Field Notes
From The
Site & Lab.

Concrete Tech

Mar 10, 2026 15 min

Hot Weather Concreting: IS 7861 Pt 1 & Indian Conditions

IS 7861 (Part 1):1975 — 40°C placement cap (Clauses 6.1, 7.1), ACI 305R evaporation thresholds, the four-condition trigger definition, and the night-morning placement window that bypasses the heat.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Mar 2026 18 min

Why Concrete Cracks: 7 Types, Causes, Prevention & Repair

Plastic shrinkage, drying shrinkage, thermal, settlement, structural, chemical, crazing — appearance, root cause, prevention and what each one tells you about the mix or the method.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Mar 10, 2026 20 min

Cube Testing Procedure (IS 516) — Complete Guide

Sampling, casting, curing and testing of 150 mm cubes — with the IS 456 acceptance criteria, standard-deviation table for unknown σ, and the 14 MPa/min loading rate that decides the result.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

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Concrete Tech

Jul 6, 2026 13 min

Water-Cement Ratio Explained: IS 456 Durability vs. Strength

Abrams' law, IS 456 Table 5 max w/c, and the durability-strength trade-off that decides whether your 28 MPa mix actually meets M30.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Jul 6, 2026 16 min

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) Mix Design: EFNARC + IS Aligned

Paste volume, robustness, slump-flow classes (SF1/SF2/SF3) and the EFNARC 2005 acceptance ranges — a practical mix-design walkthrough.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

FA

Concrete Tech

Jul 6, 2026 18 min

Supplementary Cementitious Materials in India — 7 SCMs

Fly Ash (IS 3812), GGBS (IS 16714:2018), Silica Fume (IS 15388), Metakaolin (IS 16354), Ultrafine GGBS (IS 16715), RHA, and Ultrafine Fly Ash (IS 19058:2024) — with the IS 456 blend caps that decide whether your mix is economic or just over-engineered.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Jul 6, 2026 12 min

Cold-Weather Concreting: IS 7861 Pt 2 Mix Heating & Curing

The 5°C threshold, ACI 306 cold-weather rules translated, mix-temperature calculation worked example for a Delhi winter pour.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 6, 2026 16 min

Non-Destructive Testing of Concrete: IS 516 Series — UPV, Rebound Hammer & Cores

Rebound hammer, UPV and core sampling — three IS-aligned tools, one combined workflow that survives dispute resolution.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Jul 25, 2026 16 min

Admixtures in Indian Concrete — Plasticisers vs Superplasticisers (IS 9103)

IS 9103:1999 performance & uniformity tests, dosage-vs-slump curves, OPC/PPC/PSC compatibility, and a cost per m³ worked example — the plasticiser-selector your mix table needs.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

IS Standards

Jul 25, 2026 14 min

IS 456:2000 — The 15 Clauses That Drive Site QA/QC

Of 110 pages, fifteen clauses do almost all the work on a real site — durability, materials, workability, cover, acceptance. Page numbers and field behaviour each one governs.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

IS Standards

Jul 26, 2026 16 min

IS 10262:2019 Mix Design — Step-by-Step with Worked Example (M30)

Target strength, water content, aggregate ratio, PCE admixture, three trial mixes — worked end-to-end on a real M30 with the IS 456 Table 11 compliance rule that finishes every mix design off.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 26, 2026 12 min

Acceptance Criteria for Concrete Strength — IS 456 Table 11

Characteristic strength is a statistical promise, not a guarantee. Table 11 turns that promise into two practical compliance tests — with the 28-day example that decides acceptance or rejection.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Jul 29, 2026 9 min

Concrete Curing Methods — Water vs Membrane vs Steam (IS 456 + ACI 308R)

IS 456 curing minimums and ACI 308R-16 guidance — when water ponding beats membrane spray, when membrane spray beats steam, and how to pick the right method for slabs, columns and precast.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 29, 2026 10 min

RMC Plant Quality Audit — 515-Checkpoint Walkthrough

A four-hour, 515-checkpoint walkthrough of an RMC plant audit under IS 4925 and IS 9103: the five audit zones, the field-tested order of operations, and how to decide between pass, conditional pass, and fail.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 30, 2026 8 min

Slump Test vs Slump Flow — When Each Is Right (IS 1199)

Same Abrams cone. Two different tests. The slump test measures consistency (mm) for vibrated concrete under IS 1199; the slump-flow test measures spread (mm) for SCC under EFNARC. Using the wrong test gives a number you cannot act on.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Jul 30, 2026 7 min

Concrete Pour Card — The 14 Checks Before the Pump Starts

A printable pre-pour checklist of 14 checks organised in 4 clusters: before the truck, at the truck, at the pump, during placement. IS 456, IS 1199, with a one-pager ready to print.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Aug 1, 2026 10 min

Self-Compacting Concrete — Mix Design, J-Ring & V-Funnel

Filling ability, passing ability and segregation resistance — EFNARC slump-flow, J-ring and V-funnel limits, the mix-design shifts SCC needs (paste volume, PCE/VMA dosing), and the conventional tests it fails.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

IS Standards

Aug 1, 2026 9 min

Concrete Grade Selection — M20 vs M25 vs M30 vs M35 vs M40

Project specification, IS 456 Tables 3 and 5 durability floor, and structural demand — apply the worst-of-three rule to choose the right grade without under-designing or over-specifying.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Aug 2, 2026 8 min

Honeycombing in Concrete — Causes, Prevention & Repair

Honeycombing is a placement failure, not a mix failure — five root causes, six prevention tactics, three repair thresholds, and the patch-repair procedure under IS 456 workmanship guidance.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Aug 2, 2026 8 min

Cover Blocks & Spacers — Why the 25/40/50 mm Cover Actually Fails

Why design cover fails on site — cover blocks, spacer wheels, chairs, IS 456 nominal cover, NDT checks, and a five-step field procedure that keeps reinforcement where the drawing put it.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 24, 2026 22 min

Concrete Failure Field Guide — Investigation, Evidence, Repair Decision

Seven failure families, the investigation workflow, evidence and chain of custody, working with labs, and the repair-or-replace decision — anchored to IS 456 Cl 16 and Cl 17.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Jul 24, 2026 22 min

Concrete Materials Field Handbook — Cement, SCMs, Aggregates, Water

Cement, fly ash, GGBS, silica fume, metakaolin, aggregates and water — IS 269, IS 3812, IS 16714, IS 15388, IS 383 and IS 456 Cl 5.4, with admixture interaction.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Jul 24, 2026 20 min

Concrete Repair and Strengthening — How to Pick the Right Method

Assessment, surface preparation, patch mortars, crack injection, jacketing, FRP and corrosion mitigation — the repair-vs-replace call under IS 456 Cl 17.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Jul 24, 2026 14 min

Concrete Technology Training Programme — From Fundamentals to Field Decisions

Audience, online and on-site coverage, learning outcomes, sample schedule and registration for ConcreteInfo's concrete technology training programme.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 24, 2026 22 min

Concrete Testing Field Handbook — IS 516, IS 1199, IS 13311

IS 516, IS 1199 and IS 13311 procedures for sampling, fresh- and hardened-concrete tests, NDT, statistical quality control and handling disagreements, with worked examples.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

IS Standards

Jul 24, 2026 16 min

Durability of Concrete — Exposure, Cover and the w/c Ceiling

Classify exposure under IS 456 Table 3, apply Table 5 water-cement ratio and concrete-quality limits, provide nominal cover, cure properly and plan for service life.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

IS Standards

Jul 24, 2026 18 min

IS 456:2000 — An Annotated Walkthrough for Site Engineers

A clause-by-clause field guide: materials, durability, cover, workmanship, acceptance and investigation — with ACI 318 and EN 1992 cross-references.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 24, 2026 14 min

Ishikawa Fishbone & 5-Why Root-Cause Analysis

Fishbone diagrams and 5-Why analysis for concrete QA/QC, NCRs and CAPA, worked through an end-to-end low cube-strength example.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Jul 24, 2026 17 min

Low-Carbon Concrete in India — Clinker, SCMs, LC3, RCA and Tender Language

Embodied carbon, clinker and SCMs, LC3, recycled concrete aggregate, and the tender language that actually specifies low-carbon concrete — India-first, GCCA/IEA as international guidance.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

IS Standards

Jul 31, 2026 22 min

Mix Design Masterclass — IS 10262:2019, End to End

Target strength, water content, cement content, aggregate ratio by absolute volume, admixture envelope and three trial mixes — a worked M30 example, end to end.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 31, 2026 12 min

QA/QC Systems for Concrete Works — ITPs, Hold Points & CAPA

ITPs, hold and witness points, method statements, and the NCR/CAPA loop — mapped to IS 456, IS 1199, IS 516, IS 4926 and ISO 9001:2015.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 24, 2026 18 min

RMC Plant Quality Management — From Materials to Placement

Five control zones, calibration, aggregate moisture correction, batch-ticket traceability, transit and placement, and plant-side failure prevention.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Concrete Tech

Jul 24, 2026 22 min

Special Concretes Field Handbook — HPC, UHPC, SCC, Lightweight, FRC, Mass & Dry-Mix

HPC, UHPC, self-compacting, lightweight and aerated, fibre-reinforced, mass and high-volume fly-ash, dry-mix mortars and grouts — one selection handbook.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

IS Standards

Jul 28, 2026 14 min

Reinforcement Steel — IS 1786: A Field Guide for Site Engineers

Fe 415/500/550/600 grades, D and S suffixes, bond, development length, lap length, hooks, sampling — everything a site engineer needs to specify, check and accept rebar.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

QA/QC

Jul 28, 2026 16 min

Statistical Quality Control of Concrete — Standard Deviation, Control Charts & IS 456 Acceptance

Normal distribution, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, control charts, Table 11 acceptance — the statistical backbone of concrete QA/QC.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Jul 28, 2026 13 min

Formwork Engineering — IS 14687 Pressure, Deflection & Stripping Times

Lateral concrete pressure, dead/live loads, deflection limits, IS 456 Cl 11.3 stripping times, tolerances and common failure modes.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo

Best Practice

Jul 28, 2026 12 min

Types of Formwork & Form Liners — Timber, Steel, Aluminium & Architectural Finishes

Timber, steel, aluminium (MIVAN), plastic; table forms, climbing, slip forming; form liners; tie systems; release agents; selection criteria.

AH

Amit Haridas

Founder · ConcreteInfo