High Performance Concrete

Samir Surlaker & Sunny Surlaker, MC-Bauchemie India Private Limited, Mumbai
Concrete is the most versatile man made material of our times. As a material, its use today in the world is second only to water.
his is because of its mouldability when fresh and its stren!th and durability characteristic when set. Concrete technolo!y has
made tremendous strides in "ast decade. Concrete is now no lon!er a material consistin! of cement, a!!re!ates, water and
admi#tures but it is an en!ineered material with several new constituents. he concrete today can ta$e care of any s"ecific
re%uirements under most of different e#"osure conditions. In today&s construction "ractices, many e#tra "ro"erties are demanded
of the concrete in terms of s"eed of construction, wor$ability characteristics, early stren!th !ain, e#cellent durability, resistance to
a!!ressive media and a lon! service life. In this conte#t, it is natural that 'i!h Performance Concrete ('PC) will soon !ain a
mainstream a""eal, es"ecially in fast develo"in! nations li$e India.
High Performance Concrete (HPC)
here are no unified definitions for 'i!h Performance Concretes ('PC) and different Institutions and e#"erts define 'i!h
Performance Concrete differently. he American Concrete Institute defines 'i!h Performance Concrete as *Concrete that meets
s"ecial "erformance and uniformity re%uirements that cannot always be obtained by usin! conventional in!redients, normal mi#in!
"rocedure and ty"ical curin! "ractices.+
In sim"ler words, 'PC is a concrete that has atleast one outstandin! "ro"erty vi,. Com"ressive -tren!th, 'i!h .or$ability,
/nhanced 0esistances to Chemical or Mechanical -tresses, Lower Permeability, 1urability etc. as com"ared to normal concrete. 2or
e#am"le, -elf- com"actin! Concrete is a s"ecific "art of 'i!h Performance Concrete, which distin!uishes itself with self-
consolidation "ro"erties cou"led with hi!h flowability. able 3 shows the Pro"erties and Areas of a""lication of 'i!h Performance
Concretes. able 3a shows some "ro"erties and areas of A""lication of 'PCs.
Table1: Properties and Areas of Application of HPC
Property Types of Concrete Areas of Application
Com"ressive
-tren!th
'i!h -tren!th Concrete
Construction /lements in 'i!h
0ise Buildin!s
.or$ability -elf Com"actin! Concrete
Precast Industry
2ili!ree Construction /lements
1urability
'i!h 0esistance Concrete
Chemical-Mechanical
4atural 1rau!ht Coolin! ower
an$ Bund Areas
1ensity
'i!h 1ensity Concrete with low
Permeability
Marine -tructures
Table 1a: Properties and Areas of Application of HPC
Pro"erties of 'PC Areas of A""lication of 'PC
3. Increase of 1urability by lowerin!
of Permeability
5. Increase of Concrete 1ensity
6. Increase of Com"ressive -tren!th
7. Im"rovement in ratio of 2le#ural
-tren!th to Com"ressive -tren!th
8. Increase of resistance to Corrosion
Attac$
9. Increase of Chemical 0esistance
:. Im"rovement of Abrasion
0esistance
;. 0eduction of -e!re!ation and
Bleedin!
<. Increased resistance to Al$ali-
-ilica-0eaction (A-0)
3=. Im"roved sul"hate resistance and
low chloride ion "enetration
3. Production of 'i!h
-tren!th Concrete
5. Production of hi!hly
1urable Concrete
6. >unitin! and -hotcrete
A""lications
7. ?nderwater Concretin!
8. Concrete in Marine
/nvironment
9. Concrete for 4uclear
Pro@ects
:. Concretes for -ewa!e
reatment Plants
;. Concrete for ?nder!round
-tructures
<. 'i!hly Abrasion and
Chemical Attac$ 0esistant
Concrete
3=. Concrete to ta$e hermal
-tresses
Most of these concretes will have very low water cement ratios to achieve durability and this would call on 4ew >eneration -u"er
Plastici,ers. he advanta!e of 4ew >eneration -u"er Plastici,ers over Alder ty"es is the "erformanceB wherein 4ew >eneration
-u"er Plastici,ers are hi!hly effective at water cement ratios as low as =.5. 2urther Acrylate family (AP) and Polycarbo#ylate (PC/)
based -u"er Plastici,ers have minimum loss of slum" with res"ect to time and they do not retard the concrete. he "rocess of
hydration be!ins immediately and there is remar$able develo"ment in stren!ths within 9-; hours as a!ainst the old !eneration
retardin! -u"er Plastici,ers. 4ew >eneration -u"er Plastici,ers have better com"atibility as well as they are found suitable for
usa!e in concrete where Microsilica, 2lyash, >>B-2, Aluminosilicates, Colloidal -ilica, etc. are used.
In addition to 'i!h -tren!th Concrete which has become relatively common, some 'PC a""lications, which is of interest for the
Indian mar$et can be classified asC
3. -elf-com"actin! Concrete D 'i!h wor$ability concrete
5. Concretes resistant a!ainst acids D a!!ressive media
6. 'i!h Performance .ater"roof Concretes
Selfcompacting Concrete
-elf-com"actin! Concrete (-CC) as the name si!nifies should be able to com"act itself by its self-wei!ht under !ravity without any
additional vibrations or com"action. -CC should be able to assume com"licated formwor$ sha"es without formin! cavities and
entra""in! air. he reinforcement should be effectively covered and the a!!re!ates should be fully soa$ed in the concrete matri#.
In addition, the concrete should be self-levelin! and self-defoamin! without any e#ternal com"action. 2i!ure.3 shows the flow of
-CC.
2i!ure 3
-elf-com"actin! Concrete has the followin! s"ecial advanta!esC
-aves costs on machinery, ener!y and "ersonnel for vibratin! the concrete
Considerably im"roved finished surfaces (2airfaced Concrete), less efflorescence
-avin! in initial cost of formwor$ and more usa!e
Mar$ed im"rovements in durability on account of better com"action
/#tremely suitable for slim and com"licated moulds (fili!ree elements)
Covers reinforcement effectively
Better adhesion between cement binder and a!!re!ates
0educes demouldin! time
4o sound "ollution
he economy of -CC is calculated as e#tra cost incurred for 4ew >eneration -u"er "lastici,ers and stabili,ers minus the cost of
formwor$, early demouldin! time, "urchase of vibratin! e%ui"ments as well as material savin! for concrete cosmetics re"air. .hen
these costs are considered & cou"led with the durability of conc- rete obtained, the !a" between the cost of -CC and normal
concrete is substantially narrowed down.
Technology for Selfcompacting Concrete
he ma@or difficulty faced in develo"ment of -elf-com"actin! Concrete (-CC) is on account of contradictory factors that the
concrete should be fully flowable but without bleedin! or se!re!ation. It is therefore re%uired that the cement and mortar of -elf
Com"actin! Concrete should have hi!her viscosity to ensure flowability while maintainin! stability of bi!!er a!!re!ates. -"ecial
PC/ based chemical admi#tures and s"eciali,ed mineral admi#tures li$e Microsilica or Aluminosilicates are re%uired in the
"roduction of -CC. o meet the concrete "erformance re%uirements, the followin! three ty"es of self-com"actin! concretes are
available. 2i!ure 5 shows the different conce"ts for "roduction of -CC.
2i!ure 5C Conce"ts of Production of -CC
Based on these conce"ts, the !eneral "ro"ortionin! !uideline for -CC is !iven in 2i!ure 6.
2i!ure 6C >eneral Pro"ortionin! >uideline for -elf-Com"actin! Concrete
Acid !esistant Concrete
Ane of the ma@or a""lications of 'PC is to increase the durability of concrete where acid attac$s or a!!ressive media are
antici"ated. his can be achieved "hysically by resortin! to very dense a!!re!ate "ac$in!. he "ac$in! curve is shown in 2i!ures 7
and 8. his is "ractically "ossible by selectin! a very smooth sieve line from lar!est a!!re!ate to the smallest !rain of Mineral
Additives li$e Microsilica or 4ew >eneration Aluminosilicate slurries. Chemically, cement by itself is not acid resistant. he acid
resistant binder is formed by combination of cement, microsilica D aluminosilicate and flyash. o control "ermeability very low wDc
ratio has to be ado"ted. hese ty"es of concretes are es"ecially suited for /#ternal -tructural /lements in Industrial Areas, "iles in
a!!ressive soils, etc.
2i!ure 7C Ideal Particle--i,e 1istribution
-o as to "rovide the essential concrete "ro"erties a hi!h-"erformance PC/ ("olycarbo#ylate ether) needs to be incor"orated in the
mi#. By ad@ustin! the "article si,e distribution on a micro scale, the "ermeability of the concrete is reduced which minimi,es the
"enetration of a!!ressive substances. his a""roach also minimi,es amount of cement used in the mi#. Permeability reduction is
also achieved by addition of the latest !eneration aluminosilicates or Microsilica. 1e"endin! on the de!ree of dis"ersion these
material "articles more or less com"letely fill the s"aces between the cement "articles. 1urin! hydration, the "o,,olanic silica
reacts with the free calcium hydro#ide to form calcium silicate hydrates. his !ives a denser concrete structure.
2i!ure 8C Ideal Particle--i,e 1istribution in
Acid 0esistant Concrete
2i!ure 9C Coolin! ower Built usin! A0C
>eneral Mi# 1esi!n for Acid 0esistant Concrete is !iven in able 5. 2i!ure 9 shows a coolin! tower built entirely with Acid 0esistant
Concrete.
able 5
High Performance "aterproof Concrete
2or a fast develo"in! nation li$e India, the future focus will be to reduce maintenance costs of structures. .e will 4//1 to ado"t a
stance to "revent deterioration of structures by usin! the latest available material technolo!y. a$in! into consideration today&s
!eneral concrete manufacturin! and "lacin! "rocess, it becomes im"erative to water"roof the concrete as insurance a!ainst its
deterioration. If mani"ulatin! the "ro"erties of concrete itself can "revent water in!ress throu!h the concrete, the lon!evity of the
structure can be maintained. his method will ensure that the concrete is "rotected a!ainst water and a!!ressive media and the
structure is "rotected from failure throu!h its desi!n life. Euite sim"ly this can be achieved by bloc$in! the "ores and ca"illaries in
concrete usin! one of the followin! methodsC
3. ?sin! hi!h "erformance PC/ "olymers to reduce water cement ratio of concrete
5. ?se of materials li$e -ilica-fume or Aluminosilicate slurries in concrete
6. ?se of hi!hly s"eciali,ed latest !eneration Inte!ral water"roofin! com"ounds that wor$ on "rocess of 1ynamic
-ynCrystalli,ationF (1y-C) technolo!y
#sing PC$ Polymers to impro%e &atertightness
2i!ure :C -tructure and 2unctionin! of PC/ Polymer
Molecules
?sin! PC/ "olymers, !ive e#cellent water reduction as com"ared to normal "lastici,ers. his hel"s to reduce the wDc ratios and
cement contents, even in normal concretes. Lower the wDc ratio, lower are the number of ca"illaries in concrete. It is also a well
documented fact that PC/ based admi#tures do not have the side effects of retardation often seen with normal retardin!
su"er"lastici,ers. his is beneficial as wor$ability time of concrete can be controlled but the hydration and settin! of concrete will
"roceed unhindered. his ensures that any subse%uent vibration to concrete after initial set will not o"en u" ca"illaries, as is the
case if concrete is retarded for a very lon! "eriod of time, thereby renderin! concrete relatively water"roof. 2i!ure : shows the
structure and functionin! of the latest PC/ Polymer molecules.
#se of Condensed Silica 'ume or Aluminosilicates to impro%e &atertightness
A!ain it is well-$nown that Condensed -ilica 2ume or Aluminosilicates are e#tremely fine materials that function both as micro-
fillers as well as "o,,olanic materials that hydrate in the "resence of the Calcium 'ydro#ide in Concrete. he combined effect of
these materials, as micro-fillers and hydratin! materials, close ca"illaries in concrete, thereby renderin! it water"roof.
#sing (ntegral "aterproofing Compounds &orking by )ynamic SynCrystalli*ation
Gee"in! today&s constructional "ractices and economy in mind it may be difficult to incor"orate the use of PC/ "lastici,ers, -ilica
2ume or Aluminosilicates in concrete. In this case, the best alternative would be to use the latest !eneration, hi!hly s"eciali,ed
Inte!ral water"roofin! com"ounds wor$in! on the "rinci"le of 1ynamic -ynCrystalli,ationF (1y-C) and 'ydro"hobic Pore
Bloc$in!. he ease-of-use and relative economy of such a material ma$es it ideal for use even in concretes u" to 9= MPa in
stren!th. herefore, even normal concretes can be converted into hi!h "erformance water"roof concretes.
?se of s"ecial latent hydraulic and "o,,olanic 4ano"articles in s"ecial inte!ral water"roofin! additives cause the cement matri# to
be densified by a com"le# "rocess called 1ynamic -ynCrystalli,ation (1y-CF). he stren!th of any cement-based material is
based on the hydration of clin$er. he C---' !el so formed alon!with interloc$ed hydration crystals form the dense cement matri#.
In the "resence of water, the 4ano"articles in the ca"illary "ores now act as additional crystalli,ation seeds that lead to new C---'
!els and crystal formation thus continuin! minerali,ation of the cavity structure. Aver time the structure of the matri# is thus
becomin! more refined, overall "orosity decreases, micro-crac$s are sealed and "ore si,e distribution is o"timi,ed. his 1y-CF
mechanism reduces "ore content of the concrete ma$in! it water ti!ht.
2i!ure ;C Mechanism of 1y-CF and 'ydro"hobic "ore Bloc$in!
In addition to the 1y-C mechanism, s"ecial additives in the inte!ral water"roofin! com"ounds cause a contraction of ca"illaries
and also convert the water-absorbin! ca"illary forces into water re"ellant ca"illary forces due to the hydro"hobic effect. It is
s"ecially formulated and desi!ned to "revent the "assa!e of water throu!h "ores and ca"illaries of the concrete, ma$in! the
concrete waterti!ht. 2i!ure ; shows the combination of "rocesses renderin! the concrete waterti!ht. able 6 shows a com"arison
of "erformance of 1ynamic -ynCrystalli,tion based Product versus no "rotection.
Table +: Comparati%e !esults of Concrete "ith and "ithout )ySC based
Additi%es
Test !esult Control ,i- ,CSpecial ), ,i-
.ater Absor"tion at :1, H 3.6 =.<
.ater Absor"tion at 5;1, H 3.6 =.:
Com"ressive -tren!th :1, 4Dmm
5
99 9:.8
Com"ressive -tren!th 5;1, 4Dmm
5
:8.8 :9
.ater Penetration I 3$!fDcm
5
, cm 3=.3 7
.ater Penetration I 6$!fDcm
5
, cm 37.3 <.3
.ater Penetration I 8$!fDcm
5
, cm 3<.7 33.;
Initial 1ryin! -hrin$a!e, H =.=59 =.=6=
.ettin! /#"ansion, H =.=39 =.==8
Conclusion
he latest a""lications of concrete will necessitate the use of 'i!h Performance Concrete incor"oratin! new !eneration materials
such as PC/ based admi#tures, Microsilica, 4ew >eneration Aluminosilicates, and the latest >eneration Inte!ral .ater"roofin!
Admi#tures. 4ew !eneration PC/s can answer the call of strin!ent re%uirement of hi!h wor$ability, self-com"action and lon!
haulin! times. he 4ew >eneration -u"er"lastici,er cannot be e%uated with 'i!h 0an!e .ater 0educin! A!ents combined with
0etarders, as the latter would not !ive the desired hi!h early stren!th. he new !eneration su"er"lastici,ers would have to be of
the ty"e that would !ive very low loss of slum" over a "eriod of time without delayin! the hydration "rocess. ?sin! a combination
of these materials a new !eneration of concretes can be made which im"rove the durability of structures for ma#imum benefit.
Presently, the cost of raw materials of 4ew >eneration -u"er"lastici,ers as well as of new !eneration materials li$e
MicrosilicaDAluminosilicates is relatively hi!her and therefore blendin! of raw materials can be resorted to. But rather than initial
cost, lifecycle cost and a cost to benefit ratio should be considered. hese new materials brin! forward a new frontier in
construction, which can ma$e construction much faster, durable and chea"er in the lon! run and this should be reco!ni,ed. ill
date, the usa!e of these new !eneration materials is not substantial in India, but soon the technolo!y and common"lace use of
'PC, will "ic$ u" considerin! the s"eed at which infrastructure "ro@ects are bein! launched in the country.