EN1306

MATERIALS SCIENCE AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Concrete I Tutorial Answers
1.

Gradings of two sands and two gravels are given in the table. Compare the grading
obtained when 40% of sand A is combined with 60% of gravel A with that obtained when
30% of sand B is combined with 70% of gravel B. Discuss the difference.

% passing

Sieve size (mm)

Sand A
Sand B
Gravel A
Gravel B

20

10

100
100

43
40

4
100
100
5
0

2
83
100
0

1
60
90

0.50 0.25 0.125 0.063

40
10
0
0
80
15
0
0

<0.063
0
0

Combined gradings are determined by multiplying each % passing number in the above
table by the relative fraction for that component (e.g. all the Sand A numbers are
multiplied by 0.4, as the final aggregate contains 40% sand A). The resulting numbers are
then combined by adding the relevant ones (e.g. Sand A + Gravel A). It should be
remembered that the blank spaces at the top left are effectively 100, those at the bottom
right are zero. This gives the resulting table and figure, showing that aggregate A is
continuously graded whilst aggregate B is gap-graded:
Sieve size (mm)
Sand A + gravel A
Sand B + gravel B

20
100
100

10
66
58

4
43
30

2
33
30

1
24
27

0.50 0.25 0.125 0.063 <0.063

16
4
0
0
0
24
5
0
0
0

2.

Cement paste has W/C = 0.30. If the specific gravity is 3.15 (for the powder), what
weights of powder and water are required to fill one cubic metre? [assume density of
water = 1000 kg/m3 and that no air voids are present]
cement Gs water cement 3.15 1000 3150kg / m 3
Vol cement Vol water 1
Mass water
Vol water
water
0 .3
Masscement cementVol cement
Vol water

0.3 or Vol water 0.945Vol cement

3.15 Vol cement
Therefore : Vol cement 0.945Vol cement 1
So : Vol cement 0.514m 3
Masscement 1619.1kg

3.

Vol water 0.486m 3

and
and

Mass water 486kg

Details of two mixes (A and B) are as follows:

Mix A
Mix B

A/C
6
4.5

% sand
40
35

W/C
0.55
0.45

Density
2420
2430

a. What are the cement contents?

[Answers: Mix A 320.5kg/m3 Mix B 408.4kg/m3]

b. What are the water contents?

[Answers: Mix A 176.3kg/m3 Mix B 183.8kg/m3]

c. Which is the most workable?

d. If workability similar to mix B is required, but W/C has to be < 0.40 for durability, what
A/C is required?

[Answer: 3.89]

If cement : sand : coarse aggregate : water 1 : X : Y : Z, then :

Therefore : A / C X Y ; W / C Z

1 X Y Z 1 A/C W / C
2420

320.5kg / m3 Mix A
1 6 0.55
2430

408.4kg / m3 Mix B
1 4.5 0.45
Z
W / C

1 X Y Z 1 A/C W / C
2420 0.55

176.3kg / m3 Mix A
1 6 0.55
2430 0.45

183.8kg / m3 Mix B
1 4.5 0.45

Cement content

Water content

The water content of Mix B is the highest, and therefore this is the most workable.
To keep workability the same, keep the water content constant.
Assume that the W/C ratio is kept at 0.40 and density remains
at 2430kg/m 3
183.8
459.5kg / m 3
0.40
Aggregate content 2430 459.5 183.8 1786.7 kg / m 3

Cement content

A/C

4.

1786.7
3.9
459.5

In the case of Mix A above, determine the volume percentage of air voids in the mix if the
specific gravities (SSD conditions) of the constituents are as follows [assume density of
water = 1000 kg/m3]:
[Answer: 1.21%]
Coarse aggregate = 2.75

V Air

Fine aggregate = 2.65

Portland cement = 3.15

VTotal VFine Aggregate VCoarse Aggregate VCement VWater

1

M Fine Aggregate

Fine Aggregate

M Coarse Aggregate

Coarse Aggregate

M Cement M Water

Cement
Water

0.4 1923.2 0.6 1923.2

320.5
176.3

2.65 1000 2.75 1000 3.15 1000 1000

1 0.2903 0.4196 0.1017 0.1763 0.0121 1.21%
1

5.

Similarly, determine the percentage of air voids in Mix B.

VAir

VTotal VFine Aggregate VCoarse Aggregate VCement VWater

1

M Fine Aggregate

Fine Aggregate

M Coarse Aggregate

Coarse Aggregate

M Cement M Water

Cement
Water

0.35 1837.8 0.65 1837.8

408.4
183.8

2.65 1000
2.75 1000
3.15 1000 1000
1 0.2427 0.4344 0.1297 0.1838 0.0094 0.94%
1

[Answer: 0.94%]