Technical Questions

ACI Committees, Membership, and Staff have answered common questions on a variety of concrete related topics.





Question: How do the requirements of placing affect the selection of proportions of aggregates and cementi...

Question: How is the selection of mixture proportions affected by the materials to be used and the placing...

Question: What nominal maximum sizes of aggregate are recommended?

Question: What is involved in the process of mixture proportioning?

Question: The ultimate objective in proportioning concrete

Question: The basic approach used in the ACI mixture proportioning method

Question: How does the relative amount of each ingredient used in concrete influence the properties of con...

Question: Are the proportions of ingredients inter-related to produce concrete of a given workability?

Question: Aggregate blending

Question: What range in slump is recommended for various types of construction?

Question: Increasing the load capacity of a slab-on-ground using an overlay

Question: Air content common limits

Question: The effect of aggregate shape on concrete strength

Question: The effect of aggregate grading on concrete strength

Question: Why is the workability of concrete important?

Question: How is workability measured and specified?

Question: What correction should be made for absorbed water and surface water carried by the aggregates?

Question: Mixture design and strength submittals

Question: Placement of welded wire reinforcement (WWR) in a slab-on-ground

Question: Pozzolans in mass concrete

Question: What water-cementitious material ratio should be used for a particular job when strength require...

Question: If time is not available for preliminary tests, how can the desired strengths be ensured?

Question: What allowance should be made for strengths where air-entrained concrete is to be used?

Question: What is the basis of proportioning to ensure concrete of the desired weather resistance?

Question: What is the purpose of finishing and texturing concrete surfaces?

Question: When can the finishing procedure be started?

Question: What is curing?

Question: What is meant by properly cured concrete?

Question: Is there any measure of the completeness or adequacy of curing?

Question: What methods are commonly used to ensure sufficient moisture for curing concrete?

Question: How does the temperature influence curing?

Question: When is steam curing used?

Question: How can the effectiveness of curing be measured?

Question: What is the importance of curing on strength?

Question: When does the slump test provide a useful indication of workability?

Question: What test is available to evaluate the behavior of no-slump concrete as it is vibrated?

Question: The effect of joints on the durability of concrete structures

Question: The effect of pozzolans on water demand

Question: Can you use any source of water as mixing water?

Question: Why is combined aggregate grading used?

Question: Protecting against excessive expansion due to alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR)

Question: How is the water-cementitious material ratio (w/cm) expressed?

Question: Do we always need to repair cracked concrete?

Question: What tests are necessary or desirable in making a series of trial mixtures to arrive at a suitab...

Question: Can trial mixtures be made with full-size batches at the start of a job?

Question: Air tests for non-air-entrained concrete

Question: Size of test cylinder

Question: Definition of concrete, hydraulic cement, mortar, and grout

Question: The importance of proper drainage

Question: What is a pozzolan?

Question: What does a pozzolan do in the concrete?

Question: Using and handling pozzolans

Question: Importance of using pozzolans in hydraulic and environmental structures

Question: Are pozzolans all alike?

Question: The effect of pozzolans on shrinkage

Question: The effect of pozzolans on freezing and thawing resistance

Question: What is a natural pozzolan?

Question: What are blended cements?

Question: Improving the abrasion resistance of concrete

Question: Is storing the specimens on the structure always a satisfactory procedure for estimating in-plac...

Question: How is the resistance to alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) determined?

Question: How is the shrinkage of concrete determined?

Question: Curling, shrinkage, and w/cm

Question: Popouts or popoffs?

Question: Vapor barriers

Question: Curing and curling of concrete slabs over vapor retarders

Question: Acceptable concrete cracking


Other Sources for Answers

Search other resources on the ACI website for answers to technical questions