017 “The importance of watercement rato in concrete courtertoprixdesign | Concrete Countertops Blog The importance of water/cement ratio in concrete countertop mix design Posted on July 24, 2011 by Jeff Girard ‘Three simple ingredients can be blended and proportioned numerous ways to make concrete: = aggregate = cement = water In concrete, the single most significant influence on most or all of the properties is the amount of water used in the mix. In concrete mix design, the ratio of the amount of water to the amount of cement used (both by ‘weight) is called the water to cement ratio (wic). These two ingredients are responsible for binding everything together. The water to cement ratio largely determines the strength and durability of the concrete when it is cured properly. The wic ratio refers to the ratio of the weights of water and cement used in the concrete mix. A wie ratio of 0.4 means that for every 100 Ibs of cement used in the concrete, 40 Ibs of water is added. Typical w/c ratios are as follows: = Normal for ordinary concrete (sidewalks and driveways): 0.6 to 0.7 ‘= Specified ifa higher quality concrete is desired: 0.4 ‘The practical range of the wie ratio is from about 0.3 to over 0.8 = A ratio of 0.3 is very stiff (unless superplasticizers are used). = A ratio of 0.8 makes a wet and fairly weak concrete. ‘Typical compressive strengths when concrete is properly cured are: = 0.4 wie ratio > $600 psi = 0,8 wie ratio > 2000 psi The simplest way to think about the w/c ratio is to think that the greater the amount of water in a concrete mix, the more dilute the cement paste will be. This not only affects the compressive strength, it also affects the tensile and flexural strengths, the porosity, the shrinkage and the color. hipikwavconerelecounlertopinstiste combiog/201107ihe-importance-o-walarcomer-ratc-in-concrale-courariop-micaesign! 18017 “The importance of watercement rato in concrete courtertoprixdesign | Concrete Countertops Blog ‘The strength is reduced mostly because adding more water creates a diluted paste that is weaker. Think of it ike over-diluting grape Kool-Aid. The more water you add, the weaker the Kool-Aid is. 9 % Explained more technically, more water results in larger spacing of the cement particles. As the crystals grow, they are too far apart to knit together and form strong bonds. * id on % ye? * we ete ey % % » Lin we Noderte we Mah we 03s ca Shs Concrete with a higher wic ratio is also more susceptible to cracking and shrinkage. Shrinkage leads to micro-cracks, which are zones of weakness. Once the fresh concrete is placed, excess water is squeezed out of the paste by the weight of the aggregate and the cement paste itself When there is a large excess of water, that water bleeds out onto the surface. The micro channels and passages that were created inside the concrete to allow that water to flow become ‘weak zones and micro-cracks. Using a low wie ratio is the usual way to achieve a high strength and high quality concrete, but it does not guarantee that the resulting concrete is always appropriate for concrete countertops. Unless the aggregate gradation and proportion are balanced with the correct amount of cement paste, excessive shrinkage, cracking and curling can result. Good concrete results from good mix design, and a low wc ratio is just one part of a good mix design. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged compressive strength, water, water cement ratio by Jeff Girard. Bookmark the permalink [http:/www.concretecountertopinstitute.com/blogi/2011/07/the-importance-of- watercement-atio-in-concrete-countertop-mix-design/] . 2 THOUGHTS ON “THE IMPORTANCE OF WATERICEMENT RATIO IN CONGRE Hightower Conerete Works, LLC ‘on June 22, 2011 at 10:44 am saic: Great post. We certainly appreciate all your helpful information. hipikwavconerelecounlertopinstivte combiog/201107Ihe-importance-o-walercomen-ratc-in-concrale-courariop-micaesign’017 “The importance of watercement rato in concrete courtertoprixdesign | Concrete Countertops Blog ‘A‘izona Concrete Countertops ‘on June 23, 2011 at 10:45 am said: Very useful information. Too many people get into the countertop scene thinking that you just mix up some concrete and go. Pouring quality concrete countertops is as much of a science as itis an art. hipikwavconerelecounlertopinstiste combiog/201107ihe-importance-o-walarcomer-ratc-in-concrale-courariop-micaesign!