Factors to be considered for mix design

  • The grade designation giving the characteristic strength requirement of concrete.
  • The type of cement influences the rate of development of compressive strength of concrete.
  • Maximum nominal size of aggregates to be used in concrete may be as large as possible within the limits prescribed by IS 456:2000.
  • The cement content is to be limited from shrinkage, cracking and creep.
  • The workability of concrete for satisfactory placing and compaction is related to the size and shape of section, quantity and spacing of reinforcement and technique used for transportation, placing and compaction.

Procedure for Concrete Mix Design – IS456:2000:

1. Determine the mean target strength ft from the specified characteristic compressive strength at 28-day fck and the level of quality control.
ft = fck + 1.65 S
where S is the standard deviation obtained from the Table of approximate contents given after the design mix.
2. Obtain the water cement ratio for the desired mean target using the empirical relationship between compressive strength and water cement ratio so chosen is checked against the limiting water cement ratio. The water cement ratio so chosen is checked against the limiting water cement ratio for the requirements of durability given in table and adopts the lower of the two values.
3. Estimate the amount of entrapped air for maximum nominal size of the aggregate from the table.
4. Select the water content, for the required workability and maximum size of aggregates (for aggregates in saturated surface dry condition) from table.
5. Determine the percentage of fine aggregate in total aggregate by absolute volume from table for the concrete using crushed coarse aggregate.
6. Adjust the values of water content and percentage of sand as provided in the table for any difference in workability, water cement ratio, grading of fine aggregate and for rounded aggregate the values are given in table.
7. Calculate the cement content form the water-cement ratio and the final water content as arrived after adjustment. Check the cement against the minimum cement content from the requirements of the durability, and greater of the two values is adopted.
8. From the quantities of water and cement per unit volume of concrete and the percentage of sand already determined in steps 6 and 7 above, calculate the content of coarse and fine aggregates per unit volume of concrete from the following relations:
Concrete Mix Design formula
where V = absolute volume of concrete = gross volume (1m3) minus the volume of entrapped air
Sc = specific gravity of cement
W = Mass of water per cubic metre of concrete, kg
C = mass of cement per cubic metre of concrete, kg
p = ratio of fine aggregate to total aggregate by absolute volume
fa, Ca = total masses of fine and coarse aggregates, per cubic metre of concrete, respectively, kg, and
Sfa, Sca = specific gravities of saturated surface dry fine and coarse aggregates, respectively
9. Determine the concrete mix proportions for the first trial mix.
10. Prepare the concrete using the calculated proportions and cast three cubes of 150 mm size and test them wet after 28-days moist curing and check for the strength.
11. Prepare trial mixes with suitable adjustments till the final mix proportions are arrived at.

CONCRETE MIX DESIGN EXAMPLE – M50 GRADE CONCRETE

Grade Designation = M-50
Type of cement = O.P.C-43 grade
Brand of cement = Vikram ( Grasim )
Admixture = Sika [Sikament 170 ( H ) ]
Fine Aggregate = Zone-II
Sp. Gravity
Cement = 3.15
Fine Aggregate = 2.61
Coarse Aggregate (20mm) = 2.65
Coarse Aggregate (10mm) = 2.66
Minimum Cement (As per contract) =400 kg / m3
Maximum water cement ratio (As per contract) = 0.45

Mix Calculation: –

1. Target Mean Strength = 50 + ( 5 X 1.65 ) = 58.25 Mpa
2. Selection of water cement ratio:-
Assume water cement ratio = 0.35
3. Calculation of water: –
Approximate water content for 20mm max. Size of aggregate = 180 kg /m3 (As per Table No. 5 , IS : 10262 ). As plasticizer is proposed we can reduce water content by 20%.
Now water content = 180 X 0.8 = 144 kg /m3
4. Calculation of cement content:-
Water cement ratio = 0.35
Water content per cum of concrete = 144 kg
Cement content = 144/0.35 = 411.4 kg / m3
Say cement content = 412 kg / m3 (As per contract Minimum cement content 400 kg / m3 )
Hence O.K.
5. Calculation for C.A. & F.A.: –
Volume of concrete = 1 m3
Volume of cement = 412 / ( 3.15 X 1000 ) = 0.1308 m3
Volume of water = 144 / ( 1 X 1000 ) = 0.1440 m3
Volume of Admixture = 4.994 / (1.145 X 1000 ) = 0.0043 m3
Total weight of other materials except coarse aggregate = 0.1308 + 0.1440 +0.0043 = 0.2791 m3
Volume of coarse and fine aggregate = 1 – 0.2791 = 0.7209 m3
Volume of F.A. = 0.7209 X 0.33 = 0.2379 m3 (Assuming 33% by volume of total aggregate )
Volume of C.A. = 0.7209 – 0.2379 = 0.4830 m3
Therefore weight of F.A. = 0.2379 X 2.61 X 1000 = 620.919 kg/ m3
Say weight of F.A. = 621 kg/ m3
Therefore weight of C.A. = 0.4830 X 2.655 X 1000 = 1282.365 kg/ m3
Say weight of C.A. = 1284 kg/ m3
Considering 20 mm: 10mm = 0.55: 0.45
20mm = 706 kg .
10mm = 578 kg .
Hence Mix details per m3
Increasing cement, water, admixture by 2.5% for this trial
Cement = 412 X 1.025 = 422 kg
Water = 144 X 1.025 = 147.6 kg
Fine aggregate = 621 kg
Coarse aggregate 20 mm = 706 kg
Coarse aggregate 10 mm = 578 kg
Admixture = 1.2 % by weight of cement = 5.064 kg.
Water: cement: F.A.: C.A. = 0.35: 1: 1.472: 3.043

Observations from Concrete Mix Design: –

A. Mix was cohesive and homogeneous.
B. Slump = 120 mm
C. No. of cube casted = 9 Nos.
7 days average compressive strength = 52.07 MPa.
28 days average compressive strength = 62.52 MPa which is greater than 58.25MPa
Hence the mix accepted.

Percentage strength of concrete at various ages:

The strength of concrete increases with age. Table shows the strength of concrete different ages in comparison with the strength at 28 days.
Age
Strength per cent
1 day
16%
3 days
40%
7 days
65%
14 days
90%
28 days
99%