Lab Report

Table of Contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2
Materials ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Mix design and specimen preparation ........................................................................................... 3
Detailed procedure ..................................................................................................................... 3
Testing ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Step 1 (Mix 1): ......................................................................................................................... 4
Step 2 (Mix 2): ......................................................................................................................... 4
Step 3 (Mix 3): ......................................................................................................................... 5
Step 4: ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Results ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Discussion........................................................................................................................................ 7
Details of Mix 2 ........................................................................................................................... 8
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 8

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Abstract
The intention of concrete mix design is not only to choose suitably its ingredients, i.e. cement,
aggregate, water, and admixtures but also to determine their relative proportions to produce
concrete that is economical, strong, workable, and durable. In routine and small-scale
construction projects, concrete mixes may be chosen based on experience, but when the use of
different types of cementitious materials and different types of concretes are required for
projects, especially to satisfy differing performance criteria (of both fresh and hardened
concretes), more sophisticated techniques (including statistical approaches) may be needed to
arrive at suitable mix proportions. The intention of this EXPERIMENT is to demonstrate the
different types of mixed designs so that appropriate methods can be identified for different
practical situations. However, it must be recognized that mixed design is not an absolute
science, but an art to satisfy a set of design criteria, by making use of the most appropriate
materials for producing concretes which are economical.

Introduction
The object of mix design is to produce, by systematic adjustment of the mix components, a
concrete with required properties both in its plastic and the hardened state as economically as
possible. To design a mix, four quantities, water, cement, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate,
must be adjusted to give an average strength that will be higher than the characteristic strength
by a margin that depends on quality control and various other factors.

The strength of fully compacted concrete is determined mainly by the water: cement (w/c)
ratio. For a given w/c ratio, the aggregate size, shape, grading, and also the aggregate: cement
ratio will affect workability which will itself affect compaction and strength. It is, therefore,
possible to make adjustments to a mix such that workability remains the same but strength is
modified.

Materials

Component Weight (kg)

Cement 10.5
Water 4.7
Sand 24.3
Aggregate (20mm) 10.8
Aggregate (20mm) 25.2
TOTAL 75.5
Table 1:Materials

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The ingredients in Table 1 gives may be described as being of the following proportions:
Cement : Sand : Aggregates (Sand + 10mm + 20mm aggregates)
1 : 2.3: 5.7

Mix design and specimen preparation

The water: cement ratio (w / c ratio) is varied by adding water at different stages during the
test. For each mix composition, three cubes and one cylinder are formed. The cubes are tested
for unrestricted compressive strength (UCS). and cylinder for tensile strength (break). Both
tests are carried out after curing in water for 7, 14, and 28 days.
Water to be added:
• To Mix 1 – 4.7 kg.
• To Mix 1 to form Mix 2 – 700 cc.
• To Mix 2 to form Mix 3 – 700 cc.

Detailed procedure
The mix design aims to produce concrete with the required properties as economically as
possible, both in the plastic and in the hardened state, by carefully coordinating the mix
components. To design a mixture, the four components water, cement, fine aggregates, and
coarse aggregates must be adjusted in such a way that an average strength is achieved that is
higher than the desired or characteristic strength. The strength must be higher than this
characteristic strength by a certain margin, which depends on the level of quality control and
various other factors.
The strength of a fully compacted concrete is mainly determined by the ratio of water: cement
(w / c). With a given w / c ratio, the size, shape, grain size, and also the ratio of aggregate to
cement influence the workability, which in turn influences the compaction and strength. It is,
therefore, possible to adjust a mixture so that the processability remains the same but the
strength is modified
The selected base mix is a mix with medium workability (slump 50-75 mm) and square
aggregates are used. This mixture is modified by adding water. The amount of cement (by
weight per cubic meter of concrete) and fine aggregate is then systematically adjusted to obtain
a range of strengths within the required workability range. In the above mixture, the sand and
aggregates (stone or grit) are air dry and therefore some of the added water is immediately
absorbed by the aggregate. Therefore, to get a more accurate value for the W / C ratio, it is
assumed that the aggregate absorbs an amount of water that is% of the combined original
weight of sand and total aggregate. The influence of the absorbed water on the total weight of
the aggregate is considered to be negligible concerning the volume calculations

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Testing
Step 1 (Mix 1): Weigh out the stone, cement, and sand and load into the mixer in that order.
Added the calculated amount of water from a measuring cylinder. After mixing, perform a
slump test and a Compaction Index Test (CIT). Ensure that all the concrete used is returned to
the mixer and then finally cast THREE 100mm cubes and ONE cylinder (100mm diameter
200mm in height or 100mm diameter 100mm in height) using a vibrating table to achieve
compaction. Record the identification of each mold and date.

Testing: 7 days 14 days 28 days

Casting

w/c ratio 1 7 14 28 28

w/c ratio 2
7 14 28 28

w/c ratio 3

7 14 28 28

Step 2 (Mix 2): Now added 700 c.c. of water to the mix and remix. Repeated the tests carried in
step 1, including the casting of another 3 cubes and 1 cylinder.

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 Testing: 7 days 14 days 28 days

Casting

w/c ratio 1 14
7 14 28

w/c ratio 2 14
7 14 28

w/c ratio 3
7 14 14 28

Step 3 (Mix 3): Now added 700 c.c. of water to the mix and remix. Repeated the tests carried in
step 2, including the casting of another 3 cubes and 1 cylinder.
Step 4: Stored the 9 cubes and the 3 cylinders in the moist curing room for one day. These must
then be stripped and marked with the date and identification number, and the molds cleaned.
They are then cured in water at 20oC at various times. At intervals of 7, 14, and 28 days for the
cubes, and 7 and 28 days for the cylinders. Removed one cube of each w/c ratio from the curing
tanks determined the density (by weighing in air and water), and then the compressive
strength. (NB. All the operations were done by arrangement with the technical staff in the
concrete laboratory).

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 Testing: 7 days 14 days 28 days

Casting

7 28
w/c ratio 1 7 14

w/c ratio 2 7 7 14 28

w/c ratio 3
7 7 14 28

Results
Densities of the above are materials known, it is possible to work out the volumes
occupied by each component in Mix 1. e.g.

Component Weight Density Volume

(kg) (kg/m3) (m3)
Cement 10.5 3150 0.00333
Water 4.7 1000 0.00470
Sand 24.3 2750 0.00884
Aggregate (10 mm) 10.8 2750 0.00393
Aggregate (20 mm) 25.2 2750 0.00916
TOTAL 75.5 0.02996
Table 2: Mix 1

Thus, for Mix 1,

W/c ratio = 4.7/10.5 = 0.45
Density of mix = mass/volume = 75.5/0.02996 = 2520 kg/m3

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 Compressive Strength (N/mm2)
Mix Code 7-day 14-day 28-day
Mix 1 26 32 41
Mix 2 23 30 37
Mix 3 20 27 33
Table 3: Results of the Compressive strength

Tensile Splitting Strength

Mix Code (N/mm2)
Mix 1 4.4
Mix 2 3.6
Mix 3 2.5
Table 4: Results of the Tensile Splitting strength

Discussion
To calculate the new w/c ratio for mix 2 and to determine the theoretical density of
the new mix (Mix 2), the reduction in volume and weight due to making three cubes
and one cylinder must be taken into account

Reduction in weight of mix 1 after casting 3 cubes and one cylinder can be worked
out as follows:
Volume of 3 No. 100mm cubes = 3 × 0.1 × 0.1 × 0.1 = 0.003 m3
Volume of 1 No. cylinder = /4 × 0.12 × 0.2 = 0.00157 m3
Total Volume removed from mix = 0.003 + 0.00157 = 0.00457m3
Weight =Volume × density = 0.00457 × 2520 = 11.5164 kg

Component Volume Weight

(m3) (kg)
Original Mix 0.02996 75.5

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 The casting of 3 cubes and one -0.00457 -11.5164
cylinder
Adding 700 c.c. of water 0.000700 +0.70
TOTAL 0.02609 64.6836
Table 5: Mix 1 to Mix 2

Thus, for Mix 2,

Density of mix = mass/volume = 64.6836/0.02609 = 2479 kg/m3

Details of Mix 2

1. New weight of cement in Mix 2.

After casting 3 cubes and 1 cylinder, the weight of cement in mix 2 = [New weight
of mix (after casting)/Old weight of mix] × original weight of cement.

= 64.6836/75.5 × 10.5 = 8.9957 kg

2. New weight of water in Mix 2

Weight of water in Mix 2 = [New weight of mix/Old weight of mix] × [original

weight of water + Added water].

= 64.6836/75.5 × (4.7 + 0.70) = 4.6230 kg

3. New w/c ratio for Mix 2.

w/c = 4.6230/8.9957 = 0.51

Reduction in weight after casting another 3 cubes and 1 cylinder can be worked out
as before, and similar calculations are done for Mix 3.

Conclusion

After doing the experiment and getting the results after calculation we come to the following
conclusions

• The trail mix design result is satisfactory

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 • We can achieve a compressive strength of 26,32, and 41 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 by using mix 1 in 7,
14, and 28 days respectively.
• We can achieve a compressive strength of 23,30 and 37 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 by using mix 2 in 7, 14,
and 28 days respectively.
• We can achieve a compressive strength of 20,27 and 33 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 by using mix 3 in 7, 14,
and 28 days respectively.
• We can achieve a tensile strength of 4.4 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 by using mix 1
• We can achieve a tensile strength of 3. 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 by using mix 2
• We can achieve a tensile strength of2.5 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2by using mix 3
In short water, cementitious materials aggregates, and chemical admixtures all were
proportionally mixed to deliver the most desirable properties for replacement and hardened
condition.

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