CONCRETE MIX DESIGN AND ITS ADVANTAGES

Concrete mix design is of two types:

1. Nominal concrete mix
2. Designed concrete mix
Nominal concrete mixes are those specified by standard codes for common construction
works. These mix takes into consideration the margin for quality control, material quality
and workmanship in concrete construction.
M10, M15, M20 are the commonly used nominal mixes used in construction. For higher
grade of concrete, i.e. M25 and above, it is advised to have designed mix concrete.
Designed mix concrete suggests proportions of cement, sand, aggregates and water (and
sometimes admixtures) based on actual material quality, degree of quality control, quality
of materials and their moisture content for given concrete compressive strength required for
the project. Designed mix concrete are carried out in laboratory and based on various tests
and revisions in mix designs, the final mix proportions are suggested.
The concrete mix can be designed from M10 to various grades of concrete such as M50,
M80, M100 etc for various workability requirements from no slump to 150mm slump
values. These grades of concrete can be achieved by variations in the mix proportions and
laboratory tests to ascertain it.
Sometimes admixtures are also required to enhance some properties of concrete such as
workability, setting time etc. These admixtures also need to be considered during concrete
mix design calculations for its optimum use. Their overdose can affect the properties of
concrete and can cause harm to strength and durability.

Concrete mix design is the method of proportioning of ingredients of concrete to enhance

its properties during plastic stage as well as during hardened stage, as well as to find
economical mix proportions.
Properties desired from concrete in plastic stage:
Workability Suitable workability for proper placement of concrete in structural member.
Cohesiveness better cohesiveness between cement and aggregates to prevent
segregation of concrete.
Initial set retardation to control the initial setting time of concrete based on
requirements.
Properties desired from concrete in hardened stage: Strength Strength of concrete is the main objective of the concrete mix design.
Imperviousness Better mix proportions to improve imperviousness for protection of
reinforcement form corrosion and enhanced durability of concrete.
Durability To increase the durability of concrete.
Advantages of Concrete Mix Design:
Concrete mix design is economically proportioning of concrete ingredients for better
strength and durability based on construction site. While the nominal concrete mix may
have higher amount of cement, when it is designed mix, the cement requirement may be
low for the same grade of concrete for a given site. The proportions resulting from concrete

mix design are tested for their strength with the help of compressive strength test on
concrete cubes and cylinders.
The concrete mix design proves to provide better quality economically.
Following are the advantages of concrete mix designs:
1. Good quality concrete as per requirements this means the concrete will have required
strength, workability, impermeability, durability, density and homogeneity.
2. Nominal mix concrete may suggest more cement than other materials, and concrete mix
designs gives the accurate quantity of cement consumption. Thus it is an economical
solution for large projects.
It is possible to save up to 15% of cement for M20 grade of concrete with the help of
concrete mix design. In fact higher the grade of concrete more are the savings. Lower
cement content also results in lower heat of hydration and hence reduces shrinkage cracks.
3. Best use of available materials:
The nominal mix of concrete does not consider the quality of local construction materials.
The concrete mix design is based on the quality of available materials locally. Thus it is
also an economical solution to reduce the transportation cost of materials from long
distance.
4. Desired Concrete Properties:
The designed mix concrete will have desired concrete properties based on project or
construction requirements. Requirements such as durability, strength, setting times,
workability etc. can be controlled with the type of construction with concrete mix design.
Other requirements such as early de-shuttering, pumpability, flexural strength, lightweight
concrete can also be controlled.

REQUIREMENTS FOR CONCRETE MIX DESIGN

Requirements of concrete mix design should be known before calculations for concrete
mix. Mix design is done in the laboratory and samples from each mix designed is tested for
confirmation of result. But before the mix design process is started, the information about
available materials, strength of concrete required, workability, site conditions etc. are
required to be known.

Following are the information required for concrete mix

design:
1. Characteristic strength of concrete required: Characteristic strength is the strength of
concrete below which not more than 5% of test results of samples are expected to fall. This
can also be called as the grade of concrete required for mix design. For example, for M30
grade concrete, the required concrete compressive strength is 30 N/mm2 and characteristic
strength is also the same.

Fig: Characteristic Strength of Concrete

2. Workability requirement of concrete: The workability of concrete is commonly
measured by slump test. The slump value or workability requirement of concrete is based
on the type of concrete construction.

Fig: Workability of Concrete Slump Test

For example, reinforced concrete construction with high percentage of steel reinforcement,
it will be difficult to compact the concrete with vibrators or other equipment. In this case,
the workability of concrete should be such that the concrete flows to each and every part of
the member. For concrete member, where it is easy to compact the concrete, low
workability concrete can also be used.
It is also known that with increase in workability of concrete, the strength of concrete
reduces. Thus, based on type of structure or structural member, the workability requirement
of concrete should be assumed and considered in the mix design.
For pumped concrete, it is essential to have high workability to transfer concrete to greater
heights with ease. This case also should be considered in the mix design.
3. Quality control at site: The strength and durability of concrete depends on the degree of
quality control during construction operation at site. Nominal mixes of concrete assumes
the worst quality control at site based on past experiences.
Thus, for design mix concrete, it is essential to understand the quality control capability of
contractor and workmen at construction site in mixing, transporting, placing, compacting
and curing of concrete. Each step in concrete construction process affects the strength and
durability of concrete.
The availability of workmen also affects quality control of concrete. The more skilled
workmen and supervision helps to maintain good quality construction.
4. Weather conditions: Weather impacts the setting time of concrete. In hot climate, the
concrete tends to set early due to loss in moisture, and in this case, the concrete need to
have higher water cement ratio or special admixtures to delay initial setting of concrete.
Recommendations for concrete cooling agents also required to be mentioned in the mix
design for very hot weather conditions.

In cold climates, the initial setting time of concrete increases as the moisture loss rate is
very low. Due to this, water cement ratio is considered appropriately. Admixtures should
also be recommended to prevent freezing of concrete in case of very cold climate.
5. Exposure conditions of concrete: Exposure conditions play an important role in the mix
design of concrete. The exposure conditions such as chemical actions, coastal areas etc.
needs to be considered for the given site. Generally exposure conditions as per code of
practices are mild, moderate, severe, very severe and extreme exposure conditions for
concrete constructions.
The grade of concrete and durability requirements of concrete changes with exposure
conditions. For extreme exposure conditions some standard codes mention minimum
strength of concrete as M35.
6. Batching and mixing methods: There are two types of batching method, i.e. volumetric
batching and batching by weight. These two conditions should be known for concrete mix
design calculations.

Fig: Batching and Mixing Methods for Concrete

Mixing methods include manual mixing, machine mixing, ready mix concrete etc. The
quality control of concrete varies with each type of mixing method.
7. Quality of materials: Each construction material should have been tested in laboratory
before it is considered for mix design calculations. The type of material, their moisture
content, suitability for construction, and their chemical and physical properties affects the
mix design of concrete. Type of cement to be used for construction, coarse and fine
aggregates sources, their size and shape should be considered.

Fig: Quality of Materials for Concrete Construction

8. Special Requirements of concrete: Special requirement of concrete such as setting
times, early strength, flexural strength,

PROPERTIES OF REACTIVE POWDER CONCRETE

Properties of RPC:

The mixture design of Reactive Powder Concrete primarily involves the creation of a dense
granular skeleton. Optimization of the granular mixture can be achieved by the use of
packing models.
Property of RPC

Description

Recommended
value

Type of failure
eliminated

Reduction in
aggregate size

Coarse aggregate
are replace by
fine sand, with a
reduction in the
size of the coarse
aggregate by a
factor of about
50.

Maximum size of
fine sand is 600
m

Mechanical,
chemical &
thermomechanical

Enhanced
mechanical
properties

Improved
mechanical
properties of the
paste by the
addition of silica
fume

Youngs modulus
values in 50-75
Gpa range

Distribution on
the mechanical
stress field

Reduction in
aggregate to
matrix ratio

Limitation of sand
content

Volume of the
paste is at least
20 % voids index
of noncompacted sand

By any external
source (for
example
formwork).

Mechanical Performance and Durability of RPC:

The Reactive Powder Concrete family includes two types of concrete, designated RPC 200
and RPC 800, which offers interesting implicational possibilities in different areas.
Mechanical for the two types of RPC are given in the table. The high flexural strength of
RPC is due to addition steel fibres.
Comparison of RPC 200 Mpa and RPC 800 Mpa:
Property
Pre-setting pressurization,
Mpa
Compressive strength

RPC 200 Mpa

None

RPC 800 Mpa

50

170 to 230

490 to 680

(using quartz sand), Mpa

Compressive strength
(using steel aggregate),
Mpa
Flexural strength, Mpa

650 to 810

30 to 60

45 to 141

Comparison of HPC (80 Mpa) and RPC 200 Mpa:

Property
Compressive strength, Mpa
Flexural strength, Mpa
Modulus of elasticity, Gpa
Fracture toughness, J/m2

HPC (80 Mpa )

80
7
40
<103

RPC 200 Mpa

200
40
60
30103

Table shows typical mechanical properties of RPC compared to a conventional HPC having
compressive strength of 80 Mpa. As fracture toughness, which is a measure of energy
absorbed per unit volume of material to fracture, is higher for RPC, it exhibits high
ductility. Apart from their exceptional mechanical properties, RPC have an ultra-dense
microstructure, giving advantageous water proofing and durability characters. These
materials can be therefore be used for industrial and nuclear waste storage facilities.
RPC has ultra-high durability characteristic resulting from its extremely low porosity, low
permeability, limited shrinkage and increasing corrosion resistance. In comparison to HPC,
there is no RPC given in table enable its use in chemically aggressive environments and
where physical wear greatly limits the life of other concretes.
Laboratory investigations of Materials used in RPC:

The materials used for the laboratory study, there is specification and properties have been
presented in the table.
Materials used in the study and their properties:
Sl.n
o

Sample

Specific gravity

Particle size range

3.15

31 m 7.5 m

1.

Cement, OPC, 53grade

2.

Micro silica

2.2

5.3 m 1.8 m

3.

Quartz powder

2.7

5.3 m 1.3 m

4.

Standard sand,
grade-1

5.

Steel fibres (30 mm)

6.

River sand

2.65

0.6mm 0.3 mm

7.1

Length: 30 mm
and diameter:0.4
mm

2.61

2.36 mm 0.15
mm

Mixture design of RPC and HPC:

The process of mixture selection of Reactive Powder Concrete and High Performance
Concrete is given below. Considerable numbers of trial mixtures were prepared to obtain
good RPC and HPC mixture proportions.
MIXTURE PROPORTIONS OF RPC AND HPC:
Material
Cement
Silica fume
Quartz powder
Standard sand grade 1
River sand
30 mm steel fibers
Admixture (polyacrylate
based)
Water

Mixture proportions
RPC F
HPC F
1.00
1.00
0.25
0.12
0.31
1.09
0.20
0.03
0.023
0.4

0.4

Workability and density were recorded for the fresh concrete mixtures. Some RPC
specimens were heat cured by heating in a water bath at 90o C after until the time of testing.
Specimens of RPC and HPC were also cured in water at room temperature. The
performance of RPC and HPC was monitored over time with respect to the following
parameters.

Fresh concrete properties.

Compressive strength

Flexural strength

Water absorption

RPC Fresh concrete properties:

The workability of RPC mixtures (with and without fibres), measured using the mortar
flow table test as r\per ASTMC10916, was in the range of120-140%. On the other hand, the
workability of HPC mixtures (with fibres), measured using the slump test as per ASTM
C23117, was in the range of 120-150mm. The density of fresh RPC and HPC mixture was
found to be in the range of 2500-2650 kg/m3.
Compressive strength:
The compressive strength analysis throughout the study shows that RPC has higher
compressive strength than HPC, as shown in fig. compressive strength is one of the factors
linked with durability of a material.

The maximum compressive strength of RPC obtained from this study is as 200Mpa, while
the maximum strength obtained for HPC is 75Mpa. The incorporation of fibres and use of
heat curing was seen to enhance the compressive strength of RPC by 30 to 50%. The
incorporation of fibres did not affect the compressive strength of HPC significantly.
Flexural strength of RPC:
Plain RPC was found to possess marginally higher flexural strength than HPC. Table
clearly explains the variation in flexural strength of RPC and HPC with the addition of steel
fibers. Here the increase of flexural strength of RPC with the addition of fibers is higher
than that of HPC.
As per literature, RPC 200should have an approximate flexural strength of 40 Mpa. The
reason for low flexural strength obtained in the study could be that the fibers used (30mm)
were long and their diameter was relatively higher. Fibre reinforced RPC (with appropriate
fibres) has the potential to be used in structures without any additional steel reinforcement.
This cost reduction in reinforcement can compensate the increase in cost by the elimination
of coarse aggregates in RPC to some extent.
Flexural Strength at 28 days, Mpa

RPC
NC
11

RPC F
NC
18

HPC
NC
8

HPC F
NC
10

Water absorption of RPC:

A common trend of decrees in the water absorption with age is seen here both for RPC and
HPC. The percentage of water absorption of RPC, however, is very low compared to that of
the HPC. The quality of RPC is one among the desired properties of nuclear waste
containment materials.

HOW COARSE AGGREGATES AFFECT MIX DESIGN?

Coarse Aggregate Properties affecting Mix Design Strength

Maximum size of coarse aggregate:

Maximum size of aggregate affects the workability and strength of concrete. It also
influences the water demand for getting a certain workability and fine aggregate content
required for achieving a cohesive mix.
For a given weight, higher the maximum size of aggregate, lower is the surface
area of coarse aggregates and vice versa. As maximum size of coarse
aggregate reduces, surface area of coarse aggregate increases. Higher the
surface area, greater is the water demand to coat the particles and
generate workability. Smaller maximum size of coarse aggregate will require
greater fine aggregate content to coat particles and maintain cohesiveness of
concrete mix. Hence 40 mm down coarse aggregate will require much less
water than 20 mm down aggregate. In other words for the same
workability, 40mm down aggregate will have lower water/cement
ratio, thus higher strength when compared to 20mm down aggregate.
Because of its lower water demand, advantage of higher maximum
size of coarse aggregate can be taken to
lower the cement consumption.

Maximum size of aggregate is often restricted by clear

cover and minimum distance between the reinforcement
bars. Maximum size of coarse aggregate should be 5
mm less than clear cover or minimum distance
between the reinforcement bars, so that the aggregates
can pass through the reinforcement in congested areas,
to produce dense and homogenous concrete.
It is advantageous to use greater maximum size of coarse aggregate for concrete grades up
to M 35 where mortar failure is predominant. Lower water/cement ratio will mean higher
strength of mortar (which is the weakest link) and will result in higher strength of concrete.
However, for concrete grades above M40, bond failure becomes predominant. Higher

maximum size of aggregate, which will have lower area of contact with cement mortar
paste, will fail earlier because of bond failure. Hence for higher grades of concrete (M40
and higher) it is advantageous to use lower maximum size of aggregate to prevent bond
failure.
Grading of coarse aggregate:

The coarse aggregate grading limits are given in IS 383 1970 table 2, Clause 4.1 and 4.2
for single size aggregate as well as graded aggregate. The grading of coarse aggregate is
important to get cohesive & dense concrete. The voids left by larger coarse aggregate
particles are filled by smaller coarse aggregate particles and so on. This way, the
volume of mortar (cement-sand-water paste) required to fill the final voids is minimum.
However, in some cases gap graded aggregate can be used where some intermediate size is
not used. Use of gap-graded aggregate may not have adverse effect on strength. By proper
grading of coarse aggregate, the possibility of segregation is minimised, especially for
higher workability. Proper grading of coarse aggregates also improves thecompactability of
concrete.
Shape of coarse aggregate:

CoAse aggregates can have round, angular, or irregular shape. Rounded aggregates because
of lower surface area will have lowest water demand and also have lowest mortar paste
requirement. Hence they will result in most economical mixes for concrete grades up to
M35. However, for concrete grades of M40 and above (as in case of max size of aggregate)
the possibility of bond failure will tilt the balance in favour of angular aggregate with more
surface area. Flaky and elongated coarse aggregate particles not only increase the water
demand but also increase the tendency of segregation. Flakiness and elongation also reduce
the flexural strength of concrete. Specifications by Ministry of Surface Transport restrict
the combined flakiness and elongation to 30% by weight of coarse aggregates.
Strength of coarse aggregate:

Material strength of coarse aggregate is indicated by crushing strength of rock, aggregate

crushing value, aggregate impact value, aggregate abrasion value. In Maharashtra the
coarse aggregates are made of basalt rock, which has strengths in excess of 100 N/mm2.
Hence aggregates rarely fail in strength. The IS limits for above tests are given below:
Aggregate Crushing value
Aggregate Impact value
Aggregate abrasion value

Aggregate Absorption:

Aggregate can absorb water up to 2 % by weight when in bone dry state, however, in some
cases the aggregate absorption can be as high as 5%. Aggregate absorption is used for
applying a correction factor for aggregates in dry condition and determining water demand
of concrete in saturated surface dry condition.
FACTORS AFFECTING CONCRETE MIX DESIGN STRENGTH
Factors that affects the concrete mix design strengths are:
Variables in Mix Design

A. Water/cement ratio
B. Cement content
C. Relative proportion of fine & coarse aggregates
D. Use of admixtures
A. Water/cement ratio

Water to cement ratio (W/C ratio) is the single most

important factor governing the strength and durability
of concrete. Strength of concrete depends upon W/C
ratio rather than the cement content. Abrams law
states that higher the water/cement ratio, lower is
the strength of concrete. As a thumb rule every 1%
increase in quantity of water added, reduces the
strength of concrete by 5%. A water/cement ratio of only 0.38 is required for complete
hydration of cement. (Although this is the theoretical limit, water cement ratio lower than
0.38 will also increase the strength, since all the cement that is added, does not hydrate)
Water added for workability over and above this water/cement ratio of 0.38, evaporates
leaving cavities in the concrete. These cavities are in the form of thin capillaries. They
reduce the strength and durability of concrete. Hence, it is very important to control the
water/cement ratio on site. Every extra liter of water will approx. reduce the strength of
concrete by 2 to 3 N/mm2and increase the workability by 25 mm. As stated earlier, the
water/cement ratio strongly influences the permeability of concrete and durability of
concrete. Revised IS 456-2000 has restricted the maximum water/cement ratios for
durability considerations by clause 8.2.4.1, table 5.
B. Cement content

Cement is the core material in concrete, which acts as a binding agent and imparts strength
to the concrete. From durability considerations cement content should not be reduced below
300Kg/m3 for RCC. IS 456 2000 recommends higher cement contents for more severe

conditions of exposure of weathering agents to the concrete. It is not necessary that higher
cement content would result in higher strength. In fact latest findings show that for the
same water/cement ratio, a leaner mix will give better strength. However, this does not
mean that we can achieve higher grades of concrete by just lowering the water/cement
ratio. This is because lower water/cement ratios will mean lower water contents and result
in lower workability. In fact for achieving a given workability, a certain quantity of water
will be required. If lower water/cement ratio is to be achieved without disturbing the
workability,cement content will have to be increased. Higher cement content helps us in
getting the desired workability at a lower water/cement ratio. In most of the mix design
methods, the water contents to achieve different workability levels are given in form of
empirical relations.
Water/cement ratios required to achieve target mean strengths are interpolated from graphs
given in IS 10262 Clause 3.1 and 3.2 fig 2. The cement content is found as follows:

Thus, we see that higher the workability of concrete, greater is cement content
required and vice versa. Also, greater the water/cement ratio, lower is the cement
content required and vice versa.
C. Relative proportion of fine, coarse aggregates gradation of
aggregates

Aggregates are of two types as below:

a. Coarse aggregate (Metal): These are particles retained on standard IS 4.75mm sieve.
b. Fine aggregate(Sand): These are particles passing standard IS 4.75mm sieve.
Proportion of fine aggregates to coarse aggregate depends on following:
i. Fineness of sand: Generally, when the sand is fine, smaller proportion of it is enough to
get a cohesive mix; while coarser the sand, greater has to be its proportion with respect to
coarse aggregate.
ii. Size& shape of coarse aggregates: Greater the size of coarse aggregate lesser is the
surface area and lesser is the proportion of fine aggregate required and vice versa. Flaky
aggregates have more surface area and require greater proportion of fine aggregates to get
cohesive mix. Similarly, rounded aggregate have lesser surface area and require lesser
proportion of fine aggregate to get a cohesive mix.

iii. Cement content: Leaner mixes require more proportion of fine aggregates than richer
mixes. This is because cement particles also contribute to the fines in concrete.