What Is PCC Concrete?

The article aims to answer the question “What is PCC concrete?”. It will also discuss the purpose, uses, and making of PCC concrete.

Read on to know more:

PCC concrete is the type of concrete in which the cement, fine aggregate (sand), and coarse aggregate (gravel) are combined in the absence of steel. To minimize direct contact of reinforced concrete with soil and water, PCC is a crucial component of a construction that is installed on the surface of the soil.

The coarse aggregate used in the PCC must be devoid of dust, filth, and other extraneous substances and be composed of hard broken granite or comparable stone. Stone ballast should be no larger than 20 mm in diameter.

There should be no more than a 42 percent void in every 5 millimeter square mesh that contains coarse material. It is required that the fine aggregate be composed of coarse sand that contains sharp and angular grains.

Clean, dust-free sand must meet regulatory criteria and be devoid of organic materials. The usage of sea sand is prohibited. For plain cement concrete, Portland Pozzolana cement (P.P.C.) is often utilized.

All of the parameters must be met, and the material must meet the desired tensile and compressive stresses and fineness requirements.

The proportioning is done in accordance with the specification or requirement provided. It is most common to employ a 1:2:4 or a 1:13:6 blend.

Weight batching or volume batching may be used to measure material.
An appropriate measuring box of 30 cmx30 cmx38 cm, comparable to one bag of cement of 1/30 M3 or 0.035 M3, should be used in volume batching to measure coarse aggregate and sand.
The dry volume of sand must be used as the unit of measurement.

What is the difference between lean concrete and PCC concrete?

PCC and lean concrete vary in that lean concrete has a lower cement content relative to its water content. As a result, lean concrete has a lower cement-to-water content ratio than normal cement concrete.

The term “lean concrete” refers to concrete containing less than 10% cement by weight. Leaner concrete has a higher aggregate-to-cement ratio. This means that with this form of concrete, there is less paste available to lubricate the particles per square foot of surface area.

As a result, the aggregate in the mixture has a reduced range of motion. Lean concrete serves the objective of ensuring that the concrete foundation has a smooth, even surface. As a bonus, this keeps the dirt from coming into direct touch with the concrete of the foundation.

If the ground is rough or filthy, this is the best option for a flat bottom. The use of lean concrete infills or beneath the foundations protects the structure from the soil since it consumes a less quantity of cement.

Lean concrete is often used to provide a flat, level surface on which to build a foundation. Lean concrete may be used in a broad variety of ways to protect the foundation from soil moisture and pollutants, which is a common practice.

Cement concentration of 7 percent in a 1:4:8 concrete mix is an example of lean concrete.

How is PCC concrete mixed?

The methods for mixing PCC concrete are described below:

PCC Concrete is made by combining several ingredients in the correct proportions. Proper quantities of concrete components such as water, aggregate, and cement are essential to achieve the desired strength of the concrete.

The three procedures listed below may be used to make high-quality concrete that is also easy to work with. Machine mixing is the process of ensuring that PCC components are appropriately included into the concrete mix.

Using a machine to mix concrete components results in greater quality than manual mixing. Small-scale construction projects may benefit from its utilization.

The first step is to switch on the concrete mixing machine. Water is then poured into the drum to moisten the inside surface. The proportions of the PCC Concrete components are measured out and put into the drum of a mixer machine.

A total of thirty rotations are required to completely homogenize the various components of the concrete. To properly mix one batch of concrete, it takes roughly two minutes.

Manpower is typically used in the production of concrete in India. In contrast, the usage of ready-mixed concrete has risen dramatically in recent years because of its many benefits.

It is possible to expedite the building process by using this approach. This may also be done in congested settings, at night, during concrete work and in major building sites.

The use of ready-to-mix concrete in crowded urban areas or in road building is a common practice. This is a great alternative when enough plant space isn’t available or a supply of concrete components has to be stored.

This process yields high-quality concrete. To make this sort of concrete, a central batching facility is used. There are several advantages to using ready-mix concrete, such as the ability to regulate the water/cement ratio of the concrete.

Cement and fly ash may be combined to the right proportions. In addition to speeding up construction, ready-mix concrete ensures that the concrete is of the right quality.

Concrete components are notoriously difficult to correctly mix when using a hand mixer. Hand mixing of concrete is reserved for modest projects. When the demand for concrete is minimal and quality control is low, the hand-mixing procedure may be used.

This technique of mixing does not need the use of any apparatus. Hand-mixing concrete is a challenging task that needs a lot of physical power.

The tray is filled with various components of concrete and mixed by hand to create a non-porous, hard, and clean foundation.

It is necessary to scatter an exact quantity of sand and aggregate on the tray in order to get an accurate reading. When it’s finished, the cement is poured on top of it all.

It’s necessary to keep mixing the concrete until it dries to the same color and consistency as the wet components. After that, the dry concrete mixture is moistened one final time.

What are the advantages of PCC concrete?

The advantages of PCC concrete are:

For the footing of the foundation, PCC Concrete may be easily inserted into a steel cage. As a way to boost the efficiency of the job
With the footing’s concrete soil as a barrier, PCC Concrete is used in construction. Therefore, a strong bond between the footing concrete and the reinforcing steel is necessary.
PCC Concrete is used to provide a decorative overlay over the reinforcing steel in the footing.
Formwork may be built on top of PCC concrete. Since this will make it easier to fix the formwork for the footing.
When reinforced PCC Concrete is used, it will never come into direct physical contact with the earth.

What are the disadvantages of PCC concrete?

The disadvantages of PCC concrete are:

After being laid on the ground, PCC concrete begins to cure quickly. The surface of this item must be completed promptly.
It is not possible to keep PCC Concrete on RMC trucks for a lengthy period of time.
Other Concrete components cannot be constructed using PCC Concrete that has been increased.

Conclusion

Any building site is likely to employ PCC (Plain Cement Concrete). PCC is essential for laying the groundwork. PCC concrete is laid on top of the ground to keep the dirt and water out of direct contact.

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What is PCC concrete?