Engineering
A.M. Soliman, PhD,
Lecturer
Designing and Proportioning Normal
Concrete Mixtures
Factors in the Proportioning of
Quality Concrete Mixtures
Workability
Economy
Strength Appearance
Durability Sustainability
Materials
Cement Fibers
Supplementary
Cementing
Materials Aggregate
Admixture
Water
Trial batching verifies that a concrete
mixture meets design requirements prior to
use in construction
What should I be looking for when I
design concrete mixture?
Mix Characteristics
Compressive Strength
150-200 MPa
Strength
60-100 MPa
25-35 MPa
NC HPC UHPC
Water-cementing
materials ratio
Concrete Workability
Designed Strength
Strength
Workability
Water‐cement ratio
Slump and workability
Water
Strength Workability
Content
Cementing materials
content and type
Type I Normal
Type IV Low Heat of Hydration
Ettringite
Cracks
Ettringite
Type II & V
Elements exposed to high‐sulphate soils
Slab-on-ground
Poor Concrete
Using adequate cement type + Good concrete mixture
Good Concrete
= Achieve the desired performance
Aggregate size and volume
Admixtures
Air Entrainment
Air bubbles formation
Air content
Freezing‐Thawing Cycles
Freezing‐Thawing Cycles
De‐icing salts
Used because they reduce the melting temperature of ice and snow
De‐icing Salt = Chlorides
Steel Corrosion
•Corrosion‐induced cracking and spalling, and delamination
(reduces effective cross‐section of concrete member and affects
structural capacity of the member).
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Designing Concrete Mixtures Steps
1. Selection required average concrete compressive strength
Concrete strength (f’c)
Required average Concrete strength (f’cr)
Do you have strength test Data from
previous project?
Yes
Select the greater of :
Available Data Less Than 30 test?
a. Compressive strength (f’c) ≤ 35 MPa
Yes NO
OR
Required average Concrete strength (f’cr)
Check
Durability
Requirements for Exposure Conditions
Water‐cement Minimum
ratio Strength
Requirement for Concrete Exposed to
Sulfates
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Compressive Strength Vs. W/C-Ratio
Water‐cement Minimum
ratio Strength
Requirement for Concrete Exposed to
Sulfates
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Required air content
Exposure Condition Aggregate Size
Designing Concrete Mixtures Steps
1. Selection required average concrete compressive strength.
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Slump Test
Slump test for
consistency of
concrete.
Slump, mm (in.)
Concrete construction
Maximum Minimum
Reinforced foundation walls and
75 (3) 25 (1)
footings
Plain footings, caissons, and
75 (3) 25 (1)
substructure walls
Beams and reinforced walls 100 (4) 25 (1)
Building columns 100 (4) 25 (1)
Pavements and slabs 75 (3) 25 (1)
Mass concrete 75 (3) 25 (1)
Specified Range Recommended
Slump is usually indicated in the job
specification as a range, such as 50
to 100 mm ( 2 to 4 in)
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Required Water content
Slump range Concrete type Aggregate Size
For Rounded gravel: Water content should reduced by 25 kg/m3
Using water reducer admixture will reduce water content by 10‐30%
Designing Concrete Mixtures Steps
1. Selection required average concrete compressive strength.
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Cement content
Water Cement Water
Ratio Content
Water
=
Cement Content
content Water‐Cement Ratio
Water Cement
Ratio
Example: Air‐entrained concrete, 25‐mm max. size aggregate,
75‐mm slump, w/c=0.53. Determine the cement content.
Required Cement Content
Check
Application
Durability
Blended Cement
Minimum Cementing Materials Content
for Flatwork
Minimum requirements of cementing materials for concrete used in flatwork.
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Coarse Aggregate content
Nominal maximum size Fineness Modulus
Coarse Aggregate content
Nominal maximum size Fineness Modulus
Designing Concrete Mixtures Steps
1. Selection required average concrete compressive strength.
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Admixture content
=
Used or Recommended dosage
Cement Content
Designing Concrete Mixtures Steps
1. Selection required average concrete compressive strength.
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Cement content OK
Water content OK
Admixture content OK
OK
Course aggregate content
Fine aggregate content ?
Concrete
Absolute Vol. Cement content OK
Absolute Vol. Water content OK
Absolute Vol. Admixture content OK
OK
Absolute Vol. Course aggregate content
Absolute Vol. Fine aggregate content ?
Absolute vol. of 1 m3
Concrete
Absolute Vol. Cement content OK
Absolute Vol. Water content OK
Absolute Vol. Admixture content OK
OK
Absolute Vol. Course aggregate content
‐
Absolute vol. of 1 m3
Concrete
Absolute Vol. Fine aggregate content OK
What is Absolute volume ?
Two Types of Volume
Material
Volume
Apparent
volume
= Absolute
=
Material
volume Volume
Voids
Volume
Absolute volume
Apparent volume Voids
Apparent volume > Absolute volume
Absolute Volume
Absolute volume
Apparent volume
Given:
Coarse aggregate weight = 715.5 kg, water density = 1000 kg/m3, Relative
density = 2.65
2. Select the water cement ratio.
3. Select the required air content.
4. Identify the slump value.
5. Determine water content.
6. Determine Cement Content.
7. Estimate Coarse Aggregate content
8. Determine admixture content
9. Determine fine aggregate content
10. Adjustment of moisture content
Water + Effective materials
Used to modify the properties of concrete by affecting its
workability , set time, shrinkage
State:
Total moisture:
Adjusting
batch water:
Dry aggregate: Increase mixing water
Net value
Wet aggregate: Reduce mixing water
Adjustment of moisture content
• To adjust the aggregate weight based on its
moisture content (MC)
Dry aggregate weight < Moist aggregate weight
Adjusted Aggregate weight
= Aggregate weight x (1+ MC)
Water from Aggregate
aggregate = weight X (Moisture content – absorption)
Mixing Water Water from coarse Water from fine
Water = content
‐ aggregate
‐ aggregate
Example Mix Design: Absolute Volume Method Using Multiple
Cementing Materials and Admixtures
Fly ash: Class F, ASTM C 618 (AASHTO M295). Relative density of 2.60.
Slag: Grade 120, ASTM C 989 (AASHTO M 302). Relative density of 2.90.
Temperature: 22 °C