CENG 301: Construction Materials
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Liberia
Lecture Notes by: Engr. Amos Y. Barclay
Lecture Notes Set 4
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
▪ Introduction: Calculation of Concrete
Ingredients?
▪ Concrete Materials
‒Cement,
‒Sand and
‒Crushed Aggregates
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
▪ Objectives
‒To quantified cement as bag,
‒ sand and crushed aggregates in cubic foot or
cubic meter
of cubic foot or meter of concrete volume
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
▪ Introduction
How to calculate Cement, Sand and Crushed Aggregates
quantity in concrete:
1-Volume:
Rectangular Cuboid – V= L x B x H
Circular Column - V= 𝑨𝒉 = 𝝅𝒓𝟐 h
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
2- Concrete Grade :
Grades of concrete are defined by the strength
and composition of the concrete, and
the minimum strength the concrete should have
following 28 days of initial construction.
The grade of concrete is understood in
measurements of MPa, where M stands for mix and
the MPa denotes the overall strength.2
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
Strength of Concrete:
• Concrete mixes are defined in ascending numbers of 5,
starting at 10, and show the compressive strength of the
concrete after 28 days.
• For instance, C10 has the strength of 10 newtons, C15 has
the strength of 15 newtons, C20 has 20 newtons strength
and so on.
• Different mixes (M) come in various mix proportions of the
various ingredients of cement, sand and coarse aggregates.
For instance, M20 comes in the respective ratio of 1:1:5:3.
You can see other examples below in the table
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
Strength of Concrete:
Concrete Grade Mix Ratio (c : s : a) Compressive Strength MPa (N/mm2) psi
M5 1 : 5 : 10 5 MPa (725 psi)
M7.5 1:4:8 7.5 MPa (1087 psi)
M10 1:3:6 10 MPa (1450 psi)
M15 1:2:4 15 MPa (2175 psi)
M20 1 : 1.5 : 3 20 MPa (2900 psi)
M25 1:1:2 25 Mpa (3625.94 psi)
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
Choosing the right concrete grade for the construction job:
So what can these grades be used for and which is best for the job at hand?
Below is a list of a few of the initial concrete grades and what they are best
used for.
• C10 - Used for: Patio slabs, pathways and non-structural work. Type:
Domestic & commercial use
• C15 - Used for: Pavement curbs and floor blinding. Type: Domestic &
Commercial
• C20 - Used for: Domestic floors and foundations (where the weight of
structure will be lighter). Also good for workshop bases, garages, driveways
and internal floor slabs. Type: Domestic
• C25 - Used for: Construction in all areas. Multi-purpose concrete mix,
usually used for foundations. Type: Domestic & Commercial
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
Choosing the right concrete grade for the construction job cont’n:
• C30 - Used for: Pathways and roadways (this is the lowest grade concrete
mix that can be used for this purpose). More durable than the grades that
have come before, and thus is much more weather-resistant and can take
heavy road traffic. Type: Commercial
• C35 - Used for: Commercial structures. This heavy concrete mix is usually
used for creating external walls and slabs, as well as for structural piling.
Type: Commercial
• C40 - Used for: Commercial construction sites, creating foundations and
beams for structural support and roads. The most durable in this list, C40
can withstand chemical corrosion also, so is frequently used on farms where
slurry could corrode structures, or in septic tanks. Type: Commercial
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
3- Density of Materials:
•Cement = 1440 kg/ cu. M.
•Sand = 1540 to 1600 kg/ cu. M.
•Coarse = 1560 to 1600 kg/cu. M.
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
4- Wet to Dry conversion
The percent of 54 is added to the wet
material to derive at the dry …
Dry Vol = wet vol. + 54% x wet vol
conc.
Or
Dry Vol conc.= wet vol. x 1.54
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
Example: From the given volumes of 5 cu. M. and
10 cu. M. of concrete calculate the ingredients of the
material which are the Cement, Fine and Coarse
Aggregates to be used for blinding and column
footing respectively.
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
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CENG 301: Construction Materials
THANK YOU!
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