To avoid honeycomb in concrete surfaces, what should be limited?

To avoid honeycomb in concrete surfaces, it is essential to limit the maximum size of coarse aggregates. Honeycombing occurs when there are voids or air pockets in the concrete, typically the result of inadequate filling of the larger voids created by the coarse aggregate. When the maximum size of the coarse aggregate is too large, it becomes challenging to ensure that the smaller particles and the cement paste fill in the spaces adequately, leading to incomplete compaction and the development of honeycomb.

By limiting the maximum size of coarse aggregates, a more uniform distribution of aggregate particles can be achieved, allowing the finer materials to fill the gaps more effectively. This results in a denser concrete mix with fewer voids, thereby reducing the likelihood of honeycombing and improving the overall quality and structural integrity of the concrete.

In contrast, the size of fine aggregates, water/cement ratio, and the use of concrete admixtures contribute to different aspects of concrete workability, strength, and performance. While they are important parameters to control, they do not directly address the issue of filling voids in conjunction with larger aggregate sizes, which is primarily influenced by the dimension of the coarse aggregates.