CONCRETE MIX DESIGN

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Requirements of Good Concrete
A good concrete should:
• meet the strength requirements as measured by compressive strength,
• fulfill durability requirements to resist the environment in which the structure
is
• expected to serve,
• be mixed, transported and compacted as efficiently as possible and
• will be as economical as possible.

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 Concrete Durability
❑“Durability of concrete is the ability of concrete to withstand the harmful
effects of environment to which it will be subjected to,
during its service life, without undergoing into deterioration beyond
acceptable limits”.
❑Durability can be assured keeping in view the environment exposure of
structure, certain minimum cement binder content, max limit on w/c ratio and a
certain minimum grade of concrete for that particular exposure.

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Making Durable Concrete
• Lowering the porosity and permeability of concrete is only way to reduce
environmental attacks on concrete
• Dense and compact concrete that prevents the ingress of harmful elements
is the key to “DURABLE CONCRETE”.

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Making good concrete involves:
• Good quality raw materials,
• Proportioning of materials,
• Mixing,
• Transporting,
• Placing,
• Compacting,
• Curing.
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CONCRETE MIX
Nominal Mix
Designed Mix

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• Cement Concrete Mix Design means, determination of the
proportion of the concrete ingredients i.e. Cement,
Water, Fine Aggregate, Coarse Aggregate which would
produce concrete possessing specified properties such as
workability, strength and durability with maximum overall
economy.
• Methods of Concrete Mix Design
• I.S. Method
• British Method
• A.C.I. Method
• Reference
Standard Specicfication for Road and Bridges-2075 (SP
2004) DESIGN OF CONCRETE MIXES
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Assumptions of Mix Design
• Compressive Strength of Concrete is
governed by its Water-Cement Ratio
• Workability of Concrete is governed by its
Water Content
Data required for concrete mix design
1.Grade of Concrete (Target Strength)
Eg: RCC-M30
2.Slump required in mm (Workability)
Eg: 25 – 75 mm
3.Degree of Site Control Eg: Good
4.Type of Exposure Eg: Moderate
5.Type of Cement Eg: OPC 43
Grade

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Data Required for Mix Proportioning 8. Method of Placing
1. The following data is required for
Concrete Mix Design Calculations of a 9. Degree of site control (good/fair) or value of
particular grade of concrete. established standard deviation, if any;
2. Grade designation
10. Type of coarse aggregate (angular/sub-
angular/ gravel with some crushed
3. Type of cement, and grade of cement particles/rounded gravel/manufactured
(if applicable) coarse aggregate)
4. Maximum nominal size of aggregate. 11. Type of fine aggregate (natural sand/ crushed
stone or gravel sand/manufactured sand/
5. Minimum cement/cementitious mixed sand);
materials content and maximum
water-cement/cementitious materials 12. Maximum cement content
ratio to be adopted; (Exposure 13. Whether a chemical admixture shall or shall
conditions as per Table 3 and Table 5 not be used and the type of chemical
of IS 456) admixture and the extent of use;
6. Workability required at the time of
placement 14. Whether a mineral admixture shall or shall
not be used and the type of mineral
7. Transportation time admixture and the extent of use; and
15. Any other specific requirement like early age
strength requirements.
 STEPS INVOLVED IN CONCRETE MIX DESIGN
Step I:- Determine the physical properties of concrete
ingredients.
• Cement (IS:8112)
1. Standard consistency
2. Setting Time in minutes
a) Initial
b) Final
3. Compressive Strength in N/mm2 at the age of
a) 3 days
b) 7 days
c) 28 days
4. Specific Gravity
5. Fineness in Sq.m/Kg
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 FINE AGGREGATE (IS:383)

1. Sieve Analysis
2. Specific Gravity :
3. Unit Weight in Kg/Cu.m
4. Materials Finer than 75 micron : (% by weight)

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COARSE AGGREGATE
1. Sieve Analysis
2. Specific Gravity :
3. Unit Weight in Kg/Cu.m
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
1. Crushing Value in %
2. Impact Value in %
3. Los Angeles Abrasion Value in %
BLENDING OF COARSE AGGREGATE:

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Step II:- Compute Target Mean Compressive Strength:
Fck = fck + t * S

Fck = Target Mean Compressive Strength at 28

days in in N/mm2
fck = Characteristic Compressive Strength at 28
days in N/mm2
S = Standard Deviation in N/mm2
t = A Statistic, depending on accepted
proportion of low results.
= 1.65 for 1 in 20 accepted proportion of low
results

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 Values of t

Accepted proportion of low results t

1 in 5, 20% 0.84

1 in 10, 10% 1.28

1 in 15, 6.7% 1.50

1 in 20, 5% 1.65

1in 40, 2.5% 1.86

1 in 100, 1% 2.33

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 Assumed Standard Deviation
(Table 8, IS:456-2000)
Assumed Standard Deviation
Grade of Concrete (N/Sq.mm)

Good Site Control Fair Site Control

M10, M15 3.5 4.5

M20, M25 4.0 5.0

M30, M35
M,40,M45 5.0 6.0
M50

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Step III:- Select the Water-Cement ratio of trial mix from experience

Minimum expected W/C

S. Concrete
No. Grade

1 M10 0.9

2 M15 0.7

3 M20 0.55

4 M25 0.50

5 M30 0.45

6 M35 0.40

7 M40 0.35

8 M45 0.30

Note: As superplasticizer is used, the water content can be

Reduced up 20 percent and above. 19
Step III:- Water- cement ratio is selected from the graph plotted between 28-
day compressive strength and water-cement ratio which is as per IS10262-
2019

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✓ Step IV:- Select the water content per cubic metre of
concrete from table 4 of I.S: 10262-2019.

Maximum size of Water Content per cubic

Aggregate metre of concrete
(mm) (Kg)

10 208

20 186

40 165

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 Approximate water content (Kg)
per cubic metre of concrete
(Table 32, SP:23-1982)

Maximum Size of Aggregate

Slump (mm)
(mm)
10 20 40
30-50 205 185 160
80-100 225 200 175
150-180 240 210 185

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 Volume of Coarse Aggregate per
Unit Volume of Total Aggregate
(Table 5, IS:10262-2019)

Maximum Volume of Coarse Aggregate per Unit Volume

Size of of Total Aggregate
Aggregate
(mm) Zone IV Zone III Zone II Zone I

10 0.54 0.52 0.50 0.48

20 0.66 0.64 0.62 0.60
40 0.73 0.72 0.71 0.69

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Step V:- Compute the quantity of Where
cement as follows.
V = Absolute volume of fresh
Water concrete = 1 m3
W = Mass of Water (Kg) per m3 of
Cement = -------------
concrete
W/C Ratio C = Mass of Cement (Kg) per m3
Step VI:- Then we find the quantities of of concrete
Fine & Coarse aggregate by absolute p = Percentage of fine
volume method. aggregate.
fa = Mass of fine aggregate
ca = Mass of coarse aggregate
V = (W+C/Sc+(1/p) * (fa/Sfa)) * (1/1000) Sc = Specific gravity of cement.
- (Eq.1) Sfa = Specific gravity of fine
aggregate.
and Sca = Specific gravity of coarse
aggregate.
V = (W+C/Sc+(1/(1-p)) * (ca/Sca)) * (1/1000)
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- (Eq.2)
works out mix proportion
W : C : fa : ca (0.45 : 1 : 1.55 : 2.80)

Step VII:- Make slump trials to find out the actual weight of water
to get required slump. Make corrections to the water content & %FA,
if required.

Step VIII:- Compute more trial mixes with W/C ratios taking %FA
Step IX:- Cast cubes for each trial mix.
Step X:- Test the cubes for compressive strength at 28 days.

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28 Days Compressive Strengths of Trial Mixes
(Example)

Compressive
W/C Ratio C/W Ratio Strength
(Kg/Cm2)

0.40 2.50 457

0.45 2.22 420

0.50 2.00 360

Step XI:- Draw a graph between compressive strength Vs C/W

Ratio.

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Step XII:- From the graph, find the W/C ratio for the required target
mean compressive strength.

Step XIII:- Calculate the mix proportions corresponding to the W/C

ratio, obtained from the graph.

Step XIV:- Check the cement content & W/C ratio against the
limiting values given in Table-5 of I.S: 456-2000 for given
type of exposure & type of Concrete.

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For mix design of High Strength concrete See example at
Annexes of IS 10262-2019 (using admixtures)
Assignment
#1 What are the requirements of concrete mix design?
#2 Prepare Mix Proportion for M45 grade concrete

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