Concrete bleeding

good or bad?
A few notes on:
• When bleeding is
desirable
• When it should be
avoided

AND WHY

or many years experts in

F concrete technology have

advised that bleeding of con-
crete be limited as much as
possible. Nevertheless, a great deal
of concrete is placed each year
which contains an admixture that
purposefully increases the amount
of bleeding experienced. Just what
are the pros and cons?
First, let’s define some terms.
Bleeding is the physical migration of
water in concrete toward the top
s u rf a c e. Water gain is the total
amount of water which migrates to
the surface or is caught by physical
obstructions within the mix (such as
aggregate particles) as a result of
bleeding.
Concrete is placed with a great
deal more water than is necessary
for the hydration of the cement.
This extra water is sometimes re-
ferred to as “water of convenience.”
It is added to the mix to render it
sufficiently workable to make it pos-
sible to place and thoroughly con-
solidate it.
There are several types of water
in concrete if we categori ze them
according to the physical or chem-
ical actions in which they are tak-
ing part. The total water in the mix
can be broadly divided into immo-
bile water and mobile water. Im-
mobile water is that which is being
held by either chemical or physical
Loss of paste-to-aggregate bond due to excessive bleeding
f o rc e s. It would include, for exam-
ple, the water of hydration, water
combining with the cement; ab-
sorbed water, water taken up by
p o rous aggregates; and absorbed
water, water being held on the sur-
face of aggregate particles by a
physical attraction.
Mobile water includes all the wa-
ter in a mix that is not physically or
chemically held in one position.
Mobile water is free to migrate with-
in the mix when acted upon by such
forces as segregation and placing
techniques.
It is the mobile water which fur-
nishes the water for bleeding. If the
amount of mobile water in a mix is
relatively small, the amount of
bleeding that can be expected is al-
so small. Co n ve r s e l y, a great
amount of mobile water within a
concrete mixture increases the like-
lihood of considerable water gain.
Bleeding may be desirable un-
der some circumstances
Bleeding may not be objection-
able under some circumstances or it
may even be desirable. For example,
when a hydroxylated carboxylic
acid water-reducing admixture is
used, the amount of bleeding is
considerably increased. If the con-
crete is to be revibrated, this will
permit the contractor to use a con-
crete mix which is highly placeable;
and yet the bleeding of the water
from the mix will reduce the water
content of the mix to a reasonable
level, and the revibration will thor-
oughly reconsolidate the concrete.
Controlled bleeding is some-
times desirable when floor slabs are
being placed during hot, dry weath-
er. The bleeding provides enough
water at the slab surface to proper-
ly finish the concrete; it also re-
duces the possibility of developing
the rubbery surface often experi-
enced when placing thin slabs in
arid climates.
Most authorities, howe ve r, feel
that bleeding is a phenomenon
which should be avoided or mini-
mized in most construction situa-
tions. Concrete with a great deal of
mobile water tends to segregate as it
stands in the plastic state. The larg-
er aggregates and larger cement
particles gravitate toward the bot-
tom of the mix with the finer aggre-
gates and cement particles together
with lightweight materials in the
mix, moving toward the top surface.
This results in a layer of diluted ce-
ment paste and laitence at or near
the surface. Frequently, the top sur-
face (as in a floor slab) is the portion
of the concrete which is exposed to
the greatest wear, weathering, and
other harmful exposures. In con-
crete placements for a wall or other
vertical member, this weakened sur-
face can result in a poor bond be-
tween individual lifts.
Another serious problem with ex-
cessive bleeding is the collection of
water beneath large aggregate parti-
cles, reinforcing bars, and other ob-
structions to the upward migration
of the bleed water. This results in
voids, poor aggregate-to-paste
bond, and lowered bond strength of
the concrete to the reinforcement.
(See photograph).
Taking into consideration all fac-
tors, under the great majority of
construction situations it is desir-
able to limit bleeding as much as
possible. How is this accomplished?
The first step is taken while design-
ing the mix. Tests have shown that
increasing the ratio of surface area
of the solids to the water reduces the
amount of bleeding and water gain.
This can be done by (1) increasing
the cement content while keeping
the unit water content constant; (2)
increasing the cement/water ratio
(by lowering the water content); (3)
employing a finer cement; and/or
(4) increasing the proportion of fine
aggregate. The first listed method is
the only one which does not have a
detrimental effect on the workabili-
ty of the concrete. If a higher degree
of workability must be achieved, the
mix designer should consider the
use of air entrainment; a finely di-
vided mineral aggregate; and/or a
w a t e r- reducing admixture, not of
the hydroxylated carboxylic acid
type.
There are other mix design and
materials selection considerations
that have an effect on bleeding. Cer-
tain brands of cement increase the
tendency of concrete to bleed.
Harsh aggregates and aggregates
with a shortage of fines also can
cause bleeding. Smooth surfaced,
nonabsorbent aggregates can in-
crease the amount of mobile water
in a mix by reducing the amount of
absorbed water attracted to its sur-
faces. Mixes that are undersanded
or oversanded, or which have a high
unit water content, also are likely to
bleed.
Water gain causes
It must be kept in mind that re-
t a rding admixture s, by keeping
c o n c rete in the plastic state
longer, will result in greater water
gain than is experienced in nor-
mal setting mixes.
Jobsite practices can also have an
important bearing on the amount of
bleeding that will take place. Natu-
rally it is imperative that no water be
added to the mix after it is delive re d
to the jobsite. Excessive vibration
will also result in segregation and
increased water gain.
Matters for further checking
If excessive bleeding is experi-
enced despite the efforts of the mix
designer, ready mix producer, and
c o n t ra c t o r, these are some of the
matters which should be checked:
the gradation, surface texture, and
p ro p o rtioning of the coarse and
fine aggregates. If a deficiency exists
in this respect, determine if it can
be overcome by adding finely-di-
vided mineral aggregates if there is
a shortage of fines, or by removing
peak size aggregate sizes or blend-
ing sands. When a surface texture
characteristic is at fault, aggregates
from a different deposit should be
used, if possible. Recheck the mix
design for water content and
amount of sand used. Add an air-
entraining agent and a non-bleed-
ing inducing water- re d u c i n g
admixture.
Cooperation between the ready
mix producer and the contractor
can produce concrete that is work-
able enough for easy placing and
finishing and yet which will not
bleed excessively.
PUBLICATION #C710133
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