Metrication for
ready mix producers
etrication is a pain. If it were
M painless, all of the United States
would have converted in the
1960s when metrication first re-
ceived congressional approval. Unfortunately,
procrastination resulted and little happened.
Now, however, the choice is clear.
The Federal Highway Administration has
mandated that after October 1, 1996, all
projects receiving federal funds must be in
metric units. Not surprisingly, the results of
a recent survey (summarized in Table 1)
show that all state departments of trans-
portation plan to be converted by then. In
the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area,
the General Services Administration and the
Corps of Engineers are already awarding
contracts in metric.
Although ready mixed concrete is not a
product that lends itself to export, most of
the suppliers to the ready mix industry do
compete in the global market. As a result, it
becomes increasingly difficult for them to
use dual units in their production lines. As
the demand for goods in English units de-
creases, selection goes down and price
goes up. Now that free trade is becoming a
global reality, metric conversion will occur
Table 1. Summary of survey of state DOTs
Number of states responding: 48
Number of states
switching to metric in:
1993 1994 1995 1996
1 2 4 38
Note: At the time of the survey, three states were undecided as to the date they would
switch to the metric system.
Source: Master Builders Inc.
at a faster pace. This is the new reality.
The tide of progress is ruthless. Twenty
years ago, the hand-held electronic calcula-
tor replaced the slide rule. Today, the met-
ric system is doing to the English system
what the calculator did to the slide rule.
Make the
transition
to metric
easier by
Where we stand now learning it
Right now, there is a waiting game going
on. The first vendors and suppliers to con- in bite-size
vert could be losers. For example, if a
batch computer vendor creates a system for
pieces
batching loads in either metric or English
By Teck L.
units, would the vendor realize a return on
the investment, or would the vendor have Chua
to carry the inventory for several years until
demand picks up?
In this matter, the government may have
failed to provide leadership where it is need-
ed most. Perhaps, it should have fixed a
deadline for the demise of English units. Af-
ter the deadline, everything would be in
metric. That way, everybody would be
working together toward a common, fore-
seeable goal. At present, however, the indus-
try is forced to install short-term measures to
accommodate both systems. Providing life
support for the dying English units is not a
Concrete Mix design
specifications submittals
Metric Both Metric Both
40 8 40 8
sound investment.
Bite-size metrics
The metric system covers the
measurement of the entire known
universe. Only a small portion of it,
however, applies to ready mixed
concrete.
To do their individual jobs,
equipment mechanics and concrete
technicians do not need to know
the same conversion factors. As
people become proficient with the
conversion factors that impact their
daily job functions, they can learn
additional conversion factors.
A sales representative and a
technician could probably limit
their initial knowledge to what is
listed in Table 2. These conversion
factors are intended for easy mem-
orization. For example, 1 MPa =
145 psi is easier to memorize than
1 psi = 0.007 MPa. Similar bite-size
pieces of information can be pack-
aged for other support groups
within a company.
An inexpensive calculator simpli-
fies the conversion tasks. Because it
can carry many decimal places, the
results are more accurate.
Try to reduce the number of con-
versions whenever possible. For
example, a slab that measures 100
feet x 200 feet x 6 inches has a vol-
ume of 370.37 cubic yards. Apply-
ing the cubic meters/cubic yards
conversion factor, the slab equals
283.2 cubic meters (370.37 1.308).
This is easier than converting the
individual dimensions to meters
first and then figuring the volume
in cubic meters.
Batching and dispatching
At this writing, one of my clients
is gearing up to supply a metric
project. All the mix designs have
been submitted and approved. In
converting all of the test data and
mix designs from English units to
metric units, the pain of metrication
really hits home. The metric con-
version plans described here, while
fairly firm, will likely be revised be-
fore the first cubic meter of con-
crete is delivered.
The plant’s batching computers
Table 2. Bite-size
metric conversion factors
1 MPa = 145 psi (145.0 psi)
1 m3 = 1.3 cy (1.308 cy)
1 lb/cy = 0.6 kg/m3 (0.5935 kg/m3)
1 L/m3 = 0.2 gallons/cy (0.2022 gallons/cy )
1 fl.oz/cwt = 0.65 mL/kg (0.6519 mL/kg)
1 kg = 2.2 lb (2.205 lb)
1 metric ton (1000 kg) = 1.1 ton (1.103 ton) = (2205 lbs)
1 ft = 0.3 m (0.3048 m)
1 in = 25 mm (25.4 mm) = 2.5 cm (2.54 cm)
1 gallon = 3.8 L (3.785 L) = 1000 mL
1 fl.oz = 30 mL (29.57 mL)
Temperature conversion: (100° C 1.8) + 32 = 212° F
(212° F - 32) 1.8 = 100° C
Unit weight of water = 62.4 lb/ft3 = 1000 kg/m3 = 1 kg/L
will batch one load in English units standard. For dial scales, the scale
and the next one in metric units, company will be able to laminate a
depending on the customer. This metric scale onto the scale head.
was possible only after a program- All of my clients have multiple
ming upgrade. Unfortunately, the plants, all of which have operated
batch plant operator is not able to on a centralized dispatch system for
change units on the scales through years. This is how it works: All or-
the computer. However, there is a ders are taken at central dispatch
manual switch that can change and stored in a mainframe comput-
units from load to load. er. Each batching plant computer is
Moreover, the scales cannot be linked to the mainframe computer
calibrated in dual units. So far, the by a telephone line. When a truck
state DOTs in the Washington, is available, the dispatcher sends
D.C., area have not fixed a date for the order information to the plant.
switching over to metric calibration. This information includes mix de-
Therefore, practical considerations sign weights and delivery informa-
dictate that we stay with one unit tion for that truckload of concrete.
system throughout the day. In this fashion, the batch plant
Our plan is to convert to metric computer functions as a “dumb”
in two phases. Right now, most of terminal. But, it also has stand-
our production volume remains in alone capabilities, should the tele-
English units. Therefore, we will phone linkage go down.
use English units as the plant stan- Before sending a metric order to
dard. When shipping metric jobs, the plant computer, the mainframe
the batch plant computer will con- computer converts the mix design
vert scale weights and admixture weights from English units to met-
volumes into metric units. Howev- ric units. From the standpoint of
er, material usage and inventory data storage, this is a good arrange-
will cumulate in English units. To ment because it eliminates the need
do all of this without computers for the computer to use additional
would be nearly impossible. This is memory to store duplicate mix de-
phase one. signs. At the same time the plant
Phase two kicks in when the de- computer receives the metric mix
mand for metric units exceeds the design weights, it is instructed to
demand for English units. Then, turn on its own metric conversion
metric units will become the plant program. This ensures that a metric
 customer receives 7 cubic meters
(9.2 cubic yards), not 7 cubic yards
of concrete. Even worse would be
if the customer were to be billed
for 7 cubic meters, but receive only
7 cubic yards of concrete.
The accounting and billing system
is expected to be fairly straightfor-
ward, once the batching and the
dispatching systems are correctly
established.
Early confusion
Be prepared. As metrication mate-
rializes, there will be some mistakes
in conversion. A specification I re-
cently reviewed called for a con-
crete compressive strength of 210
kg/cm2. As hard as I tried, I could
not convert this specification into
mega pascals (MPa). Finally, it
dawned on me that the specifier
wanted 3000 psi concrete, but had
failed to distinguish the difference
between pound-force and pound-
mass. The unit psi means pound-
force per square inch. One kilo-
gram equals 2.2 pound-mass, not
2.2 pound-force. Therefore, to con-
vert from psi to MPa, it is necessary
to figure in the gravitational accel-
eration, which is 32.17 ft/s2. But,
why bother? Just divide 3000 psi by
145 and the answer is 20.7 MPa.
The moral of the story is: Memorize
the conversion factors in Table 2. ✥
Teck L. Chua is president of Concrete
Engineering Inc., a Springfield, Va.,
consulting firm providing quality con-
trol and quality assurance services to
the ready mixed concrete industry.
References
1. Michael R. Lindeburg, Civil En-
gineering Reference Manual,
fourth edition, Professional Publi-
cations Inc., Calif.
2. Terence C. Holland and Charles
Nmai, “Metrics Are Coming,” Con-
crete Construction, N o v e m b e r
1994, p. 878.
3. Conversion to the Metric Sys-
tem (System International—SI),
first edition, Publication 181, Na-
tional Ready Mixed Concrete Asso-
ciation, Silver Spring, Md.
PUBLICATION #J950231
Copyright © 1995, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved

Table 3. Metric mixture proportioning example

Proportioning concrete using metric

Proportioning concrete using metric units is actually simpler than using inch-pound units since the unit weight
of water is 1kg/L, which simplifies the mass-to-volume conversions. An example of concrete proportioned using
metric units is shown below.
Develop metric mixture proportions for Ingredient Specific Volume Mass
concrete with the following characteristics: gravity m3 kg
Cement: 350 kg/m3 Cement 3.15 0.111 350
Silica fume: 35 kg/m3 Silica fume 2.22 0.016 35
Water 1.00 0.154 154
Water-cementitious Air – 0.060 –
materials ratio: 0.40 Fine aggregate 2.63 0.297 781
Fine aggregate Course aggregate 2.67 0.362 967
specific gravity: 2.63 1.000 2,287
Coarse aggregate
specific gravity: 2.67
Air entrainer: 175 mL
Fine aggregate to be 45% of total aggregate High-range water reducer: 3,500 mL
volume Bulk density: 2,287 kg/m3
Entrained air: 6%

Air entrainer 50 mL/100kg Cement: 350 kg 3.15 = 0.111 m3

High-range water reducer 1000 mL/100kg Paste volume: = 0.341 m3
Total aggregate
Remember:
volume: 1.000 m3 – 0.341 m3 = 0.659 m3
1000 L = 1m3 1 L of water has FA = 45% = 0.297 m3
a mass of 1 kg 297 2.63 = 781 kg

Source: Reference 2.