Pathways for Career Success

Concrete: Composition & Mixing

Supplement for CEV #849
 Concrete: Composition & Mixing
Supplement for CEV #849

Goal:
The student will learn the safety consideration, composition of concrete
and techniques used in concrete formulations and mixing.

Objectives:

1. to learn proper safety techniques when mixing concrete

2. to learn correct mixing ratios, formulations and ingredients

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 Concrete: Composition & Mixing
Supplement for CEV #849

Introduction
Concrete is an important building material for construction purposes because it is
relatively cheap to use, can easily be formed and shaped, has great compression
strength, and is very durable. Its advantages have made it widely utilized for large
constructions such as shopping malls and bridges, as well as smaller constructions such
as freeway dividers, foundations, and walkways. Most building foundations are composed
of concrete, concrete floors, or slabs, are standard in residential housing. Concrete is
fireproof and resistant to rodents, so you can see why it is popular.

There are four rules to remember when working with concrete:

1. Use the proper ingredients.
2. Use the correct water/cement ratio.
3. Mix the concrete thoroughly.
4. Use the proper finishing techniques.

This study guide is designed to supplement the Concrete: Composition and Mixing. It
gives details on rule 1, 2, and 3. Rule 4 is covered in the second and third in the series;
Constructing Forms and Curing demonstrates working the poured concrete, and Tool
Identification and Finishing demonstrates finishing techniques. Using the knowledge
gained by watching Dr. David Lawver, you will be able to construct your own concrete
structures. Typical items well within the ability of most homeowners include backyard
barbecues, retaining walls, patios, sidewalks, flowerbeds, and foundations and footings.
The skills you utilize in pouring a simple concrete slab are the same skills you will need in
more advanced structures.

This study guide includes the following sections:

The Composition of Concrete
Types of Cement
Safety
Preparing the Raw Materials
Characteristics of Quality Concrete
Mixing
Student Quiz
Word Search Puzzle

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Composition of Concrete
Many people confuse concrete with cement. But, cement is only one ingredient of
concrete, although it is an important one. When reference is made to cement, it is
actually Portland cement. Portland cement is a building material composed of lime, iron
oxide, silica, and alumina. These components are fired in a kiln at approximately 3,000
degrees Fahrenheit producing a hard, rocklike material known as a clinker. The clinker is
then pulverized into a fine powdery material called Portland cement. One sack of
Portland cement contains exactly 1 cubic foot of cement and weighs 94 pounds.

Cement Fact: Portland cement is named after the Isle of Portland off the coast of
England. The final product, concrete, resembles the rock formations found there.

Another ingredient used to make concrete is Aggregate. The aggregate is further divided
into fine aggregate and coarse aggregate.

Fine aggregate: quartz sand is the typical material.

Coarse aggregate: crushed rock, gravel. The hardest type is trap rock or granite. Hard
limestone is a softer type of aggregate. The aggregate adds somewhat to the strength of
the concrete, but its main purpose is as a bulk filler, for up to 75% of the concrete is
made up of sand and gravel.

Checking for Cleanliness: Dirty sand and gravel reduce the strength of the concrete
considerably and form an unattractive film that will flake off and expose the concrete to
the elements. Sand can be checked for cleanliness by performing a silt test. Fill a quart
jar one-third full with sand. Fill the remainder of the jar with water, cap it, and shake the
materials vigorously. Let the contents settle for at least one hour. A layer of silt will form
on top of the sand. The thicker the layer of silt, the dirtier the sand.

Gravel should also be as clean as is you can get it. If you are having the sand and gravel
hauled in from a cement company, it will probably be in a useable state of cleanliness.
It’s a good idea to have sand and gravel poured onto tarps or plastic sheets and to keep
it covered if you live in an area of blowing dust. If you are using old sand or gravel, repile
the material onto a tarp and run water over the pile several times, letting the dirty run-off
water flow away from the pile.

Water: Water should be clean and free of impurities. Tap water is a good source. Impure
water could interfere with the chemical reactions necessary to form concrete, thus
producing a weakened product and a weakened structure. Water should not contain
sulfates because sulfates will attack the concrete and gradually reduce its strength.

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Types of Cement
Portland cement is available in 5 types.

Type I General Purpose: This cement is usually found at lumber yards and building
stores.

Type II General Purpose (Low Heat): During the chemical process, less heat is
produced. This is used during times of hot weather to help prevent evaporation of water
from the concrete.

Type III High Early Strength: This is a specialty cement used for bridge pilings and
cooling towers. This type of cement will set up early and will gain its strength earlier in the
curing process.

Type IV Low Heat: This cement has an even lower temperature than Type II and is used
to construct massive structures such as dams and reservoirs.

Type V Specialty (Sulfate Resistant): If the concrete is going to be in contact with

materials containing sulfates, then this type of cement should be utilized to help prevent
corrosion. This type of cement is a slower curing cement.

Other Cements:

Air-Entrained Cement: This specialty cement has materials added, such as animal or
vegetable fats, fatty acids, derivatives of wood resins, or powdered aluminum and zinc,
that when mixed create large numbers of very small air bubbles throughout the concrete.
The bubbles allow the concrete to absorb stress caused by large temperature changes,
thus reducing the damage caused through normal expansion and contraction. Air-
entrained Portland cement contains between 3 and 7 percent of these bubble-producing
materials, and the proportion and type of sand has to be altered to suit the cement.

Quick-crete: Many homeowners purchase a bag of “quick-crete,” or “redi-mix” if they

have small projects to do, such as set a few fence posts or concrete the kids’ swing set
into the ground. This type of utility cement comes premixed with the sand and gravel
right in it. All the homeowner has to do is follow the directions on the bag and add water.

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Safety
The main hazards involved in concrete mixing are the cement powder and the
equipment.

1. Eye Protection- Wear safety spectacles or safety goggles to protect your eyes
against splashes and/or impacts or from the cement powder getting into them.
Cement powder should be washed from your eyes immediately.

2. Skin Protection - Portland cement is a skin irritant. It can cause inflammation, burns,
and blistering of the skin. A high quality canvas or leather glove is adequate to protect
your hands, and a long-sleeved shirt (buttoned) will protect your skin.

3. Respiratory Protection - When working with Portland cement, a fine powdery

material is created. Wear a standard disposable dust mask to protect your lungs from
this harmful dust.

4. Tools - Keep all cement tools in good operating condition. Clean your tools
immediately after working with them or the cement will adhere. If mixing concrete in a
wheelbarrow, place hoes out of the way so someone doesn’t trip on them.

5. Equipment - Electric cement mixers have pinch points at the drum drive gear and the
drum rotation bar. Guards should be in place around moving parts, such as the drive
motor, pulley, and belt. Be careful when adding materials to the drum, because the
mixing paddles inside the drum can catch a hand, shovel, or bucket—don’t reach into
the drum while it is moving. Electrical shock is always a hazard. Do not stand in water
while operating an electric mixer; after cleaning out the drum, be sure to dump waste
away from the mixer; make sure that the electrical cords are in good condition and not
placed where someone will trip on them. Because mixers can be noisy, you may want
to wear hearing protection, such as earplugs.

6. Material - On construction jobs where crews do their own concrete mixing, there may
be large amounts of composition materials present. The cement bags are usually
stacked to conserve space at the site. Make sure that all stacks are stable and do not
have the potential of falling over and injuring workers.

7. Chemicals - Chemical additives are often used with concrete. When working with
chemicals, follow the manufacturer's suggested handling procedures.

8. Forms - Forms should be constructed with high quality materials and not with broken,
old wood. Forms should be braced properly to ensure that workers are safe from
injury. Pick up nails that might be lying around after making or pulling apart forms.

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Preparing the Raw Materials
Before you begin a concrete project, you need to know
What kind of mix is required?
How much concrete is needed?

What kind of mix is required? The mix will be determined by the type of
construction you are doing. The names refer to the number of gallons of water that will
used for each sack of cement. Here are the most typical mixtures:

5 gallon: greatest strength and waterproofing; used when concrete will be

exposed to chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides, or extreme weather.

6 gallon: standard strength; used for floors, sidewalks, driveways, septic tanks,
columns, basements, feedlots, slabs, structural beams.

7 gallon: utility strength; used for foundations, footings, foundation walls, mass
concrete structures.

First, you’ll make up a trial batch of concrete to do a slump test to determine whether or
not today’s composition (taking into consideration the amount of water in the sand,
aggregate particles, and so on) is suited for your needs. After the ratio is determined,
then larger batches can be confidently made up to continue with the project. The
composition mixture ratios are a guide only, and you should let the results of the slump
test determine the actual composition ratios before you mix up large amounts of
concrete. For small do-it-yourself projects, the composition ratio guides will probably be
sufficient.

Composition Mixture Ratio

Gal/water cement damp sand gravel

5 gallon mix: 4 ½ gal. 1 sack 2 cu.ft. 2 ¼ cu.ft.
6 gallon mix: 5 ½ gal. 1 sack 2 ¼ cu.ft. 3 cu. ft.
7 gallon mix: 6 ¼ gal. 1 sack 3 cu.ft. 4 cu. ft.

Many times, homeowners mix up cement by trial and error until it “looks right.” The most
common mistake is to add too much water so the concrete is more workable. That not
only decreases the strength of the concrete, it can cause the gravel to fall to the bottom
of the form. This separation is one of the main causes of concrete that cracks easily.
Without knowing how much raw material you need for your project, you may have to
hastily mix up another batch of concrete to finish the job. The next pages will tell you
how to determine the amount of raw materials you will need.

Those in the concrete business will nearly be able to figure volume of concrete and raw
materials off the top of their heads because they work so often with the calculations. The
typical homeowner who is putting in a walkway may find the calculations a bit complex,

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but they are only basic math principles that allow you to properly calculate industry
mixtures.

The next formulas will enable you to calculate how much concrete (finished product) is
needed to pour the 4X4X2 slab. To do that, you’ll follow these three steps: (1) find the
volume (2) determine the amount of raw materials needed (3) determine the amount of
water needed

How much concrete is needed?

Step 1: Find the volume

To determine the volume of concrete needed for a job, you must determine the volume of
the form. Multiplying length (ft) by width (ft) by depth (ft) of the form will give you the
volume in cubic feet. The example slab is 4ft by 4ft by 2 inches. To use the volume
formula, you must convert the 2 inches to feet by dividing 12 inches (the number of
inches in one foot) into 2 inches=.166 ft. Round to the nearest tenth to get .17 ft.

Length x Width x Depth = Volume (cu. ft.)

4 ft. x 4 ft. x .17 ft. = 2.72 (then, round down)
2.7 cu. ft.

Step 2: Determine the amount of raw materials needed: In the video, Dr. Lawver used
a 6-gallon mix of concrete for the slab. Referring to the Composition Mixture Ratio Chart
on page 5, we see that to produce a 6-gallon mix we need 1 part cement, 2 1/4 parts
sand, and 3 parts gravel. To find out how much raw material will be needed, apply
Fuller's Rule.

Fuller’s Rule states that "to yield 27 volumes of concrete, you must have 42 volumes of
raw material." The rule can be stated as a mathematical formula: 42 divided by 27.

2.7 cu. ft. X 42/27 = 4.2 cu. ft. raw material needed for the slab

Next, take the total raw materials (4.2) and multiply by the composition mixture ratio
amounts divided by the ratio total (1.+2.25+3. or 6.25) to determine the amount of
component needed.

Raw Material Ratio/Ratio Total Needed

CEMENT 4.2 X 1.00/6.25 = 0.67 cu. ft.
SAND 4.2 X. 2.25/6.25 = 1.51 cu. ft
GRAVEL 4.2 X 3.00/6.25 = 6.25 cu. ft

Step 3: Determine the amount of water needed: Because we are using a 6-gallon mix,
we need to maintain the cement/water ratio so that we have 6 gallons of water for every
sack of cement. We are only using .67 (about 2/3rds) of a sack of cement, so we’ll need
less than 6 gals. of water.

0.67 sacks cement & 6 gallons of water = 4.02 gallons water

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We aren’t done yet. Grab a handful of sand and squeeze, then open your hand. If the
sand falls apart—that is, doesn’t stay in a ball--then it is classified as “damp.” Damp sand
contains .25 gallons of water per cubic foot of sand. We are using 1.51 cu. ft of sand in
our slab, so there are .38 gallons of water in the sand (.25 X 1.51). Subtract this amount
of water from the amount that you obtained in the first calculation.

4.02 gallons of water calculated

- 0.38 gallons of water in the sand
3.64 gallons of water actually needed

Characteristics of Quality Concrete

Consistency: checked by a slump test
Uniformity: thorough mixing of the concrete
Workability: how easily the concrete can be “finished”

Performing a Slump Test: To perform a slump test to check for consistency, you need
a slump cone, a 5/8-inch rod, and a trowel.

1. Fill the slump cone one-third full, by volume, with concrete and tamp it 25 times using
the 5/8-inch rod.

2. Fill the next one-third of the cone with concrete and tamp 25 times, making sure not to
extend into the first one-third.

3. Fill the remaining one-third of the cone with concrete and tamp again 25 times, not
penetrating the other layers.

4. Top off the cone with concrete and trowel the top smooth.

5. Finally, very gently raise the cone. Lay the rod across the top of the cone and
measure from the top of the slump to the bottom of the rod. The amount of the slump
that is acceptable is dependent upon the type of job and is shown in the next table.

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 Slump Test Table

Type of Construction Max. Slump (in.) Min. Slump (in.)

Reinforced foundation 4 2
walls & footings

Un-reinforced 3 1
walls & footings

Reinforced slabs & walls 5 2

Building columns 5 3

Pavements 2 1

Sidewalks, slabs on ground 4 2

Heavy mass construction 2 1

If the slump test indicates that the proportion is not quite right for the job, you can change
the aggregate ratio, but not the water or cement ratio.

Changing the Proportions: One good way to know whether you need more sand or
gravel in the mix is to give it a trowel check. Using the slump test sample, give it three or
four back-and-forth strokes with a trowel.
• If the surface is lumpy, you need more sand in the mix.
• If the surface is slick and shows water, you need more gravel in the mix.

Make another Slump Test: Rework the test batch and do another slump test. When this
test comes out within accepted minimum and maximum heights, you will know the exact
proportions to use to make larger batches of concrete that will have the ideal strength
and workability for your project.

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Mixing the Concrete
Of course, you will have your concrete forms in place and all your tools ready before you
mix up the concrete because you will only have between 30 and 45 minutes to pour and
level your concrete. Now that the quantities and proportions have been calculated, begin
mixing. Gather and put on the appropriate safely equipment before you begin the mixing
process. Pour the components rather than dumping them in at once to prevent clumping.
Be careful when dumping the materials into the drum so the mixing paddles don’t catch
the shovel or bucket you are using. Never put your hands into the drum to bust up
clumping.

1. Start the mixer and add from 10% up to 1/3rd of the water into the rotating drum.
2. Add all of the Portland cement.
3. Add part of the coarse aggregate (gravel).
4. Add a little more water—about half of what’s left.
5. Add the remaining coarse aggregate.
6. Add all of the fine aggregate (sand).
7. Add the remaining water.

Once all materials have been added to the mixed, let it run three minutes to mix
thoroughly and to allow the materials to chemically react and form a good product. Then,
carefully lower the mixer to dump the material into a wheelbarrow or other vehicle for
transportation to the work site.

Clean-up tip: Clean out the mixer as soon as the concrete is poured into the vehicle.
Move the wheelbarrow aside, then add water to the drum, letting the mixer rotate to
remove cement particles. Dump the wastewater. Don’t forget to rinse the wheelbarrow
after each load is dumped. Rinse your tools as soon as you are done for the day.

High temperatures (above 90°) may mean you have to increase both the cement and
the water ratio to obtain the correct slump. If mixing concrete on hot, windy days, take
precautions to keep materials as cool as possible: cover aggregate and sprinkle to cool
before using, mix materials in the shade, add ice cubes to the water (keep same amount
of water however), spray the forms, reinforcement and sub grade to moisten and cool
them before pouring, erect sun shades, get extra help so you can work quickly, cover the
concrete as soon as possible and keep moist to prevent evaporation.

For cold temperatures, cover the ground, forms, and reinforcement to prevent freezing;
cover aggregates with black plastic to retain warmth; heat the water and mix with the
coarse aggregate (temp. no higher than 100° F) before adding the cement and sand;
work the concrete quickly and immediately cover (black plastic in day/straw at night or
manure piled on plastic); prevent freezing for first 24 hours or permanent damage will
occur.

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 Concrete: Composition & Mixing
Quiz
True or False
_____ 1. Concrete is the same thing as cement.

_____ 2. Water used to mix concrete should be free of impurities.

_____ 3. Skin protection is necessary to prevent irritation.

_____ 4. To calculate volume, use length times width divided by depth.

_____ 5. Slump tests determine the uniformity of the concrete.

_____ 6. Water is used to produce cement.

_____ 7. Aggregate should be clean before mixing.

_____ 8. Concrete is harmless, so safety is not an issue.

_____ 9. Fuller's Rule is used to estimate the total raw materials needed.

_____ 10. A 6-gallon mix means 6 gallons of water for every sack of cement.

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 Concrete: Composition & Mixing
Answer Key for CEV #849
True or False
F 1. Concrete is the same thing as cement.
Cement is a component; concrete is the finished product.

T 2. Water used to mix concrete should be free of impurities.

T 3. Skin protection is necessary to prevent irritation.

F 4. To calculate volume, use length times width divided by depth.

Volume is found by multiplying LENGTH times WIDTH times
DEPTH. The final product must be in cubic feet, so the depth (which
is often less than a foot thick) may have to be converted into feet by
dividing by 12.

F 5. Slump tests determine the uniformity of the concrete.

consistency of the concrete

F 6. Water is used to produce cement.

Water is a component of concrete, not of cement.

T 7. Aggregate should be clean before mixing.

F 8. Concrete is harmless, so safety is not an issue.

Portland cement is a skin irritant and cause inflammation, burns and
blisters. The powder can also burn your lungs and eyes.

T 9. Fuller's Rule is used to estimate the total raw materials needed.

T 10. A 6-gallon mix means 6 gallons of water for every sack of cement.