ACI Mix Design

Updated Version

CIVL 3137 1
 ACI Mix Design
So-called “mix design” methods actually produce a
first guess at the proper mix proportions. That trial
mix is then made in the lab and tested for slump,
strength and other pertinent properties and the mix
proportions are adjusted based on the results.
The ACI mix design method is one of many methods
available but it is probably the most widely used so
that is the method we’ll use in this class. The method
involves ten steps outlined on the next page.
CIVL 3137 2
 Mix Design Steps
1. Select the slump
2. Select the NMAS
3. Estimate the water and air contents
4. Adjust the water content for aggregate shape
5. Determine the required strength
6. Select the w/cm ratio
7. Calculate the cement weight
8. Estimate the coarse aggregate content
9. Calculate the fine aggregate content
10. Adjust for aggregate moisture and absorption

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 ACI Mix Design
We’ll work through the mix design steps listed in the
previous slide using an example for a typical concrete
mix for a non-air-entrained concrete.

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 Mix Design Example
Coarseaggregate
Coarse aggregate = subangular
subangular crushed
crushedstone
stone
Nominal maximum aggregate size = 3/4"
Design strength = 4500 psi
Specified slump = 1-2"

Coarse Fine
Aggregate Aggregate
Unit weight (lb/ft3) = 101 106
Bulk specific gravity (dry) = 2.574 2.548
Bulk specific gravity (SSD) = 2.623 2.592
Apparent specific gravity = 2.705 2.664
Absorption capacity (%) = 1.9 1.7
Fineness modulus = 2.51 2.90
2.90
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 Step 1: Select the slump

The choice of slump determines the workability of

the mix. Workability encompasses a combination of
PCC properties that are related to the rheology of the
concrete mix: ease of mixing, ease of placing, ease
of compacting, ease of finishing. You should aim for
the stiffest mix that will provide adequate placement.
The following table shows some typical slump ranges
for several different applications.

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 Step 1: Select the slump

CIVL 3137 Source: Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (PCA, 2003) 8

 Step 1: Select the slump

For our mix design example, the slump has already

been specified as 1-2".

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 Step 2: Select the NMAS

The maximum aggregate size will affect parameters

such as cement paste content, workability and strength.
In general, the maximum aggregate size is limited by
the dimensions of the finished product and the room
available inside the formwork, taking into account
things such as rebar. If the coarse aggregate is too
large the concrete may be difficult to consolidate and
compact in the forms, resulting in a honeycombed
structure or large air pockets.

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 Step 2: Select the NMAS

narrowest dimension
NMAS 
5

depth of slab
NMAS 
3

NMAS  0.75  clear space

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 Step 2: Select the NMAS

For our mix design example, the nominal maximum

aggregate size has already been specified as 3/4".

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 Step 3: Estimate the water and air

The amount of mixing water basically determines the

amount of cement paste in the mix. It depends on the
desired slump, the size and shape of the aggregate
and the amount of air present in the mix. Some air
(called entrapped air) is normal and is a consequence
of the mixing process. Admixtures can also be used
to introduce entrained air in order to enhance the
freeze/thaw durability of the concrete.

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 Step 3: Estimate the water and air

The table on the next slide recommends the amount

of water per cubic yard of concrete as a function of
the desired slump and the NMAS. The top half of the
table is for non-air-entrained mixes and includes an
estimate of the amount of entrapped air in the concrete.
The bottom half is for air-entrained mixes. It includes
target air contents based on the expected severity of
the freeze/thaw exposure.

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 Step 3: Estimate the water and air

CIVL 3137 Source: Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (PCA, 2003) 15

 Step 3: Estimate the water and air

For the ¾" NMAS in our mix design example, the

amount of entrapped air is estimated as 2%. For the
desired slump of 1-2" the required water content is
estimated to be 315 lb per cubic yard of cement.

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 Questions to Ponder
Why does the amount of water required to obtain a
desired slump decrease with increasing NMAS?

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 Questions to Ponder
The amount of water largely determines the amount
of cement paste in the mix. The amount of cement
paste needed to produce a workable concrete mix
depends in part on the surface area of the aggregate
to be coated. As shown in the next slide, larger
aggregate has a lower specific surface (surface area
per unit volume) so less cement paste is needed, thus
less water is needed.

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Effect of NMAS on Paste Volume

10"

surface area = 11 ft2 surface area = 22 ft2

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 Questions to Ponder
A mix with a large NMAS may only require 30% by
volume of cement paste while a mix with a smaller
NMAS may require 40% by volume of cement paste.
The mix with the larger NMAS therefore requires
25% less cement paste and thus 25% less water. This
is illustrated in the next slide.

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 Effect of NMAS on Paste Volume

30%
Cement 40%
Paste Cement
Paste

70% Larger
Aggregate 60%
NMAS Aggregate Smaller
NMAS

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 Questions to Ponder
Why does the amount of entrapped air in a concrete
mix decrease with increasing NMAS?

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 Questions to Ponder
The answer to this question is related to the previous
question. The only place in the mix where there is
entrapped air is in the cement paste. The air content
in the table is the amount of air per unit volume of
concrete. If all of the entrapped air is in the cement
paste and there is less cement paste, it stands to
reason that the air content of the concrete will be
lower.

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 Questions to Ponder
Why does the target air content in an air-entrained
mix decrease with increasing NMAS?

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 Questions to Ponder
The answer to this question is related to the previous
two questions as well. The goal of air entrainment is
to achieve a certain air content in the cement paste.
If, for durability reasons, the required air content of
the paste is the same in two mixes, but one requires
25% more paste (due to a smaller NMAS), then the
target air content of the concrete will automatically
be higher as shown in the next slide.

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 Air Content

40% Paste Air Content

Cement Assume 16%
Paste

Concrete Air Content

60%
Smaller 0.4  16% = 6.4%
Aggregate
NMAS

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 Air Content

30%
Cement Paste Air Content
Paste Assume 16%

70%
Concrete Air Content
Aggregate
Larger 0.3  16% = 4.8%
NMAS

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 Questions to Ponder
Why do you need less water in an air-entrained mix
than a non-air-entrained mix with the same NMAS?

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 Questions to Ponder
The short answer is that cement paste with a higher
air content takes up more space. Mix proportioning
is about having the right volume proportions of the
various ingredients, so less cement and water are
needed to produce the exact same volume of cement
paste. In our example, 280 lb of water will produce
the same volume of air-entrained cement paste as is
produced by 315 lb of water in the non-air-entrained
cement paste.

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 Step 3: Estimate the water and air

CIVL 3137 Source: Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (PCA, 2003) 30

 Step 4: Adjust for Aggregate Shape

An often overlooked part of the table used to estimate

the water content is the passage at the bottom, which
states that the estimates are based on an assumption
of reasonably well-shaped angular coarse aggregate.
If you are using a rounded aggregate such as gravel
rather than an angular aggregate such as crushed stone
you need less water than is shown in the table. The
table in the next slide estimates the adjustments
needed.
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 Step 4: Adjust for Aggregate Shape

Aggregate Water Reduction

Shape (pounds per cubic yard)

Crushed stone (angular) 0

Crushed stone (subangular) 20

Gravel (some crushed) 35

Gravel (well rounded) 45

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 Step 4: Adjust for Aggregate Shape

The mix design example says the coarse aggregate is

“subangular” so it is suggested that we reduce the
amount of water by 20 lb/yd3, so instead of 315 lb/yd3
of water, we should start with

Ww = 315 – 20 = 295 lb/yd3

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 Questions to Ponder
Why does the water required to obtain a given slump
change as a function of aggregate shape?

Aggregate Water Reduction

Shape (pounds per cubic yard)

Crushed stone (angular) 0

Crushed stone (subangular) 20

Gravel (some crushed) 35

Gravel (well rounded) 45

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 Questions to Ponder
Remember that the water content determines the paste
content. Rounded aggregate has less surface area per
unit volume of aggregate, as shown in the next slide,
so you need less paste to coat the aggregate and thus
less water.

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 Minimizing Surface Area

surface area = 6.0 ft2/ft3 surface area = 4.8 ft2/ft3

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Step 5: Determine Required Strength

As we said in the last lecture, the required strength of

the concrete mix is not the same as the design strength.
The design strength is the minimum strength that is
required from a structural standpoint. Since concrete
strength can vary greatly from one batch to the next,
you need to build in a factor of safety to ensure that
most, if not all, of the concrete exceeds the design
strength. If you don’t yet know the variability, the
table on the next slide estimates the overdesign you
need to build into the mix.
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Step 5: Determine Required Strength

Required Average Compressive Strength When Data
Are Not Available to Establish a Standard Deviation

Adapted from ASTM C94

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Step 5: Determine Required Strength

Since the design strength in our mix design example

is 4500 psi and we don’t yet know the variability of
our mix from one batch to the next, we need to add
1200 psi to achieve an adequate factor of safety, so
we need to design our mix for a strength of

f cr  f c  1200  4500  1200  5700 psi

CIVL 3137 42
 Step 6: Select the w/cm ratio

The water-cement ratio is correlated with strength

and durability. In general, lower water-cement ratios
produce stronger, more durable concrete. If natural
pozzolans (such as fly ash) are used then the ratio
becomes a water-cementitious material ratio.
The following table relates the required 28-day
compressive strength (including the overdesign factor)
to the water-cement ratio for both non-air-entrained
and air-entrained concrete mixes.
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 Step 6: Select the w/cm ratio

fcr 

CIVL 3137 Source: Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (PCA, 2003) 44

 Step 6: Select the w/cm ratio

Since our required concrete strength is 5700 psi, we

will have to interpolate in the table to get the correct
w/cm ratio. Our required strength is 70% of the way
from the 5000-psi entry to the 6000-psi entry so:

w cm  0.48  0.7  0.41  0.48   0.43

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 Questions to Ponder
Why is the w/cm ratio different for air-entrained
concrete compared to non-air-entrained concrete?

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 Questions to Ponder
In a previous lecture, we said that entraining air to
increase freeze/thaw durability comes as a price. As
the air content of the cement paste increases, the
concrete strength drops precipitously as shown in the
next slide. To compensate for the loss of strength, you
need to use a much lower w/cm ratio.

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 Effect of Air Content on Strength

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Step 7: Calculate the cement content

Now that we know the amount of water in the mix

and the required w/cm ratio, we can calculate the
amount of cement we need in the mix:

Wwater
Wcement =
w/cm ratio

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 Step 7: Calculate the cement weight

Based on 295 lb of water and a 0.43 w/cm ratio, the

amount of cement our design mix requires is

295
Wcement =  686 lb
0.43

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 Step 8: Estimate coarse aggregate

Selection of coarse aggregate content is empirically

based on mixture workability. The following table
estimates the volume percentage of coarse aggregate
(based on bulk volume) needed to produce concrete
with a proper degree of workability for reinforced
concrete construction. For things like pavement slabs
that don’t require as much workability, ACI allows
the values to be increased by up to 10 percent.

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 Step 8: Estimate coarse aggregate

b
bo

CIVL 3137 Source: Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (PCA, 2003) 55

 Step 8: Estimate coarse aggregate

The values in the table are called the b/bo factor. In a

nutshell, it tells you how big a box you would need
to build to exactly contain all of the coarse aggregate
in your mix (including all of the void spaces between
the aggregate particles).
As shown in the next slide, if you are trying to make
a volume of concrete with dimensions 1×1×bo you’d
need to build a box with dimensions 1×1×b to hold
all the coarse aggregate.
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 What does b/bo represent?

bo

Ratio of bulk aggregate volume (b)

to bulk concrete volume (bo)
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 Step 8: Estimate coarse aggregate

The b/bo factors are a function of the NMAS of the

coarse aggregate and the fineness modulus of the
fine aggregate. As we’ve said before, the larger the
aggregate, the less cement paste is needed to coat the
surface area, so the more room there is for coarse
aggregate. Also, as the fineness modulus of the sand
increases it becomes coarser and the blend of coarse
and fine aggregate becomes less gap-graded. As a
result you need slightly more sand and less gravel in
the mix.
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 Step 8: Estimate coarse aggregate

Once you know how large your virtual box needs to

be, you can calculate the weight of coarse aggregate
needed to fill that box by multiplying the volume of
the box by the dry-rodded unit weight of the coarse
aggregate.

Wgravel   b b o  Vbulk
γ bulk
concrete gravel

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 Step 8: Estimate coarse aggregate

In our example, the fineness modulus of the sand is

2.90, which is halfway between 2.80 and 3.00, so we
interpolate a b/bo value of 0.61 for a ¾” NMAS and
calculate the required coarse aggregate content from
its dry-rodded unit weight as

 ft 3   lb 
Wgravel   0.61  27 3  101 3   1663 lb yd 3
 yd   ft 

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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate

ACI provides two different methods to estimate the

amount of fine aggregate needed. The first method,
the estimated weight method, uses typical values for
the unit weight of concrete mixes to determine how
much the concrete should weigh once it’s mixed.
Once we’ve estimated the weight of all the other
ingredients, whatever is still missing must be that of
the sand.

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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Estimated Weight Method

Wtotal  Wcement  Wgravel  Wsand  Wwater

Wsand  Wtotal   Wcement  Wgravel  Wwater 

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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Estimated Weight Method
NMAS 3
First Estimate of Concrete Unit Mass (lb/ft )
(in) Non‐Air‐Entrained Concrete Air‐Entrained Concrete
⅜ 142.0 137.5
½ 144.0 139.0
¾ 146.5 141.5
1 148.5 143.5
1½ 151.0 146.0
2 153.0 147.5
3 155.5 150.0
6 157.5 152.0

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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Estimated Weight Method

Based on our ¾" NMAS, the density of the concrete

should be 146.5 lb/ft3, so our concrete should weigh

lb  ft 3 
 concrete  146.5 3  27 3   3956 lb yd 3
ft  yd 

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 Questions to Ponder
Why does the density rise with increasing NMAS?

NMAS 3
First Estimate of Concrete Unit Mass (lb/ft )
(in) Non‐Air‐Entrained Concrete Air‐Entrained Concrete
⅜ 142.0 137.5
½ 144.0 139.0
¾ 146.5 141.5
1 148.5 143.5
1½ 151.0 146.0
2 153.0 147.5
3 155.5 150.0
6 157.5 152.0

CIVL 3137 67
 Questions to Ponder
As we’ve said repeatedly, the larger the NMAS the
less cement paste is needed to coat the surface area
of the aggregate. Since cement paste is less dense
than a typical aggregate, a mix with more cement
paste will be less dense than a mix with less cement
paste.

CIVL 3137 68
 Questions to Ponder
So what is a typical density for cement paste?
To answer that, we’ll start with the observation that
the volume of the cement paste is equal to the sum of
the volumes of the cement and water (if we ignore
any entrapped air).
The weights of the cement and water can be found
by dividing their volumes by their specific gravities
and the unit weight of water.

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 Effect of NMAS on Unit Weight

Vpaste  Vwater  Vcement

Wpaste Wwater Wcement
 
RD paste  w RD water  w RDcement  w
Wwater  Wcement Wwater Wcement
 
RD paste RD water RDcement

CIVL 3137 70
 Questions to Ponder
If we assume a typical w/cm of 0.5 then the weight
of the water is 0.5 times the weight of the cement
and the total weight of the cement paste is 1.5 times
the weight of the cement. As shown on the next
slide, this leads to a typical specific gravity of 1.83
for the cement paste.
Aggregate typically has a specific gravity of 2.5-2.7,
so cement paste is 2/3 to 3/4 as dense as aggregate.

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 Effect of NMAS on Unit Weight

Assume w/c = 0.5

1.5 Wcement 0.5 Wcement 1.0 Wcement

 
RD paste 1.00 3.15
RD paste  1.83
RDaggregate  2.65  typical 
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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Estimated Weight Method

If our concrete has a “typical” unit weight of 3956 lb

per cubic yard of concrete then, using the estimated
weight method, the amount of sand that is needed to
complete the mix design is

Wsand  3956   686  1663  295   1312 lb yd 3

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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate

The estimated weight method is very approximate

because it’s based on “typical” unit weights. A more
precise method is the absolute volume method, which
determines the volume occupied by each ingredient
based on its bulk specific gravity (this is what is
meant by the absolute volume) then subtracts those
from 27 ft3 (1 yd3) to get the required volume of the
sand. Since the entrapped or entrained air occupies
some of that volume, it needs to be included, too.

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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Absolute Volume Method

Vtotal  Vcement  Vgravel  Vsand  Vwater  Vair

Vsand  Vtotal   Vcement  Vgravel  Vwater   Vair

CIVL 3137 77
 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate

In this approach, we use the bulk specific gravities

of the aggregate to determine their absolute volumes
because all of the water in the mix is supposed to be
in the cement paste and not in the pervious pores of
the aggregate. We will later add some water to the
mix to ensure the aggregate is SSD and doesn’t try to
absorb water from the cement paste.

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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Absolute Volume Method

Vsand  Vtotal   Vcement  Vgravel  Vwater   Vair

1  Wcement Wgravel Wwater 

Vsand  Vtotal    bulk    Vair
γ w  3.15 G gravel 1.00 

Wsand  Vsand  G bulk

sand  γw
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 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Absolute Volume Method

We originally estimated that our mix would contain

2% entrapped air, which is 0.54 ft3/yd3 of concrete, so

1  686 1663 295 

Vsand  27       0.54
62.4  3.15 2.574 1.00 

Vsand  27  18.57  0.54  7.89 ft 3 yd 3

CIVL 3137 80
 Step 9: Estimate fine aggregate
Absolute Volume Method

Now that we know the absolute volume of the sand,

we can determine its weight from its specific gravity:

Wsand  7.89  2.548  62.4 = 1254 lb yd 3

CIVL 3137 81
 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

The final step in the mix design (whether we used the

absolute volume or estimated weight method) is to
(1) add additional water to the mix to make sure the
aggregate is saturated and doesn’t absorb water from
the cement paste, and (2) adjust the weights of the
aggregate and the mixing water to account for the
fact that the aggregate stockpiles at the batch plant
will not be oven-dry.

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 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

1. Increase Wwater by an amount equal to the

weight of water needed to saturate the fine
and coarse aggregate.

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Since we did our calculations based on bulk OD specific gravity …

… we‘ve assumed the pervious pores are filled with air.

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If we don’t add enough extra water to fill those pervious pores …

… the aggregate will suck water out of the cement paste.

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 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

The amount of water needed to saturate the aggregate

is just the product of the aggregate weight and the
aggregate absorption:

Wwater   0.019 1663   0.017 1254  53 lb yd 3

Wwater  295  53  348 lb yd 3

CIVL 3137 86
 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

So, based on the absolute volume method calculations,

our “laboratory” mix design (i.e., what we’d make in
the laboratory using oven-dry aggregate) is

Wwater = 348 lb/yd3

Wcement = 686 lb/yd3
WOD gravel = 1663 lb/yd3
WOD sand = 1254 lb/yd3

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 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

1. Increase Wwater by an amount equal to the

weight of water needed to saturate the fine
and coarse aggregate.
2. Increase Wsand and Wgravel to account for the
current moisture contents of the aggregate
in the batch plant stockpiles.

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 If our mix design calls for 1000 lb of dry aggregate …

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 … but the moisture content is currently 10% …

… we have to weigh up 1000 (1.10) = 1100 lb of moist aggregate.

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 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

For our example, assume the sand stockpile has a

moisture content of 6.2% and the gravel stockpile
has a moisture content of 2.1% on the day we are
going to batch our concrete mix. Then

Wwet sand  1.062 1254  1332 lb yd 3

Wwet gravel  1.0211663  1698 lb yd 3

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 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

1. Increase Wwater by an amount equal to the

weight of water needed to saturate the fine
and coarse aggregate.
2. Increase Wsand and Wgravel by an amount
equal to the moisture contents of the
aggregate stockpiles.
3. Decrease Wwater by the same amount you
increased Wsand and Wgravel.

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 Since we’ve weighed up 1000 lb of dry aggregate + 100 lb of water …

… we have to reduce the amount of water we add from the faucet by 100 lb.

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 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

Since Mother Nature is providing some of the water

needed in the mix, we can reduce the amount we add
from the faucet by a like amount:

Wwater  1698  1663  1332  1254   113 lb yd 3

Wwater  348  113  235 lb yd 3

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 Step 10: Adjust for Moisture Content

So, our “field” mix (i.e., what we’d make in the field
today using aggregate in its current moisture state) is

Wwater = 235 lb/yd3

Wcement = 686 lb/yd3
Wwet gravel = 1663 lb/yd3
Wwet sand = 1254 lb/yd3

CIVL 3137 95