Concrete Technology — What This Subject Is About
Concrete looks simple — cement, sand, aggregate and water — but getting it right is a science, and getting it wrong is how buildings fail. Concrete Technology is the 3rd semester's other 200-mark subject (a theory paper 3.8 and a lab 3.9), and it carries 4 credits, the most of any 3rd-semester subject. It teaches you the properties of cement, aggregate and water, the behaviour of fresh and hardened concrete, mix design, quality control and admixtures.
You will test cement for fineness, setting time and strength, test aggregates for crushing, impact and abrasion, measure workability by slump cone and compaction factor, design a concrete mix as per IS 10262, and learn non-destructive testing with the rebound hammer and ultrasonic pulse velocity. The lab has 16 experiments — the biggest lab list in the 3rd semester.
Subject 3.8 (Theory) + 3.9 (Lab) • Total 200 Marks • 4 Credits • 3rd Semester — Civil Engineering • Session 2026–27
About this document: Concrete Technology appears twice in the 3rd semester — as a theory paper (3.8) and as a lab (3.9). Both are covered here, completely, in the official order.
What You Will Study
Unit 1 — Cement, Aggregates and Water (6 Periods, 20%)
Physical properties of OPC and PPC: fineness, standard consistency, setting time, soundness, compressive strength; different grades of OPC and relevant BIS codes; testing of cement: laboratory tests — fineness, standard consistency, setting time, soundness, compressive strength; storage of cement and effect of storage on properties of cement; BIS specifications and field applications of different types of cements: rapid hardening, low heat, Portland pozzolana, sulphate resisting, blast furnace slag, high alumina and white cement; aggregates: requirements of good aggregate, classification according to size and shape; fine aggregates: properties, size, specific gravity, bulk density, water absorption and bulking, fineness modulus and grading zone of sand, silt content and their specification as per IS 383; concept of crushed sand; coarse aggregates: properties, size, shape, surface texture, water absorption, soundness, specific gravity and bulk density, fineness modulus of coarse aggregate, grading of coarse aggregates, crushing value, impact value and abrasion value of coarse aggregates with specification; water: quality of water, impurities in mixing water and permissible limits for solids as per IS: 456-2000.
The ingredients — cement, aggregates and water — their properties, their tests, and the BIS specifications for each.
Unit 2 — Concrete (6 Periods, 20%)
Concrete: different grades of concrete, provisions of IS 456; Duff Abraham water cement (w/c) ratio law, significance of w/c ratio, selection of w/c ratio for different grades, maximum w/c ratio for different grades of concrete for different exposure conditions as per IS 456; properties of fresh concrete: workability — factors affecting workability of concrete; determination of workability of concrete by slump cone, compaction factor, Vee-Bee consistometer; value of workability requirement for different types of concrete works; segregation, bleeding and preventive measures; properties of hardened concrete: strength, durability, impermeability.
Concrete itself — grades, the water-cement ratio law, workability and its tests, and the properties of hardened concrete.
Unit 3 — Concrete Mix Design and Testing of Concrete (4 Periods, 20%)
Concrete mix design: objectives, methods of mix design, study of mix design as per IS 10262-2009 (only procedural steps); testing of concrete, determination of compressive strength of concrete cubes at different ages, interpretation and co-relation of test results; non-destructive testing of concrete: rebound hammer test, working principle of rebound hammer and factor affecting the rebound index, ultrasonic pulse velocity test as per IS 13311 (part 1 and 2), importance of NDT tests.
Mix design and testing — the IS 10262 procedure, cube testing at 7 and 28 days, and non-destructive testing.
Unit 4 — Quality Control of Concrete (6 Periods, 20%)
Concreting operations: storage, batching, mixing, transportation, placing, compaction, curing and finishing of concrete; joints in concrete construction: types of joints, methods for joining old and new concrete, materials used for filling joints; defects in concrete: identification of defects and methods of removing defects.
Quality control — batching, mixing, placing, compaction, curing, joints in concrete, and identifying and removing defects.
Unit 5 — Chemical Admixture, Special Concrete and Extreme Weather Concreting (6 Periods, 20%)
Admixtures in concrete: purpose, properties and application for different types of admixture such as accelerating admixtures, retarding admixtures, water reducing admixtures, air entraining admixtures and super plasticizers; special concrete: properties, advantages and limitation of following types of special concrete — ready mix concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, high performance concrete, self-compacting concrete and light weight concrete; cold weather concreting: effect of cold weather on concrete, precautions to be taken while concreting in cold weather condition; hot weather concreting: effect of hot weather on concrete, precautions to be taken while concreting in hot weather condition; under water concrete.
Admixtures and special concretes — accelerators, retarders, superplasticizers, ready mix, fibre reinforced and self-compacting concrete, and concreting in extreme weather.
Practical Work
- Determine fineness of cement by Blaine's air permeability apparatus or by sieving.
- Determine specific gravity, standard consistency, initial and final setting times of cement.
- Determine compressive strength of cement.
- Determine silt content in sand.
- Determine bulking of sand.
- Determine bulk density of fine and coarse aggregates.
And more — the complete list of 16 practicals is inside the PDF.
Complete Syllabus
The full examination scheme, the complete practicals list and the reference books from the official syllabus. The unit-wise topics are in the “What You Will Study” section above.
Examination Scheme
| Code | Paper | Type | L – P | Credits | Internal | External | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 | Concrete Technology | Theory | 2 – 0 | 2 | Theory 40 | Theory 60 (3 hrs) | 100 |
| 3.9 | Concrete Technology Lab. | Practical | 0 – 4 | 2 | Practical 60 | Practical 40 (3 hrs) | 100 |
| Concrete Technology Total | 4 | 100 | 100 | 200 | |||
Units at a Glance
| Unit | Topic | Periods | Marks Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cement, Aggregates and Water | 6 | 20% |
| 2 | Concrete | 6 | 20% |
| 3 | Concrete Mix Design and Testing of Concrete | 4 | 20% |
| 4 | Quality Control of Concrete | 6 | 20% |
| 5 | Chemical Admixture, Special Concrete and Extreme Weather Concreting | 6 | 20% |
Complete Practicals List
This is the complete list of practicals from the official syllabus.
- Determine fineness of cement by Blaine's air permeability apparatus or by sieving.
- Determine specific gravity, standard consistency, initial and final setting times of cement.
- Determine compressive strength of cement.
- Determine silt content in sand.
- Determine bulking of sand.
- Determine bulk density of fine and coarse aggregates.
- Determine water absorption of fine and coarse aggregates.
- Determine fineness modulus of fine aggregate by sieve analysis.
- Determine impact value of aggregate.
- Determine crushing value of aggregate.
- Determine abrasion value of aggregate.
- Determine elongation and flakiness index of coarse aggregates.
- Determine workability of concrete by slump cone test.
- Determine workability of concrete by compaction factor test.
- To prepare concrete mix of a particular grade and determine compressive strength of concrete for 7 and 28 days.
- Demonstration of NDT equipments.
Reference Books
As listed in the syllabus:
- Gambhir, M.L., Concrete Technology, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Co. Ltd., Delhi.
- Shetty, M.S., Concrete Technology, S.Chand and Co. Pvt. Ltd., Ram Nagar, Delhi.
- D.V. Gupta, Vikram Singh, Concrete Technology, Asian Publishers, Muzaffarnagar, ISBN: 978-93-91541-22-4.
- Santhakumar, A. R., Concrete Technology, Oxford University Press, New Delhi.
- Neville, A. M. and Brooks, J.J., Concrete Technology, Pearson Education Pvt. Ltd.
- Neville, A. M., Concrete Technology, Pearson Education Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
- Sood, H., Kulkarni P. D., Mittal L. N., Laboratory Manual in Concrete Technology, CBS Publishers, New Delhi.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many marks is Concrete Technology worth in the 3rd semester?
200 marks in total and 4 credits. Concrete Technology: 100 marks (internal Theory 40, external Theory 60 (3 hrs)); Concrete Technology Lab.: 100 marks (internal Practical 60, external Practical 40 (3 hrs)).
Which units carry the most weightage in Concrete Technology?
Every unit carries the same weightage — 20% each — so none of them can be skipped.
What practical work is there in Concrete Technology?
16 experiments, including Determine fineness of cement by Blaine's air permeability apparatus or by sieving.; Determine specific gravity, standard consistency, initial and final setting times of cement.; Determine compressive strength of cement.. The complete list is in the Complete Syllabus section above.
Which books should I refer to for Concrete Technology?
The syllabus lists 7 books, including Gambhir, M.L., Concrete Technology, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Co. Ltd., Delhi. and Shetty, M.S., Concrete Technology, S.Chand and Co. Pvt. Ltd., Ram Nagar, Delhi., among others. The full list is in the Complete Syllabus section above.
Is Concrete Technology a theory subject or a practical subject?
Both: Concrete Technology is theory (L–P 2 – 0); Concrete Technology Lab. is practical (L–P 0 – 4).
How can I download the Concrete Technology syllabus PDF?
The PDF is free to download — use the download link in the Download section below. It is prepared by KAMALDNP Academy from the official BTEUP syllabus.
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Download the Concrete Technology Syllabus PDF
Download the complete Concrete Technology syllabus PDF below — prepared by KAMALDNP Academy, with the full topic list, practicals and reference books.
Download the Concrete Technology Syllabus PDF
Source: BTEUP 2nd Year curriculum (IIMT mirror of the official curriculum), approved in C.D.C. meeting held on 16.07.2026. Topic lists follow the official syllabus; short explanations are the author's own plain-English summaries, not syllabus text. Please confirm with your own polytechnic for any local changes.
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