From Practical Foundation Engineering Handbook, Second Edition
- Section 3: CONCRETE
P. BALAGURU
Concrete is one of the basic construction materials; it finds a place in almost all structures. Even in such structures as steel bridges, the deck is quite often made of concrete. Concrete is the preferred and most widely used material for foundation construction. Even if the superstructure is made of steel or wood, the foundation is usually made of concrete. In the case of slab on grade floors, whether industrial, commercial, or residential, concrete is the preferred material.
This section deals with some of the fundamental aspects of concrete. Only the basic information considered necessary for the design and construction engineer is presented. The reader can refer to the literature for more details and in-depth information on a particular aspect. This section deals only with plain concrete. Reinforced concrete is discussed in Part 4.
3.1 CONSTITUENT MATERIALS
Concrete is a composite material made of portland cement (often simply called cement), aggregates, and water. In most cases, additional constituents, called admixtures, are used to improve the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. For example, water-reducing admixtures are often used to improve the workability of fresh concrete without increasing its water content, thus maintaining the strength and durability characteristics of the hardened concrete. The admixtures can be classified broadly as chemical and mineral admixtures.
This section presents basic information with regard to the various constituent materials used in concrete. They are grouped as (1) cement, (2) aggregates, (3) water and water-reducing admixtures, (4) chemical admixtures, and (5)...
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