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Concrete Mixing

1. Mixing cement, sand, gravel and water based on the mix design of concrete is the one
calculated last week

2. Making concrete cylinder (use 3 layers and Rod each layer 25 times) and do test concrete
in one week.

A. Mixing

1. Weigh out all proper amounts of water, cement, fine and coarse aggregate. Place in
buckets and set aside.

2. Wet down the inside of the drum mixer with water. Add one scoop full of fine
aggregate and 1/3 of a scoop of cement to the mixer. Add enough water to produce a
loose mortar. Turn the mixer on and coat the inside of the drum with the sand/cement
mixture. This is called "buttering." It keeps the concrete from sticking to the inside
of the drum. Dump out the excess sand and cement into a waste bucket.

3. Add all the coarse aggregate and 10% of the water to the mixer.

4. Start the mixer and add half the fine aggregate, half the cement and half the remaining
water. Then add all the remaining fine aggregate, cement, and water. After all
ingredients are in the mixer, mix for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, stop the mixer and
allow to rest for 3 minutes. Restart the mixer and mix for 2 more minutes.

5. Discharge the freshly mixed concrete into a clean, damp, metal pan and remix with a
shovel or trowel to eliminate segregation. To prevent stiffening, the concrete should
be periodically remixed as the slump and compression specimens are being prepared.

B. Slump of Freshly Mixed Concrete (ASTM C 143)

NOTE: The entire slump test, from initial filling to slump measurement, should be
performed within 2.5 minutes.

1. While holding the dampened slump cone down firmly to the work surface, fill the
cone in three equal volume layers. Rod each layer 25 times using a 5/8" diameter x
24" long rod with a hemispherical end. The rod strokes should be distributed over the
entire cross-section of the surface and should penetrate into the underlying layer by
approximately 1". Strike off the top surface level so the mold is exactly filled.
Remove any overflow away from the base of the mold.

2. Immediately after filling, the mold should be carefully and steadily raised in a vertical
direction. The slump is obtained by measuring the difference (to the nearest 1/4")
between the height of the mold and the height of the concrete at the original center of
the specimen.

3. Invert the slump cone next to the slumped concrete and place the steel rod
horizontally across its base. Measure down from the bottom of the rod to the original
top center of the concrete specimen.

4. Return the concrete used for the slump test back to the mixing pan, remix the concrete
(by hand).

C. Unit Weight of Concrete (ASTM C 138)

1. Weigh the empty cylinder and record its weight.

2. Place concrete in the cylinder in three layers of approximately equal volume, rodding
each layer 25 times. Remember to distribute the roddings over the cross section and
to penetrate the preceding layer by approximately an inch. After rodding each layer,
tap the sides of the cylinder 10-15 times with a mallet.

3. Remove any excess concrete using a trowel or scoop and strike off the top of the
cylinder. Clean off any excess concrete and determine the weight of the full cylinder.

4. Calculate the net weight of the concrete and the unit weight of the concrete by using
cylinder volume of 0.196 ft3

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