Concrete durability is the ability to resist weathering, chemical attack, and abrasion while maintaining engineering properties. Durable concrete helps the environment by conserving resources. Concrete failures are often due to mix design, material properties, improper mixing, placing, compaction, curing procedures. Inadequate curing is a major reason for concrete failures and reduces structure durability. Factors affecting concrete durability include cement content, compaction, curing, concrete cover, and permeability. Proper curing, sufficient cement, compaction, and concrete cover can provide low permeability concrete with high durability.

1. DURABILITY OF CONCRETE

2. Definition of Durability
* It is defined as the ability of concrete to resist weathering action,
chemical attack ,and abrasion while maintaining its desired
engineering properties.
* Durable materials helps the environment by conserving resources
and reducing wastes and the environmental impacts of repair and
replacement.

3. Significance of durability:
*Concrete failures at site are associated to several reasons ,
right from concrete mix design.
>Properties of materials used:
Mixing ,placing , compaction , curing procedures and many
more .There are many misconceptions about the duration
of curing of concrete , especially when we refer to site
conditions . On many occasions ,it is found that curing
period of concrete elements ,plasters , brickwork etc is left
to the discretion of the site staff.
Improper curing is considered as one of the significant
reasons for concrete failures in beams , columns , slabs,
pavements etc .unfortunately , adequate curing is not given
much importance at most of the sites leading to reduction
in the durability of structure.

4. Factors Affecting Durability of
Concrete:
1)Cement content:
 Mix must be designed to ensure cohesion and prevent segregation
and bleeding . If cement is reduced , then at fixedW/C ratio the
workability will be reduced , leading to inadequate compaction .
however , if water is added to improve workability , water /cement
ratio increases and resulting in highly permeable material.

5. 2)Compaction:
*The concrete as a whole contain voids can be caused by
inadiquate compaction.
*Usually it is being governed by the compaction
equipments used,type of formwork and density of the
steel work.

6. 3)Curing:
It is very important to permit proper strength
development aid moisture retention and to ensure
hydration process occur completely.
4)Cover:
Thickness of concrete cover must
follow the limits set in codes.

7. 5)Permeability:
.
*It is considered the most important factor for durability . It
can be noticed that higher permeability is usually caused by
higher porosity .therefore , a proper curing , sufficient
cement , proper compaction and suitable concrete cover
could provide a low permeability concrete.

8. Presentation Done BY:
Sandhya.V
Civil4th sem
mitt.