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Technical REPORT No. TR6/2017 CONCRETE MIX DESIGN and TRAIL MIXES
EXECUTION May 2017

Technical Report · May 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35002.08648

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 Technical REPORT
No. TR6/2017

CONCRETE MIX DESIGN

and
TRAIL MIXES EXECUTION

May 2017

Prepared by:
Ass. Prof. Dr. Alaa H. Al-Zuhairi
ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade I
Certification ID #01355177

Consulting Engineering Bureau Laboratories (CEBL)

Consulting Engineering Bureau (CEB)
College of Engineering
University of Baghdad
Concrete Mix Design and Trail Mixes Execution

1. Preface
Consulting Engineering Bureau Laboratories (CEBL) has been
authorized by ENKA UK Construction Limited Company via their letter no. IQ-
361-00003 dated 30/5/2017 to prepare a technical report for the design of three
concrete mixes required by ENKA UK Construction Limited Company in their
letter no. 003 dated in April, 9, 2017. The concrete mixes were designed
according to ACI 211.1.

2. Introduction
Concrete is composed principally of aggregate, a Portland or blended
cement, and water, and may contain other cementitious materials and/or
chemical admixtures. Chemical admixtures used to accelerate, retard, improve
workability, reduce mixing water requirements, increase strength, or alter other
properties of the concrete.
The selection of concrete proportions involves a balance between economy and
requirement for placeability, strength, durability, density and sometimes
appearance. The calculated proportions must always be considered subject to
revision on the basis of experience with trail batches. Laboratory trail batches
should be verified and adjusted in field using mixes of the size and type to be
used during construction.

3. Mix Design Procedure

3.1 Step 1. Choice of slump:
Since slump is not specified, a value appropriate for the work can be selected
from Table (1):
Table (1): Recommended Slumps for various Types of Construction (ACI 211.1)

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Slumps given in Table (1) may be increased when chemical admixtures are used,
provided that the admixture-treated concrete has the same or lower water-
cementitious material ratio dose not exhibit segregation potential or excessive
bleeding. On the other hand the maximum values of slump shown in Table (1)
may be increased by 25mm for methods os consolidation other than vibration.

3.2 Step 2. Choice of Maximum Size of Coarse Aggregate:

The nominal maximum size of coarse aggregate should not exceed one-fifth of
the narrowest dimension between sides of forms, one-third the depth of slabs,
nor three-fourths of the minimum clear spacing between individual reinforcing
bars, bundles of bars, or pre-tensioning strands.
The maximum size of each type of supplied coarse aggregate was taken from the
results of sieve analysis of supplied coarse aggregate shown in appendix A.

3.3 Step 3. Estimation of Mixing Water and Air Content:

The required quantity of mixing water to produce a specified slump depends on
the nominal maximum size, particle shape, and grading of aggregate. Also it is
dependent of concrete temperature and the use of chemical admixture. Table (2)
gives estimates of required mixing water.
Chemical admixtures are used to modify the properties of concrete to make it
more workable, durable, and/or economical, increase or decrease the time of set,
accelerate the strength gain and/or control temperature rise.
Table (2): Approximate Mixing Water and Air Content Requirements for Different
Slumps and Nominal Maximum Size of Aggregates (ACI 211.1)

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3.4 Step 4. Selection of Water-Cementitious Material Ratio(w/cm):

The required w/cm is determined not only by strength requirement but
also by other factors such as durability. The average selected compressive
strength of concrete must exceed the specific strength by a sufficient margin to
keep the number of low tests within specific limits that stated in ACI 318 and
ACI 214. Table (3) shows the relationship between w/cm and 28 days cylinder
compressive strength of concrete.

Table (3): Relationship between w/cm and 28 days Cylinder Compressive

Strength of Concrete (ACI 211.1)

The assigned value of w/cm should not exceed the suggested maximum
permissible w/cm for concrete in sever exposure shown in Table (4).
Table (4): Maximum Permissible w/cm for Concrete in Sever Exposure (ACI
201.2R)

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3.5 Step 5. Calculation of Water-Cement Content:

The required cement content is equal to the estimated mixing water content (step
3) divided by w/cm (step 4). If, however, the specification includes a minimum
limit of cement content in addition to the requirement of strength and durability,
the mix design must be based on whichever criterion leads to the larger amount
of cement.

3.6 Step 6. Estimate of Coarse Aggregate Content:

The volume of coarse aggregate per unit volume of concrete is related with the
nominal maximum size of aggregate and fineness modulus of fine aggregate as
shown in Table (5). This relationship comes from the effect of coarse aggregate
quantity in a given mix on its workability. Therefore, to produce a satisfactory
workable mix it important to select a mass of coarse aggregate from Table (5)
that is by multiplying the value taken from this table by the oven-dry rodded
bulk density of coarse aggregate material.
Table (5): Volume of Coarse Aggregate per Unit Volume of Concrete (ACI
211.1)

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3.7 Step 7. Estimate of Fine Aggregate Content:

To obtain the required volume of fine aggregate, the total volume displaced by
the known ingredients; water, air, cementitious materials, and coarse aggregate
is subtracted from the unit volume of concrete. The volume occupied in concrete
by any ingredient is equal to its weight divided by the density of that material
which is the product of the unit weight of water and the specific gravity of the
material.

3.8 Step 8. Adjustment for aggregate moisture:

In general, the aggregate will be moist and their dry weights should be increased
by the percentage of water they contain, both absorbed and surface. So that, the
mixing water that added to the batch should be reduced by amount equal to the
free moisture contributed by the aggregate, i.e. total moisture minus absorption.
Then recalculation of new batch weighs starting with Step 4 modifying the
volume of coarse aggregate from Table (4) if necessary to provide proper
workability.

4. Material Properties
4.1 Cement
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) Lafarge (Karbala Al-Jisser) trade mark and
Sulphate Resistance Portland Cement (SRPC) Samawa (Al-Dohh) trade mark
were used. Physical and chemical test results of these two cements are shown in
testing reports No. 1082 dated in April, 18, 2017 and No. 969 dated in April, 4,
2017.
4.2 Coarse Aggregate
Two fractions of crushed coarse aggregate were supplied from Chalat quarry (4-
10) mm and (5-19) mm. Physical and chemical test results of these two coarse
aggregate fractions are shown in testing report No. 970 dated in April, 4, 2017.

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4.2 Coarse Aggregate

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4.3 Fine Aggregate

Three types of fine aggregate were supplied two from Karbala quarry and one
from Chalat quarry. Physical and chemical test results of these three fine
aggregate are shown in testing report No. 971 dated in April, 4, 2017.

4.3 Admixtures
Two types of high performance water reducing admixtures (type F & G
according to ASTM C494) were provided to be used in required concrete mixes.
Test results of these admixtures are shown in testing reports Nos. 965, 966, 967
and 968 dated in April, 4, 2017.

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4. Mix Design
Two of mixes were designed for a minimum cube compressive strength of 40
MPa and one mix was designed for a minimum cube compressive strength of 20
MPa. All mixes tried and executed in CEBL. Table (6) comprises the
proportions of theses mixes while Table (7) includes the results of the testing.
Table (6) Mix Proportions
Required
Fine Coarse Agg.
Lab code Cube comp. Cement Water Admix.
Field No. Material Agg. crushed (Chalet
No. strength (kg/m3) (lt./m3
) (lt./m3)
(kg/m3) quarry) (kg/m3)
(MPa)
Weber
TypeV Karbala (4-8) (5-19)
Type Tap Admix
New Samawa 5 mm mm
Cmix11 40 CF555
Mix 1 Quantities 400* 850 575 400 165 6.0
Proportions 1 2.125 1.437 1.000 0.412 -
TypeV Karbala (4-8) (5-19) Sikament
Type Tap
New Lafarge 4 mm mm F32N
Cmix12 40 Quantities 400* 845 580 400 165 5.5
Mix 2
Proportions 1 2.112 1.450 1.000 0.412 -
TypeV Karbala (4-8) (5-19)
Type Tap
Samawa 4 mm mm
Cmix13 Mix 6 20 Quantities 300 850 585 400 200 NA
Proportions 1 2.833 1.933 1.334 0.667
(*) cement content was limited by the client

Table (7) Mix Testing

Average measured slump (mm) 7-days Cube Testing 28-days Cube testing
Lab code Field Comp. Comp.
No. No. Density Density
After 30 After 60 After 90 Str. Str.
Immed. (kg/m3) (kg/m3)
min. min. min. (MPa) (MPa)
32.8 2382 41.9 2402
New
Cmix11 235 225 195 150 32.7 2385 43.3 2395
Mix 1
33.1 2394 41.7 2391
32.6 2395 42.7 2398
New
Cmix12 215 195 170 145 32.4 2391 42.2 2401
Mix 2
32.3 2377 41.6 2405
19.0 2369 25.1 2389
Cmix13 Mix 6 135 55 zero zero 18.8 2375 26.0 2391
18.9 2369 26.3 2395

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References
1. ACI Committee 211, 2002, "Standard Practice for selecting proportions for Normal,
Heavyweight, and Mass Concrete (ACI 211.1-91), American Concrete Institute, Farmington
Hills.
2. ACI Committee 318, 2014, "Building Code Requirement for structural Concrete (ACI 318-
14) and Commentary (318M-14), American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills.
3. ACI Committee 201, 2008, "Guide to Durable Concrete (ACI 201.2R), American Concrete
Institute, Farmington Hills.
4. Neville, A.M. and Brooks, J.J., "Concrete Technology", 2nd Edition, 2010, Prentice Hall.

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