Based on Gita’s provided Hard copy…..

Concrete
1. Name 3 positive and 3 negative characteristics of a low W/C ratio concrete mix:

Positive
 High Compressive Strength
 Low Bleed Water
 High Durability
 Less chance of segregation
Negative
 Hard to place/finish.
 Low Workability
 Cannot or hard to pump concrete.
 Less cost effective

2. List 3 reasons why SCM’s and chemical admixtures are sometimes used in a concrete mix:
 Increase/Decrease Setting Time
 Increase workability.
 Control heat of hydration
 Increase sulphate resistance.
 prevent Freeze/Thaw
 Control dry shrinkage

3. Name 3 CSA concrete test procedures that were carried out during Labs 1 and 2
 Slump Test
 Compressive Strength
 Air Content (Pressure Method)

4. Name the 4 types of Portland Cement used in Canada and which is most common:
 General Use (GU)
 High Sulphate Resistance (HS)
 High Early (HE)

5. Differentiate between entrapped air and entrained air: -

Entrapped Air is naturally occurring and air bubbles greater than 1 mm –

Entrained Air is introducing into mix (A/E) and air bubbles less than 1 mm Entrained Air helps prevent
cracking in concrete due to freeze/thaw events and there are more air bubbles in entrained air than in
entrapped air.

6. Fill in the blanks to answer the questions:

- Proper consolidation of concrete will reduce voids from mixing and transportation - A visual feature
known as honeycombing is a result of not properly vibrating concrete - Finishing concrete with excessive
bleed water results in spalling of the concrete - A slump test is an indication of the consistency of concrete
- When concrete is dropped from height or moved laterally, segregation may occur in the mix.
Aggregate
1. Types of Aggregates
 Fine Aggregates (FA)
- Sand and/or crushed stone
- less than 5mm
- Content usually 35 % to 45% by mass or volume of total aggregates
 Coarse Aggregates (CA)
- Gravel and crushed stone
- More than 5mm
- Typically, between 10mm to 40mm
2. Natural occurring aggregates – mixtures of rocks and minerals
 Minerals – inorganic substance of natural occurrence, made of specific chemical composition.
 Igneous Rocks – rock formed by the cooling and solidifying of molten materials either magma or lava.
 Metamorphic rocks – rock that was once form a rock but has changed to another chemical processes.
 Sedimentary rocks – formed through the deposition and solidification of sediments transported by
water and ice. Contain fossil.
3. RCA – Recycled Concrete Aggregate
- Or crushed waste concrete is a feasible and economic option, especially when good, natural
aggregate are scarce.
4. Density – the ratio of mass/volume measured in kg/ m³ density = M/V
5. Two Types of Density
 Relative Density – (or specific gravity) is the density of the rock itself.
- Value ranges from 2.4 to 2.9 average value is 2.65
- RD = Mass of Aggregate
Mass of an equal volume of water

Or

Density = RD x Density of Water

Ex. Density has units that are derived from those used for water (1000 kg/m³)

 Bulk Density – of aggregate is the mass of aggregate required to fill a container of specified unit
volume.
- Bulk density includes the spaces between the aggregate particles since the volume of the
container is used and not the volume of the rock itself.
- Typical value ranges from 1200 to 1750 kg/m³
 BD= Mass of Aggregate
Volume of Container
6. Three categories of aggregate classification based on density.
 Normal Density – 2200 – 2400 kg/m³
 Low density – reduced deadload
 High Density – 6400 kg/m³
7. Common sources of natural, normal weight aggregates.
 Quarried Cliff
 Sand & Gravel Deposit
8. Most important function of aggregate in concrete
  Reduce drying shrinkage.
 Increase ductility (less brittle)
9. Processing of Natural Aggregates
1. The sand & gravel deposit
2. Remove Oversize Material
3. Reduce Maximum size & Adjust Gradation
4. The wash towers.
5. The settling tank.
10. Products from sand and gravel
 Pit Run – unprocessed sand and gravel.
 Road crush – this material has been reduced to size to < 28mm & contained crushed material.
11. Manufactured Aggregates
- Processing quarried rock
- Fine & coarse concrete aggregates processed from solid rock.
- More expensive than those produced from natural sand and gravel.
- Should considered when no suitable natural source available.

Aggregate For Concrete – M3.3 & 3.4

1. Organic Impurities: explain
Common type: Decaying vegetation, soil humus & Coal

Effect: - Retard the hydration of cement, reduce strength, add air entrainment

How to Test: Standard Solution of Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda)

2. Less than 80µm Material:

Problem: Higher the surface area, more water required to coat, coat the larger aggregate &
weaken the bond to cement paste resulting in a concrete strength reduction.
3. The material is removed by washing and not be evaluated by dry sieving.

CSA specification limit less than 80 µm material to <3% for fine aggregate and <1% for coarse aggregate
4. Others:
- Soft Particles and Clay Lumps – may break during mixing, expand in exterior concrete exposed to
weathering & caused popouts.
- Iron staining particles – staining exterior concrete surfaces exposed to weathering, undesirable in
architectural concrete.
5. Alkali- Aggregate Reactivity - is rare & potentially harmful only when it produces significant expansion.
Two Forms:
1. Alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR)
2. Alkali-silica reaction (ASR)
Damage includes:
- Popouts
- Map or pattern crack
- Expansion & misalignment of structure & machinery
6. Stockpiling -
7. Sampling Aggregates – The sample must be representative of the material being sampled, particularly for
moisture determination and sieve analysis.
8. Grading – The particle size distribution of an aggregate as determined by sieve analysis.
9. Governing Standards and Limits
 - CSA – Canada Standard Association
- ASTM – American Standard for Testing and Materials
10. Grading to fine
- Required more water.
- Have decreased strengths when more cement is not added.
- Are uneconomical when more cement is added.
- Show increased drying shrinkage due to their high-water content.
11. Grading to Coarse
- Insufficient amount of finer sizes and not all the voids are filled.
- Have a harsh or gritty texture with poor workability & difficult to finish.
- Uneconomical concretes with high drying shrinkage
12. Three of the aggregate properties discussed have specification limits that must be met.
1. Gradation
2. Amount of organic material
3. Amount of less than 80µm material
13. Sieve Analysis –

Fineness Modulus = cumulative % retained (excluding pan) 2.2 (very fine) to 3.2 (very coarse)
100
14. Less than 160µm and 315µm – aggregate in the very fine sizes is required to workability and finishing.
- Workability is a problem when the percentage passing the 315µm sieve is less than 10.
15. The optimum percentages depend on the richness of the mix:
- Lean Mix – have low cement contents and are used in low strength applications.
- Rich mixes – are designed for higher strengths and require greater cement content.