather
conditions.

49
However, for the pp woven bags to serve you better, they must be of the highest quality. That’s why you
need to partner with a reputable for the provision of high-quality woven bags. Using high-quality bags
is one of the best ways to ensure you get the best value for your money. This becomes possible because
these can serve you for the longest time possible.

Handling And Storing Construction Materials Carefully

To ensure safety when dealing with construction materials, you must lay down some policies and
procedures to be followed by everyone within the construction site. Proper implementation of these
policies ensures both the workers and materials remain safe throughout the construction process.
For proper construction material handling and storage, employ the following strategies:

1. Train Your Workers

As earlier noted, there are many risks involved in material handling and storage, and some of these are
hazardous and can cause harm to the workers. However, training your workers about the best practices
can help eliminate some of the risks and dangers involved.
So, before you commence your construction process, it'd be helpful to have safety training programs in
place to ensure workers are equipped with enough knowledge about handling all the materials within
the construction site.
In addition, the training of workers should be a continuous process, and any new recruited worker must
be trained before commencing their assignments. Training allows workers to know how to handle and in
what manner to store the materials. This allows the construction materials to retain their usefulness and
prevents workers from injuring themselves.

2. Store Similar Materials Together

Some construction materials and chemicals can react to each other when put together. For instance,
some are highly flammable and may react to each other. This poses a danger to both the workers and the
material themselves.
When the fire consumes construction materials, it attracts more costs to your construction project
because you’ll be forced to go back to the shop to replace the lost ones. That’s why there’s a need to
store materials and chemicals in different places.

3. Dispose Of Waste Construction Materials Appropriately

Sometimes, disposing of waste construction materials can be stressful and overwhelming. One of the
best ways to manage your construction waste materials is by ensuring they aren’t left uncollected for
long.
When you fail to dispose of waste materials on time, they can interfere with the smooth running of the
construction process. They can also injure your workers. That’s why it'd be helpful to have measures in
place to help dispose of waste construction materials appropriately.

50
1.7 Environmental protection requirements
When developing your construction waste management and disposal strategies, be sure to identify who's
responsible and how they'll dispose of the wastes. Also, it'd be helpful to train the construction waste
material handlers to ensure they're safe.

4. Choose Storage Space

The quality of most construction materials can be affected by varying weather conditions. So, to ensure
you retain their quality, it'd be helpful to store them in room temperature condition and carefully cover
them.
Also, it'd be helpful to ensure your construction materials aren’t placed on bare ground. This ensures
they don’t absorb moisture which can affect their quality. In addition, be sure not to place your
construction materials on uneven areas as some construction materials are fragile and can easily break.

5. Know Each Storage Weight Limits

Each construction material has its storage weight limit, which is usually indicated on its outer cover.
Not adhering to it can pose a great risk to the workers because those materials can easily fall. It can also
cause some materials to break. You can avoid that by adhering to the recommended weight limits.

6. Consider The Security Of Your Construction Site

Most construction materials are expensive, and if lost, you’ll spend a substantial amount of money on
replacing them. That’s why you need to ensure your construction site is safe from thieves and other
intruders.
If your construction site isn’t safe, you can consider storing your construction materials in a different
place where the security is tight. And if you have to store your construction materials on the job site, it'd
be helpful to implement security measures like installing to keep watch of your materials.
Despite that, you can ensure no worker can enter the construction site out of working hours. This
ensures workers don’t steal from you nor collaborate with others to steal from you.

1.7.1 Introduction
Implementation of the requirements for Environmental Protection has been identified as a potential
weakness for workplace awareness.
The staffs in all technical departments are of sufficient numbers and experience to enable the staff to
achieve the airworthiness, operational suitability and environmental protection objectives for the
product.”
Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals.
Environmental policy is the comminitment of an organization or government to the laws, the protection
of natural resources. Environmental protection is balanced with other public policy concerns, workplace
protection,.
Types of Environmental Issues
51
You are constantly surrounded by many different things on this planet earth. Most of the time, we take
all these for granted. surroundings, be it living or non-living, the geographical area where you live etc.
constituting your environment..
What are Environmental Issues?
Any human activity brings along with it, many side effects. One aspect of it could bring about
development while the other side of the coin could be a detrimental effect. These unfavorable changes
often lead to environmental issues that affect the natural balance of the work environment.
We can define environmental issues as the harmful effects of any human activity on the environment.
Air pollution, water pollution, natural environment pollution, garbage pollution, etc. are some of the
major environmental issues that are causing immense concern.
To tackle these environmental issues, protecting the environment is very vital. This not only helps in
preventing the detrimental effects but also helps us to conserve the natural resources and natural
environment for future generations. Protection of the environment is not only a social movement but is
also backed by various laws that have been passed to ensure that humans do not misuse the resources
any longer.

Fig 7.1 waste material

In India, there are many laws that help in curbing pollution. These laws are intended to protect the
environment as well as improve its quality.
 Air Pollution – When the atmosphere is filled with toxic gases released as result of industrial or
other economic activities, it results in polluting the atmosphere and the air in the environment.
This is nothing but air pollution.
 Water Pollution – With the natural water resources depleting day by day, water is a scarce
commodity. But, even in these times, the water sources are polluted by pollutants from various
sources, making them unfit for human consumption.
 Garbage Pollution – When we do not adhere to proper waste disposal mechanisms, waste
accumulates, causing garbage pollution. So the only way to
Address this issue is to ensure a proper waste disposal system that does not contaminate the
environment.
The design organization shall demonstrate that it has established a design assurance System to enable
the organization to ensure that the design of the products, parts and appliances or the design change
thereof, comply with the applicable type-certification basis, the applicable operational suitability data
certification basis and environmental protection requirements.”
Self check-1

52
 Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each question.
Each question carries 2 Point.
1.Is a document that provides specific instructions to carry out any activity in concrete works.
A. Plan
B. Work instruction
C. Specification
D. All
2. Which one of the following is personal protective close
A. Overall coat
B. Hack saw
C. Assessment
D. First aid
3. The design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message to specific group
A. Barricade
B. Signage
C. Symbol
D. ALL
4. Which one of the following is used to volume batch of concrete materials
A. Batching box
B. Weight balance
C. Tamper
D. Float
5. According to EBCS practice which one of the ff the standard measuring box size of C-25
a. 550mm*450mm*180mm
b. 500mm*450cm*250mm
c. 500mm*400mm*180mm
d. 200mm*400mm*200mm
6. Which one of the best considered in preparing specification for construction work
a. The detailed operation of the work
b. The behavior of the work site society
c. The place of the work
d. The cost of the project
7. Which one of the ff identify high risk construction work
a. Safe work method
b. Work problem
c. Personal protective
d. Project handling
Self check-2
Test-II Matching
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each question.
Each question carries 2 Point.

A B
53
 ---------1. Tamper used to check to get right angle.
---------2. Trowel used to check vertical leveling
---------3. Spade used for lifting and spreading mortar
---------4. Plumb-Bob used to mixing concrete
---------5. Manson Squire used to compact concrete
used for volume batch of concrete
Self check-3
Test III: short Answer writing
Instruction: write short answer for the given question. You are provided 3 minute for each question
and each point has 5Points.
1. What is the purpose of Signage?
2. Write down concrete making material?
3. What is the difference between concrete and mortar?
Note: Satisfactory rating – above 60% Unsatisfactory - below 60%
You can ask you teacher for the copy of the correct answers
OPERATION SHEET 1
Operation title: Perform material quantity
Purpose: It is used to Identifay and calculete concrete materials
Instruction: A proposed concrete pavement has a general dimension of 10cm thick, 3.0m of wide&
5.0m length cubic meters required using 1:2:3 mix ratio. Calculate quantities qwantity of cement ,
sand and aggreget to proposed concrete work. Density of cement 1400kgm3, wastage 5%,
shirinkage30%. and W/C ratio 0.45. For this operation you have given 1hour and you are expected to
provide the answer on the given table.
Tools and requirement:
 Calculator
CONSUMER MATERIALS : -
 Pencil
 A4 pepper
Precautions: First Free from other secondary problems like depression .
CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-
 Before starting the know abot types of drawings and Purposes.
PROCEDURE,
Stepe 1 calculetevolume of required concrete
Stepe 2 calculete quantity of cement calculation

54
 Stepe 3 calculete quantity of sand calculation
Stepe 3 calculete quantity of watere calculation
QUALITY CRITERIA:
 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

LAP Test 1
Perform material qwuantity
Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________
Time started: _________________Time finished: ________________

Instructions: Given necessary templates /guide, workshop, tools and materials clean up
the required to perform the following tasks.
Task1. Calculete concrete making materials

OPERATION SHEET 2
Operation title: Perform material quantity
Purpose: It is used to Identifay and calculete mortare materials
Instruction: Define qty of materials required to construct 1m 2 HCB wall laid in 1: 4 cement
mortar;Take nominal size of blocks as 40x20x20 cm, 40x20x15cm, or 40x20x10 cm.
Tools and requirement:
 Calculator
CONSUMER MATERIALS : -
 Pencil
 A4 pepper
Precautions: First Free from other secondary problems like depression .
CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-
 Before starting the know abot types of drawings and Purposes.
PROCEDURE,
Stepe 1 calculete volume of given wall
Stepe 2 calculetevolume of one concrete block
Stepe 3 calculetevolume of one concrete block with mortar

55
 Stepe 4 calculetenumber of concrete block
Stepe 5 calculetevolume of all concrete block
Stepe 6 calculetevolume of required mortar
Stepe 7 calculetequantity of cement calculation
Stepe 8 calculetequantity of sand calculation
QUALITY CRITERIA:
 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

LAP Test 1
Perform material qwuantity
Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________
Time started: _________________Time finished: ________________

Instructions: Given necessary templates /guide, workshop, tools and materials clean up
the required to perform the following tasks.
Task1. Perform mortare making material

Unit Two: Gauge and Mix Mortar and Concrete

This unit to provide you the necessary information regarding the following content coverage
and topics:
 Mortar and concrete safety and healthy
 Material Selection
 Beaching and Mixing of material
 Types of concrete or mortar
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Identify mortal and concrete
 Select materials.
 Identify mortal and concrete mix with hand or mechanically.
 Identify types of concrete or mortar with respect to standards.
56
2.1 Mortar and concrete safe and healthy

Working Safely with Concrete and mortar

Concrete is easy to work with, versatile, durable, and economoicl. By taking a few basic precautions, it
is also one of the safest building materials known. Relatively few people involved in mixing, handling,
and finishing concrete have experienced injury.
Outlined below are some simple suggestions-protection, prevention, common sense precautions-useful
to anyone working with portland cement and concrete. .
Protect Your Head and Eyes

Construction equipment and tools represent constant potential hazards to busy construction personnel.
That's why hard hats are required on construction projects. It is therefore recommended that some sort
of head protection, such as a hard hat or safety hat, be worn when working any construction job, large or
small.
Proper eye protection is essential when working with cement or concrete. Eyes are particularly
vulnerable to blowing dust, splattering concrete, and other foreign objects. On some jobs it may be
advisable to wear full-cover goggles or safety glasses with side shields. Sight is precious. Protect the
head and eyes by using proper safety equipment and remaining alert.
Protect Your Back

All materials used to make concrete—portland cement, coarse aggregate, sand, and water—are quite
heavy even in small quantities. When lifting heavy materials, your back should be straight, legs bent,
and the weight between your legs as close to the body as possible. Do not twist at the waist while lifting
or carrying these items. Rather than straining your back with a heavy load, get help. Remember to use
your head, not your back.
Let mechanical equipment work to your advantage by placing concrete as close as possible to its final
position. After the concrete is deposited in the desired area by chute, pump, or wheelbarrow, it should
be pushed—not lifted—into final position with a shovel. A short-handled, square-end shovel is an
effective tool for spreading concrete, but special concrete rakes or come-alongs also can be used.
57
2.2 Selection of concrete material
Excessive horizontal movement of the concrete not only requires extra effort, but may also lead to
segregation of the concrete ingredients.
Protect Your Skin

When working with fresh concrete, care should be taken to avoid skin irritation or chemical burns.
Prolonged contact between fresh concrete and skin surfaces, eyes, and clothing may result in burns that
are quite severe, including third-degree burns. If irritation persists consult a physician. For deep burns or
large affected skin areas, seek medical attention immediately.
The A-B-Cs of fresh concrete's effect on skin are:
 Abrasive Sand contained in fresh concrete is abrasive to bare skin.
 Basic & Portland cement is alkaline in nature, so wet
Caustic concrete and other cement mixtures are strongly basic (pH of 12 to 13). Strong bases-
like strong acids-are harmful, or caustic to skin.
Drying Portland cement is hygroscopic-it absorbs water. In fact, portland cement needs water to
harden. It will draw water away from any material it contacts-including skin.

Selecting of construction materials determining by size, quality, neatness, types, obtain/occur, etc.to get
proper materials for the site work.
Concrete making materials
Concrete = Binding Material + Fine & Coarse Aggregate + Water + Admixture (optional)

58
(1) Cement
Cement is the only chemically active ingredient of concrete which shows binding properties after
reacting with water. It consist of silicates and aluminates of calcium which form a hardened mass after
mixing with water. This type of cement is also known as hydraulic cement. There are many types of
cements available in market, some of which are explained below :

(i) Ordinary Portland Cement

Ordinary portland cement (OPC) is commonly used in construction. The Bureau of Indian Standard has
classified OPC in three grades. This classification is based on the compressive strength of cement-sand
mortar cubes. The face area of these cubes shall be 50 cm 2. The cube is made of 1 part of cement to 3
parts of standard sand by weight, with a specified water cement ratio.
(ii) Rapid Hardening Portland Cement
Rapid hardening cement is finely ground and has more percentage of tricalcium silicate and dicalcium
aluminate, which results in rapid hardening and quick development of the strength. This type of cement
is used in places where faster construction works are to be done, so that the form work can be removed
early. For example, in road works etc. Rapid hardening portland cement should confirm to IS
8041:1990.
(iii) Low Heat Portland Cement
Low heat Portland cement has lower percentage of tricalcium silicate and dicalcium aluminate, which
results in slow hydration of cement and hence low heat of hydration is evolved. This type of cement is
59
used in mass concrete works, such as gravity dams, retaining wall, bridge abutments etc., where large
amount of concrete may result in very high heat of hydration. High heat of hydration can lead to severe
cracking of the concrete. This cement should confirm to IS 12600:1989.
(iv) Portland Slag Cement
Blast furnace slag is the waste product of Pig Iron industry. This slag is mixed with the cement clinker
and ground properly to obtain portland slag cement. The slage imparts high resistance against sulphate
attack to the cement. Therefore, it is widely used in places where chances of sulphate attack are there,
such as under soil construction works (subjected to ground water exposure) and near the industries
emitting waste containing sulphates. It should confirm to IS 455:1989.
(v) Suphate Resisting Cement
Sulphate resisting cement has very low percentage of tricalcium aluminate and is ground much finer
than ordinary portland cement. This cement has very high sulphate resistance and is widely used for
under soil/ground water construction works.
(vi) Portland Pozzolana Cement
Portland Pozzolana cement contain pozzolanic material like burnt clay or flyash. This cement is
obtained by grinding pozzolana and cement clinker together. The pozzolana have no cementitious
properties themselves but when they combine with free lime they produce a compound having
cementitious properties. Portland Pozzolana cement is cheaper and has a lower rate of development of
strength as compared to OPC. Portland Pozzolana cement is being used widely now for all general
construction works.
(vii) White Cement
This cement is obtained by controlling the percentage of iron oxide while manufacturing cement, by
using China clay, chalk and lime stone as raw materials. This cement is manufactured by heating on a
very low flame by using oil fuel in place of coal so that there are no chances of contamination with coal
ash. Coloured pigments are added to the white cement inorder to obtain cement of desired colour. This cement
is used for all aesthetic works.
(2) Aggregate
Fine aggregate or sand
The bulk of concrete is made up of aggregates. Aggregates are inert material or chemically inactive
material like crushed rock, sand, broken bicks, gravel etc. Aggregate, less than 4.75 mm size are known
as fine aggregate and which are more than 4.75 mm size are known as coarse aggregate.
Used to give bulk, strength, and other properties to construction materials like asphalt and concrete.

60
Coarse aggregate
Coarse aggregate gives strength to concrete and fine aggregate acts as a filler between the coarse
aggregate and provides workability to the concrete mix. The aggregate should be hard, strong, durable
and well graded to form a compact and dense mass of concrete.
Used in construction to provide drainage, fill voids, protect pipes, and provide hard surfaces.

Aggregate/fine and coarse

 Aggregates generally occupy 65 to 75% of the volume of concrete.
 The strength of the aggregate limits the strength of the concrete.
 Rounded grains will move more easily as the concrete is placed.
 Long and thin aggregate will weaken concrete.
In choosing aggregate for use in a particular concrete attention should be given to three
important requirements:
1. Workability - when fresh for which the size and gradation of the aggregate should be such that
undue labor in mixing and placing will not be required.
2. Strength and durability when hardened - for which the aggregate should:
 Be stronger than the required concrete strength
 Contain no impurities which affect strength and durability
 Contain no silt which affect the adhesive strength between aggregate and cement paste (this is
mainly a problem in relation to fine aggregate) Be resistant to weathering action
3. Economy of the mixture- meaning to say that the aggregate should be:
Available from local and easily accessible deposit or quarry Well graded in order to minimize cement
paste.
Classification of Aggregates
 Aggregates are generally classified based on their source, their chemical composition, their
weight, their size or the mode of preparation.
 As regards the source, aggregates may be natural or artificial. Natural aggregates are obtained
from riverbeds (sand, gravel) or from quarries (crushed rock), while artificial aggregates are
generally obtained from industrial wastes such as the blast furnace slag.
 As regards their chemical composition, there are three main classes of aggregates differing in
their chemical composition and these are derived from argillaceous (composed primarily of
Al2O3), siliceous (composed primarily of Si2O3), and calcareous rock (composed primarily of
CaCO3).

61
  The classification of rocks according to their mode of formation is igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic rock.
 Based on their weight, aggregates are divided into three groups:
 Heavy aggregates with densities more than 4000kg/m3
 Normal weight aggregates with densities between 2400 and 2800kg/m3
 Light weight aggregates such as pumice and scoria which used to make light weight concrete,
having solid densities in the region of 700kg/m3
 Grading requirements for concrete aggregates
From the above explanation it is clear that both the maximum size and grading are important factors to
be considered when calculating proportions for concrete mix.
For this reason national standards specify grading limits for coarse and fine aggregates.
According to Ethiopian Standard, fine aggregate should consist of natural sand obtain from the natural
disintegration of rock or sand obtained from crushed stones whereas coarse aggregate should be gravel,
crushed gravel, or crushed stone.
The grading or particle size distribution of fine aggregate and coarse aggregate should be within the
limits specified by sieve.
(3) Admixtures
 Admixtures are ingredients other than water, aggregates, hydraulic cement and fibers that are
added to the concrete batch immediately before or during mixing.
 A proper use of admixtures offers certain beneficial effects to concrete, including improved
quality, acceleration or retardation of setting time, enhanced frost and sulfate resistance, control
of strength development, improved workability, and enhanced finish ability.
(4) Water
Water is required for chemical reaction of cement and also for providing workability to concrete. The
water used for mixing and curing of concrete should be clean and free from injurious amount of acids,
alkalis, salts or other chemical substance, which can harm concrete or steel. BIS 456:2000 gives the
permissible limits of impurities present in water.
Water fit for drinking is generally suitable for making concrete.
Water-used in concrete mixes has two functions, the first is to react chemically with the cement which
will finally set and harden, and the second function is to lubricate all other materials and make the
concrete workable.
The quality of cement paste is determined by the proportion of water to cement (Watercement ratio).
The more water added to the mix, the more fluid and plastic it will be (the better the workability will
be), and the weaker the concrete will be.
Too much water will cause the aggregate to segregate, resulting in concrete that is uneven in strength.
The excess water will float the fine, light particles of cement to the top of freshly placed concrete. This
process is called bleeding.
The amount of water to be mixed with a given quantity of cement is expressed as the number of liters of
water to each 50 kg bag of cement.

62
2.3 Batching and Mixing Concrete
The proportion of water to cement is referred to as the water-cement ratio. Water may be measured
either by volume or by weight.
water-cement ratio =

1.Batching of Materials

For good quality concrete a proper and accurate quantity of all the ingredients should be used. The
aggregates, cement and water should be measured wit h an accuracy of 3 per cent of batch quantity and
the admixtures by 5 per cent of the batch quantity. There are two prevalent methods of batching
materials, the volume batching and the weigh batching. The factors affecting the choice of batching
method are the size of job, required production rate, and required standards of batching performance.
For most important works weigh batching is recommended.

a) Volume Batching
b) Weigh Batching

1. Volume Batching
 In volume batching, materials are measured on the basis of volume. It is less precise method of batching
 Measurement boxes or gauge boxes of known volume are used to measure materials.
 Cement is taken in the form of bags, where volume of one bag of cement (50 kg) is taken as 35 liters.
 Volume of Gauge box used is made equal to the volume of one bag of cement which is 35 liters or
multiple thereof.
 Gauge boxes are generally deeper and contains narrow top surface and they are made of timber or steel
or iron.
 Volumes of different sized fine aggregate and coarse aggregate are measured individually by these
gauge boxes.
 Water is measured using water meter or water cans of known volume are used.
 To make 1:1:2 ratio concrete mix according to volume batching, one should take one bag of cement (35
liters) , 1 gauge box of fine aggregate (35 liters) and 2 gauge boxes of fine aggregate (70 liters). If the
water-cement ratio is 0.5, then half of the volume of cement which is 25 liters of water should be taken.

63
 Fig 2.2.1 Volume baeching
2. Weight Batching
 In this method, Materials are measured on the basis of weight. It is accurate method of
batching.
 Weigh batchers or other types of weighing equipment are used to measure weight of materials.
 Cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and water are taken by weighing.
 Weigh batchers used are available in two types namely mechanical weigh batcher and
electronic weigh batchers.
 In mechanical weigh batchers, weights are measured using spring and dial gauge arrangement
and it is widely used equipment in weigh batching.
 In electronic weigh batchers, electronic scales and load cells supported by hoppers are used to
measure the weight of ingredients of concrete.
 Weigh batchers available are may be Manual or semi-automatic or fully automatic . Manual
type is used for small concrete production job while other two types are used for large concrete
production.
Weight Batching vs. Volume Batching
 Weigh batching is most precise method of batching than volume batching since it is
difficult to find the exact volume of granular materials because of their voids.
 Moisture content presence in the aggregate should also be considered while batching.
In case of fully automatic weigh batching it can be considered but volume batching is
not suitable in such cases.
 Compressive strength of same concrete mix at 7 days and 28 days is higher for weigh
batching concrete mix than volume batching concrete mix.
 Weigh batching concrete mix gives medium to very high slump while for the same
mix proportion in volume batching, slump differs from low to high.
 Volume batching does not require skilled workers but weigh batching.
 Selection of batching method depends upon size of project, concrete production rate.

Fig 2.2.2 Weight baching

2. Mixing of concrete.
 Through mixing of the materials is essential for the production of uniform concrete.
 The mixing should ensure that the mass becomes homogeneous, uniform in colour and
consistency.
 There are two methods adopted for mixing of concrete.
64
  Hand mixing
 Machine mixing.

1. Hand mixing
Hand mixing is practiced for small scale unimportant concrete works. The mixing cannot be thorough
and efficient. In all-important works when hand mixing is adopted, it is advisable to use 10% of cement
in addition to the specified quantity in order to compensate for the lower strength that usually is
obtained with hand mixing.
Hand mixing is practiced for small scale unimportant concrete works. The mixing cannot be thorough
and efficient. In all-important works when hand mixing is adopted, it is advisable to use 10% of cement
in addition to the specified quantity in order to compensate for the lower strength that usually is
obtained with hand mixing.
For hand mixing, a water – tight platform at least 2m and 3.5 m long or hard concrete surface should be
provided. Since a platform should preferably be made of boards 3 to 5 can thick, tongued and grooved
so that joints are tight and the platfo4rm is rigid. 
 Working procedure
Following is the step wise procedure for mixing concrete by hand. (Mixing procedure)
a) Spread out a measured quantity of sand evenly on the mixing platform
b) Spread to cement uniformly on this sand and mix it till the color of the mixture is uniform
c) Spread this mixture evenly again on the platform.
d) Spread on the platform the course aggregate evenly on the surface.
e) Mix the material dry by turning with should until the stones have been uniformly distributed
throughout the mixture of cement and sand.
f) Spread this day mixture again and make a hollow in the middle of the mixed pile and pour water
slowly into it half to three quarters of the total quantity required and start remixing taking care to see
that no water escapes the mixture.
g) Normally mixing time should not exceed 3 minutes
65
h) At the end of the day do not forget to wash the mixing platform or surface and hand tools clean of all
concrete so that it is sandy for re – use next morning.-

Figure 2.3.1 Hand mixing

2. Machine mixing.
Machine mixing obviously gives better and uniform mixes than the method described above, and it is
generally preferred and recommended.
There are different types of concrete mixers such as the tilting drum type, the non-tilting drum type and
the pan type.
Also Machine mixing
If you are casting large quantity of concrete, hand mixing is laborious and tiresome work.
A mechanical mixer will save you a lot of work.
Depending on the magnitude of the work
Choose the correct capacity of mixer that fits your work installing mixer, feeding materials into mixer,
mixing operation, discharging and closing down of the mixer after use are important steps in operating a
mixer.
 Installation of mixer
i) The mixer should be placed as near to place of concreting as possible.
ii) It should be placed on a firm ground and should be leveled.
iii) Examine the mixer and its blade.
iv) Inspect engine, oil, cooling water and petrol, etc.
B) Charging operation
When the ingredients are fed into to drum directly, the following sequence of feeding the material may
be tried
 First put some portion of water
 Next put in half the quantity of the course aggregate.
 Put cement followed by sand
66
2.4.Types of Concrete
 Feed the remaining part of the course aggregate
 While feeding these dry materials, the water in parts must be constantly fed into the drum
simultaneously and remaining water being fed in to drum after all solid materials are part into
the drum
C) Mixing operation
For good mixing about 20 revolutions of the drum are generally sufficient. But since there is an
optimum speed recommended by the maker of the mixers, the mixing time and revolutions are
interdependent. Generally the speed of a mixer drum varies between 16 r. p. m to 2 r. p. m. The mixing
time varies between 1 and 12 minutes. Mixing time less than one minute reduces the quality of the
concrete. Normally the mixing time specified is 12 minutes. The time is measured from the moment all
the materials are fed into the drum.

Fig 2.3.2 Concrete mix by mixer

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse aggregates
mixed with water which hardens with time. Portland cement is the commonly used type of cement for
production of concrete. Concrete technology deals with study of properties of concrete and its practical
applications.
In a building construction, concrete is used for the construction of foundations, columns, beams, slabs
and other load bearing elements.
There are different types of binding material is used other than cement such as lime for lime concrete
and bitumen for asphalt concrete which is used for road construction.
 Concrete is generally used in two types of construction
1. Plain concrete
2. Reinforced concrete
1. Plain or Ordinary Concrete.
It is one of the most commonly used types of concrete. In this type of concrete, the essential constituents
are cement, sand and coarse aggregates designed, and mixed with a specified quantity of water.
67
The ratio of essential constituents may be varied within wide limits. A very commonly used mix
design, commonly known as Nominal Mix Design, is 1:2:4.
Plain concrete is mostly used in the construction of pavements and in buildings, where very high tensile
strength is not required. It is also used in the construction of Dams.
2. Reinforced Concrete:
It is also called RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete). In this concrete type, steel in various forms is used
as reinforcement to give very high tensile strength.
In fact, it is because of the combined action of plain concrete (having high compressive strength) and
steel (having high tensile strength).
The steel reinforcement is cast in the form of rods, bars, meshes, and all conceivable shapes.
Every care is taken to ensure the maximum bond between the reinforcement and the concrete during the
setting and hardening process.
Thus, the resulting material (RCC) is capable of bearing all types of stress in any type of construction.
RCC is the most important concrete type.
It is used as a construction material for almost all types of structures such as residential concrete
buildings, industrial structures, dams, roads, tunnels, multi storey buildings, skyscrapers, bridges,
sidewalks and superhighways etc.
Uses of Concrete
The major uses of concrete are-
1. Concrete Dams
The characteristics of concrete such as high strength and unit weight make it a more suitable material
for the construction of dams. Dams are used to store water and produce electricity. The loads imposed
on the dam due to water pressure are very intense which makes concrete as a suitable material for dam
construction.
2. Residential Buildings
The construction of small buildings, villas, and even high-rise buildings are done using concrete with
traditional or modern form-work as a method of construction of the skeleton from foundations to the
slabs and of course columns and beams.

3. Commercial Buildings
The use of concrete in commercial buildings makes it safer than using most other construction
materials. It is mostly more economic than steel buildings and requires less maintenance. It is easy to
control the heat transfer from inside to outside and vice versa which reduces the energy consumed.

68
4. Roads or Driveways
Concrete streets, pavements, and driveways are more durable and stronger than asphalt roadways. The
long-lasting service time and the less maintenance required for concrete roads make it the first choice of
material for the construction of roads and driveways.

5. Marine Construction
Concrete has had extensive use as a construction material for seawalls, jetties, groins, breakwaters,
bulkheads, and other structures exposed to seawater. The performance record has generally been good.

6. Culverts and Sewers

Sewers and underground construction works need strong and durable building materials and concrete is
the ideal one. Culverts, piers, foundation, abutments are constructed using special concrete mix.

7. Foundations
The foundation of high-rise or low-rise buildings is usually constructed using reinforced cement
concrete, as it is durable and has a huge load-carrying capacity.

69
8. Fences
The development in the precast concrete industry has improved the industry of concrete fences. It is
faster to produce and install the fence elements using precast than the traditional method of concrete
fence construction. Moreover, it is beautiful and more attractive.

9. Concrete Bridges
Reinforced concrete strength, durability, ductility, weather resistance, fire resistance, and long-lasting
life cycle makes the concrete the best solution for constructing the bridges. Pre-stressed concrete, post-
stressed concrete, self compacted concrete are different types of concrete that may apply in bridges
construction.

Self check-1
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each question.
Each question carries 1 Point.
1. Plain concrete is
A. Concrete having reinforcement
B. Concrete without reinforcement
C. Concrete without aggregate.
D. Concrete without cement.
2. Reinforced concrete is
A. Concrete having reinforcement
B. Concrete without reinforcement
C. Concrete without aggregate.
70
 D. Concrete without cement.
3. The water–cement ratio is the ratio of _______________
A. Volume of water to the volume of cement
B. Weight of water to the weight of cement
C. Density of water to the Density of cement
D. Weight of water to the weight of aggregates
4. Is used to improve quality, acceleration or retardation of setting time of concrete
A. Water
B. Reinforcement
C. Aggregate.
D. Admixture
5. Chemically active ingredient of concrete which shows binding properties after reacting with water.
A. Fine aggregate
B. Corse aggregate
C. Water
D. Cement
6. Which of the following disadvantage of concrete
a. Reusable impossible
b. Durability
c. Heavy load resistance
d. High compressive strength
7. Which one is the acceptable concrete sand ?
a. Retained no 4, 4.75 mm sieve
b. Dust and fine
c. Silt content above 6%
d. Sand that has been washed
Self check-2
Test-II Matching
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each question.
Each question carries 2 Point.
A B
---------1. Water A. Binding materials
---------2. Aggregate B. Used to improved workability
---------3. Cement C. is required to hydrated the binding agent
in the concrete mixture
---------4. Admixture D.occupy 65 to 75% of the volume of
concrete.

Self check-3
Test III: short Answer writing
71
Instruction: write short answer for the given question. You are provided 3 minute for each question
and each point has 5Points.
1. Write three important requirements to choosing aggregate.
2. Define Classification of Aggregates.
3. Explain the difference between Hand and mechanical mixing?
Note: Satisfactory rating – above 60% Unsatisfactory - below 60%
You can ask you teacher for the copy of the correct answers

Opration sheet -1
Operation title: Concrete mixing (hand)
Purpose: it used to properly mix concrete ingredients
Instruction: Use the given tools and equipment to mix concrete ingrednts. For this operation you
have given 1hour and you are expected to provide the answer on the given table.
Tools and requirement:
 Spade
 bucket
 Batching box
 Wheel barrow
 Mixing plat
CONSUMER MATERIALS : -
 Cement,
 Sand,
 Aggregate
 Water
Precautions:
 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body
 Make working area hazard free
 Working area good & brightness
CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-
 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...
 Ensure the work shop hazard free
72
  Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility
 Make workstation comfortable
PROCEDURE,
Step1. Spread out a measured quantity of sand evenly on the mixing platform
Step2. Spread to cement uniformly on this sand and mix it till the color of the mixture is uniform
Stepe3. Spread this mixture evenly again on the platform.
Step4. Spread on the platform the course aggregate evenly on the surface.
Stepe4. Mix the material dry by turning with should until the stones have been uniformly distributed
throughout the mixture of cement and sand.
QUALITY CRITERIA:
 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

LAP Test -1
Concrete mixing
Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________
Time started: _________________Time finished: ________________

Instructions: Given necessary templates /guide, workshop, tools and materials clean up
the required to perform the following tasks.
Task1. Concrete mixing

Unit Three: Delivery and Dispatch Concrete

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Delivery materials order.
 Delivery of Concrete.
 Concrete discharge
 Slump test
Checking consistency by slump test. This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes
stated in the cover page. Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Check delivery materials order.

73
3.1 Delivery material order
 Deliver concrete with vehicle.
 Discharge concrete with pumps or hopper
 Check consistency by slump test.

Delivery advice for accuracy to ordered material if you want your order fulfillment operation to be truly
successful, then there are few KPIs more important or crucial than order accuracy, which measures the
cumulative accuracy of all fulfilled orders that leave your facility, and the reason is clear.
When your orders are inaccurate, your operation is forced to waste time, resources, and capital correcting the
order for your customer. Beyond this, low order accuracy can damage the reputation of your order fulfillment
operation and lower customer trust, ultimately making it more difficult for you to both retain your existing
customers and attract new customers.
Customers want to know that when they order something, they’ll get what they need. If they can’t trust you to
meet that basic need, then they’ll go elsewhere.
Materials used in construction for concrte work and mortar include lime,gravel, and , cement, concrete.
Preparing of concrete accordance with rule & regulation in the given plan next Casting of concrete general
procedure follows :
 Selecting of materials or ingredients
 Proportion-concrete grade
 Batching-volume or weight batching
 Mixing-hand(manually) or machine mix
 Transporting-bucket, chute, wheel barrows, mechanical plants etc.
 Placing-vertically down every 25cm
 Compacting-to remove the entrapped air
 leveling-to give true or smooth surface
 Curing: to give hard and stiff
 Cleaning: workplace and hand & power tools.
 And also each procedure :
Working procedure for hand mix
Following is the step wise procedure for mixing concrete by hand. (Mixing procedure)
a) Spread out a measured quantity of sand evenly on the mixing platform
b) Spread to cement uniformly on this sand and mix it till the color of the mixture is uniform
c) Spread this mixture evenly again on the platform.
d) Spread on the platform the course aggregate evenly on the surface.
e) Mix the material dry by turning with should until the stones have been uniformly distributed
throughout the mixture of cement and sand.
f) Spread this day mixture again and make a hollow in the middle of the mixed pile and pour water
slowly into it half to three quarters of the total quantity required and start remixing taking care to see
that no water escapes the mixture.
74
g) Normally mixing time should not exceed 3 minutes
h) At the end of the day do not forget to wash the mixing platform or surface and hand tools clean of all
concrete so that it is sandy for re – use next morning..

Fig 1.1 hand mix/

order material
Procedures of machine mix
A) Installation of mixer
The mixer should be placed as near to place of concreting as possible.
It should be placed on a firm ground and should be leveled.
Examine the mixer and its blade.
Inspect engine, oil, cooling water and petrol, etc.
B) Charging operation
When the ingredients are fed into to drum directly, the following sequence of feeding the material may
be tried
First put some portion of water
Next put in half the quantity of the course aggregate.
Put cement followed by sand
Feed the remaining part of the course aggregate
While feeding these dry materials, the water in parts must be constantly fed into the drum
simultaneously and remaining water being fed in to drum after all solid materials are part into the drum
C) Mixing operation
For good mixing about 20 revolutions of the drum are generally sufficient. But since there is an
optimum speed recommended by the maker of the mixers, the mixing time and revolutions are
interdependent. Generally the speed of a mixer drum varies between 16 r. p. m to 2 r. p. m. The mixing
time varies between 1 and 12 minutes.
Mixing time less than one minute reduces the quality of the concrete. Normally the mixing time
specified is 12 minutes. The time is measured from the moment all the materials are fed into the drum.

75
3.2 Delivery / transportation/ of Concrete

Transporting

Concrete should be transported to the place of deposition at the earliest without the loss of homogeneity
obtained at the time of mixing. A maximum of 2 hours from the time of mixing is permitted if trucks
with agitator and 1 hour if trucks without agitators are used for transporting concrete. Also it should be
ensured that segregation does not take place during transportation and placement. The methods adopted
for transporting concrete depend upon the size and importance of the job, the distance of the deposition
place from the mixing place, and the nature of the terrain. Some of the methods of transporting concrete
are as below:

A. Wheelbarrow or motorized buggy

They are typically utilized on small jobs where the travelling distance is short and the terrain is good
and level. You should discharge the whole batch being mixed and minimize any jolting or vibration
during transport in order to avoid segregation of the mix. If the weather is hot and the distance is
lengthy, it is very important that you provide some moist curing. When a wheelbarrow or motorized
buggy is used for the first time, ten percent of cement and sand should be added to the first batch since
the first batch of concrete mixed is left within the mixer and the mode of transportation.
B. Truck mixer
Truck mixers are essentially free fall mixers mounted on a truck chassis. They typically handle either
thoroughly mixed concrete or a batch of dry materials where water is added when the truck arrives on
site. The size of each mixer ranges from 2.5 CY to 12 CY.
Truck mixers either contain centrally mixed concrete (mixed completely in a stationary mixer and then
transferred to another piece of equipment for delivery) or will mix the contents during transport
otherwise known as truck mixing.
C. Bucket or steel skip

76
A bucket is square or circular and needs the aid of a crane, cableway, or hoist so that it can be moved
horizontally or vertically. This type of transportation has the capability to move large quantities of
concrete (up to eight cubic yards at a time).
A steel skip is used with smaller mixers and holds up to 1 CY of concrete. There are two types, a
wedge-shaped skip with a bottom opening and a lay back skip. They also need the aid of a crane,
cableway, or hoist in order to be transported.
D. Chute
A chute should only be used in short lengths since concrete becomes more susceptible to segregation
and drying out. When they are used, therefore, it is very important that the concrete mix is workable and
cohesive and should be re-mixed at the lower end by passing down through a funnel-shaped pipe or
drop chute.
E. Belt conveyor
A belt conveyor is used for continuous operations and it is important that the concrete be designed for
this condition. It is recommended that low slump concrete be used for slower moving belts and higher
slump concrete by faster moving belt.
Belt conveyors are most commonly used in horizontal directions, but can be moved in the vertical
direction (i.e. up to 35o) with some adjustments to the conveyors.
F. Concrete pump
The concrete pump, is a popular choice when transporting concrete because it is fast and often the most
economical choice when challenged with a congested construction site.
The first are static pumps that are generally preferred when a large volume of concrete needs to be
placed at a very long distance and there is limited flexibility at the discharge end.
G. Pneumatic placer
Concrete can be transported through steel pipelines and compressed air by a pneumatic placer. This
placer basically provides a separate batch of concrete that is shot at a considerable velocity. This type of
transportation is most common in tunnel work. Mixing and Transporting Concrete
 Important Factors in Choosing Transportation
There are many elements of transporting that need to be considered in order to ensure that a mix does
not change its state as specified in the contract. The two key goals when transporting concrete from the
mixing plant to the construction site are to prevent segregation and to not reduce the workability of the
mix. This transportation process must be well thought out and organized efficiently. At a central or
portable ready-mix plant, concrete should be discharged from a truck mixer or agitator truck within two
hours.

77
3.3. Concrete discharge with pump
 Factors to consider when choosing mode of transport include;-
Accessibility Comfort –
Fuel efficiency Safety
Speed Privacy
Capacity/ Carrying Capacity Employment generation
Integration with other modes Frequency
Reliability of the vehicle/mode

Concrete discharge?
It is the time available for placement of concrete in formworks after it has been mixed. When water is
added to dry mixture, chemical reactions would occur. Water content declines as a result of chemical reactions
and consequently concrete workability reduced with time.

Fig 3.1 Concrete discharge with pump

Concrete pumping
Concrete pumping is a method used to place concrete in a specific location. During this process, a mixing truck
transfers liquid concrete from a hopper to a concrete pump. The liquid churns continuously to avoid premature
solidification.
Concrete pump look like
A concrete pump traditionally looks like a long slender boom. During the concrete pumping process, there will
be a group of people on the placement end and a line of redi-mix trucks on the other.
When is concrete pumping used?
Concrete pumping is used to facilitate a safer, more efficient method of placing concrete. This is common in
locations where conditions limit mobility of labor, equipment, and materials.
Here are some common examples of when concrete pumps are used:
 Bridge Deck Placement: Longer bridge decks and the sheer volume of placement required can
only be executed via a concrete pump or a conveyor.
 Slab on Deck (Elevated): Utilizing slick line and mini placers is far more efficient than utilizing
buckets or buggies. The rate of placement and redirected labor efficiency increase placement and
crew productivity.

78
3.4 Consistence Test
 High Rise Buildings: Multi-story high rises and tall vertical walls require the use of alternate
placing methods. Cranes slinging buckets can’t be utilized for anything else during placement, and
placement rates decrease with increases in height.
 Parking Structures: Due to the design of a typical multi-level parking garage, concrete placement
can become a major challenge. A concrete pump can help distribute concrete to all levels quickly,
with little to no waste in the process.
What are the benefits of concrete pumping?
 Increased Productivity: Utilize labor more efficiently by increasing placement rate.
 Reduced Construction Live Loads: Eliminate rutting from truck dumping in slab on grade
placements, buggy loads on slab on deck placements.
 Supplier Efficiency: Turn more loads in less time when compared to truck dumping.
 Safety: Residential basement walls see unintended surcharge when redi-mix trucks are placed too close
to open excavations.
 Erosion Control/Environmental Protection: Concrete from discharge is localized, mud and dirt from
travel is minimized.
Different types of concrete pumps
The two types of concrete pumps vary by placement only.
1. Concrete line pump?
Line pumps are specifically helpful in situations where boom pumps either cannot go far enough or high
enough. They are also extremely beneficial when used in remodeling – like winding through hallways,
downstairs, or through small basement windows.
2. Concrete boom pump?
A boom pump is utilized to rapidly increase placement within up to 200-foot radius of the boom pump
location. These pumps are ideal for mass footings, bridge decks, vertical walls, large slabs, and other mass
placements where rapid turnaround on large volumes is required.

It is the term used to denote the degree of wetness or fluidity of concrete. Experience has shown that wet
concretes are more workable than dry (stiff) concretes, but concretes of the same wetness (consistence) may
differ in workability. The degree of wetness of a concrete mixture may be classified as stiff, plastic, and
flowing.
A) Slump Test:
Concrete slump test or slump cone test is to determine the workability or consistency of concrete mix prepared
at the laboratory or the construction site during the progress of the work. Concrete slump test is carried out
from batch to batch to check the uniform quality of concrete during construction. The slump test is the most
simple workability test for concrete, involves low cost and provides immediate results. Due to this fact, it has
been widely used for workability tests since 1922. Generally concrete slump value is used to find the
workability, which indicates water-cement ratio, but there are various factors including properties of materials,
mixing methods, dosage, admixtures etc. also affect the concrete slump value

79
It is the most widely used method to check the consistence of concrete which can be employed either in
laboratory or at site of work. It is not suitable method for very wet and dry concrete.
Factors which influence the concrete slump test:
 Material properties like chemistry, fineness, particle size distribution, moisture content and temperature
of cementations materials. Size, texture, combined grading, cleanliness and moisture content of the
aggregates,
 Chemical admixtures dosage, type, combination, interaction, sequence of addition and its effectiveness,
 Air content of concrete,
 Concrete batching, mixing and transporting methods and equipment,
 Temperature of the concrete,
 Sampling of concrete, slump-testing technique and the condition of test equipment,
 The amount of free water in the concrete, and
 Time since mixing of concrete at the time of testing
Equipments Required for Concrete Slump Test
Mold for slump test i.e. slump cone, non porous base plate, measuring scale, temping rod. The mold for the
test is in the form of the frustum of a cone having height 30 cm, bottom diameter 20 cm and top diameter 10
cm. The tamping rod is of steel 16 mm diameter and 60cm long and rounded at one end.

Fig 3.1 Working procedure

Procedure for Concrete Slump Cone Test
1. Clean the internal surface of the mould and apply oil.
2. Place the mould on a smooth horizontal non- porous base plate.
3. Fill the mould with the prepared concrete mix in 4 approximately equal layers.

80
 4. Tamp each layer with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the tamping rod in a uniform manner over the cross
section of the mould. For the subsequent layers, the tamping should penetrate into the underlying layer.
5. Remove the excess concrete and level the surface with a trowel.
6. Clean away the mortar or water leaked out between the mould and the base plate.
7. Raise the mould from the concrete immediately and slowly in vertical direction.
8. Measure the slump as the difference between the height of the mould and that of height point of the specimen
being tested.
.

Fig 3.2 slump test procedure

Slump Value Observation:
The slump (Vertical settlement) measured shall be recorded in terms of millimeters of subsidence of the
specimen during the test.
Slump for the given sample= _____mm When the slump test is carried out, following are the shape of the
concrete slump that can be Observed:

Figure-3: Types of Concrete Slump Test Results

Results of Slump Test on Concrete
True Slump – True slump is the only slump that can be measured in the test. The measurement is taken
between the top of the cone and the top of the concrete after the cone has been removed as shown in figure-1.
81
Zero Slump – Zero slump is the indication of very low water-cement ratio, which results in dry mixes. These
type of concrete is generally used for road construction.
Collapsed Slump – This is an indication that the water-cement ratio is too high, i.e. concrete mix is too wet or
it is a high workability mix, for which a slump test is not appropriate.
Shear Slump – The shear slump indicates that the result is incomplete, and concrete to be retested.
Self check-1
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each question. Each
question carries 2 Point.
1. Workability of concrete can be improved by __________
A. More sand
B. More cement
C. More fine aggregates
D. Fineness of coarse aggregate
2. How many types of tests are there to find workability?
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
3. It is the time available for placement of concrete in formworks after it has been mixed.
A. Concrete discharge
B. Concrete curing
C. Concrete mix
D. Nene
Self check-2
Test-II Matching
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each question. Each
question carries 2 Point.

A B
---------1. Concrete boom pump A. is very important that the concrete
mix is workable and cohesive
---------2. Concrete line pump B. used for mass footings,
---------3. Belt conveyor C. Extremely beneficial when used in
remodeling
---------4. Chute D. It is recommended that low slump
concrete

Test II: short Answer writing

Instruction: write short answer for the given question. You are provided 3 minute for each question and each
point has 5Points.
82
1. What are the benefits of concrete pumping?
2. Write Different types of concrete pumps
Note: Satisfactory rating – above 60% Unsatisfactory - below 60%
You can ask you teacher for the copy of the correct answers

83
Oration sheet -1
Operation title: Consistency test
Purpose: It is to determine the workability or consistency of concrete mix prepared at the
laboratory or the construction site during the progress of the work.
Instruction: Use the given tools and equipment to Slump test. For this operation you have
given 1hour and you are expected to provide the answer on the given table.
Tools and requirement:
 slump cone
 non porous base plate
 measuring scale
 temping rod
 Spade
 Mixing plat
CONSUMER MATERIALS : -
 Cement,
 Sand,
 Aggregate
 Water
Precautions:
 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body
 Make working area hazard free
 Working area good & brightness
CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-
 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...
 Ensure the work shop hazard free
 Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility
 Make workstation comfortable
PROCEDURE,
Step1. Clean the internal surface of the mould and apply oil.
Step2. Place the mould on a smooth horizontal non- porous base plate.
Stepe3 Fill the mould with the prepared concrete mix in 4 approximately equal layers.
Step4. Tamp each layer with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the tamping rod in a uniform manner
over the cross section of the mould. For the subsequent layers, the tamping should penetrate into the
underlying layer.
Step5 Remove the excess concrete and level the surface with a trowel.
Step 6 Clean away the mortar or water leaked out between the mould and the base plate.
Step7. Raise the mould from the concrete immediately and slowly in vertical direction.
Step8. Measure the slump as the difference between the height of the mould and that of height point of
the specimen being tested.
QUALITY CRITERIA:
 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

LAP Test -1
Consistency test
Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________
Time started: _________________Time finished: ________________

Instructions: Given necessary templates /guide, workshop, tools and materials

clean up the required to perform the following tasks.
Task1. Consistency test
4.1 Concrete surface preparation

Unit Four: Prepare work area

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Location of concrete placement
 Maintain Safe working area
 Location of Plant, tools and equipment placement
 Wet surface area by water
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Determine Location of concrete placement
 Maintain Safe working area
 Locate Plant, tools and equipment to suit planned placement
 Wet surface area by water

INTRODUCTION
The following concrete surface preparation guidelines, serves as an aide to owners, design
professionals, specifies and contractors.
All surfaces to receive sealers, coatings, mortars and resurfaces, must be structurally sound,
clean, free of any foreign or deleterious materials which would inhibit optimum bond. Proper
surface preparation is an extremely important factor in the immediate and long-term successful
performance of applied polymer or cementious flooring or wall systems.
General - Before concrete is placed, all equipment for transporting and conveying the concrete
shall be clean and all debris (e.g. ice, and other deleterious materials) shall be removed from
the interior of the forms to be filled with concrete. Forms shall be thoroughly wetted or oiled.
Masonry filler units that will be in contact with concrete shall be well drenched and the
reinforcement shall be thoroughly clean of oil or other deleterious coatings. All reinforcement
shall be secured in position with the City Engineer or designee providing written approval of a
Critical Activity Point inspection.
2. Sugared - Standing water shall be removed from the place of deposit before concrete is
placed unless other provisions are made and approved by the City Engineer or designee. If
4.2 Cleaning, Maintaining and
Sorting
concrete is to be placed upon a subgrade, the subgrade shall be thoroughly moistened at the
time the concrete is deposited. No standing water or over-saturation of the subgrade shall be
allowed.
3. Conveyance - Concrete shall be conveyed from the mixer to the place of final deposit by
methods which will prevent the separation or loss of materials. Concrete that has attained its
initial set, exceeds the time limitations specified in Section 505.3.6, and/or has been
contaminated by foreign materials shall not be deposited in the work.
4. Equipment - Equipment for chuting, pumping, and pneumatically conveying concrete shall
be of such size and design as to be mortar tight and to ensure a practically continuous flow of
concrete at the delivery point without separation of materials.
5. Continuity of Placement – When the concrete operation has begun, it shall be carried on as
continuous operation until the placing of the panel or monolithic section is completed.
6. Batch Tickets – The Contractor shall provide to the City Engineer or designee a delivery
batch ticket for each load of concrete batched and delivered to the project before unloading at
the project. The batch ticket shall be printed, stamped, or written, certifying the concrete and
including, at a minimum, the following information:
a. Name of Concrete Supplier can be done in a number of ways, depending
b. Delivery Ticket Number on the size and accessibility of the repair.
c. Date of Delivery A multiple scrabbling tool can be used for a
d. Contractor road surface, a vibrating hammer for beam,
e. Project Name column or wall and even a wire brush and
f. Unique Design Mix Number plenty of water on small areas. Grit blasting
or NMDOT Material Lab and high procedure water are other methods.
(SMB#) Once the repair has been cleaned repair
g. Volume of Concrete in Load should follow immediately. Delay will allow
h. Time Loaded the surface to become soiled or chemical
i. Batched Weight (mass) of changes to occur on the surface, thereby
Cement reducing bond ability.

Maintaining safe working area

Work area free from debris, dust, root and

workplace environment neat and tidy. It’s to
maintain or to repair tools it means to clean
dirty particles.etc
 Performing good house keeping
It’s keeping ever thing in order and keeping
the surrounding clean. Tidy and in orderly at
Fig 4.2
all time. It is essential to clean the damaged
Maintain work safety
surface if repairs are to be successful. This
4.3 Plant, tools and equipment  Create your Injury and Illness
 Creating and Maintaining a Safe Prevention Program.
 Have I Taken the Proper Safety
Precautions?
Maintenance
The maintenance of buildings and equipment may be the most important element of good
housekeeping. Maintenance involves keeping buildings, equipment and machinery in safe,
efficient working order and in good repair. It includes maintaining sanitary facilities and
regularly painting and cleaning walls. Broken windows, damaged doors, defective plumbing
and broken floor surfaces can make a workplace look neglected; these conditions can cause
incidents and affect work practices. So it is important to replace or fix broken or damaged
items as quickly as possible. A good maintenance program provides for the inspection,
maintenance, upkeep and repair of tools, equipment, machines and processes.
Dust and Dirt Removal
Enclosures and exhaust ventilation systems may fail to collect dust, dirt and chips adequately.
Vacuum cleaners are suitable for removing light dust and dirt that is not otherwise hazardous.
Industrial models have special fittings for cleaning walls, ceilings, ledges, machinery, and
other hard-to-reach places where dust and dirt may accumulate.
Special-purpose vacuums are useful for removing hazardous products. For example, vacuum
cleaners fitted with HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters may be used to capture fine
particles of asbestos or fibreglass.
Compressed air should not be used for removing dust, dirt or chips from equipment or work
surfaces.
The importance of a clean workplace
The workplace environment influences employees’ productivity, performance and well-
being. No matter the industry, maintaining a clean workplace may help keep staff members
safe, healthy and efficient. However, busy production schedules and increasing workloads may
cause standards to dip.
While it may be tempting to put off dusting or other types of cleaning around the office or
worksite, doing so may put employees at risk of suffering an injury or illness and may even
impact performance levels. Maintaining a clean workplace is vital for employers to reduce
their workers compensation claims and keep efficiency high.

Tools are particularly important in construction work. They are primarily used to put things
together.
Allocating appropriate location of temporary facilities has an important impact on the cost
savings and productivity of construction sites. Site layout planning, however, is a complex
problem, and some researchers have attempted to solve it using a variety of optimization-based
techniques.
The planning involves locating some necessary TFs in the unoccupied areas within the
construction site. A concrete batch plants is one of the TFs for a large project which its
location has a significant impact on transportation costs. This paper elaborates on a concrete
batch plant location optimization. This practice is done based on minimum time-amount of
concrete delivery through construction access roads.
A method for identifying optimal locations in a construction site is developed based on the
proposed objective function. The objective function of the optimization model includes
transportation time and amount of required concrete related to each facility. Based on the
construction site drawings, access roads and potential places for locating concrete batch plant
were determined. Furthermore, location and amount of required concrete for permanent
facilities were selected. Network analysis was used to allocate a concrete batch plant based on
determining the minimum cost path between batch plant and demand points or permanent
facilities. By minimizing the objective function, optimal location for concrete batch plant was
obtained based on minimum time-amount of concrete delivery through construction access
roads. term 'equipment' generally refers to a set of tools used for a single purpose.
The term 'plant' generally refers to heavy machinery and equipment. At the smaller scale, there
may be some overlap between what is considered to be plant, small plant, tools, small tools,
light equipment or equipment
Tools are often classified as hand tools and power tools. Hand tools include all non-powered
tools, such as hammers and pliers. Power tools are divided into classes, depending on the
power source: electrical tools (powered by electricity), pneumatic tools (powered by
compressed air), liquid-fuel tools (usually powered by gasoline), powder-actuated tools
(usually powered by an explosive and operated like a gun) and hydraulic tools (powered by
pressure from a liquid). Each type presents some unique safety problems.
Construction Tools for Finishing Concrete Trowels.
Trowels also help smooth concrete surfaces for their finish coats before being left to dry:
Float Blades and Troweling Blades. Polishers. ...
Groove Cutter/Jointer Tool. Grinders. ...
Edger. ... Dust Collection System
Brooms. ...
Personal property of a capital nature, consisting of equipment, furniture, vehicles, machine
tools, test equipment, and accessory and auxiliary items, but excluding special tooling and
special test equipment, used or capable of use in the manufacture of supplies or for any
administrative or general plant purpose.
In general, tools should be inspected before use, be well-maintained, be operated according to
the manufacturer’s instructions and be operated with safety systems (e.g., guards). Users
should have proper PPE, such as safety glasses.
Tools can present two other hazards that are often overlooked: vibration and sprains and
strains. Power tools present a considerable vibration hazard to workers. The most well-known
example is chain-saw vibration, which can result in “white-finger” disease, where the nerves
and blood vessels in the hands are damaged. Other power tools can present hazardous
exposures to vibration for construction workers.
Plant Location Decisions and Factors Affecting Plant Location. Plant location refers to the
choice of the region where men, materials, money, machinery and equipment are brought
together for setting up a business or factory. A plant is a place where the cost of the product is
kept to low in order to maximize gains
Plant Location and Plant Layout in Production Management
The Plant location and Plant layout in production management are.

Objectives of Plant Layout.

4.4 Wet surface area
The primary goal of the plant layout is to maximize the profit by arrangement of all the plant
facilities to the best advantage of total manufacturing of the product.
Plant is: any machinery equipment appliance implement and tool; and any component of any
of those things; and anything fitted, connected or related to any of those things.
concrete plant, also known as a batch plant or batching plant, is a device that combines various
ingredients to form concrete. Some of these inputs include sand, water, aggregate (rocks,
gravel, etc.), fly ash, potash, and cement. Water is then added to the mix in the truck and mixed
during transport to the job sit

Wetted surface area of hull / hull construction mass weight I'm not sure of your thinking there.
Your displacement determines, as the name implies, how much water you displace. Obviously
different hull forms come into it but for boats of roughly the same form the one with a heavier
displacement will displace more water and is going to have more surface area in contact with
the water.
Wetted surface are only real has an effect on speed in very light winds. Once you go a bit
faster wave making resistance predominates. And if you've ever raced OD in light airs you'll
know that it is 90% skill of the crew.
In maritime use, the wetted area is the area of the hull (watercraft) which is immersed in water.
In aeronautics, the wetted area is the area which is in contact with the external airflow. This
has a direct relationship on the overall aerodynamic drag of the aircraft. See also Wetted aspect
ratio.
Poor wet area design or installation can compromise safety, comfort and convenience for
building users, and lead to significant structural damage.
Wet areas are the rooms or spaces containing sanitary fixtures and appliances – including
bathrooms and en suites, toilets, laundries, kitchens, entries and garages.
They and are subject to high levels of moisture from:
 direct wetting
 high humidity levels
 Condensation.
Poor wet area design or installation can increase the risk of slips and other safety hazards, and
can compromise accessibility and occupant comfort.
Design and building faults can also lead to damage in building structure or finishes – such as
rot in framing; deterioration/disintegration of linings, flooring, and cabinetry; and peeling
paint. Structural damage in wet areas is becoming more common. It is often not immediately
obvious, but can be substantial.
With good design, detailing and installation of waterproof membranes and impervious finishes
to manage the moisture generated, wet areas can be durable, healthy, safe and comfortable, and
should not result in damage to the building structure, surface finishes and fixtures.
Wetting is the ability of liquids to form interfaces with solid surfaces. To determine the degree
of wetting, the contact angle (q) that is formed between the liquid and the solid surface is
 measured. The smaller the contact angle and the smaller the surface tension, the greater the
degree of wetting.
Self check-1
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each
question. Each question carries 1 Point.
1. Wet areas are the rooms or spaces containing sanitary fixtures and appliances including
bathrooms and en suites, toilets, laundries, kitchens, entries and garages.(5 points
A) true B) false
2. Poor wet area design or installation can increase the risk of slips and other safety hazards, and
can compromise accessibility and occupant comfort.
A. True
B. False

3. ________is the ability of liquids to form interfaces with solid surfaces. (5 points)
Unit Five: Place, compact and vibrate the concrete

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Placing and leveling concrete
 Concrete Segregation
 Poured concrete
 Finish and levels concrete work
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Perform Placing and leveling concrete
 Identify vertical height drop to avoid segregation.
 Apply compaction or vibration methods
 Finish to appropriate leveling
5.1 Placing and leveling concrete

Placing

To achieve quality concrete it should be placed with utmost care securing the
homogeneity achieved during mixing and the avoidance of segregation in transporting.
Research has shown that a delayed placing of concrete results in a gain in ultimate compressive
strength provided the concrete can be adequately compacted. For dry mixes in hot weather
delay of half to one hour is allowed whereas for wet mixes in cold weather it may be several
hours. The various situations in which concrete is placed are discussed below.
1. Placing of Concrete within Small Earth Mould
Here you will get the information regarding which methods should be adopted and which
precautions to be taken while placing of concrete in different situations,
 In this kind of placing, concrete is placed in a small surface area on the earth such as
foundation bed below the walls or columns.
 For the placing, first of all, all the loose earth must be removed from the bed.
 If the surface of the bed is dry then it must be made damp, so the earth doesn’t soak the
water from concrete.
 If the foundation bed is too wet than the water and mud must be removed completely to
expose the firm bed before placing of concrete.
 Clear all the obstruction such as any root of trees passing through the foundation, some
charred or tarred elements because its further growth piercing the concrete at a later
time can lead to deterioration of concrete.

Placing of Concrete within Small Earth Mould Image

2. Placing of Concrete within Large Earth Mould

 In this type of placing, concrete is placed in a large surface area on the earth such
as road slab and airfield slab or timber plank form work.
 In such concrete placement, before the concreting, the ground surface on which
the concrete is placed must be free from loose earth and other organic matters
such as grass, roots, leaves etc.
  The earth must be appropriately compacted and made sufficiently damp to
prevent the absorption of water from concrete because it makes concrete weak.
 Concrete is placed in alternative bays for the construction of road slabs, airfield
slabs and ground floor slabs in buildings.
 In these bays, there are contraction joints and dummy joints which are given for
shrinkage. Concrete should be properly dumped and concrete pouring and
dragging from one place should be avoided.
 Joints gap are filled with the wooden husk or bitumen to prevent deterioration.

Placing of Concrete Within Large Earth Mould Image

3. Placing of Concrete in Layers

 In this concrete placement, concrete is placed in the layer and this type of placement is
used when the concrete is placed in great thickness such as mass concreting i.e.
construction of dam or concrete abutment or pier.
 The layer thickness depends upon the various things like degree of compaction of
concrete, using reinforced concrete or plain concrete etc.
 Generally, thickness of the reinforced concrete layer is about 15 to 30 cm. and
thickness of the plain concrete layer is about 35 to 45 cm.
 Several such layers may be placed in succession to form one lift and concrete should be
placed quickly enough to avoid cold joints.
 Before placing of concrete, the surface of the previous lift is cleaned carefully with
water a jet and scrubbed by wire brush and made rough by removing all the laitance
and loose material, so that proper bonding can occur between two layers.

Placing of Concrete in Layers

4. Placing of Concrete Within Formwork
 Formwork is the temporary mould into which concrete is poured and formed. It can be
said that concrete formwork is the supporting part of the structure. It is generally used
for the beam and columns.
  Concrete formwork should be rigid so that it does not get deformed under the pressure
of placement of fresh concrete and should be watertight so that the slurry does not leak
out because it makes water-cement ratio insufficient
 The surfaces of form have to clean and brushed for every new use of formwork.
 Mould releasing agents such oil or grease should be applied inside of the formwork for
easy stripping.
 The joints between planks, plywood or sheets must be properly and effectively plugged
so that concrete/slurry will not leak during compaction or any vibration.
 If reinforcement is provided than it should be correctly tied and placed having
appropriate cover and reinforcement should be clean and free form dirt and oil.
 Generally, difficulties arise when the concrete is to be poured from a greater height like
placing of concrete in the column. It is likely to segregate or block the space to prevent
further entry of concrete. To avoid this kind of difficulties concrete is placed by tremie
or chute.

Placing of Concrete within Formwork

Methods and practice of treating horizontal construction joints when

constructing concrete :
1. Treatment of the surfaces of construction joints is an expensive operation whose
performance requires additional work by the concrete-placing equipment, which to some
extent adversely affects the rate of concreting.
2.The spreading and brushing of a thin layer of sand-cement mortar onto the surface of
horizontal construction joints for a long time was standard practice abroad in preparing the
joints before placing the concrete in the next blocks.
RCC is a mix of cement/fly ash, water, sand, aggregate and common additives, but contains
much less water.
Construction Joints - horizontal
It is often not possible to complete a job at one go, for example because of the size or
complexity of the structure or because of limited materials or manpower. When work resumes
it will be necessary to place fresh concrete on or against the previous pour, which will have
already hardened.
The resultant contact surface is known as a construction joint or day work joint. Such joints
must be formed carefully so that they transmit the required forces and, where appropriate, do
5.2 Prevent Concrete segregation
not leak. Firstly the surface of the hardened concrete must be clean and free from laitance (the
relatively soft surface layer) and any dust or debris. Then the fresh concrete must be place and
compacted so that it bonds properly to the surface of the previously place concrete.
For horizontal surfaces, the laitance should be brushed off while the concrete is still fresh, but
has stiffened slightly, to produce a moderately exposed aggregate finish. The surface should be
gently sprayed with water while the surface is brushed. For both horizontal and vertical joints,
care must be taken to ensure that the layer of fresh concrete adjacent to the joint is adequately
compacted./

Introduction
Segregation of concrete means separation of ingredients from design fresh concrete resulting in
the non-uniform mix. More specifically this implies the separation of coarse aggregates from
the mortar because of differences in size, density, shape and other properties of ingredients in
which they are composed.
Because of segregation honeycomb is created in the concrete and it basically affects the
strength of the concrete and its porosity. During construction work, segregation and concrete
can occur on site and it affects the durability of your structures.
If you are constructing your own house or working on a site you have to understand about
segregation and concrete. In good concrete all the ingredients are properly distributed and
make a homogeneous mixture. If a concrete sample exhibits a tendency for separation of
coarse aggregates from the rest of the ingredients, it indicates segregation and concrete
depending upon the dryness or wetness of the concrete mix.
Types of segregation concrete
There are mainly 2 types
1. The coarser and the heavier particles tend to separate out or setting down from the rest of the
mix because they tend to travel faster along a slope or settle more than finer materials. This
type of segregation may occur if the concrete mix is too dry
2. Grout (water + cement) separating out from the rest of the material because of lowest
specific gravity. This type of segregation may occur if the concrete mix is too wet. A well-
designed concrete does not segregate if rightly mixed and batched.
Causes of Segregation in concrete
Following are the major causes:-
 The difference in the specific gravity of the mix constituents i.e fine aggregates and
coarse aggregates.
 The difference in the size of aggregate.
 Improper grading of aggregates.
 Improper handling of aggregates.
 Bad practices and handling and transporting of concrete.
 Too much vibration of concrete.
 Concrete that is not proportioned properly and not mixed adequately for 2 workable
mix.
 Placing of concrete from a greater height.
5.3 Compaction
 Concrete is discharged from a badly designed mixer or from a mixture with worn-out
blades.
Prevent Segregation of Concrete
 At the time of construction, especially while using transit mixers care should be taken
that the concrete is not poured from a height greater that 1.5 meter.
 Aggregates should be properly graded as it will prevent the segregation.
 To improve the viscosity of concrete which prevents the segregation, air entraining
agents can be used.
 In case of mass concreting where mechanical vibrators are used care should be taken
that they are not used for longer period.

After concrete is placed at the desired location, the next step in the process of concrete
production is its compaction. Compaction consolidates fresh concrete within the moulds or
frameworks and around embedded parts and reinforcement steel. Considerable quantity of air
is entrapped in concrete during its production and there is possible partial segregation also.
Both of these adversely affect the quality of concrete.

Compaction of the concrete is the process to get rid of the entrapped air and voids,
elimination of segregation occurred and to form a homogeneous dense mass. It has been found
that 5 per cent voids in hardened concrete reduce the strength by over 30 per cent and 10 per
cent voids reduce the strength by over 50 per cent. Therefore, the density and consequently the
strength and durability of concrete largely depend upon the degree of compaction. For
maximum strength driest possible concrete should be compacted 100 per cent.

The voids increase the permeability of concrete. Loss of impermeability creates easy
passage of moisture, oxygen, chlorides, and other aggressive chemicals into the concrete. This
causes rusting of steel and spalling (disintegration) of concrete i.e., loss of durability. Easy
entry of sulphates from the environment causes expansive reaction with the tricalcium
aluminate (C3A) present in cement.

This causes disintegration of concrete and loss of durability. Entry of carbon dioxide causes
carbonation of concrete i.e., loss of alkalinity of concrete or loss of the protective power that
concrete gives to the reinforcement or other steel embedded in it. Once the carbonation depth
exceeds the thickness of concrete cover to the embedded steel, steel becomes vulnerable to the
attack of moisture. This expedites rusting of steel as the protective concrete cover remains no
longer alkaline in nature.
Requirement of compaction of concrete
There are several reasons why compaction of concrete is needed, some of the main points are
given below.
 Freshly placed unconsolidated concrete contains excessive and detrimental entrapped
air
 If allowed to harden in this condition, the concrete will be porous and poorly bonded to
the reinforcement
 It will have low strength, high permeability, and deduced durability
 Hence, compaction is necessary to remove entrapped air and eliminate all types of
voids that may cause reduction in strength as well as durability
 Purpose of Compaction of concrete and the best method to be adopted
 The main purpose of compaction of concrete is to get a dense mass without voids, to
get the concrete to surround all reinforcement and to fill all corners. Given below is the
process of concrete compaction and method adopted.
 Concrete is best compacted by vibration
 On vibration, the concrete mix gets fluidized and the internal friction between the
aggregate particles reduces, resulting in entrapped air to rise to the surface. On losing
entrapped air, concrete gets denser
 Roding, spading and tamping are all ways of removing air from concrete and to
compact it, however the best and most efficient method is vibration
Methods of concrete compaction
There are two methods of compaction adopted in the field as given below.
1. Hand compaction
2. Mechanical Compaction
1. Hand compaction
Hand compaction is used for ordinary and unimportant structures. Workability should be
decided in such a way that the chances of honeycombing should be minimum. The various
methods of hand compaction are as given below.
 Roding
It is a method of poking with 2m long, 16 mm diam rod at sharp corners and edges. The
thickness of layers for rodding should be 15 to 20 cm.
 Ramming
It is generally used for compaction on ground in plain concrete. It is not used either in RCC or
on upper floors.
 Tamping
It is a method in which the top surface is beaten by wooden cross beam of cross section 10 cm
x 10 cm. both compaction and leveling are achieved simultaneously. It is mainly used for roof
slabs and road pavements.
2. Mechanical Compaction
Vibration is imparted to the concrete by mechanical means. It causes temporary liquefaction so
that air bubbles come on to the top and expelled ultimately. Mechanical vibration can be of
various types as given under.
 Internal Compaction
It is most commonly used technique of concrete vibration. Vibration is achieved due to
eccentric weights attached to the shaft. The needle diameter varies from 20 mm to 75 mm and
its length varies from 25 cm to 90 cm. the frequency range adopted is normally 3500 to 5000
rpm. The correct and incorrect methods of vibration using internal vibration needles are shown
below.
 EXTERNAL VIBRATION EXTERINAL
This is adopted where internal vibration can’t be used due to either thin sections or heavy
reinforcement. External vibration is less effective and it consumes more power as compared to
the internal vibration. The form work also has to be made extra strong when external vibration
is used.
 TABLE VIBRATION
It is mainly used for laboratories where concrete is put on the table.
5.4. Finish and Level concrete
 PLATFORM VIBRATION
It is similar to table vibrators but these are generally used on a very large scale.
The guidelines for compaction of concrete while using the internal/needle vibrator
 Given below are a few guidelines that needs to be kept in mind while using
internal/needle vibrator.
 Operate the needle vibrator in a vertical position
 Allow the vibrator to penetrate as deeply as possible under its own weight through the
entire depth of the freshly deposited concrete and into the layer below, if this is still
plastic(before initial set of concrete) or can be brought again to a plastic condition.
Thus the plane of weakness at the junction of two layers can be avoided and monolithic
concrete obtained
 After vibration, withdraw the vibrator slowly to ensure closing of the hole created from
the insertion
 Vibrate concrete at the rate of 5 to 15 seconds per insertion
 The needle should not be used to make concrete flow through long distance
 When the lift of concrete is greater than about 50 cms(2 feet), the vibrator may not be
fully effective in expelling air from the lower part of the layer
 Do not switch off the vibrator until it is withdrawn completely clear of the surface of
the concrete

Introduction
There are a number of concrete floor finishes that you could choose for the interior of your
home. Concrete is one of the most durable types of flooring, and it can be highly customized to
fit your design needs. Read on to learn about a few of the different indoor concrete floor
finishing options.
Concrete can be finished in many ways. Most of the concrete we see in the built environment
is dull and grey, but there's so much more that can be done to finish concrete and make it look
stunning/smooth surface.
There's two ways to think about finishes for concrete: finishes that are applied while the
concrete is curing, and finishes applied after curing. Textured finishes like scoring or stamping
are applied while the concrete is wet, like what you see on sidewalks - while interesting,
texture-based finishes are a subject for another class. In this lesson we'll only be covering
finishes applied to smooth concrete after it has cured completely
Checking Finished levels
Concrete leveling is a procedure that attempts to correct an uneven concrete surface by
altering the foundation that the surface sits upon. It is a cheaper alternative to having
replacement
Concrete poured and is commonly performed at small businesses and private homes as well
as at factories, warehouses, and airports and on roads, highways and other infrastructure.
Concrete Level ling’s process for leveling concrete, sometimes called mud jacking, allows us
to return uneven concrete to its original level position without the cost of pouring new
concrete. At it's simplest form, we fill any void under your slab with a slurry mixture which in
turn lifts the concrete in place. It is safe and effective for many applications and in most cases
can be completed in a matter of hours instead of days for new concrete.
Our 3-Step Process
Small holes (1 inch diameter) are drilled through the sunken concrete block at strategic
locations.
A finely crushed, highly dense limestone aggregate (sometimes combined with Portland
cement), is combined with water in a “slurry” consistency then pumped into the holes. Once
any voids, created by erosion or soil compaction, have been filled, the block will begin to rise.
As the slurry begins to flow under the slab, it exerts an even pressure across the entire slab and
can easily raise the concrete.
Through strategic placement of the drilled holes, and control of the amount of material injected
into each, the block will be carefully raised into final position. During the last step, the holes
are filled with non-shrinking grout leaving the slab looking nearly new..
1. Color Finishes
Concrete is really good at accepting color. we talked about color pigment that can be added
during mixing, but it can also be easily applied after curing.
Stains can be applied to any cured concrete, and has a translucent look so you get the color
desired but also keep some of the dull grey look of the concrete. Stains can be bought as a
premixed color, or you can buy the base at your paint store and have them tint it to match a
color scheme.
Paint is a great way to completely cover concrete with an opaque color. Concrete is easy to
paint and will accept any acrylic latex or oil paint. Special concrete paint is formulated to
withstand abrasions that concrete is likely to incur, however any paint can be applied to a
clean, debris-free concrete surface.
There's a reason all my concrete projects aren't covered in paint or stain, the natural look of
concrete is amazing.
Unlike finishing wood to seal and protect from rotting, you're only really sealing concrete to
protect from staining. Depending on the look you are going for, some inadvertent staining or
aging of concrete can have a really nice patina and look great. While I'll cover some great
finishes for concrete here, it's by no means required
Clear polyurethane spray is easily applied and has a slight "wet look" sheen, but will have a
slight shine to the finish. Though a fine finish for concrete, does look a little out of place on
concrete.
Mineral Oil is inexpensive and can make a great finish. Apply mineral oil liberally with a rag;
concrete is porous and will wick up the mineral oil quickly, so multiple coats will need to be
applied. The dark color it turns the concrete is attractive, however this finish evaporates over
time and will need reapplication regularly.
Concrete Sealer is specially made to give that classic "wet look" that makes concrete pop and
will seal the concrete with a protective finish that will prevent any accidental staining. When
applying sealer it may look milky white, but it will dry clear. Apply the concrete sealer with a
foam brush or rag, then wipe up any excess from the concrete surface.
There's a few options when it comes to clear finishes to concrete. Here's a look at a few I tried
and how they appear next to each other. In my opinion, nothing beats the "wet look" sealer,
though.
While not required, finishes on concrete can elevate your work and really give it dimension -
this is especially true with "wet" look" sealer
Knowing what concrete finishes to apply to your work will allow your project to really shine.
If you're looking for a project to test your concrete prowess you can see all the skills learned in
this class applied to a Tabletop Fireplace made from concrete.
Are you having trouble with your concrete not curing right? The next lesson will cover some
common troubleshooting tips for you to get the most of your castings.

Fig 5.1 Concrete Levelling

Self check-1
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each
question. Each question carries 2 Point.
1. Is a process of expelling the entrapped air.
A. Compaction
B. Leveling
C. Curing
D. Casting
2. Generally, thickness of the reinforced concrete layer is about 15 to 30 cm.
A. 20-30 cm B.15-30 cm C. 10 cm D. none
3. Which of the follow is not tools for placing concrete.
A. spade B. trowel C. concrete mixer D. none
4. One of the following are the uses of concrete vibration l05
a. To increase the strength of concrete
b. To increase material costs
c. To increase water amount
d. To increase labour coast

Self check-2
Test-II Matching
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each
question. Each question carries 2 Point.

A B
---------1. Hand compaction A. It is mainly used for laboratories where
 concrete is put on the table.
---------2. Roding B. used for compaction on ground in
plain concrete
---------3. Ramming C. The thickness of layers should be 15
to 20 cm.

---------4. Tamping D. It is mainly used for laboratories where

---------5. Table vibration concrete is put on the table.
E. It is mainly used for roof slabs and
road pavements.

Test III: short Answer writing

Instruction: write short answer for the given question. You are provided 3 minute for each
question and each point has 5Points.
1. What is the purpose of Compaction?
2. Write types of compaction.
3. How to Prevent Segregation of Concrete?
Note: Satisfactory rating – above 60% Unsatisfactory - below 60%
You can ask you teacher for the copy of the correct answers

Oration sheet -1
Operation title: Placing and leveling concrete
Purpose: it used to properly Place and level concrete
Instruction: Use the given tools and equipment to Placing concrete. For this operation you
have given 1hour and you are expected to provide the answer on the given table.
Tools and requirement:
 Spade
 bucket
 Batching box
 Wheel barrow
 Mixing plat
CONSUMER MATERIALS : -
 Cement,
 Sand,
 Aggregate
 Water
 Precautions:
 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body
 Make working area hazard free
 Working area good & brightness
CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-
 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...
 Ensure the work shop hazard free
 Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility
 Make workstation comfortable
PROCEDURE,
Step 1 - Site Work
Step 2 - Forming
Step 3 - Mixing
Step 4 – Placement
Step5 -Compacting
Step 6 - Early Finishing and leveling
QUALITY CRITERIA:
 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

LAP Test -1
Placing and leveling concrete
Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________
Time started: _________________Time finished: ________________

Instructions: Given necessary templates /guide, workshop, tools and materials

clean up the required to perform the following tasks.
Task1. Placing and leveling concrete

Unit Six: Concrete Finishing

6.1
ThisConcrete Screed
learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Screeding Concrete surface
 Float and trowel
 mechanical trowel
 control joints
 Curing concrete
 run off devices
 Curing compound/method
 Protect Concrete
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Apply Screeding Concrete
 Apply Float and trowel
 Apply mechanical trowel
 Install control joints
 Cur concrete
 Install and maintaining run off devices
 Apply and maintaing Curing compound/method
 Protecte Concrete

6.1.1 Introduction
Screeding refers to any action of smoothing out a pliable material into a flat, smooth, and level
layer. There are tools manufactured expressly for screeding, but you can also make use of any
straight board to do the job.
With concrete work, screeding is the action of flattening poured concrete into a smooth, flat
layer prior to finishing the surface.
Screeding is only the first step in finishing concrete, and it is not intended to produce a
completely smooth final surface. Screeding fills in large gaps and removes high spots in the
concrete material being installed. The final finish will be created by floating the concrete with
one or more smooth-faced tools that are designed to draw up fine aggregate and cement to the
surface of the slab. For large slabs such as driveways or garage floors, the surface is floated
with a large tool known as a bull float.
Smaller wood and metal hand floats are used for sidewalks and other surfaces, but whatever
tools are used, they can create a smooth surface only if the concrete has first been screeded to
create a uniform layer.

6.1.2 How to Screed Concrete

In the process of pouring concrete, a screed is usually a long length of straight two-by-four
board or an aluminum bar manufactured for the purpose. Whatever object is used, screeding is
done by drawing the tool across the wet surface of the concrete.
The screeding tool is generally long enough so that the ends can rest on opposite sides of the
concrete form. The screed is drawn toward the workers with a sawing, scraping motion that
simultaneously smooths the surface and pushes excess concrete into any gaps or hollows.
It helps to have two workers, one on each side of the screeding tool, especially for large slabs.
Aluminum screeds are often used where precision is needed, as they provide a straighter edge.
For more professional, faster screeding action, a motorized screed may be used. The tool has a
long handle to eliminate laborious bending and tugging.

Fig 6.1 Concrete screeding

6.1. 3 Step to Concrete screeding

There is a several step process to Concrtete screeding which we have listed below:
1. Divide up Your Floor Area
To begin the process of screeding your floor, you will need to divide it into sections. At Screed
It, we will provide our own dividers, but if you do not have these, it is recommended that you
use long, straight pieces of timber that are cut to the height of the layer. Wet these pieces down
so that they are easily removed after and divide the room into strips.
2. Apply a Layer of Screed
Spread out a compact layer of the screed mix on the section farthest from the room’s entrance,
using a trowel to move the mixture and compacting it with a screed board or straightedge.
Tamp the edges with a tamper to help complete the section.
This part of the process often results in one of the most common problems, which is poor
compaction. To ensure that your floor is installed smoothly and correctly, you may wish to call
a professional service instead. Call us and we will be able to send our dedicated, highly trained
team to screed your floor to the standards needed.
3. Leveling a Floor with Screed
If your screed is not self-leveling (sand and cement screed), you will need to use a straightedge
or a straight piece of timber to level the floor. Place it over the timber pieces you are using to
divide the sections and push it forward, tilting it to use the corner as a cutting edge and moving
it side-to-side in a sawing motion. This will level the screed layer.
If your screed is self-leveling (otherwise known as flowing screed, or liquid screed), it will
already have an agent mixed in that will react when the screed is poured, causing it to compact
by itself. This ensures that the level will already be smooth when the screed is completely
cured.
To learn more about how to screed a floor with self-levelling screed, get in touch with us
today. As a professional screed installation contractor, we have screeded many floors with self-
leveling mixtures, so we will be able to answer any questions you may have.
4. Repeat the Process
Continue to screed your entire floor until you have filled all the sections available. Once this is
done, remove the timber dividers and fill in the gaps left behind. Repeat this process until your
entire floor has been screeded.
5. Float Your Screed
You will be able to remove some imperfections from the new screed floor layer as soon as it
has been installed, and once again after the concrete has properly bled.
6. Cure Your Screed
How long it takes to screed a floor will partially depend on the size of the area screeded and
the type of screed used in the project. In most cases, an average time of seven days is given for
the screed to cure, if left undisturbed under a polyethylene sheet which is sealed at its edges.
This may be longer if the temperature in the area falls below 10ºC in a 24-hour period.
When you come to us to install your screed floor, you will find that our liquid screed in
particular does not take as long to be cured, and can be walked on just 24-48 hours after it has
been poured. To learn more about how long it takes to screed a floor, either with a traditional
screed or a liquid variety, contact us today.
7. Let the Floor Dry
After the floor has been cured, it will still need time to dry. Avoid letting vehicle traffic onto it
and avoid installing any other layer of flooring on it for at least three weeks. Heavy traffic in
particular should be avoided until all installations are complete.
6.2 Applying Float and trowel
On average, a screed floor should dry at a rate of 1mm per day. For more information about
how long it will take to have a complete screeded floor, call us today and one of our trained
members of staff will discuss the process with you.

A trowel is a small hand tool used for digging, applying, smoothing, or moving small amounts
of viscous or particulate material. Common varieties include the masonry trowel, garden
trowel, and float.
Tools, Size, Application. Plastering Trowels, 11 x 4.5 inches to 14 x 4.5 inches, Size
determined by area to be finished. Finishing Trowels, 12 x 4 inches to 20 x 5 in.
Finishing trowel is used in smoothing and finishing the surface of concrete or plaster. Buy
cheapest insulation materials online at Insulation Shop
These have flat steel blades with a mounted wooden or plastic handle. Standard blade size is
120 x 280 mm.
A floating trowel is used to spread and flatten mortar on walls, ceilings or other areas. It is
also used to apply render and float coats.

6.2.1 Guide to Floating Concrete

Step 1 - Prepare Form

Make a form, or frame, out of pieces of softwood. These should be about 25mm thick and
slightly longer than your concrete base is going to be.

Drive stakes in at 30-60cm intervals around the edge for reinforcement, and use a spirit level
to make sure the base doesn’t slope.

Fig 6.2 Prepare Form

Cover the bottom of the form with at least 10cm of hardcore – small pieces of stone, gravel or
crushed brick. Hardcore acts as a stable base and also allows water to drain from the wet
concrete.
Step 2 - Pour Concrete
Pour or shovel the concrete into the form, using a spade to make sure it’s distributed evenly
into all four corners. It is important to do this thoroughly to ensure that there is an even
distribution of concrete over your chosen area.

Fig 6.2.1 Pour Concrete

Step 3 - Screed Concrete

Screeding is a process carried out with a long straight piece of wood, called a screed board, to
level off the concrete.

Push or pull the screed board across the form using a steady back and forth sawing motion. Fill
in any troughs that appear in the concrete with a trowel.

Fig 6.2.3 Screed Concrete

Step 4 - Smooth Concrete
As soon as you’ve finished screeding, go over the slab with a darby. Sweeping it in
overlapping arcs will fill any small holes left by screeding and level the surface. It will also
 make the concrete smoother by forcing larger pieces of aggregate down and bringing a liquid
mix of small sand and cement particles to the surface.

Fig 6.2.4 Smooth Concrete

If you’re working on a large area of concrete, you might need to use a bull float – a large metal
float with a detachable handle – instead of a darby. Push the bull float in one direction only
across the concrete, keeping its front edge slightly above the surface by raising or lowering the
handle.

Two or three times is enough. Don’t overwork the concrete or you’ll weaken it by drawing too
much sand and cement to the surface.

Step 5 - Wait for Surface to Dry

While you’re screeding the concrete, water will ‘bleed’ out of it and sit on the surface for a
while until it gradually soaks back in.

Wait for the water to completely drain back in before working any further on the slab.

If you begin using a float too soon, you could sweep some of the water off the slab before it
has a chance to be re-absorbed.
Fig 6.2.6 Wait for Surface to Dry
Reducing the water content will weaken the surface of the concrete. This is because a certain
amount of water is vital for curing to take place (the process by which the concrete dries,
hardens and reaches its full strength). Losing some of the water will alter the original
composition of the concrete mix.

Step 6 - Float Concrete

Sweep a magnesium float across the concrete in wide arcs, holding it at a slight angle facing
away from you.

Press down on the back edge as you go. This will carry on where the darby left off, pushing
down coarse aggregate and bringing up finer material to leave a smoother, denser finish.

Fig 6.2.7 Float Concrete

Step 7 - Add Texture
If you want more textured concrete, for instance to create a non-slip surface, you can swap the
magnesium float for a wooden one, which will leave a slightly rough finish.
Fig 6.2.8 Add Texture

Alternatively, use a stiff bristled broom to make a slightly ridged surface when the concrete
has partly hardened.

Push or drag the broom across the slab in one direction only, to create uniform lines.
Remember to wash the broom immediately afterwards.

Step 8 - Round Off Edges

With an edging tool, work your way around all sides of the slab pressing down with long,
smooth strokes to neatly separate the edges of the concrete from the wooden form.

Fig 6.2.8 Round Off Edges

Step 9 - Trowel Concrete

For a smooth finish, go over the slab with a steel trowel once the surface water has drained
away and the material has begun to harden.
6.3. Mechanical (powere) trowelling
Hold the trowel almost flat and swing it in large circles while pressing down on the concrete.
Repeat no more than two or three times.

Step 10 - Protect Concrete

Keep the concrete moist for the next five to seven days. This slows down the curing (setting)
process and will make the concrete stronger.

You can do this by using a water sprinkler, covering the concrete with clear polythene or
applying a curing compound. The concrete should then be left to cure for about four weeks.

Fig 6.2.9 Protect Concrete

A power trowel, also known as a power float, is a piece of construction equipment used to
apply a smooth finish to concrete slabs. There are two types power trowels, ride on power
trowels and walk-behind power trowels.
6.4 Control joints

Fig 6.3

6.3.1 How To Use A Trowel Machine

1. Check your concrete is firm enough to support your weight (it should not stick to your
boots)
2. Choose your floating blade for the first pass of the concrete and clip onto trowel
machine
3. Check your trowel machine has enough petrol in the engine
4. Hold onto the stem of trowel machine and pull the engine recoil starter
5. Start with no pitch (flat on the concrete). You can control the pitch with the lever on the
stem of the trowel machine
6. Control the speed of the blades with the throttle control near the right hand handle
7. Walk backwards slowly along the concrete
8. Do one pass on the slab in one direction
9. Perform a second pass on the slab in the direction perpendicular to the first pass
10. Choose your finishing trowel and clip onto trowel machine
11. Slowly increase your pitch with each pass on the concrete\
12. The last stage is running the blades at at full pitch and at full throttle

6.4.1 Introduction
Contraction/control joints are placed in concrete slabs to control random cracking. A fresh
concrete mixture is a fluid, plastic mass that can be molded into virtually any shape, but as the
material hardens there is a reduction in volume or shrinkage.
Control joints are planned cracks which allow for movements caused by temperature changes
and drying shrinkage. In other words, if the concrete does crack-you want to have an active
role in deciding where it will crack and that it will crack in a straight line instead of randomly.
WHEN TO CUT CONTROL JOINTS
Make sure you are cutting joints soon enough. In hot weather, concrete might crack if joints
are not cut within 6-12 hours after finishing concrete. In this condition, if you don't want to use
a grooving tool to cut joints, there are early-entry dry-cut lightweight saws that can be used
almost immediately after finishing. These saws cut 1" to 3" deep, depending on the model.
CONTROL JOINT SPACING
Concrete slabs-on-ground have consistently performed very well when the following
considerations are addressed. The soils or granular fill supporting the slab in service must be
either undisturbed soil or well compacted. In addition, contraction joints should be placed to
produce panels that are as square as possible and never exceeding a length to width ratio of 1.5
to 1 (Figure 1). Joints are commonly spaced at distances equal to 24 to 30 times the slab
thickness. Joint spacing that is greater than 15 feet require the use of load transfer devices
(dowels or diamond plates).

6.6.2 Rules for Designing Contraction Joints

To minimize random concrete cracking in slabs-on-ground, follow these simple rules.
Fig 6.4.1 Constraction joints
Contraction joints are typically installed with jointing tools while the concrete is still plastic or
by sawing after the concrete has been finished with either a wet-cut saw or more commonly, an
early-entry dry-cut saw. For either method, follow these jointing rules to minimize the risk of
random or out-of-joint cracking.
Layout
Joint design including the layout is the responsibility of the slab designer. For a specified
project, the engineer or architect is responsible for designing the joint layout but for
unspecified work, the concrete contractor typically becomes the designer.
Rule #1: Panels formed by contraction joints should be as square as possible. The joint
layout should divide a large slab into relatively small, square shaped panels. Avoid long and
narrow panels, L-shaped and T-shape panels. The long side should never be larger than 1-1/2
times the short side. For better crack control, limit the length of the long side to 1-1/4 times the
short side (Fig.2).

Rule #2: Contraction joints should be continuous, not staggered or offset. Due to stress
concentrations that occur where joints (i.e., cracks) terminate, cracking will continue into the
unjointed concrete. If discontinuous joints cannot be avoided, insert two or three #4 x 3 feet
reinforcing bars in the next slab to intercept the crack that will grow from the discontinuous
joint (Fig. 3). Use reinforcing chairs to hold the bars in place in the top 1/3 of the slab.
Rule #3: Identify and address re-entrant corners. If re-entrant corners are unavoidable,
locate contraction joints to control cracking that starts at re-entrant corners or place “corner”
reinforcing bars diagonally in front of re-entrant corners to intercept cracks (Fig 4). Corner
rebars should hold re-entrant corner cracks tight together and help prevent them from traveling
across the entire slab.

Rule #4: Install contraction joints at locations where slabs typically crack. Implementing
this rule takes experience or inspection of existing flatwork. When walking around town,
inspect concrete slabs for cracking. With time, a better understanding of typical crack locations
will become apparent. For example, place a contraction joint about three feet from the end of a
triangular-shaped slab because that is the location where cracks typically occurs (Fig. 5).

Rule #7: For tooled or grooved joints, depth of the contraction joint should be 1/4 of the
slab thickness. For interior floors, specify a 1/8 in. edge radius for the top of the groove or
joint. Specify an edge radius of 1/4 to 1/2 in. for exterior slabs.
Rule #8: For wet-cut sawcut joints, depth of the contraction joint should be 1/4 the slab
thickness or a minimum of 1 in. To ensure joint activation or cracking, sometimes a sawcut
6.5 Curing concrete
depth of 1/3 the slab thickness is specified. However, there will be less aggregate interlock
with a deeper joint. The depth tolerance for sawcut joints is ± 1/4 in.
Rule #9: For joints installed with an early-entry dry-cut saw, joint depth should be 1-1/4
in. with a ± 1/4 in. tolerance for slabs with thicknesses up to 9 in. For thicker slabs, the saw
cut depth should increase to ensure joint activation. Also, saw cut depths are typically
increased for fiber reinforced slabs. Fibers increase the tensile capacity of the uncut concrete
beneath saw cuts so deeper saw cuts are typically required to create a weakened plane. For
fiber reinforced slabs, contact the fiber technical representative for recommended saw cut
depths to insure joint activation.
Rule #10: Start saw cutting as soon as joint raveling (loss of aggregate particles) no
longer occurs. However, some minor edge raveling is acceptable to ensure joints are installed
before the concrete shrinkage stresses become too large.

6.5.1 Introduction
Curing is the process of controlling the rate and extent of moisture loss from concrete
during cement hydration. It may be either after it has been placed in position (or during the
manufacture of concrete products), thereby providing time for the hydration of the cement to
occur.

Curing is the maintenance of a satisfactory moisture content and temperature in concrete for a
period of time immediately following placing and finishing so that the desired properties may
develop. The need for adequate curing of concrete cannot be overemphasized. Curing has a
strong influence on the properties of hardened concrete; proper curing will increase durability,
strength, watertightness, abrasion resistance, volume stability, and resistance to freezing and
thawing and deicers. Exposed slab surfaces are especially sensitive to curing as strength
development and freeze-thaw resistance of the top surface of a slab can be reduced
significantly when curing is defective.

6.5.2 Advantage of Curing

 Improves wearing quality of the concrete
 Improves the strength of the concrete
 Improves the impermeability of the concrete depending on the grade of the concrete.
 Improves the durability of the concrete
 If chemicals are used it shortens the removing time of the form w
6.5.3 Methods of curing
1. Water Curing
2. Wet Covering
3. Formwork Curing
4. Membrane Curing
5. Sheet Curing
6. Curing by Absorbing Heat
1. Water Curing
 The application of the water is done to avoid the drying of the concrete surface.
Usually, this method applies when the concrete is thinner.
 For example, in building construction, the curing of the floor slab can be done with this
method.
 There are two methods to apply the water on concrete.
a) Pounding the concrete
b) Use sprinklers to spread water continuously
a) Pounding the Concrete
 Continuously wetting the concrete surface is done in the method without allowing the
concrete surface to dry.
 Most of the time, a kerbed cast around the slab helps to pond the relevant area.

This method is very useful in dry environments as it is not required to pour the water
continuously. All the flat surfaces such as road pavements, slabs, footpaths, etc can cure with
this method easily.
b) Use of Sprinklers
It is a must not allowing the concrete surface getting dry due to the evaporation. Continuous
spraying the water at a constant rate and uniformly is a must to fulfill the adequate curing.
Sprinklers set at adequate spacing will be used for this purpose.

As indicated in the above figure, moisture level will not reduce from the required level, and
this is a very easy method as it does not require lots of involvement like hand curing (cure
manually).
2. Wet Covering
 Wet curing is a method of maintaining the surface moisture level by placing materials
like hessian. Use of gunnery bae is also common.
  These covering shall place on the concrete surface when it hardens enough to work to
please covers. Further, the drying of the concrete surface shall not be allowed due to
any reason.

 The methods discussed under the title water curing can only be used to cure the
horizontal surfaces. Vertical surfaces in concrete columns, walls, etc. can cure with this
method as indicated in the following figure.

3. Formwork Curing
 Formwork is the most effective curing agent in the construction. Especially in thick
concretes where the hydration temperature is high, this method is used.
 Further, not cost involved as the cost is already covered under the formwork. The only
concern is keeping the formwork a bit longer than usual.
  When the risk of cracking is becoming an issue in large concrete due to the variations
in the surface of the concrete, formwork curing provides more safety.
4. Membrane Curing
 A membrane is formed on the concrete surface to avoid the evaporation of the moisture
in the concrete.
 Liquid form material is sprayed over the concrete surface and it solidifies and forms a
membrane.
 These materials can apply with brushed or roller.
 There are two types of membranes.
a) Water-based
b) Oil-based
  The water-based curing membranes are more popular than the oil base as it can be
washed off with water after the curing period, and additional effort is required to
remove the oil-based membranes. Acid-etched, sandblasting or chipping is required to
remove the oil base membranes.
5. Sheet Curing
There are two types of the sheet used for curing
a) Polythene Sheet
b) Plastic Sheet

Curing Blankets
 Both the type of the sheet are sued to cure the flat surfaces usually. Polythene sheets are
sued to cover the concrete slabs and columns. The sheet can be placed on the slab just
after it gets hardened.

 Shelter areas are also created by using the polythenes in addition to applying them to
the concrete. It allows the concrete to dry naturally. Special occasions less evaporation
and concrete not that structurally important, this method can be used.
 Plastic sheets also can be used to cover the concrete. These sheets are sued to cover the
flat surfaces. It is a watertight and less weight material. In addition, it is easy to handle.

 In addition, curing blankets are used as protection to the newly placed concrete. It does
the same thing as another type of sheet. No evaporation of moisture from the concrete
surface will exist.
6.6 Run off devices

6. Curing by Absorbing Heat – Pipe Water Cooling

 Pipes are set inside the concrete to absorb the heat. Water is circulated in the concrete
and it absorbs the heat of in the concrete.
 Especially for thick concrete and when a higher grade of concrete is used for
construction, this method is more suitable. It reduces the core temperature.

 However, these methods shall be used with much care as the sudden change in the
temperature could cause cracking in the concrete.
 Continuous monitoring of the temperature of the water provides an idea about the
internal temperature. Base on the observations, the flow rate can be adjusted.

Information and advice for anyone who uses heating equipment at home or work and is off the
mains gas network heating system and it is important that they are installed and maintained
correctly to ensure system reliability and safely. Oil supply pipes should not be run
underground directly into the interior of a building.
Urban runoff is surface runoff of precipitation created by urbanization. This runoff is a major
source of flooding and water pollution in urban communities worldwide
Impervious surfaces, such as roads, parking lots, rooftops and sidewalks, are constructed
during land development. During rain storms and other precipitation events, these surfaces
carry polluted storm water to storm drains, instead of allowing the water to percolate through
6.7 Curing compound/method
soil.[1] Most municipal storm sewer systems discharge storm water without treatment to
streams, rivers and other water bodies. Urban runoff carries a mixture of such pollutants as
sediment, fertilizers, bacteria, metals and more.[2]
Because impervious surfaces reduce the amount of runoff that soaks into the soil, development
often results in a lower water table (because groundwater recharge is reduced) and also causes
flooding.[3][4] Excess water can also make its way into people's properties through basement
backups and seepage through building walls and floors.
Effective control of urban runoff involves reducing the velocity and flow of storm water, as
well as reducing pollutant discharges. A variety of storm water management practices and
systems may be used to reduce the effects of urban runoff. Some of these techniques (called
best management practices (BMPs) in the US), focus on water quantity control, while others
focus on improving water quality, and some perform both functions.
Runoff is nothing more than water "running off" the land surface. Just as the water you wash
your car with runs off down the driveway as you work, the rain that Mother Nature covers the
landscape with runs off downhill, too (due to gravity). Runoff is an important component of
the natural water cycle.
Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle
without human interference.
 Surface runoff is precipitation runoff over the landscape.
 Impervious areas cause excessive runoff.
In our section about water storage in the oceans we describe how the oceans act as a large
storehouse of water that evaporates to become atmospheric moisture. The oceans are kept full
by precipitation and also by runoff and discharge from rivers and the ground. Many people
probably have an overly-simplified idea that precipitation falls on the land, flows overland
(runoff), and runs into rivers, which then empty into the oceans. That is "overly simplified"
because rivers also gain and lose water to the ground. Still, it is true that much of the water in
rivers comes directly from runoff from the land surface, which is defined as surface runoff.
When rain hits saturated or impervious ground it begins to flow overland downhill. It is easy to
see if it flows down your driveway to the curb and into a storm sewer, but it is harder to notice
it flowing overland in a natural setting. During a heavy rain you might notice small rivulets of
water flowing downhill. Water will flow along channels as it moves into larger creeks, streams,
and rivers. This picture gives a graphic example of how surface runoff (here flowing off a
road) enters a small creek. The runoff in this case is flowing over bare soil and is depositing
sediment into the river (not good for water quality). The runoff entering this creek is beginning
its journey back to the ocean.

Introduction
Curing consists of maintaining an appropriate temperature and moisture content in the concrete
for a defined period of time so the concrete will develop in such a way that the desired
material.
Properties can be obtained. The scope of this project is limited to the moisture-related aspects
of curing.
Membrane-forming curing compounds
Membrane-forming curing compounds are used to retard or reduce evaporation of moisture
from concrete. They can be clear or translucent and white pigmented. White-pigmented
compounds are Recommended for hot and sunny weather conditions to reflect solar radiation.
Curing compounds should be applied immediately after final finishing.
Accelerating strength gain using heat and additional moisture
Live steam
Live steam at atmospheric pressure and high-pressure steam in autoclaves are the two methods
of steam curing. Steam temperature for live steam at atmospheric pressure should be kept at
about 140 degrees Fahrenheit or less until the desired concrete strength is achieved.
Heating coils
Heating coils are usually used as embedded elements near the surface of concrete elements.
Their purpose is to protect concrete from freezing during cold weather concreting.
Electrical heated forms or pads
Electrical heated forms or pads are primarily used by precast concrete producers.
Concrete blankets
Concrete insulation blankets are used to cover and insulate concrete surfaces subjected to
freezing temperatures during the curing period. The concrete should be hard enough to prevent
surface damage when covering with concrete blankets.
Apply Curing compound/method
A pavement has a high surface area-to-volume ratio, which makes it difficult to maintain a
uniform moisture content throughout the pavement.
Plastic shrinkage occurs when the rate of water loss from the surface exceeds the rate at which
bleed water is available. The four primary factors that affect plastic shrinkage are concrete
temperature, air temperature, wind velocity and relative humidity. Plastic shrinkage cracking
will occur if the concrete is too stiff to flow but has not yet developed enough strength to
withstand the tensile stresses that develop due to non-uniform shrinkage.
Plastic shrinkage cracks are typically 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 in) deep and run parallel to one
another 0.3 to 1 m (1 to 3 ft) apart (Mehta and Monteiro, 1993).
Precautionary measures should be taken to prevent shrinkage cracking when the rate of
evaporation of the bleed water exceeds 1 kg/m2.
Curing compounds are used to help prevent shrinkage cracking by reducing the evaporation of
water from the concrete. A curing compound should be applied as soon as bleed water ceases
to collect on the pavement surface. If the compound is applied too soon, tensile stresses
develop where the bleed water collects between the pavement surface and the membrane
thereby creating pinholes in the membrane. The increase in rate of evaporation due to the
pinholes increases the potential for shrinkage cracking. Shrinkage cracks can also develop if
the curing compound is applied too late after an excessive amount of evaporation has already
occur.
A) The first portion of this study identified and evaluated the curing compounds used Based on
the findings, modifications were made to Mn/DOT’s curing specifications so that a curing
compound with high water retention Characteristics is consistently being used.
B) The second portion of this study focuses on how curing compounds should be applied to the
pavement surface so that a uniform coverage of adequate thickness is obtained. A curing
compound with good water retention characteristics is of no use unless it is applied correctly.
Unfortunately the importance is often overlooked. In many cases,Inspections of this process
are limited to counting the empty barrels along the side of the pavement to ensure an adequate
volume of curing compound has been put through the sprayer.
Many factors such as wind and dirty/worn nozzles will affect how much of the cure ends up on
the pavement surface and the ability to obtain a uniform coverage
Characteristics of Curing Compound
Concrete pavements are commonly cured using membrane forming curing
compounds.Membrane-forming curing compounds typically consist of a wax or resin that is
emulsified inwater or dissolved in a solvent. The compound is applied to the pavement surface
and then thewater or solvent constituent evaporates leaving the wax or resin to form a
membrane over thesurface of the pavement. This membrane helps retain moisture in the
concrete. Emulsified linseed oil cure/sealer compounds are also used for curing concrete
pavements. The oil lowers the rate of evaporation by sealing the concrete pores while the
sealant helps prevent deterioration caused by freeze-thaw cycling and deciding chemicals
during the critical period of early strength Development.
Protecting
Protecting a concrete surface from aggressive materials like acids. Many materials have no
effect on concrete.
Coating suitable for protection at concrete surfaces are epoxy resin bituminous compound
linseed oil silicon preparation, rubber emulsion or even more cement coating.
Coatings are also used for sealing of the crack in concrete structure.for this high elasticity
coating materials is used.
Protecting Concrete During Cold Weather
In “cold weather” conditions it is important to protect the concrete from freezing and to
maintain curing conditions to ensure sufficient strength and durability to satisfy intended
service requirements. When “cold weather” conditions exist, concrete temperatures must be
maintained at 50ºF for at least two days if the using high-early-strength or approved
accelerated concrete.
Three days of 50ºF concrete temperature are required if regular concrete is used.
Depending on the adequacy of thermal protection provided this protection pervious may need
to be extended.
The building code requires a 2,500 psi minimum compressive concrete strength for footings
and 3,000 psi minimum for foundation walls. The code also requires the concrete to be air
entrained during cold weather concrete. The total air content (percent by volume of concrete)
shall not be less than 5% or greater than 7%. Non-chloride admixtures are strongly
recommended. The maximum slump without Super plasticizer is 5.0” and with Super
plasticizer is 8.0”
Inspection practices:
1 Inspectors shall approve only the foundation elements for which concrete shall be placed
thatsame day. Projects for which it is demonstrated that protection of all exposed earth, steel,
andforms will be maintained may also be approved. This will normally require supplemental
heat Capability.
2 The inspectors will verity the sub grade is not frozen and that weather freeze
protectioncomponents are on site at the time of inspection. The minimum time period for
which theconcrete must be protected against freezing is as follows:
When placing regular concrete during cold weather conditions the 50ºF concrete Temperature
shall be maintained at least 3 days.
When placing high early-strength concrete or concrete with approved accelerators the
50ºFconcrete temperature shall be maintained for 2 days.
Depending on the performance of the thermal protection provided, this protection period may
need to be extended.
3 Footings may be permitted to be unprotected for a maximum time period of twelve hours
toallow foundation walls to be formed and for the placement of concrete. This condition
ispermitted only after the footing concrete has reached a minimum of 500 psi
compressivestrength, usually about two days after placement for most concrete maintained at
50ºF. Thefoundation wall concrete can be placed using one of the approved mixes with the
footings andWall totally covered again and cured as detailed.
If the inspector determines that the concrete has not been adequately protected, as evidenced
by ice crystals in the concrete and or crystals patters on the concrete surface, the inspector shall
require that the concrete be tested in order to ensure that required strength has been developed.
Methods of protection
1. The methods of protection noted below are acceptable for temperatures 20ºF to 40ºF:
Insulated blankets – double R-5.1 blankets
Insulated forms – insulation value equal to the blanket requirements
The methods of protection for temperatures below 20º F:
 Heated weather resistive enclosures enveloping the footing and or walls, the heat
provided
 Should maintain a minimum, concrete temperature of 50ºF until the concrete attains
strengthsof 500 psi usually two days and double R-5.1 blankets.
 The heated enclosure heating source shall be vented to the exterior. If the heater is
fueled bypropane kerosene or petroleum products the fumes can cause damage to the
fresh concrete and cause premature carbonation. The exposed area will experience a
dusting of the surface which will reduce its strength and durability.
 At the end of the protection period concrete should be cooled gradually to reduce crack
inducing differential strains between the interior and exterior of the structure.
Self- check-1
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each
question. Each question carries 2 Point.
1. The process of controlling the rate and extent of moisture loss from concrete
during cement hydration.
A. Compacting
B. Curing
C. Segregation
D. Vibration
2. Is a method of maintaining the surface moisture level by placing materials like hessian.
A. Wet curing
B. Formwork Curing
C. Membrane Curing
D. Sheet Curing
3. Are usually used as embedded elements near the surface of concrete elements.
 A. Heating coils
B. Wet curing
C. Formwork Curing
D. Membrane Curing
4. Is only the first step in finishing concrete
A. Curing
B. Screeding
C. Floating
D. Trawling
5. Is a piece of construction equipment used to apply a smooth finish to concrete slabs
A. Power trowel
B. Screeding
C. Floating
D. Trawling
Self check-2
Test-II Matching
Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each
question. Each question carries 2 Point.

A B
---------1. floating trowel A. is a process carried out with a long
straight piece of wood
---------2. Screeding B. is used to spread and flatten mortar
on walls
---------3. Protect Concrete C. Keep the concrete moist for the next
five to seven days
---------4. Smooth Concrete D. mix of small sand and cement particles
to the surface.
E. It is mainly used for roof slabs and
road pavements.

Test III: short Answer writing

Instruction: write short answer for the given question. You are provided 3 minute for each
question and each point has 5Points.
1. What is the purpose of Curing?
2. Write down at least five rules of jointing?
Note: Satisfactory rating – above 60% Unsatisfactory - below 60%
You can ask you teacher for the copy of the correct answers
Oration sheet -1
Operation title: Finishing concrete
Purpose: it used to properly Finish concrete
Instruction: Use the given tools and equipment to Finish concrete . For this operation you
have given 1hour and you are expected to provide the answer on the given table.
Tools and requirement:
 Spade
 bucket
 Batching box
 Wheel barrow
 Mixing plat
 Float
 Trowel
CONSUMER MATERIALS : -
 Cement,
 Sand,
 Aggregate
 Water
Precautions:
 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body
 Make working area hazard free
 Working area good & brightness
CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-
 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...
 Ensure the work shop hazard free
 Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility
 Make workstation comfortable
PROCEDURE,
Step 1 - Site Work
Step 2 - Forming
Step 3 - Mixing
Step 4 – Placement
Step5 -Compacting
Step 6 – Screeding
Stepe7- Floating
QUALITY CRITERIA:
 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

Oration sheet -2
Operation title: Control jointing
Purpose: it used to properly concrete Control jointing
Instruction: Use the given tools and equipment to Control jointing . For this operation you
have given 1hour and you are expected to provide the answer on the given table.
Tools and requirement:
 Spade
 bucket
 Batching box
 Wheel barrow
 Mixing plat
 Float
 Trowel
CONSUMER MATERIALS : -
 Cement,
 Sand,
 Aggregate
 Water
Precautions:
 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body
  Make working area hazard free
 Working area good & brightness
CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-
 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...
 Ensure the work shop hazard free
 Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility
 Make workstation comfortable
PROCEDURE,
Rule #1: Panels formed by contraction joints should be as square as possible.
Rule #2: Contraction joints should be continuous, not staggered or offset.
Rule #3: Identify and address re-entrant corners.
Rule #4: Install contraction joints at locations where slabs typically crack
Rule #7: For tooled or grooved joints, depth of the contraction joint should be 1/4 of the
slab thickness.
Rule #8: For wet-cut saw cut joints, depth of the contraction joint should be 1/4 the slab
Rule #9: For joints installed with an early-entry dry-cut saw, joint depth should be 1-1/4 in.
Rule #10: Start saw cutting as soon as joint raveling (loss of aggregate particles) no longer
occurs.
QUALITY CRITERIA:
 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

LAP Test -1
Finishing concrete
Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________
Time started: _________________Time finished: ________________

Instructions: Given necessary templates /guide, workshop, tools and materials

clean up the required to perform the following tasks.
Task1. Fish concrete
Task2. Control jointing
7.1 Clean
Unit Work
Seven: area and Materials
Cleaning

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Clean Work area and materials
 Disposal of Materials.
 Plant, tools and equipment
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Clear Work area and materials
 Clean, check, maintain and stor Plant, tools and equipment

7.1.1. House keeping

Good housekeeping is more than a magazine. On construction sites, good housekeeping refers to

the practice of keeping your site clean and tidy. But should you even bother trying to make a

construction site a clean and tidy place? Construction work is messy after all, and if you clean up

now there will only be more mess later.

Yes, you should practice good housekeeping! A tidy work area reduces the risk of accidents and

improves fire safety. If you don't have materials, waste and discarded tools lying around all over

the place, there are fewer things to trip you up. Literally! And if you stop rubbish from piling up,

there's less fuel for a fire, and if one does start, clearer escape routes to get out safely.

Not does good housekeeping improve safety, it will make your work more productive, and could

even save you money. Because when a site is organised and tidy and everyone knows where

everything is, they spend less time looking for things, and more time getting on with things!

This is all well and good in theory, but let's face it, tidying up is one of the jobs that tend to end

up last on the list. On construction sites, for example, tidying up tends to be left until the end of
the shift. But that just means you’re exposing yourself and others to trip hazards all day long –

and that’s when the accidents will happen.

So here are 10 good housekeeping rules for a tidy site. Implement these, and you should see a

reduction in slip and trip accidents and near misses to your workforce.

1. Designate an area for rubbish and waste.

Create an area for waste to go. After all, if you want your work area free from waste materials,

you need somewhere to put them. This could be a skip or other waste disposal bin depending on

the amount of waste. A best practice solution is to segregate waste types for reuse, recycle or

landfill.

2. Stack and store materials safely.

Poorly stacked materials can block access routes or topple over causing crushing injuries or

damage to property. You are going to need materials and tools for use throughout your project,

store them safely to stop them from becoming a hazard.

3. Maintain a safe work area.

On a construction site, it's likely your job will create waste throughout the day. Whether it's

packaging, demolishing, or off-cuts. Check your work area at regular intervals throughout the

day and clear up as you go along. If trip hazards and mess is starting to build up, sort it out

sooner rather than later.

4. Keep access routes clear.

A safe work area includes access and egress. It's how you get to your workplace, and how you

leave. Don't leave materials/tools/benches etc in gangways/corridors where they might impede

someone’s escape or cause a trip hazard (it might be you or a colleague who needs to get out in a

hurry).

5. Put tools away when you’re done.

If you've finished using tools or equipment, put them away. It’s easy to leave items lying around,

but if you won’t be needing them again in a hurry, put them away. If it’s out of use, it should be

out of sight, or at least out from under your feet!

6. Set a tidy example.

Just because it’s not yours, doesn’t mean it’s not your responsibility. If you see anything lying on

floors, stairways, passages that could cause people to trip and fall, pick it up and put it in a safe

place – don't wait for someone else to move it, the next person might be the one who gets hurt.

7. If it is broken, fix it.

Fix it, or ditch it. Good housekeeping is also about keeping things in good working order on site.

Damaged tools or equipment must be taken out of use so that can either be repaired or replaced.

8. Don’t let cables trip you up.

Trailing leads and cables from equipment are common trip hazards, particularly when using

portable equipment. You may not have a socket close the working area, but make sure you route

the lead away from walkways or access routes. Route cables where they do not cause a trip

hazard to you or others.

9. Avoid fire risks.

Make sure waste or the storage of materials does not build up in fire escapes as you may need to

use these escapes at some point. Clearing up and removing waste is also a good way to prevent

fires on site. Fire needs fuel, so don’t allow waste materials to be stored close to sources of

ignition. If all rubbish is regularly collected and put into the skip, in the event of the fire, the

danger is confined and more easily dealt with.

10. Make others aware.

A tidy work area requires commitment from everyone. Raise awareness on your site with

our free good housekeeping toolbox talk. Get everyone practising the same good housekeeping

routines and you will be on your way to a tidy, and safe site, for everyone.

7.2. Dispos , reus or recycl materials

7.2.1 Disposing, reusing and recycling waste materials

Reuse and recycling of waste construction materials is one component of a larger

holistic practice called sustainable or green building construction. The efficient use of
resources is a fundamental tenet of green building construction. This means reducing,
reusing, and recycling most if not all materials that remain after a construction or
renovation project. Many building materials can be reused or recycled. Reusing and
recycling materials salvaged from demolition and building sites depends on:

 local recycling facilities

 market demand

 quality and condition of materials and components

 time available for salvage

 emphasis put on reuse and recycling.

Materials that can generally be recycled from construction sites include:

 steel from reinforcing, wire, containers, and so on

 concrete, which can be broken down and recycled as base course in driveways
and footpaths

 aluminum

 plastics – grade 1 (PET) and 2 (HDPE)

 paper and cardboard

  untreated timber, which can be used as firewood or mulched

 topsoil

 paint. manufacturers/retailers should take back unwanted paint and paint

containers.

Materials that can generally be recycled from deconstruction/demolition sites include:

 siteworks and vegetation – asphalt paving, chain link fencing, timber fencing,
trees

 concrete – in situ and precast concrete

 masonry – concrete blocks and decorative concrete, paving stones, bricks,

 metals – reinforcing steel (rebar), structural steel, steel roofing including flashings
and spouting, zinc roofing, interior metal wall studs, cast iron, aluminium, copper
including flashings, spouting, claddings and pipework, lead, electrical, plumbing
fixtures

 timber – hardwood flooring, laminated beams, truss joists, treated and untreated
timbers/posts, joinery, untreated timber generally, engineered timber panels

 terracotta tiles

 electrical wiring

 wool carpet

 plastics – grade 1 (PET) and 2 (HDPE).

Components that can readily be reused include:

 stairs

 timber – hardwood flooring, weatherboards, laminated beams, truss joists,

treated and untreated framing, timbers/posts, native timber components

 thermal insulation – fiberglass, wool and polyester insulation, polystyrene sheets

 carpet and carpet tiles

  plumbing fixtures – baths, sinks, toilets, taps, service equipment, hot water
heaters

 electrical fittings – light fittings, switches, thermostats

 linings and finishing – architraves, skirtings, wood paneling, specialty wood

fittings, joinery

 doors and windows – metal and timber doors, mechanical closures, panic
hardware, aluminium windows, steel windows, sealed glass units, unframed
glass mirrors, store fronts, skylights, glass from windows and doors, timber and
metal from frames

 clay and concrete roof tiles

 metal wall and roof claddings

 PVC and metal spouting.

Hazardous materials

Hazardous materials must be disposed of appropriately. Check the requirements for

removal and disposal of hazardous waste for your local area.

Hazardous wastes from the demolition of buildings may include:

 fluorescent light ballasts manufactured before 1978 – contain PCBs

 fluorescent lamps – contain mercury

 refrigeration and air conditioning equipment – contain refrigerants made using

CFCs

 batteries – contain lead, mercury and acid

 roof and wall claddings, pipe insulation, some vinyl flooring, textured ceilings and
roofing membrane sheets containing asbestos fibers

 lead or materials that contain lead such as flashings, paint, bath and basin
wastes.
When cleaning up, materials such as cement, sand, paint and other liquids and
solvents, must not be released into the stormwater or sewerage disposal systems. This
should be included in the demolition specification.

Requirements for recycled or reused materials

The economic value of reusing and recycling. Factors include the:

 cost of transport

 cost of skip hire

 value of material

 weight/amount of material

 number of contaminants.

And you should find out:

 material type

 acceptable and unacceptable levels of contamination

 acceptable and unacceptable levels of damage

 quantities accepted

 transportation requirements

 required documentation including waste tracking forms

 sorting and handling requirements for each material type.

Things to check for concrete

 Types of concrete and rubble accepted.

 Size of concrete pieces.

 Amount of preprocessing.

 Acceptable levels of bricks and tiles.

  Acceptable amount of contamination from materials such as glass, metal, soil.

Some concretes products are too hard-wearing on crushing machines and some
concretes are too soft to meet reuse specifications after crushing,

Things to check for metal

 Types of metal accepted.

 Contamination tolerances from materials such as plastics and leftover product in

containers.

Things to check for plasterboard

 Whether demolition board is acceptable.

 Minimum and maximum sizes of chip or powder particles.

 Contamination tolerances from materials such as screws, nails, paint and glues.

 Moisture tolerances.

 Minimum and maximum quantities.

Things to check for timber

 Types of timber acceptable (for example, treated, native, untreated).

 Minimum and maximum sizes of board and lengths of timber.

 Minimum and maximum quantities.

 Contamination tolerances from materials such as nails, paint, concrete.

 Any preprocessing requirements such as sorting or grading.

 How timber is to be received (for example, loose, stacked in containers or on

pallets).
7.3 Maintain Plant, tools and equipment

7.3.1 Maintain construction tools and equipment

How to maintain construction tools and equipment?

Construction tools and equipment suffer a lot of wear and tear. Hence, it is important
to maintain them regularly. This will help increase the service life as well as the performance of
the equipment. Precautionary maintenance of tools and equipment will also help reduce
unwanted expenses related to broken or faulty equipment. Small problems generally lead to
bigger issues if left unattended. Perform all cleaning and repair work as soon as you see any
signs of damage or neglect. This will keep your instruments from failing you at crucial moments.
Stepe 1. Clean your tools. Cleaning the tools regularly is essential to their proper functioning.
After a day of work, your tools will be covered with some amount of dirt. It’s important to clean
them after you’re finished using them. Although a thorough cleaning is not required on a daily
basis, make sure you clean your tools regularly. When cleaning your tools, don’t use chemicals
that are extremely harsh. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for proper cleaning and
maintenance.[1]
Stepe 2. Protect electrical cords. Airlines and electrical cords are prone to heavy damage since
they are generally in the way of construction vehicles, and foot traffic. Other machinery like
forklifts, drills, etc. can easily cut through wires. To keep the wires and airlines from getting
damaged, it is important to protect them. You can cover the electrical cords with industrial
strength casings or purpose-built ramps.[2]
Stepe 3. Lubricate tools. Whether you work with pneumatic or regular tools, it is important to
lubricate them regularly. Lubricating tools helps them to perform better and reduces wear and
tear of components.[3]
Lubrication is even more important when working with air or pneumatic tools. Pneumatic tools
need to be lubricated once a day before use. When moisture or condensation enters the interiors
of pneumatic tools, it can cause corrosion. Corrosion can decrease the life of an instrument.
Corroded parts are difficult to repair and replace. Hence, the internal components of pneumatic
tools should be coated with special air-tool oil. This oil prevents corrosion by displacing any
moisture that enters the interior of the equipment.
Stepe 4. Inspect tools regularly. Regularly inspect your tools for signs of damage and faulty
functioning. Inspections should take place at the end of each construction job. Ensure that you
repair them immediately if there is any damage. This will avoid any last minute hassle.
Stepe 5. Store tools with care. Storing tools properly is of prime importance. Although tools are
designed for rough use, it is important to store them properly. Cover up your tools to keep dirt
and rain away from the machine. If the tools aren’t used for a long time, inspect them regularly
for signs of damage, wear and tear, corrosion, etc.

Self check-1

Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each
question. Each question carries 1 Point.
1. One of the following is not Effective housekeeping results
A. reduced handling to ease the flow of materials
B. less janitorial work
C. increase fire hazards
D. more effective use of space

2. what is the use of cleaning work area?

A, the work place so that it is a more effective, more efficient place to work

B, it involves strong out what is note needed to perform the required work in the work area

C, ALL D, None

3. Good housekeeping helps to create:

A/Better working conditions

B/Safer workplaces

C/Greater efficiency.

D/All
4. Which of the following Information is true about Machinery and Equipment neatness

A/ Clean and free of unnecessary material.

B/Free of unnecessary dripping of oil or grease.

 C/ Benches and seats clean and in good condition.

D/ All of the above

5. The successful maintenance program include one of the following

A/Good planning and managing effectively

B/Identifying and controlling hazards at workplaces

C/Define operational procedures

D/ All of the above

Self check-2

Test-II Matching

Matching

Instruction: select the correct answer for the give choice. You have given 1 Minute for each
question. Each question carries 2 Point.

A B

1.Preventive maintenance A. The basic maintenance of equipment

by its user or operator

2.Periodic Maintenance B. It is to correct the defect to be found

in the equipment

3.Corrective maintenance C. Equipment is maintained before any

fault occur
 4.Effective housekeeping results D. Used to wipe the cleaning tools and
equipment

E. reduced handling to ease the flow of

materials

F. A device that uses an air pump

Test III: short Answer writing

Instruction: write short answer for the given question. You are provided 3 minute for each
question and each point has 5Points.

1. A good housekeeping program identifies and assigns responsibilities for the following:

(4points)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Least at list 4 Effective housekeeping results? (3points)

3. How to maintain tools & equipment at construction site? (3 points)

4. What is the purpose of work place housekeeping? (10)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Satisfactory rating – above 60% Unsatisfactory - below 60%
You can ask you teacher for the copy of the correct answers

OPERATION SHEET-1
Operation title: Perform Disposing, reusing and recycling waste materials.

Purpose: it used to Perform Dispos, reus and recycl waste materials.

Instruction: Use the given procuder to Perform Dispos, reus and recycl waste materials. For
this operation you have given 2hour and you are expected to provide the answer on the given
table.

Precautions:

 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body

 Make working area hazard free

 Working area good & brightness

CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-

 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...

 Ensure the work shop hazard free

 Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility

 Make workstation comfortable

 PROCEDURE,

Steps 1- Check the requirements for removal and disposal of hazardous waste

Step 2- Check material type to be reused or recycle

Step 3- Check acceptable and unacceptable levels of contamination and damage

Step 4- Check sorting and handling requirements for each material type

Stepp 5- Check required quantities and transportation requirements

Stepp 6- Reuse and recycle

QUALITY CRITERIA:

 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

 Assure the perform Clean up to get deposing &recycle waste materials & Increase
productivity based on clean up methods.

OPERATION SHEET-2
Operation title: performing maintaining plants, tools and equipment
Purpose: it used to performing maintaining plants, tools and equipment
Instruction: Steps to be followed to Perform all cleaning and repair work as soon as you see any
signs of damage.
Precautions:

 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body

 Make working area hazard free

 Working area good & brightness

CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-

 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...

 Ensure the work shop hazard free

 Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility

 Make workstation comfortable

PROCEDURE,

Steps 1- Clean your tools and equipment: Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for
proper cleaning and maintenance.

Step 2- Protect electrical cords: cover the electrical cords with industrial strength
casings or purpose-built ramps.

Step 3- Lubricate tools and equipment: Lubricate tools and equipment regularly
Step 4- Lubricate tools and equipment: Regularly inspect your tools for signs of
damage and faulty functioning.

Stepp 5- Store tools with care: Store tools properly

QUALITY CRITERIA:

 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

 Assure the perform Clean up to get deposing &recycle waste materials & Increase
productivity based on clean up methods.

OPERATION SHEET-3
Operation title: Perform all good housekeeping steps.
Purpose: it used to Perform all good housekeeping steps.
Instruction: Steps to be followed while performing good housekeeping are:
Precautions:

 Wear working cloths which properly fit with your body

 Make working area hazard free

 Working area good & brightness

CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS:-

 Wear appropriate clothes, shoe, helmet, glove ...

 Ensure the work shop hazard free

  Ensure the working area is bright / good visibility

 Make workstation comfortable

PROCEDURE,

Steps 1- clean up during the shift:

Step 2- cleanup day-to-day:

Step 3- Dispose waste:

Step 4- Remove unused materials:

Stepp 5- Inspect to ensure cleanup is complete:

QUALITY CRITERIA:

 Assured the performance of all the activities according to the given guide.

 Assure the perform Clean up to get deposing &recycle waste materials & Increase
productivity based on clean up methods.

LAP Test

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________

Time started: ________________________ Time finished: ________________

Instructions: Given necessary templates, tools and materials you are required to
perform the following tasks within 8-12 hours.

Task 1: Disposing, re-using and recycling waste materials

Task 2: Maintaining plants, tools and equipment

Task 3: Performing good housekeeping

Reference
1. http://www.level.org.nz/material-use/minimising-waste/reuse-and-recycling/
2. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/house.html
3. https://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-Construction-Tools
4. http://www.fao.org/3/x5744e/x5744e08.htm
5. https://theconstructor.org
6. https://civilseek.com/category/construction/
7. https://geniebelt.com/blog/blueprints
Participants of this Module (training material) preparation
No Name Qualification Field of Organizatio Mobile E-mail
(Level) Study n/ number
Institution
1 Seblewengel Bekele A(MSC) Con Mgt Bishoftu 0934916466 [email protected]

2 Derbabaw Mulaw A(MSC) Con Mgt Gonder 0967593066 Derbabawmulaw2020@

gmil.com

3 Tibebnesh G/ Micael A(MSC) Con Mgt Awasa 0916116033 tibebneshg1 @ gmil.com

4 Habtamu Civi.engneering Ethio Italy 09482844573 wendimagegnhabtamu@

Wendimagegn poly gmil.com

5 Remedan Mohamed Con Mgt Harer poly 0974720826 mohamed remedan82@

gmil.com