Comparison of mix design procedures of IS (Indian Standard),

ACI (American Concrete Institute), BS (British Standard)

SIMILARITIES
(i) All the methods are applicable for design of concrete mixes using different types of
hydraulic cements, blended cements and with or without other supplementary
cementitious materials and chemical admixtures.
(ii) All the methods give guidelines for design of concrete mixes using normal and heavy
weight aggregates.
(iii) The water-cement ratio of the mix governs the compressive strength of concrete.
Selection of water-cement ratio is primarily based on generalized relationship
between compressive strength of concrete and water-cement ratio, though some
minor variations exist in the process of selection in different methods.
(iv) All the methods specify different exposure conditions to meet the durability
requirements.
(v) Selection of water- Content is based on workability of the mix desired. The
Workability is specified in terms of slump, vee-bee or compacting factor is different
in different methods.
(vi) Cement content is estimated by dividing the free water-content by the free watercement ratio in all the three methods and checked against minimum cement
requirements for durability.
(vii) All the methods are based on the absolute volume concept for calculation of
required proportion of materials.
(viii) The final mix proportion for the first trial mix is obtained by making suitable
adjustments for water absorption and surface moisture carried by the aggregates.
DIFFERENCES
(a) Applicability
IS method : This method is applicable for Ordinary (10MPa 20MPa grade) and Standard
grades (25MPa to 55MPa grade) of concrete only. This method does not give guidelines for
design of Light weight and heavy weight concrete. The compressive strength of hardened
concrete is to be specified on the basis of 150 mm cube test, determined at 28 days.
BS method : This method is applicable for design of normal concrete mixes having 28-days
compressive strength up to 75 MPa. This standard also gives guidelines for design of light
weight and heavy weight concrete. The compressive strength of hardened concrete is to
be specified on the basis of 150 mm cube test determined at 28 days ((fck, cube), in N/mm2
or 150 mm diameter by 300 mm cylinder tests, determined at 28 days((fck, cyl),in N/mm2
ACI method : This method is applicable for design of normal and /or heavy concrete, and
mass concrete mixes. This standard is not applicable for Light weight aggregate concrete
and for special admixtures for concrete products manufacture. This method is also not
applicable for using condensed Silica fume. The ACI method of mix proportioning is
applicable for normal and heavy weight concrete having 28-days cylinder compressive
strength of 45 MPa and slump ranges of 25 to 100 mm.

(b) Type and shape of aggregates

IS method : This method takes in to account the type of aggregates as -angular, sub
angular and rounded, and nominal maximum size of aggregates in computation of water
content for the desired workability.
BS method : This method takes in to account the type of aggregates as crushed and
uncrushed only and upper size of coarse aggregate in computation of water content for the
desired workability.
ACI method : This method takes in to account the nominal maximum size of aggregate, but
it does not differentiate between crushed and uncrushed or rounded aggregate and flakiness
and elongation in computation of water content.
(c) Air content
IS method : In non air entrained concrete, air content is considered not of much
significant and is ignored. This Standard also does not give guidance on proportioning of air entrained concrete.
BS method : For non-air entrained concrete, air content is not specified. For air-entrained
concrete, it specifies minimum total air content with a maximum total air content being
4% higher than the specified minimum.
ACI method : In this method, the air content percentage in concrete is estimated depending
upon the type of concrete, whether air entrained or non air entrained, exposure conditions and
the nominal maximum size of aggregate.
(d) Exposure conditions and durability requirements
IS method: In this method the general environment is classified into five levels of severitymild, moderate, severe,very severe and extreme and accordingly the limits of maximum
water cement ratio and minimum cement content are specified.
BS method: In this method exposure classes are classified as- No risk of corrosion
(X0),Carbonation-induced corrosion(XC1 to XC4 ), Chloride-induced corrosion Sea water
(XS1 to XS3 ) and Chloride other than from sea water(XD1to XD ), Freeze/thaw attack
(XF31 to XF ) and Aggressive chemical environments (XA to XA ), and
specifies413maximum water cement ratio , minimum cement content and minimum
strength classes for different exposure classes.
ACI method: This Standard recommends use of special ingredients such as low alkali
cement, pozzolanas, GGBS, silica fume, or aggregate selected to prevent harmful expansion
to the alkali-aggregate reaction. Entrained air is to be used in all exposed concrete in climates
where freezing occurs.
(e) Water cement ratio

IS method : This method suggests that relationship between strength and free water-cement
ratio should preferably be established for the materials actually to be used. In the absence of
such data the water-cement ratio specified in the Table 5 of I.S. 456: 2000 for respective
environment exposure conditions may be used as starting point. The supplementary
cementitious materials i.e. mineral admixtures shall also be considered in water-cement ratio
calculations.
BS method : This method considers the influence of cement, type of aggregate and target
mean strength in computation of water-cement ratio, which is selected from the table and
curve specified in this standard.
ACI method : This standard specifies to have or to develop the relationship between
strength and water- cement ratio for the materials actually to be used. In the absence of such
data, approximate values for concrete containing type- I Portland cement can be taken from
TableA1.5.3.4(a) of ACI 211.1, based on compressive strength.
(f)Workability
IS method : In this method ( I.S. 456:2000), degree of workability in Slump values have
been specified for different placing conditions ranging from 25 mm to 150 mm. For Tremie
concrete, where the degree of workability is very high, the workability is to be determined
by flow.
BS method : In this method different Consistence classes are specified which covers the
workability of concrete, and either a class or target value can be used to specify consistence.
ACI method : In This method Table A1. 5.3.1 of ACI 211.1 recommends different values
of maximum slump ranging from 50 to 100mm for various types of construction with a
minimum slump value of 25 mm.
(g) Water-content
IS method : In this method maximum water content is selected based on the nominal
maximum size of aggregate from table 2 of I.S. 10262:2009 for 25 to 50 mm slump range.
These water estimates are to be reduced by approximately 10 kg/cum for sub angular
aggregates, 20kg/cum for gravel with some crushed particles and 25kg/cum for
rounded gravel to produce same workability (slump) . These values may be increased by
about 3% for every 25 mm increase in slump or alternatively by use of chemical admixture.
BS method : In this method water content is selected from the table specified in this
standard for different consistence classes and different sizes of aggregates and type of
aggregate crushed or uncrushed. Reduction in water content is also specified when
additives are used in combination with cement. In this method, when the coarse and fine
aggregates used are of different types, the water content is estimated by the following
expression :
W = ( 2 WF /3) + ( WC /3)
Where, WF = water content appropriate to type of fine aggregate
WC = water content appropriate to type of coarse aggregate
ACI method : In this method table A1 5.3.3 of ACI 211.1 specifies water requirements
for different slump values for different nominal maximum sizes of aggregates for airentrained concrete for moderate exposure, for reasonably well-shaped angular aggregates
graded within limits of accepted specifications. Rounded coarse aggregate will generally
require I8 kg less water for non-air-entrained and 15 kg less for air-entrained concretes. The

use of water-reducing chemical admixtures (ASTM C 494), may also reduce mixing water by
5 percent or more.
(h) Cement Content : The computation of cement content in all the three
methods is identical and obtained by dividing the free water-content
with the free water-cement ratio.
(i) Estimation of coarse and fine aggregate contents
IS method: In this method proportion of coarse aggregate per unit volume of total aggregate
is determined first on saturated surface dry basis, based on grading of fine aggregate in terms
of fineness modulus which is divided in different zones- Zone I, zone II, Zone III and zone
IV, for different nominal maximum size of coarse aggregate (10 mm,20mm and 40 mm).
BS method: In this method the total aggregate content is computed from the wet density of
concrete obtained from the figure specified in this standard. The wet density of concrete
depends on the specific gravity of overall aggregates in the saturated surface dry condition. If
no information is available, specific gravity may be taken 2.60 for uncrushed aggregate and
2.70 for crushed aggregate. The percentage of fine aggregate is either specified or obtained
from the figures given in this standard expressed as a percentage of total aggregate that
will provide the target consistence of the fresh concrete to be made with the given grading of
fine aggregate, the nominal upper size of coarse aggregate and the free water-cement ratio.
From the percentages of fine and coarse aggregate in total aggregate content, the quantities
of fine and coarse aggregates are determined.
ACI method: This method assumes that the optimum ratio of bulk volume of coarse
aggregate to the total volume of concrete depends
only on maximum size of coarse aggregate and on the grading (fineness modulus) of fine
aggregate. The volume of coarse aggregate, on an oven-dry rodded basis, per unit volume of
concrete is specifed in table A1 5.3.6 of ACI 211.1 for different nominal maximum size of
aggregate and fineness modulus of fine aggregate. The dry mass of coarse aggregate is
obtained by multiplying the value from table A1.5.3.6 by the dry-rodded unit mass of the
aggregate. The volume of fine aggregate is determined by subtracting the absolute volume
of all other ingredients from the unit volume of fresh concrete.
(j)Adjustments for Aggregate Moisture and determination of final mix
Proportions The adjustments for determining free water content taking in to account the
aggregate surface moisture and water absorption and first mix proportions are
identical in all the three methods.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the above discussion following conclusions can be drawn:
(i)The IS method of concrete mix design (IS 10262:2009) is almost in line with ACI method
(ACI 211.1) and is applicable for design of Ordinary and Standard grades of concrete only. It
is also applicable for design of light weight and heavy weight concrete. This standard also
permits use of supplementary materials such as chemical and mineral admixtures.
Provisions of IS 456:2000 are applicable for durability requirements with all types of
exposure conditions.

(ii)The IS method assumes that the volume of coarse aggregate in a unit volume of concrete
is dependent only on its nominal maximum size and grading zone of fine aggregate. This
method suggests computing the quantities of fine aggregate and a coarse aggregate from the
yield equation, which is based on the concept, that volume of concrete is summation of
absolute volumes of its ingredients.
(iii)The BS method of concrete mix design is applicable for design of normal concrete
mixes having 28-days compressive strength up to 75 MPa. This standard also gives
guidelines for design of light weight and heavy weight concrete. This Standard specifies
concrete as designated concrete, prescribed concrete, standard prescribed concrete and
proprietary concrete.
(iv)In the BS method quantities of fine and coarse aggregates are calculated based on wet
density of concrete, which depends upon water-content of the mix and specific gravity of
combined aggregate on saturated surface dry basis. The proportion of fine aggregate in
total aggregate is obtained from the specified curves based on the free water-cement ratio
and workability desired in slump/Vee-bee, for different nominal maximum size of coarse
aggregate. This method assumes that the volume of freshly mixed concrete equals the sum of
the absolute volumes of its constituent materials, i.e. the water, cement, air content and
total aggregate.
(v)The BS method of mix design is much more comprehensive and tedious, and appears to
be inconsistent for our country.
(vi)The ACI method of mix design is applicable for design of normal and /or heavy concrete,
and mass concrete mixes. This standard is not applicable for light weight aggregate
concrete and for special admixtures for concrete products manufacture. This method is
also not applicable for using condensed Silica fume. The ACI method of mix proportioning is
applicable for normal and heavy weight concrete having 28-days cylinder compressive
strength of 45MPa and slump ranges of 25 to 100 mm.
(vii)The ACI method is based on determining the coarse aggregate content based on dry
rodded coarse aggregate bulk density and fineness modulus of sand. This method also gives
separate tables for air-entrained concrete. This method gives separate values of water
and sand content for maximum size of aggregate up to 150 mm. Hence this method is most
suitable for designing plum concrete. It also gives separate values for 12.5 & 25 mm down
coarse aggregate.
(viii) ACI method of concrete mix design appears to be most suitable for medium as well as
high strength concrete. This method is also most suitable for air- entrained concrete as well as
plum concrete.
(ix)The proposed method- function equations based design of concrete mixes can be
conveniently used for design of normal concrete mix of medium strength grades, which is
most commonly used in general construction work. This method can also be used by the
field engineers for quick ascertainment of concrete mixes being produced at the construction
sites without going through the detailed testing of material properties and re-designing the
concrete mixes each time by the Standard prescribed mix design methods, provided the
uniformity of materials being used is ensured.