Properties of Concrete As Construction Material

Properties of Concrete
as Construction
Material
Properties of Concrete
Concrete is an artificial conglomerate stone made essentially of Portland
cement, water and aggregates
Grades of concrete
Concrete is known by its grade which is designated as M15, M20 etc. in which
letter M refers to concrete mix and number 15, 20 denotes the specified
compressive strength of 150mm cube at 28 days, expressed in N/mm2.
Thus, concrete is known by its compressive strength. M20 and M25 are the most
common grades of concrete, and higher grades of concrete should be used for
severe, very severe and extreme environments.
Compressive Strength
Compressive Strength – defined as the measured maximum resistance of a
concrete or mortar specimen to an axial load, usually expressed in psi (pound
per unit inch) at an age of 28-days.
Characteristic Strength of Concrete
It is defined as the value of the strength below which not more then 5% of the
test results are expected to fall (i.e. there is 95% probability of achieving this
value only 5% of not achieving the same)
Characteristic strength of concrete in flexural member
The characteristic strength of concrete in flexural member is taken as 0.67 times
the strength of concrete cube.
Design strength (fd) and partial safety factor for material strength
The strength to be taken for the purpose of design is known is known as design
strength and is given by
Design strength (fd) = characteristic strength/ partial safety factor for material
strength
The value of partial safety factor depends upon the type of material and upon
the type of limit state. According to IS code, partial safety factor is taken as 1.5
for concrete and 1.15 for steel.
Tensile Strength of Concrete
The estimate of flexural tensile strength or the modulus of rupture or the
cracking strength of concrete from cube compressive strength is obtained by the
relations
fcr = 0.7 fck N/mm2. The tensile strength of concrete in direct tension is
obtained experimentally by split cylinder. It varies between 1/8 to 1/12 of cube
compressive strength.
Creep in Concrete
Creep is defined as the plastic deformation under sustained load. Creep strain
depends primarily on the duration of sustained loading. According to the code,
the value of the ultimate creep coefficient is taken as 1.6 at 28 days of loading.
Shrinkage of Concrete
The property of diminishing in volume during the process of drying and
hardening is termed Shrinkage. It depends mainly on the duration of exposure. If
this strain is prevented, it produces tensile stress in the concrete and hence
concrete develops cracks.
Modular Ratio
Short term modular ratio is the modulus of elasticity of steel to the modulus of elasticity of
concrete.
Short term modular ratio = Es / Ec
Es = modulus of elasticity of steel (2 x 10 5 N/mm2)
Ec = modulus of elasticity of concrete (5000 x SQRT(fck) N/mm2)
As the modulus of elasticity of concrete changes with time, age at loading etc the modular
ratio also changes accordingly. Taking into account the effects of creep and shrinkage
partially IS code gives the following expression for the long term modular ratio.
Long term modular ratio (m) = 280/ (3fcbc)
Where, fcbc = permissible compressive stress due to bending in concrete in N/mm2.
Poisson’s Ratio
Poisson’s ratio varies between 0.1 for high strength concrete and 0.2 for weak
mixes. It is normally taken as 0.15 for strength design and 0.2 for serviceability
criteria.
Durability of Concrete
Durability of concrete is its ability to resist its disintegration and decay. One of
the chief characteristics influencing durability of concrete is its permeability to
increase of water and other potentially deleterious materials.
Unit Weight of Concrete
The unit weight of concrete depends on percentage of reinforcement, type of aggregate,
amount of voids and varies from 23 to 26 kN/m2. The unit weight of plain and reinforced
concrete as specified by IS:456 are 24 and 25 KN/m3 respectively.
Properties of Steel
Steel is an alloy, consisting mainly of iron, with a carbon content of 0.2% to 2.1%
by weight. The proportions and forms in which these elements are used, affect
the properties of the steel that is produced - increasing the carbon content for
instance, increases its strength.
The most important properties of steel are great formability and durability, good
tensile and yield strength and good thermal conductivity. As well as these
important properties the most characteristic of the stainless steel properties is
its resistance to corrosion.
Tensile Strength
Tensile strength is the amount of stress that a substance can take before
becoming structurally deformed. The tensile strength of steel is comparatively
high, making it highly resistant to fracture or breakage, which is a key point in its
use in infrastructure building.
Ductility
One of the useful mechanical properties of steel, is its ability to change shape on
the application of force to it, without resulting in a fracture. This property is
known as ductility, which enables it to be used in the making of different shapes
and structures ranging from thin wires or large automotive parts and panels.
Malleability
Malleability is closely linked with ductility, and allows steel to be deformed
under compression. It allows this alloy to be compressed into sheets of variable
thicknesses, often created by hammering or rolling.
Durability
The hardness of this alloy is high, reflecting its ability to resist strain. It is long-
lasting and greatly resistant to external wear and tear. Hence it is considered a
very durable material.
Conductivity
Steel is a good conductor of heat and electricity. These properties make it good
choice for making domestic cookware, as well as electrical wiring.
Luster
One of the physical properties of steel is its attractive outer appearance. It is
silvery in color with a shiny, lustrous outer surface.
Rust Resistance
The addition of certain elements, makes some types of steel resistant to rust.
Stainless steel for instance contains nickel, molybdenum and chromium which
improve its ability to resist rust.

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