Concrete – Definition Properties and Classification

Concrete – Definition Properties and Classification

Cement concrete is a mixture of cement, sand, pebbles, or crushed rock and water which, when placed in the skeleton forms followed by curing becomes hard like a stone. In this post, we are going to illustrate Cement Concrete – Definition Properties and Classification.

1. Concrete is a composite man-made material and is the most widely used building material in the Construction industry.

2. It is a mixture of binding material such as lime or cement, well-graded coarse and fine aggregate water, and sometimes admixture.

3. Most of the ancient structures and historical buildings had been constructed with lime concrete but with the invention of cement, the use of lime concrete is limited in making bases of concrete foundation and roof terracing.

4. The basic requirement of Good concrete is that is should have good strength in a hardened state and remain “fresh” plastic during transportation, placing, compaction.

• Grade Of Concrete And Its Cement, Sand And Aggregate Ratio
• What is 1.54 in Concrete

5. In the fresh state, the consistency of the mix should be such that it can be compacted by the desired means without excessive effort, and also the mix should be cohesive enough for the method of transporting and placing used so as not to cause segregation.

Properties of Cement Concrete

1. High compressive strength.

2. Free from corrosion and there is no appreciable effect of atmospheric agents on it.

3. It hardens with age and the process of hardening continues for a long time.

4. It is proved to be more economical than steel.

5. It binds rapidly with steel and as it is weak in tension, the steel reinforcement is placed in cement concrete as suitable places to take up the tensile stresses. This is term as the reinforced cement concrete or simply RCC.

6. It has a tendency to shrink.

7. It forms a hard surface, capable of resisting abrasion.

• Bulking OF Fine Aggregates
• Concrete Cube Samples Taken for Different Volume
• Grades of Concrete as per IS 456 : 2000

Classification of Concrete

1. Based on cementing material.

(a) Lime concrete     (b)  Gypsum concrete            (c)    cement concrete

2. Based on the grade of cement concrete

3. Base on bulk density

4. Based on the place of casting

(a) In-situ concrete: when concrete is placed in position at the site it is known as In-situ concrete.

(b) Precast concrete: when concrete is used for making prefabricated units in a factory is called precast concrete.