ECS426

Structures and Materials Laboratory

CONCRETE MIX DESIGN
By:
Dr. Nazirah Ab.Wahab
Dr. Norliyati Mohd Amin
En. Amiruddin Mishad
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 Learning outcome:
At the end of this lecture, students should be able to
design the concrete mix with specific requirement

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Concrete

Cement + water + coarse & fine aggregate

+ admixture (if required)

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 Concrete mix design
Purpose:
To determine the proportion of concrete constituents to produce workable and an
economical concrete with the required strength and durability.
The ratios may be expressed by volume or weight, but mixing by volume is more practical in
the field.

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 Normal concrete mix design
• Design is based on the assumption of certain minimum properties of concrete
such as strength.
• Necessary to design a mix to have a target mean strength greater than the
specified characteristic strength by an amount termed the margin.
• Target mean strength = characteristic strength + margin

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 Stage 1
Deals with strength leading to the free-water/cement ratio

Stage 2
Concrete mix Deals with workability leading to the free-water content

design (British Stage 3

Combine the results of stage 1 and stage 2 to produce cement
Method) content

Stage 4
Deals with the determination of the total aggregate content

Stage 5
Deals with the selection of the fine and coarse aggregate
content 6
 Example:
Prepare 6 concrete test cubes (150x150x150mm) for compression test at 7 and
28 days after casting according to the required specification of the mix.

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 Specification of the mix
NO DESCRIPTION SPECIFIED
1 Characteristic compressive strength at 28 days 30 N/mm²
2 Defective rate 2.5%
3 Cement type OPC class 42.5
4 Maximum aggregate size 20mm
5 Slump required 30-60mm
6 Maximum free w/c ratio 0.55
7 Minimum cement content: 290 kg/m³
8 Coarse aggregate Crushed
9 Fine aggregate Uncrushed
10 Grading of fine aggregate (%) passing 600 µm sieve 54%
11 Relative density of aggregate 2.70
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 Calculation for quantity of concrete
Calculation of quantity required to cast concrete structure must be based on the volume of the structure. In addition, extra
quantity is required for cubes to enable compression strength tests to be carried out. However, during mixing, an additional
of 10% volume is recommended to accommodate for waste. Table 3.3 shows the calculation in obtaining the concrete
volume.

Size of mould = 150 x 150 x 150 mm

= 0.15x0.15x0.15
= 0.003375 m³ (1 cube)
Total volume for 6 cubes = 6 x 0.003375 m³ = 0.02025 m³
The trial mix cube mixing volume = Total volume +10% additional
= 0.02025 m³ + 0.002025 m³
= 0.022275 m³ 9
 Solution

30 28
2.5
Figure 3

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Figure 3 Relationship between standard deviation and characteristic strength

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 Solution

30 28
2.5
Figure 3 8
M=kxs

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Margin M

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Constant k

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 Solution

30 28
2.5
Figure 3 8
M=kxs 1.96 1.96 8 16

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Target mean strength

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 Solution

30 28
2.5
Figure 3 8
M=kxs 1.96 1.96 8 16
30 16 46

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Table 2

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 (1) Locate the value obtained

Figure 4 earlier in Table 2 (49 N/mm2),

then project it until intersect
with vertical straight line
Relationship
between (2) Plot the equivalent curve
through the intersection
compressive determined in step 1
strength and free- (3) Locate the value of target
water/cement ratio mean strength (46 N/mm2),
then project it until intersect the
newly constructed curve in step
2

(4) Obtain the value of free

water/cement ratio
0.52
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 Solution

30 28
2.5
Figure 3 8
M=kxs 1.96 1.96 8 16
30 16 46

0.52
0.55 0.52
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30-60
20

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 Free water content coarse agg.

Free water content

fine agg.

=(2/3)(210) + (1/3)(180)
= 200 kg/m3 22
30-60
20
200

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Determination of cement content

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 30-60
20
200
200 0.52 380
500
Decide by engineer
300
380

2.7

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 Figure 5
Estimated wet
density of fully
compacted
concrete
Locate the value free 2420 kg/m3
water content which
obtained in Item 2.3 (200
kg/m3) and project it
into crushed or
uncrushed (choose the
higher value)

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 30-60
20
200
200 0.52 380
500
Decide by engineer
300
380

2.7
2420
2420 380 200 1840
(item 3.3) (item 2.3) Fine and coarse)
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54

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Figure 6

Locate intersection
between free
water/cement ratio
and % of passing fine
aggregate

36% 54%
Project the intersection
in y axis and take the
value of fine aggregate
(%)

0.52
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 54
36

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31
Obtain in

54
36
1840
Obtain in Item 4.3
36% 662
1840 662 1178

380 200 662 392 786

0.022275 9 5 15 9 18

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