Concrete Training

Programme

DAY 1 

Review of concrete properties

• Strength grades
• The trouble with water/cement ratio
• Consistence
• Cohesion, segregation and bleeding
• Durability

Materials update

• Cementitious materials
• Properties of blended cements
• Aggregates including “fines”
• Admixtures, Additives and Additions

Concrete faults (1)

•  Construction defects
• Blow holes
• Honeycombing
• Grout loss
• Scour
• Water runs & sand streaks

Laboratory practical exercise:

• Trial mixes
• Effect of changing the water/cement ratio
• Slump testing
• Flowing/self-compacting concrete
• Air content
• Cube making and curing
• Demonstration – Cube testing

 Concrete faults (2)

• Non-structural cracking
• Thermal cracking
• Plastic cracking
• Plastic settlement
• Plastic shrinkage
• Drying Shrinkage

Overnight syndicate project:

• Early-age cracking.

 DAY 2

Syndicate reports

Outline of concrete types

• Nominal mixes
• Prescribed concretes
• Standardized prescribed concretes
• Designed concretes
• Designated concretes
• Proprietary concretes
• Durability criteria

Concretes for specific applications

• Selecting appropriate workability levels
• Watertight construction
• High quality surface finishes

Supervision of concrete construction (1)

• Procurement of concrete
• Checking and testing
• What to do if the slump is wrong
• Transporting concrete

Supervision of concrete construction (2) 

• Compaction
• Over-vibration
• Under-vibration
• Secondary vibration
• Curing

Conformity criteria (1)

•  Interpretation of test results

Evaluating test results

• Comparing yesterday’s trial mixes

Conformity criteria (2)

• Action on non-conformity

Contractor-specific topics

Questions, answers and final discussion.

Duration: 2 Days

Cost: £575 + VAT