DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS

CONCRETE MIXED DESIGN

PREPARED BY: DR RAFIZA BT ABDUL RAZAK

OBJECTIVES

1. To practice the ‘Department of Environment (DOE)’ concrete mix design method.

THEORY

Concrete Mix Design

A concrete mix design can be proportioned from existing statistical data using the same materials,
proportions, and concreting conditions. The problem of designing a concrete mix consists of selecting
the correct proportions of cement, sand, coarse aggregate and water to produce concrete having the
specified properties. There are many properties of concrete that can be specified, such as workability,
strength, density, elastic modulus and durability requirements. However, the properties most
frequently specified are:

1. The workability of the fresh concrete

2. The compressive strength of the concrete at a specified age
3. The durability, by means of specifying the minimum cement content and/or the maximum free
water/cement ratio, and in some cases requiring the use of selected types of materials.

i) Aggregate in mix design

The suitability of the aggregates can be determined from tests performed on aggregates such as
soundness, specific gravity, grading, chemical analysis. The shape and texture of aggregates will
influence the properties of concrete. The particle shape will have an effect on the concrete workability
while surface texture will affect the bonding between matrix and aggregate particles, hence will
influence the strength of the concrete.

ii) Design for strength

Concrete mix shall be designed to have greater mean strength than the specified characteristics
strength. This is because of the variability in concrete strength as a result of variation in quality
materials, variation in mix proportions due to batching process and variation due to sampling and
testing of materials.
iii) Characteristics Strength

The variation in concrete strengths follows the normal distribution as shown in Figure 1. The area
beneath the curve represents the total number of test results, and the proportion of results less than
some specified value is represented by the area beneath the curve to the left hand side of a vertical line
drawn through the specified value.

Figure 1: Normal distribution of concrete strengths

This normal distribution curve is symmetrical about its mean, has a precise mathematical equation and
is completely specified by two parameters, its mean, m and its standard deviation, s. The standard
deviation is a measure of a variability calculated from equation:

The standard deviation increase when the specified characteristics strength increases up to a certain
level. Above about 20 MPa, the standard deviation is independent of the specified characteristics
strength.

iv) Mix design margin

Because of the potential variability in concrete strength, it is essential to design a concrete mix that
has greater target mean strength than the specified characteristics strength by an amount termed as
margin. Thus,
The constant k is derived from the mathematics of the normal distribution and increases as the
proportion of defectives is decreased, thus:

k for 10% defectives = 1.28

k for 5% defectives = 1.64

k for 2.5% defectives = 1.96

k for 1% defectives = 2.33

For 5% defective level, k = 1.64, so fm = fc + 1.64s.

v) Mix workability

Concrete mix with an acceptable degree of workability should be capable of being transported, placed
and compacted with minimum loss of homogeneity. There are several methods which can be used to
assess the workability of concrete such as the slump test, the compacting factor test, the flow table test
and the V-B time test.

vi) Free-water content

It is the primary factor which affects the workability of concrete. For a mix with specified type and
maximum size of coarse aggregate, the higher the water content will produce higher workability
which is normally reflected by higher slump and lower V-B time. Lower free water content will
produce denser concrete with lower permeability. This will enhance the strength and durability
performance of the concrete. However, the workability of the concrete should also be given
consideration as it will influence the compact ability of concrete which could affect the strength and
durability.

vii) Minimum cement content

Cement content of any mix should be sufficient to produce better workability and complete hydration
in order to achieve denser concrete with lower permeability. This will also ensure adequate strength
and durability of the concrete.
 viii) Maximum cement content

An increase in cement content will increase the risk of cracking due to early age thermal contraction
as well as long-term drying shrinkage and creep. Therefore, it is important to set the limit for the
maximum cement content. An increase in cement content will also result in an increase in the cost of
concrete.

PROCEDURE

Concrete Mix Design Process

Step 1

1.1 Use the specified characteristics strength (f c) of the concrete for a specified age.

1.2 Using the appropriate standard deviation and proportion defective, determine the margin
to be used.

M=kxs

1.3 Obtain the target mean strength using the following relationship

fm = fc + m

1.4 Using the target mean strength obtained in (1.3), and by making use of Figure 4,
determine the free water-cement ratio. Information given in Table 2, i.e, cement and
aggregate types should be used in this process. This can be done by sketching the curve
for strength value from Table 2, on to Figure 4.

1.5 The free-water/cement ratio value must be less than the specified maximum free-
water/cement ratio.

Step 2

2.1 From Table 3, obtain the free-water content which is depending on the maximum size and
type of aggregates to produce concrete with specific slump or V-B time.

Step 3

3.1 Cement content can be obtained from free water content in (2.1) and the free-
water/cement ratio is from (1.5).

3.2 Compare the value cement content with the specified minimum or maximum cement
content. The cement content must be greater than the specified minimum and lower than
the specified maximum. If the specified maximum or minimum cement content is used,
obtain the actual or modified free-water/cement ratio.
Step 4

4.1 Obtain the specific gravity of aggregate based on saturated and surface dry condition
(SSD) or assume an appropriate value for type of aggregate used.

4.2 Estimate the density of fully compacted fresh concrete using Figure 5, which requires the
values of relative density of the aggregate and the free-water content.

4.3 Determine the total aggregate content using the following expression

Total aggregate content = D - C – W

Where D = wet density of concrete (kg/m 3)

C = cement content (kg/m3)

W = free-water content (kg/m3)

Step 5

5.1 Determine the percentage of sand passing 600 µm sieve. Using this value and Figure 6,
determine the proportion of fine aggregate.

5.2 Determine the sand content (Sand content = total aggregate content x proportion of fine
aggregate (%)).

5.3 Determine the coarse aggregate content (Coarse aggregate = total aggregate content –
sand content).
 1.2 Standarddeviation Fig3 ………………………………………N/mm2 or no data ……8…… N/mm2

1.3 Margin C1 (k =…1.64…………) …1.64…… ……8………= ……13……

or N/mm2
Specified ………… N/mm2

1.4 Targetmeanstrength C2 ………40……… ………13…… ……53… N/mm2

=
1.5 Cementstrengthclass Specified 42.5/52.5

1.6 Aggregatetype:coarse Crushed/uncrushed

Aggregatetype:fine Crushed/uncrushed

1.7 Free-water/cementratio Table2,Fig4 ……0.46…………………………

1.8 Maximumfree-water/ Specified ……0.56……………………… 0.46

cementratio

2 2.1 Slump or Vebe time Specified Slump ………………30-60mm…………mm or Vebe time ……3 - 6…… s

2.2 Maximum aggregate size Specified ………20…… mm

2.3 Free-watercontent Table3 ……………………………………210………………… kg/m3

Concrete mix design form Job title.............................................

Reference
Stage Item or calculation Values

1 1.1 Characteristic strength Specified …………40……………………………N/mm2at …………28………… days

 Proportion defective………………………5… (k = 1.64)…….……………..…%
✂

Use the lower value

0.46
3 3.1 Cement content C3 …………210……… ……………0.46……………… = ……457… … kg/m3

3.2 Maximum cement content Specified ………………… kg/m3

3.3 Minimum cement content Specified …………290 … kg/m3

use3.1if3.2
use3.3if>3.1 457 kg/m3

3.4 Modifiedfree-water/cementratio ………………………………………………………………

4 4.1 Relative density of ………………2.6…………………known/assumed

aggregate (SSD)

4.2 Concrete density Fig5 ……2400… kg/m3

4.3 Total aggregate content C4 ………2400…… – ………457…… – ……210……… = …1733…kg/m3

5 5.1 Grading of fine aggregate Percentage passing 600µm sieve …………………………70…………………………………%

5.2 Proportion of fine aggregate Fig6 …………………………………………29…………………………………%

5.3 Fine aggregate content …………1733…… x …………0.29……………… = 503 kg/m3

C5
5.4 Coarse aggregate content ………….1733… – ………503……………… = 1230 kg/m3

Cement Water Fine aggregate Coarse aggregate (kg) Quantities

(kg) (kg or liters) (kg) 10mm 20mm 40mm

Per m3 (to nearest 5kg) …457……… ……210…………… ………503……………… ………1230………

Per trial mix of ………………… m3 …………………… ………………… ……………………… ………………………………………

Items initalicsareoptionallimitingvaluesthatmaybespecified(seeSection7).
ConcretestrengthisexpressedintheunitsN/mm2.1N/mm2= 1MN/m2= 1MPa.(N= newton; Pa= Pascal.)
Theinternationallyknownterm‘relativedensity’usedhereissynonymouswith‘specificgravity’andistheratioofthemassofagivenvolumeofsubstancetothemassofanequalvolumeofwater. SSD=
basedonthesaturatedsurface-drycondition.
RESULTS

Attach the concrete mix design form including all tables and figures used.

1. Type of Mixture : Control mixed or Green concrete

2. Samples

No Testing Volume (m3)

 1. Compression (7d and 28 d)
2. Slump test
3. Splitting tensile
4. Flexural
Total volume:

Total sample weight:_____________ kg

Type of Cement Fine aggregate Course aggregate Water

mixture (kg) (kg) (kg) (kg)
Natural Recycle Natural Recycle

Note: Green concrete aggregate replacement percentage

Type of mixture Fine aggregate (%) Course aggregate (%)
Natural Recycle Natural Recycle
CONTROL 100 0 100 0
GR 1 90 10 100 0
GR 2 80 20 100 0
GR 3 70 30 100 0
GR 4 60 40 100 0
GR 5 50 50 100 0
GR 6 40 60 100 0
GR 7 30 70 100 0
GR 8 20 80 100 0
GR 9 10 90 100 0
GR 10 100 0 90 10
GR 11 100 0 80 20
GR 12 100 0 70 30
GR 13 100 0 60 40
GR 14 100 0 50 50
GR 15 100 0 40 60
GR 16 100 0 30 70
GR 17 100 0 20 80
GR 18 100 0 10 90

DISCUSSION

Briefly explain the parameters taken into account in producing concrete mixture proportion

CONCLUSION
(Based on data and discussion, make your overall conclusion)

REFERENCE
1. Veronique Collin and Pierre-Henri Jazequel (2009). Mixing of concrete or mortars: Distributive aspects. Cement and
Concrete Research, 39(8), 678-686.