What is the difference between Formwork and Shuttering?
Introduction
Both formwork and shuttering are used to describe the procedure of making moulds in construction projects. In this process, the concrete gets poured & contained until it gets hardened. To simply put, shuttering formwork is used in concrete construction. While shuttering is a method of foaming moulds using the plywood, formwork creates moulds using a range of materials. Both shuttering and formwork accomplish more or less a similar task.
The primary difference between the two processes is the use of materials to accomplish this constructional job. In many cases, shuttering formwork is described as one form of formwork.
Let’s explore how different these processes are from one another.
Times When Shattering is More Significant than Formwork
Projects ranging in different sizes might require employing both the methods of formwork as well as shattering. The large-scale projects use a range of formwork types. But in almost all cases, shuttering is a popular option, given that the process is more straightforward and allows significant concrete amounts to be used at a single go.
Wall Form Shuttering
Making the right use of plywood to make shuttering becomes more inexpensive, especially when plywood is a recycling medium. Nonetheless, when it is about shuttering & formwork, not all plywood can serve the purpose. A special water-resistant plywood type is used for outdoors.
Wall Formwork
Falsework Support
Both shuttering and formwork will need the falsework support, that too in their various forms. Falsework, as a matter of fact, denotes stabilizers and poles, besides other units used to keep theme in place as the concrete dries.
Not all of these elements are permanent; some come as temporary ones too. So, this means that it can also be taken down right after the concrete sets. For permanent ones, the falsework gets removed as soon as the concrete sets in. This makes shuttering and formwork to remain in place permanently.
Basically, the difference between them is very little. But a definite example of formwork that does not use shuttering is in constructing concrete sidewalk. Rather than using timber for creating the mould, roadform (metal beams) can get used. It features a flat face right against which the concrete setting gets poured to create a clean edge. Connecting grooves and tongues are featured at either end of roadforms.
Different Types of Formwork Used in Concrete Construction
Formworks can be crafted from plywood, timber, steel, fabric and plastic as well. The formwork chosen for a particular construction process should be able to withstand the weight of the concrete. Therefore choosing the right type of formwork construction is essential to choose. Many types of the frame are available, which is mentioned below:
Timber Formwork
Timber formwork is the most widely used formwork. It has been commonly used in construction from the ancient period. It is quite economical and easy to access. Timber shuttering has the following advantages:
● It is lightweight
● Well composed
● It is easily accessible
Timber formwork is mainly used for small projects, and you can do the formwork construction with locally available timber. When compared with steel, it is quite lightweight.
Timber Formwork
Steel Formwork
Steel formwork is quite famous due to its durability, strength and capability of being used multiple times. It is advantageous for small projects, but they are also used for managing big projects. It provides a smooth texture when compared with the timber framework. It can be used in tanks, tunnels, columns and chimneys. Some of the advantages of steel formwork are as follows:
● It is durable and rigid
● Provides smooth finish
● It does not allow moisture to enter
● It can be used for multiple times
Steel Formwork
Aluminium Formwork
It is a fact that the density of aluminium is less when compared with the material steel, but it is lightweight. This formwork shares the same benefits as steel formwork. Working with aluminium formwork is indeed economical. It is used in completing big projects.
Aluminium Formwork
Plywood Formwork
Plywood formwork is a version of re-moulded timber. These are fixed with timber frames for manufacturing the panels of the desired size. Plywood timberwork is quite easy to manage, and it is flexible also. However, the life of plywood formwork is comparatively lower than other types of formwork.
Plywood Formwork
Fabric Formwork
With the development in the construction field, new technology is being used for planning and designing. The construction of complex-shaped fabric formwork has increased over the past few years. The main advantage of using fabric formwork is that it promotes flexibility and makes it possible for generating formwork of the required shape and size.
Fabric Formwork
Plastic Formwork
The best part of using plastic formworks is lightweight and can be used several times as well. It is best suited for concrete construction. This kind of formwork is widely becoming popular due to the multiple benefits that it provides. Some of the advantages of working with plastic formwork are given below.
● These material are lightweight, and therefore it needs less managing cost
● It is quite economical for big construction
● If it is being installed in the right way, no doubt it can be used multiple times.
A structure in constructions that allows water to flow under a road, railroad, or a similar obstruction is called a culvert.
These are generally made from a pipe or reinforced concrete and are embedded in the soil. Culverts come in different shapes. It can be round, elliptical, flat-bottomed, open-bottomed, pear-shaped, or box-like constructions.
Box culverts are those four-sided culverts used in making short-span bridges like over highways, waterways, etc. These are made of concrete and RCC (Reinforced Concrete) in particular. Box culverts come across as one of the most useful structures in modern construction. They serve various purposes like for intakes and outtakes, steam tunnels, corridor links, road crossings, service tunnels, and utility trenches.
Let’s understand the different uses of box culverts in detail below.
Uses of Box Culverts
Road and Highway Construction:
Box culverts are one of the most important features in road and highway construction. The box culverts let water flow under roads and highways without hampering the flow of traffic. Also, they serve as alternative animal crossings. Since these places need to endure traffic loads and extreme weather conditions, the culverts used here must be robust. Hence it is advised to build culvert out of concrete.
Highway Box Culvert
Use in Railroads :
Just like road or highway construction, box culverts are an essential element used in the construction and maintenance of railroads. They can be used here to replace small bridges or create crossings over creeks and any waterways.
Railway Box Culvert
Box Culverts in Utility Work:
Box Culverts are also required in utility work serving as utility tunnels that carry electricity, water, and sewer lines. In places where the climate is cold, and it is difficult to bury lines below the frost level, utility tunnels are imperative. Additionally, they are used to carry communication lines, such as telephone and cable television.
What makes Box Culverts Cost-Effective?
● Box culverts are a fast and economical method for tunnels under roadways.
● These can be tailored in large sizes to manage increased flow rates and capacities.
● Because of the rigidity and monolithic operation, separate foundations are not required which makes box culverts quite economical.
Truss is a structure of connected elements forming triangular units, and a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss is a truss bridge.
From a mechanical point of view, truss structures are highly efficient in using the strengths of construction materials due to the fact that only axial forces are resisted in truss members.
Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges. Trusses are generally assumed as pinned connection between adjacent truss members. Therefore, the truss members like chords, verticals, and diagonals act only in either tension or compression.
Axial forces in truss bridges under deadweight. (A) Pratt truss. (B) Warren truss.
Moreover, a truss is generally more rigid than a beam because a truss is composed of a variant of triangles and it has the ability to dissipate a load through the whole truss. The truss bridge is also called a beam bridge with braces.
For modern truss bridges, gusset plate connections are generally used, then bending moments and shear forces of members should be considered for evaluating the real performance of the truss bridges, which is achieved by the aid of finite element software.
For the design point of view, however, the pinned connection assumption is considered for security concerns and also for simplifying the structural design and analyses.
In addition, as the axial forces (but not bending moments and shear forces) are generally governs the stress conditions of the members, such assumption generally will not cause large errors between the real bridges and the design models.
According to this assumption, the truss members can be in tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads.
Owing to its simple design method and efficient use of materials, a truss bridge is economical to design and construct.
Short-span truss bridges are built as simply supported, while the large span truss bridges are generally built as continuous truss bridges or cantilever truss bridges.
Truss bridge examples
Types Of Trusses :
There are three common truss configurations that are often used in bridges, namely Warren truss, modified Warren truss, and Pratt truss.
All these truss configurations can be used as an underslung truss, a semithrough truss, or a through truss bridge.
Warren trusses have parallel chords and alternating diagonals. Warren trusses with verticals to reduce panel size are named as modified Warren truss.
Pratt trusses have diagonals sloping downward toward the center and parallel chords.
Truss types according to structural forms. (A) Warren truss. (B) Modified Warren truss. (C) Pratt truss
Foundation is the main part of any type of structure (Buildings, bridges, tunnels…). It distributes the weight of the structure over a large area of soil, avoid unequal settlement, increase structural stability and prevent lateral movement of structure.
There are different types of soil and for each individual one, soil bearing capacity is different. So, depending on the soil profile, size and load of the structure, engineers choose different types of foundation which can be shallow foundation or deep foundation.
Shallow foundation system consists of two main types: Footings and raft or mat foundation.
Footing is one of the most important parts of a structure which transfers loads of a structure to the underlying soil.
The selection of footing depends on the following factors:
The depth of the soil at which safe bearing strength exists.
The type and condition of soil.
The type of the superstructure.
Types Of Footings:
The different types of footings used for building construction are listed below:
Wall footing / Strip footing
Spread Footings
Isolated Footings
Stepped Footings
Combined Footings
Sloped Footings
Strapped Footings
Wall footing / Strip footings
Strip footings (known as strip foundations) are a shallow foundation type, usually boasting a foundation level that is no greater than 3m from the ground surface.
Strip foundations can be used for most subsoils, but are most suitable for soil which is of relatively good bearing capacity. They are particularly suited to light structural loadings such as those found in many low-rise or medium-rise domestic buildings – where mass concrete strip foundations can be used. In other situations, reinforced concrete may be required.
Very broadly, the size and position of strip foundations is typically related to the wall’s overall width. The depth a traditional strip foundation is generally equal to or greater than the overall wall width, and the foundation width is generally three times the width of the supported wall. This results in the load being transmitted at 45º from the wall base to the soil.
Wide strip foundations may be required where the soil is soft or of a low bearing capacity, so as to spread the load over a larger area. Wide strip foundations will typically require reinforcement.
Strip footing foundation
Spread Footings
The spread footing is utilized to support the column & walls and additionally to convey & disseminate the load coming to the structure to the soil below it.
With loads provided within the upward direction, this footing actually acts like an inverted cantilever, and this sort of footing is typically a rigid element & they’re orthogonal just in case of symmetric footing.
As the name suggests, a spread is given under the base of the foundation so that the load of the structure is distributed on wide area of the soil in such a way that the safe bearing capacity of soil is not exceeded.
Isolated Footings
Isolated footings (also known as Pad or Spread footings) are commonly used for shallow foundations in order to carry and spread concentrated loads, caused for example by columns or pillars.
Isolated footings can consist either of reinforced or non-reinforced material. For the non-reinforced footing however, the height of the footing has to be bigger in order to provide the necessary spreading of load.
Its thickness is constant and its shape can be circular, rectangular or square. It is economic and requires less excavation but its size is highly depended on the load and it is less resistant in lateral forces.
Stepped Footings
This type of footing includes the construction of a footing step by step until it reaches the desired width. This technique is mostly used in residential buildings but its utilization has been decayed over the last decades.
The stepped footing is a simple type of isolated footing which is provided over soil having less bearing capacity. Because of low soil capacity load need to be transferred on the larger area.
Stepped footings are also used to keep metal columns away from direct contact with soil to save them from corrosion effects. This type of footing carries the load of metal columns and transmit this load to the underground.
Stepped Footing Foundation
Combined Footings
Whenever two or more columns in a straight line are carried on a single spread footing, it is called a combined footing. Isolated footings for each column are generally the economical. Combined footings are provided only when it is absolutely necessary, as
When two columns are close together, causing overlap of adjacent isolated footings
Where soil bearing capacity is low, causing overlap of adjacent isolated footings
Proximity of building line or existing building or sewer, adjacent to a building column.
Combined Footing Foundation
Sloped Footings
The strapped footings having sloping top or side faces are known as sloped footings. This type of footing is useful in the construction of formwork.
Sloped or trapezoidal footings are designed and executed with utmost attention to maintain a top slope of 45 degrees from all sides. The amount of reinforcement and concrete used in the sloped footing construction is less than that of plain isolated footing. Therefore, it decreases the utilization of concrete and reinforcement.
Sloped Footing Foundation
Strapped Footings
A strap footing usually supports two columns, so it’s a special type of combined footing. If a property line exists at or near the edge of an exterior column, a normal isolated footing would be placed eccentrically under this column and it would tend to tilt.
This problem may be prevented by connecting this footing with the adjacent interior footing with a strap concrete beam. The use of a strap footing may be justifiable where the distance between columns is long and a regular combined footing is impractical due to the required large excavation.
What is a Retaining Wall ? Types of Retaining Walls
Introduction:
A Retaining Wall is a structure that is designed and constructed to withstand lateral pressure of soil or hold back soil materials.
The lateral pressure could be also due to earth filling, liquid pressure, sand, and other granular materials behind the retaining wall structure.
Retaining walls are vertical or near-vertical structures designed to retain material on one side, preventing it from collapsing or slipping or preventing erosion. They provide support to terrain where the soil’s angle of repose is exceeded and it would otherwise collapse into a more natural form. The principal characteristic of a retaining wall is being able to withstand the pressure exerted by the retained material, which is usually soil.
The most important consideration in proper design and installation of retaining walls is to recognize and counteract the tendency of the retained material to move downslope due to gravity. This creates lateral earth pressure behind the wall which depends on the angle of internal friction (phi) and the cohesive strength (c) of the retained material, as well as the direction and magnitude of movement the retaining structure undergoes.
Lateral earth pressures are zero at the top of the wall and – in homogenous ground – increase proportionally to a maximum value at the lowest depth. Earth pressures will push the wall forward or overturn it if not properly addressed. Also, any groundwater behind the wall that is not dissipated by a drainage system causes hydrostatic pressure on the wall. The total pressure or thrust may be assumed to act at one-third from the lowest depth for lengthwise stretches of uniform height.
It is important to have proper drainage behind the wall in order to limit the pressure to the wall’s design value. Drainage materials will reduce or eliminate the hydrostatic pressure and improve the stability of the material behind the wall. Drystone retaining walls are normally self-draining. As an example, the International Building Code requires retaining walls to be designed to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift; and that they be designed for a safety factor of 1.5 against lateral sliding and overturning.
There ara various types of retaining wall structures which are used for numerous goals.
Gravity Retaining Wall :
Gravity retaining wall depends on its self weight only to resist earth pressure.
Commonly, gravity retaining wall is massive because it requires significant gravity load to counter act soil pressure.
Slidin, overturning and bearing forces shall be taken into consideration while this type of retaining wall structure is designed.
It can be constructed from different materials such as concrete, stone and masonry units.
Crib retaining wall, gabions and bin retaining wall are types of gravity retaining walls.
Gravity Retaining Wall
Crib Retaining Wall :
Crib Retaining Walls are low cost, of open web construction and can be quickly and inexpensively erected. They can be used almost anywhere a retaining wall is needed – driveways, building sites, garden areas, and when planted out will add beauty and value to your property.
Crib walls are gravity retaining walls constructed from interlocking precast concrete components, filled with free draining material and earth backfill, eliminating the hazards of hydrostatic pressure building up behind the wall.
Crib Retaining Wall
Gabion Retaining Walls :
Gabion retaining walls are multi-celled, rectangular wire mesh boxes which are filled with rocks or other suitable materials.
It is employed for construction of erosion control structures and used to stabilize steep slopes.
Gabion Retaining Walls
Cantiliver Retaining Wall :
Cantiliver retaining wall is composed of stem and base slab and is constructed from reinforced concrete, precast concrete or prestress concrete.
Cantiliver retaining wall is the most common type used as retaining walls.
Sometimes cantilevered walls are buttressed on the front, or include a counterfort on the back, to improve their strength resisting high loads. Buttresses are short wing walls at right angles to the main trend of the wall. These walls require rigid concrete footings below seasonal frost depth. This type of wall uses much less material than a traditional gravity wall.
The portion of the base slab beneath material is termed as heel, and the other part is called toe. It is economical up to height of 10m. Similar to gravity wall, sliding, overturning and bearing pressure shall be taken into consideration during its design.
There are 3 different types of cantiliver retaining walls :
T – shaped cantiliver retaining wall
L – shaped cantiliver retaining wall
T – shaped cantiliver retaining wall with shear key
Cantiliver Retaining Wall
Counter-fort / Buttressed Retaining Wall :
It is a cantiliver retaining wall but strengthened with counter forts monolithic with the back of the wall slab and base slab.
Counter fort spacing is equal or slightly larger than half of the counter-fort height. It’s height ranges from 8 to 12m.
Counter-fort Retaining Wall
A buttress wall is the modified version of the counter-fort retaining wall in which the counter-forts, known as the buttresses, are provided at the other side of the backfill.
A buttress wall is more economical when compared to a counter-fort retaining wall. Buttress walls are not much preferred due to the provision of buttresses in the wall. These buttresses reduc the clearance on the front side of the wall.
Buttresses are short wing walls at right angles to the main trend of the wall. These walls require rigid concrete footings below seasonal frost depth. This type of wall uses much less material than a traditional gravity wall.
Anchored Retaining Wall :
This type of retaining wall is used when the space is limited or thin retaining wall is required.
Anchored retaining wall is suitable for loos soil over rocks. Considerably high retaining wall can be constructed using this type of retaining wall structure system.
Deep cable rods or wires are driven deep sideways into the earth, then the ends are filled with concrete to provide anchor.
Anchors (tiebacks) actes against overturning and sliding pressure.
Advantages of anchored retaining walls
Mostly used for slope protection and earth retaining works of deep excavations.
Thin walls or very light structures can be designed in combinations with anchored walls.
Anchored walls are one of the most economical system of earth retention.
Combination with sheet piles, cantilever retaining walls, piled retaining walls etc are very much useful for very deep excavations to provide a safe working area
Anchored Retaining Wall
Piled Retaining Wall :
Pile retaining wall is constructed by driving reinforced concrete piles adjacent to each other. Piles are forced into a depth that is sufficient to counter the force which tries to push over the wall.
Sheet pile walls are built using steel sheets into a slope or excavations up to a required depth, but it cannot withstand very high pressure. They are economical till height of 6m.
It is among the most economical and most commonly constructed retaining walls. Mechanically stabilized earth retaing wall is supported by selected fills (granular) and held together by reinforcements, which can be either metallic strips or plastic meshes.
Types of MSE retaining wall include panel, concrete block and temporary earth retaining walls.
Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Walls
Hybrid Systems :
Retaining walls that use both mass and reinforcement for stability are termed as Hybrid or Composite retaining wall systems.
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) – Advantages, Disadvantages and Applications
Introduction
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a concrete which flows under its own weight and doesn’t require any external vibration for compaction, it has revolutionized concrete placement.
Such concrete should have relatively low yield value to ensure high flow ability, a moderate viscosity to resists segregation and bleeding and must maintain its homogeneity during transportation, placing and curing to ensure adequate structural performance and long termdurability.
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) can be defined as a fresh concrete which possesses superior flow ability under maintained stability (i.e. no segregation) thus allowing self-compaction that is, material consolidation without addition of energy.
It is a fluid mixture suitable for placing in structures with Congested reinforcement without vibration and it helps in achieving higher quality of surface finishes.
The three properties that characterise a concrete as self-compacting Concrete are :
Flowing ability: the ability to completely fill all areas and corners of the formwork into which itis placed
Passing ability: the ability to pass through congested reinforcement withoutseparation of the constituents or blocking
Resistance to segregation: the ability to retain the coarse components of the mixin suspension in order to maintain a homogeneous
Applications of Self-Compacting Concrete
The main applications of this type of concrete are the following:
Construction of raft and pile foundations
Retrofitting and repairing constructions
Structures with complex reinforcement distributions
Construction of earth retaining systems
Drilled shafts
Columns
Advantages of (SCC) Self Compacting Concrete
Self-compacting concrete comes with several advantages compared with regular concrete. Some of these benefits include:
Reduces labor costs.
Improved constructability.
High durability, strength, and reliability.
Minimizes voids in highly-reinforced areas.
Reduces permeability in concrete structures.
Fast placement without mechanical consolidation.
The SCC construction is faster than normal concrete.
SCC enables freedom in designing concrete structures
Creates smoother and more aesthetic surface finishes.
Eliminates problems associated with concrete vibration.
Creates high-quality structures with improved structural integrity.
Allows for easier pumping, and there are many placement techniques available.
Allows for innovative architectural features, since it can be used in complex forms.
Reduced noise during placement as no vibration is required
SCC requires a lower pumping pressure. Hence, concrete can be easily pumpedover longer distances and heights compared to traditional concrete
Disadvantages of (SCC) Self Compacting Concrete
As with any construction material, self-compacting concrete faces the following limitations:
Material selection is more strict.
Construction costs are much more higher, compared with regular concrete.
Higher precision is required when measuring and monitoring.
There is no globally accepted test standard to undergo an SCC mix design.
The cost of construction is costlier than conventional concrete construction.
Many trial batches and laboratory tests are required to use a designed mixture.
There is no internationally accepted test standard for self-compacting concrete mix.
The higher flow rate of SCC compared to traditional concrete can cause adynamic pressure, in addition to the hydrostatic pressure of placed concrete, and thismust be taken into consideration for formwork design
Material Use In (SCC) Self Compacting Concrete
Cement :
Ordinary Portland Cement, 43 or 53 grade can be used
Aggregates :
The maximum size of aggregate is generally limited to 20 mm. An aggregate of size 10 to 12mm is desirable for structures having congested reinforcement.
Wherever possible size of aggregate higher than 20mm could also be used. Well graded cubical or rounded aggregates are desirable.
Aggregates should be of uniform quality with respect to shape and grading. Fine aggregates can be natural or manufactured.
The grading must be uniform throughout the work. The moisture content or absorption characteristics must be closely monitored as the quality of SCC will be sensitive to such changes.
Particles smaller than 0.125 mm i.e. 125-micron size are considered as FINES which contribute to the powder content
Mixing Water :
Water quality must be established on the same line as that for using reinforced concrete or prestressed concrete.
Chemical Admixtures :
Super plaseizers are an essential component of SCC providing necessary workability. The new generation super plasticizers termed poly-carboxylated ethers (PCE) is particularly useful for SCC.
Other types may be considered as necessary, such as Viscosity Modifying Agents (VMA) for stability, air-entraining agents (AEA) to improve freeze-thaw resistance, and retarders for Control of Setting.
Mineral Admixtures:
This may vary according to the mix design and the properties required. Below is a list of the different mineral admixtures used, and the properties they provide to the concrete mixture:
Fly ash: Used to improve the filling of the internal concrete matrix, resulting in fewer pores. This reduces permeability and improves the quality of structures.
Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS): GGBS helps improve the rheological properties of concrete.
Stone Powder: Incorporated to improve the powder content of the mixture.
Silica Fumes: Used to improve the mechanical properties of the structure.
Transport, pumping, placing and finishing
Transport
Self-compacting concrete has higher fluidity compared to traditional concrete. Hence,there is a higher chance of spillage during transport. Additional caution is advised by reducing the batch size on the back of a truck, as well as ensuring the water-tightnessof the drum.
Extreme weather conditions (very high or low temperature) can affect the self-compacting properties of concrete. Under such conditions, the transport duration must be minimized by choosing non-peak hours in congested areas and also by choo-ing the closest concrete production plant to the placement site.
Overall, the averagetime that an SCC mixture can spend on the back of a truck before placement needs to be considered and the mixture design needs to be optimized accordingly. Otherwise,flowability properties might not be achieved.
Pumping, placing and formwork
An advantage of SCC is its excellent flow properties, which results in easier pumping and placing of SCC compared to traditional concrete. After discharging, self-compacting concrete can flow up to 10m in horizontal directions.
The excellent flowability of SCC also results in a much higher filling capability compared to traditional concrete, i.e. it can quickly fill inaccessible voids between reinforcements and formwork.
The placement rate of SCC can occur over ashort amount of time. Therefore, it is essential that all formwork, linings, reinforcing steel and any other embedded objects are secured and tightened before placement.
SCC can be placed with chutes, buckets and pumps. Pumping is the most common method of SCC placement because of excellent flowability without segregation.
Pumping of SCC from a truck using a crane pump at a building site
Surface finish of SCC
SCC is generally used for architectural concrete because the surface finish of SCC is of high quality, often more appealing with sharp edges compared to traditional concrete. The improved surface finish is attributed to the self-levelling and filling capabilities of SCC, which allows concrete to flow smoothly, and thereby fill holes.
The surface finish of traditional concrete often has discolouration because of hydrationby-products and segregation.
Other imperfections such as sand textured areas, honeycombing (aggregate bridging), and some problems caused by mortar loss canal so occur. Using SCC can increase the chance of eliminating these surface imperfections. However, a well-balanced concrete mixture with optimized rheological properties is required to achieve a high-quality surface finish for SCC, i.e. aesthetic appeal for exposed architectural use.
Mixtures with a lower viscosity, i.e. higher slump flow allow for entrained air to escape more efficiently and thereby provide a better surface finish.
The quality of formwork surfaces, type and amount of releasing agent, as well as production and placement methods also affect the surface finish of SCC.
What is Polymer Concrete? Advantages and disadvantages – Applications
Introduction
Polymer concrete is the composite material made by fully replacing the cement hydrate binders of conventional cement concrete with polymer binders or liquid resins, and is a kind of concrete-polymer composite.
For hardening of polymer concrete, most liquid resins such as thermosetting resins, methacrylic resins and tar-modified resins are polymerized at ambient or room temperature. The binder phase for polymer concrete consists only of polymers, and does not contain any cement hydrates. The aggregates are strongly bound to each other by polymeric binders.
The different ways in which the polymer is introduced into the concrete (hardened concrete) will vary widely based on the commercial objective. The polymers can be employed in concrete in different ways.
They are:
Polymer Impregnated Concrete (PIC)
Polymer-Modified Concrete (PMC)
Polymer Concrete (PC)
Polymer as Protective Coating
Polymer as Bonding Agent
Advantages and disadvantages:
The advantages and disadvantages of polymeric binders are directly given to the polymer concrete. Accordingly, in comparison with ordinary cement concrete, its properties such as strength, adhesion, watertightness, chemical resistance, freeze-thaw durability and abrasion resistance are generally improved to a great extent by polymer replacement. Since the bond between polymeric binders and aggregates is very strong, its strength properties depend on those of the aggregates.
On the other hand, its poor thermal and fi re resistance and its large temperature dependence of mechanical properties are disadvantages due to the undesirable properties of the polymer matrix phases. Therefore, the glass transition point (or temperature) of the polymer matrix phases should be noted from the viewpoint of such thermal properties.
Thermoplastic resins generally retain their practical properties at temperatures below the glass transition point and lose them at temperatures exceeding the point, beginning to thermally decompose at somewhat higher temperatures.
The practical temperature range of the thermoplastic resins may be improved by the addition of suitable cross-linking monomers or comonomers having higher glass transition points.
Thermosetting resins do not commonly show a glass transition point, and retain their mechanical properties up to the thermal decomposition temperature. Such essential disadvantages of the polymer concrete can be considerably improved by controlling the necessary polymeric binder content by volume to a minimum.
Practical applications
Structural precast products:
Manholes and handholes for telecommunication cable lines,
electric power cable lines and gas pipelines,
prefabricated cellars or stockrooms,
tunnel liner segments for telecommunication cable lines and sewerage,
pipes for sewage,
hot spring water and seawater,
piles for port or hot spring construction,
FRP-reinforced frames or panels for buildings,
machine tool structures, e.g.
beds and saddles, etc.
Non structural precast products :
Gutter covers,
U-shaped gutters,
footpath panels,
permanent forms for checkdams with acidic water and offshore or marine structures,
terrazzo tiles and panels, and large-sized or curved decorative panels for buildings,
partition wall panels, sinks, counters, washstands, bathtubs, septic tanks, electrolytic tanks, works of art, e.g. carved statues and objets d’art, tombs for Buddhists, etc.
Cast-in-place applications :
Spillway coverings in dams,
protective linings of stilling basins in hydroelectric power stations,
coverings of checkdams,
foundations of buildings in hot spring areas,
acid-proof linings for erosion control dams with acidic water,
patch materials for damaged concrete structures,
overlays for pavement repairs,
overlay strengthening for bridge decks,
drainage pavements using porous polymer concrete, etc.
Precast applications :
Transportation applications such as railroad crossings,
railroad ties, median barriers, etc.
Structural and building panels
Sewer pipes, equipment vaults, drainage channels, etc.
Corrosion-resistant tiles, bricks and linings
Small water-flow control structures
Stair treads and nosings
Non conductive, non magnetic support structures for electrical equipment
Manhole structures and shims
Components for the animal-feeding industry
Large-scale pre-insulated wall panels for segmental building construction
Electrical insulators
Machine tool bases
Cast-in-place applications :
Patching materials for reinforced concrete structures
Overlays for reinforced concrete structures in the transportation industry
Culverts are one of those things that seem so obvious that you never take the time to even consider them. They are also so common that the practically blend into the background. But without them, life in this world would be a bit more complicated.
Imagine you are designing a brand new roadway to connect point A to point B, it would be nice if the landscape between these points was perfectly flat, with no obstructions or topographic relief. But, that’s rarely true. More likely, on the way, you will encounter hills and valleys, structures and streams, and you will have to decide how to deal with each one.
Your road can go around some obstacles, but for the most part you will have to work with what you have got.
A roadway has to have gentle curves both horizontally and vertically, so you might have to take some soil or rock from the high spots and build up the low spots along the way, also called cut and fill.
But you have got to be careful about filling in low spots, because that’s where water flows. Sometimes it’s obvious like rivers or perennial streams, but lots of watercourses are ephemeral, meaning they only flow when it trains.
If you fill across any low area in the natural landscape, you run the risk of creating an inpoundment. If the water get through your embankment, it’s going to flow over the top. Not only this lead to damage of the roadway, it can be extremly dangerous to motorists and other vehiclets.
One obvious solution to this problem is a bridge : the classic way to drive a vehicle over a body of water. But, bridges are expensive. You have to hire a structural engineer, install supports, girders and road decks. It’s just not feasible for most small creeks and ditches.
So instead we do fill the low spots in, but we include a pipe so the water can get through. That pipe is called a culvert, and there’s actually quite a bit of engineering behind this innocuous bit of infrastructure.
A culvert really only has two jobs : it has to be able to hold up the weight of the traffic passing over without collapsing, and it has to be able to let enough water pass through overtopping the roadway. Both jobs are pretty complicated, but it’s the second one which is the most important.
Factors influencing the hydraulics of a culvert :
In fact, there are eight factors that can influence the hydraulics of a culvert :
Headwater, or the depth of flow upstream of the culvert
The cross-sectional area of the culvert barrel
The cross-sectional shape of the culvert barrel
The configuration of the culvert inlet
The roughness of the culvert barrel
The length of the culvert
The slope of the culvert
The tailwater or depth of flow downstream
Types of culverts:
Following are the types of culverts generally used in construction:
1- Pipe Arc Culvert
The pipe-arch culvert is a simple structure that looks like a half-circle-shaped culvert.
It is suitable for larger waterway opening, but the flow should be stable where fishes can be provided with greater hydraulic advantage and they are artistic and it provides low clearance.
2. Box Culvert
The culverts are constructed in the form of one or more rectangular or square openings, in their top slabs.
The box culverts made up of concrete specially R.C.C. materials. They used to dispose of rainwater so, these are not useful in dry periods.
This culvert’s construction is preferable, especially in loose soil conditions, and for a larger span and also it requires a good foundation, and not be used for larger velocity.
For a single span of 3 m or for a double span of 6 m width, such type of culverts can be used. The thickness range of the R.C.C slab should be kept within 1.25 to 2.5 m.
There is a sudden change that occurs in the section of bending moment and shearing force due to the sinking of the culvert. Box culvert is a rigid frame and simple construction.
Pressure on the soil is reduced due to the bottom slab of a culvert.
Box culvert is economical due to there is no need to provide a separate foundation and also rigidity.
3. Arc Culvert
The arch culvert involves the construction of a superstructure its superstructure consisting of one or two segmental arches consisting of brick masonry, concrete, stone masonry is commonly used.
The arch culverts are not provided with the piers to the sides of the abutment.
Advantages Of Arc Culvert
Following are the advantages of Arc Culvert,
The arch culvert and artificial floors both are made up of concrete.
The pipe arch culvert and arch culvert are similar but in the case of an arch culvert, an artificial floor is provided below the arch.
It is normally used for narrow passages.
The arch culvert is similar to the Masonry bridges.
The arch culvert is very easy to install.
The arch culvert is also made of steel but it is very extortionate.
4. Pipe Culvert (Single or Multiple)
Pipe culverts are widely used culverts and rounded in shape. The culverts may be of single in number or multiple. If single pipe culvert is used then larger diameter culvert is installed. If the width of channel is greater than we will go for multiple pipe culverts. They are suitable for larger flows very well. The diameter of pipe culverts ranges from 1 meter to 6m. These are made of concrete or steel etc..
5. Bridge Culvert
Bridge culverts are provided on canals or rivers and also used as road bridges for vehicles. For this culverts a foundation is laid under the ground surface. A series of culverts are laid and pavement surface is laid on top this series of culverts. Generally these are rectangular shaped culverts these can replace the box culverts if artificial floor is not necessary.
Pretension in concrete is the method when the concrete is prestressed with tendons before the placing of the concrete. and It is a suitable method for small structural elements. the pre-tensioning members are produced in the mold.
To pretension concrete the steel is first tensioned in a frame or between anchorages external to the member. The concrete is then cast around it. After the concrete has developed sufficient strength the tension is slowly released from the frame or anchorage to transfer the stress to the concrete to which the tendons have by that time become bonded. The force is transmitted to the concrete over a certain distance from each end of a member known as the transfer length.
Post-tension Concrete
Post tension in concrete is the method when the prestressing process is done after the concrete attains its strength. It is suitable when the structure is heavy and this method is developed due to bearing.
Post-tensioned concrete is made by casting concrete that contains ducts through which tendons can be threaded. An alternative is to cast the concrete around tendons that are greased or encased in a plastic sleeve.
When the concrete has sufficient strength the tendons are tensioned by means of portable jacks. The load is transmitted to the concrete through permanent anchorages embedded in the concrete at the ends of the tendons.
Ducts are usually grouted later or filled with grease to protect the tendons against corrosion. In some applications the post-tensioning tendons are run alongside the concrete member.
Pre-tension Concrete vs Post-tension Concrete
Sr.No
Pretensioning
Post-tensioning
1
Pretension is the technique in which we are imparting tension in strands before placing the concrete.
Post tensioning is done by forming a duct in which strands are pulled (tensioned) after the concrete gains it’s full strength.
2
In this type of concrete, the pre-stressing cables called the strands are tensioned before casting the concrete and then concrete is casted enclosing the tensioned cables.
In this type of concrete, the strands are enclosed within a duct in the form and then concrete is casted. The process of tensioning the strands is carried out after the concrete attains its sufficient strength.
3
Post-tension Concrete
In this method, products are changed according to a structure.
4
Pre-tensioning members are produced in a mould.
Cables are used in place of wires and jacks are used for stretching.
5
It is cheaper because cost of sheathing is not involved in pretensioning
It is costlier because cost of sheathing is required.
6
Pre-tensioning is preferred when the structural element is small and easy to transport
Post-tensioning is preferred when the structural element is heavy.
7
Loss of prestressing isn’t less (about 18 %)
Loss of prestressing isn’t more (about 15 %)
8
Small sections are to be constructed
Size of a member is not restricted, long-span bridges are constructed by post-tensioning
9
It is more reliable and durable
The durability depends upon the two anchorage mechanism
