CIV 209 Civil Engineering Materials - January 25, 2024

Tutorial 2 – Concrete Mix Design

Due: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 @ 11:59 pm

Reference: CAC Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, Chapter 12

Name: ___________________________________
John Student ID: __________________________
Hoarg
1009252283

Note: The tables required are given in the tutorial slides.

Please identify your group name based on your last name (shown in table below).

The main considerations are to obtain a good quality paste (ie. the cementing materials + water +
admixtures) (i.e., as low a w/cm as possible, given other constraints and perhaps with the aid of a water-
reducing admixture), and surround it with a densely packed combination of fine and coarse aggregates.

Sometimes, minimum cement contents, maximum w/cm, air contents, and slumps are specified along with
strict aggregate limits. However, in most cases, structural engineers will just say that they want a minimum
28-day compressive strength (f’c) of, for example, 35 MPa. Then, you must ask, what is the service
exposure? And what slump/workability is required to place the concrete in that situation?
(Table 12.6 will help provide a general starting point).

There are other considerations as well. The contractor may want to strip the forms at 16 hours. Will there
be adequate early strength? (This will depend on the temperature, as well as the mixture). The contractor
may want to put some load on the concrete before 28 days. Supplementary cementing materials (see Design
& Control Chapter #4) will also alter setting times and rates of strength development.

DATA NEEDED: - Maximum nominal size of coarse aggregate (20 mm)

- Dry-rodded density (DRD) of coarse aggregate (1541 kg/m3)
- Fineness modulus (FM) of sand (2.78)

-
- Relative densities of sand and coarse aggregate (2.74, 2.77, respectively)
- Absorptions (ABS) of sand and coarse aggregate (7.57%, 1.76% respectively)
- Moisture contents (MC) of sand and coarse aggregate (0.55%, 1.08%)
- Specified strength (f ’c @ 28 days usually)
- Slump required
- Service environment: · Air Entrained for freeze/thaw
· Maximum w/cm for sulphates or salt.
· Minimum cement content for flatwork, etc.

Concrete Mixture Variables for Lab 2

Group PRA0101 PRA0102
Student Last
A to K L to Z A to F G to Z
Names
w/cm 0.42 0.65 0.42 0.65
Cementing 100% GU 100% GU 35% Slag 35% Slag
Materials 65% GU 65% GU
Air-entrained? No No No No
Water (kg/m3) 165 165 165 165

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 STEPS IN CSA/ACI ABSOLUTE VOLUME MIX
PROPORTIONING FOR TRIAL CONCRETE MIXES

1. Determine design strength required (as per CSA A23.1):

f ’cREQ. = f 'cSPEC. + 1.4S (if S not more than 3.5 MPa) Eq. 12-1

or = f 'cSPEC. + (2.4S - 3.5 MPa) (if S > 3.5 MPa) Eq. 12-2

(See also p.228 on proportioning mixtures from field data)

If there is no data to calculate standard deviation, use Table 12-11. If less than 30 tests available to
establish standard deviation, then modify the above equation using Table 12.10.
NOTE: You still make trial mix by f 'cSPEC., but the average strength from the trial should equal f ’cREQ..

For this case, you will measure strength in lab #3, skip to step 2.

2. Maximum w/cm limits? Tables 12.1 and 12.2 (for freeze/thaw, salt, or sulphate exposure)
See Table 11-1 for definitions of different durability exposures.
Also need to check for agency specification limits?

For this case, you will use w/c as assigned, skip to step 3.

3. Typical maximum water content or minimum cement content limits and cement type for exposure
conditions
Tables 12.5, 12.7, 12.8, and 12.2

For this case, you will use water content as assigned, skip to step 4.

4. Air content: Table 12.5 (Depends on maximum coarse aggregate size and exposure).

For this case, you will use non air-entrained concrete, assume 2% entrapped air, skip to step 5.

5. Check mix water requirements for slump Table 12.5 (approximation).

If less mix water is designed, then you may a need water reducing admixture (5 to 10% water
reduction depending on type and dose) or a high-range water reducing admixture (15-20% water
reduction) to obtain required slump.

For this case, you will use water content as assigned, TAs may add admixtures if needed, skip to
step 6.

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6. Determine cement content using w/c and water content.

7. Mass of coarse aggregate: From Table 12.4, obtain volume fraction of coarse aggregate
(interpolate, if necessary) in mix and multiply by the dry rodded
density (DRD) to get mass.

8. Finally, to obtain the mass of sand required, calculate volumes of all other materials, then subtract
from 1.0 m3 to get volume of sand (then calculate the mass of sand using the density).

Material Design Mass Density Volume

(kg per m3) (kg/m3) (m3)
Portland Cement 3150
Slag Cement 2920
Water 1000
Fine Aggregate (sand)
Coarse Aggregate (stone)
Air _ _
Total _ 1.000

9. Then you need to correct for the moisture in aggregates:

If aggregates are not in saturated surface-dry condition (SSD), you will have to adjust the mix water and
the aggregate masses to compensate for mass of either extra or excess water in the aggregates.

Adjusted mix water = Gross Water – (MCSAND – ABSSAND) * Mass of Sand

– (MCSTONE – ABSSTONE) * Mass Stone

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10. Fill in the table below with the required adjusted and batch masses if we want to make a 30 L batch of
concrete (the unit volume is 1.0 m3).

Adjusted mass (kg) per unit Batch Mass (kg) for 30L
volume (1 m3)
Water

Cement

Slag (if used)

Stone

Sand