Book Reviews

Book Rev iews Significance of Tests and Properties of Concrete and Concrete-making Materials, ASTM Special Technical Publication 169B, 04-169020-07 Published by The American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, U.S.A., 1978 Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 78-51628, Price $65.00, 872 pp.

This book is sponsored by ASTM Committee C-9 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates and is an up-dated and extensively revised and expanded version of the earlier Report ASTM STP 169-A bearing the same title and published in 1966. Like the previous publications of Committee C-9, this book consists of numerous chapters written by individuals who are experts in their relevant fields; each of the chapters has been subsequently reviewed and the entire book coordinated by a special com- mittee of Committee C-9.

The book contains fifty chapters including the Introduction by Robert Philleo. The whole text is divided into four parts. Part I contains four chapters and deals with sampling, statistical considerations in sampling and testing, quality control and research. Part II deals with tests and properties of concrete which takes up twenty seven chapters and makes up more than half of the book. This section has an introductory chapter on the nature of concrete by Powers which sets the scene for the remainder of the section. The properties of freshly mixed con- crete are discussed in four chapters while a host of the hardened concrete characteristics such as strength, elasticity, volume changes, corrosion, chemical and other resistance are covered in eighteen chapters. Individual chapters are devoted to accelerated strength testing, non-destructive testing and pre- placed aggregate concrete highlighting the significance of these to the present-day construction industry. Four chapters are devoted to special categories such as ready-mixed and lightweight aggregate concrete.

Part III of the book is devoted to tests and properties of concrete aggregates. The ten chapters included in this part deal with petrographic examination, grading, shape, absorption, porosity, physical properties, thermal properties, aggregate- cement reactions and soundness. The increasing number and complexity of the alkali-aggregate reactions is recognised in this section in devoting two separate chapters to this subject, one dealing with alkali-silica and alkali-silicate reactions and the other with alkali-carbonate reactions. In Part IV of the book tests and properties of other materials are discussed in eight chapters. The topics dealt with in this section reflect the ability of the concrete technologist to tailor materials to suit specific and unusual applications and include curing materials, various types of admixtures, cellular concrete, organic materials for coating concrete and pumpability aids.

This is undoubtedly a mammoth effort on the part of a few individuals of Committee C-9 who have brought together the expertise and experience of a large number of specialists in one publication. The book contains invaluable information on all aspects of concrete technology, and will be exceptionally useful to all those involved in teaching, research, testing, specifying and designing in concrete.

R.N. Swamy

Concrete Design: U.S. and European Practices ACl Publication SP-59; CEB Bulletin 113 Published by the American Concrete Institute, P.O. Box 19150, Detroit, Michigan 48219, USA, 1979 Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 78-72044, Price $20.25 to ACI Members, $26.25 to Non-members plus postage, vi + 346 pp.

The need for harmonisation between American and European design practice has been felt for some time and this publication is the result of an international symposium organised to achieve cross-fertilisation of ideas and practices in concrete design between the United States and Europe. The Symposium was held in 1976 during the ACI Annual Convention, and was co- sponsored by ACI, CEB, FNP and the Prestressed Concrete Institute.

The purpose of the Symposium was to review the agree- ments and differences in reinforced and prestressed concrete design approaches as embodied in the American and European Concrete Codes and to achieve international collaboration in establishing closer compatibility in the approaches between the different countries. Apart from the addresses given by CEB President Andrew Short and FIP President Ben Gerwick, the publication includes 20 papers divided into three sessions. The first session of the Symposium dealt with limit state design and the four papers included in this session discuss loading, safety, serviceability and limit state design philosophy as embodied in the CEB and ACI approaches.

Session two was devoted to shear and torsion and eight papers in this session discussed these two stress conditions as related to beams and slabs. The third session dealt with special concepts and new applications in prestressed concrete, and the eight papers in this session reviewed the ACI and CEB approaches in relation to fire resistance, partial prestressing, concrete sea structures, concrete ships and design with un- bonded tendons.

The twenty papers included in this volume emphasize the fundamental design philosophies embodied in the American and European design practice, and the implications of the code revisions on design and economy. To all those involved in research or design of concrete structures, this publication provides detailed information on design practice and code specifications.

R. N. Swamy

Reinforced and Prestressed Microconcrete Models Edited by F. K. Garas and G. S. T. Armer Published by Construction Press, Longman House, Burnt Hill, Har!ow, Essex, CM20 2JE ISB~i 0-86005-880-9, Price £21.00, 387 pp.

Microconcrete models have been accepted as a design tool for reinforced and prestressed concrete structures for nearly two decades now, and in the last few years there has been renewed interest in this subject area. Modern structures tend to be more innovative and complex, and in spite of the available information, testing of structural models still poses a number of problems, except for a few simple structures. The publication of this book is therefore most timely, and the Informal Study Group of The Institution of Structural Engineers who organised

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Book Reviews

the international seminar, of which this book is the proceedings, is to be congratulated for arranging a forum to bring into focus the various problems that still need to be solved in model testing.

The book contains twenty-three papers and an edited version of the discussion. In reinforced microconcrete, there is a considerable lack of similitude in bond characteristics and cracking behaviour, and five papers deal with these two aspects of model testing. Seven papers deal with model studies of prototype structures while model materials, bending and shear similitude and the use of models in the design process are dealt with in the other papers.

Assessing prototype post-cracking behaviour in the in- elastic range still forms the major hurdle in using model testing of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, but there is a gradual build-up of information, and the papers included in this volume make a distinct contribution to knowledge in this area. The use of physical models as ao invaluable aid to design process will become increasingly important in the future, and as a state-of-the-art review of this vital area of structural analysis and design, this book will be of unlimited help to those engaged in structural testing, research and design.

R. N. Swamy

of hydrated cement and the test methods for suphate resis- tance are discussed by Katherine Mather who points out that the current ASTM method C 452 is not applicable to blended cements. The significance of specifications and test methods for new products is discussed in the final paper by Price who points out how the lack of such standards limits the user's confidence in the application of such materials.

The papers and the discussions highlight the dedication, sacrifice of time and effort involved in the time-consuming task of developing and updating voluntary standards on which much of the progress of the construction industry depends. With increasing scientific knowledge, changing national needs and the rapid growth of the blended-cement industry, standards need constant revision, and this is particularly so in relation to specifications and test methods for sulphate resistance, soundness and alkali-silica reactivity.

This publication gives a wealth of information on cement standards, and is recommended for all those involved in the cement industry.

R. N. Swamy

Cement Standards - Evolution and Trends ASTM Special Technical Publication 663, 04-663000-07 Edited by P. K. Mehta Published by The American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, U.S.A., November 1978 Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 78-68433, Price $20.00, 107 pp.

This publication contains six papers presented at a Symposium held in St. Louis in December 1977 and sponsored by the ASTM Committee C-1 on Cement. ASTM technical committees are devoted to develop standards which define criteria for the acceptability of matenals and specific procedures for the measurement of materials characteristics. Committee C-1 has been carrying out this task for 75 years, and this special publication not only emphasizes the past development of cement specifications and test methods but also identifies the areas that need prompt attention in the near future.

The first paper by Weaver tracing the history of the growth and development of cement specifications since 1902 sets the scene for the rest of the papers included in this book. The second paper by Frohnsdorff, Clifton and Brown describes the evolution of ASTM standards relating to alkalies in portland and blended hydraulic cements. The paper also identifies some of the shortcomings of the present standards and changes that need to be made to make the standards responsive to national needs for conservation of energy and materials. The paper by Mehta describes the evolution of the autoclave test and presents a critical evaluation of this test regarding its useful- ness to ascertain the soundness of cements in service.

The development of strength-testing methods and speci- fications for both portland and blended cements is reviewed in the paper by Isberner and Klieger. The sulphate resistance

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Reinforced Concrete Design Leonard Spiegel and George F. Linbrunner Published by Prentice-Hall International, 66 Wood Lane End, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 4RG, June 1980 ISBN 0-13-771669-1, Price £12.30, xii +418 pp.

This is primarily an undergraduate text book based on the ACl Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete (ACl 318-77) and written entirely in imperial units. Both are necessarily significant drawbacks to British Students whose courses are based on British Standard Codes of Practice, and where metric system (SI units) have now completely replaced the imperial system. The latter is to some extent mitigated by the provision of an appendix dealing with SI units and worked- out examples which should be of some help.

The book has, however, some very interesting features which are designed to help the student in grappling with design procedures in reinforced concrete. Each chapter has a summary of step-by-step design procedure, and in addition, each chapter has also several worked-out examples illustrating the various specifications and requirements embodied in design codes.

The book has thirteen chapters and three appendices. It is devoted largely to reinforced concrete members such as beams, slabs, retaining walls, columns and footings. There are chapters on shear and torsion design, bond and anchorage, continuity, serviceability, and detailing. Both prestressed concrete and composite construction are briefly introduced, but their treatment is limited as the first chapter on materials and mechanics of bending.

The book as a whole is more practically oriented, and written specifically with the beginner and undergraduate in mind, and can be of great help to those designing to ACI code and in imperial units.

R. N. Swamy