Mix proportioning of

Cement
Waim Akshay Ravindra
 Aggregates: Classification based on
Size
• Concrete mix design is the process of finding right proportions of cement, sand
and aggregates for concrete to achieve target strength in structures.
• So, concrete mix design can be stated as Concrete Mix =
Cement:Sand:Aggregates. (CAS)
• The concrete mix design involves various steps, calculations and laboratory
testing to find right mix proportions.
• This process is usually adopted for structures which requires higher grades of
concrete such as M25 and above and large construction projects
• For lower grades, proportions are given in IS:456:2000
Grade C:A:S proportions
M10 1:3:6
M15 1:2:4
M20 1:1:3 VNR VJIET
 Factors affecting Mix Design
1. Grade designation:
• Higher grade of concrete (M80 or above) will influence the mix design and subsequent
strength of concrete due to the requirements of materials quality, degree of supervision,
admixtures etc.
2. Type and grade of cement:
• For very high compressive strength of concrete, Portland cement of 53 grade can be used.
• Similarly, where earlier strength is required, rapid hardening cement can be used
3. Maximum nominal size of coarse aggregates:
• If the size of the aggregate is increased, workability will be increased but the strength will
be decreased.
4. Grade of combined aggregates:
• Single sized aggregate may lead the bleeding and segregation of the concrete mix and
subsequent strength loss.
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 Factors affecting Mix Design
1. Fineness modulus:
• In order to get proper workability and strength, the fineness modulus value for fine and
coarse aggregate should be within the prescribed value.
2. Water cement ratio:
• More water cement ratio will give high workability and reduction in strength.
• Less water cement ratio makes the concrete difficult to handle
3. Quality control:
• The material quality & degree of supervision also may affect the mix design process and
strength.
• Poor materials will lead the strength reduction.

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 Data required for Concrete Mix
Design
• Characteristic compressive strength required in the field at 28 days grade
designation — M50
• Nominal maximum size of aggregate — 10 mm
• Shape of CA — Angular
• Degree of workability required at site — 25 mm (slump)
• Degree of quality control available at site — As per IS:456
• Type of exposure the structure will be subjected to (as defined in IS: 456) —
Mild
• Type of cement: PSC conforming IS:455
• Method of concrete placing: pumpable concrete
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 Data to be collected from
Laboratory
(a) Specific gravity of cement — 3.15
(b) Specific gravity of FA — 2.64
(c) Specific gravity of CA — 2.84
(d) Aggregate are assumed to be in saturated surface dry condition.

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 Data to be collected from
Laboratory
Step 1: Determining the target mean strength of concrete
Step 2: Determination of air void content
Step 3: Selection of w/c ratio
Step 4: selection of water content
Step 5: selection of cement content
Step 6: estimation of coarse aggregate proportions
Step 7: Estimation of total mix ingredients
Step 8: Correction due to presence of moisture
Step 9: Trial mixes and proportioning
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 Data to be collected from
Laboratory
Step 1: Determining the target mean strength of concrete
• Suppose if you take M25 grade concrete, 25 N/mm² is called characteristic
strength of concrete, which means if you test 100 cubes of it, 95 cubes will
give you strength greater than or equal to 25N/mm², but those 5 cubes may
give lesser strength
• Plot the values on a graph (x-axis representing the Strength and y-axis
representing the number of repetitions in values) and the graph follows a
normal distribution with a peak. That peak value

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 Step 1
• Assume that you have 30 cubical specimens with 30 compressive strength
values.
• You determine the number of specimens having same compressive strength of
all the respective compressive strengths.
• You plot it on a graph and get a normal distribution curve
• The strength at which strength of 5% is less than that strength is your
characteristic strength
• And the strength with the highest peak is target mean strength
• Fck’=fck+1.65s
• Where
• s=standard deviation
• Fck= characteristic strength
• Fck’= Target mean strength
• But, to calculate ‘s’ and ‘fck’ minimum 30 samples are required. If sufficient
specimens aren’t available, refer the tables VNR VJIET
Step 1

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 Step 2
• The water cement ratio of the should be
established for w/c ratio vs compressive
strength which will have different materials,
surface texture and shape etc.
• In the absence of the data, the following graph
should be used to determine
• The final w/c ratio shall be adjusted after
observing the performance

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 Step 2
• When admixtures are present, the following
tables shall be used to determine the max and
min w/c ratio

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 Step 3 (Air Void Content)
• Based on the maximum aggregate size, the air
void content is given by

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 Step 4 (Water Content)
• The water content in the mixture is influenced by aggregate size, aggregate
shape, aggregate texture, workability and w/c ratio
• An increase in aggregate size, smooth texture and water-reducing admixture
will reduce the required water content in the mixture
• For a slump value of 50mm, angular coarse aggregates the following table
has been given
• Reduction values:
• 10 kg of water for sub-angular aggregates
• 15 kg for crushed gravel
• 20 kg for rounded aggregates
• 3% decrease in water content for each 25mm decrease in slump
• 3% increase in water content for each 25 mm increase
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 Step 5
• Cement can be calculated by determining the required w/c ratio from the
graph and determining the water required for the same

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 Step 6 (Coarse Aggregate
Proportion)
• The optimum content of coarse aggregate depends on
• Strength
• Maximum nominal size (NMAS)
• Gradation zone of fine aggregates (G)
• The following table is given for w/c ratio of 0.5. The coarse aggregates can be
increased at a rate of 1% for a decrease of 5% of water content
• Decreased by 1% for increase in 5% water content
• In the presence of r/f, the C.A. can be reduced by 10%

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 Step 7 (Trial Mixes)
• The calculated mix proportions shall be checked by means of trial batches.
• Workability of the trial mix No. 1 shall be measured.
• If the measured workability of Trial Mix No. 1 is different from the stipulated
value, the water and/or admixture content shall be adjusted
• After adjustments/ recalculations, a new trail Mix No 2 shall be made

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 Example
• Grade designation : M50
• b) Type of cement : PPC conforming to IS 1489 (Part 1)
• c) Maximum nominal size of aggregate : 10 mm
• d) Minimum cement content and
• maximum water-cement ratio to be adopted and/or : Severe (for plain concrete)
• Exposure conditions as per Table 3
• and Table 5 of IS 456
• e) Workability : 75 mm (slump)
• f) Method of concrete placing : Chute (Non pumpable)
• g) Degree of site control : Good
• h) Type of aggregate : Crushed sub-angular aggregate
• j) Maximum cement content not including fly ash : 450 kg/m3
• k) Chemical admixture type : Superplasticizer - normal VNR VJIET
 Example
• a) Cement used : PPC conforming to IS 1489 (Part 1)
• b) Specific gravity of cement : 2.93
• c) Chemical admixture : Superplasticizer conforming to IS 9103
• d) Specific gravity of
• 1) Coarse aggregate [at saturated surface dry : 2.71 [(SSD) Condition]
• 2) Fine aggregate [at saturated surface dry : 2.59 [(SSD) Condition]
• 3) Chemical admixture : 1.123
• e) Water absorption
1) Coarse aggregate: 1 %
2) Fine aggregate: 1 %
• f) Moisture content of aggregate [As per IS 2386 (Part 3)]
1) Coarse aggregate: Nil
2) Fine aggregate: Nil VNR VJIET
Example

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Example
• 1. Target Mean Strength
• From Table 2,
• For M40:
• S=5
• X=6.5
• F’ck = fck+1.65 S
= 40 + (1.65x5)
= 48.65 N/mm2
• F’ck = fck+1.65 S
= 40 + 6.5
= 46.5 N/mm2
Therefore, the higher value (48.65 N/mm 2 is preferred )
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Example
2. Air Content
• From Table 3:
• The Maximum aggregate size is 20mm
• Thus, the entrapped air content is supposed to be 1%
3. W/c ratio
• Referring the graph:
• For a target mean strength of 48.65, assuming an OPC grade
of 43, the curve 2 is referred as per instructions given below
• The w/c ratio for these parameters is: 0.36

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 Example
3. W/c ratio (cotd..)
• The maximum allowable w/c ratio is given from Table 5 of IRC 456:2000
• The environmental condition is SEVERE for RCC
• Thus, max allowable cement: 0.5>0.36.
• Therefore, OK

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 Example
4. Selection of water content(cotd..)
• From Table 4, the maximum allowable water content is 186kg (for 50mm slump)
• But the slump is 75mm, therefore water content shall be increased by 3% for each 25mm increase in
slump
• Therefore, allowable water content =
186 + (3% of 186)
= 191.58 kg
• Also, superplasticizer is used and therefore, water content shall be reduced
• For 1% use of superplasticizer, 23% of water can be reduced
• Therefore
191.58 – (23% of 191.58) = 148 kg

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 Example
4. Proportion of Volumes of Coarse and
Fine Aggregate
• The proportion for volume of coarse aggregate
for 20mm Max size and Zone-II of fine
aggregates, refer table 5:
• For a w/c ratio of 0.5, the volume of C.A. is 0.62
• As w/c ratio is 0.36 (less), Fines can be reduced
• For a w/c lesser than 0.14, the C.A volume can
be increased by 0.028 (0.01 at w/c increase rate
of 0.05)
• Corrected C.A volume = 0.62+0.028= 0.648
• Therefore, volume of fines = 1 - 0.648 =0.352

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 Example
•1.  For volume of 1 m3
2. Volume of entrapped air = 1% = 0.01 m3
3. Volume of cement =
=
4. Volume of water =
=
5. Volume of superplasticizer (1% of cement mass) = 1%
=0.0036 m3

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 Example
•6.  Volume left for aggregates: [1] – [2+3+4+5]
= 1- [0.01 - 0.143 - 0.148 - 0.0036]
= 0.695 m3
Volume of C.A for 1m3 concrete = Volume of C.A. x Specific gravity of CA
= 0.648 x 2.74
=1234 kg
Volume of F.A for 1m3 concrete = Volume of C.A. x Specific gravity of CA
= 0.352 x 2.65
=648 kg

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 Example
•Adjustments:
 
As aggregates are used in SSD (surface saturated dry) condition, they’re not
completely dry and have moisture settled in the void spaces and thus consume
lesser water. If they’re completely dry (i.e. preheated), adjustments should be
made to increase the water content)
Adjusted Mass For Dry FA: Adjusted Mass For Dry CA:
= 642 kg = 1228 kg

Adjustment (FA)= SSD Mass - Dry mass Adjustment (CA) = SSD Mass - Dry mass
= 648 – 642 = 6kg = 1234 – 1228 = 6kg
The extra water ( 6kg in F.A + 6kg in C.A.) should be added in excess if dry aggregates are used
Therefore, the new water content is 148 +6 +6 = 160kg

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