MIX DESIGN OF CONCRETE

BY:
Lecturer Eng. William P. L. Tombe
 .

INTRODUCTION
The process of selecting suitable ingredients of
concrete and determining their relative amounts with
the objective of producing a concrete of the required,
strength, durability, and workability as economically
as possible, is termed the concrete mix design.
concrete mix of inadequate workability may result in
a high cost of labour to obtain a degree of
compaction with available equipment.
REQUIREMENTS OF CONCRETE MIX DESIGN
The requirements which form the basis of selection
and proportioning of mix ingredients are:
The minimum compressive strength required from
structural consideration The adequate workability
necessary for full compaction with the compacting
equipment available.
Maximum water-cement ratio and/or maximum
cement content to give adequate durability for the
particular site conditions
Maximum cement content to avoid shrinkage
cracking due to temperature cycle in mass concrete.
TYPES OF MIXES
A. Nominal Mixes
In the past the specifications for concrete prescribed
the proportions of cement, fine and coarse
aggregates. These mixes of fixed cement- aggregate
ratio which ensures adequate strength are termed
nominal mixes
B. Standard Mixes
Codes has designated the concrete mixes into a number of
grades as M10, M15, M20, M25, M30, M35 and M40. In
this designation the letter M refers to the mix and the
number to the specified 28 day cube strength of mix in
N/mm2.

C. Design Mixes
In these mixes the performance of the concrete is
specified by the designer but the mix proportions are
determined by the producer of concrete, except that the
minimum cement content can be laid down.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE DESIGN MIX
1. Compressive strength
It is one of the most important properties of concrete
and influences many other describable properties of
the hardened concrete. The mean compressive strength
required at a specific age, usually 28 days, determines
the nominal water-cement ratio of the mix
2. Durability
The durability of concrete is its resistance to the
aggressive environmental conditions. High strength
concrete is generally more durable than low strength
concrete. In the situations when the high strength is
not necessary but the conditions of exposure are such
that high durability is vital, the durability requirement
will determine the water-cement ratio to be used.
3. Maximum nominal size of aggregate
In general, larger the maximum size of aggregate, smaller is
the cement requirement for a particular water-cement ratio,
because the workability of concrete increases with increase
in maximum size of the aggregate.

4. Grading and type of aggregate

The grading of aggregate influences the mix proportions for
a specified workability and water- cement ratio. Coarser the
grading leaner will be mix which can be used. Very lean mix
is not desirable since it does not contain enough finer
material to make the concrete cohesive
Method of Concrete Mix Design
Some of the commonly used mix design methods are
 I.S. Method
 A.C.I method
 Maximum Density method
 Road Note 4 method ( U.K. Method)
 Arbitrary method
Fineness modulus method
 Surface area Method
 Mix design for high strength Concrete
 Mix design for pumpable Concrete
 DOE (British) Mix design method
The British Method
The traditional British method has been replaced by the
department of the environment for normal mixes, known as
DOE(British) mix design method.
The following steps are Involved in DOE Method

Step-I Find the target mean strength from the specified

Characteristic Strength
 ft= fck + k.S
Where,
 ft= target mean strength
 fck= characteristic Strength
 S= Standard Deviation
 K= risk factor or probability factor

Step-II Determination of free water cement
ratio
From the given type of cement and aggregate, obtain the
compressive strength of concrete corresponding to free w/c
ratio of 0.5
Check this w/c ratio for durability considerations and adopt
the lower value
Relation between compressive strength and free water cement
ratio
mark a point corresponding to strength f1, at water cement
ratio 0.5. draw a curve parallel to the nearest curve, through
this point. Using the new curve, Read off ( abscissa) the water
cement ratio corresponding to the target mean strength
(ordinate)


Step-3 Determination of water Content

Depending upon the type and maximum nominal size

of aggregate and workability the water content is
estimated as

W= 2 W fa + 1 W ca
3 3
Where,
W fa= free water content appropriate to the type of
fine aggregate
W ca= free water content appropriate to the type of
coarse aggregate

Reduction in water content when fly ash is Used
Step 4 - Determination of Cement Content

The Cement Content if the mix is calculated from the

selected w/c ratio

Cement Content = water content

W/C ratio
Step-5 Determination of aggregate Cement
Ratio

Absolute volume occupied by the aggregate

= 1- Cement Content (kg) – Water Content (kg)
1000 x Sc 1000 x Sw
Where, Sc= Specific gravity of cement particles
Therefore Total aggregate content (kg/m3)
= absolute volume occupied by the aggregate x 1000x Sa
Where Sa= Specific gravity of aggregate
Step-6 Determination of FA and CA
Depending on the free water cement ratio, the nominal
maximum size of coarse aggregate, the workability and
grading zone of fine aggregate is determined from fig (a),
(b) and (c)
Once the proportion of FA is obtained, multiplying by the
weight of total aggregate gives the weight of fine aggregate.
Then coarse aggregate is calculated as
Fine aggregate content = total aggregate content x
proportion of fine aggregate
Coarse aggregate content = Total aggregate content – fine
aggregate content
Determination of FA and CA
Step-7

 Determination of final Proportion

 The proportion so worked out should be tried for
their specified strength and suitable adjustment are
made to obtain the proportion.
Example
Design a Concrete mix Using, DOE Method for a reinforced Concrete
Work for the following data:
 Required Characteristic Compressive Strength= 35 Mpa at 28 days
 Type of Cement Used= Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement
 Desired Slump= 50 mm
 Maximum Size of Aggregate= 20 mm
 Type of Aggregate= Uncrushed
 Specific Gravity = 2.65
 Fine aggregate conforms to grade Zone III with percent passing 600
micron sieve being 70 %
 Exposure Condition = Moderate
 Standard Deviation= 5.0 Defective Rate= 5 %
 Mix Design Without fly ash:
Target Mean Strength:
 Ft= fck+ k.S
 fck= 35 N/mm 2
 Standard Deviation= 5.0
 K= 1.65

 ft= 35 + 1.65 x 5
 = 43.25 N/mm 2
Determination of free Water-Cement Ratio
 For type of Cement Sulphate resisting Portland
cement and uncrushed aggregate 28 days
compressive strength from table above is 42 MPA
 For Compressive Strength equal to 42 MPA and w/c
ratio 0.5, mark ‘P’ in fig and draw a dotted curve
parallel to the neighboring curve Using this new
curve again ft= 43.25 N/mm2 the W/C ratio is read as
0.48
 Hence Adopt the minimum w/c ratio as 0.48
Step-3 Determination of Water Content:
 For Desired slump = 50 mm
 Maximum size of CA= 20 mm
 From table water content is 180 kg/m3

Step-4 Determination of Cement Content:

 W/C ratio obtained from step 2 is 0.48 and water is 180
kg/m3
 W/C = 0.48
 180 = 0.48
C
 Therefore C= 375 kg/m3 of cement
 This is satisfactory as it is greater than minimum Cement
Content of 300 kg/m3
Step: 5
 Aggregate Cement Ratio
 Specific gravity of aggregate is 2.65
 Therefore wet density of concrete is 2400 kg/m3 Therefore
mass of total aggregate = 2400 – 180- 375
= 1845 kg/m3
 Alternatively Volume occupied by aggregate
 = 1 - 375 – 180 = 0.7009 m3
1000x 3.15 1000 x 1
Therefore total Aggregate Content
= 0.7009 x 1000 x 2.65
= 1875 kg/m3
Step-6
Determination of FA and CA Content
For Maximum size of aggregate = 20 mm Slump= 50 mm
 Free W/C ratio = 0.48
 Percent aggregate Passing 600 micron sieve = 70 %

From fig 9.5 (b) the proportion of fine aggregate i.s 30 %

Mass of FA = 30 x 1875 = 557 kg/m3
100
 Mass of CA = 1875 – 557.1
 = 1299.9 kg/m3 = 1300 kg/m3
Step 7

The estimated Quantity are

Questions or Comments