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Concrete Construction Creating A Balanced Mix Design For High-Strength Concrete PDF
Concrete Construction Creating A Balanced Mix Design For High-Strength Concrete PDF
Water-cement ratios
The key to properly designing high-
strength concrete mixes is successfully
lowering the water-cement ratio while
still maintaining workable, placeable con-
crete. Most high-strength concrete mixes
have water-cement ratios substantially be-
low 0.40, while many that I have worked
on have gone as low as 0.20.
Clearly, there are only two ways to
lower the water-cement ratio: 1) reduce
the amount of water or 2) increase the
amount of cementitious material. De-
pending on the magnitude of strength be-
ing called for, it is often necessary to do
both.
Lowering the water content can be ac-
other mix constituents (except for typically not a major concern. content may be as high as 48%.
the cementitious products which go The cleanliness of the gravel is
into solution). Additionally, a sand probably the single most important Cement type and source
with more fine particles will have factor in a successful high-strength Cement type and source is a con-
substantially more total surface area concrete program. It has been pro- cern. As the strength of the concrete
than will a coarser sand. A sand claimed repeatedly throughout the mix increases, the number of factors
with a fineness modulus of 2.6 will country that the reason the Seattle which influence the ultimate strength
have a significantly greater water area could produce such high- begin to have more impact. Cements
demand than a similar sand with a strength concrete was because the from the same source have a certain
fineness modulus of 3.2 aggregate was so hard. In reality, the amount of day-to-day variation.
Particle shape also plays a signifi- aggregates used for the mixes in However, using cements from differ-
cant role in water demand. A Seattle were almost identical in hard- ent sources will provide a level of
crushed material has much sharper ness and strength to many of the ag- variation far in excess of that which
edges than a rounded material. Con- gregates in other parts of the country would come from a single source.
sequently, the crushed aggregate where the perception is that the That variation can create major diffi-
particles will require more water to gravel is not so good. The primary culties during the course of a project.
float them past adjacent particles reason the Seattle aggregates worked The chemistry of the cement is
than will the rounded aggregate. so well is because they came from a important. The heat of hydration in
Crushed aggregates are also normal- glacial outwash source that naturally high-strength concrete mixes can
ly covered with residue from the washed the aggregates so thoroughly be quite high. Therefore, a consis-
crushing process (crusher dust). This that there was virtually no minus 200 tent Type II cement with a lower
dust has a tendency to increase wa- material in the pits. There was no C3A content is a good cement for
ter demand and impairs the ultimate need to wash the aggregates be- most high-strength concrete appli-
bonding between the cement paste cause they were already clean. cations. On some projects where
and the aggregate particle. It is typically necessary to adjust variation was a concern and storage
the sand-gravel content to accom- space was not a problem, the total
Gravel size and type modate the higher cementitious amount of cement required for the
The type of gravel available must contents of a high-strength concrete entire project was stored from a
be assessed. My experience has mix. Obviously, there are going to single day’s run from the cement
shown that for high-strength con- be more fines in the mix from the plant. The same cement was then
cretes, well-washed, rounded grav- cementitious materials than is ordi- used to develop the mix designs
els tend to work better than crushed nary. It is not uncommon to have and for all of the field testing.
coarse aggregates. I believe this is mixes with seven to 10 bags of ce-
due to the fact that most crushed ment, 15% fly ash, and 5% to 10% Fly ash
aggregates are stockpiled without silica fume. The total cementitious Fly ash is a major component of
being thoroughly washed. As dis- content of these mixes is unusually any high-strength concrete mix. Fly
cussed earlier, the crusher dust that high. Consequently, the need for ash works as a water reducer. It al-
coats each rock particle provides a the fines from the sand contribution so works to keep the ultimate heat
bond breaker between the resultant is not as significant. By using a of hydration down. Finally, fly ash
cement paste and the rock itself. coarser sand and allowing the fines works to make the overall mix easi-
The proper sized gravel needs to to come from the cementitious ma- er to batch, discharge, pump, and
be adjusted to the application. It is terials, high-strength mixes can be place. Normally, fly ash which is
a published fact that in order to re- very effectively balanced. not interground with the cement
duce shrinkage and increase the In addition to using a coarser sand, works better than that which is.
modulus of elasticity of a mix, a it is important to use as little sand as It is important to use a good quali-
larger sized gravel should be used. possible. Often, the sand portion of ty fly ash. This is important to re-
However, much of the work which the total aggregate fraction is several duce mix variability and to ensure
was done in Seattle in the mid- percentage points lower than is typi- that the fresh properties of the con-
1980s showed that the workability cally used. In many areas, it is not crete remain constant. One index of
and the resulting strength of the uncommon to find balanced high- fly ash is loss on ignition, or LOI.
mixes actually increased when 3⁄8- strength concrete mix designs with This is a measure of the carbon con-
inch minus gravel was used instead sand comprising only 39% of the to- tent in the ash. This value should be
of a 7⁄8-inch minus. Although the to- tal aggregate volume. In some quite low. If the carbon content gets
tal surface area of the gravel will in- paving mixes, it has been as low as too high, then water demand of the
crease as the maximum sized parti- 34%. However, in other locations, mix can get large, superplasticizer
cle is reduced from 3⁄4 inch to 3⁄8 where the coarser aggregate is the dosages will vary significantly, and
inch, the magnitude of the change only kind available, or for several problems with false setting and air
is relatively small and, therefore, is other reasons, the balanced sand entrainments can become an issue.
Silica fume compatibility of the chemical ad- as the water-cement ratio goes
In many instances, silica fume mixtures used should be checked down, it will begin to look more
may also be used in the mix. Typi- regardless of where they come like peanut butter than concrete.
cally, mixes that have strengths in from. Occasionally, setting or Don’t be afraid to exceed the maxi-
excess of 15,000 psi will have silica shrinkage problems, or other prob- mum allowable mixing times pre-
fume. The type of silica fume used lems, may be encountered due to scribed in ASTM. Finally, don’t be in
will make a difference. I have had the larger quantities of admixtures a rush to add more water just be-
direct experience which indicates being used, even when using prod- cause it looks like there is a chance
that the silica fume which comes in ucts from the same supplier. the mix will not come out. Give it
the form of a slurry works more ef- Mixing can be a problem as the time. Don’t be afraid of slumps in
ficiently than does that which water-cement ratio drops. Although excess of 4 inches. High-strength
comes in a dry, densified form. many literature sources prescribe concrete typically has slumps as
Typically, this does not become a designing the mix to a 1-inch slump high as 91⁄2 or 10 inches. This is al-
major concern until the water-ce- before adding superplasticizer, this lowable because the slump is creat-
ment ratio drops below 0.30. simply is not possible with some of ed with the admixtures—not water.
For high-strength concrete, typical the higher-strength mixes. It is not When the mix is finally balanced,
dosage rates for the slurry-type sili- uncommon to run a laboratory pro- there will be no doubt about it. A vi-
ca fume range between 7% and gram in which there is so little wa- brator will be able to immediately
10%, by weight of cement. Typical ter that the mix looks like so many effect a very large radius, the mix
dosage rates for the densified silica marbles, then baseballs, and finally will batch with relative ease, and the
fume range between 10% and 14%, concrete. By changing the order of fresh and hardened properties will
by weight of cement. However, if addition of the ingredients, so the meet or exceed all expectations. ✥
the slurry form is used, the water sand is held out until all else has
contained in that slurry should be been added, and then added last, Bryce Simons P.E. is manager of special
included when calculating the wa- this problem can be reduced. In the materials testing, AGRA Earth & Envi-
ter-cement ratio of the mix. larger commercial size mixers, this ronmental, Albuquerque, N.M.
tends to be less of a problem than
Chemical admixtures in smaller laboratory mixers.
Finally, the chemical admixtures To create the properly balanced
need to be considered. It is typical- high-strength concrete mix design, it
ly customary for a given operation will be necessary to work with the
to use admixtures from a single changing parameters listed previous-
supplier. Most often, as the admix- ly. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
tures come from the same supplier, The higher the strength, the more PUBLICATION # J950788
there will not be significant com- this mix is not going to look, act, or Copyright © 1995, The Aberdeen Group
patibility problems. However, the feel like ordinary concrete. Instead, All rights reserved