INTRODUCTION

Workability is one of the physical parameters of concrete which affects the strength and
durability as well as the cost of labor and appearance of the finished product. Concrete is said to
be workable when it is easily placed and compacted homogeneously without bleeding or
Segregation. Unworkable concrete needs more work or effort to be compacted in place, also
honeycombs or pockets may also be visible in finished concrete.
Compressive strength is the capacity of a material or structure to withstand loads tending to
reduce size. It can be measured by plotting applied force against deformation in a testing
machine. Some materials fracture at their compressive strength limit; others deform irreversibly,
so a given amount of deformation may be considered as the limit for compressive load.
Compressive strength is a key value for design of structures.

THEORY
Under the BS 1881, there are 3 methods to test the workability of concrete mixture. This method
gives the indication of the quality of concrete with respect to consistency, cohesiveness and the
proneness to segregation. The workability of concrete alone cannot assure the quality because it
depends on the compacting method either by hand or vibrator.
Compressive Strength of Concrete The strength of concrete is controlled by the proportioning of
cement, coarse and fine aggregates, water, and various admixtures. The ratio of the water to
cement is the chief factor for determining concrete strength . The lower the water-cement ratio,
the higher is the compressive strength. A certain minimum amount of water is necessary for the
proper chemical action in the hardening of concrete; extra water increases the workability (how
easily the concrete will flow) but reduces strength ( Alilou and Teshnehlab, (2010)). (Neville
(2000)) mentioned that the strength versus gel /space ratio relationship has a more general
application because the amount of gel present in the cement paste at any time is itself a function
of age and type of cement. Not only the properties of cement but the (w/c) ratio also affect the
rate of gain of strength of concrete. Mixes with a low (w/c) ratio gain strength more rapidly than
mixes with higher (w/c) ratios. This is because in the former case the cement grains are closer to
one another and a continuous system of gel is established more rapidly Therefore, the multi

forms program is built for three different values of (w/c) ratios to have wide range of results for
compressive strength and for ordinary Portland cement. Compressive strength test results are
primarily used to determine that the concrete mixture as delivered meets the requirements of the
specified strength,( which is here the requirements of Iraqi code (1987)

OBJECTIVE
To study the workability of the designed mix and compressive strength of concrete cubes.

EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

Equipment

Concrete cubes mould

Slump-test apparatus
Weighting machine
Curing tank
Concrete compression machine

Material (Concrete mix design for 6 cubes)

Cement 7 kg
Sand 14 kg
Aggregate 28kg

Equipment

Concrete cube mould

slump test apparatus

Weighing machine

Concrete compression machine

Curing tank

Equipment

Cement 7 kg

sand 14 kg

Aggregate 28 kg