Advanced Concrete Technology: 5-Day Technical Training Course

Course Overview

This comprehensive 5-day advanced training program provides in-depth technical knowledge of modern concrete technology, covering materials science, mix design, production, placement, testing, and troubleshooting. Designed for civil engineers, structural engineers, concrete technologists, quality control managers, construction managers, and ready-mix professionals, this course combines theoretical principles with practical applications to ensure high-performance concrete construction and problem-solving capabilities.

Target Audience: Concrete technologists, civil/structural engineers, quality control managers, construction engineers, ready-mix plant managers, laboratory technicians, architects, and construction professionals working with concrete.

Day 1: Concrete Materials Science & Chemistry

Morning Session: Cement Chemistry & Hydration (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Understanding Concrete at Molecular Level:
Exploring cement chemistry, hydration reactions, and microstructure development that determine concrete properties and long-term performance.

Fundamental Concepts:

• Portland cement manufacturing and types (Type I through V)

• Chemical composition: C3S, C2S, C3A, C4AF compounds

• Hydration process and heat of hydration

• Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) gel formation

• Microstructure development and pore structure

• Setting and hardening mechanisms

• Blended cements: fly ash, slag, silica fume, calcined clay

• Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) reactions

• Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) fundamentals

• Sulfate attack mechanisms

• Carbonation and chloride penetration

Afternoon Session: Aggregates, Water & Chemical Admixtures (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

Material Selection for Performance:
Mastering aggregate properties, water quality requirements, and chemical admixtures that optimize concrete performance for specific applications.

Key Topics:

• Aggregate characteristics: gradation, shape, texture, strength

• Coarse and fine aggregate specifications (ASTM C33)

• Deleterious materials and contamination issues

• Aggregate reactivity: ASR, ACR testing and prevention

• Recycled aggregates and sustainability considerations

• Water quality and impurity effects on concrete

• Water-cement ratio relationship and Abrams’ law

• Chemical admixtures: types and mechanisms

• Water reducers, superplasticizers, and HRWR

• Retarders, accelerators, and air-entraining agents

• Shrinkage reducers and corrosion inhibitors

• Viscosity modifying agents (VMA)

• Admixture compatibility and interactions

Laboratory Session: Aggregate testing demonstrations and admixture dosage calculations

Day 2: Concrete Mix Design & Proportioning

Morning Session: Mix Design Methodologies (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Engineering Optimal Mixtures:
Mastering systematic mix design approaches including ACI 211, British DOE method, and performance-based design to achieve target properties economically.

Mix Design Essentials:

• ACI 211.1 absolute volume method

• Water-cement ratio selection for strength and durability

• Aggregate proportioning and optimization

• Air content requirements for freeze-thaw resistance

• Slump and workability targets

• Statistical analysis and standard deviation

• Trial batch procedures and adjustments

• Cost optimization strategies

• Mixture proportioning software tools

• Quality control mix design adjustments

• Special exposure conditions requirements

• Sustainability and carbon footprint reduction

Afternoon Session: High-Performance & Specialty Concrete (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

Advanced Concrete Systems:
Designing and producing specialized concrete for demanding applications including high-strength, self-consolidating, lightweight, and fiber-reinforced concrete.

Specialty Mixtures:

• High-strength concrete (HSC): materials and techniques

• Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) technology

• Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC): rheology and mix design

• Lightweight concrete: structural and insulating types

• High-density concrete for radiation shielding

• Fiber-reinforced concrete: steel, synthetic, glass fibers

• Shrinkage-compensating concrete

• Roller-compacted concrete (RCC)

• Pervious and permeable concrete systems

• Colored and architectural concrete

• Mass concrete considerations

• Cold weather and hot weather concrete

• Underwater concrete placement

Workshop: Design high-performance concrete mix for specific project requirements

Day 3: Fresh Concrete Properties & Quality Control

Morning Session: Workability, Rheology & Testing (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Fresh Concrete Behavior:
Understanding rheological properties, workability parameters, and fresh concrete testing methods that ensure proper placement and consolidation.

Critical Concepts:

• Workability definition and importance

• Rheology: yield stress and plastic viscosity

• Slump test procedures and interpretation (ASTM C143)

• Slump flow test for SCC (ASTM C1611)

• Air content measurement: pressure and volumetric methods

• Temperature measurement and significance

• Unit weight determination (ASTM C138)

• Setting time tests: Vicat and penetration resistance

• Bleeding and segregation evaluation

• Concrete consistency and cohesion assessment

• Sampling procedures (ASTM C172)

• Quality control testing frequency

• Statistical process control (SPC) for concrete production

Afternoon Session: Concrete Production & Batching (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

Ready-Mix Operations Excellence:
Implementing best practices for batching, mixing, transporting, and delivering consistent, high-quality concrete from plant to placement.

Production Systems:

• Batching plant types: stationary and mobile

• Weighing system accuracy and calibration

• Moisture measurement and compensation

• Mixing equipment: drum, pan, and continuous mixers

• Mixing time requirements and adequacy

• Transit mixer operations and limitations

• Delivery time constraints and extended setting

• Concrete temperature control strategies

• Quality control at batch plant

• Discharge rate and concrete handling

• Load ticket information requirements

• Returned concrete management

• Wash water recycling systems

Site Visit/Virtual Tour: Ready-mix plant operations and quality control procedures

Day 4: Hardened Concrete Properties & Durability

Morning Session: Strength Development & Testing (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Mechanical Properties:
Understanding strength development mechanisms, testing procedures, and factors affecting compressive, tensile, and flexural strength of hardened concrete.

Strength Fundamentals:

• Compressive strength testing (ASTM C39)

• Cylinder preparation, curing, and handling procedures

• Splitting tensile strength test (ASTM C496)

• Flexural strength beam testing (ASTM C78)

• Maturity method for early strength estimation

• Core drilling and testing (ASTM C42)

• In-place strength testing: rebound hammer, pullout, penetration

• Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods

• Ultrasonic pulse velocity testing

• Strength gain curves and prediction models

• Factors affecting strength: w/c ratio, age, curing, temperature

• Statistical acceptance criteria (ACI 318)

• Strength test failures and investigation

Afternoon Session: Durability & Service Life (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

Long-Term Performance:
Addressing durability challenges including freeze-thaw damage, chemical attack, corrosion, and deterioration mechanisms with preventive strategies.

Durability Topics:

• Permeability and transport mechanisms

• Water absorption and porosity testing

• Freeze-thaw resistance and critical saturation

• Scaling resistance testing (ASTM C672)

• Rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT/ASTM C1202)

• Chloride-induced corrosion of reinforcement

• Corrosion monitoring techniques

• Sulfate attack: types, mechanisms, prevention

• Alkali-silica reaction (ASR): identification and mitigation

• Carbonation depth measurement

• Chemical resistance of concrete

• Abrasion and erosion resistance

• Exposure classes and durability requirements (ACI 318)

• Service life prediction models

Case Studies: Analyzing concrete durability failures and remediation strategies

Day 5: Placement, Curing & Troubleshooting

Morning Session: Concrete Placement & Finishing (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Field Implementation:
Mastering placement techniques, consolidation methods, finishing procedures, and joint construction that ensure quality in-place concrete.

Placement Excellence:

• Pre-placement preparations and inspections

• Concrete transportation and handling equipment

• Pumping concrete: equipment and considerations

• Placing methods: chutes, buckets, conveyors, pumps

• Consolidation: internal and external vibration

• Vibrator selection and proper usage

• Preventing segregation and cold joints

• Construction joints: location and preparation

• Finishing operations: screeding, floating, troweling

• Surface defects: causes and prevention

• Formed surfaces and architectural finish

• Slip-form paving operations

• Mass concrete placement strategies

• Tremie concrete underwater placement

• Shotcrete application techniques

Afternoon Session: Curing & Early-Age Concrete Management (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM)

Critical Early-Age Care:
Implementing proper curing regimes and early-age protection that maximize strength development and minimize cracking and durability issues.

Curing Practices:

• Importance of adequate curing on properties

• Moisture retention curing methods

• Water curing: ponding, fogging, wet coverings

• Membrane-forming curing compounds

• Plastic sheeting and wet burlap systems

• Steam curing and heat accelerated curing

• Curing duration requirements

• Hot weather precautions and evaporation control

• Cold weather protection and insulation

• Early-age cracking: plastic shrinkage, settlement

• Drying shrinkage and mitigation strategies

• Thermal cracking in mass concrete

• Curing effectiveness testing

• Maturity monitoring systems

Closing Session: Concrete Problems & Troubleshooting (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

Problem-Solving Expertise:
Diagnosing common concrete problems, determining root causes, and implementing corrective and preventive actions for quality assurance.

Troubleshooting Topics:

• Low strength investigation procedures

• Surface defects: blisters, delamination, scaling, dusting

• Cracking: types, causes, assessment, repair

• Discoloration and efflorescence

• Pop-outs and surface voids

• Honeycomb and bug holes

• Form blowouts and bulges

• Air void system problems

• Finishing difficulties and solutions

• Delayed setting and flash setting

• Excessive bleeding and segregation

• Alkali-aggregate reaction identification

• Petrographic examination (ASTM C856)

• Concrete repair materials and methods

• Preventive maintenance strategies

Capstone Project:
Teams analyze concrete failure scenario, conduct root cause analysis, recommend testing program, and propose corrective/preventive actions with technical justification.

Course Conclusion:

• Advanced concrete technology trends and innovations

• Sustainable concrete and carbon reduction strategies

• Professional certifications: ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician, ACI Mix Design

• Q&A with concrete industry experts

• Certificate of Completion presentation (35 PDH/CEU credits)

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

• Understand concrete at microstructural level and material interactions

• Design optimal mixes for diverse performance requirements

• Control quality through systematic testing and statistical analysis

• Ensure durability by addressing exposure conditions appropriately

• Troubleshoot problems systematically using technical knowledge

• Implement best practices for production, placement, and curing

• Specify and test high-performance and specialty concretes

• Apply standards (ACI, ASTM, AASHTO) correctly

• Evaluate and predict long-term concrete performance

Course Materials Included

• Comprehensive concrete technology manual with reference data

• ACI and ASTM standards excerpts and guidelines

• Mix design calculation worksheets and software

• Testing procedure demonstrations and videos

• Troubleshooting flowcharts and diagnostic guides

• Certificate of Completion (35 PDH/CEU credits)

• Access to concrete technology resource library

Prerequisites

Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or related field, OR minimum 3 years concrete industry experience. Basic understanding of concrete materials and construction recommended.

Keywords: advanced concrete technology, concrete mix design, concrete materials, concrete testing, high performance concrete, concrete durability, concrete quality control, fresh concrete properties, hardened concrete, concrete troubleshooting, cement chemistry, concrete admixtures, self consolidating concrete, concrete curing, ACI standards, concrete engineering course, concrete technologist training, ready mix concrete, concrete strength testing, concrete placement