MIX PROPORTIONING OF STANDARD CONCRETE FOR GAP GRADED COARSE AGGREGATE

A PROGRESS REPORT ON SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF ITS REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING (STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING)

SUBMITTED BY

SANTOSH KUMAR PRABHAKAR

ROLL NO. 1023001

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF

PROF. SANJAY KUMAR

AND CO-SUPERVISION OF

DR. L.B. ROY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, PATNA PATNA -800005(INDIA) December, 2011

MIX PROPORTIONING OF STANDARD CONCRETE FOR GAP GRADED COARSE AGGREGATE

Introduction As per standard mix proportioning of concrete, coarse aggregate, fine aggregate and cement paste with admixture are used for efficient packing of aggregate in the concrete volume. In the conventional continuous grading that properties can be achieved. At site sometimes availability of the well graded aggregate are not possible, sometimes available single size aggregates or gap graded aggregate only is used. In the mix proportioning according to the availabilty of coarse aggregate as gap graded needs certain changes. These change are according to existing different codal provision for efficient mix design of concrete.

Gradation of Coarse Aggregates Coarse aggregates used in concrete making contain aggregates of various sizes. This particle size distribution of the coarse aggregates is termed as Gradation. The sieve analysis is conducted to determine this particle size distribution. Grading pattern is assessed by sieving a sample successively through all the sieves mounted one over the other in order of size, with larger sieve on the top. The material retained on each sieve after shaking represents the fraction of aggregate coarser than the sieve in question and finer than the sieve above. Proper gradation of coarse aggregates is one of the most important factors in producing workable concrete. Proper gradation ensures that a sample of aggregates contains all standard fractions of aggregate in required proportion such that the sample contains minimum voids. A sample of the well graded aggregate containing minimum voids will require minimum paste to fill up the voids in the aggregates. Minimum paste means less quantity of cement and less

quantity of water; leading to increased economy, higher strength, lower shrinkage & greater durability. The workability is improved when there is an excess of paste above that required to fill the voids in the sand, and also an excess of mortar (sand plus cement) above that required to fill the voids in the coarse aggregate because the fine material lubricates the larger particles. Cement-paste or the Matrix that links together the coarse aggregates is weaker than the aggregates. It is this matrix that is vulnerable to all ills of concrete. It is more permeable and is susceptible to deterioration by the attack of aggressive chemicals. Therefore lesser the quantity of such weak link in concrete, the better will be the concrete. This objective can be achieved by having well graded aggregates. As shown in Fig-1, there are three typical range categories of aggregate grading:

Well graded : Well-graded aggregate has a gradation of particle size that fairly evenly spans the size from the finest to the coarsest. A slice of a core of well-graded aggregate concrete shows a packed field of many different particle sizes. It is characterized by the S- shaped in gradation curve. Poor graded : Poor-graded aggregate is characterized by small variation in size. It contains aggregate particles that are almost of the same size. This means that the particles pack together, leaving relatively large voids in the concrete. It is also called uniform-graded. It is characterized by steep curve. Gap graded : Gap-graded aggregate consists of aggregate particles in which some intermediate size particles are missing. A core slice of gap-graded, or skip grade, concrete shows a field of small sized- aggregate interspersed with slightly isolated, large aggregate pieces embedded in a small sized aggregate. It is characterized by a gradation curve with a hump in between.

Fig-1 : Gradation of Aggregates, showing, Well-graded, Poorly graded & Gap graded)

Poorly graded concretes generally require excessive amounts of cement paste to fill the voids making them uneconomical. Gap-graded concretes fall in between well-graded and poorly-graded in terms of performance and economy. Gap graded is viable gradation, but not optimal. Well-graded aggregates are tricky in proportion. The goal of aggregate proportioning and sizing is to maximize the volume of aggregate in the concrete while preserving the strength, workability and finishing. This balance the proportions of each so there are just enough of each size to fill all the voids, while preserving workability and cast-surface quality. Some experiments have concluded that grading for maximum density gives the highest strength, and that the grading curve of the best mixture resembles a parabola. However such aggregates graded to maximum density gives a harsh concrete that is very difficult in ordinary concreting. So the proportioning should be based on the surface area of aggregates that is to be wetted. Other things remaining same, it can be said that the concrete made from aggregate grading having least surface area will require least water which will consequently be the strongest. Also it has been found that the surface area of

the aggregates may vary widely without causing much appreciable difference in the concrete strength and that water required to produce a given consistency is dependent more on other characteristics of aggregate than on surface area. Therefore fineness modulus is also to be introduced for arriving at satisfactory grading. It was found that any gradation curve of aggregate that gives the same fineness modulus will require the same quantity of water to produce the mix of same plasticity and gives concrete of the same strength. Aggregates having two different gradings can have same fineness modulus. Fineness modulus is a measure of the degree of coarseness or fineness of an aggregate sample. Sometimes gap graded aggregate provides efficient packing inside the concrete volume, since gap grading enables leaner mixes than conventional concrete for the same grade, resulting in lesser shrinkage creep associate with such concrete will be low. It also reduces seggregation tendency. Keeping in mind the above associated benefit mixes are often desinged with single size aggregate. However gap grading enables leaner and drier mixes so the mix make the vibration almost essential.

Objective 1.) Study of different mix design procedure. 2.) Design for standard concrete as per IS code, ACI method and British DoE method for well graded and gap graded coarse aggregate. 3.) Comparative study of well graded and gap graded aggregate standard concrete for workability, flexural strength and compressive strength.

Literature Review The early paradigm can he traced to Abrams 1918 research and early materials standards. Abrams findings are best stated in his own words. Much of his research and recommendations have been neglected and only the watercement ratio survived. Even the fundamentals of that theory are not interpreted as he apparently intended. He wrote: These studies have covered an

investigation of the inter-relation of the following factors: I. The consistency (quantity of mixing water). 2. The size and grading of aggregates. 3. The mix (proportion of cement). The following may be mentioned as among the most important principles which have been established with reference to the design of concrete mixtures. 1. With given concrete materials and conditions of test the quantity of mixing water used determines the strength of the concrete so long as the mix is of a workable plasticity. 2. The sieve analysis famishes the only correct basis for proportioning

aggregates in concrete mixtures. 3. The sieve analysis curve of the aggregate may be widely different inform without exerting any influence on the concrete strength. 4. There is an intimate relation between the grading of the aggregate and the quantity of water required to produce a workable concrete. 5. The water content of a concrete mix is best considered in terms of the volume of the cement the water-ratio. From the foregoing, Abrams first concern was to reduce total water through proper blending of the aggregates. Only after the water and aggregate

proportions were determined did he introduce the question of cement. This indicates the aggregate should be the first, rather than the last, constituent to be considered when preparing mixture designs or proportions. Today the water and cement are determined first and the aggregate selected to fill the voids. Also, according to Abrams, aggregate is an all-inclusive term. There is no separation between coarse and fine sizes. He developed and used a formula, based upon the combined aggregate fineness modulus, to calculate proportions of coarse and fine sizes for the 50,000 tests in the research. Abrams investigated and commented upon the different methods for aggregate proportioning used at that time. Among the most important ones he identified were: * Arbitrary, such as the 1:2:4 mix ratio, without reference to the size or grading of the fine and coarse aggregates, * Blending of aggregates made to secure maximum density. * Securing maximum concrete density; * Sieve analysis to approximate some predetermined grading, and * Surface area of aggregates. He wrote of those procedures, It is a matter of common experience that the method of arbitrary selection in which fixed quantities of fine and coarse aggregates are mixed without regard to the size and grading of the individual materials, is far from satisfactory. Our experiments have shown that the other methods mentioned above are also subject to serious limitations. The percent of aggregate method, the most widely used method today for selecting course to fine aggregate proportions due to its simplicity, is a derivation of the 1:2:4 proportioning method. The notorious 60:40 aggregate ratio is a modem day version of 1:3:5 volumetric proportions.

In Construction workers involving not too large volume of concrete strict quality control on aggregate grading is generally uneconomical and unwarranted. Furthermore, in many construction works, non- availability of coarse sand and small size of coarse aggregate result in discontinuous gradings in which medium size particles are altogether absent. Thus we come across a concrete with locally available material which is partially gap graded. But, academic packing according to Bate and Stewart for maximum density of concrete is, however, hardly practicable. Although a number of researchers have investigated the characteristics of fully gap-graded concrete, investigations have been rarely reported on the characteristics of partially gap graded concrete with the locally available coarse and fine aggregate.

Study of Different Mix Design Procedure

The process of selecting suitable ingredients of concrete and determining their relative amounts with the objective of producing a concrete of required strength, durability and workability as economical as possible is termed the concrete mix design.

Methods of concrete mix design

1. IS code method 2. American ACI method 3. British DoE method 4. RRL method 5. USBR method 6. Arbitrary method 7. Maximum density method 8. IRC 44 method 9. Minimum void method

Mix design by different code guidelines

i). The ACI method concrete mix design procedure

a) selection of slump b) selection of maximum aggregate size c) determination of mixing water and air content

d) computation of target mean compressive strength e) selection of water cement ratio f) determination of cement content g) determination of coarse aggregate content h) determination of fine aggregate content i) adjustments for aggregate moisture

ii).British DoE method of concrete mix design

a) target mean strength b) target consistence(slump class) c) selection of free water-cement ratio d) determination of free water content e) determination of cement content f) computation of total absolute volume of aggregate g) determination of fine and coarse aggregate contents h) adjustment for aggregate moisture and determination of final proportions

iii).Indian Standard method of concrete mix design

a) stipulations for proportioning

b) test data for materials c) target strength for mix proportioning d) selection of water cement ratio e) selection of water content f) calculation of cement content g) proportion of volume of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate content h) mix calculations i) mix proportioning for trial

Mix Design Example as per Indian Standard method, ACI method and British DoE method Illustrative example Preparation of standard concrete of M25 grade of different properties of materials areMaximum nominal size of coarse aggregate - 20 mm Grade of fine aggregate - zone iii Cement - OPC 43 grade Specific gravity of cement - 3.15 Specific gravity of coarse aggregate - 2.74 Specific gravity of fine aggregate - 2.74 Fineness modulus of fine aggregate - 2.60 Bulk density of coarse aggregate - 1600 kg/m3 Fresh density of concrete - 2400 kg/m3 Water absorption of coarse aggregate - 0.5 % Water absorption of fine aggregate - 1.0 % Exposure condition - severe Mix design as per Indian standard of above given data 1. Target strength for mix proportioning fck = fck+1.65 s Here, fck=target avg. comp. strength at 28 days

fck =characteristic comp. strength at 28 days s = standard deviation From table 1 of IS 10262-2009, s=4.0 for M25 Therefore, Target strength = 25+1.65x4=31.60 N per square mm 2. Selection of water cement ratio From table 5 of IS 456-2000, Maximum water cement ratio=0.5 3. Selection of water contentFrom table 2 of IS 10262, Maximum water content for 20 mm coarse aggregate=186 Kg/m3 4. calculation of cement contentCement content= water content/water- cement ratio=186/0.5=372 kg/m3 From table 5 of IS 456-2000, Minimum cement content for severe exposure condition is 250 Kg/m3, 372>250, hence OK 5. Proportioning of volume of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate contentFrom table3 of IS 10262, Volume of coarse aggregate corresponding to20 mm and fine aggregate of zone III for water content ratio of0.5=0.64 Therefore, vol. of coarse aggregate =0.64 Vol. of fine aggregate =1-0.64=0.36 6. Mix calculation.

i. ii.

vol. of concrete =1cubic meter vol. of cement =mass content/(sp.gr of cementx1000) =372/(3.15x1000) =0.118 m3

iii.

Vol. of water=mass of water/(sp. gr. Of waterx1000) a. =186/1x1000=0.186 m3

iv.

vol. of all in aggregate =1-(2+3) =1-(0.118+0.186) =0.696 m3

v.

Mass of coarse aggregate =vol. of all in agg. x vol. of coarse agg.x sp. gr. of coarse agg.x1000 =0.696x0.64x2.74x1000 =1220.50 kg

vi.

Mass of fine aggregate =vol. of all in aggregate x vol. of fine agg. x sp.gr. of fine agg. x 1000 =0.696x0.36x2.74x1000 =686.534 kg

7. Mix proportioning
CEMENT 372 1 WATER 186 0.5 FINE AGG. 686.534 1.845 COARSE AGG. 1220.50 3.28

Mix design as per ACI method 1. Selection of slump Slump of 50 mm is specified. 2. Selection of maximum aggregate size The maximum size of coarse agg. of 20 mm is specified. 3. Determination of mixing water and air contentWater content as per ACI 211. 1,i.e approximation, For 20 mm agg of slump 25-50,the water content is 190 Kg/m3 and vol. of entrapped air is 4-5 % =0.05 cubic metre 4. Selection of water-cement ratioFor strength criteria it varies in exposure condition as severe by 0.520.61,We taking 0.55, 5. Selection of cement content = water content/water- cement ratio =190/0.55 =345.45 KG 6. Coarse aggregate content As the fineness modulus of fine agg. is 2.60,from ACI211, Coarse agg. content is 0.64. Bulk density of coarse agg. is 1600 Kg/m3, therefore, mass of coarse agg.=vol. of coarse agg.x bulk density =0.64x1600=1020 Kg/m3 7. vol. of water = mass of water/(sp. gr. Of water = 190/(1x1000) =0.190 cubic metre

8. vol. of cement= mass content/(sp.gr of cementx1000) =345.45/(3.15X1000) =0.109 cubic metre 9. vol. of coarse aggregate=mass content/(sp.gr.of ca x1000) =1020/(2.74x1000) =0.373 cubic metre Now, Vol.of entrapped air Vol. of water Vol. of cement Vol. of coarse agg. = 0.050 = 0.190 = 0.109 = 0.373 ______ Sum Now, vol. of fine agg.=1-0.722 =0.278 cubic metre Mass of fine agg. = vol. of fine aggx sp.gr.of fine agg.x1000 =761.72 kg 10. MIX PROPORTIONING
CEMENT 345.46 1 WATER 190 0.55 FINE AGG. 761.72 2.20 COARSE AGG 1020 2.956

0.722 cubic metre

Mix design as per British DoE method 1. Target mean compressive strength ft = fck + k S k=probability factor s=standard deviation here, from BS EN 206, S=5 (as per given cond.) Ft= 25+1.65x5 = 33.25 MPa 2. Target consistence(slump class) Slump range=30-60 Using graph of BS EN206, for water cement ratio is 0.48 3. Water content Water content as per EN206, FOR 20 mm agg. with slum s2 is 180 Kg/m3 4. Cement content =water content/water- cement ratio =180/0.48 =375 Kg/m3 5. Absolute volume of aggregate =1-vol. of cement-vol. of water

=1-((375/(3.15x1000)+180/1000) =0.700 m3 6. Total aggregate content = wet density of fully compacted fresh concrete x abs. Vol. of aggregate =2400x0.700 =1682 Kg/m3 7. Fine aggregate As per EN206-1, concrete with consistence class s2, water cement ratio of 0.48 and Fine aggregate of zoneIII, the proportion of fine aggregate as percent of total aggregate is 35%, therefore Fine aggregate content =0.35x1682=589 Kg/m3 Coarse aggregate content = (1-0.35) x1682=1093 Kg/m3 8. Mix proportioning
CEMENT 375 1 WATER 180 0.48 FINE AGG. 589 1.57 COARSE AGG. 1093 2.91

Summary
CEMENT WATER FINE AGG. COARSE AGG.

IS METHOD ACI METHOD DoE METHOD

1 1 1

0.50 0.55 0.48

1.845 2.20 1.57

3.28 2.956 2.91

Findings 1.) The mix design methods being used in different countries are mostly based on empirical relationship,charts and graphs developed from extensive experimental investigations. 2.) The ACI method considers the maximum size of aggregate but does not differentiate b/w crushed and non-crushed,but British DoE method takes into accont it for water demand calculation.In I S code method ,the maximum size of coarse aggragate as a parameter for water demand is used. 3.) All the methods are based on absolute volume concept.in ACI method,the coarse aggregate content is estimated directly and that of fine aggregate by substracting the absolute vol. of kwon ingrdientsfrom a unit vol. of fully compacted fresh concrete.In other hand,the British DoE and IS method directly select. 4.) In ACI method selection of fine agg.and coarse agg.is based on fineness modulus,where as in IS method it is based upon zone of sand and size of coarse agg.as per IS383.