Measurement Of Concrete Workability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Measurement Of Concrete Workability - Essay Example The volume of water affects the density of the concrete. The more the water content, the greater the workability of the concrete. High contents of water results in higher fluidity and hence better workability. An increase in the water/cement ratio decreases the compressive strength of the concrete. Large water/cement ratios increase the fluidity of the mixture and this can even cause the concrete to collapse. The method of curing used also affects the strength of the compressive strength of the mixture. All methods except the air curing method increase the compressive strength. Characteristic strength is used since it is normally based on statistical concepts as it is the strength below which no more than 5 % of all the cubes that have been tested from the concrete mixture will fall. It is expected that 95 % of all the cube samples will have strength in excess of the design characteristic strength. The practicality of placing concrete into a tightly spaced mold containing reinforceme nt is limited by the process of casting the concrete and the cost of performing this operation. In order to achieve a good compaction, vibration is done on the concrete mix using a screed board vibrator. This removes the air spaces present in the mixture. The amount of water available in the mix improves the workability of the concrete. The greater the content of water, the greater the workability of the concrete. High contents of water usually result in higher fluidity and hence better workability.