PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF

ALGERIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION HIGHER AND OF THE SEARCH

SCIENTIST
UNIVERSITE DJILALI LIABBES SIDI BEL ABBES

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY GINIEDEPARTMENT OF
PROCESSES

1 st Year Master processes and

Environment Engineering
Exposure of Porous and Dispersed Media
Thème:

Presented by:
 Gherbi Mohammed El amine

Teacher:
 Benmiloud nourel houda
 SUMMARY

1- introduction ....................................................................................................1

2 - Definition and General ...... …………………………………..………….1

3 - The different types of concrete ………………….……….……………..3

4 - the characteristics of concrete ………………………………….……3

5 - Main advantages and disadvantages of concrete ......................……5

6 - Fields of use of concrete…………………………………..…………………6

- CONCLUSION.
1. INTRODUCTION :
Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world today. The popularity of concrete
through the ages is explained by its many qualities, the main one of which is, without a doubt,
durability. Concrete, despite its common use, remains a complex material. An equally economical
and versatile material, it is on this last chapter that it continues to amaze today, while it
unceasingly succeeds in meeting the challenges of the imagination, as well as those demanded by
the economy. and the environment. More than ever, concrete responds brilliantly to today's
realities. As strong and durable concrete is, it is fragile before it is placed. Concrete is the result of
a very simple technology, but at the same time of a very complex science.

Definition and General:

Concrete is a building material composed of a mixture of aggregates, sand, and water

agglomerated by a hydraulic binder (most often cement) which serves as "glue". Adjuvants and
other ingredients are optionally added to it to modify its characteristics. To make 1 m3 of concrete,
you need about 300 kg of cement, 800 kg of sand, 1,050 kg of aggregate and 175 l of water.

The first concretes date back to more than 3,000 years BC. They were then composed of clay,
sand, gravel and water and called earth concrete or cob. The invention of "Roman cement" in 1796
and then of prestressed concrete will seal the success of concrete. Today it is the most widely used
construction material in the world: its production is estimated at around one tonne per inhabitant
on the planet.

The ecological impact of concrete is particularly high: each ton produced emits on average 575 kg
of CO2. Globally, cement manufacturing accounts for 5% of CO2 emissions. It also consumes
large amounts of water and sand.

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Figure 1 : The concrete is mainly used in building the roads and bridges. Source: National Union
of Ready-Mixed Concrete (SNBPE)

In concrete where very great compactness is desired (HP concrete for example), the size of the
finest elements can drop below 0.1 mm (fillers, silica fume). Likewise, very light aggregates have
densities of less than 100 kg / m3. Order of magnitude of the proportions of the constituents of a
common concrete, presented in the table below.

Table 1: The content of concrete constituents by weight and volume

Figure 2 : the constituents of concrete.

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All the implementation operations (Formulation, preparation of fresh concrete, transport and
placement) are important if we want to obtain dense concrete and homogeneous quality. To be
durable, concrete must:

 be well composed;

 correctly implemented;

 protected from possible causes of alteration by suitable construction measures.

The different types of concrete:

 Reinforced concrete, composed of a steel frame covered with concrete.

 Fiber-reinforced concrete is reinforced with synthetic or metallic fibers which reinforce its
traction or its resistance to fire.

 Prestressed concrete consists of tensioning steel cables before setting, which will compress
the concrete once solidified.

 High Performance concrete (BHP), with lower porosity and greater resistance to corrosion
and frost.

 Self-consolidating concrete is more fluid than conventional concrete and therefore has the
advantage of being able to be poured into a formwork without vibration (technique used to
eliminate air bubbles).

There are also many decorative concretes, such as washed or deactivated concrete (with a grainy
appearance, used for example to make walkways), waxed, colored or even translucent concrete.
Depolluting or self-cleaning concretes have also been developed.

the characteristics of concrete:

In short, concrete is a: composite material made up of four main elements. The proportions differ
depending on the type of concrete needed:

Mixture of aggregate (sand plus aggregate) and paste composed of: cement, water and admixture

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  paste 30 to 40%

 Portland cement 7% to 15% by volume

 Water 14% to 21% by volume

 AGREG ats 60% to 80%

 Coarse aggregates

 Fine aggregates

 Chemical adjuvants

Aggregates are the body of concrete. They are most often mined in quarries. The size of the
aggregate, called grain size, varies depending on the type, use and method of placing the concrete.
For structural work, foundations for example, we will opt for an aggregate with a larger nominal
size. It is also possible to use several different grain sizes to produce concrete. The finer aggregates
will get lodged in the interstices created by the larger ones.

The water used must be potable water, free from impurities and odors. The use of recycled water
from cleaning concrete mixers is now commonplace. This practice is strongly encouraged when it
is done in compliance with the technical standards in force.

Cement is the binding compound of concrete. In the form of a very fine powder, it is mixed with
the aggregates and, on contact with water, will harden the mixture. It is the hydration reaction of
cement.

Concrete is a material that resists compression better than traction. It is therefore the compression
which will define its resistance, defined as the maximum compressive stress of the concrete. It is
symbolized by the acronym f'c and expressed in MPa . The strength of concrete is evaluated after
28 days of age, which usually allows it to reach 90% of its strength.

The following table defines some other characteristics of various elements for residential use,
according to the CSA A23.1-14 standard and common industry practices.

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Main advantages and disadvantages of concrete:

 Advantages of concrete:

 It is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and requires little maintenance;

 It embraces all the forms that are given to it. Modifications and adaptations of the project
on the site are easy to carry out;

 It becomes solid like stone. Correctly used, it lasts for millennia. It is resistant to fire and to
usual mechanical actions;

 Associated with steel reinforcements, it acquires new properties which make it a

construction material with immense possibilities (reinforced concrete, prestressed
concrete);

 Il convient aux constructions similaires. Les assemblages sont faciles à réaliser dans le cas
du béton coulé sur place. Dans la plupart des cas, les dimensions des ouvrages et éléments
d'ouvrage en béton sont suffisants pour ne pas poser de problème délicat de stabilité ;

 It is suitable for similar constructions. Assemblies are easy to make in the case of cast-in-
place concrete. In most cases, the dimensions of the concrete structures and structural
elements are sufficient not to pose a delicate problem of stability;

 It requires little energy for its manufacture.

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  Disadvantages of concrete:

The main drawbacks of concrete could be eliminated thanks to its association with steel
reinforcements or the use of prestressing. Either way, the following drawbacks remain :

 Its high self-weight (density of approximately 2.4 which can be reduced to 1.8 in the case
of light structural concrete and less than 1.0 in the case of light insulating concrete) ;

 Its low thermal insulation (it can be easily improved by adding a layer of insulation product
or by using special lightweight concrete);

 The high cost caused by the destruction of concrete in the event of modification of a
structure.

The use of concrete areas:

 The building

Concrete holds an essential place in modern town planning. This seems normal when considering
its use in the construction of housing: for walls, 80% of individual techniques, more than 90% in
collective for structures; for floors, concrete is practically the ideal material.

Concrete has also established itself widely in other construction sectors: offices, hospitals,
premises, as well as in large public buildings and industrial buildings.

 Public works

a) Bridges : Technical progress and, in particular, the evolution of the characteristics of concrete,
make it possible to achieve spans of up to several hundred meters.

b) Tunnels : For large tunnels, examples of which are multiplying throughout the world, concrete
is either poured on site or used in prefabricated segments. These are installed as the boring
machine advances.

c) Dams : Large dams are most often made of concrete, allowing installation in the most difficult
sites.

d) Roads : Concrete pavement plays an increasingly important role in major road and motorway
roads, thanks to the development of modern techniques: continuous reinforced concrete, thick slab
surface treatment, low-traffic roads and urban developments show a renewed interest in concrete

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solutions, which ensure durability and low maintenance costs.

e) Other structures : It is also necessary to cite unusual structures: offshore structures or nuclear
power plants, the requirements of which require concrete with high mechanical characteristics and
durability.

CONCLUSION :

Concrete is one of the most used building materials in the world, it is part of our living
environment. It deserved its place by these performances, its flexibility of use as well as by the
diversity which it allows in the forms, the colors and the aspects.

Concrete is a material in high demand and its use will continue to grow in the years to come. In
order to ensure the growth of this essential building material, the sustainable development
approach must be integrated into the production of cement and concrete.