High Strength Concrete – A Practical Guide

1 Introduction

Unit conversions

Terminology

Historical background

Applications

2 Constituent materials

Introduction

Cementitious materials

Aggregates

Water

Chemical admixtures

Air-entraining admixtures

3 Mixture proportioning and evaluation

Introduction

Identifying relevant concrete properties

Statistical variability

Proportioning considerations

Designated acceptance age

ACI 318 code requirements for strength acceptability

Trial evaluation

Proportioning high-strength concrete: an example

4 Properties

Introduction

Mechanical properties

Durability properties

Constructability properties

5 Specifications

Introduction

Prescriptive vs. performance-based specifications

The pitfalls of arbitrarily established limits

The relevancy of the slump test

Constituent materials

Quality management plans

Producer qualifications

Submittals and conditions of sale

Testing laboratory qualifications

Preconstruction conferences

Post-28-day designated acceptance ages

6 Production and delivery

Introduction

Order taking

Dispatching

Quality control

Plant operations

Delivery

7 Placement, consolidation, and finishing

Introduction

Preconstruction conferences

Preparation

Placement

Consolidation

Finishing

Case study: When self-consolidation is not enough

8 Curing

Introduction

Moisture requirements

Temperature requirements

Curing high-strength precast concrete

9 Quality control and testing

Introduction

Testing variables influencing compressive strength

Standard cured vs. field cured specimens

In-place evaluation

Profiling constituent materials in the laboratory

Case Study: Jobsite curing in limewater

10 Problem solving

Introduction

Incompatibility

Early stiffening and erratic setting

Poor strength development

Aesthetic defects

Petrography

Case study: When color becomes a concern

Case study: An autogenous shrinkage cracking investigation