Water-to-Cement Ratio

and Aggregate Moisture

Corrections
May 28, 2010 28 Comments

By Adam D. Neuwald
Two of the most commonly specified requirements for concrete used
in the manufactured concrete products industry are the design

compressive strength (f c) and the maximum water-to-cement ratio

(w/c). These two values are inversely related, which means that as
the water-to-cement ratio increases, the compressive strength

decreases. Not only does the w/c ratio have a strong influence on
compressive strength, but it also affects the permeability and

ultimately the durability of the concrete. Both of these properties

become extremely important when the precast product will be

subjected to a corrosive environment or freeze-thaw conditions, or

when it is required to provide a watertight structure.

Concrete is designed to withstand a certain maximum load per area

before failing, known as compressive strength A number of factors
influence the concretes ability to withstand the force from an
applied load, such as the size, type, quantity and gradation of

aggregates, the type and quantity of cement and/or supplementary

cementitious materials, the amount of mix water, the age or maturity

of the concrete, and the production practices used in placing,

consolidating and curing the concrete. Small changes in any of these

variables can have a profound effect on the concretes compressive

strength, permeability and durability. To account for such variables,

mixes are designed to meet an average or required compressive

strength (f cr), which is greater than the design strength. Procedures

for determining the average or required compressive strength are

addressed in chapter 5 of ACI 318 and are covered in the May/June

2004 MC magazine article titled Standard Deviation (available at
www.precast.org).

Once general requirements such as the required compressive

strength, air content and slump have been established, initial mix
designs may be developed following the guidelines in ACI 211.1,
Standard Practice for Selecting Proportions for Normal,
Heavyweight and Mass Concrete.
Water-to-cement ratio

The maximum water-to-cement ratio may be established by the

customer or authority having jurisdiction based on anticipated

exposure conditions. The target w/c ratio can also be selected from
available data on the actual materials that will be used. If no such

data is available the w/c ratio can be selected from table 6.3.4(a) of

ACI 211.1 based on the required compressive strength. The lower of

the two w/c ratios should be used for the mix design.

The water-to-cement ratio is the weight of water provided in a mix

divided by the weight of cementitious materials. The total weight of

water includes all batch water and free water from the surface of

aggregates. If the amount of water is provided in gallons, it can easily

be converted to pounds by multiplying the total gallons by 8.34

pounds per gallon. Cementitious materials include portland cement,

blended cements and supplementary cementitious materials such as

fly ash, silica fume and slag. Because of this, the water-to-cement

ratio may be referred to as the water-to-cementitious materials ratio

(w/cm). When calculating the w/c ratio, the total weight of all
cementitious materials is used in the denominator.
1 gallon of water = 8.34 pounds of water

Table 6.3.3 of ACI 211.1 may be used to select the required amount

of batch water based on the desired slump and maximum aggregate

size. The amount of cement and/or cementitious materials is then

determined by dividing the selected water weight by the w/c ratio.

As the amount of batch water is increased to achieve greater

workability, so is the amount of cement in order to maintain the

required water-to-cement ratio. The workability of a concrete mix is

provided by the paste, which fills the voids between aggregates. The
paste acts as a lubricant that reduces internal friction between

aggregates while increasing workability. As the aggregate decreases

in size, the amount of paste must increase to account for an increase

in aggregate surface area.

For both economical reasons and concerns with durability, it is often

desirable to use the largest size aggregate possible to minimize the

amount of paste in the system. Water-reducing chemical admixtures

are often incorporated into a mix to achieve the required fresh

properties for placing and consolidating concrete, ensuring that both

a lower w/c ratio and a paste content can be maintained. Water
alone should never be used to improve the workability of fresh

concrete. Using water to assist in finishing operations or working

bleed water back into the top surface of the concrete should also be

avoided as these practices will increase the water-to-cement ratio of

the top layer of concrete, which will lead to future durability

problems.

Hydration is the result of a chemical reaction that occurs between

the cement and water. Initially the cement grains are dispersed

throughout the system and are separated by water (Fig. 1 at right).

During this stage of hydration, which typically occurs in the first 15

minutes, a rapid exothermic chemical reaction takes place, which
produces a considerable amount of heat. Following this initial

reaction, the hydration process enters a dormant period of any

where from two to four hours. This dormant period allows for the
transportation and placement of the concrete.

Rather than adding additional water to increase the concretes

workability, water-reducing admixtures can improve the dispersion

of the cement particles to increase the workability.
Following the dormant

period, the cement will

continue to hydrate,

producing reaction products

that will begin to fill the

voids between the cement

particles (Fig. 2 at right). The

formation of reaction

products ultimately creates the binding material between

aggregates. A basic mix will typically reach its initial set after about

four hours of hydration. At this time, concrete is no longer workable

and will typically have a compressive strength of about 500 psi. The
cement will continue to hydrate, producing additional reaction

products that will fill the voids provided by the initial mix water. As

long as there is available room for the reaction products to form and
water present to further hydration, the hydration reaction will

persist and the concrete will continue to gain strength. However,

once the available water has been exhausted or the voids have been

filled, the hydration of the cement will cease and the strength gain of
the concrete will plateau.

In theory, 100 percent hydration of cement

can be achieved when enough water has been

provided to react with the available cement

and enough space has been provided by the

initial mix water for the hydration products to

form. Although 100 percent cement hydration
does not actually occur, we will proceed as if

it does. Roughly 1.1 unit volumes of water are

required to completely hydrate 1 unit volume
of cement, meaning that 1 cubic foot of
cement will produce 2.1 cubic feet of

hydration product formed from the available

cement and water. This translates to a w/c
ratio of 0.36. However, in order to achieve

complete hydration, all the pores within the system must be

completely filled with water throughout the hydration reaction. If a

w/c ratio of 0.36 were used, the pores would not remain full during
the entire reaction; thus to achieve 100 percent hydration, a w/c
ratio of 0.42 is required.

Some concretes are produced with w/c ratios lower than 0.2 and as
high as 0.7, although these ratios are not recommended for quality
concrete. Concretes with higher water-to-cement ratios ultimately
contain more water than is required for complete hydration of the
available cement. This additional water creates additional voids

known as capillary pores. As the w/c ratio increases, so does the

capillary porosity, and it has a strong influence on the strength and

permeability of the concrete as illustrated in the following graphs. A

concrete with a high porosity will not provide a watertight structure

and will likely deteriorate at an accelerated rate when exposed to
severe freeze-thaw conditions or a corrosive environment.

Because of this effect, both the American Concrete Institute (ACI)

and the National Precast Concrete Association have established
maximum w/c ratio limits for various applications. The NPCA

Quality Control Manual for Precast Products sets a maximum w/c

ratio of 0.45 for concrete exposed to freezing and thawing and a

maximum limit of 0.40 for concrete that will be exposed to deicer

salts, brackish water or seawater. A maximum w/c ratio of 0.48 is set

for watertight products containing fresh water. In order to produce
concrete with a lower water-to-cement ratio, chemical admixtures

can reduce the required amount of mixing water and still obtain the
desired fresh properties to facilitate the placement and
consolidation of the concrete.
One of the key parameters in

producing high-strength concrete

is the use of a low w/c ratio. As

explained earlier, this means that

not all of the cement will hydrate
because of the lack of available

space within the system for hydration products to form and because
of the lack of free water available to hydrate all of the cement (Fig. 3

at right). This is why moisture curing of high-strength concrete is

extremely important.

Aggregate moisture corrections

Aggregates are not completely solid but rather contain a certain

level of porosity. Pores may be located in the center of the aggregate,

while others may actually connect to the surface of the aggregate.

When calculating the bulk specific gravity of an aggregate, take both

the volume of the aggregate and all its pores into consideration.

These pores will likely contain a certain level of moisture that will

affect the performance of the concrete if appropriate corrections are

not made to account for the actual moisture content of the

aggregates. There are four different moisture conditions for

aggregates, two of which may be achieved in a laboratory, while the

other two occur naturally on a daily basis in aggregate stockpiles.

Oven-dry (OD): This is achieved under laboratory conditions when

the aggregate is heated to 220 F (105 C) for an extended period.

Under this condition, all moisture is removed from the aggregates

pores.

Air-dry (AD): The surface of the aggregate is dry and the internal

pores may be partially filled with water. This condition may occur on
a hot summer day or in an arid region. The aggregates will likely

absorb water from the mix, which may affect the workability of the
concrete unless proper adjustments are made to the aggregate and
water batch weights.

Saturated surface-dry (SSD): This is achieved under laboratory

conditions when all the pores are completely filled with water but no
free water remains on the surface of the aggregate. Aggregates in

this condition will not contribute free water nor absorb water from
the mix.

Damp or Wet: All the pores are completely filled with water and the
surface of the aggregate contains free water. Aggregates in a

stockpile will typically be in this condition, meaning additional water

will be added to the mix unless proper adjustments are made to the
aggregate and water batch weights.

Aggregate mixture proportions are developed using either the ovendry or saturated surface-dry condition. It is important to know this
information when adjusting mix designs to account for actual

aggregate moisture contents. Mix designs are typically developed

using the oven-dry condition, but some may be developed using the
saturated surface-dry condition. According to Ken Hover of Cornell
University, one advantage of designing a mix based on SSD

conditions is that the total weight of the batched materials will be

the same before and after aggregate moisture corrections.

Corrections to aggregate batch weights can be made using a

correction factor, while the batch water weight is easily calculated

by subtracting the weight of the cement and adjusted aggregates
from the original design weight of all materials.

The actual aggregate moisture content and the absorption value of

the aggregates must be known in order to accurately adjust the

batch weights. The aggregate supplier should be able to provide you

with the absorption value for each aggregate; otherwise they may be
calculated following the procedures in ASTM C127 for coarse
aggregates and ASTM C128 fine aggregates.

A = Absorption
W SSD = Weight saturated surface-dry aggregate

W OD= Weight oven-dry aggregate

The moisture content for each aggregate must also be calculated.

Aggregate moisture contents will vary throughout a stockpile, with

wetter aggregates located near the bottom of the pile. It is extremely

important to calculate the aggregate moisture content at least once a

day and perhaps more frequently when producing self-consolidating

concrete (SCC), which is more sensitive to changes in aggregate

moisture contents. Some batching systems are equipped with probes

that read the moisture content of aggregates while being discharged
from the hopper. These systems are typically tied directly into the

batch computer and will automatically adjust the batch weights for
correct proportions and w/c ratio. For batching systems without

moisture meters or probes, the aggregate moisture content must be

determined manually.

ASTM C566, Standard Test Method for Total Evaporable Moisture

Content of Aggregate by Drying, should be followed when

determining the aggregate moisture content. Take a representative

sample from the aggregate stockpile, avoiding the first few inches as

this material is probably dry and not representative of the entire lot.
Take the samples in accordance with the procedures established in

ASTM D75, Standard Practice for Sampling Aggregates, except for

the sample size.

Weigh the collected sample and record it prior to drying. Use a hot
plate, microwave oven or some other means of drying. Note that

very rapid heating may cause some particles to explode, resulting in

the loss of particles, which may render your calculations inaccurate.

The sample is considered dry when further heating would cause less
than 0.1 percent additional loss in mass. Allow the sample to cool to
avoid damaging the scale. Weigh the sample to the nearest 0.1

percent. Calculate the total aggregate moisture content (MC) using

the follow equation:

MC = Moisture Content
W initial = Weight of the sample prior to drying
W OD = Weight of the sample after drying
By using the moisture content and absorption of the aggregates, you
can adjust the batch weights to account for the actual moisture

condition. If the moisture content is higher than the aggregates

absorption value, the aggregates will contribute free water to the

mix. If the moisture content is below the absorption value, the
aggregates will absorb a portion of the mix water.

For mix designs based on raw materials in an oven-dry condition,

make the following adjustments.

Calculate the adjusted coarse aggregate (CA BW) and fine aggregate
(FA BW) batch weights using the following equation for each
material:

AGG BW = Weight of adjusted aggregate to be batched (calculate for

CA BW and FA BW)

AGG DW = Mix design weight of aggregate (CA DW and FA DW)

MC = Moisture content as a percentage (MC CA and MC FA)

Calculate the adjusted water batch weight (W BW) using the

following equation:

W BW= Weight of water to be batched after adjustment

W DW= Mix design weight of water
CA DW = Mix design weight of coarse aggregate
MC CA = Moisture content of coarse aggregate as a percentage
A CA = Absorption of coarse aggregate as a percentage
FA DW = Mix design weight of fine aggregate
MC FA = Moisture content of fine aggregate as a percentage
A FA = Absorption of fine aggregate as a percentage
For mix designs based on raw materials in a saturated surface-dry
condition, make the following adjustments.

Calculate coarse aggregate (CA BW) and fine aggregate (FA BW)

batch weights by multiplying each aggregate design weight (AGG

DW) by its respective correction factor (CF) using the following
equation:

CF = Correction factor must be calculated for each aggregate (CF CA

and CF FA)

MC = Moisture content of aggregate as a percentage (MC CA and MC

FA)

A = Absorption of aggregate as a percentage (A CA and A FA)

AGG BW = Weight of adjusted aggregate to be batched (calculate for

CA BW and FA BW)

AGG DW = Mix design weight of aggregate (CA DW and FA DW)

CF = Correction factor must be calculated for each aggregate (CF CA
and CF FA)

Determine the amount of batch water by subtracting the sum of the

corrected batch weights (cement, CA BW and FA BW) from the sum
of all the initial design weights, including the water. This concept is
illustrated below.

W BW= Weight of water to be batched after adjustment

C DW = C BW ; The weight of the cement does not change form the
initial design

CA DW = Mix design weight of coarse aggregate

FA DW = Mix design weight of fine aggregate

CA BW = Adjusted batch weight of coarse aggregate

FA BW = Adjusted batch weight of fine aggregate

The following examples show to adjust how mix design weights to

account for aggregates of varying moisture contents.

Example 1: Adjusting Mix Designs Based on Oven-Dry

Conditions

The following information is provided for the initial mix design:

Cement = 650 lbs

Coarse Aggregate (OD) = 1,836 lbs

Absorption = 0.5%

Moisture Content = 2.0%

Fine Aggregate (OD) = 1,243 lbs

Absorption = 0.7%

Moisture Content = 5.20%

Water = 315 lbs

Calculate the adjusted aggregate batch weights

Calculate the adjusted water batch weight:

The new batch weights are as follows:

 Cement = 650 lbs

Coarse Aggregate = 1,873 lbs

Fine Aggregate = 1,308 lbs
Water = 231 lbs

Example 2: Adjusting Mix Designs Based on Saturated SurfaceDry Conditions

The following information is provided for the initial mix design:

Cement = 650 lbs

Coarse Aggregate (SSD) = 1,610 lbs

Absorption = 0.5%

Moisture Content = 1.8%

Fine Aggregate (SSD) = 1,245 lbs

Absorption = 0.7%

Moisture Content = 4.8%

Water = 310 lbs

Total weight of materials =

Calculate the adjusted aggregate batch weights

Calculate the adjusted water batch weight

The new batch weights are as follows:

Cement = 650 lbs

Coarse Aggregate = 1,631 lbs

Fine Aggregate = 1,296 lbs
Water = 237 lbs

What would happen if the design batch weights in the above

examples were used without making corrections to account for the

actual aggregate moisture contents? The w/c ratio in the first

example would have changed from roughly 0.48 to 0.61, and the w/c
ratio in the second example would have changed from roughly 0.48
to 0.59. This would mean that the 28-day compressive strength of

each mix would likely be reduced by 1,000 psi, not to mention that

the w/c ratios may no longer comply with the limits established by
the authority having jurisdiction.

Whether you are using your own batch plant with automated

moisture probes or purchasing ready-mixed concrete, it is extremely

important that all individuals involved with the batching, mixing and
casting of concrete understand the importance of maintaining the

specified water-to-cement ratio. All additional water added to a mix

should be measured and accounted for by adjusting mix proportions

to ensure the maximum water-to-cement ratio is not exceeded.

Having tight control on the w/c ratio will remove one of the many
variables that influence the strength and durability of finished
products.

Filed Under: Archive - 2004-2008

Tagged With: aggregate moisture, precast, precast concrete, water-to-cement ratio

Comments
jacqueline says

June 13, 2012 at 2:14 am

this is nice.:)..
Reply

Akondo says

January 8, 2013 at 2:46 am

Nice
Reply

Alberto Salazar says

July 8, 2014 at 5:29 pm

This was very helpful. Thank you.
Reply

Bob says

July 22, 2014 at 2:17 am

Interesting comment regarding increased porosity degrading the freeze

thaw resistance.
Reply

Muhammad Mohsan says

April 9, 2015 at 3:53 pm

nice job and thanks this is very helpfull

Reply

Jeffery S. says

April 23, 2015 at 2:50 am

What is the standard for achieving SSD aggregates?
Reply

Claude Goguen says

April 23, 2015 at 5:03 pm

Achieving SSD in aggregates can be done using methods ASTM C127
Standard Test Method for Relative Density (Specific Gravity) and

Absorption of Coarse Aggregate and C128 Standard Test Method for

Relative Density (Specific Gravity) and Absorption of Fine Aggregate.
Usually, SSD weights are given in the aggregate mill certificates

through the Absorption Capacity. Take the AC and multiply it by the

oven dry weight, and you get your SSD weight. I would happy to go
over this with you in detail if need be.

Reply

Janagarajan.P says

July 4, 2015 at 3:59 am

How do you calculate for the moisture correction for hot aggregates which
is lying open yard at Batching plant site. Aggregates will drink more water
because of hot. Then how do you calculate that water content other than
considering water absorption and moisture content of aggregates.
Reply

Sara Geer says

July 6, 2015 at 3:40 pm

Thanks for the comment Janagarajan.P. I consulted with the
technical department here at NPCA, and they advised that

determining water adjustments for aggregates is usually only based

on moisture content and absorption capacity. The aggregate can

only absorb as much water as its porosity will allow, regardless of

temperature. If the aggregate is so hot that it evaporates mix water

that comes in contact, then looking at ways to lower that

temperature may be considered. Some precast concrete companies

will sprinkle aggregate with water. Others will erect means of shading
to keep temperatures down.
Reply

chaitanya says

August 6, 2015 at 3:43 pm

Thanku sir.Very useful information.
Reply

Manuel says

August 7, 2015 at 1:16 am

Very helpful for civil engineers, thanks
Reply

ejaznespak says

August 30, 2015 at 8:13 am

what is the normal slump of girders concrete to achieve a good
strength for this water cement ratio o.40?

i m waiting for your good response;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

AME NESPAK PAKISTAN
Reply

Sara Geer says

October 28, 2015 at 7:53 am

Thank you for the comment ejaznespak. Evan Gurley, one of our
technical engineers, has given the following response:

Concrete must always be made with a workability, consistency

and plasticity suitable for job conditions. The slump test is

generally used to measure concrete consistency. Consistency

is the ability of freshly made concrete to flow. When used with

different batches of the same mix design, a change in slump

indicates a change in consistency and in the characteristics of

the materials, mixture proportions, water content, mixing, time
of test or the testing itself.

The reality is that if we measure the slump, the only thing we

really know at this point is the slump. The slump of a concrete

mix is influenced by everything. Changes in any of the following

can change the slump of the concrete:

Content, proportions, chemistry, fineness particle size

distribution, moisture content and temperature of cementitious

materials

Content, proportions, size, texture, grading, cleanliness and

moisture contents of the aggregates

Dosage, type, combination, interaction, sequence of addition

of chemical admixtures
Air content

Batching, mixing and delivery/placing methods

Temperature of the concrete

Sampling, slump-testing technique and the condition of the

test equipment

Amount of free water in the concrete

Time since batching at the time of testing

Slump is usually indicated in the job specifications as a range
or as a maximum value not to be exceeded. If slump is not

specified, ACI 211.1 Table 6.3.1 has established recommended

slumps based on the various types of construction.
Reply

Rod Llanera says

January 20, 2016 at 7:14 am

How to calculate the volumetric batch of 1:2:4, and how to apply
corrections in moisture of aggregates and bulking in sand.
Reply

Sara Geer says

February 9, 2016 at 8:13 am

Thank you for your comment Rod. Kayla Hanson, one of technical
engineers, has provided the following response.

Volumetric Batching: First, the 1:2:4 ratio is the ratio of cement to

fine aggregate to coarse aggregate, by material volume. There are
five parameters we need to identify prior to calculating the mix
proportions.

1. Required strength

2. Minimum cementitious materials content or maximum water-tocementitious materials ratio

3. Nominal maximum aggregate size

4. Air content

5. Desired slump
Next, ACI 318 outlines in detail numerous guidelines and

requirements that dictate certain factors. Additionally, youll need to

refer to ACI 211.1, ACI 211.2, ACI 211.3 or ACI 237R-07 for

proportioning, depending on what type of mix youre developing

normal, heavyweight or mass concrete; structural lightweight

concrete; no-slump concrete; or self-consolidating concrete. If you

have further questions after reviewing the ACI codes, NPCAs
technical services is happy to answer them for you.

Moisture Adjustments: To determine moisture correction factors,

we first need to know the moisture content of both the coarse

aggregate and fine aggregate. We also need to know the certain

inherent aggregate properties.

For example, if the nominal maximum coarse aggregate size is 1

inch, and the fine aggregate has a fineness modulus of 2.40, ACI

211.1 will tell us the recommended bulk volume of coarse aggregate

is 0.71. If the coarse aggregate has a unit weight of 100 lb/ft3, this
will require 1,917 pounds of coarse aggregate per cubic yard of

concrete (0.71 * 100 lb/ft3 * 27 ft3/yd3 = 1,917 lb/yd3). If the coarse

aggregate has a moisture content of 1.5%, we will instead need to
batch about 1,946 pounds of coarse aggregate per cubic yard of
concrete (1,917 lb/yd3 * 1.015 = 1,946 lb/yd3).

Similar calculations also apply to fine aggregate moisture

adjustments. Adjusting any aspect of the batch will alter the

characteristics of both plastic and hardened concrete, so be sure to

account for any and all adjustments that are made, and also be
aware of how those adjustments will affect other raw material
quantities and the fresh and hardened concrete properties.
Reply

Coleridge Davis says

January 21, 2016 at 5:16 am

Thanks guys for your helpful information . You guys are on the ball with
everything
Reply

Coleridge Davis says

January 21, 2016 at 5:22 am

Base on all the information that is been shade Is there anyone on your

team have ever achieve 4000 PSI in 24 hours ? If yes can someone explain
to me how is it been done

What are the key factor in doing this design ?

Please help
Reply

McKenzie says

February 5, 2016 at 8:40 pm

I am not a concrete professional, but for that type of performance, I
think you will need to use calcium aluminate cement instead of
portland cement.
Reply

Isah says

February 19, 2016 at 2:14 am

Thank you for the informative article.
Do you know what the standard or typical values for absorption of coarse
aggregates that are to be used in concrete mix design are?
Reply

Sara Geer says

May 11, 2016 at 8:56 am

Thank you for the comment Isah. Aggregate absorption values and
specific gravities can vary widely depending on the geology and

geography of the aggregate site. This can even vary within close
regional pit locations. I suggest to contact your local aggregate

supplier to obtain absorption values, which would be valid for your

mix design.
Reply

RHC says

May 4, 2016 at 6:11 pm

What if the materials are not in OD or SSD condition? Which adjustment do
you make?
Reply

Sara Geer says

May 11, 2016 at 9:22 am

Thank you for the comment RHC. Eric Carleton, vice president of
technical services, provided the following response:

The answer to your question is actual aggregate conditions are

rarely oven dry or surface-saturated dry. Those are laboratory

established ideal conditions used to develop the mix design. Prior to

production, all aggregates need to be tested no less than daily (and

possibly more depending on local conditions) to determine the actual

moisture content of the stored aggregate. The mix water can then be
adjusted to match the original mix design water content developed
for that particular aggregate when in OD and SSD condition. The
arithmetic adjustments used, as described in the article, would

depend on which way you want to develop the original mix design.
Reply

Ussu ajaib says

June 16, 2016 at 9:07 pm

Is it required to reduce the selection of water content in calculation of

mixed design when fine aggregate has a surface moisture content of 2%?if
yes, then how?
Reply

Sara Geer says

June 21, 2016 at 7:32 am

Thank you for the comment Ussu. To answer your question, when

aggregates are wet beyond an SSD state, the excess surface water

on the aggregates contributes to the mix water. The amount of water

batched into the mixer should be adjusted to account for the

aggregate moisture content (and the additional water added to the

mix by the wet aggregates) so that the total amount of water in the
mix abides by the mix design qualifications.
Reply

Richard Okura says

July 12, 2016 at 11:28 am

Why would two plants batching concrete using the same materials use
different amount of water, say 120litres and 146litres? More so when

before the two plants were using the same amount of water? (Please note
that one of the plant is automated and the other is not when it comes to
making moisture corrections?).
Reply

Sara Geer says

July 26, 2016 at 12:35 pm

Thank you for your comment Richard. Eric Carleton, director of codes
and standards, provided the following response:

Greetings Richard, you pose an interesting question. As you may

know, water serves two purposes in a concrete mix design. First, it

starts the hydration process with the cementitious materials. The

minimum water-to-cementitious materials ratio needed is between

0.19 and 0.26, depending on the materials, grind fineness, etc.

Second, water in excess amounts of the needed hydration minimum

fill the pores and provide lubricity or workability to the mix. This

characteristic is measured via a slump test. More water creates

greater slump and workability. However, there is diminishing returns

because adding water beyond the optimized hydration amount can
lead to reduced compressive strength, possible aggregate

segregation and reduced durability. Many standards limit the

maximum w/cm ratio for quality concrete.Fortunately, modern

chemical admixtures can increase concrete workability as well

without the need for excessive water.

Which now brings us back to your initial question, why would two

plants using identical raw materials have mix designs with different

water quantities? When you say one plant is automated and the
other is not when it comes to making moisture corrections, I

assume the automation only applies to the mix and batch operation
and not that one plant manufactures products via an automated

process. In that case, automated would mean one plant employs a

dry-cast automated production method and the other doesnt, which

would explain everything.

However, assuming both plants use wet cast or SCC mixes, the
answer could be a number of reasons:

1. If the raw materials used are the same, each plants mix design

may be slightly different. It could be one plant is using more cement

requiring greater amounts of water to maintain a similar slump or

slump flow range needed for casting. Note, the added cement may
not be intentional, so checking weigh scales or ensuring material
gates open and close properly, may also solve the problem.

2. The use of automated moisture controls when operating properly

can provide added consistency to batching. It is important moisture

sensors are calibrated with the aggregates being used. The NPCA
Quality Control Manual for Precast concrete Plants, Section 5.2.2,
Moisture Content, requires the calibration to occur weekly for

conventional, dry-cast and SCC mixes. This is typically accomplished

by either ASTM C70 or C566 and compares it to automated readings
to ensure they are within an acceptable range. If the moisture

sensors are not reading properly that could lead to varied water
content. A slump test would stress this problem.

3. Are both plants maintaining identical slump or slump flow range

for the produced products? And are they actively testing fresh mixes?
If not, that could also be the reason for the water difference.

Additionally, if one plant is using a water reducing or plasticizer

admixture in different proportions, that would account for different

batching weights of water.

4. Are both aggregates stored similarly? If a sand or course

aggregate is stored outside for one plant, it may dry out faster than a
plant that keeps its aggregate stored inside. This can have a greater
water demand.

In a perfect world theoretically both mixes of identical materials

should have identical water demand. However, concrete batching is

not a perfect science and there are minor variables to always be

considered. Therefore, the answer to your question boils down to

either: mix design differences, equipment error or human error.
Reply

John says

September 8, 2016 at 9:12 am

Is there a formula or estimate for the impact on cement requirements to

maintain required strength when additional fine aggregate is added. With a

known surface area for the additional sand can I calculate the additional
cement required to avoid strength loss?
Reply

Ahortu derrick says

October 9, 2016 at 11:15 am

Nice job:):D
Reply

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