Concrete Mix Design – Test 1

Dr. Moussa Baalbaki

© 2015 Holcim Ltd

Example of Mix Design Calculation
• Conditions and Specification
 Indoor concrete slab for an individual house
 200 mm thick
 No special exposure
 Specified strength of 20 MPa at 28 days on cylinder
 Slump of 175 mm
 25 consecutive tests are available with a standard deviation of 3MPa
 Sanstha cement with density 3.1

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 2

Example of Mix Design Calculation
• Coarse Aggregate
 Crushed particles
 20 mm nominal maximum size
 Specific gravity = 2.7
 Dry-rodded bulk density = 1600 kg/m3
 Absorption, abs = 0.5%
 Moisture content, mc = 1.0%

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 3

Example of Mix Design Calculation
• Fine Aggregate (Sand)
 Natural sand
 Specific gravity = 2.65
 Fineness modulus, FM = 2.8
 Absorption, abs = 1%
 Moisture content, mc = 4%

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 4

Example of Mix Design Calculation
• Admixtures
 Water reducer
- Manufacturer recommends 3 ml per kg of cement for 7% water reduction
- Specific gravity = 1

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 5

 Example of Mix Design Calculation
1-
1- Strength
Strength • From this information calculate the concrete mix design
2-
2- W/C
W/C to meet the conditions and specification by following the
3-
3- Stone
Stone 12 steps of the Absolute Volume method
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump
6-
6- Water
Water
7-
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
12-
12- Trials
Trials

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 6

 Strength requirements
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
f'c 20Mpa
3-
3- Stone
Stone Corrected due to Durability
f'c - MPa
4-
4- Air
Air No any special exposure Max. W/C -
5-
5- Slump
Slump 25 consecutive tests are
available with a standard
6-
6- Water
Water deviation of 3MPa Modification Factor 1.03
At leass 30 number of test
7-
7- Cement
Cement are needed but here we
8- have 25 test. Lets take SD=3 Standard deviation 3
8- Type
Type
20+ 1.03x3 =
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture f'cr 23.09MPa
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
12-
12- Trials
Trials

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 7

 Determining Water-Cement Ratio
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
3-
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump
6-
6- Water
Water
W/C = 0.64
7-
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture Non air entrained W/C 0.64

12-
12- Trials
Trials

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 8

 Coarse aggregate requirements
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
3-
3- Stone
Stone
Coarse Aggregate Max. Size 20mm
4-
4- Air
Air
FM of fine aggregate 2.8
5-
5- Slump
Slump
From interpolation Bulk volume factor 0.62
6-
6- Water
Water
Corrected bulk volume 0.68
7-
7- Cement
Cement factor
8-
8- Type
Type
0.62 X 1600
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
Coarse Aggregate 992Kg
10-
10- Sand
Sand
Absorption 0.5%
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
C/A (SSD) 992x1.005 kg
12-
12- Trials
Trials
997 kg

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 9

 Air Content
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
3-
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump
6-
6- Water
Water
7-
7- Cement
Cement 1% air content
considering void of
8-
8- Type
Type concrete
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
12-
12- Trials
Trials

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 10

 Air Content
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
3-
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump
6-
6- Water
Water
7-
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
12-
12- Trials
Trials Slump is specified as a 175+- 25 mm

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 11

 Water content
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
3-
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump
6-
6- Water
Water
7-
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand From interpolating Water Content 213kg
Manufacturer recommends 3 198.09kg
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture ml per kg of cement for 7%
12-
12- Trials
Trials water reduction Corrected Water Content 198kg

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 12

 Cement content
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
3-
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump
6-
6- Water
Water 309.515625
7-
7- Cement
Cement
Cement Content 310kg
Min. cement for
8-
8- Type
Type durability aspect - kg
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture Min. cement for
workability 320kg 320
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
12-
12- Trials
Trials

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 13

 Cement Type
1-
1- Strength
Strength
2-
2- W/C
W/C
3-
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump
6-
6- Water
Water
7-
7- Cement
Cement Sanstha cement with density 3.1
8-
8- Type
Type
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
12-
12- Trials
Trials

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 14

 Admixtures
1-
1- Strength
Strength Water reducer
2-
2- W/C
W/C Manufacturer recommends 3 ml per
kg of cement for 7% water reduction
3-
3- Stone
Stone Specific gravity = 1
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump cement content 320kg
6-
6- Water
Water
Initial water 213
7-
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type New Water 198 4.22%
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
Admixture amount 0.96kg
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
12-
12- Trials
Trials

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 15

 Sand content
1-
1- Strength
Strength Volume (1000
Material Mass (kg/m3) Density
2-
2- W/C
W/C liters)
3-
3- Stone
Stone
Cement 320 3100 103.2
4-
4- Air
Air
5-
5- Slump
Slump Water 198 1000 204
6-
6- Water
Water
Stone (SDD) 997 2700 369
7-
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type Air 1% 10
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand Sand (SDD) 844 2650 318
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
Water reducer 0.96 1000 0.96
12-
12- Trials
Trials
total 2360 1000

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 16

 Moisture corrections
1-
1- Strength
Strength Mass (kg/m3)
Moisture
2-
2- W/C
W/C Material Mass (kg/m3) – moist
corrections
conditions
3-
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air Cement 320 320
5-
5- Slump
Slump Water 198 -30 168
6-
6- Water
Water
7-
Stone (SDD) 997 +5 1002
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type Air 1% 1%
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
Sand (SSD) 844 +25 869
10-
10- Sand
Sand
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture Water reducer 0.96 0.96
12-
12- Trials
Trials
total 2360 2360

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 17

 Trial batch for 25 liter (0.025 m3)
1-
1- Strength
Strength Mass (kg/m3) – Batch quantities
Conversion
2-
2- W/C
W/C Material moist for 50 L in moist
factor for 50 L
3- conditions conditions
3- Stone
Stone
4-
4- Air
Air Cement 320 0.05 16
5-
5- Slump
Slump
Water 174 0.05 8.7
6-
6- Water
Water
7-
7- Cement
Cement Stone 1002 0.05 50.1
8-
8- Type
Type
Air 1% 0.05
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture
10-
10- Sand
Sand Sand 869 0.05 42.7
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture Water reducer 0.96 0.05 0.048
12-
12- Trials
Trials
total 2360

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 18

Concrete mixing preparation and testing
Preparation
• Determine humidity condition of sand and coarse aggregate
• Correct water with respect to saturated surface dry condition of aggregates
• Weight separately all concrete constituents for the define volume to be mixed
Mixing
1. Mix during 30 sec. sand + coarse aggregate + 90% of water (premix with AEA if any)
2. Add cement + (retarder or accelerator if any) and mix 3 min.
3. Stop 1 min
4. Add 10% remain water (premix with WR or HRWR if any) and mix 5 min
5. End
Fresh concrete testing
• Slump, temperature, unit weight and air content after 10 min (bring back to the mixer all concrete
used for the testing)
• Cover the pan mixer to avoid water evaporation
• Repeat fresh concrete testing after 30, 60,120,180 min (mix 1min before)
• Sample specimen needed for hardened concrete properties

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 19

 Trial batch
1-
1- Strength
Strength • Trial batch tested for:
2-
2- W/C
W/C  Slump (mm)
3-
3- Stone
Stone  Density or Unit weight (kg/m3)
4-
4- Air
Air  Air content (%)
5-
5- Slump
Slump  Strength (MPa)
6-
6- Water
Water
• Adjustments made in general on:
7-
7- Cement
Cement
8-
8- Type
Type
9-
9- Admixture
Admixture  Water content Slump / density / air content
10-
10- Sand
Sand
 Admixture doses
11-
11- Moisture
Moisture
Strength
12-
12- Trials
Trials  Cement content

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited | All Rights Reserved. 20