PAMPANGA STATE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

Magalang, Pampanga
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING and COMPUTER STUDIES
Department of Civil Engineering

Construction Materials and Testing

LABORATORY EXPERIMENT No. 2
MIXING OF CONCRETE

CABALLES,KEISSER LOIS March 02, 2023

Name of the Student Date

BSCE 2 – A
Year & Section Signature

Dr. Maria Cristina V. David

Associate Professor
INTRODUCTION

In this Laboratory activity BSCE 2A was given a chance to create a concrete mix .
The basis of a reliable infrastructure is built with a suitable concrete mix design. Finding the right
ratios of cement, sand, and aggregates for concrete to achieve the desired strength in constructions is
known as concrete mix design. Concrete Mix = Cement:Sand:Aggregates can be used to describe the
design of a concrete mix. Approximately 10% cement, 20% air and water, 30% sand, and 40% gravel
make the standard concrete mix. The 10-20-30-40 Rules specify this, albeit the ratios may change
based on the kind of cement and other elements.

To determine the proper mix proportions, the concrete mix design method involves a variety
of procedures, calculations, and laboratory tests. Making a perfect concrete mix is difficult since
each component has a different set of qualities. The ingredients for the mix may differ from one
project area to the next, thus it is crucial to remember that the physical qualities must be evaluated
for the specifications set out for each location.

The final outcome of combining the components for concrete is homogeneous concrete with
the best effectiveness, longevity, and compressive ultimate strength. Trial and error testing is used in
this procedure to ensure that the right mix design is obtained for each individual project. The values
of the physical parameters acquired after testing will be utilized as the foundation for all concrete
mix design considerations. This will guarantee the stability of the framework and guard against mix
failure.
PURPOSE: Procedure to mix concrete and obtain test samples.

RELATED STANDARS: ASTM C192

EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS:

1. Pan

2. Tamping rod

3. Mixer

4. Shovel

5. Scoop
PROCEDURE TO MAKE CONCRETE SAMPLE BY HAND MIXING:

1. Hand mixing should be limited to batches of 0.25 ft3 volume or less.

2. Mixing apparatus and accessories should be cleaned thoroughly.
3. Mix the batch in a damp, watertight metal pan.
4. Mix the cement, powdered admixture (if used), and fine aggregate.
5. Add the coarse aggregate and mix the entire batch without the addition of water until the coarse
aggregate is uniformly distributed throughout the base.
6. Add water and admixture solution (if used), and mix until the concrete is homogeneous in
appearance.

PROCEDURE TO MAKE CONCRETE SAMPLE BY HAND MIXING:

1. Add coarse aggregate, some of the mixing water, and admixture solution (if any) to the mixer.
2. Start the mixer.
3. Add fine aggregate, cement, and the balance of the water when the mixer is running. (If it is
impractical to add these materials when the mixer is running, they may be added to the stopped
mixer after permitting it to run a few revolutions following the addition of coarse aggregate and part
of the mixing water.)
4. Mix for 3 min. followed by a 3 min rest, followed by 2 min of final mixing.
5. Tilt the mixer while it is running and pour the concrete into a clean and wet wheelbarrow.
6. Remove any concrete stuck in the mixer using scoop or trowel.
7. Remix concrete in the wheelbarrow using a shovel.
TABULATED DATA:

SAND (fine aggregate) 50.6 kg

GRAVEL (coarse aggregate) 30 kg

PORTLAND CEMENT 13.10 kg

WATER 4.5 L

COMPUTATION:

S .G of Cement=3.15

w
=0.9
c

kg kg
Density of Cement=3.15 ×1000 3
=3150 3
m m

mc
Volume of Cement=
pc

13 kg
volume of cement =
kg
3150 3
m

3 3
V c =0.0004158m ×0.9=0.003743 m

3 L
0.003743 m × 1000 =3.74 liters of water
m3

3.74 liters of water

DISCUSSION OF RESULT, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The student from BSCE 2-A performed their laboratory activity of mixing concrete. To start,
they collected all the necessary materials, like a shovel, graduated cylinders, slump cone, cement,
sand, gravel, water, and, lastly, a weighing scale. After they gathered all the needed materials, they
started to weigh the cement, coarse aggregate, and fine aggregate (13.1 kg, 30 kg, and 50.6 kg,
respectively). Afterwards, students began to thoroughly mix all the aggregates while slowly adding
the 4 liters of water, but as they mixed the mixture, they observed that it was too dry for the mixture.
That is why students added another 500 ml of water to achieve the desired texture and moisture.

Subsequently, the mixture was placed inside an Abram’s cone to test for the slump; they
filled the first 1/3 of the cone while tamping it 25 times. Tamping is done to compact the low slump
concrete mix while it's still wet, making it stronger and more durable. This step is repeated two more
times until they fill the entire cone. When they are done, the filled cone is put on the ground and
flipped upside-down. To measure the slump, place the Abrams cone beside the concrete mixture, put
the tamping rod above, and then using a ruler, calculate or measure the slump. In this activity,
students had a result of no slump or zero slump because the concrete just maintained the actual shape
of the mould. This only means that the mixture is stiff, consistent, and has almost no workability.
With this result, we can conclude that the mixture that the CE students prepared indicated a low
water-cement ratio.

With this activity, it shows how important to design an accurate mixture of concrete because
the strength, durability, and workability of a concrete will depend on the mixture we design, a flawed
concrete mixture will result to a defective infrastructure that later on will cost some casualties.
DOCUMENTATION

Collection of materials Weighing the cement

Weighing the Fine Aggregate Weighing the Coarse Aggregates

Discussion for
the right amount of water Mixing the cement and fine aggregates
Adding the coarse aggregate
 Adding the water

Mixing the concrete mix thoroughly

Preparing for the slump test

Filling the Abram’s Cone of mixture

Measuring the Slump