1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITION OF CONCRETE

Concrete is composed of sand, gravel, crushed rock, or other aggregates held together
by hardened paste of hydraulic cement and water. Concrete is basically composed of the
cement paste and mineral aggregate (coarse and fine). When freshly mixed (fresh concrete),
the aggregate and cement are suspended and separated by thin layers of water which makes it
plastic and workable. Hence, the thoroughly mixed ingredients can be cast into predetermined
size and shape. At the first contact of cement and water, a chemical reaction called hydration
starts to take place. Upon complete hydration, concrete attains its full strength, becomes stone-
like (hard concrete) and can be used in many purposes.

1.2 PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE

Essential properties of concrete should be determined in accordance with its

construction purpose. An effective concrete should satisfy the requirements in the following
criteria: (1) Strength, (2) Economy, (3) Workability, (4) Durability, and (5) Density.
A hardened concrete must have sufficient strength to resist the stresses from loads
applied to it as well as from its own weight. Experiment results revealed that the strength of
concrete is highly affected by the water-cement ratio. The use of water-cement ratio as a tool
for estimating strength was recognized in 1918.
Economy takes into account the effective use of materials, effective operation and ease
of handling. The cost of producing good quality concrete is an important consideration in the
overall cost of the construction project.
An important property of fresh concrete is workability. Workability is a composite
characteristic indicative of the ease with which a given set of materials can be mixed into
concrete and subsequently handled, transported and placed with minimum loss of
homogeneity. Consistency of fluidity of concrete is an important component of workability
which can be measured with reasonable accuracy by means of slump test. Consistency can be
simply defined as the wetness of the concrete mix. The higher the slump, the wetter is the
mixture.
A durable concrete is one which will stand in satisfactory degree, the effects of service
condition to which it will be subjected, such as weathering, chemical action and wear. The
remarkable improvement in durability resulting from entrainment of air was recognized in the
early 1940s.
The weight characteristic may also play as a primary requirement for concrete. The
density of concrete may also be specified depending on its application. Heavyweight or
lightweight concrete can be constructed by using special aggregates.
Other requirements of hardened concrete are that it should be watertight, uniform,
should not shrink nor expand excessively, and has high resistance to fire, chemicals, or
abrasions.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

1
1.3 MAKING GOOD QUALITY CONCRETE

The quality of concrete is obviously influenced by the quality of its constituent

materials as well as by the manner which these are proportioned in the mix. A good quality
concrete could be produced by using:
1. aggregates with high strength and soundness
2. aggregates that are well-graded
3. maximum size of coarse aggregate consistent with job requirements
4. aggregates whose particle shape are “round” or “cubical”
5. high quality cement
6. clean water (if water contains salt, the salt content should be at most 2%)
7. admixture that will enhance the property desired
8. proper mixing, batching, and transport of concrete

1.4 QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES IN CONCRETE PRODUCTION

Control measures to ensure good quality of concrete can be categorized into the
following:
1. Material selection. Materials used in producing concrete must be of satisfactory quality
since the quality of concrete is greatly affected by the quality of its individual ingredients.
Laboratory test methods are employed to determine the properties of the materials that would
enable to evaluate its quality.
2. Aggregate production and materials storage control. In the production of the selected
aggregates cleanliness and consistency in gradation should be maintained. Proper storage of
materials should be observed, i.e.; aggregates shall be stockpiled in a manner where
degradation and breakage are avoided and free from deleterious substances; cement should be
stored free from moisture and preferably packed in plastic bags.
3. Mix Design of Concrete. After the suitable materials are selected, the next quality control
measure is in the proportioning of these materials. The objective is to produce concrete with
the appropriate properties of fresh and hard concrete suitable for the job requirement.
4. Control in mixing, transport and placement. Proper mixing procedure, either manual or
mechanized mixing, shall be followed to ensure good and uniform quality of concrete. The
method of transport and placement of concrete that will be adopted should be efficient,
economical, and should not alter the desired properties of concrete.
5. Sampling and testing of mixture. Sampling of concrete shall be done to ensure the quality
of the produced concrete. Three cylinder concrete samples of structural concrete are needed
for every 75 cubic meters of each class of concrete.
6. Curing and protection. Concrete should be provided with ample moisture to ensure
continuity of hydration. Exposed surfaces of normal cement concrete should be kept moist for
at least 7 days. Overloading, jarring, or surface abrasion should be avoided specially at the
early stage of concrete curing.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

2
2. BASIC CONSIDERATIONS IN MIX DESIGN

2.1 COST

Factors affecting the cost of concrete material:

• Material cost - Cement is the most expensive component of concrete, which is usually
several times more expensive than the aggregates. For this reason, lean mixes offer
considerable reduction in material costs. In addition, the heat generated during
hydration and shrinkage are lessened.
• Quality control - represents money spent on both supervision and batching. Extent of
quality control often may be an economic compromise depending on the size and type
of concreting job.
• Minimum strength of concrete - concrete strength requirement is specified by the
designer depending on the type of concreting job. Criterion of acceptance of concrete
is greatly affected by the actual cost of concrete to attain a certain mean strength.
• Cost of labor - in terms of workability, handling and casting of concrete materials.

2.2 SPECIFICATIONS

Traditional Mix Proportioning - prescribed the proportion of cement, fine and coarse
aggregates in an unduly restrictive manner. This leaves no room for cost-effective mix design
and satisfactory low-cost mixes based on the properties of concrete materials. Shown below is
an example of this kind of mix proportioning for one cubic meter of concrete.

Class Mixture Cement Sand Gravel

(40kg-bag) (cu.m.) (cu.m.)
AA 1 : 1.5 : 2.0 12 0.516 1.020
A 1 : 2.0 : 4.0 9 0.513 1.017
B 1 : 2.5 : 5.0 7.5 0.532 1.065
.C 1 : 3.0 : 6.0 6 0.510 1.020

Usually, the volumetric composition of a concrete mix is 30% cement paste and 70%
aggregates.

Modern Mix Proportion - less restrictive but with limiting guidelines over a range of material
properties such as:
• minimum compressive strength - structural consideration
• maximum water cement ratio or maximum cement content - cracking, shrinkage,
durability, strength, workability, economy consideration
• minimum air content - durability and strength consideration
• minimum density - for lightweight/heavyweight type materials

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

3
 • selection of concrete proportion - involves balance between reasonable economy and
requirements for placeability, strength, durability, density, and appearance.

2.3 PROCESS OF MIX DESIGN

• The word 'design' in concrete mix design, in a strict sense is practically impossible,
because of the heterogeneity of the properties of the constituent materials which cannot be
truly assessed quantitatively (Neville, 1981).
• Concrete mix design - intelligent guess of optimum combination based on previous
experience or relationships previously derived. The process to obtain a satisfactory mix is
as follows: preliminary computation -> trial mix -> checking -> adjustments -> trial mix.
• External factors such as moisture condition of aggregates, place where mixing is to be
done (field or laboratory), handling, placing, transporting, and weather conditions affect
fresh and hardened properties of a designed mix.
• Mix design requires knowledge of properties of concrete and concrete materials, empirical
relationships and experience.

Factors in the selection of mix proportion

1. Strength requirement
Structural design is based on the assumption of a certain minimum strength of
concrete. Selection of concrete mix proportions is highly governed by this minimum strength
requirement. The National Structural Code of the Philippines stipulates two requirements for
the minimum strength Fcmin in relation with the mean strength (or design strength) Fc’, i.e.,

Fcmin = Fc’+ 1.34σ There is 1% probability that the average of three

consecutive test results is smaller than the design
strength.

Fcmin = Fc’+2.33σ - 3.5 There is 1% probability that an individual test result falls
below the design strength by more than 3.4 MPa (500
psi).

where σ is the standard deviation of at least 30 consecutive tests or two groups of consecutive
tests totaling to at least 30 tests. Furthermore, usually the strength specifications include the
following:
• Average of 5 consecutive tests should not be less than the stipulated minimum
• 90% of all tests should exceed the minimum
• No test should fall below 80% of the minimum

2. Choice of workability - fresh concrete when being handled and placed depends on the ff:
• Size of section
• Amount and spacing of reinforcement
• Method of compaction

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

4
3. Maximum size of aggregates / Grading and type of aggregates
• Maximum size of aggregates is governed by the width of reinforced concrete section,
spacing of rebars, and availability and cost of materials.
• Grading (particle size distribution of aggregates) influences workability, cement content
and water-cement ratio.
• Surface texture, shape and strength of aggregates affects the desired workability,
finishability, and strength of concrete.
• Aggregate-cement ratio (A/C) - affects the cohesiveness, workability, strength and
economy of concrete.
• Cohesiveness - depends on the proportion of fine particles in the mix. Generally, trial
mixes with various proportion of fine and coarse aggregates (S/A) are done in order to
find a concrete mix with adequate cohesiveness.

4. Properties of constituent materials (laboratory test)

Concrete mix proportioning may be effectively accomplished from the results of
laboratory tests. Details on the laboratory program often vary depending on the available
facilities and test equipment.
• Properties of cement - the quality of cement influences the properties of hardened
concrete. In mix design, only the specific gravity will be used.
• Properties of aggregate - sieve analysis, specific gravity, absorption, and moisture
content of both fine and coarse aggregates, and dry-rodded unit weight for coarse
aggregates are to be used in mix proportioning computation.
• Trial batch series - a batch of Mix No.1 of cement, water and aggregates are computed,
mixed, and tested for slump, unit weight, air content and yield. Mix No.2 is prepared
with necessary adjustments, then mixed, and tested. If the desired properties are within
the tolerance, then the concrete is cast in cylinders, beams, etc.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

5
3. STANDARD PRACTICE FOR SELECTING PROPORTIONS FOR
NORMAL, HEAVYWEIGHT, AND MASS CONCRETE (ACI 211.1 -
81, REVISED 1985)
Background Data The following information are needed for effective estimate of mix
proportion:
• Sieve analysis of fine and coarse aggregates
• Unit weight of coarse aggregates
• Bulk specific gravity and absorption of aggregates
• Mixing water requirements for a given type of aggregates
• Relationship between strength and water-cement ratio
• Specific gravity of cement, and pozzolan
• Optimum combination of coarse aggregates

Example computation:
The following properties as determined from the laboratory tests are as follows:
Sieve analysis: FM of fine aggregates = 2.80, max. size = 5.0 mm
Unit weight of C.A. : γ dry rodded = 1500 kg/m3
Bulk specific gravity Coarse aggregate (dry-basis): SG = 2.60, Absorption=0.6%
Bulk specific gravity Fine aggregate (dry-basis): SG = 2.40, Absorption=1.2%
Specific Gravity of Cement: SG = 3.15

3.1 PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION OF MIX PROPORTION (ABSOLUTE

VOLUME METHOD)

Step 1 - Choice of slump - depends on the structural specifications (e.g. size and types of
section, and method of consolidation). For concrete with vibration as mode of compaction, the
recommended slumps for various construction are shown below.

Table 1 - Recommended slumps for various types of construction

Types of construction Slump (mm)
Maximum Minimum

• Foundation wall, footings 75 25

• Plain footings, caisson 75 25
• Beams, RC walls 100 25
• Columns 100 25
• Pavement, slabs 75 25
• Mass concrete 75 25

Example computation: 80-100 mm slump for columns

Step 2 - Choice of maximum size of aggregates - depends on the largest economically
available and consistent with the dimension of structure.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

6
Example computation: 19 mm (round river gravel) since the column is heavily reinforced

Step 3 - Estimate of mixing water and air content - quantity of water per unit volume of
concrete depends on max. size of aggregates, particle shape, and grading of aggregates,
concrete temperature, amount of entrained air, and chemical admixture. Table shown below
gives a first estimate of water content.
Example computation:
Water reducing admixture (WR-admix) = 0.5% of weight of cement and Air entraining
admixture (AE-admix) = 0.1% of weight of cement are added to generate a high slump and air
content of about 3-4%. From the table, water content is about 184 kg/m3.

Table 3 - Approximate mixing water and air content requirements for different slumps
and nominal maximum sizes of aggregates
Water, kg per cu.m. of concrete for indicated
Slump maximum size of aggregates
9.5 12.5 19 25 37.5 50 75 150
Non-Air Entrained
25-50 207 199 190 179 166 154 130 113
75-100 228 216 205 193 181 169 145 124
150-175 243 225 216 202 190 178 160 ---

Approximate amount of 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.3 0.2
entrapped air
(Percentage)
Air-Entrained
25-50 181 175 168 160 150 142 122 107
75-100 202 193 184 175 165 157 133 119
150-175 216 205 197 184 174 166 154 ---
Approximate amount of
entrapped air
(Percentage) 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0
a) Mild exposure 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0
b) Moderate exposure 7.5 7.0 6.0 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0
c) Extreme exposure

Step 4 Selection of water-cement ratio (W/C) - the choice depends on strength requirement,
durability, workability and finishability. Different types of cement and aggregates, as well as
the proportion of fine and coarse aggregates, will develop different strength (Fc')-W/C
relationships or Fc'-cement content relationships. Hence, it is recommended to develop such
relationships for a given type of cement, fine and coarse aggregates. Most ready-mix concrete
factories have such kind of data. However, in absence of such data, it is possible to use the
approximate table below.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

7
Example computation: Based on the required 20 MPa compressive strength of column, a
water-cement ratio of 0.60 is adopted.

Table 4 - Relationship between W/C and compressive strength of concrete.

Compressive Water-Cement ratio by weight
strength at 28 (W/C)
days , Fc’
MPa (psi) Non-air Air Entrained
entrained
40 (5800) 0.42 -
35 (5080) 0.47 0.39
30 (4300) 0.54 0.45
25 (3600) 0.61 0.52
20 (2900) 0.69 0.60
15 (2200) 0.79 0.70

Step 5 - Required cement content, C = W / (W/C)

Example computation
C = 184 / (0.60) = 307 kg/m3

Step 6 - Quantity of coarse aggregates - This is estimated in terms of percentage of Coarse

Aggregate (C.A.) inside a well compacted concrete mix. In absence of established data, Table
6 (shown below) may be used to estimate the proportion of coarse aggregate.

Table 6 - Volume of coarse aggregate per unit volume of concrete

Max. size of Volume of dry-rodded coarse aggregates per unit volume
aggregates, of concrete for different fineness modulus (FM) of sand
(mm) 2.40 2.60 2.80 3.00

9.5 0.50 0.48 0.46 0.44

12.5 0.59 0.57 0.55 0.53
19 0.66 0.64 0.62 0.60
25 0.71 0.69 0.67 0.65
37.5 0.75 0.73 0.71 0.69
50 0.78 0.76 0.74 0.72
75 0.82 0.80 0.78 0.76
150 0.87 0.85 0.83 0.81

Example computation: From the table, for 19 mm aggregate with 2.8 FM for sand, the coarse
aggregate ratio is 0.62.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

8
 C.A. = C.A.Ratio x Dry rodded density = 0.62 (1500 kg/m3) = 930 kg/m3

Step 7 Computation of required fine aggregate:

Example computation
Design of 1 cu.m. of concrete, aggregates in dry condition, volume basis

• Water = 184 / 1000 = 0.1840 m3

• Cement = 307 / (3.15 x 1000) = 0.0975 m3
• Coarse Aggt = 930 / (2.6 x 1000) = 0.3577 m3
• Air =3.5% of 1 cu.m. =0.035 (1.000) = 0.0350 m3
Total = 0.6742 m3

Remaining material is fine aggregate = 1.000 - 0.6742 = 0.3258 m3

Weight of fine aggregate = 0.3258 m3 (2.4 x 1000 kg/ m3) = 782 kg

Step 8 Adjustments according to the moisture content of fine and coarse aggregates

Example computation :
Say for wet aggregates, moisture content of coarse aggt = 1.5% and for fine aggt = 3.0%.
Recall: Absorption of coarse aggt = 0.6% and for fine aggt =1.2%.
Note: Absorbed water does not become part of the mixing water and must be excluded from
the adjustment in added water.

C.A.(wet) = 930(1.015) = 944 kg

F.A.(wet) = 782(1.030) = 805 kg

W = 184 - 930 (1.5-0.6)/100 - 782(3.0-1.2)/100

on C.A. on F.A.
= 162 kg

Materials One cubic meter batch by weight proportion (kg)

Volume Weight (dry) Weight (wet)

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

9
Water 0.1840 184 162
Cement 0.0975 307 307
Coarse Aggregate 0.3577 930 944
Air 0.0350 --- ---
Fine Aggregate 0.3258 782 805
Total 2203 kg

Step 9 For laboratory trial mix, the volumes are scale down to about 20 liters or 0.02 m3.

Example computation:

Trial Mix No. 1

Materials 1 cu. m. 20 liter batch (wet) 20 liter batch (dry)
Water 162 kg 162(0.02)=3.24 kg 184(0.02)=3.68 kg
Cement 307 kg 307(0.02)=6.14 kg 307(0.02)=6.14 kg
Coarse Aggregates 944 kg 944(0.02)=18.88 kg 930(0.02)=18.6 kg
Fine Aggregates 805 kg 805(0.02)=16.10 kg 782(0.02)=15.64 kg
WR admixture 307(0.005)= 1.54 liters 1.54(0.02)=30.7 ml 30.7 ml
AE admixture 307(0.001)=0.31 liter 0.31(0.02)=6.1 ml 6.1 ml
Total 44.36 kg

Note: Usually, the amount of admixture will just replace the equivalent amount of water,
unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer.

The dry volume of each ingredient of the batch is computed as follows:

Water = 3.68/1000 = 0.0037 m3
Cement = 6.14/(3.15x1000) = 0.0019 m3
C.A. = 18.6/(2.6x1000) = 0.0072 m3
F.A. = 15.6/(2.4x1000) = 0.0065 m3
----------------
Total = 0.0193 m3
The difference of this volume from the specified 20 liter is the amount of air in concrete.

Step 10 Carry out a Trial Batch Test

• Check the water required - add necessary water to obtain slump and air content. If the
slump of the trial batch is not correct, increase or decrease the re-estimated water
content by 2 kg/m3 of concrete for each increase or decrease of 1 cm in slump desired.
To adjust for the effect of incorrect air content in a trial batch of air-entrained concrete
on slump, reduce or increase the mixing water content by 3 kg/m3 of concrete for each
1 percent by which the air content is to be increased or decreased from that of the trial
batch.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

10
 • Control the introduction of fine and coarse aggregates (partial/gradual placement) to
achieve the desired finishability and workability. Reduce the amount of aggregates if
the required slump or required cohesiveness cannot be achieved.

Example computation:

Assuming: measured slump = 4 cm; air content = 3.5%; unit weight = 2200 kg/m3

Yield = 44.36/2200 = 0.0202

The re-estimated ingredients for 1 cu.m. of concrete are as follows:

Mixing water = {3.24 + 18.88(0.009) + 16.10(0.018)} / 0.0202

on C.A. on F.A.
= 183 kg

To achieve the desired slump of 9 cm (within 8 to 10 cm), add 10 kg of water (5x2).

Water = 183 + 10 = 193 kg

Adjusted cement content for the increased water content:

Cement = 193 / 0.60 = 322 kg

Adjusted coarse aggregate requirement:

C.A. = 18.88 / 0.0202 = 935 kg (wet)

or = 935 / 1.015 = 921 kg (dry)

The volume of the ingredients are computed as follows:

Water = 193/1000 = 0.193 m3

Cement = 322/(3.15x1000) = 0.102 m3
C.A. = 921/(2.6x1000) = 0.354 m3
Air voids = 3.5/100 = 0.035 m3
----------------
Total = 0.684 m3

F.A. = 1.000 - 0.684 = 0.316 m3

Weight of F.A.= 0.316(2.4x1000) = 758 kg (dry)

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

11
Materials Volume One cubic meter batch by weight proportion (kg)
cu.m. Weight (dry) Weight (wet)
Water 0.193 193 193 - 8.4 - 14.0 = 171
Cement 0.102 322 322
Coarse Aggregate 0.354 921 921(1.015) = 935
Fine Aggregate 0.316 758 758(1.030) = 781
Air 0.035 --- ---
WR-Admixture 1.61 liters --- ---
AE-Admixture 0.32 liter --- ---
Note: The amount of admixture will just replace the equivalent amount of water.

Mix properties: A/C = 5.2, S/A=45%, W/C=60%

C:S:G = 1 : 3.1 : 3.5

3.2 ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION OF MIX PROPORTION

(WEIGHT BASIS METHOD)

The procedure of calculation using the Weight Basis is demonstrated below. The same
background data are used as in the example calculation using the Absolute Volume Method.

Step 1. The slump required is 80-100 mm.

Step 2. The aggregate to be used has a nominal maximum size of 19 mm.

Step 3. The concrete is air-entrained. Using Table 3, the estimated mixing water is found to be
184 kg.

Step 4. The water-cement ratio for air-entrained concrete with a strength of 20 MPa is 0.60.

Step 5. Cement content = 184/0.60 = 307 kg.

Step 6. The quantity of coarse aggregate is estimated from Table 6. With the given data, the
required dry weight is 0.62x1500 = 930 kg.

Step 7. From Table 7 (shown below), the mass of one cubic meter of air-entrained concrete is
estimated to be 2275 kg.

Table 7 - First estimate of unit weight of fresh concrete

Nominal maximum size First estimate of concrete unit weight, kg/m3

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

12
 of aggregate, mm Non-air-entrained Air-entrained concrete
concrete
9.5 2280 2200
12.5 2310 2230
19 2345 2275
25 2380 2290
37.5 2410 2350
50 2445 2345
75 2490 2405
100 2530 2435

Weights already known are:

Water = 184 kg
Cement = 307 kg
Coarse Aggregate = 930 kg
Total = 1421 kg

The weight of fine aggregate is the difference of the unit weight of fresh concrete and the total
weight of the other ingredients, i.e., 2275-1421 = 854 kg.

Step 8. Considering the moisture content, the quantity of ingredients are calculated as follows:

Water = 184 - 930(0.009) - 854(0.018) = 160 kg

on C.A. on F.A.
Cement = 307 kg
Coarse Aggregate (wet) = 930(1.015) = 944 kg
Fine Aggregate (wet) = 854(1.030) = 880 kg
Total = 2291 kg

Step 9. The quantity of ingredients for laboratory trial batch (20 liter batch) are as follows:

Water = 160(0.02) = 3.20 kg

Cement = 307(0.02) = 6.14 kg
C.A. = 944(0.02) = 18.88 kg (wet)
F.A. = 880(0.02) = 17.60 kg (wet)
Total = 45.82 kg

Step 10. Trial batch test and adjustments

Assuming: measured slump = 40 cm; air content = 3.5%; unit weight = 2200 kg/m3

Yield = 45.82/2200 = 0.0208

The mixing water required for 1 cu.m. of concrete with the same slump as the trial batch is:
184 (0.02) / 0.0208 = 177 kg.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

13
By rule of thumb, 10 kg of water should be added, to attain the desired slump of 90 mm.

The adjusted water content is: W = 177 + 10 = 187 kg

The adjusted cement content is: C= 187/0.60 = 312 kg

The amount of coarse aggregate is calculated as follows:

18.88/0.0208 = 908 kg (wet)
908/1.015 = 894 kg (dry)
894 (1.006) = 900 kg (ssd)

The amount of fine aggregate per cubic meter becomes:

2200 - (187 + 312 + 900) = 801 kg (ssd)
801/1.012 = 792 kg (dry)
792(1.030) = 816 kg (wet)

Summary:

Weight Basis Method Absolute Volume Method

Materials Weight per 1 cu. m batch (kg) Weight per 1 cu. m batch (kg)
(dry) (wet) (dry) (wet)

Water 187 165 193 171

Cement 312 312 322 322
Coarse Aggt 894 908 921 935
Fine Aggt 792 816 758 781
Air --- --- --- ---

WR-Admix 1.57 liters 1.61 liters

AE-Admix 0.31 liter 0.32 liter

The weight basis method differ only slightly from those obtained by the absolute volume
method. Further trials mixes might be needed to refine the adjustments.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

14
4. HIGH-STRENGTH CONCRETE (ACI 363R-84)

The definition of high strength concrete varies on geographical basis. In regions where
concrete with a compressive strength of 60 MPa (around 9000 psi) is being produced
commercially, high strength concrete may be in the range of 85 - 105 MPa (around 12,000-
15,000 psi). In other regions where the upper limit on commercially available material is
currently under 35 MPa (5000 psi), the 60 MPa strength is already considered as high strength
concrete.

Selection of Materials
Production of high strength concrete that consistently meet requirements for workability and
strength development places more stringent requirements on material selection than for lower
strength concrete.

Concrete Mix Proportions

• High strength concrete mix proportioning is a more critical process than the design of
normal strength concrete mixture.
• Specially selected pozzolanic materials and chemical admixtures are employed, and the
attainment of low-water-cement ratio is considered.
• Many trial batches are often required to generate the data that enables the researcher to
identify optimum mix proportions

Strength Requirement
• It is recognized that it is more difficult get accurate test result for high strength concrete
than normal strength concrete. Testing difficulties is due to higher variability.
• A high variance in test results will dictate a higher required average strength.
• A concrete may be judged acceptable if:
1. Average of three strength tests shall exceed or equal the required Fc'
2. No individual strength test shall fall below Fc' by more than 3.4 MPa (500 psi)

Test Age
• The usual test age for compressive strength of concrete is 28 days.
• High strength concrete gains considerable strengths at later ages and therefore, are
evaluated at later age.
• High strength concrete are frequently tested at later ages such as 56 or 90 days. High
strength concrete has been placed frequency in columns of high rise buildings.

Water-Cement Ratio
• Relationship of water-cement ratio and compressive strength in lower-strengths concrete
has been found to be valid also for high-strength concrete.
• Higher cement contents and lower water contents have produced higher strengths.
• Large amount of cement has also increased the water demand of the mixture. Use of high-
range water reducers has provided lower-water cement ratios and higher slumps.
• It has been found that it is necessary to have trial batches for the materials to be used in the
work.
Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano
15
• A range of typical strengths reported for varying water-cement ratio is summarized in
Table 4.h.

Table 4.h
Compressive strength at Water-Cement ratio by
28 days , MPa (psi) weight

35 (5000) 0.38 - 0.56

41 (6000) 0.35 - 0.52
55 (8000) 0.32 - 0.48
62 (9000) 0.31 - 0.45
69 (10000) 0.30 - 0.41
76 (11000) 0.28 - 0.35
83 (12000) 0.25 - 0.32

Cement Content
• Common cement contents in high strength concrete range from 390 to 560 kg/m3. In
evaluating optimum cement content trial mixes is usually necessary, that is, trial mixes are
proportioned to equal consistency, allowing water content to vary according to the water
demand of the mixture.
• Principal consideration in establishing cement content will be the identification of
combination of materials which will produce optimum strengths. Evaluation of
combinations of mineral admixture with a given type of cement, liquid admixture and
aggregate at varying concentrations.

Aggregate Proportion
• Aggregates have been a very important consideration since they occupy the largest volume
of any of the ingredients in the concrete.
• Fine aggregates have more impact on mix proportions than the coarse aggregates, in a
sense that, they have direct quantitative effect on the paste requirements, workability, and
water requirements.
• The optimum amount and size of coarse aggregates for a given sand will depend on the
characteristics of sand. The proportion of the coarse aggregates can be estimated similar to
that of ACI 211.1 for normal strengths concrete mix design (Refer to Table 6).

Proportioning with Admixture

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

16
Changes in the quantities of mineral and chemical admixtures affect the plastic and hardened
properties of high strength concrete.
• Pozzolanic (Mineral) admixtures are often used as cement replacement, such as silica
fume, fly-ash, rice-husk ash, natural Pozzolanic materials. They supplement the cement in
10-40% replacement.
• Chemical Admixtures (Superplasticiser or HRWR) - high range water reducing admixture:
generally, large amount of water can be reduce while maintaining the same slump,
approximately 12-25% water reduction.

Trial Batch
Selection of materials can be facilitated by laboratory testing.
• By testing for optimum quantities of best materials, the investigator is most likely to define
the best combination and proportions of materials to be used.
• Once a promising mixture has been established, further laboratory trial batches may be
required to quantify the characteristics of those mixture.
• Water demand, slump loss, segregation and setting time can be evaluated. At least a
subjective evaluation should be attempted regarding the workability, placeability and
cohesiveness.

Example computation:
Assuming the material properties for aggregates are as follows:

Fineness Bulk density Specific Gravity Absorption. (%)

Fine aggregates FM=2.80 --- 2.36 (dry) 1.20
Coarse Aggregates FM=6.86 1500 kg/m3 2.76 (dry) 0.80

Mix Requirements:
Slump = 80-100mm, Cement Content=500 kg/m3, Fc'=55 MPa (8000 psi),
Assumed air content=2.5%, Pozzolan admix content=20% (S.G. = 2.40)

To attain a strength of 55 MPa, Table 4.h indicates a range of W/C of 0.32 to 0.48. For the
first trial, a W/C=0.35% will be tried.

Absolute volume of ingredients per cu.m.:

Materials Weight (kg) Volume (cu.m.)

Cement 400 400/(3.15 x 1000)= 0.1270
Pozzolan admix 100 100/(2.40 x 1000)= 0.0417
Water 500(0.35) =175 175/(1.00 x 1000)=0.1750
Air ---- 2.5/100(1.000) =0.0250
C.A 0.62(1500)=930 930/(2.76 x 1000)=0.3370
Total =0.7057 cu.m.

Proportion of Fine Aggregates: = 1.0 - 0.7057 cu.m. = 0.2943 cu.m.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

17
Weight F.A = 0.2943 (2.36 x 1000) = 695 kg/m3

Materials 1 cu. m batch by weight proportion (kg)

Weight, kg (dry) Weights, kg (ssd) Absolute volume, cu.m.
Water 175 175 0.1750
Cement 400 400 0.1270
Pozzolan admix 100 100 0.0417
Coarse Aggt 930 930(1.008)=937 0.3370
Fine Aggt 695 695(1.012)=703 0.2943
Air --- --- 0.0025
HRWR admix --- --- 0.05(500)=25 liters
Total =2315
Fresh Concrete Test Results:
Fresh Density = 2412 kg/m3, Air content = 2.8%, Yield = 2315/2412 = 0.9598 m3,

Adjustments per cu.m. volume of concrete:

Say to achieve the desired slump it is estimated that 25 kg of water should be added.

Weight Volume
Water: (175+25)/0.9598 = 208 kg 0.2080
Cement: 208/0.35=595 kg
Portland Cement: 595(0.80) = 476 kg 0.1511
Pozzolan Admix: 595(0.20) = 119 kg 0.0496
Coarse Aggregate: 937/0.9598 = 976 kg (ssd) 0.3508
Air (2.8%) --------- 0.0280
0.7875 cu.m.

Volume of Fine Aggregates = 1.0 - 0.7875 = 0.2125 cu.m.

Weight of Fine Aggregate = 0.2125 (2.36x1000) = 502 kg (dry) =508 kg (ssd)

Mix properties: A/C = 2.5, S/A=34%, W/C=35%

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

18
5. STANDARD PRACTICE FOR SELECTING PROPORTIONS FOR
STRUCTURAL LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE (ACI 211.2 - 81)
Structural lightweight concrete is defined as concrete which is made with lightweight
aggregates (conforming to ASTM C 330), has a compressive strength in excess of 17 MPa,
and has an air dry weight not in of 1840 kg per cu.m.

5.1 FACTORS AFFECTING PROPORTIONING OF LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATE

CONCRETE

1. Aggregates - absorption and moisture content

• The significant difference with normal weight aggregates is the greater absorption and
the higher rates of absorption due to its inherent cellular nature (sponge effect).
• Moisture content of lightweight aggregate is dependent on the time of exposure to water
and on the initial moisture of the aggregates. Concrete made with initially dry aggregates
contain less total water than similar concrete made with similar aggregates that were
damped (wet) for some time before mixing. Damp aggregates are usually preferable to
dry aggregates at the time of mixing.
• Moisture content have greater effect on workability and mix segregation than on the
compressive strength of concrete
• It may be desirable to mix the aggregate with 1/2 to 2/3 of the mixing water for short
period of time prior to addition of cement in order to minimize slump loss.
• Aggregates with absorbed moisture generally have a very low rate of continued
absorption.

2. Aggregates gradation
• Grading of aggregates have an important effect on the properties of fresh (workability,
prone to segregation, laitance effect, harshness of mix, etc.) and hardened (compressive
strength, etc.) concrete.
• Lightweight aggregates due to their lightness are prone to segregation, thus, it may be
necessary to divide the aggregate into size fractions.
• Bulk specific gravity of the lightweight aggregate may increase as the particle size
decrease.
• Volume occupied by each size fractions which affect the void content, paste content and
workability of concrete material.
• It is recommended that the size distribution conform to the specification of ASTM C
330.

3. Water cement ratio (W/C)

• Most trial mixes are proportioned based on the W/C ratio-strength concept, that is, the
w/c ratio most appropriate for the specified concrete strength. However, in lightweight
concrete mixes, the net water-cement ratio cannot be established with sufficient
accuracy as a basis for mix proportioning.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

19
 • Lightweight aggregate concrete trial mixes are established on cement content, air
content basis at required consistency.

4. Air-entrainment
• Highly recommended for lightweight concrete, because;
1. it enhance workability
2. improve resistance to freezing and thawing
3. decrease bleeding
4. obscure minor grading deficiencies
• Normal air content is from 4 - 6 %, or 4.5 - 7.5% if the maximum size of aggregate is
10 mm.
• Volumetric method of air content measurement as prescribed by ASTM C-173 gives the
most reliable method of measuring air content.

5.2 ESTIMATING FIRST TRIAL MIX

Trial mixes can be proportioned by either: (1) Cement Content - Strength Method or
(2) Weight method. In the first method, the estimating the required batch weights for the
lightweight concrete involves estimation of cement content to produce a required compressive
strength level. This procedure is applicable to all lightweight concrete or to semi-lightweight
concrete. In the weight method, estimating the required batch weights involves the
determination of the specific gravity factor of lightweight coarse aggregate and applicable to
semi-lightweight concrete. In this handout, only the mix design procedure by the cement
content - strength method will be presented.

Volumes and proportion of aggregates

• Total volume of aggregates on a dry loose basis is usually from 1.0 to 1.2 cu.m. per
cu.m. batch.
• Fine aggregate loose volume may be from 40 to 60% of the total aggregate.
• Proportions of fine and coarse are dependent on several variables, e.g., workability,
harshness, finishability, prone to segregation, texture, strength, durability, and economy.
• Ideally, the proportion of coarse aggregate (A/C) should approach the maximum,
consistent with workability and strength ceiling.
• Fine aggregates will have a considerable bearing on workability and finishability.
• Thus, it is essential that a series of trial mix be conducted.

Estimating Cement content

• It is recommended that that aggregate producer be consulted to obtain a closer approximate
of cement content required to attain the specified strength.
• Job specifications may dictate the following: minimum cement content, air content, slump,
maximum size of aggregates, strength, unit weight

Procedure and Example computation (Cement Content - Strength Method)

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano
20
Step 1 - Choice of slump

If not prescribed, the slump can be selected from the table below
.
Types of construction Slump (mm)
Maximum Minimum

• Beams and reinforced walls 100 25

• Columns 100 25
• Floor slabs 75 25

Example computation: 80 - 100 mm

Step 2 - Choice of maximum size of lightweight aggregate

• large size aggregates require less mortar per unit volume of concrete
• maximum size of aggregates should be the largest that is economically available and
consistent with dimensions of the structure
• well graded aggregates have fewer voids between smaller particle size, i.e. more dense
• higher strength may be obtained with reduced maximum size of aggregates

Example computation: maximum size of coarse aggregates = 19 mm

Step 3 - Indicate the approximate amount of entrapped air to be expected

The least favorable combination of air content and mixing water should be used, that is,
maximum air content and highest slump permissible. This will avoid developing an over-
optimistic estimate of strength.

Example computation: An air content of about 5% will be the target. (AE admix = 0.05 % by
weight of cement will be added)

Step 4 Estimation of Cement Content

The cement content - strength relationship is similar for a given source of lightweight
aggregate but varying widely between sources. Therefore, the aggregate producer should be
consulted for a close approximation of cement content necessary to achieve the desired
strength. In absence of such data, the table below approximates this cement content - strength
relationship.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

21
 Compressive Cement content (kg per cu.m.)
strength at 28 lower bound
days , MPa (psi)
all-lightweight sand-lightweight

21 (3000) 330 250

28 (4000) 400 380
34 (5000) 480 440
41 (6000) 500 475

Example computation: For a required strength of 21 MPa (3000 psi), a cement content of 355
kg/m3 shall be tried. Note that both fine and coarse aggregates are lightweight.

Step 5. Estimation of lightweight aggregate:

The total volume of aggregate, measured on dry loose basis is about 1.0-1.2 cu.m. per cu.m. of
concrete, and 40-60 % of this are fine aggregates.

Example computation: Assuming the material properties for pumiceous aggregates from Mt.
Pinatubo are as follows:

Material Dry loose bulk Specific Gravity factor Absorption

density (kg/m3) (oven dried) (damp) (%)
Fine aggregates 1100 1.960 2.310 7.4
Coarse Aggregates 650 1.177 1.221 23.4

Also, it is assumed that the fine/total aggregate ratio is S/A = 50%

** As a guide, the table shown below may give a crude amount of mixing water required for a
workable mix. Although, this table is used in the other method (weight method). For an air-
entrained concrete, 19 mm pumice aggregates, and slump of 80 -100 mm, the first estimate of
water is about 170 kg per cu.m.

Slump, mm Amount of Water (kg) needed per cubic meter of concrete

for the indicated maximum sizes of aggregates

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

22
 9.5 mm Agg. 12.5 mm Agg. 19 mm Agg.
Non-Air Entrained
25-50 195 185 175
75-100 215 202 190
150-175 225 210 200
Approximate amount of entrapped
air in concrete (%) 3.0 2.5 2.0
Air-Entrained
25-50 170 165 155
75-100 190 180 170
150-175 200 190 180
Recommended air content (%) for:
Mild exposure 4.5 4.0 4.0
Moderate exposure 6.0 5.5 5.0
Extreme exposure 7.5 7.0 6.0

Trial Mix No.1 (Dry Basis)

Materials 1 cu.m. batch 20 liter batch
Cement 355 kg 0.02 (355) = 7.1 kg
C.A. 1.2 (650) (50/100) = 390 kg 0.02(390) = 7.8 kg
F.A. 1.2 (1100) (50/100) = 660 kg 0.02(660) = 13.2 kg
Water(tentative)** 170 kg ** 0.02(170) = 3.6 kg
AE admix 0.05/100(355) = 0.18 0.02(0.18) = 0.0036 = 3.6 cc

Step 6 Adjustments according to the moisture content of fine and coarse aggregates
Example computation : say for wet aggregates,
Moisture content of fine aggregates =10.0% and for coarse aggts = 30.0%.
Recall: F.A. absorption = 7.4% and C.A. absorption = 23.4%

Materials 1 cu. m batch by weight proportion (kg)

Weight (dry) Weight (ssd) Weight (wet)

Water 170 170 170 -(26+17) = 127

Cement 355 355 355
Coarse Aggt 390 390 (1+0.234) = 481 390 (1+0.3) = 507
Air --- --- ---
Fine Aggt 660 660 (1+0.074) = 709 660 (1+0.1) = 726

Step 7 Carry out a Trial Batch test

• Check the water required - add necessary water to obtain slump, air content and
finishability

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

23
 • Control the introduction of water into the mix batch - depending on the wetness of mix
• Control the introduction of fine and coarse aggregates (partial/gradual placement) to
ensure that the finishability and workability is attained. Reduced necessary aggregates
if the slump cannot be attained or the required cohesiveness.
• If the mixture showed the desired cohesiveness and wetness, measured the fresh
properties:
• Measured the unit weight, slump, yield, air content, finishability, and consistency.

Step 8 Adjusting Mix Proportion

• The method of adjusting lightweight concrete mixes is a variation of the absolute volume
method described in ACI 211.1-81
• Total volume of the mix is the sum of the absolute volume of each ingredient plus the
total volume of air.
• Effective volume displaced by aggregates in concrete is calculated on the basis of
weights of aggregates with known moisture content as used, as on a specific gravity
factor. Specific gravity factors generally vary with moisture content of aggregates.
• Displaced volume of water in lightweight concrete mixes is then based on the actual
water added at the mixer.
• The weight of aggregates as introduced into the mixer includes any moisture absorbed in
the aggregate and any free water on the aggregates

Example computation:
Fresh Density = 1720 kg/m3, Air content = 4.4%, Yield = 1758/1720 = 1.022

One cubic meter batch proportioning

Materials Weight (dry), kg Actual Weight Adjusted Weights
Used (wet), kg (wet), kg

Water 170 127 127 / 1.022 = 124

Cement 355 355 355 / 1.022 = 347
Coarse Aggregate 390 507 507 / 1.022 = 496
Air --- --- ---
Fine Aggregate 660 726 726 / 1.022 = 710

Total 1715 1677

Adjustment procedures:
• For each percent increase in fine aggregate, increase water by approximately 2 kg per
cu.m. For each 2 kg per cu.m. increase in water, increase cement by approximately one
percent.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

24
• For each percent increase in air content, water should be decreased by approximately 3 kg
per cu.m.
• For each desired 25 mm increase in slump, water should be increased by 6 kg per cu.m.
Correspondingly, the cement should be increased approximately by 3 percent.

REFERENCES:

American Concrete Institute, “ACI Manual of Concrete Practice (Part 1)”, Detroit,
Michigan, 1989.
Neville, A.M., “Properties of Concrete”, 3rd Edition, Pitman Publishing Inc., Marsfield,
Massachussetts, 1981.
American Society for Testing and Materials, “1983 Annual Book of ASTM Standards”
Vol. 04.02 Concrete and Mineral Aggregates, Philadephia, 1983.

Mix Design of Concrete, Prepared by Dr. B. A. Lejano

25