TABLE OF CONTENTS Edward S. Hoffman
President, Edward S. Hoffman, Ltd.,
Structural Engineers, Chicago
David P. Gustafson
Vice President of Engineering
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Schaumburg, Illinois
Economical, durable construction with concrete requires a thorough knowledge of its properties and behavior in service, of approved design procedures, and of recommended field practices. Not only is such knowledge necessary to avoid disappointing results, especially when concrete is manufactured and formed on the building site, but also to obtain maximum benefits from its unique properties.
To provide the needed information, several organizations promulgate standards, specifications, recommended practices, guides, and reports. Reference is made to these where appropriate throughout this section. Information provided herein is based on the latest available editions of the documents. Inasmuch as they are revised frequently, the latest editions should be used for current design and construction.
The American Concrete Institute "Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete," ACI 318, contains the following basic definitions:
Concrete
is a mixture of portland cement or any other hydraulic cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and water, with or without admixtures.
Admixture
is a material other than hydraulic cement, aggregate, or water, used as an ingredient of concrete and added to concrete before or during its mixing to modify its properties.
In this section, unless indicated otherwise, these definitions apply to the terms concrete and admixture.
The ACI 318 Building Code defines cementitious materials as those that have cementitious value when used in concrete either by themselves,...
