Concrete Mix Design

Introduction
The process of selecting suitable ingredients of concrete and determining their relative
amounts with the objective of producing a concrete of the required, strength, durability,
and workability as economically as possible, is termed the concrete mix design. The
proportioning of ingredient of concrete is governed by the required performance of
concrete in 2 states, namely the plastic and the hardened states. If the plastic concrete
is not workable, it cannot be properly placed and compacted. The property of
workability, therefore, becomes of vital importance.
The compressive strength of hardened concrete which is generally considered to be an
index of its other properties, depends upon many factors, e.g. quality and quantity of
cement, water and aggregates; batching and mixing; placing, compaction and curing.
The cost of concrete is made up of the cost of materials, plant and labour. The variations
in the cost of materials arise from the fact that the cement is several times costly than
the aggregate, thus the aim is to produce as lean a mix as possible. From technical point
of view the rich mixes may lead to high shrinkage and cracking in the structural
concrete, and to evolution of high heat of hydration in mass concrete which may cause
cracking.
The actual cost of concrete is related to the cost of materials required for producing a
minimum mean strength called characteristic strength that is specified by the designer of
the structure. This depends on the quality control measures, but there is no doubt that
the quality control adds to the cost of concrete. The extent of quality control is often an
economic compromise, and depends on the size and type of job. The cost of labour
depends on the workability of mix, e.g., a concrete mix of inadequate workability may
result in a high cost of labour to obtain a degree of compaction with available equipment.
Requirements of concrete mix design
The requirements which form the basis of selection and proportioning of mix
ingredients are :
a ) The minimum compressive strength required from structural consideration
b) The adequate workability necessary for full compaction with the compacting
equipment available.
c) Maximum water-cement ratio and/or maximum cement content to give
adequate durability for the particular site conditions
d) Maximum cement content to avoid shrinkage cracking due to temperature
cycle in mass concrete.
 Types of Mixes
1. Nominal Mixes
In the past the specifications for concrete prescribed the proportions of cement,
fine and coarse aggregates. These mixes of fixed cement-aggregate ratio which
ensures adequate strength are termed nominal mixes. These offer simplicity and
under normal circumstances, have a margin of strength above that specified.
However, due to the variability of mix ingredients the nominal concrete for a
given workability varies widely in strength.
2. Standard mixes
The nominal mixes of fixed cement-aggregate ratio (by volume) vary widely in strength
and may result in under- or over-rich mixes. For this reason, the minimum compressive
strength has been included in many specifications. These mixes are termed standard
mixes.
IS 456-2000 has designated the concrete mixes into a number of grades as M10, M15,
M20, M25, M30, M35 and M40. In this designation the letter M refers to the mix and the
number to the specified 28 day cube strength of mix in N/mm 2. The mixes of grades
M10, M15, M20 and M25 correspond approximately to the mix proportions (1:3:6),
(1:2:4), (1:1.5:3) and (1:1:2) respectively.
3. Designed Mixes
In these mixes the performance of the concrete is specified by the designer but the mix
proportions are determined by the producer of concrete, except that the minimum
cement content can be laid down. This is most rational approach to the selection of mix
proportions with specific materials in mind possessing more or less unique
characteristics. The approach results in the production of concrete with the appropriate
properties most economically. However, the designed mix does not serve as a guide
since this does not guarantee the correct mix proportions for the prescribed
performance.
For the concrete with undemanding performance nominal or standard mixes (prescribed
in the codes by quantities of dry ingredients per cubic meter and by slump) may be used
only for very small jobs, when the 28-day strength of concrete does not exceed 30
N/mm2. No control testing is necessary reliance being placed on the masses of the
ingredients.
 Factors affecting the choice of mix proportions
The various factors affecting the mix design are:
1. Compressive strength
2. Workability
3. Durability
4. Maximum nominal size of aggregate
5. Grading and type of aggregate
6. Quality Control

Grade of Concrete
Grade of concrete is defined as the minimum strength the concrete must posses
after 28 days of construction with proper quality control. Grade of concrete is
denoted by prefixing M to the desired strength in MPa. For example, for a grade
of concrete with 20 MPa strength, it will be denoted by M20, where M stands for
Mix.

These grade of concrete is converted into various mix proportions. For example,
for M20 concrete, mix proportion will be 1:1.5:3 for cement:sand:coarse
aggregates.
Fundamentals of RCC
RCC means Reinforced Cement Concrete, i.e., cement concrete reinforced with steel
bars, steel plates, steel mesh etc to increase the tension withstanding capacity of the
structure.

Cement Concrete can take up immense compression but weak in tension whereas steel
is good in withstanding both tension and compression.
Prestressed Concrete:
Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction that, during its building phases
(before to load any weight, including its own), is substantially "prestressed" (compressed) in the
areas which will be subjected to traction forces when on service, in order to prevent any areas
subjected to traction force when the structure will be placed in opera (and subjected to the
service loads), by summatory of opposite forces - pre compression action against tension force
produced by own weight and service loads - planned for avoid result in traction.
This compression is produced by the tensioning of high-strength "tendons" located within or
adjacent to the concrete volume and is done to improve the performance of the concrete in
service.[4] Tendons may consist of single wires, multi-wire strands or threaded bars and are most
commonly made from high-tensile steels, carbon fiber or aramid fiber.
The essence of prestressed concrete is that once the initial compression has been applied, the
resulting material has the characteristics of high-strength concrete when subject to any
subsequent compression forces and of ductile high-strength steel when subject to tension forces.
This can result in improved structural capacity and/or serviceability compared with
conventionally reinforced concrete in many situations. In a prestressed concrete member, the
internal stresses are introduced in a planned manner so that the stresses resulting from the
superimposed loads are counteracted to the desired degree.

Following are the common types of steel used in construction:

Structural steel

Structural steel shapes are developed from steel that is formed out of a precise cross-
section. At the same time, it also follows definite standards for chemical composition and
mechanical properties. Structural steel can be made available in various shapes like Z
shape, I-Beam, L shape, HSS shape, T shape, Bar, Plate, Rod, Rail profile, structural
channel, open joist of web steel, etc. Standard structural steel differs in different countries
with different specifications.

Structural steel is durable, ductile, strong, and it can be transformed into any shape
depending on the type of construction. It can be constructed in no time on the construction
site. Structural steel is fire resistant.

Rebar steel

Rebar steel is also known as reinforcing steel. This type of steel is commonly used as a
tension device for reinforced concrete structures. Rebar steel is made from carbon steel
and it is commonly used as a tensioning device to reinforce concrete and other masonry
structures to help hold the concrete in a compressed state. This type of steel is available in
various types of grades that are found in varying specifications in vital tensile strength, yield
strength, elongation percentage and chemical composition.

Reinforcing steel provides durability, resistance, and stiffness that spreads through a wide
area that the other types of steel are not usually equipped in.
Mild steel

Mild steel is also known as plain carbon steel. It is another type of steel used in steel
building constructions. It is very strong and durable and does ensure sturdy establishment.
Carbon steel provides high strength which makes it more suitable for buildings. Mild steel
just like structural steel is very flexible. Hence, it does not crack when bent. It is very much
like structural steel. It also can endure calamities like earthquakes.
Steel building constructions are gaining popularity across the globe. Almost, all the
fields have benefitted with the various advantages of steel. With the growing use of steel in
construction, it will soon take over the entire construction field.