Outline

Properties of Hardened Concrete

Dr. Kimberly Kurtis

Compressive strength
E
Tensile strength
Drying Shrinkage
Creep

School of Civil Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia

Compression Testing
Uniaxial compressive strength of
concrete is easy to measure

It has become the standard gauge of

concrete quality (for better or worse)

Compression Testing
Compressive strength is determined according to
ASTM C469, where a 6x12 or 4x8 cylinder, cured for
28 days, is tested at a load rate of 20-50 psi/sec.
Can also be performed 1d, 3d, 7d, 28d, 90d.

Some notes about failure:

With most materials, failure is associated with the appearance

of cracks

Concrete intrinsically contains many cracks, which will

propagate under loading
However, cracks may or may not be visible at the surface when
concrete fails

Factors Influencing Strength

Time
Curing conditions

Typical 28-day strengths are

Normal strength 3-6 ksi
High strength 6-9 ksi
Ultrahigh strength 10-18+ ksi

Factors Influencing Strength

W/C or W/CM
Number/size voids
Cement content

Factors Influencing Strength

Cement Type (composition)
Cement fineness

Factors Influencing Strength

Use of chemical admixtures
Use of SCMs

Factors Influencing Strength

Aggregate strength
Aggregate MSA
Aggregate/paste bond
strength

Factors Influencing Strength

Test Parameters
Specimen size
Specimen shape
Load rate

Stress-Strain Behavior
Why is concrete less
brittle than the aggregate
and cement paste it is
composed of?

Stress-Strain Behavior
4800psi
3500psi

Elastic Modulus

Elastic Modulus: Estimations

Can also be estimated from compressive strength:
Ec = 33 wc1.5 fc0.5
(ACI 318)*
Ec = elastic modulus of concrete, psi
W = unit weight, pcf
fc =28d compressive strength of standard cylinders, psi

Valid to strengths of at least 6000 psi (perhaps to as

high as 9000 psi)

The unit weight is used to account for the presence

and density of the aggregate

Eagg is rarely known and this is a useful way to include

its effect in E
*

Ec = 0.043 wc1.5 fc0.5 for Ec in MPa, where w is in kg/m3 and fc is in MPa

Elastic Modulus: Estimations

For normal weight concrete (145pcf),the ACI 318
equation reduces to
Ec = 57000 fc0.5 for Ec in psi
Ec = 4.73 fc0.5 for Ec in GPa where fc is in MPa
Typical values for Ec are 2-6x106 psi for normal weight,
normal strength concrete

Elastic Modulus: Models

Parallel Model
Ec= EpVp+ EaVa

Series Model
1/Ec=Vp/Ep + Va/Ea

Assumes is same in
aggregate and paste

Assumes is same in
aggregate and paste

Assume Vp+Va=1
Ec=E concrete
Ep=E cement paste Vp=vol paste
Va=vol agg
Ea=E agg

For lightweight concrete, there is a correction for

aggregate density
Ec = 0.0431.5fc0.5 for Ec in GPa where fc is in MPa

Elastic Modulus: Models

Parallel model
overestimates Ec
Series model
overestimates Ec
Ec
Combination
models (like
Hirsch or Counto,
see Ch. 9) do a
pretty good job
Deviations from
actual behavior
are believed to be
due to ITZ effects

Factors Influencing Ec

Aggregate volume
Eagg
Aggregate porosity
MSA
Aggregate shape
Influence microcracking
in the ITZ
Aggregate surface texture
Aggregate mineralogy
Porosity of the paste
ITZ
Testing parameters (speed, moisture state)

Splitting Tension
ft ~ 8-12% of fc
ASTM C496 or the Brazilian
Test is performed on 6x12
cylinders
ft = 2P/DL
Can be estimated by:
ft=6.7(fc)0.5 for normal strength
concrete where units are psi

Deformation in Concrete
EARLY AGE CONCRETE
Plastic shrinkage shrinkage strain associated with
early moisture loss
Thermal shrinkage shrinkage strain associated with
cooling
LATER AGE CONCRETE
Drying shrinkage -shrinkage strain associated with
moisture loss in the hardened material
Deformations occur under loading
- Elastic
- Viscoelastic (including creep)

Drying Shrinkage
Inadequate allowance for drying shrinkage can lead to
cracking and warping or curling

Must provide adequately spaced joints in slabs and

Splitting Tension
Splitting tension test
introduces some
compressive stress at
top and bottom of
(6x12) cylinder
Measured strength is
10-15% higher than
nominal strength

Drying Shrinkage and Creep

Both result from movement of water in the hydrated
cement paste, which results in new bonds forming in the
C-S-H; the driving force differs.
For drying shrinkage,
environmental conditions (e.g.,
low external RH) are the
driving force

For creep, stress is the

driving force.

Creep
Creep can be both beneficial and problematic.
Creep of concrete in prestressed members

pavements

Joints define where the crack will form, rather than allowing

Prestressing steel strand embedded in concrete

for random crack formation

Can then seal joints to prevent moisture ingress

Induced compressive
stress balances
P
tensile stresses expected during service

Creep in concrete can

reduce the pre-stress and
possibly lead to cracking

Creep

Creep and Shrinkage

Creep can be both beneficial and problematic.

Stress relaxation,
the complement to
creep, can reduce
stress in the
concrete at early
ages and reduce
the likelihood for
early age cracking.

Drying Shrinkage
and Creep

Influence of Aggregate
Aggregate volume fraction is an important parameter
c= paste(1-Vagg)n where n~1.8

Parameters Affecting
Drying Shrinkage and Creep

Influence of Aggregate
Eagg is another important factor

Influence of Paste Properties

Prolonged hydration or hydration at elevated
temperatures increase chemical bonding, reducing
creep and shrinkage
Lower w/c concrete creep and shrink less
But, generally, these relationships are complex and
require testing to confirm anticipated behavior