r t i oni ng
x pr o po
r e te mi
Conc
pt er 11
Cha
By the end of this lecture you should be able to……..
• Define:
• Fresh concrete
• Fresh concrete’s terminology often used
• Specified characteristic strength
• Target mean strength
• Discuss:
• Each of these terminologies
• The importance of each of these properties
By the end of this lecture you should be able to……..
• Calculate:
• Nominal properties of concrete
• Eye-ball mix design
• C&CI mix design
• Describe
• The slump test
• How to assess the cohesiveness of fresh concrete
Mix proportioning (design)
• Concrete mix design is the process of selecting
and proportioning appropriate materials, such as:
• Cement (binder)
• Aggregates
• Water
• Admixtures
• Fibres
• To ensure concrete is fit for purpose
Mix proportioning (design)
Fresh state Green state
• Transported • Finished
• Placed
• Compacted
All without
segregation!!
Mix proportioning (design)
Hardened state
• Required strength is reached
• Adequate durability
• Dimensional stability
All at the lowest cost!!
Mix design & economy
• Typically, a critical objective of mix design is to
maximise economy, by considering:
• Mix constituents
• Method of placing
• Final surface finish
• In future, this should also include:
• Minimisation of cement content for reduced CO2,
while still meeting performance requirements
• Reduce mix cost
Mix design & economy
• Cement content should be lowered as far as
possible, without compromising durability, by:
• Correct binder type
• Water content
• w:c ratio
• Water-reducing admixtures
• Proper selection of materials
Definition of fresh concrete
• Concrete recently mixed that is in a moldable
condition
• Concrete must be mixed, transported, placed
and compacted
• Before early hardening
• Also known as the plastic state
Why concern ourselves about
fresh concrete?
Fresh Concrete Terminology
• Consistence (consistency)
• Workability
• Cohesion
• Settlement
• Bleeding
• Plastic shrinkage
• Loss of consistence
• Water requirement
What is………
• Consistence
• Workability
• Cohesion
Consistence (Consistency)
• Measure of the stiffness/sloppiness or fluidity
of the mix
• For effective handling, placing and
compaction consistence should be the same
for each batch
• Consistence measurements can be used to
control the amount of mixing water added to
concrete
Previous assessment question
The loss of consistency may be attributed to
different processes. Name four (4).
Answer
Hydration of the cement
Loss of water by evaporation
Absorption of water by dry aggregates
Absorption of water by surfaces in contact with
the concrete
Workability
• The relative ease with which concrete can be
placed, compacted and finished without
segregation
• Match workability to:
• Handling methods
• Transportation methods
• Shape and size of element
• Means of compaction
Workability
• At a given consistence, workability is influenced
by:
• Stone size
• Stone content
• Fines content of the sand
• Cement content
Assessing the workability
• Feel the resistance to the slump rod
• Listen to the sound made by the tamping rod
• Observe the slump shape: check spread at the
base
• Assess effort to obtain finish (do the stones bed
down?)
Slump test
200
Measure
300
100
Slump test
• How do you perform the slump test?
Slump test
• https://www.cemcon-sa.org.za/information-hub/
free-leaflets/
• Go to: Tests on concrete
The slump test
• Wipe mold and base • Level off with the bar
with wet cloth • Hold mold firmly down
• Stand firmly on the foot • Lift off over 5 seconds
pedals • Place mold upside down
• Fill in three layers of next to concrete
equal depth • Record to nearest 5mm
• Tamp each layer evenly • Check the shape
25 times with the bar
• Check cohesion, bleeding
through only the last
and finishability
layer
Slump test
• Sensitive in the slump range of 5-175mm
• Adding as little as 10 litres of water per 1000
litres of concrete will effectively double the
slump!
• The bigger the measurement, the higher the
slump
• What do you consider to be the ideal slump
for concrete?
Slump test
• The slump must be suitable for the means of
compaction:
• Poker vibrator: 50 - 120mm
• Hand tamping: 100 – 150mm
The slump test can only measure
slump
Both have similar slumps, but one is much
more workable than the other
Cohesiveness or stickiness
Good cohesion of concrete combats
segregation and honeycombing
Assess concrete’s cohesiveness by:
• Tapping the moulded concrete with the side
of the tamping bar: check if it falls apart
• Tapping the base plate whilst performing a
slump test and assess the shape
Environmental impact of aggregate production
• Global shortage of natural sand
• Fresh water resources increasingly scarce
• Sand, stone and water should not be considered
to have relatively low environmental impact,
even if there carbon footprint is lower
• Quarries are located further away from city
developments
• Significant increase in
• Transportation distances
• Pressure on infrastructure
Environmental impact of aggregate production
• Life-cycle assessment often inadequately
quantify:
• Biodiversity loss
• Resource depletion
• Social impacts from changes in land use
Mix Proportions and Quantities
Nominal proportions
Increasing sophistication
Eye-ball mix design
Increasing material cost
C&CI method efficiency
Concrete Strengths and Uses
Water/cement ratio
Specified Water:cement
strength ratio
(MPa @ 28 days) (approx)
15 0.77
20 0.67
25 0.59
30 0.53
40 0.44
Solid mix design assumptions
(C&CI method)
• Concrete strength is governed only by W:C
• The solid volume of concrete is the sum of the
solid volumes of the individual ingredients
Solid mix design assumptions
(C&CI method)
• Water content, for a given consistence, is
substantially constant regardless of w:c
• The optimum amount of stone depends on:
• Stone size
• Stone packing capacity
• FM of sand
Applying the method
Steps in the mix design process can be
categorised as follows:
• Specify concrete properties and characteristics
• Select materials
• Characterise materials
• Proportion materials
• Make and assess trial mix
• Specify mix proportions
C&CI mix design
Step 1 and 2 Specify concrete
strength and stone size
Step 3 Specify consistence
Step 4,5 and 6 Specify cement type,
durability requirements
Durability requirements
• Due to the • Check all
environment in which requirements before
the structure is deciding on w:c ratios
placed, there might or minimum binder
be: minimum cement contents
content, maximum or
minimum w:c ratios.
Previous assessment question
You are the concrete technologist on a construction site. In
the contract documentation for the contract there is a
durability clause. The following information is pertinent to
the mix design:
Minimum binder content: 250kg/m3
Maximum binder content: 450kg/m3
Binder content required for strength: 275kg/m3
Binder content required for durability: 300kg/m3
The client demands that the durability specification be met.
Which binder content would you use? Why?
Answer
300kg/m3.
This is the minimum requirement for durability as
specified by the contract documents.
C&CI mix design
Step 7 Select cement, type and
source
Step 8 and 9 Select stone and sand
Step 10 Select chemical
admixture (Lab mixes)
Materials: Coarse aggregate
• Density, shape and grading: Do CBD test
• higher result gives better packing
• size: larger than 22 mm tends to give harsh
concrete
• blend with smaller size: 25% - 35%
• blend two sizes down
• Carry out CBD test on the blend:
• higher CBD gives better results
Materials: fine aggregate
• Sand largely determines water requirement
• water to make 1 m3 concrete of right consistence
• Can influence up to 50 litres/m3
• more expensive sand can make cheaper concrete
• Particle shape affects water requirement
• Fines content :
• too little makes harsh, bleeding mixes
• too much results in high water requirement
• Blend crusher sand with river or pit sand
C&CI mix design
Step 11 Step 12
Characterise stone Characterise sand
• CBD • RD
• RD • Grading
• Grading • FM
• Particle shape
C&CI mix design
Step 13 Step 14
Select w:c ratio Estimate water
• From w:c vs. strength requirement
information obtained • Properties of sand
from cement • Shape
• Grading
manufacturer
• Ultra fines
• Properties of stone
• Size
• Packing capacity
• Surface texture
C&CI mix design
Step 14
• Binder type
• Type
• Fly ash content
• Required consistence
• Usually slump
• Use of admixture
Theoretical Method
Water requirement 20mm stone, 75mm slump
van Heerden, H., 2021. Concrete mix design. In: M. Alexander, ed. Fulton's concrete
technology. 10th ed. Midrand; South Africa: Cement & Concrete SA, pp. 187-208.
Theoretical Method
Water requirements of concrete mixes (no
admixtures, 75mm slump, CEM I, average sand)
Nominal size of stone Water requirement of
(mm) concrete (l/m3)
9,5 235
13,2 225
19,0 210
26,5 200
37,5 190
Water content
• Water demand: water needed to make 1 m3
using 22 mm stone with slump of 75 mm
• Water requirement: total water in any mix with
the materials specified.
• Affected by:
• fine aggregate (grading, shape, surface texture)
• coarse aggregate
• cement type
• workability and placing methods
C&CI mix design
Step 15 Durability requirements
Calculate cement • W:C ratio
content • max W:C ratio
• C = W / w:c ratio • minimum cement
content
• CHECK DURABILITY • maximum cement
REQUIREMENTS!! content
Use lowest cement
content that satisfies ALL
C&CI mix design
Step 16: Calculating stone content
St = CBD(st) (K- 0.1 FM)
St = mass of stone in one cubic meter of concrete, kg
CBD(st) = dry compacted bulk density of stone to be used.
K = factor that depends on the nominal size of the stone
and the workability of the concrete (see table)
FM = fines modulus of the sand
Values of K for determining
stone content
C&CI mix design
Step 17: Calculate sand content
Solid volume of sand = Total volume of concrete –
(Total volume of constituents + air)
Mass of sand (kg) = Solid volume of sand x RD of
sand
Calculate sand content: tools
Mass Mass
= Volume (solid)
RD
Mass = solid volume x RD
Density Volume
C&CI mix design
Step 18 Make trial mix
Step 19 Measure slump
Step 20 Assess stone content
and cohesiveness of
concrete
For this example, say a CEM I 42,5R is used and
the 28 day characteristic strength required is
40MPa, with a stone size of 22mm.
From the graph, the w:c ratio is 0,70.
Thus the amount of cement = 210/0,70
= 300kg
Material classification
Stone Sand
• CBD = 1 520kg/m3 • RD = 2.92
• RD = 2.72 • Grading
• Grading • FM = 2.75
• Particle shape
Selecting stone content
St = CBD(st) (K- 0.1 FM)
St = mass of stone in one cubic meter of concrete, kg
CBD(st) = dry compacted bulk density of stone to be used.
K = factor that depends on the nominal size of the stone
and the workability of the concrete (see table)
FM = fines modulus of the sand
Values of K for determining
stone content
Calculating stone content
St = CBD(st) (K- 0.1 FM)
= 1 520 (0.94 – (0.1*2.75))
= 1 010.8kg
Calculate sand content: tools
Mass Mass
= Volume (solid)
RD
Mass = solid volume x RD
Density Volume
From the above:
Mass RD Volume
Water = 210liter 1 210 litre
Cement= 300kg 3.14 95.5 litre
Stone = 1 011kg 2.72 371.7 litre
677.2 litre
1m3 = 1000 litre
To calculate the mass of sand required:
1000 – 677.2 = 322.8liter
= 322.8 * 2.92
= 943 kg
Final 1m3 mix
Water = 210 litre
Cement = 300 kg
Stone = 1 011 kg
Sand = 958 kg
Theoretical Method
• The following calculation is used to determine the sand
content:
Mc Ma Mw
Ms = Ds x 1000 1-[ Dc x 1000 - - ]
Da x 1000 Dw x 1000
• The Sand Density (Ds),
• the Mass of Cement (Mc),
• The Cement Density (Dc),
• The Mass of Stone (Ma), and
• The Stone Density (Da), and the
• The Mass of Water (Mw)
• The Water Density (Dw)
C&CI mix design
• Step 21 Approve mix if steps 19
& 20 are acceptable
• Step 22 Reject mix if steps 19 &
20 are not acceptable
C&CI mix design
• Step 23 Modify mix if:
• Stony: Stone < 100kg/m3
• Sandy: Stone > 100kg/m3
• Lacks cohesion:
• Use finer sand
• Sand with higher 300µm
• Use smaller stone
• If too sticky:
• Used coarser sand
C&CI mix design
• Step 24 Specify mix proportions
for manufacture of
concrete
Volumes
• All mix designs are performed on dry
aggregates
• Sand is delivered wet to site. This must be taken
into consideration.
Water adjustment
• Sand has 5% water when delivered
• Stone has 1% water when delivered
• Add 5% to sand content
• Add 1% to stone content
• Deduct the total of above from the water content
Water adjustment
Water = 190liter (kg)
Cement = 360kg
Sand = 825kg + 5% = 825 + 41 = 866kg
Stone = 1 025kg + 1% = 1 025 + 10 = 1 035kg
The water = 190 – (41 + 10) = 139liter
Eye-ball Mix Design
Cement-water Add aggregate Right
paste of stone content,
known W/C (known amount) consistency
Calculate
Mix
Proportions
Step 1: Dry the sand and stone
Step 2: Accurately weigh out sand
and stone
Step 3: Establish the W:C ratio
required for the specified concrete
strength.
This can be derived either from tables
or from a W:C/Strength graph taking
into account the type of cement and
an appropriate margin
W:C for Eye-Ball Mix Design
Average w:c ratios vs. characteristic strength
using CEM class 32,5, 32,5R or 42,5
Step 4: With the W:C ratio,
calculate the mass of cement
required for two liters of water and
carefully weigh out the cement
Step 5: Mix the water, cement and
small amounts of sand and stone
together. A very wet and soupy
mix will result.
Step 6: Add small increments of
sand and stone from the larger
pre-weighed quantities to stiffen
the mix to the desired slump.
Tip: Be careful not to add too
much at a time and do many slump
tests.
Slump test
200
Measure
300
100
Step 7: When the desired slump
is reached, calculate the
compacted plastic density of the
concrete by weighing a known
volume of compacted concrete.
Converting the lab mix to 1m3
• Calculate the compacted plastic density of
your concrete after weighing a known volume
of the compacted mix
• Add up all the masses of:
• Water
• Cement
• Stone
• Sand
Converting the lab mix to 1m3
• Divide the total into the calculated compacted
plastic density
• This is the conversion factor
• Multiply each individual constituent’s mass by
the conversion factor
All the
information
in the
materials
box must
be
provided
Water If w:c is not
(2,00 kg) provided, read
divided by it from the
the w:c graph using the
ratio cement type
(0,53) (Fig 1 in this
presentation)
The mass
of sand and
stone
remaining
in the
basins
The sum total of
the final trial mix
The mass of
concrete
(2400kg/m3)
divided by the
total mass of
the final trial
mix (25,20)
The same value
Multiply each
final trial mix
value with the
factor, i.e.
2,00 litre water
x 95,2 = 190kg
Final cubic metre mix ALWAYS to
the nearest full number
Add all the values for the cubic metre
mix. It must be the same as the mass
of the concrete
Nominal Proportions
1:2:4 UK conditions
one cement
two sand
four stone
1:3:3 SA conditions
one cement
3 sand
3 stone
Nominal proportions
• Combine cement, sand and stone in a volume ratio
• Water is added until workability, judged by eye, is
satisfactory
• This design ignores differences between specific
cements and aggregates
Nominal mix proportions for different
strengths, using 19mm stone
Trial Concrete Mixes
Proportions & Quantities for Ordering
More trial mixes can be found in Table 1: Trial Concrete Mixes on Page 2
Practical Example
• A trench 5 m long, 2 m deep and 3 m wide
has to be filled with concrete.
• How much cement, sand, and stone must be
ordered if a 1:3:3 mix is to be used?
• Volume of trench = L x D x W
• Mix design: 1:3:3
Practical Example
• Volume of trench = 5m x 2m x 3m
= 30 m3.
• Mix design 1:3:3
• One volume cement.
• Three volumes sand.
• Three volumes stone.
Practical Example
• One bag mix: 50 kg or 33 litres cement.
How much sand and stone?
• Sand:
• 33 litres (cement) x 3 = 99 litres.
• Stone:
• 33 litres (cement) x 3 = 99 litres.
• 1:3:3 mix input = 33 + 99 + 99 litres.
= 231 litres.
Practical Example
Yield of mix = ⅔ of input volume
231 litres x 2/3 = 0.154 m3.
Volume of trench = (5 x 2 x 3) = 30 m3.
No. of batches = 30 ÷ 0.154
= 195 batches.
Quantities of materials.
• 195 bags of cement.
• 195 x 33l x 3 = 19.3 m3 of sand.
• 195 x 33l x 3 = 19.3 m3 of stone.
Previous assessment question
Figure 1 shows a lay-out a foundation of low
strength concrete that must be cast. A 1 : 2,5 : 3
concrete mix (cement : sand : stone) must be
used. Calculate the quantities of cement, sand and
stone that must be ordered to produce the
concrete to fill the foundation. (All measurements
in millimetres.) The average depth of the
foundation is 1.326 meters.
Previous assessment question
Answer
Calculate the volume using the formula: Volume of
foundation: Total (Length x Breadth x Depth)
Total volume = 40 m3 Mix design: 1 : 2,5 : 3
Cement : Sand : Stone
One sack mix: 50 kg or 33 litres cement.
Sand: 33 litres (cement) x 2.5 = 82.5 litres.
Stone: 33 litres (cement) x 3 = 99 litres.
1:2,5:3 mix input = 33+82,5+99 litres.
= 214.5 litres.
Answer
Yield of mix = ⅔ of input volume
214.5 litres x 2/3 = 0.1437 m3.
Volume of excavation = 40 m3.
No. of batches = 40 ÷ 0.1437
= 279 batches.
Thus, the quantities of materials needed are:
279 bags of cement*
279 x 33l x 2.5 = 23 m3 of sand*
279 x 33l x 3 = 27.6 m3 of stone ≈ 28m3*
*This excludes wastage
The en d
