Concrete can be found ubiquitously in our surroundings! It is utilized in various applications such as pavements, building structures, foundations, motorways, roads, overpasses, parking structures, brick/block walls, and bases for gates, fences, and poles, among many others. In fact, concrete surpasses all other artificial materials in terms of usage worldwide. Some argue that our current era should be labeled "The Concrete Age" rather than "The Nuclear Age" since our modern lifestyle and constructions heavily rely on this remarkable material.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

Understand what concrete is and why it is used everywhere for construction
Study the ingredients of concrete and their importance in quality control of concrete
Learn the chemistry of concrete
Be able to do simple concrete mix designs
Learn everything about concrete manufacturing
Know about testing, inspection and quality control of concrete
Understand the defects which can occur in concrete at different stages or shortcoming and their remedies
Study the modern concepts like ready mix concrete, precast and prestressed concrete
Learn the methods of protection and maintenance of concrete
Know the safety precautions to be taken while working with concrete
Understand the concrete prepared for special purposes and the admixtures which can affect the properties of concrete

Who Should Attend?

Civil Engineers
Construction Site Engineers and Technicians
Architects
Project Engineers
Structural Designers
Consulting Engineers
Maintenance Engineers and Technicians
Maintenance Planners
Construction Supervisors

Course Outlines:

Understanding Concrete

The history of concrete
Main constituents of concrete and their characteristics

Cements
Aggregates and mineral additions
Water

Chemistry of concrete

Cement - chemical properties
Hydration of cement

Characteristics of concrete

Strength
Durability
Workability
Permeability

What makes concrete develop strength?
What makes concrete durable?
Deterioration - common reasons

Related to ingredients - chlorides, sulphates and aggregate-alkali reaction
Related to climate – temperature (hot/cold) and humidity
Related to manufacturing and workmanship - mixing, transportation, compaction, cold joints and large mass

Design of concrete with requisite strength

Standard specifications, codes and guidelines
Concrete mix design - the fundamentals

arget strength
Cement content
Aggregate sizing
Water cement ratio

Mix design procedures
Specification development

Mandatory requirements
Durability parameters

Investigating defects

Concrete Manufacturing

Raw material - storage and handling
Concrete mixing and production
Transportation of concrete
Dealing with temperature
Formwork and its influence on durability
Placement of fresh concrete
Treatment to joints
Consolidation and compaction procedures
Curing and care of green concrete

Testing, Inspection, and Quality Assurance

Laboratory and full-scale trial mixes
Quality assurance

Processes
Acceptance criteria

Sampling and testing of ingredients
Sampling of concrete
Tests on hardened concrete
Analysis of concrete
Non-destructive testing methods for concrete

Ready Mixed Concrete

Advantages
Types of RMC
Specifications and tolerances
Quality assurance
Production and transportation

Concrete Admixtures

Benefits of admixtures
Types of admixtures

Water reducing admixtures
Plasticizers

Filters