MIX DESIGN

a) Introduction
Concrete in the broad sense is any product or mass made by use of cementing medium. Generally, this
medium is the product of reaction between hydraulic cement and water. But these days even such a
definition would cover a wide range of product” concrete is made with several type of cement and also
containing possolan, fly ash, blast furnace slag, admixture or additives.
Mix design of concrete can be defined as the process of selecting suitable ingredients of concrete and
determining their relative quantities with the purpose of producing on economical concrete which has certain
minimum properties, workability, strength and durability. Nowadays we use design mix rather than prescribe
mix for which specification lay down limiting values for a range of properties that should be satisfied. These
properties are usually maximum w/c ratio, minimum cement ratio, maximum strength, maximum workability,
maximum size of aggregate and air content with limit.

Factors in consideration”
The basic consideration to be taken in mix design is as follows:
1. Minimum strength which is specified by the structural design
2. The cost has to be reasonable.
3. The concrete prepared should be free from chemical attack.
4. Types of cement
5. Water content
6. Strength of concrete
7. Maximum size of aggregate
8. Weight of concrete
9. Durability of concrete

b) Requirements of mix design

1. Water/cement ratio:
The w/c ratio required to produce a given mean compressive strength is based on trial mix, made with actual
ingredients to be used in construction including admixtures. The w/c ratio for a mean compressive strength
depends upon size of coarse aggregate, type of a cement and age of concrete.
2. Type of cement
The property of different types of cement is different. The choice of cement depends upon the required rate
of strength development, on likelihood of chemicals attack and on thermal considerations. It also depends on
the grade of cement and place to be used i.e. cold weathering or mass concreting or not weathering
concreting.

3. Durability
Severe exposure condition requires a strongest control of water content ratio because this is fundamental
factors in the permeability of cement paste and to large extent of resulting concrete in addition adequate
cover to metal essentials. The minimum covers should be greater than the size of reinforcing bars and that
the normal size of aggregate. The requirement of durability for different exposure is given in terms of free
w/c ratio.

4. Workability
The amount of useful internal works necessary to produce full compaction is compaction. There are no
specific methods to measure workability but it can be measured through different tests.

5. Slump test:
This is the most common method for measuring workability. In this method, a frustum of cone of size 300
mm into 200*100mm a freshly prepared concrete is placed on the hopper without any external but tamped 3
layers with steel rod of diameters 16 m for 25 times and lifted slowly without disturbing it.
The settlement after removing gives slum value.

c) Compaction factor test

It is the ratio of density of concrete achieved in the rest to the concrete with vibrator. In this test a freshly
prepared concrete is placed on the hopper without any external work. The lower end of hopper is opened so
that the concrete falls on the second hopper. The bottom of the second hopper is opened so that the mixture
falls on the bottom cylinder. The weight of cylinder is taken. The weight of cylinder compacted by vibrator is
taken and ratio is compaction factor.

d) Gravity and types of Aggregate:

Although there is certain consideration, for good grading curve, no ideal grading exists and excellent concrete
can be made with wide range of aggregate grading.
The grading influence the proportion for the desired workability and w/c ratio. The coarser the grading linear
the mix which can be used with but this is true within limits as a lean mix which can be cohesive without
sufficient amount of fine material.

British Mix design method (DOE)

The building research establishment laboratory (BRG) of the department of environment (DOE), UK has
developed a method of concrete mix design which replace the traditional method of normal mix design. It
doesn’t use the combined aggregate grading curve, aggregate cement ratio and types of agg (rounded,
angular or irregular) as was the case with RRL method. The degree of workability, proportion of fine
aggregates, degree of workability proportions are prepared in teams of quantities of materials per unit
volume of concrete.

a) Procedures
1. Find target strength.
Fmean =Fck +k*ỽ, ỽ is standard deviation, k=1.65
Fck is characteristic strength of concrete.
2. The w/c ratio is determined based on target laboratory strength -28 days strength Vs w/c ratio curve
.
W/c from durability consideration is also calculated.
The minimum of two values is selected.

3. The workability was fixed and the free water content was determined by table 5
.
4. Determine free water content from table using maximum size of aggregates , types of aggregates and
slump value.

5. The cement content was calculated from w/c ratio. The result is checked out
from min value from durability and other considerations and modified if any.

6. The wet density of concrete was determined depending upon the free water content and relative
density of combined aggregate. Based on saturated and surface dry. The total aggregate content was
calculated as follows:
Total aggregate content (saturated and surface dry) = γ0-Cc-Wc
γ0= wet density of concrete (kg/m3)
Cc= cement constant kg/m3
Wc = free water content kg/m
7. The proportion of fine aggregate was determined depending upon the w/c ratio, maximum size of
aggregate and grading zone of aggregate and workability level.

8. Fine aggregate content = total aggregate content* proportion of fine aggregate

Coarse aggregate content = total aggregate content –fine aggregate content

9 Find weight of fine and coarse aggregates

.
10 find the mixing weight after volume calculations.

Calculation
Step 1:Find characteristic strength
Fmean =Fck +k*ỽ
=20+1.65*4 =26.6Mpa

Step 2:Determine w/c ratio

Free water cement ratio = w/c =0.55 (from 28 days curve of strength and w/c ratio)
But from table for severe exposure condition (Durability Consideration), maximum w/c ratio =0.65
Therefore we adopt lower value ,i.e.w/c ratio =0.55

Step 3:Fixing workability

Slump size =30mm
Step 4: Fix free water content
It is fixed from the table using maximum size of aggregates ,
Slump and type of aggregates.
Water content=210 kg/m3.

Step 5:Find Cement content

Cement content =210/0.55 =381.81 kg/m3
From durability min cement content is 3000kg/m3 so our obatained value 381.81kg/m3 is acceptable value.

Step 6: Find wet cement density

Specific gravity of CA =2.79
Specific gravity of fine aggregate =2.550
Combined Specific gravity (relative density)=2.67
From the curve of wet density of cement and relative density we find wet density of cement as(ᵧ)=2400
kg/m3.

Step 7: Find weight of total aggregates

Wt of total aggregates=wet density(ᵧ) -cement content –water content
=2400-381.81-210 =1808.19 kg/m3.

Step 8: % of fine aggregates

Maximum size of aggregate =20mm
% passing through 600μ sieve=32%
So, zone of sand= I
w/c ratio=0.55
slump=30mm

From table:
% of fine aggregates =42 %.

Step 9:Find wt of fine and coarse aggregates per m3

Fine aggretates=759.439kg/m3
Coarse aggretates=1048.75kg/m3.

Step 10: determine wt and mix

Volume calculation: (For lab works)
Cube=3*10*10*10 cm3
Prism =1*(75*75*75) cm3
Cylinder =2*(π*100*100* 200/4) cm3
Total volume to be filled=0.007829m3
But with 25 % extra volume=0.009786 m3
Weight of concrete = 0.009786*2400=23.49kg
Weight of cement=3.746kg
Weight of water=2.06 kg
Weight of fine aggregate=7.417kg
Weight of coarse aggregates=10.264kg

The mix design:

C : S : CA
1: 1.98:2.74

Observations and tests:

Hence the concrete of characteristic strength of M20 under given condition was designed by DOE mix design.
The ratio of cement, sand, CA and water was found to be ……………………. Using which the sample of fresh
concrete was prepared.