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ISSN 0974-5904, Volume 05, No. 04 (02)

www.cafetinnova.org August 2012, P.P. 1030-1033

A Realistic Approach to Concrete Mix Design based on Cement

Strength Criteria
SUBHASH C. YARAGAL
Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Mangalore 575 025, India
Email: subhashyaragal@yahoo.com

Abstract: Concrete mix design is a step by step procedure to workout the various proportions of the ingredients for
the most economical mix that meets the minimum criteria of strength, workability, durability, aggregate
characteristics and economy. Mix design procedures require 28 day strength of cement to decide the curve
designation A, B, C, D, E and F, which then is used to fix up w/c ratio corresponding to 28 day targeted concrete
strength. Several types of cements available in market today with various brand names necessitates one to study
them in detail for their exact pattern of strength gain. To speed up mix design procedures, strength of nearly thirty
five branded cements have been tested for 3d, 7d and 28d strengths with at least five samples for each type of
cement for ready reference to be used by the concrete mix designer.
Keywords: Cement, Concrete, Mix Design, Strength Ratios.

Introduction: and resulted in its phenomenal growth. This resulted in

a competitive market and cement manufactures had to
Concrete is a most widely used construction material in
improve their quality of cement as it was now a battle
the world. The popularity of this material as a
for survival of the best. In the late eighties the dry
construction material is due to the fact that it is made
process cement manufacturing took precedence over the
from commonly available ingredients and can be
more power oriented wet process. The cement
tailored to meet the functional requirements in any
manufacturers modernized their old plants which were
situation. The art of arriving at a proper mix through a
in various stages of obsolescence. The wet process
suitable combination of cement, aggregates, water and
plants were converted to more economical and efficient
admixtures, if required, lies in proportioning concrete
dry process or semi-dry process plants. This led to the
mixes, The main objective of the concrete mix design is
production of high quality cement. Several leading
to select the optimum proportions of the various
organizations diversified into cement manufacture and
ingredients of concrete which will yield fresh concrete
thereby created the much desired consumer oriented
of desired workability and the hardened concrete
market with range of brands available at competitive
possessing the specified characteristic compressive
prices. The 33 grade ordinary Portland cement (IS:269-
strength and durability. The mix proportions should
1989) has virtually disappeared and is displaced by
also satisfy the additional requirement of the use of
higher strength ordinary Portland cements of 43 grade
minimum possible cement content so that maximum
(IS: 8112-1989) and 53 grade (IS:12269-1987).
economy is achieved. The most commonly used
method of mix design is based on IS:10262-1982. The A high strength cement although preferable to a lower
usual procedure of concrete mix design is to interpolate strength cement may not give a consumer the complete
the value of w/c ratio for compressive strength of benefit unless and until it is giving consistently high
concrete from the standard curves presented in strength with minimum variation. A high strength
IS:10262-1982. concrete if specified for any structure will also be more
desirable from the durability point of view. It is often
In India the cement industry underwent a number of
observed that low strength concrete is more vulnerable
changes and reforms mainly to suit the Government
to environmental forces than high strength concrete but
policies and the economics of the manufacture. The
at the same time high strength concrete too needs to be
strict Government control for several years and rising
extremely carefully batched, mixed, transported, placed,
costs of production resulted in production of poor
compacted and cured. The durability requirements of
quality of cement thereby resulting in poor quality of
the structure are as important, if not more, as the
concrete structures. The partial relaxation of
strength of the structure. A strong concrete may not
Governmental control from 1982 and a total relaxation
result in high performance concrete if the durability
of control after March 1989 revived the cement industry

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 SUBHASH C. YARAGAL 1031

requirements are not complied with. Selection of high has now virtually disappeared from the market. All
quality cement can only mean a good beginning but it M15 grade concrete structures in coastal areas are
does not assure the consumer of a final product which is therefore bound to be a happy hunting ground for
the strong and durable concrete structure. However, concrete rehabilitation agencies as is being observed at
selection of poor quality cement or cement of present. The durability problem is most likely to
inconsistent quality is like taking a wrong step right at multiply several times if at the specification stage itself,
the beginning and will certainly lead to poor quality proper precautions are not taken.
concrete structure if not a disaster.
Lower grades of concretes with generally poor type of
Cement Strength Classification: quality control prevalent are observed to be of very poor
durability, needing extensive repairs within a few years.
IS:10262-1982, which gives the recommended
As good quality cements are now available it is strongly
guidelines for concrete mix design, has generally
recommended to go in for higher grades of concrete i.e
classified the cement grade wise from A to F, depending
above M25 grade. This will improve the performance
upon the 28 days strength in ( kg/cm2 ) as follows, A
of the structures, prove more economical in most cases
(325 – 375), B (375 – 425), C (425 – 475), D (475 –
and in the process of achieving higher strengths it will
525), E (525 – 575), and F (575 – 625). However, it
automatically comply with the durability requirements.
may be noted that some brands sold as 53 grade cements
generally give 28 days strength of around 625 to 675 Advantages of High Strength Consistent Quality
kg/cm2. However, most of the 53 grade cements Cement:
available in the market generally fall in the category F
Besides saving of concrete quantity and cement cost per
or above and the 43 grade cements available in the
cubic meter of concrete, there are several other
market are generally in the category D. It must be
advantages and savings due the use of high strength
ascertained either from the manufacturer or through
cement. It is observed that the best advantage of
laboratory tests the actual strength of the cement before
specifying high strength cement is derived if at the
it’s use in the concrete mix design to get the maximum
planning and design stage itself, high grades of
benefit of the additional strength and superior quality.
concretes are specified. The higher grade concretes
The relation between free water-cement ratio (w/c) and
may have smaller cross sectional are under other
concrete strength for different cement strengths (grades
identical conditions and thereby quantity of concrete
A to F), as given in IS: 10262-1982, is used to
reduces considerably. The saving in concrete quantity
determine the w/c of the concrete mix for specified
can easily lie between 1% to 25% depending on the type
target concrete strength if the cement grade is known.
of structural member, its layout and its function.
Cement Strength vs Concrete Durability:
However, in addition to this saving, higher grades of
Cement consumption works out to be lesser and lesser concrete will be less permeable and more durable than
as the grade of cement used is higher and higher. lower grades. Besides, specifying higher strength
Durability requirements as specified in IS-456 must be would also result in (i) Saving of reinforcement steel (ii)
satisfied depending on the various exposure conditions. Saving of formwork quantity (iii) Reduction in quantum
Studies have shown that concrete manufactured using a of finishing works such as plaster, painting etc. (iv)
higher grade of cement even after considering that lower Overall saving of manpower and construction time and
grade cement may be marginally cheaper than the (v) Increase in the carpet area of the building.
higher grade cement.
Discussion and Results:
For high performance concrete generally it is very
In order to strengthen the confidence of concrete mix
important to go for higher grade of concrete (above
designer, it was felt necessary to document in detail the
M25 grade). If this concrete is made with high strength
strength grain of several of the most popular branded
cement then it will fetch both technical as well as
cements in use. It is clear that from this study, one need
financial advantage. Table 1 shows the extent to which
not wait for the 28 day strength test of cement to
different grades of cements can be used for different
commence the concrete mix design. Series of
environmental conditions and various grades of
experiments were conducted in the department of Civil
concrete. It is generally observed that even today the
Engineering, National Institute of Technology
structural engineers and architects specify M15 and
Karnataka, Surathkal for this purpose. For ease of
M20 grade of concrete in coastal area. This has already
presentation they have been grouped as 53 grade tested
led to serious durability problems and low performance
as per IS:12269 (3d:7d:28d strengths need to be atleast
of concrete structures. M15 grade of concrete can be
27 MPa, 37 MPa and 53 MPa), 43 grade tested as per
achieved with w/c much greater than 0.55 if 43 and 53
IS: 8112 (3d:7d:28d strengths need to be atleast 23
grades of cements are used and since 33 grade cement
MPa, 33 MPa and 43 MPa), Flyash based (IS:1489) or

International Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering

ISSN 0974-5904, Vol. 05, No. 04 (02), August 2012, pp. 1030-1033
 1032 A Realistic Approach to Concrete Mix Design based on Cement Strength Criteria

Slag (IS:455) (3d:7d:28d strengths need to be atleast 16 Conclusions:

MPa, 22 MPa and 33 MPa) and Sulphate resisting
cement tested as per IS:12330 (3d:7d:28d strengths need
to be atleast 10 MPa, 16 MPa and 33 MPa). Since 33
grade cements have not been in production, these have
not been presented. The values in Table 2, are the
average values of atleast five or more sets of
experiments on each brand of cement.
It is observed from the above table that on an average
both for 43 and 53 grades of cements the 3 day strength
is about 63% of the 28 day strength and 7 day strength
is about 79% of the 28 day strength. One can compare
the tested 3d and 7d strength for a particular brand of
cement and then make his own judgement of the 28 d
strength that could be anticipated. However either for
flyash based or slag cement 3d/28d is 51% and 7d/28d
is 62%. On the other hand for Sulphate Resisting
cement these are 60% and 74% respectively. The
variations are large for flyash based or slag and for
Sulphate resisting cement, therefore it opined that the
individual brand strength gain be made use of, rather
than the group average.
The experimental results presented are of immense help
to the concrete mix designer for proceeding with trial
mixes without waiting for the 28d strength of cement to
be tested. The strength gain of 35 brands of most
popular cements in market have been tested and results
presented for use. However it is recommended that
based on the actual cement strength of 3d and 7d, the
present results be used for right assessment of the
probable 28d strength. The group average for 43 and 53
grade of cements seems alright, but for the other two,
namely either flyash based or slag cements and for
Sulphate Resisting cement, variations are significant.
Therefore for these two assessment be based on
individual brand strength gain, rather than the group
average.
References:
[1] Gambhir, M. L. (1986), Concrete Technology, Tata
McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd., New Delhi
[2] Nevelle, A. M. (1981), Properties of Concrete, 3rd
edition, Pitman Publishing Company, London.

Table 1: Suitability of Various Grades of Cements in Different Exposure Conditions

Characteristic Quality control Cement grade suitable for different exposure conditions
concrete grade Fair/Good/Very Mild Moderate Severe
(N/mm2) good
15 Very good 2 A,C,E A,(C),(E) (A),(C),(E)
Good A,C,E A,(C),(E) (A),(C),(E)
Fair A,C,E A,(C),(E) (A),(C),(E)
20 Very good 3 A,C,E A,C,(E) A,(C),(E)
Good A,C,E A,C,E A,(C),(E)
Fair A,C,E A,C,E A,(C),(E)
25 Very good 4 A,C,E A,C,E A,C,(E)
Good A,C,E A,C,E A,C,(E)
Fair C,E C,E C,(E)
30 Very good 5 C,E C,E C,E
Good C,E C,E C,E
Fair C,E C,E C,E

Note: concrete mix design will be governed by durability

parameters and not strength parameter.
I. Grade A, C, and E cements can be theoretically
III. Grade A cement cannot be used beyond M25 grade
equated to commercially available 33, 43 and 53
concrete with good control.
grade cements
IV. No cement is economically suitable if M15 grade
II. (Cement grade): suggested to be used for different
concrete is specified for severe exposure
exposure conditions, will not be economical and the
conditions.

International Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering

ISSN 0974-5904, Vol. 05, No. 04 (02), August 2012, pp. 1030-1033
 SUBHASH C. YARAGAL 1033

Table 2: Cement Strengths for 3d, 7d and 28d for Various Types and Brands of Cements
Type and brand Average strength in Mpa Strength gain Strength gain
3day 7day 28day (3d/28dx100) (3d/28d x 100)
53 Grade (IS:12269)
(1) Ambuja 47.4 56.9 63.8 74 89
(2) L and T 38.5 46.4 56.8 68 82
(3) Birla super 40.0 47.2 62.0 65 76
(4) Coromandal king 34.2 43.5 55.0 62 79
(5) CCI Param shakti 31.2 43.0 54.4 57 79
(6) Zuari 34.0 42.7 53.7 63 80
(7)Penna power 34.3 42.3 57.4 60 74
(8) Birla Vasavadatta 35.0 45.4 61.3 57 74
Group average 63 79
43 Grade (IS:8112)
(9) Vasavadatta 35.9 45.0 53.9 67 83
(10) Coromondal 29.8 34.7 51.9 57 67
(11) A C C 35.5 44.3 50.7 70 87
(12) Rajashree 34.0 40.6 53.7 63 76
(13) Super Panyam 29.5 40.1 43.8 67 92
(14) Raasi 25.5 36.9 53.2 48 69
(15) Ratna 33.9 38.9 45.8 74 85
(16) Penna 36.0 45.7 54.2 66 84
(17) Shankar 36.0 46.0 62.7 57 73
(18) Ramco 33.9 44.9 50.5 67 89
(19) Chettinad 28.3 35.7 47.3 60 75
Group average 63 80
Flyash based (IS:1489) or Slag based (IS:455)
(20) ACC Suraksha 31.9 38.5 51.5 62 75
(21) Ultra-Tech 29.4 38.7 53.8 55 72
(22) Birla star 33.0 37.7 54.7 60 69
(23) Mysore diamond 20.0 29.3 47.3 42 62
(24) Bagalkot shakti 22.7 31.3 50.0 45 63
(25) Diamond super 22.0 36.4 47.1 47 77
(26) Birla shakti 38.0 45.0 56.0 68 80
(27) Chettinad super 14.0 19.0 37.0 38 51
(28) ACC 20.0 27.0 43.0 47 63
(29) Penna suraksha 19.0 27.0 50.0 38 54
(30) Ramco super 25.0 32.0 44.0 57 73
(31)Coromandalsuper 27.0 35.0 49.0 55 71
(32) Ramco 53 plus 21.5 28.0 55.0 39 51
(33) Zuari super fine 25.0 31.0 45.0 56 69
Group average 51 62
Sulphate resisting cement (IS: 12330)
(34) Birla coastal 40.4 47.7 58.7 69 81
(35) Chettinadu 23.0 30.0 45.0 51 67
Group average 60 74

International Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering

ISSN 0974-5904, Vol. 05, No. 04 (02), August 2012, pp. 1030-1033