Concrete Mix Portioning

Mansoor Azam Qureshi

CE- 852
 Definition

The proportioning of concrete mixtures is

the process of arriving at the right
combination of cement, aggregates, water,
and admixtures for making concrete
according to given specifications.
 Object of Proportioning
Ensure Workability. The overall objective of
Required Strength. proportioning concrete
mixtures can therefore be
Durability
summarized as selecting the
Economy suitable ingredients among the
available materials and
determining the most economical
combination that will produce
concrete with certain minimum
performance
characteristics.
 Consideration for Mix Design
 Required compressive strength - Impacts water-cementitious
materials ratio.
 Type of structure (slab, wall, footing, columns, etc.) - Can impact
workability requirements and coarse aggregate selection.
 Minimum structural dimensions (e.g. clear spacing of reinforcing
steel or other embedded items) - Will impact sizing of the coarse
aggregate.
 Service conditions (e.g. exposure to sulfate soils) - Impacts water
cementitious materials ratio, cement type and /or types of
aggregates.
 Placement techniques (e.g. paving machine, concrete pump,
vibration during placement, etc.) - Impacts workability requirements
and/or aggregate size.
 Characteristics of Concrete
 Consistence
 Rate of stiffening
 Cohesion
 Plastic density and yield
 Mix proportions
 Batch quantities for production
 Strength
 Durability parameters
 Air content
 Special types of concrete or special properties,
e.g. surface finish.
 Selection of Materials

 Availability and cost

 Conformity with standards
 Conformity with the contract specification,
e.g. maximum aggregate size.
 General Considerations
Cost
 Concrete-making materials is
technically acceptable and, at the
same time, economically attractive.
 Specifying agencies require materials
for concrete that are more expensive
and perhaps unnecessary.
 Reducing the cement content of a
concrete mixture without sacrificing
the desired performance
characteristics of concrete.
 cheaper and suitable materials to
replace a percentage of portland
cement. Eg pozzolane, fly ash or
blast-furnace slag.
 General Considerations
Workability
Workability effect the
pumpability and
constructibility and control
harmful segregation.
In a dry or stiff mix the cost
of handling will increase and
may have poor strength,
durability, and appearance.
Mixtures prone to
segregate and bleed are more
expensive to finish and will
yield less durable concrete.
Workability can affect both
the cost and the quality of
concrete mixtures.
 The consistency of concrete should be no more than
necessary for the ease of placing, compaction, and finishing.
 The water requirement for a given consistency increases with
both sand/coarse aggregate ratio and the amount of fines in
the sand. Whenever possible, the cohesiveness and
finishability of concrete should be improved by increasing the
sand/coarse aggregate ratio alone rather than by increasing
the proportion of fine particles in the sand.
 For concrete mixtures requiring high consistency at the time
of placement, the use of water-reducing and set-retarding
admixtures should be considered rather than the addition of
extra water at the job site; water that has not been accounted
for in the mixture proportioning is frequently responsible for
the failure of concrete to perform according to design
specifications.
 General Considerations Durability
 With the exception of frost resistance, the
durability of concrete is generally controlled
by permeability.
In routine mix designing operations only the
workability and strength of concrete are
specified.
Consideration of durability is ignored unless
special environmental exposures require it.
 General Considerations
Ideal Aggregate Grading
 Considerations of cost, workability, strength, and durability may lead
to the assumption that the most dense aggregate packing with a
minimum content of voids will be the most economical because it
requires the least amount of cement paste.
 Besides being uneconomic, the use of ideal aggregate grading is not
prevalent in concrete field practice because often it does not produce
the best workability.
 grading limits specified by ASTM C 33 are usually followed. Not
only they are broad and therefore economically attractive, but also are
based on practical experience with a large number of concrete
mixtures. Using aggregates outside the limits of ASTM C 33 have
caused workability problems
 Principles of Mix Design

When reviewing the following specific

principles for selecting concrete mixture
proportions, it will be helpful to remember
again that the underlying goal is to strike a
reasonable balance between the workability,
strength, durability, and cost of concrete.
 Workability
Consistency Cohesiveness
 The maximum size of a well- It is measure of compactibility
graded aggregate is increased. and finishability, is evaluated
 the content of angular and by trowelability and visual
rough-textured particles in the judgment of resistance to
aggregate is reduced. segregation.
 The amount of entrained air in 
Increase the sand/coarse
the concrete mixture is
aggregate ratio, partially replace
increased.
the cement or sand with coal fly
 Coal fly ash is used as a partial
ash, and increase the cement
replacement for a cement.
paste/aggregate ratio
 Strength
The strength of concrete specified by the designer is treated as
the minimum required strength.
Variations in materials; methods of mixing, transportation, and
placement of concrete; and curing and testing of concrete
specimens certain degree of strength over design is required.
Mixture proportioning assume that strength is solely dependent
on the water-cement ratio and the content of entrained air in
concrete.
Accurate relationship between the strength and water-cement
ratio for a given set of materials and conditions may be available
from past experience or should be developed from trial mixtures.
 Average Compressive Strength
Average compressive strength should always be more than
strength specified by designer to obviate possibility of strength
occurring below specified strength.
When test data for at least thirty strength tests is available,
standard deviation may be determined and used to assess
average or target strength. Maximum value given by equations
given below is adopted
f ′ cr = f ′ c + 1.34S
f ′ cr = f ′ c + 2.33S − 3.45
When data of 15 to 29 test is available, its SD may be
increased with content given below
 Average Compressive Strength

Required Average Compressive Strength When Data is

Not Available to Establish a Standard Deviation
 Durability
As stated earlier, when concrete is subject to normal conditions
of exposure, the mix-proportioning procedures ignore durability
because strength is considered to be an index of general
durability. However, under conditions that may tend to shorten
the service life of concrete, its durability may be enhanced by
special considerations in mixture proportioning. For example,
entrained air is required with all exposed concrete in climates
where freezing and thawing cycles occur. Concrete exposed to
chemical attack by deicing salts or acidic or sulfate waters may
require the use of water-reducing and mineral admixtures. In
such a situation, although a higher water-cement ratio would
have satisfied the strength requirement, a lower water-cement
ratio is usually specified considering the exposure conditions.
 Durability
Maximum Water Cement Ratio and Minimum Design
Strength for various Exposure Conditions
 Concrete Mix Design - Types
Simple Mix Design Complex Mix Design
 Requirements are: Includes at least an
 Characteristic strength other parameter such as:
 Workability Early compressive
 Type and strength of strength
cement Flexural and or tensile
 Maximum size (and type strength
of aggregate (natural or Durability;
crushed)
Permeability
 Concrete Mix Design - Procedures
ACI Committee Numerous procedures for computing the
211 concrete mixture proportions are available
The weight method is in most countries of the world.
considered less exact Mathematical approaches to determine the
but does not require
correct proportion of component materials
the information on the
of a concrete mixture meeting a given set of
specific gravity of the
concrete-making specifications generally do not work
materials. The because the materials vary widely in their
absolute volume characteristics. This explains why there is a
method is considered large number of empirical methods based
more exact on extensive test data developed from local
materials.
 Properties of Materials required for
Mix Design
 Sieve analysis of fine and coarse aggregate; fineness modulus
 Dry-rodded unit weight of coarse aggregate
 Bulk specific gravity of materials
 Absorption capacity or free moisture in the aggregate Variations in the
approximate mixing water requirement with slump, air content, and
grading of the available aggregates
 Relationship between strength and water-cement ratio for available
combinations of cement and aggregate
 Job specifications if any [e.g., maximum water cement ratio,
minimum air content, minimum slump, maximum size of aggregate,
and strength at early ages (normally, 28-day strength is specified)].
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Choice of Slump
If the slump is not
specified, a value
appropriate for the
job can be selected
from Table. Mixtures
with the stiffest
possible
consistency that can
be easily placed and
compacted without
segregation should
be used.
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Choice of Aggregate Size
Large maximum size of a well graded
aggregate will produce less void space than a
smaller size, thereby reducing the mortar
requirement in the concrete mixture.
Maximum aggregate size Should not exceed
one-fifth of the narrowest dimension between
the sides of the forms, one-third the depth of
slabs, or three-fourths of the minimum clear
spacing between reinforcing bars.
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Estimation of Water
The water content of concrete is influenced by a number of
factors: aggregate size, aggregate shape, aggregate texture,
slump, water to cementing materials ratio, air content, cementing
materials type and content, admixtures, and environment.
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Estimation of Water
Recommended target
air contents for air-
entrained
Concrete required to
provide adequate
freeze-thaw resistance
is dependent upon the
nominal maximum size
of aggregate and the
level of exposure.
Mix Design – ACI Method
Estimation of Water
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Water Cement Ratio
it is desirable to develop
the relationship between
strength and water-cement
ratio for the materials to be
used actually.
water-cement ratio
obtained from the table
may have to be reduced
depending on any
durability requirements

Maximum W/C ratio against sulfate

Attack
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Water Cement Ratio
Table for W/C ratio Graph for W/C ratio
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Cement Content
The cementing materials content is usually determined
from the selected water-cementing materials ratio and
water content.
Minimum cement content may be specified to ensure
durability.
For severe freeze-thaw, deicer, and sulfate exposures,
minimum cementing materials content of 335 kg per cubic
meter
Concrete underwater, usually not less than 390 kg of
cementing materials per cubic meter
For workability, finishability, abrasion resistance, and
durability in flatwork, minimum as shown in table
Mix Design – ACI Method
Cement Content
 Mix Design – ACI Method
Coarse Aggregate Content
With properly graded materials the finer the sand and the larger the
size of the coarse aggregate particles, the higher is the volume of the
coarse aggregate that can be used to produce a concrete mixture of
satisfactory workability.
 Mix Design – ACI Method
 All ingredients of the concrete mixture have been estimated
except the fine aggregate. Its quantity is determined by difference
.
 Depending on the amount of free moisture in the aggregates, the
mixing water is reduced and the amounts of aggregates
correspondingly increased.
 Because of many assumptions underlying the theoretical
calculations, the mix proportions for the actual materials to be
used must be checked and adjusted by means of laboratory trials
consisting of small batches. Fresh concrete should be tested for
slump, workability (freedom from segregation), unit weight, and
air content; specimens of hardened concrete cured under standard
conditions should be tested for strength at the specified age.
Example – Mix Design by Absolute
Volume Method

Concrete is required for a pavement that will be

exposed to moisture in a severe freeze-thaw
environment. A specified compressive strength, of 35
MPa is required at 28 days. Air entrainment is
required. Slump should be between 25 mm and 75
mm. A nominal maximum size aggregate of 25 mm is
required. No statistical data on previous mixes are
available.
 Materials Properties
Cement: Type GU (ASTM C 1157) with a relative
density of 3.0.

Coarse aggregate:
Well-graded, 25-mm nominal maximum-size rounded
gravel (ASTM C 33 or AASHTOM 80) with an oven dry
relative density of 2.68, absorption of 0.5% (moisture
content at SSD condition) and oven dry rodded bulk
density (unit weight) of 1600 kg/m3. The laboratory
sample for trial batching has a moisture content of 2%.
 Materials Properties
Fine aggregate:
Natural sand (ASTM C 33 or AASHTO M 6) with an oven dry
relative density of 2.64 and absorption of 0.7%. The laboratory
sample moisture content is 6%. The fineness modulus is 2.80.
Air-entraining admixture:
Wood-resin type (ASTM C 260 or AASHTO M 154).
Water reducer:
ASTM C 494 (AASHTOM194). This particular admixture is
known to reduce water demand by 10% when used at a dosage
rate of 3 g (or 3 mL) per kg of cement. Assume that the chemical
admixtures have a density close to that of water, meaning that 1
mL of admixture has a mass of 1 g.
 Target Compressive Strength

The design strength of 35 MPa is greater than

the 31 MPa required for the exposure condition.
Since no statistical data is available, required
compressive strength for proportioning is
given by

35 + 8.5 = 43.5 MPa.

 Water Cement Ratio
For an environment with moist freezing and thawing,
the maximum water to cementitious material ratio
should be 0.45. The recommended water to
cementitious material ratio for strength of 43.5 Mpa is
0.31 From graph or interpolated from Table [{(45 –
43.5)(0.34 – 0.30)/(45 – 40)} + 0.30 = 0.31]. Since the
lower water to cement ratio governs, the mix must be
designed for 0.31. If a plot from trial batches or field
tests had been available, the water to cement ratio
could have been extrapolated from that data.
 Slump and Air Content
Air Content
For a severe freeze-thaw
exposure, air content of 6.0% for
a 25-mm Aggregate is
recommended. Therefore, design
the mix for 5% to 8% air and use
8% (or the maximum allowable)
for batch proportions. The trial-
batch air content must be within
±0.5 percentage points of the
maximum allowable air content.
Slump
The slump is specified at
25 mm to 75 mm. Use 75
mm ±20 mm for
proportioning purposes.
Slump could be
estimated from tables if
it was not specified by
designer
 Water Content
For a 75-mm slump, air-entrained concrete made
with 25-mm nominal maximum-size aggregate
should have a water content of about 175 kg/m3.
However, rounded gravel should reduce the water
content of the table value by about 25 kg/m3.
Therefore, the water content can be estimated to be
about 150 kg/m3 (175 kg/m3 minus 25 kg/m3). In
addition, the water reducer will reduce water
demand by 10% resulting in an estimated water
demand of 135 kg/m3.
 Cement Content

The cement content is based on the maximum

water-cement ratio and the water content.
Therefore, 135 kg/m3 of water divided by a water-
cement ratio of 0.31 requires a cement content of
435 kg/m3; this is greater than the 335 kg/m3
required for frost resistance.
 Quantity of Coarse Aggregate
The quantity of 25-mm nominal maximum-size
coarse aggregate can be estimated. The bulk
volume of coarse aggregate recommended when
using sand with a fineness modulus of 2.80 is 0.67.
Since it has a bulk density of 1600 kg/m3, the oven
dry mass of coarse aggregate for a cubic meter of
concrete is

1600 x 0.67 = 1072 kg

 Admixture Content
For an 8% air content, the air entraining admixture
manufacturer recommends a dosage rate of 0.5 g per
kg of cement. From this information, the amount of
air-entraining admixture per cubic meter of concrete is
0.5 x 435 = 218 g or 0.218 kg
The water reducer dosage rate of 3 g per kg of cement
results in
3 x 435 = 1305 g or 1.305 kg
of water reducer per cubic meter of concrete
 Quantity of Fine Aggregate
The amounts of all ingredients except the fine
aggregate are known. In the absolute volume
method, the volume of fine aggregate is
determined by subtracting the absolute volumes of
the known ingredients from 1 cubic meter. The
absolute volume of the water, cement, admixtures
and coarse aggregate is calculated by dividing the
known mass of each by the product of their relative
density and the density of water.
 Quantity of Fine Aggregate
Water = 135/1 x 1000 = 0.135 m3
Cement = 435/3.0 x 1000 = 0.145 m3
Air = 8.0/100 = 0.080 m3
Coarse aggregate = 1072/2.68 x 1000 = 0.400 m3
Total volume of known ingredients = 0.760 m3
The calculated absolute volume of fine aggregate is then

1 – 0.76 = 0.24 m3
The mass of dry fine aggregate is

0.24 x 2.64 x 1000 = 634 kg

 Estimated Density of Fresh Concrete
Water 135 kg
Cement 435 kg
Coarse aggregate (dry) 1072 kg
Fine aggregate (dry) 634 kg
Total mass 2276 kg
Air-entraining admixture 0.218 kg
Water reducer 1.305 kg
Slump 75 mm (±20 mm for trial batch)
Estimated concrete density using SSD Aggregates =
135 + 435 + (1072 x 1.005*)+ (634 x 1.007*)
= 2286 kg/m3
 Correction for Adsorbed Water
Corrections are needed to compensate for
moisture in and on the aggregates. In practice,
aggregates will contain some measurable
amount of moisture. The dry batch weights of
aggregates, therefore, have to be increased to
compensate for the moisture that is absorbed
in and contained on the surface of each
particle and between particles.
 Correction for Adsorbed Water
Tests indicate that for this example, coarse aggregate
moisture content is 2% and fine aggregate moisture content
is 6%.
Weight of wet aggregates are
Coarse aggregate (2% MC) = 1072 x 1.02 = 1093 kg
Fine aggregate (6% MC) = 634 x 1.06 = 672 kg
Surface moisture contributed by the coarse aggregate
amounts to 2% – 0.5% = 1.5%; that contributed by the fine
aggregate is, 6% – 0.7% = 5.3%.
Weight of free water to be added is
135 – (1072 x 0.015) – (634 x 0.053) = 85 kg
 Mix Proportion For Trial Batch
Water (to be added) 85 kg
Cement 435 kg
Coarse aggregate (2% MC, wet) 1093 kg
Fine aggregate (6% MC, wet) 672 kg
Total 2285 kg
Air-entraining admixture 0.218 kg
Water reducer 1.305 kg
 Trial Batch Quantities
Water 85 x 0.1 = 8.5 kg Water 8.0 kg
Cement 435 x 0.1 = 43.5 kg Cement 43.5 kg
Coarse aggregate (wet) Coarse aggregate
1093 x 0.1 = 109.3 kg (2% MC) 109.3 kg
Fine aggregate (wet) Fine aggregate
672 x 0.1 = 67.2 kg (6% MC) 67.2 kg
Total 228.5 kg Total 228.0 kg
Air-entraining Admixture Yield of trial batch
218 g x 0.1 = 21.8 g 228.0 kg/2274 kg/m3 =
Water reducer 0.10026 m3
1305 g x 0.1 = 130 g or 130 mL
 Mixing water Adjustments
Actual mix
The mixing water content is determined from the added
water plus the free water on the aggregates and is
calculated as follows:
Water added 8.0 kg
Free water on coarse aggregate
= 109.3/1.02x0.015 1.61 kg
Free water on fine aggregate
= 67.2/1.06x0.053 3.36 kg
Total water 12.97 kg
The mixing water required for a cubic meter of the same
slump concrete as the trial batch is
12.97/0.10026 = 129 kg
 Batch Adjustments based on Results
of Trial Mix
The concrete, when mixed, had a measured slump of 100 mm,
an air content of 9%, and a density of 2274 kg per cubic meter.
Increase the mixing water content by 3 kg/m3 for each 1% by
which the air content is decreased
Reduce the water content by 2 kg/m3 for each 10 mm
reduction in slump.
The adjusted mixture water for the reduced slump and air
content is
(3 kg water x 1 percentage point difference for air) – (2 kg
water x 25/10 for slump change) + 129 = 127 kg of water
 Batch Adjustments based on Results
of Trial Mix
Water required 127 kg
The new cement content is127/0.31 = 410 kg
Trial Batch Quantities
Water = 127/1 x 1000 = 0.127 m3
Cement = 4103.0 x 1000 = 0.137 m3
Coarse aggregate(dry)

= 1072/2.68 x 1000 = 0.400 m3

Air = 8/100 = 0.080 m3
Total = 0.744 m3
Fine aggregate volume = 1 – 0.744 = 0.256 m3
The weight of dry fine aggregate required is
0.256 x 2.64 x 1000 = 676 kg
 Batch Adjustments based on Results
of Trial Mix
Air-entraining admixture Water 127 kg
(the manufacturer suggests Cement 410 kg
reducing the dosage by 0.1 g Coarse aggregate (dry)
to reduce air 1 percentage
1072 kg
point)
Fine aggregate (dry)
= 0.4 x 410 = 164 g or mL
Water reducer 676 kg
Total 2285 kg
= 3.0 x 410 = 1230 g or mL
Air-entraining admixture
164 g or mL
Water reducer 1230 g or mL
 Testing of Trial Mix
After checking these adjusted proportions in a trial
batch, it was found that the concrete had the
desired slump, air content, and yield. The 28-day
test cylinders had an average compressive strength
of 48 MPa, which exceeds the Target strength of
43.5 MPa. Due to fluctuations in moisture content,
absorption rates, and relative density (specific
gravity) of the aggregate, the density determined
by volume calculations may not always equal the
density
 Trial and Accuracy
Additional trial concrete mixtures with water-cement
ratios above and below 0.31 should also be tested to
develop a strength to water-cement ratio relationship.
From that data, a new more economical mixture with a
compressive strength closer to target strength and a
lower cement content can be proportioned and tested.
The final mixture would probably look similar to the
above mixture with a slump range of 25 mm to 75 mm
and an air content of 5% to 8%. The amount of air-
entraining admixture must be adjusted to field
conditions to maintain the specified air content.
 Mix Design using Laboratory Trial
Mixes
Concrete is required for a plain concrete pavement
to be constructed in North Dakota. The pavement
specified compressive strength is 35 MPa at 28
days. The standard deviation of the concrete
producer is 2.0 MPa. Type IP cement and 19-mm
nominal maximum-size coarse aggregate is locally
available. Proportion a concrete mixture for these
conditions and check it by trial batch.
 Mix Design using Laboratory Trial
Mixes

The pavement will be exposed to freezing,

thawing, and deicers and therefore should
have a maximum water to cementitious
material ratio of
0.45 (Table 9-1) and at least 335 kg of
cement per cubic meter of concrete
 Required Strength
For a standard deviation of 2.0 MPa, the required
compressive strength for proportioning must be the
larger of the values given by equations

Therefore the required average compressive strength =

37.7 MPa.
 Design Requirements
Aggregate Size.
The 19-mm maximum-size coarse aggregate
and the fine aggregate are in saturated-surface dry
condition for the trial mixtures.
Air Content.
The target air content should be 6% (Table
9-5) and the range is set at 5% to 8%
Slump.
The specified target slump for this project is 40 (±20)
mm.
 Trial Batching
 For convenience, a batch containing 10 kg of cement is to be
made. The quantity of mixing water required is 10 x 0.45 = 4.5 kg.
 Representative samples of fine and coarse aggregates are measured
in suitable containers.
The values are entered as initial mass in Column 2 of the trial-
batch data sheet.
 All of the measured quantities of cement, water, and air-entraining
admixture are used and added to the mixer
 Fine and coarse aggregates, previously brought to a saturated,
surface-dry condition, are added until a workable concrete mixture
with a slump deemed adequate for placement is produced.
 Trial Batching
The relative proportions of fine and coarse aggregate for
workability can readily be judged by an experienced
concrete technician or engineer.
Results of tests for slump, air content, density, and a
description of the appearance and workability are noted in
the data sheet.
If the slump when tested had been greater than that required,
additional fine or coarse aggregates (or both) would have
been added to reduce slump. Had the slump been less than
required, water and cement in the appropriate ratio (0.45)
would have been added to increase slump.
 Trial Batching
It is important that any additional quantities be
measured accurately and recorded on the data sheet.
Mixture proportions for a cubic meter of concrete
are calculated on reaching acceptable design
parameters .
 Laboratory Trial Record

Most appropriate mix ie Batch no 3 meets the

requirements and will be specified
 Lab Records
Information for concrete
mixtures using particular
ingredients can be plotted in
several ways to
illustrate the relationship
between ingredients and
properties. This is especially
useful when optimizing
concrete mix for best
economy or to adjust to
specification or
material changes Lab Data Plot
Calculations in FPS Units