UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

DEPARTMENT OF
CIVIL ENGINEERING
150 Jaguar Drive, Shelby Hall 3142
Mobile, Alabama 36688-0002

Telephone: (251)460-6174
Facsimile:(251)
(251)461-1400
461-1400
Facsimile:
http://www.southalabama.edu
http://www.southalabama.edu

September 15, 2015

John Cleary, Ph.D., P.E.
Department of Civil Engineering
University of South Alabama
Subject: CE 315 Civil Engineering Materials Lab 5: Concrete Mix Design and Trial Batching

Introduction and Objective

The following report contains the requested concrete mix design and the measured values for the
slump, unit weight, and air content of the trial batch. Included is a summary of the parameters
used in the proportioning of the material components of the mix and the calculations for the
adjusted weights of the components. The trial batch was mixed on Wednesday, October 14 th in
the Construction Materials Lab at the University of South Alabama. The mix was designed for an
average compressive strength of 4500 psi and a slump of 3 in.

Engineering Team Members

Concrete batching and measurement of fresh mix properties were performed by the following
individuals: Connor Griffin, Musaad Albaiji, and Thomas Calhoun.
The primary author of the report is Thomas Calhoun. The secondary author of the report is
Connor Griffin.

Description of the Experiment

Include

What was calculated

What was measured
What parameters used for calculations
Standards followed

Results and Discussion

Include
Mix design
Slump to the nearest in.
Air content and method used to determine
Unit weight and yield (yield = Volume of concrete samples attained from the
known batch volume)
Number, size, and types of samples made
Table 1 contains a summary of the coarse and fine aggregate properties which are essential
parameters used in proportioning of the material components for the mix design. For the trial
batch, approximately 0.6- ft3 of concrete was prepared. The individual component weights for
the trial batch are shown in Table 2. Eight 4x8 inch cylindrical samples were prepared.
Coarse Aggregate
Maximum Size (in)
3/4
Nominal Max. Size (in)
1/2
Bulk SG-Dry
2.57
101.
Bulk Density (lb/cf)
5
Absorption (%)
1.3
Moisture Content (%)
0.1

Fine Aggregate

2.6
2
0.5
Absorption (%)
5
2.7
Fineness Modulus
2
0.1
Table 1: A summary of the coarse and fine aggregate properties
Moisture
used to
Content
determine mix
(%)
proportions.
2
Bulk SG-Dry

The initial and adjusted mix design are displayed below (Table 2). The mix is given in units of
pounds per cubic yard of concrete.
Mix Design
Material
Coarse
Aggregate
Fine
Aggregate
Cement
Water
Air (%)
Water/Cement

Initial Design (lb./cy)

Adjusted Design
(lb./cy)

1535

1540

984
961
365
2.5
0.38

990
960
390
2.5
0.38

Table 2: The center column shows the initial mix design. The right column is the final trial design with
corrections for the absorption and moisture content of the aggregates.

The final trial batch weights are displayed in Figure 3. A thirty percent increase to the total
required weight has been factored into the trial batch to account for potential waste.
Trial Batch Weight (lbs)
Coarse Aggregate
Fine Aggregate

34.5
1
22.1
9

Cement
Water

21.5
1
8.74

Table 3: A table of the trial material batch weights required to yield

twenty samples and thirty percent waste .

Conclusions