WHETHER OR NOT TO SELECT CONCRETE FOR CONSTRUCTION?

concrete mix proportions

FACTORS AFFECTING CHOICE OF CONCRETE FOR A STRUCTURE The choice of whether a structure should be built of concrete, steel, masonry, or timber depends on the availability of materials and on a number of value decisions. 1. Economy Frequently, the foremost consideration is the overall cost of the structure. This is, of course, a function … Read more

7 FORMS OF DEFECTS IN PLASTER

Quality Assurance Procedure for Plastering Work

TYPES OF DEFECTS IN PLASTER This post describes 7 different categories of defects most frequently noticed in plaster (as mentioned below) Non-structural cracks Structural cracks Debonding Lack of hardness Grinning Expansion Popping The causes and repair methods for each are discussed below. 1. Non-structural cracks Crazing is a network of fine cracks, usually in a … Read more

WHAT ARE THE PROPERTIES OF AIR ENTRAINED CONCRETE?

Air entrained concrete

AIR ENTRAINED CONCRETE A major advance in concrete technology in recent years is the introduction of tiny disconnected air bubbles into concrete called air entrainment. Air entrained concrete results from using either an air-entraining cement or an air-entraining admixture during mixing. Adding entrained air to concrete provides important benefits in both plastic and hardened concrete, … Read more

HOW TO DO FLEXURAL STRENGTH TEST OF CONCRETE?

Flexural Strength Test Arrangement

FLEXURAL STRENGTH TEST OF CONCRETE Objective To determine the Flexural Strength of Concrete, which comes into play when a road slab with inadequate sub-grade support is subjected to wheel loads and / or there are volume changes due to temperature / shrinking. Reference Standards IS: 516-1959 – Methods of tests for strength of concrete Equipment & … Read more

WHAT ARE THE PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATES FOR CONCRETE?

Aggregates for Asphalt Concrete

Engineering Properties of Aggregates Aggregates are used in concrete to provide economy in the cost of concrete. Aggregates act as filler only. These do not react with cement and water. But there are properties or characteristics of aggregate which influence the properties of resulting concrete mix. These are as follow. Composition Size & Shape Surface … Read more

5 IMPORTANT ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF MORTAR

Mortar Mix- Do you know this

Technical Properties of Mortar For the sake of projects, the newly mixed mortar should have good workability, and the hardened mortar should have the required strength, the bending power to the bottom face, little deformation and durability. 1. Workability of Fresh Mortar The workability of fresh mortar refers to the comprehensive properties of mortar easy … Read more

WHAT ARE THE BASIC PROPERTIES OF HEAT INSULATING MATERIALS?

Heat insulating material

The Basic Properties of Heat-insulating Material In architecture, the material which prevents the outflow of indoor heat is normally called adiabator. On the other hand, the material which prevents the inflow of outdoor heat is called heat insulator. These two are collectively called heat-insulating materials. This kind of material is mainly used for walls, ceilings, … Read more

HOW TO MAKE TEST CUBES FROM FRESH CONCRETE?

Self compacting concrete

Making of Test Cubes From Fresh Concrete IS-456 has laid down the acceptance criteria of quality concrete. In all the cases, the 28-days compressive strength shall alone be the criterion for acceptance or rejection of the concrete. 7 days compressive strength of concrete can be carried out in order to get a relatively quicker idea … Read more

8 FACTORS AFFECTING SETTING & HARDENING OF CEMENT

Factors Affecting the Setting and Hardening of Portland cement (1) The Impact of Cement’s Composition The mineral composition of cement and their ratios are the main factors affecting the setting and hardening of cement. As mentioned above, various mineral components will reveal different characteristics when reacting with water. For example, the increase of C3A can … Read more