Properties of concrete - Concrete Mix Design, Quality Control and Specification - page 87

Properties of concrete
Before starting to design (or specify) concrete, it is necessary to consider
what properties we want the concrete to have and also what properties we
do not want it to have. Some properties may come under both headings,
such as heat generation, but generally undesirable properties are simply a
lack of desirable properties.
Important properties include
• Durability
• Strength
• Water/ion transport
• Rheology
• Dimensional stability
• Good appearance
• Economy
• Sustainability
5.1 DURABILITY
Durability must come first on our list because if our concrete does not
achieve the required design life, it cannot display any of the other desirable
properties (not even economy because the most expensive concrete you can
get is that which has to be replaced!). However there is a difference between
durability for a few years, a few decades, or a few centuries, between dura-
bility at any price and “reasonable” durability of economical concrete, and
durability in benign or aggressive environments. More particularly there is
a difference between the durability of plain concrete and the durability of
reinforced concrete.
5.1.1 Corrosion of reinforcement
Generally, reinforcement is the Achilles' heel of concrete. We are all familiar
with cracked, rust-stained concrete caused by the expansion of reinforcing