ACHIEVING LOWER POROSITY

06-11-2020
THROUGH PARTICLE PACKING
OF CONCRETE MIX

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

1 By
Dr S. V. Deo
Associate professor
Civil Engg Deptt. NIT, Raipur
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
Need for particle packing

06-11-2020


 Concept of particle packing

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Cases in particle packing

 Interaction between particles

 Particle packing of cementatious materials

 Cementitious Paste Porosity

2

 Conclusions
 06-11-2020 Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur
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IS 383-2016 RECOMMENDATION
IS CODE APPROACH FOR MIX DESIGN

06-11-2020
 Coarse aggregates, fine aggregates and all in
aggregates must comply IS 383-2016
requirements.

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 In case of aggregates complying IS 383-
2016 recommendations, mix design code
recommends percentage of coarse
aggregates and fine aggregates as per
maximum size of aggregate and zone of
sand.

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NEED FOR PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 As per Abram’s law, Strength is inversely
proportional to water cement ratio (W/C)

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Hence we only focus on W/C and conveniently
ignore importance of aggregates in achieving
strength and durability

 Under normal conditions, there is limit to reduce

W/C from workability consideration

 Lowering W/C without reducing workability is a

challenge for designing High strength concrete 5
NEED FOR PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 With ideal curve approach it is difficult to achieve M40
or higher grade concrete, Self compacting concrete
(SCC) or high strength concrete (HSC)

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Aggregates are produced with lesser quality control

 Aggregates occupy 50 to 70% volume of concrete

hence we must work on aggregates to reduce
porosity

 Higher volume of aggregates reduce shrinkage and

cost of concrete
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NEED FOR PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 Particle packing concept can be used to
minimize the inter-particle voids between the
constituents of concrete to reduce the paste

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

requirement for filling the voids

 Understanding the role of concrete

constituents is important to understand fresh
and hardened concrete behaviour

 Fresh and hardened properties depend on

aggregate’s shape, grading, texture, fine 7
content and surface area
NEED FOR PARTICLE PACKING

 Better particle packing reduces voids and

06-11-2020
permeability and improves strength and
durability

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 5% voids in concrete could result in up to 20%
reduction in compressive strength

 With particle packing, Denmark concrete

industry is providing structural grade concrete
with 140 kg/m3 cement

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NEED FOR PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 Good particle packing in concrete must
consider shape, size, texture and surface
area of constituents

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Quantity of water

 W/C ratio

 Coarse aggregates

 Fine aggregates

 Cementitious materials

 Combined effect of these materials

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NEED FOR PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 Particle packing can be improved by
increasing percentage of finer particles

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Increased particle packing due to finer
particles increases surface area

 Increased surface area adversely

affect workability, hence need to
proportion judiciously
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NEED FOR PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 Existing methods of mix proportioning
incorporate an indirect measure of particle
packing by use of ideal grading curve

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 As per Mr. Power “there is no ideal grading
for aggregates”

 As per Mr. A. M. Neville “Good and bad

concrete may be produced from the same
material”
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 06-11-2020 Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur
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(MEHTA ET. AL)
OF WELL GRADED AGGREGATE
ADVANTAGE
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[1]
IN PARTICLE PACKING APPROACH
DIFFICULTY
 06-11-2020 Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur
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[1]
IN PARTICLE PACKING APPROACH
DIFFICULTY
MIX DESIGN APPROACHES

06-11-2020
1. Ideal curve approach

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

2. Particle packing approach

3. Water/paste layer approach

Particle
packing and water/paste layer
approach depend on shape of aggregate.

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CONCEPT OF PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 Particle packing seek to select proper sizes
and proportions of small particles to fill the
voids of larger particles

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Smaller particles voids are filled with finer
cementious materials

 Voids in cement are filled by finer materials

like fly ash, silica fume etc.

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MIX DESIGN APPROACHES

06-11-2020
Shape and texture of aggregate decides surface
area of aggregate to be covered by the
water/paste

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

Water film thickness (WFT) is the average
thickness of water film coating the solid particles

WFT may be determined as excess water to solid

surface area

Aggregates must be proportioned such that, all

the water added is available for improving WFT 17
MIX DESIGN APPROACHES

06-11-2020
 In case of low W/C mixes paste is very dry to
lubricate the aggregate surface

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Particles less than 125µ are considered for
paste formation (they include cement, Fly
Ash, GGBS, Silica Fume, Rice Husk Ash,
Metakaolin)

 Sand particles passing 125µ are also

considered for paste
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MIX DESIGN APPROACHES

 Particle matrix model considers concrete as 2

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phases

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 This model is suitable for SCC and HSC

 Phase 1: Fluid (Paste)(higher surface area required

for binding)

 Phase 2: Friction material (Aggregates) (lower

surface area preferred)

 Due to large variation in aggregate size and shape

it is very difficult to determine need of fluid to 19

cover aggregates
MIX DESIGN APPROACHES

06-11-2020
 Bulk density is useful to know paste required

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 If aggregates are proportioned to have minimum
voids, fluid will only be required for water/paste
layer

 With lesser voids, water/paste layer thickness

will increase

 Increased paste layer thickness will result in

lower porosity and better workability, strength
and durability 20
CASES IN PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 Volume fraction of small particles is large (fine
grain dominant)

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Preferable in SCC and HSC

Advantage: 1.Interfacial Transition Zone and

compactability may be improved
2.Voids may be smaller and evenly distributed

Disadvantage: 1.If cementatious particles are more,

may result in higher cost and shrinkage
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2. Air voids may be more due to higher viscosity and
poor conpaction
CASES IN PARTICLE PACKING

06-11-2020
 Volume fraction of coarse particles is large (coarse
grain dominant)

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Preferable in lower strength mixes up to M45

Advantage: Lower cost for cementatious material

and lower shrinkage

Disadvantage: 1. ITZ and compactability will be

adversely affected
2. Larger voids may be created due to poor
compaction 22
INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES

06-11-2020
 Filling effect: When the volumetric fraction of
fine particles is less than optimum, the
coarse particles are dominant and fine

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

particles increase the packing density by
filling the voids within the coarse particles

 The increase in particle density due to

widening of the particle size range of
aggregate particles may also be interpreted
as filling effect

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INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES

Occupying effect: When the volumetric fraction of

06-11-2020

coarse particles is less than optimum, the fine
particles are dominant and coarse particles increase
the packing density by occupying volumes which

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

would otherwise be occupied by porous bulk volume
of fine particles.

 Successive occupying of the porous bulk volume of

fine aggregate particles by larger aggregate particles
may also be considered as the occupying effect

 The increase in the packing density by the filling and

occupying effect may be reduced by the loosening and
wall effect
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INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES
 Wall effect: when an isolated coarse particle is in
the matrix of fine aggregates, it disturbs the

06-11-2020
packing density of fine aggregates. There exists
increased voids near the region of direct contact
between the particles

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 When fine particles are dominant, wall effect is
observed

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INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES
 Loosening effect: when a fine particle is in the

06-11-2020
matrix of coarse particles and the small particle
is too large to fit into the interstices of the coarse
aggregate, it increases the voids in the mix

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 When coarse aggregates are dominant, loosening
effect is observed

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INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES

 Loosening and wall effects depends on the size

06-11-2020
difference between the fine and coarse particles,
expressed in terms of size ratio

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Size ratio is expressed as the ratio of the size of
fine to coarse particle

 When size ratio is smaller, the loosening and wall

effects are smaller and vice versa

 Theoretical models considering loosening and

wall effects provide higher density in comparison
to experimental value. This effect is considered 27
as wedging effect
INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES

 Wedging effect:

06-11-2020
1. When the coarse particles are dominant, some
isolated fine particles disturb the packing of coarse
particles by wedging the gaps between the coarse

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

particles and are entrapped there instead of filling
the voids between the coarse particles

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INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES

 Wedging effect:

06-11-2020
2. When the fine particles are dominant, some
coarse particles are exceptionally close to each

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

other, preventing the formation of complete
layers of fine particles

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INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTICLES

06-11-2020
 Other parameters affecting particle packing:
1. Particle shape

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

2. Absolute size (significant in case of fine
particles and powders)
3. Strong inter particle forces between fine
particles (fine particles agglomerate to
reduce packing density)
 Above parameters are not yet fully
considered in the particle packing models

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PARTICLE PACKING OF CEMENTITIOUS
MATERIALS

06-11-2020
 Cementitious material can also be
categorised into

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

1. Coarse particle dominated

2. Fine particle dominated

 Various studies have reported optimum ratio

between the diameter (spherical cement
particles) of two powders between 0.41 to
0.15
 However cement particles are irregular,
sharp edged particles with different sizes
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 06-11-2020 Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur
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SEM IMAGES
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PARTICLE PACKING
 06-11-2020
Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur
Hydrated cement without fly ash

34

Dense hydrated cement paste with fly ash

 DURABILITY OF CONCRETE
(MEHTA & MONTEIRO)

06-11-2020
Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur
Diagrammatic representation of Diagrammatic representation
well-hydrated of well-hydrated
cement pastes made with OPC 35
cement pastes made with Fly
Ash or GGBS
PARTICLE PACKING OF CEMENTITIOUS
MATERIALS

06-11-2020
 If large particles of cement are dispersed in smaller
particles of silica fume, RHA, Fly Ash etc., the voids
between the packed smaller particles will dominate the

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

pore size and connectivity

 Permeability is dependent on the total porosity, pore

sizes and connectivity of pores

 Due to finer particles of silica fume, RHA, Fly Ash etc.,

even wall effect or loosening effect or wedging effect will
create smaller voids

 Optimised particle packing will reduce pore size and 36

thereby reduce the permeability of a single pore and
connected pores
CEMENTITIOUS POROSITY
 Gel pores in C-S-H binder are in nano meters

06-11-2020
 Capillary pores (water filled spaces not filled by hydration
products) range from nano meters to tens of micrometer

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Gaps between unreacted grains and C-S-H binder are in
micrometer

 Air voids range between tens of micrometer to mm due to

improper mix

 Capillary pores and air voids could be controlled by better

particle packing of cementitious materials, reduction of
water cementitious ratio and proper hydration 37
CEMENTITIOUS POROSITY

06-11-2020
 Pores become discontinuous when porosity of
cementitious paste is less than 18% of volume
(Cook and Hover 1999)

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Water permeability largely depends on type of
media (O2, N2, water etc.) used in test, sample
preparation, curing conditions, age of sample,
pressure used, particle size distribution and
chemical composition of cementitious material

 Properly packed and 100% hydrated cement

paste at 0.45 W/C and good aggregates made
38
from good rocks shall be practically impermeable
(Powers et al 1954)
CEMENTITIOUS POROSITY

06-11-2020
 The transition zone between the matrix and
coarse aggregate may be more permeable
than matrix and coarse aggregates.

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Porosity in cement paste is due to
1. Chemical shrinkage as the reaction
products have a smaller volume than the
combined volume of cement and water
2. Capillary pores due to loss of unreacted
water from concrete
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CEMENTITIOUS PASTE POROSITY
Compound Chemical shrinkage

06-11-2020
C3A 16%
C3S 8%

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Cements with lower C3A content should be
preferred for lower porosity

 Additionally entrained air increases porosity

 Higher the sand higher will be the air entrained

 Lower the viscosity of cement paste lower will be

the air content 40
CEMENTITIOUS PASTE POROSITY
Formation of Ettringite transforms lot of water to solid

06-11-2020

hydrates reducing porosity

Supplimentary cementious materials (SCM) like GGBS,

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur


FA, SF etc. convert more water per volume of hydrates
than the cement they replace

 SCM create hydration products of lower density than

the cement, reducing the porosity

 100 g Calcium Carbonate would bind 90 g water. This

may increase the volume of solids by up to 40%. Hence
replacement of cement with CaCO3 will reduce porosity
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CEMENTITIOUS PASTE POROSITY

06-11-2020
 At more than 25% replacement of cement
with fly ash, sufficient calcium hydroxide is
not available to FA to continue pozzolanic

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reaction.

 It is advisable to partially replace cement

with calcium carbonate or quick lime. This
will also reduce porosity of concrete.

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CONCRETE POROSITY
 Loosening, wall and wedge effects could be reduced by

06-11-2020
use of finer particles of cement/FA/GGBS/SF

In case of fine agg dominated mix design, voids are

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur


more in number but evenly distributed and having less
size

 In case of coarse aggregate dominated design, surface

area is less, hence requirement of cement paste is
reduced. This will produce economical concrete

 Use of vibrated bulk density of CA, CA+FA and finally

CA+FA+Cement paste is recommended
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POINTS TO ADDRESS

 For higher water film thickness, lower quantity of

06-11-2020
fine aggregates must be used

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 20mm and 10 mm coarse aggregates must be
proportioned to reduce fine aggregate quantity

 Use of cubical coarse aggregates is preferable

 To know the voids in materials bulk density of

various materials is a good help

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POINTS TO ADDRESS

06-11-2020
 To know the fluidity of paste, standard
consistancy test is useful

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 In concretes with higher cementitious
materials fine aggregate percentage may be
reduced

 Consider the volume of cementitious material

+ sand in total vol of conc

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CONCLUSION

06-11-2020
 Particle packing is always helpful in achieving
lower porosity

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Particle packing makes cost effective and
durable concrete

 Concrete with particle packing (lower voids)

always perform better under all conditions.

 Finer particles of Fly ash, GGBS, Silica fume,

Metakaolin and Rice husk ash should be 46

added to OPC for improving particle packing.

CONCLUSION

06-11-2020
 Mineral admixtures like Fly ash, GGBS, Silica
fume, Metakaolin and Rice husk ash are able
to hold more water than OPC.

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Mineral admixtures also produce low density
C-S-H gel, reducing the voids in concrete.

 For achieving lower porosity of concrete most

important step is to use lowest possible W/C
ratio with required workability and good
particle packing of materials. 47
06-11-2020 Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur
48
Thank you for
your interest
REFERENCE

06-11-2020
 Yahya Ghasemi, (2017) “Aggregates in concrete mix design” M.
Tech Thesis, Structural Engineering, Luleå University of Technology
SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden.

Civil Engineering Department, NIT Raipur

 Mehta, P. K. and Monterio, P. J. M. (2014), “Concrete-
microstructure, properties and materials”, Fourth Edition, Mc Graw
Hill.
 Vivian Wong, Ka Wai Chan and Albert Kwok Hung Kwan, (2013),
“Applying Theories of Particle Packing and Rheology to Concrete for
Sustainable Development ”, Organization, technology and
management in construction
 Harald Justnes, (2009), “Low porosity through optimized particle
packing of concrete matrix ”, COIN project report 13-2009.
 Senthil Kumar V and Manu Santhanam, (2003), “Particle packing
theories and their application in concrete mixture proportioning: A
review” The Indian Concrete Journal

49