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User's Guide to

ASTM Specification
C 94 on Ready-Mixed
Concrete

D. Gene Daniel and Colin L. Lobo

ASTM Manual Series


ASTM Stock Number: MNL49

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

User's guide to ASTM specification C 94 on ready-mixed concrete/D. Gene Daniel and


Colin L. Lobo.
p. cm.--(ASTM m a n u a l series; MNL 49)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8031-3363-4
1. Ready-mixed concrete--Specifications--United States. I. Daniel, D. Gene, 1934-
II. Lobo, Colin L., 1961- III. Title. IV. Series.

TA439.D25 2004
666'.893--dc22 2004024305

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Foreword
THIS PUBLICATION,User's Guide to ASTM Specification C 94 on Ready-Mixed Concrete,
was co-published by ASTM International and The National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association (NRMCA). It was both authored and edited by D. Gene Daniel, Concrete
Consultant, Rogers, Arkansas; and Colin L. Lobo, The National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. This publication is Manual 49 of ASTM's manual
series.
Contents

Preface vii

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1--Scope 1

Chapter 2--Referenced Documents 3

Chapter 3--Basis of Purchase 5

Chapter 4reOrdering Information 8

Chapter 5--Materials 18

Chapter 6--Tolerances in Slump 33

Chapter 7--Air-Entrained Concrete 37

Chapter 8--Measuring Materials 41

Chapter 9--Batching Plant 51

Chapter 10mMixers and Agitators 56

Chapter 11 ~Mixing and Delivery 64

Chapter 12--Use of Nonagitating Equipment 76

Chapter 13~Batch Ticket Information 78

Chapter 14--Plant Inspection 83

Chapter 15--Practices, Test Methods, and Reporting 84

Chapter 16~Sampling and Testing Fresh Concrete 92

Chapter 17~Strength 99

Chapter 18--Failure to Meet Strength Requirements 106

Chapter 19~Keywords 108

Chapter 20~Annex (Mandatory Information) 109

References 114

Appendix--ASTM C 94-35 117


Preface

What is ASTM?

To FULLYUNDERSTANDASTM C 94/C 94M, Specification on Ready-Mixed Concrete, it


is necessary to understand ASTM and the consensus process for developing standards
such as ASTM C 94/C 94M. Getting a view of ASTM from its conception takes us back
more than a century. The time period involved is between the American Civil War,
which ended in 1865, and World War I, which began in 1914. The true beginning of
ASTM coincided with the Spanish-American War fought in 1898.
The world and, more specifically, the United States was in the midst of the second
phase of the Industrial Revolution. Major advances in communication and transpor-
tation were taking place in a country that in the late 1890s consisted of 45 states. The
diesel engine, electrical power, and the steel industry were all coming into prominence.
The U.S. was a growing, developing, and prosperous nation with some industrial cor-
porations growing into giants that remain today. William McKinley was elected Pres-
ident in 1896, re-elected in 1900, and assassinated in 1901.
This growth period and the industrial revolution were the backdrop that fostered
ASTM. The North American railroad network was expanding in all directions less than
30 years after the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Charles Dudley,
holder of a Ph.D. from Yale University, was a chemist for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Mr, Dudley's degree preceded by two years Custer's last stand at the battle of the Little
Big Horn in the hills of Montana. A portion of his duties included research to develop
more durable steel for use as rails and then to write a specification conveying those
specifics to the rail manufacturers. Mr. Dudley's ideas did not always coincide with
those of the steel manufacturers or other railroads who were also buying steel rails.
These problems and differing view points led to the first meetings of manufacturers,
chemists, engineers, and others in the steel and railroad or bridge business to develop
some standards everyone could tolerate. The idea that emerged was that good material
standards require the input of manufacturers, designers, builders, and users. This was
the idea in June of 1898 when ASTM was first formed under another name, American
Section of the International Association for Testing Materials. From the first meeting,
the goal was to develop consensus standards.
The first committee dealing with cement, C-I, was formed in 1902, and the concrete
and concrete aggregates committee, C9, formed in 1914.
The scope of ASTM has continued to expand, and its name has continued to change.
The name today is ASTM International, reflecting both its wide use and its broad
international membership. From the original 70 members, ASTM International
(ASTM) has grown to more than 30,000 members. For the 100 plus years of its exis-
tence, the committee work has remained in the hands of volunteers.

What is S u b c o m m i t t e e C 09.40?

At the bottom of the first page of the document ASTM Standard Specification for
Ready-Mixed Concrete (C 94/C 94M) is a notation: "This specification is under the
jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C 09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates and is the
direct responsibility of Subcommittee C 09.40 on Ready-Mixed Concrete." Very simply,
subcommittee C 09.40 is the group of people who do the actual writing of ASTM
C 94/C 94M. This subcommittee is typically composed of approximately 50 people
with a wide variety of interests related to the production, delivery, and use of ready-
mixed concrete. Some of the groups represented on the subcommittee include pro-
viii U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

ducers of ready-mixed concrete, private engineers from both design firms and material
testing firms, state highway department engineers, representatives of federal agencies,
representatives of trade organizations, professors from universities, both foreign and
domestic, contractors, representatives from concrete material producers, such as ce-
ment and chemical admixtures, as well as others who have a relationship to the in-
dustry. Most of these people are engineers or scientists whose daily activities involve
them with the concrete industry. Most, but not all, live in the United States.
Members of subcommittee C 09.40 currently meet twice a year to propose and draft
potential updates or changes and to commence the balloting process needed to alter
the ASTM C 94/C 94M standard. The C 09.40 subcommittee is responsible for only
two ASTM documents. The most widely used is ASTM C 94/C 94M, and the other is
ASTM Specification for Concrete Made by Volumetric Batching and Continuous Mix-
ing (C 685/C 685M). The latter is the specification for concrete made from materials
continuously batched by volume, mixed in a continuous mixer, and delivered in a
freshly mixed condition. Historically, the method of batching and mixing takes place
in a truck-mounted unit specifically designed for this purpose.
The C 09.40 subcommittee is only one of many subcommittees which function as a
part of the Committee C 09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates. The main C 09
committee divides into approximately 25 to 30 subcommittees to develop consensus
standards for the concrete and concrete aggregates industry.

ASTM Standards Development Process


The development of standards using a consensus process can be a painstaking adven-
ture. The rewards are meaningful standards that benefit users with due consideration
of the concerns of all involved parties.
New standards or alterations to existing standards often begin their formation at the
task group level of a subcommittee. The task group prepares a letter ballot for the
subcommittee membership to review for up to 30 days prior to voting. For a subcom-
mittee letter ballot to proceed to the next level, several things must occur. At least
60 % of the subcommittee must return a ballot, and of those voting affirmative and
negative, at least 2/3 must be affirmative. Negative voters must provide a reason for
their negative vote. Each negative will be considered at the next biannual subcom-
mittee meeting. The negative vote will be discussed, and the negative voter is provided
the opportunity to speak in defense of the negative and to expound on the reason for
it. During this discussion, the Committee may accept the negative voter's point of view
and consider it for a revised ballot. If a resolution cannot be reached, a vote is then
taken of members present, with affirmative votes required from at least 2/3 of those
voting affirmative and negative to find the negative voter not persuasive and allow the
item to advance to a committee letter ballot.
If the subcommittee had a majority of manufacturers (producers), it would be pos-
sible that the proposed changes or new standards would favor the producers. Control
by any single group is prevented by limiting votes to one per company or organization
and by balance. Each subcommittee and each committee must have a balance between
producers and non-producers. A balanced committee or subcommittee must meet the
criterion that voting producer members cannot outnumber the combined votes of the
other voting membership groups (users, consumers, and general interest). This is a
strictly enforced requirement by ASTM.
Items passing successfully through the subcommittee process are placed on a com-
mittee letter ballot and again go through the same process, where a larger group of
peers has the opportunity to evaluate the proposal. Committee C 09 consists of many
subcommittees, with each of these members now eligible to vote. The primary differ-
ence in the committee procedure from the subcommittee procedure is that a 90 %
affirmative vote of those voting affirmative and negative is now required for passage,
rather than 2/3. If a negative vote is found persuasive, the item fails and is sent back
to the subcommittee and task group for a decision on whether to simply drop the
proposed change or make alterations in line with the thoughts of the negative voter,
thereby beginning the process again.
Simultaneously with the committee level vote, the proposed change is also subject
to a vote by the entire ASTM Society, which includes all the ASTM members in various
PREFACE ix

committees. No voting percentages are required at this level, but negative votes must
again be considered.
The consensus system also provides for appeals by a negative voter. The appeals
system varies depending upon the grounds stated for the appeal.
The primary point in the entire process is that each negative voter's voice and ar-
guments are heard, and the subcommittee or committee is then afforded the oppor-
tunity to vote on an issue based on the thoughts and reasoning of one member of the
group. A single objection often influences others and alters the content of a proposal
or kills the proposal completely. ASTM firmly believes in the old adage that two heads
are better than one and has set up a system to ensure that each member's voice is
heard.

Original ASTM Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete


The original C-9 (now C 09) committee required six years (1914-1920) to issue its first
standard. The report consisted of the proper means of molding and storing concrete
cylinders in the field, describing methods still in use today. The report also included
tentative test methods for the unit weight of concrete aggregates and a method for
determining voids in concrete fine aggregate. Some additional test methods were also
included in the C-9 report, but nothing on ready-mixed concrete was included at that
time.
The first such specification was issued in 1933 as a tentative specification for ready-
mixed concrete. A copy of the original document that was approved in 1935 is included
in the Appendix. The identification number, or designation, was C 94-35. The topics
covered did not vary much from today's standard, over 70 years later. One example is
that central mixing, partial mixing (shrink mixing), and truck mixing are each included
within the specification. The time of hauling was limited to 1 1/2 hours, as it is today.
Testing was specified but did not include any mention of air content tests, because the
advantages of entrained air did not become known until later in the same decade.
The specification has been revised many times since 1935 and continues to undergo
revisions to remain in step with technological advances, such as load-cell weighing,
and environmental issues, such as limiting plant runoff water by the use of non-potable
water in the batching process.
The roots of a successful specification go back to the abilities of the committee prior
to 1933 that published a very comprehensive document for the materials, proportion-
ing, mixing, delivery, quality, inspection, testing, and acceptance of ready-mixed con-
crete delivered to the job site ready for use.

End Result Specification


Specifications are basically one of three types: Proprietary, Prescriptive, or Perform-
ance (End Result). Concrete specifications are definitely not Proprietary, because brand
names are seldom mentioned, and even when they are, it is usually in the context of
Brand Z or approved equal.
Prescriptive specifications provide detailed descriptions of required materials and
their properties but do not provide brand names. This type of specification also pro-
vides details of how to perform specific parts of the process. The "how to" segment is
what ASTM C 94/C 94M does not do, Within the materials segment, ASTM C 94/C
94M does specify specific material requirements such as Specification C 150, Type I
portland cement and Specification C 33 aggregates meeting a specific coarse aggregate
grading. Minimum cement quantities and maximum water quantities may be specified
(prescriptive). Ordering Option B provides the purchaser the opportunity to specify
the exact quantities for specific materials and by doing so forfeits any restrictions for
final consistency of the delivered product or strength of the hardened product.
The bulk of the ASTM C 94/C 94M standard is a performance or end-result speci-
fication. The end result is actually divided into two phases. The first phase is the fresh
concrete as delivered in terms of uniformity for placeability and finishability and fea-
tures such as slump, air-content, and temperature. ASTM C 94/C 94M does provide a
slump range (prescriptive) within which the concrete must be, as a consistency re-
x U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

quirement, but ASTM C 94/C 94M makes no attempt to describe how to achieve the
slump, the air content, or the temperature. The control of placeability and finishability
is assisted by the batching accuracy requirements, but there is no hint of describing a
method to fulfill these requirements. Thus, phase one of meeting specified numerical
requirements is primarily an end-result specification.
Phase two is the hardened concrete requirement for strength. ASTM C 94/C 94M
does not prescribe a method of achieving these minimum strengths, thus it is an end-
result specification when hardened concrete is considered.
As a whole, ASTM C 94/C 94M is a combined specification with a heavy emphasis
on performance (end result) as compared to the prescriptive segments.

D o c u m e n t s S i m i l a r t o ASTM C 9 4 / C 9 4 M

There are numerous specifications available that address the manufacturing and de-
livery of ready-mixed concrete. Most of these have been developed by governmental
agencies that are typically Federal or State. The general purpose of these specifications
is the same as that of ASTM C 94/C 94M with the difference that they are tailored to
the specific purpose of the sponsoring agency. This is the reason that such specifica-
tions should be viewed with caution by other potential users.
The Forest Service under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a
mini specification within its document, "Specifications for Construction of Roads &
Minor Drainage Structures." The title gives a clue regarding the concrete specification
when it says "Minor Drainage Structures." The specification primarily deals with ma-
terial requirements, proportions to attain the proper strength, and the testing of the
mixture as delivered. The portion of the specification dealing with manufacture and
delivery reads as follows:
"When a commercial supplier is used, the contractor shall furnish a certification with each
truckload of concrete certifying that the material and mix proportions used are in confor-
mance with the approved mixture."
This single sentence specification is adequate for a minor drainage structure when the
owner and specifier are one and the same.
Some of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guide specifications for concrete and
concrete batch plants can be quite the opposite of a single-line performance specifi-
cation. The USACE specifications, if proposed for use on a civilian project, should be
studied closely by both purchaser and manufacturer. The specification may be ex-
tremely detailed and severe in requirements, causing unnecessary expenses for civilian
projects. Such items as monthly scale checks, repeated uniformity tests and measure-
ment of mixing blade wear, varying levels of requirements for automation and record-
ing, and acceptance testing for cementitious materials rather than accepting mill tests
are a few of the items to watch. Few civilian projects have the life expectancy of a
USACE project and do not require the same degree of caution. A purchaser can un-
wittingly reference such a specification if not careful, and a manufacturer can agree
to conform if not diligent in checking specifications beforehand.
A major specification that is very similar to ASTM C 94/C 94M is the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) M 157 "Standard
Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete." As the association name implies, this orga-
nization includes representatives from each state plus some other entities. Like ASTM,
the AASHTO specification is a consensus process specification. The ASTM voting mem-
bership includes designers, academia, manufacturers, general interest, and users, while
AASHTO limits voting interests to designers and users (State DOTs). Each of the 52
state highway agencies are represented and allowed one vote per agency on revisions
and requirements of this document. A 2/3 majority is required by AASHTO for passage
of any proposal, and every negative vote must be considered and evaluated for merit.
The technical differences in C 94/C 94M and M 157 are slight. The first difference
noted is that all references to material specifications and test methods are AASHTO
documents rather than ASTM designations. The second difference noted also becomes
apparent in the Referenced Documents section. ASTM C 94/C 94M references Amer-
ican Concrete Institute Standard CP-1 Technician Workbook for ACI Certification
PREFACE xi

of Concrete Field Testing Technician--Grade I. This reference is due to the ASTM


C 94/C 94M requirement that all testing technicians be certified ACI Concrete Field
Testing Technicians, Grade I or equivalent. AASHTO M 157 does not contain such a
requirement because each state Department of Transportation (DOT) will have indi-
vidual requirements. Many states will do all the testing in-house and will address this
in other parts of their specification document. This is addressed in AASHTO M 157
by a statement that "Testing shall be conducted by the specifying agency or, with spec-
ifying agency approval, by a testing laboratory meeting the requirements of ASTM
Recommended Practice E 329."
There are minor technical differences in such items as chemical limitations for wash
water and the minimum concrete temperature in cold weather. A major departure of
AASHTO M 157 from ASTM C 94/C 94M is that criteria for acceptance of the concrete
based upon strength tests are omitted, as is any mention of steps to be taken to resolve
any low-strength tests.
The greatest difference in the two specifications is in the ordering information.
ASTM C 94/C 94M has three options providing a wide latitude to the purchaser.
AASHTO M 157 does not provide a section on ordering, only a quality of concrete
section, which concerns submittals to the engineer by the Contractor or the propor-
tioning prescribed by the engineer and directed to the Contractor. A note at the end
of AASHTO M 157 recognizes this difference and suggests: "users other than specifying
agencies should consider ASTM C 94."
State Department of Transportation specifications for the construction of highways
and bridges typically take one of two approaches. They will reference AASHTO M 157
as the specification for ready-mixed concrete, or the state DOT will prepare a concrete
specification unique to local needs, climatic conditions, and local materials. The pro-
visions of these DOT specifications will vary with each state. The differences can in-
clude such items as mandatory computer batching, weighing hoppers fed by overhead
bins, scale weight tolerances extremely close, or some very loose regulations based on
the knowledge that state DOT inspectors will be at the plant during the batching of
concrete for DOT usage.
ASTM C 94/C 94M is the only ready-mixed concrete specification available to private
owners, many state and federal agencies, and the design professional community when
the technical specifications for a project are prepared. The American Concrete Institute
relies on ASTM C 94/C 94M in its document ACI 301 "Specifications for Structural
Concrete." The great majority of substitute specifications available to choose from are
written for highway construction, and very few non-DOT projects include highways.

D i s c u s s i o n o f N e w Water S t a n d a r d s f o r R e a d y - M i x e d C o n c r e t e

Environmental aspects facing the concrete industry served as the motivation for a
change in ASTM Specification C 94/C 94M during the later portion of 2004. The spe-
cific items involved are associated with the use of alternative sources of water, includ-
ing recycling mixer-truck washout water and on-site storm runoff water as both settled
water and as a water slurry including larger quantities of suspended solids. To avoid
making significant changes to the Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete, a new spec-
ification was created for water to be used in concrete and is referenced by ASTM
Specification C 94/C 94M. The new water requirement document is identified as ASTM
C 1602/C 1602M (approved 9/2004) Specification for Mixing Water Used in the Pro-
duction of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete.
One of the aspects of the new water specification is a series of definitions categoriz-
ing several types of water that could be used in concrete. The four categories of water
defined are as follows:
9 potable w a t e r - - w a t e r suitable for human consumption.
9 non-potable--water that is not fit for human consumption or that contains quan-
tities of substances that discolor it or make it smell or have objectionable taste but
does not contain water from concrete production operations.
9 water from concrete production operations--water recovered from processes of
hydraulic cement concrete production that includes wash water from mixers or that
xii USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

was a part of a concrete mixture; water collected in a basin as a result of storm water
runoff at a concrete production facility; or water that contains quantities of concrete
ingredients.
9 c o m b i n e d w a t e r - - a mixture of two or more sources of water blended together, be-
fore or during introduction into the mixture, for use as mixing water in the produc-
tion of concrete.
These definitions provide clarity as to what types of water are acceptable for use in
concrete production, and the specification provides requirements for proper monitor-
ing and use to protect the producer and purchaser. Non-potable water is intended to
cover many sources of water such as recycled water from municipal sources, wells,
streams, and other sources that are not potable. Water from concrete production op-
erations includes mixer washout water, process water from washing off drum exteriors,
drum loading hoppers, spilled cementitious products, and plant yard storm water run-
off. Several items remain unchanged from Chapter 5 of this book, including the prop-
erties specified for water being related to total combined water from all sources. Qual-
ification testing is done on concrete mixtures rather than on pastes and mortars. Total
combined water was previously called "total mixing water".
The addition of a second standard, ASTM C 1603/C 1603M (approved 8/2004) Test
Method for Measurement of Solids in Water has greatly simplified the determination of
properties for combination waters. This test method describes an acceptable method
of water density (specific gravity) measurement, the measurement of solids content,
relationships between density and solids content, and equations for the determination
of blending percentages for combined water sources. Each of these relationships is
important to the determination of combined water properties.
Testing requirements and frequencies for sources other than potable water are es-
tablished based on the source and for water from concrete production operations on
the density of the combined water. Since it is understood that using water from con-
crete production operations with significant quantity of solids impacts concrete prop-
erties, the testing frequency increases as the density of the combined water proposed
for use increases. There are actually five (5) categories of water:
(1) Potable water
(2) Non-potable water
(3) Water from concrete production with a density less than 1.01 g / m L
(4) Water from concrete production with a density between 1.01 and 1.03 g / m L
(5) Water from concrete production with a density of 1.03 to 1.05 or greater
Tables 2 and 3 of Chapter 5 are retained in C 1602/C 1602M with respect to require-
ments with only the test methods and type of water being changed. Table 3 (Table 2
in C 1602/C 1602M) formerly applied only to wash water but now applies to all non-
potable mixing water, but the requirements are considered optional in that they have
to he invoked by the purchaser. Test methods of Table 2 (Table 1 in C 1602/C 1603M)
formerly checked the effects of water, and now the test requirements apply to concrete
produced with the water. The consensus of the C09.40 subcommittee was that concrete
is the final product and therefore should be what is tested, rather than testing and
approving water. These mixtures may be laboratory or full size production batches.
The current requirement is for the density of all water from concrete production op-
erations that will be used as mixing water in concrete to be checked at least daily.
Table 2 in C 1602/C 1602M involves only water requirements that are optional for
the specifier or owner. It is nevertheless required that if the concrete producer uses
non-potable water, the water must be tested for Table 2 compliance at m a x i m u m in-
tervals of six months.
With the addition of these new standards, the following revisions were made to
ASTM C 94/C 94M-04a (approved 8/2004):
(i) A statement was added to Section 4 - - O r d e r i n g I n f o r m a t i o n - - t h a t the purchaser
should include any optional requirements of Table 2 in C 1602/C 1602M.
(2) Section 5.1.3 on Water was revised to refer to C 1602/C 1602M, and Tables 2 and
3 of C 94/C 94M were removed.
(3) In Section 13, which covers requirements for the Delivery Tickets, an item was
added that the producer should report the source and a m o u n t of recycled water
used in the specific concrete batch when requested by the purchaser.
PREFACE xiii

Be sure to check the latest version of C 1602 a n d C 1603 since, as with m a n y n e w


specifications, changes will o c c u r as r e s e a r c h provides m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n c e r n i n g
the role of high solids c o n t e n t slurry waters on such i t e m s as shrinkage, lower com-
pressive strengths, a n d i n c r e a s e d w a t e r d e m a n d .

ASTM Terminology System for Standards


Within Section 2, Referenced D o c u m e n t s o f ASTM C 94/C 94M, t h r e e different types
of ASTM d o c u m e n t s a r e listed. These a r e Specifications, Test Methods, a n d Practices.
There are o t h e r types within the ASTM collection of d o c u m e n t s p r e p a r e d to assist the
overall needs of an industry. ASTM briefly defines each type of d o c u m e n t in its Sep-
t e m b e r 2003 m a n u a l " F o r m a n d Style for ASTM Standards":
9 s t a n d a r d , n - - a s u s e d in ASTM, a d o c u m e n t t h a t has b e e n developed a n d e s t a b l i s h e d
w i t h i n the c o n s e n s u s principles of the Society a n d t h a t meets the a p p r o v a l require-
m e n t s of ASTM p r o c e d u r e s a n d regulations.
D I S C U S S I O N - - T h e t e r m "standard" serves in ASTM as a n o m i n a t i v e adjective in
the title of d o c u m e n t s , such as test m e t h o d s , practices, o r specifications, to c o n n o t e
specified consensus a n d approval. The various types of s t a n d a r d d o c u m e n t s are b a s e d
on the needs a n d usages as p r e s c r i b e d b y the technical c o m m i t t e e s of the Society.
9 specification, n - - a n explicit set of r e q u i r e m e n t s to be satisfied b y a material, p r o d -
uct, system, o r service.
D I S C U S S I O N - - E x a m p l e s of specification include, b u t are n o t limited to, require-
m e n t s for: physical, m e c h a n i c a l , o r c h e m i c a l p r o p e r t i e s a n d safety, quality, o r p e r f o r m -
ance criteria. A specification identifies the test m e t h o d s for d e t e r m i n i n g w h e t h e r each
of the r e q u i r e m e n t s is satisfied.
9 g u i d e , n - - a c o m p e n d i u m of i n f o r m a t i o n o r series of options that does not r e c o m -
m e n d a specific c o u r s e o f action.
D l S C U S S I O N - - A guide increases the a w a r e n e s s of i n f o r m a t i o n a n d a p p r o a c h e s in
a given subject area. A guide m a y have several r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s on a c c o m p l i s h i n g
the s a m e thing a n d m a y require j u d g m e n t on the p a r t of the u s e r to d e t e r m i n e the
best course to follow.
9 p r a c t i c e , n - - a definite set of instructions for p e r f o r m i n g one o r m o r e specific op-
erations t h a t does n o t p r o d u c e a test result.
D I S C U S S I O N - - E x a m p l e s of p r a c t i c e s include, b u t are n o t l i m i t e d to: application,
assessment, cleaning, collection, d e c o n t a m i n a t i o n , inspection, installation, p r e p a r a -
tion, sampling, screening, a n d training. F o r example, m a k i n g a concrete cylinder,
ASTM C 31 / C 31 M, is c o n s i d e r e d a practice as it c o n t a i n s specific p r o c e d u r a l require-
ments, b u t there is no test result f r o m this. The test result c o m e s w h e n the cylinder is
b r o k e n to d e t e r m i n e its strength, a n d the a p p l i c a b l e test m e t h o d is ASTM C 39/C 39M.
9 test m e t h o d , n - - a definitive p r o c e d u r e t h a t p r o d u c e s a test result.
D I S C U S S I O N - - T e s t m e t h o d s m o s t often p r o d u c e a n u m e r i c a l result. In s o m e cases,
a qualitative result, such as a visual rating, will be the test result.
9 t e r m i n o l o g y standard, n - - a d o c u m e n t c o m p r i s i n g definitions of terms: explana-
tions of symbols, abbreviations, o r a c r o n y m s .
Three p a r t s of s o m e ASTM d o c u m e n t s need an e x p l a n a t i o n o f how they are used by
the Society.
9 A n n e x e s include m a n d a t o r y i n f o r m a t i o n that is too detailed a n d lengthy for inclu-
sion in the m a i n b o d y of the d o c u m e n t .
9 A p p e n d i x e s include n o n - m a n d a t o r y s u p p l e m e n t a r y i n f o r m a t i o n that is informative
b u t n o t a p a r t of the m a i n text of the standard.
9 N o t e s in the text are advisory a n d do not include m a n d a t o r y requirements. Notes
are u s e d to include e x p l a n a t o r y information, p e r h a p s a c a u t i o n c o n c e r n i n g the po-
tential c o n s e q u e n c e s of an i m p r o p e r p r o c e d u r e , a r e a s o n for a specific r e q u i r e m e n t ,
o r several o t h e r p u r p o s e s t h a t a r e helpful to the u s e r b u t n o n - m a n d a t o r y .
xiv USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

9 N o t e s to Tables and Figures are m a n d a t o r y a n d form a p a r t of the table o r figure


a n d are n o t supplementary.

Typical User of ASTM C 94/C 94M

The p o t e n t i a l users of ASTM C 94/C 94M, Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete, are
virtually endless. It is used as "the reference s t a n d a r d " b e c a u s e of its g o o d coverage of
necessary topics for batching, mixing, a n d delivery of r e a d y - m i x e d concrete. A b r o a d
list of users includes the following:
9 ACI specifications such as 301, Specification for Structural Concrete; 330, Specification
for Unreinforced Concrete Parking Lots a n d a p r o p o s e d d o c u m e n t 305, Specification
for Hot Weather Concreting
9 Architects p e r f o r m i n g designs for private o r institutional owners
9 E n g i n e e r s p e r f o r m i n g designs for private or institutional owners
9 E d u c a t i o n a l facilities with in-house design professionals
9 M u n i c i p a l g o v e r n m e n t s in-house o r o u t s o u r c e d designs
9 County g o v e r n m e n t s in-house o r o u t s o u r c e d designs
9 State g o v e r n m e n t agencies such as Parks & Tourism D e p a r t m e n t s or the G a m e &
Fish Agency
9 F e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t groups such as the D e p a r t m e n t of Defense o r the F e d e r a l Avi-
ation A d m i n i s t r a t i o n
9 Contractors doing w o r k not r e q u i r i n g the design services of an architect o r e n g i n e e r
9 Private industrial c o r p o r a t i o n s with in-house o r o u t s o u r c e d designs
9 R e a d y - m i x e d concrete p r o d u c e r s a n d testing laboratories, w h o can be c o n s i d e r e d
users of the specification as they need to ensure t h a t they c o m p l y with the require-
m e n t s for b a t c h i n g a n d delivery of concrete a n d testing concrete, respectively

H o w to Use ASTM C 94/C 94M

The m o s t c o m m o n usage of ASTM C 94/C 94M is as a reference d o c u m e n t within a


design professional's specification for cast-in-place concrete. A s t a t e m e n t such as "Un-
l e s s o t h e r w i s e specified, u s e materials, m e a s u r e , batch, and m i x c o n c r e t e m a t e -
rials and c o n c r e t e and deliver c o n c r e t e in approved e q u i p m e n t , all in confor-
m a n c e w i t h ASTM C 9 4 / C 9 4 M " w i t h i n the concrete specifications for a project the
strength, slump, air content, aggregate size, a n d o t h e r variable factors n a m e d in Or-
dering I n f o r m a t i o n will be provided.
O t h e r m e t h o d s are suitable if the questions in O r d e r i n g I n f o r m a t i o n a r e answered.
A p u r c h a s e o r d e r w i t h a r e a d y - m i x m a n u f a c t u r e r m a y simply state "Produce and
deliver c o n c r e t e as p e r C 94."
An i m p o r t a n t violation that can cause trouble is using excerpts from ASTM C 94/C
94M or any o t h e r specification w i t h o u t a careful r e a d i n g of the entire d o c u m e n t for
related segments. Unfortunately there are design professionals following this cut a n d
paste style. It is best to use the c o m p l e t e d o c u m e n t b y reference.

Definitions to be Used in D i s c u s s i o n s

Discussions on w h a t a w o r d o r p h r a s e m e a n s are inevitable w h e n technical specifi-


cations are involved. Unfortunately, different sources m a y provide differing definitions.
A list follows of sources from w h i c h to o b t a i n acceptable definitions in decreasing
o r d e r of preference.
9 ASTM C 125 T e r m i n o l o g y Relating to Concrete a n d Concrete Aggregate
9 ASTM C 219 Terminology Relating to H y d r a u l i c Cement
9 ACI 116R C e m e n t a n d Concrete Terminology
9 ASTM Dictionary of E n g i n e e r i n g a n d Technology, 9 th E d i t i o n
9 Merriam-Webster's Tenth E d i t i o n Collegiate Dictionary
9 Webster's Third New I n t e r n a t i o n a l Dictionary
Within various technical d o c u m e n t s , a small g r o u p of w o r d s m u s t be very carefully
selected due to their precise m e a n i n g s a n d connotations. F o u r such w o r d s a n d their
PREFACE xv

proper usages follow as extracted from the Form and Style for ASTM Standards man-
ual:
9 "Shall" is used to indicate that a provision is mandatory.
9 "Should" is used to indicate that a provision is not mandatory but is recommended
as good practice.
9 "May; is used to indicate that a provision is optional.
9 "Will" is used to express futurity, but never to indicate any degree of requirement.
To the extent possible, specifications are written in terse mandatory language that
indicates specific items which need to be accomplished. This ensures that the direc-
tions to and associated responsibilities of the involved parties are clearly defined. The
need for a specification to always be in a mandatory language format will at times
produce cumbersome language.

H o w to U s e t h i s G u i d e

The chapters in this book reflect the sections of C 94/C 94M. Text from C 94/C 94M
is reproduced in italic text followed by a discussion of the section. Sentences in the
specification are cross-referenced and discussed in the text with identifications S1, $2,
etc. Tables, figures, and numerical examples are numbered sequentially by chapter
number, except for tables excerpted from C 94, in which cases the actual table number
is retained.

Disclaimer

This book represents the interpretation of the authors concerning ASTM C 94/C 94M
and does not represent the views of ASTM International or Subcommittee C 09.40.
Introduction

ASTM DESIGNATION: C 94/C 94M-04 STANDARD


SPECIFICATION FOR READY-MIXED CONCRETE

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL n u m b e r a n d title for the ASTM specification for r e a d y - m i x e d


concrete. Portions of the d e s i g n a t i o n r e m a i n constant, a n d o t h e r parts are always sub-
ject to change. An analysis of the parts of the a l p h a n u m e r i c identification for the
"Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete" entails four segments:
C 94 includes the group d e s i g n a t i o n C (that c o m e s from the 19 ASTM c o m m i t t e e s
c u r r e n t l y g r o u p e d u n d e r the "C" designation, of w h i c h c o m m i t t e e C 09 is one of them).
ASTM c o m m i t t e e C 09 is r e s p o n s i b l e for this r e a d y - m i x e d concrete specification.
The p e r m a n e n t n u m b e r 94 was assigned in n u m e r i c a l sequence from all of the "C"
c o m m i t t e e s t a n d a r d s w h e n first developed,
C 94M m e a n s this specification is a c o m b i n e d s t a n d a r d t h a t includes m e t r i c (SI)
values as well as i n c h - p o u n d values.
04 indicates the last y e a r (2004) t h a t alterations were m a d e to this specification. E1
s u p e r s c r i p t (e) following the y e a r d e s i g n a t i o n w o u l d indicate that an editorial change
has been m a d e l a t e r t h a n the substantive changes of 2004.
F o o t n o t e s on the title page are self-explanatory. 1

i This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C 09 on Concrete and Con-
crete Aggregates and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C 09.40 on Ready-Mixed Con-
crete.
Current edition approved Feb. I, 2004. Published March 2004, Originally approved in 1933. Last
previous edition approved in 2003 as C 94/C 94-03 ~l.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Scope
1.1 sl This specification covers ready-mixed concrete manufac- vided before a price is requested. Alterations in specification
tured and delivered to a purchaser in a freshly mixed and un- requirements can have a significant effect on the cost.
hardened state as hereinafter specified, s2 Requirements for The third sentence ($3) makes it clear that the purchaser
quality o f concrete shall be either as hereinafter specified or as may specify exactly what is believed to be best for the pur-
specified by the purchaser, sa In any case where the require- chaser or the project, as may be the case. Perhaps after a
ments o f the purchaser differ from these in this specification, ready-mixed concrete supplier is selected, the purchaser de-
the purchaser's specification shall govern, s4 This specifica- termines that it is in the best interest of the project to add a
tion does not cover the placement, consolidation, curing, or restriction that the concrete aggregates meet the optional al-
protection o f the concrete after delivery to the purchaser. kali-silica reactivity (ASR) requirements of ASTM Specifi-
cation for Concrete Aggregates (C 33). The purchaser has
every right to demand this, and if a price agreement was
The first sentence (S1) identifies that what follows is a
reached prior to the imposition of these requirements, the
specification. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary,
Tenth Edition, defines a specification as "a detailed precise supplier has every right to demand monetary compensation
for the change. The point here is that the concrete should
presentation of something" and "a statement of legal partic-
not be delivered until an agreement is reached, and in this
ulars." The referenced document, ASTM Specification C 94/
example concrete containing aggregates not meeting the
C 94M, meets both of these criteria. It is a detailed precise
specified ASR requirements should not be delivered. The
presentation dealing with the minimum requirements for
purchaser's specification overrides stated requirements in
both manufacturing and delivering ready-mixed concrete.
ASTM C 94/C 94M and shall govern.
The purpose of this document is to form a statement of legal
The fourth sentence ($4) defines what this specification
particulars to be available for reference in a project specifi-
does not cover. It does not cover and does not address the
cation, purchase order (written or oral), or contract. The le-
placement of the concrete, the consolidation of the concrete,
gal particulars describe the minimum requirements for man-
finishing of the concrete, the curing methods, or the protec-
ufacturing and then delivering ready-mixed concrete. The
tion of the concrete after delivery to the purchaser. This spec-
statement indicates that at the time of delivery to the pur-
ification is solely intended for the production and manufac-
chaser (or authorized agent) the concrete shall be a homo-
geneous mixture in a plastic and unhardened state with its ture of concrete. There are other reference specifications
such as ACI 301, Standard Specification for Structural Con-
original ordered qualities unimpaired. At the time and place
crete, that address the subsequent operations that are listed
of delivery (discharge), the concrete is to be moldable, allow-
in this sentence. This specification covers none of these
ing it to take the shape of the conveying equipment or the
items, which occur after the concrete has been discharged
forms into which it is placed and finished by the purchaser's
authorized agents. from the concrete delivery unit. After the concrete leaves the
discharge chute or tailgate in an acceptable condition, the
The second sentence ($2) focuses on the purchaser's right
to alter the ready-mixed concrete quality portion of the spec- purchaser becomes responsible for all future phases of this
ification. ASTM C 94/C 94M is intended to be a general ref- product. This does not negate the suppliers responsibility for
erence specification that cannot cover all specific require- the concrete achieving the specified design strength at the
ments for a particular project. The purchaser can order specified age unless purchaser or designated agent directed
concrete in accordance with ASTM C 94/C 94M and add an unspecified alteration of concrete mixture or its proper-
clauses pertinent to the project. For example, in hot weather ties. It does mean that the strength tests for approval or re-
the purchaser may require the concrete be discharged in less jection shall be made on samples taken from the delivery
than 1 1/2 h. The purchaser has the right to specify central- vehicle and not from another location. When parties other
mixed concrete rather than truck-mixed concrete. The pur- than the supplier begin to alter or handle the concrete, they
chaser has the right to specify a cement meeting a specific assume certain responsibilities for the finished product. Af-
cement specification, such as one of the cements from ASTM ter the concrete leaves the discharge chute and goes into a
Performance Specification for Hydraulic Cement (C 1157) or concrete bucket, a power buggy, or a concrete pump or is
for that matter a specific brand of cement as well as the type. pulled and moved by a laborer, changes may occur to the
The purchaser may place restrictions on calcium chloride concrete over which the supplier has no control. The effects
and products containing chloride additions in accordance of these operations on the concrete quality are not addressed
within this specification.
with ACI 301-99, Specification for Structural Concrete. In
short, the purchaser may alter any portion of this specifica-
tion, so desired, that affects the quality of the product. The 1.2 s~ The values stated in either S I units or shown in brackets,
variations desired by the purchaser, however, should be pro- or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as

1
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
2 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

standard, s2 The values stated in each system may not be ex- s u m e d to he u n d e r the p r i m a r y a u t h o r i t y of the general con-
act equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used indepen- tractor.
dently of the other, s3 Combining values from the two systems The s e c o n d sentence ($2) identifies the p u r c h a s e r as the
may result in non-conformance with the standard. o w n e r or a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of the owner. This w o u l d include
the general c o n t r a c t o r o r a concrete s u b c o n t r a c t o r w h o or-
T h r o u g h o u t the specification for r e a d y - m i x e d concrete, ders concrete for the owner. In this capacity, as well as s o m e
units of m e a s u r e are used, usually for m a s s (weight) o r vol- others, these c o n t r a c t o r s are the owner's representatives. The
ume. In c o m b i n e d s t a n d a r d s such as ASTM C 94/C 94M, the A r c h i t e c t / E n g i n e e r (A/E) is also in the o w n e r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e
SI units are enclosed in b r a c k e t s [ ]. $2 instructs t h a t either category.
set of units m a y be used, b u t they are n o t to be intermixed. Project specifications are w r i t t e n usually to the general
F o r example, s l u m p should n o t be specified in m m a n d t h e n c o n t r a c t o r w h o is r e s p o n s i b l e to the o w n e r for all materials,
m e a s u r e d in inches. If the I n t e r n a t i o n a l S y s t e m of Units (SI) subcontractors, a n d suppliers. The r e a d y - m i x e d concrete
is used for one item, all items s h o u l d be expressed a n d m e a - m a n u f a c t u r e r is only one of m a n y m a t e r i a l suppliers for
s u r e d in SI units. Table 4 on overdesigns necessary to m e e t w h i c h the general c o n t r a c t o r is responsible, a n d the "Spec-
strength r e q u i r e m e n t s provides a g o o d e x a m p l e of this. With ification for R e a d y - M i x e d Concrete" is only one of m a n y
15 tests a n d a s t a n d a r d deviation of 400 psi, the r e q u i r e d specifications that m a y be referenced for inclusion in project
overdesign is 622 psi. The c o m p a n i o n SI values are a stan- d o c u m e n t s d e s c r i b i n g the r e q u i r e m e n t s for a material,
d a r d deviation of [3.0 MPa] a n d a r e q u i r e d overdesign of which in this case is concrete.
[4.7 MPa], w h i c h converts to 682 psi, n o t 622 psi. Intermix- Concreting often involves several entities including the
ing the two m e a s u r e m e n t systems could result in non- r a w m a t e r i a l suppliers, the concrete manufacturer, those re-
c o n f o r m a n c e as c a u t i o n e d in S3. sponsible for the p r o d u c t delivery, a s u b c o n t r a c t o r for pre-
p a r i n g forms a n d setting steel, the concrete finisher, a n d the
1.3 sl As used throughout this specification, the manufacturer general c o n t r a c t o r r e s p o n s i b l e to the o w n e r (purchaser) for
shall be the contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or producer c o o r d i n a t i o n of all of these activities. ASTM C 94/C 94M is
who furnishes the ready-mixed concrete, s2 The purchaser w r i t t e n to the general c o n t r a c t o r to allow the o w n e r to iden-
shall be the owner or representative thereof. tify w h o is u l t i m a t e l y r e s p o n s i b l e for the entire concreting
operation. S 1 is n e e d e d to a u t h o r i z e the s u b s t i t u t i o n of con-
t r a c t o r for m a n u f a c t u r e r t h r o u g h o u t the specification. ASTM
S1 states t h a t a n y w h e r e the t e r m "manufacturer" is used
C 94/C 94M is also w r i t t e n in an a t t e m p t to s e p a r a t e the
w i t h i n ASTM C 94/C 94M, it is referencing the contractor, a
responsibilities of the concrete m a n u f a c t u r i n g process a n d
concrete subcontractor, a r e a d y - m i x e d concrete supplier, o r
p r o d u c t delivery f r o m the overall responsibilities of the gen-
t h e r e a d y - m i x e d producer. In the original tentative ready-
eral c o n t r a c t o r o r a concrete subcontractor. This s e p a r a t i o n
m i x e d concrete specification p u b l i s h e d in 1933 (ASTM C 94-
is n e e d e d for clarity in a p u r c h a s e o r d e r for concrete or a
33T), the t e r m m a n u f a c t u r e r was used t h r o u g h o u t to refer
delivered m a t e r i a l s c o n t r a c t w h e t h e r written o r oral.
to the r e a d y - m i x e d concrete manufacturer. The l a n g u a g e of
the c u r r e n t section, 1.3, first a p p e a r e d as a note in the late 1.4 sl The text of this standard references notes and footnotes
1960s. At t h a t t i m e the first sentence read: "As used through- which provide explanatory material, s2 These notes and foot-
out this specification the m a n u f a c t u r e r shall be u n d e r s t o o d notes (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be con-
to be the contractor, subcontractor, s u p p l i e r o r p r o d u c e r fur- sidered requirements of the standard.
nishing the r e a d y - m i x e d concrete". The " u n d e r s t o o d to be"
was later deleted, a n d the s t a t e m e n t was p l a c e d in the doc- There are 20 notes w i t h i n the specification a n d several
u m e n t text r a t h e r t h a n r e m a i n i n g a note. footnotes. They all provide i n f o r m a t i o n that is n o t m a n d a -
The p r a c t i c e of using only the t e r m "manufacturer" has tory b u t is advisory o r explanatory. The 20 n o n - m a n d a t o r y
n o w c h a n g e d s o m e w h a t with the t e r m "producer" n o w used notes are identified in n u m e r i c o r d e r as Note 6 o r o t h e r
several times within the specification. Currently "manufac- a p p r o p r i a t e n u m b e r in n u m e r i c a l o r d e r of a p p e a r a n c e .
turer" is being used w h e n the o r d e r i n g of concrete, batching, The footnotes c o m m o n l y deal with sources of reference
o r p l a n t items are involved. "Producer" is used to i n c l u d e materials.
delivery a n d j o b site items related to the delivery of concrete. An i m p o r t a n t d i s t i n c t i o n m u s t be m a d e for notes a c c o m -
The t e r m s "subcontractor" a n d "supplier" have n o t been used p a n y i n g tables o r figures (no figures exist within ASTM C 94/
w i t h i n the c u r r e n t ASTM C 94/C 94M. The t e r m "contractor" C 94M). The notes with tables form a p a r t of the table a n d
has been used, b u t only one time in Section 16.1. This single are as m a n d a t o r y as o t h e r d a t a w i t h i n the table. These notes
reference to "contractor" is u s e d w h e n a j o b site i t e m in- are s h o w n as, A,B, o r c in a l p h a b e t i c a l o r d e r for e a c h table.
volves the general c o n t r a c t o r as well as the producer. The Notes to tables w i t h i n the s t a n d a r d use u p p e r case letters to
referenced i t e m involves access, assistance, a n d sampling, tie the referenced note to the text with w h i c h it is u s e d in
w h i c h m a y take place at the j o b site. This is a l o c a t i o n pre- the table.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Referenced Documents
EVERY DOCUMENT referenced within ASTM C 94/C 94M is Three of the referenced standards carry a title of "Prac-
listed in Table 2.A with a cross-reference to the section where tice." Common industry vernacular often identifies a Practice
the referenced document appears in the specification. ASTM as a Test Method. A Practice, just as a Test Method, describes
referenced documents do not carry a date because the ref- a definitive procedure or set of instructions for a specific
erence is always to the latest edition of each document. The operation. The three Practices referenced here describe sam-
superscript n u m b e r after an ASTM Standard refers to the pling freshly mixed concrete, making and curing concrete
footnote at the bottom of the page providing the ASTM vol- test specimens in the field, and the duties, responsibilities,
ume n u m b e r in which the Standard appears. and m i n i m u m technical requirements of testing laboratory
The term ASTM Standard refers collectively to all ASTM personnel, as well as the m i n i m u m technical requirements
documents included in the reference list. Three types of stan- for their laboratory equipment. There is one major differ-
dards are included within the ASTM C 94/C 94M reference ence between a Practice and a Test Method. A Test Method
list; there are three Practices, eleven Test Methods, and ten produces a numerical result such as the 43A in. slump. A
Specifications. All of the specifications referenced within Practice does not produce a value or a test result. ASTM
ASTM C 94/C 94M are requirements for specific materials Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete (C 172] does
used in the manufacture of concrete. ASTM specifications not culminate in a numerical result, only a sample of con-
can refer to other items such as a system, but in this partic-
crete that is believed to be representative of the entire load
ular case each specification describes the m i n i m u m require-
of concrete. ASTM Practice for Making and Curing Concrete
ments for a specific material. An example of a system spec-
Test Specimens in the Field (C 31/C 31M) instructs on the
ification is the ASTM Specification for Moist Cabinets, Moist
molding, handling, and curing of strength specimens, but it
Rooms, and Water Storage Tanks Used in the Testing of Hy-
does not produce a test result. The test values come later
draulic Cements and Concretes (C 511). As the title states,
ASTM C 511 is a specification covering the requirements for with the compression testing of the specimens in accordance
each of three systems that may be used to store hardened with ASTM Test Method Compressive Strength of Cylindrical
test specimens. Concrete Specimens (C 39/C 39M).
Test Methods have a straightforward title because these Section 2.2 in Table 2.A provides a list of American Con-
standards describe a test procedure in sufficient detail such crete Institute documents which are referenced within
that consistent results are produced when the procedure is ASTM C 94/C 94M. A footnote at the bottom of the page
repeated consistently. A test method describes a procedure provides an address for obtaining copies of any desired ACI
that produces a numerical result. For example, ASTM Test document.
Method for Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete (C 143/C Section 2.3 in Table 2.A provides a list of additional non-
143M) describes the procedures for a concrete slump test. ASTM documents referenced within ASTM C 94/C 94M.
The end result is the measurement and reporting of a slump Footnotes at the bottom of the page again provide addresses
value, such as 43/4 in. for the concrete on truck No. 65. for obtaining a copy of the referenced documents.

3
Copyright* 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
4 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

TABLE 2.A--Referenced document locations.


Text Location of
2.1 A S T M S t a n d a r d s 2 Referenced D o c u m e n t s
C 31/31M Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field (15.1.1, 17.1, Note 19)
C 33 Specification for Concrete Aggregates (5.1.2)
C 39/C 39M Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens (15.1.2)
C 109/C 109M Test Method for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (Using 2-in. or 50-ram Cube (Table 2)
Specimens)
C 138/C 138M Test Method for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete (3.2, 15.1.3, 15.1.4)
C 143/C 143M Test Method for Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete (15.1.5)
C 150 Specification for Portland Cement (5.1.1)
C 172 Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete (3.2, Note 9, 11.5.1,
15.1.6, 16.3, 16.6)
C 173/C 173M Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Volumetric Method (15.1.4)
C 191 Test Method for Time of Setting of Hydraulic Cement by Vicat Needle (Table 2)
C 231 Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method (15.1.4)
C 260 Specification for Air-Entraining Admixtures for Concrete (5.1.6)
C 330 Specification for Lightweight Aggregates for Structural Concrete (5.1.2)
C 494/C 494M Specification for Chemical Admixtures for Concrete (5.1.7)
C 567 Test Method for Determining Density of Structural Lightweight Concrete (Note 3)
C 595 Specification for Blended Hydraulic Cements (5.1.I)
C 618 Specification for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for Use as a Mineral Admixture in (5.1.4)
Concrete
C 637 Specification for Aggregates for Radiation-Shielding Concrete (5.1.2)
C 989 Specification [or Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag for Use in Concrete and Mortars (5.1.5)
C 1017/C 1017M Specification for Chemical Admixtures for Use in Producing Flowing Concrete (5.1.7)
C 1064/C 1064M Test Method for Temperature of Freshly Mixed Portland-Cement Concrete (15.1.7)
C 1077 Practice for Laboratories Testing Concrete and Concrete Aggregates for Use in Construction and Criteria for (15.2)
Laboratory Evaluation
C 1157 Performance Specification for Hydraulic Cement (5.1.1)
D 512 Test Methods for Chloride Ion in Water (Table 3)
D 516 Test Method for Sulfate Ion in Water (Table 3)
2.2 ACI D o c u m e n t s 3
CP-1 Technician Workbook for ACI Certification of Concrete Field Testing Technician-Grade I (16.2)
211.1 Standard Practice for Selecting Proportions for Normal, Heavyweight, and Mass Concrete (Table 1 Footnote c
Note 4, Note 5)
211.2 Standard Practice for Selecting Proportions for Structural Lightweight Concrete (Note 4, Note 5)
301 Standard Specifications for Structural Concrete (Note 20)
305R Hot Weather Concreting (Note 16)
306R Cold Weather Concreting (Note 15)
318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary (Note 20, Table 4
F o o t n o t e B)
2.3 O t h e r D o c u m e n t s
Bureau of Reclamation Concrete Manual4 (Note 16, Table AI.1
Footnote A)
AASHTO T26 Method of Test for Quality of Water to be Used in Concretes (Table 3)
2 For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual
Book of ASTM Standards volume information, refer to the standard's Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
3 Available from American Concrete Institute, 38800 Country Club Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48331.
4 Available from Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
5Available from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 444 N. Capitol St., NW,, Suite 225, Washington, DC
20001.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

3
Basis of Purchase
3.1 The basis o f purchase shall be the cubic yard or cubic w a t e r to achieve the s a m e s l u m p [ 18,40].i.2 Three gallons [25
meter of freshly mixed and unhardened concrete as discharged lb] of w a t e r changes the v o l u m e to 0.40 ft3/yd 3. Thus, a mix-
from the mixer. ture p r o p o r t i o n e d for 27.2 ft 3 p e r design cubic y a r d in the
s u m m e r can be r e d u c e d easily to 26.8 ft 3 d u r i n g the w i n t e r
Only one m e t h o d of p u r c h a s i n g concrete is r e c o g n i z e d b y season.
this specification, a n d that is in units of v o l u m e b y cubic A c o m m o n o c c u r r e n c e in the s u m m e r is for e n t r a i n e d air
y a r d s o r cubic meters. The i d e a of p u r c h a s i n g concrete b y contents to be lower. A d r o p of 1.5 % due to a h i g h e r a m b i e n t
the j o b or b y calculated p l a n volumes o r b y total weights is t e m p e r a t u r e also reduces the yield by 0.40 ft3/yd 3.
not c o n s i d e r e d a feasible a p p r o a c h . If the c o n t r a c t o r could
p a y a l u m p s u m for all the concrete in a job, w i t h o u t j o b 3.2 sl The volume of freshly mixed and unhardened concrete
m e a s u r e m e n t s , the overruns, g r a d i n g laxities, a n d j o b wastes in a given batch shall be determined from the total mass of
could be e n o r m o u s . One e x a m p l e is t h a t slabs d e s i g n a t e d as the batch divided by the mass per unit volume of the
4 in. thick on the plans could s u d d e n l y b e c o m e 5 o r 6 in. concrete, s2 The total mass of the batch shall be calculated
thick. If the total weights, r a t h e r t h a n v o l u m e are used, the either as the sum of the masses of all materials, including wa-
effects of varying air content, aggregate density, o r the batch- ter, entering the batch or as the net mass of the concrete in the
ing of excess aggregate could p r o d u c e a p r o b l e m as well as batch as delivered, ss The mass per unit volume shall be de-
a b o o k k e e p i n g nightmare. termined in accordance with Test Method C 138/C 138M from
The p u r c h a s e of concrete b y volume is a t i m e tested a n d the average of at least three measurements, each on a different
r e a s o n a b l e a p p r o a c h that does not penalize anyone. The vol- sample using a 1/2-#s [I4 L] container, s4 Each sample shall
u m e a p p r o a c h m a k e s it relatively simple for the p u r c h a s e r be taken from the midpoint of each of three different truck
to c o m m u n i c a t e orders as needed; the b a t c h i n g a n d the loads by the procedure outlined in Practice C 172.
b o o k k e e p i n g p r o b l e m s are m i n i m a l .
F r e s h l y mixed, u n h a r d e n e d , a n d as d i s c h a r g e d from the A t e r m t h a t is d i s a p p e a r i n g from ASTM s t a n d a r d s is
m i x e r is a very s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d set of c i r c u m s t a n c e s describ- weight. It is being r e p l a c e d by m a s s as it a l r e a d y has b e e n
ing w h e n the v o l u m e is to be m e a s u r e d . Trying to m e a s u r e w i t h i n ASTM C 94/C 94M. The p r e f e r r e d t e r m of m a s s
the v o l u m e of h a r d e n e d c o n c r e t e is difficult. A s l a b - o n - g r a d e r a t h e r t h a n weight c a m e a b o u t d u r i n g the s a m e t i m e f r a m e
w o u l d look like Swiss cheese with all the core holes n e e d e d as the e m p h a s i s on using SI units in ASTM s t a n d a r d s .
to verify c o m p l i a n c e with a r e q u i r e d average thickness. The practical difference between weight a n d m a s s is that
Thus, the u n h a r d e n e d state is the best c o n d i t i o n for v o l u m e weight changes with the gravitational pull on a n object.
m e a s u r e m e n t s . W a t e r a n d a i r m a k e u p a p o r t i o n of the con- Weight is a m e a s u r e of force resulting f r o m the effect of
crete volume. W i t h air-entrained concrete, this c o m b i n a t i o n gravity on the m a s s of an object. The weight of an object in
easily can be 20 % of the total volume. W a t e r evaporates a n d New Orleans at sea level will be greater t h a n the weight of
also c o m b i n e s chemically w i t h the c e m e n t i t i o u s materials,
a n d a i r tends to decrease w i t h m a n i p u l a t i o n of the p r o d u c t .
The freshly m i x e d a n d newly d i s c h a r g e d concrete provides 1 The 3-4 gal [25-33 lb] cited in the example represents a tem-
the only a c c u r a t e m e a s u r e m e n t of v o l u m e as m i x e d a n d as perature change of 40-50~ when using Fig. 118 in the Bureau of
delivered. Thus, one cubic y a r d [27 ft 3] o r one cubic m e t e r Reclamation's Concrete Manual [18]. Gaynor, Meininger, and Khan
of fresh concrete is the specified unit v o l u m e t r i c m e a s u r e for [40] provide smaller changes in water contents, but their material
only deals in 30~ temperature differences. Slump losses depend on
the p u r c h a s e of concrete. The p u r c h a s e r expects 27 ft 3 to be several factors, including temperature, mixture proportions, and de-
d i s c h a r g e d for each cubic y a r d for w h i c h he is charged. In- livery times. The latter effect is displayed in Gaynor, Meininger, and
advertent shortages can o c c u r easily. B a t c h i n g tolerances Khan [40].
c a n p r o d u c e m i n o r d i s c r e p a n c i e s on individual loads. Air 2 Research and technical papers currently express concrete batch
water in lb/yd 3. Because a high percentage of concrete batch plants
contents could be low, p r o d u c i n g a shortage. A n o t h e r m e a n s continues to measure batch water in gal/yd3, the latter measuring
of yield shortage is to p r o p o r t i o n a m i x t u r e for s u m m e r us- unit is deemed appropriate for this publication. The conversion fac-
age. The s a m e m i x t u r e in the w i n t e r m a y require 3 - 4 gal less tor is: 1 gal of water = 8.33 lb.

5
Copyright* 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
6 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

the s a m e object in Denver, w h e r e it is 1 mile above sea level. Rule 2: E a c h s a m p l e shall be f r o m the m i d p o i n t of load.
Objects further from the earth's center weigh less due to the Rule 3: Use ASTM Test M e t h o d C 138/C 138M to deter-
change in gravitational pull. Scales are c a l i b r a t e d to m e a s u r e m i n e the density.
objects of certified m a s s a n d a c c o u n t for the different grav- Rule 4: Use a 1/2-ft3 [14 L] c o n t a i n e r to m e a s u r e the density.
itational pull at the location of use. The difference in weight Rule 5: E a c h s a m p l e shall be from a different load.
due to elevation changes is insignificant w i t h i n a c c u r a c y re- Rule 6: Obtain s a m p l e s from three or m o r e batches.
q u i r e m e n t s for scales u s e d for b a t c h o r test q u a n t i t y m e a - Rule 7: Average all density m e a s u r e m e n t s .
s u r e m e n t s in ASTM C 94/C 94M.
Mass is a m e a s u r e of h o w m u c h m a t e r i a l o r m a t t e r is con- A c o m p l e t e e x a m p l e of the m a t h e m a t i c s of the p r e s c r i b e d
t a i n e d in a n object. Mass does n o t c h a n g e w i t h gravitational p r o c e d u r e with notes is d e m o n s t r a t e d in E x a m p l e 3.B.
force o r altitude. The m a s s of an object r e m a i n s constant. It Rules 1 a n d 2 dictate collecting two o r m o r e s a m p l e s at
is for this p u r p o s e that we use the t e r m m a s s r a t h e r t h a n regularly s p a c e d intervals from the m i d d l e p a r t of the b a t c h
weight. Within the context of the practical use of ASTM C d u r i n g discharge with a m a x i m u m t i m e interval of 15 m i n
94/C 94M on earth, the u s e r m a y substitute the concept of
b e t w e e n o b t a i n i n g the first a n d last sample. The p o r t i o n s of
weight a n y t i m e the t e r m m a s s is encountered.
the s a m p l e f r o m the s a m e l o a d shall be c o m b i n e d into a
Sentence one (S1) provides the basic m e t h o d of checking
well-mixed c o m p o s i t e s a m p l e a n d the density (unit weight)
the concrete yield as it has c o m e to be called. M a t h e m a t i -
test b e g u n w i t h i n 5 rain after o b t a i n i n g the final p o r t i o n of
cally this can be stated as follows:
the c o m p o s i t e sample. S o m e w o u l d d e b a t e the 5 rain limit
Total m a s s (weight) of the b a t c h for the c o m m e n c e m e n t of the density test, b u t a p o r t i o n of
Yield = w h a t is being c h e c k e d is the air content, w h i c h is the specific
Mass (weight) p e r unit v o l u m e of the concrete
p u r p o s e for this t i m e limit.
The t e r m in the d e n o m i n a t o r is the concrete density (mass Rules 3 a n d 4 a p p l y to the specifics of the test m e t h o d .
p e r cubic foot or unit weight). The m i n i m u m size of the unit v o l u m e shall be 1/2 ft3 [14 L].
This rules out s m a l l e r volume a i r m e t e r bowls (pots) for yield
E X A M P L E 3.A--Yield calculation. checks o r o t h e r small size c o n t a i n e r s b a s e d on the n o m i n a l
m a x i m u m aggregate size d e s c r i b e d in ASTM C 138/C 138M.
Total m a s s of b a t c h 32 000 lb The r e a s o n for requiring the 1/2 ft3 [14 L] m e a s u r e is for the
- 219.18 ft 3
Density ( M a s s / u n i t volume) 146 l b / f t 3 i m p r o v e d accuracy of the density m e a s u r e m e n t c o m p a r e d to
s m a l l e r size m e a s u r e s . ASTM C 138/C 138M provides crite-
219.18 ft 3
ria on when to consolidate by r o d d i n g a n d w h e n to use a
Yield 27.00 ft3/yd 3 8.12 yd 3
specific size of vibrator. ASTM Practice for S a m p l i n g F r e s h l y
Mixed Concrete (C 172) and ASTM Test M e t h o d for Density
The total m a s s (weight) of the b a t c h m a y be d e t e r m i n e d
(Unit Weight), Yield, a n d Air Content (Gravimetric) of Con-
b y either of two methods. Sentence two (S2) describes these.
crete (C 138/C 138M) s h o u l d be r e a d carefully for details of
The usual o p t i o n is to b e g i n with the s u m of the m a s s e s
p r o c e d u r e s . F o r example, the scales used to weigh the e m p t y
(weight) of all m a t e r i a l s in the b a t c h i n c l u d i n g w a t e r from
d e n s i t y m e a s u r e m u s t be a c c u r a t e to not less t h a n 0.1 lb.
all sources. An a l t e r n a t e that is s e l d o m used is to d e t e r m i n e
Very often w h e n density tests of fresh concrete are taken
the m a s s (weight) of concrete as delivered. This o p t i o n re-
a n d yields checked, there is a d i s p u t e c o n c e r n i n g yield.
quires weighing the concrete a n d t r u c k before delivery a n d
W h e n this is the case, it m a y be the expeditious p r o c e d u r e
weighing the e m p t y t r u c k after delivery. The difference is the
net m a s s of the concrete as delivered. This o p t i o n is very for b o t h the s u p p l i e r a n d p u r c h a s e r to have qualified tech-
difficult to use b e c a u s e it involves a c c o u n t i n g for fuel used nicians, working in t a n d e m a n d r e p r e s e n t i n g each of the par-
b e t w e e n the m a c k scale site a n d the project site, water from ties, m e a s u r i n g the density on the s a m e l o a d o r s a m p l e of
the side t a n k used for w a s h i n g out the truck, a n d a n y w a s h concrete.
w a t e r r e m a i n i n g in the mixing d r u m as well as side t a n k To o b t a i n the yield, the i n f o r m a t i o n from each of the three
w a t e r used to increase the s l u m p of the concrete. This r a t h e r batches used in the average density calculation is required.
c o m p l i c a t e d m e t h o d should be reserved for instances w h e n Those d a t a are in E x a m p l e 3.C on the next page.
it is suspected t h a t the b a t c h p l a n t scales m a y be out of tol- Average relative yield of the three loads is 1.010. Any n u m -
erance b y a substantial a m o u n t . b e r equal to o r greater t h a n 1.0 indicates a satisfactory yield
The p r i m a r y m e t h o d of checking the concrete yield is by for the purchaser. ASTM C 94/C 94M does n o t offer a n y lim-
the use of the total m a s s (weight) of all the m a t e r i a l s in the its for acceptable relative yields o r tolerances on the yield as
batch. This is d e t e r m i n e d f r o m a c o m p u t e r p r i n t o u t for the ordered. It should be r e m e m b e r e d that excessive yields with-
b a t c h plus w a t e r injected at the site or by a careful r e a d i n g out an increase in c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l can lower the con-
of p l a n t scales plus w a t e r injected at the site. crete strength, o r lower t h a n design yields can be a result of
S3 a n d S4 provide specific instructions on the only ac- low air c o n t e n t that m a y adversely affect the d u r a b i l i t y of
ceptable m e t h o d of d e t e r m i n i n g the density (mass p e r unit the concrete.
volume) of the concrete. The specific rules set forth are
sevenfold:
Note 1--It should be understood that the volume of hardened
Rule 1: Obtain s a m p l e s in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h ASTM Practice concrete may be, or appear to be, less than expected due to
C 172. waste and spillage, over-excavation, spreading forms, some
BAS~ OF P U R C H A S E 7

EXAMPLE 3.B--Concrete density (unit weight) test.


Load No. 2 3 5 7
Tested by~ PT RMT PT RMT PT RMT PT RMT
Conc. + Tare lb. 87.64 95.33 87.21 95.28 87.83 94.64 86.87 95.3~
rare lb. 18.47 19.33 18.47 19.33 18.47 19.33 18.47 19.33
Concrete lb. 69.17 76.00 68.74 75.95 69.36 75.31 68.40 76.06
rare Vol. ft 3 0.48 0.53 0.48 0.53 0.48 0.53 0.48 0.53
Concrete Density lb/ft 3 144.1 143.4 143.2 143.3 144.5 142.1 142.5 143.5
Difference lb/fl3 0.7 0.1 2.4' 1.0
Remarks OK OK Omit this set* OK

Purchaser's Ready-Mix Test


Load No. Units Technician Technician Averages
2 lb/ft 3 144.1 143.4 143.8
3 lb/ft 3 143.2 143.3 143.2
5*

Avg. Density lb/ft 3 143.3 143.4 143.3


* PT = Purchaser's Technician; RMT = Ready Mix Producer's Technician.
* The third set (load 5) is omitted from the calculations because the difference exceeds the ASTM C 138/C 138M acceptable precision for
two properly conducted tests from the same sample. The allowable difference by two technicians is 2.31 lb/ft 3.

EXAMPLE 3.C--Relative yield calculations. the d ep t h of a slab on grade will a m o u n t to a substantial


Line Load No. 2 3 7 difference in actual versus calculated voIume of concrete.
I Load size (yd 3) I0 10 8 S p r e a d i n g an d b o w i n g forms cause n u m e r o u s complaints.
2 1 in. coarse aggregate (lb) 17 970 17 390 14 270 The actual lateral pressure from fresh c o n c r e t e c a n be 2000
3 Sand (lb) I3 500 13 260 10 760 l b / f t 2 in a wall and over 3000 l b / f t 2 in a c o l u m n [45,52].
4 Cement-Type I (lb) 4 210 4 195 3 355 Pressures of these m a g n i t u d e s will certainly stretch f o r m ties
5 Fly ash (lb) 930 910 740 and bow f o r m i n g materials, thus increasing the quantity of
6 Water (lb) 2 350 2 360 1 900
7 Water on sand" (lb) 400 429 355 c o n c r e t e needed to r each the top of the structural element.
8 Side tank water + (lb) 83 50 0 On structural slabs the areas b e t w e e n supports will deflect
9 Total mass (weight)* (lb) 39 443 38 594 31 380 u n d e r the mass (weight) of the fresh concrete, thus r e q u i r i n g
a quantity g r eat er than plan m e a s u r e m e n t s to p r o d u c e a
10 Measured density~ (lb/ft 3) 143.8 143.3 143.0
11 Calculated yield (9 + 10) (ft3) 274.4 269.4 219.4 level floor: The loss of e n t r a i n e d air by handling, such as
12 Required yield, (27.0 x 1) (ft3) 270.0 270.0 216.0 t h r o u g h a p u m p , is going to reduce the concrete volume.
13 Relative yield (11 + 12) (yd 3) 1.016 0.998 1.016 P u m p line coatings will also a c c o u n t for lost concrete. With
* Line 7 is actually weighed as a part of line 3 and is not a separate wet mixtures there will be settlement as the excess w a t e r
number from batch plant. collects on the surface and evaporates or in t r e n c h or sub-
* Line 8 is measured in gallons and changed to pounds by multiply- grade conditions as the concrete's excess w a t e r is a b s o r b e d
ing gallons by 8.33 lb/gal.
by the earth.
* Line 9 is the total of Lines 2-8.
wLine 10 is taken from the previous example of density measure- There are so m a n y scenarios that r eq u i r e o r d e r i n g m o r e
ments. c o n c r e t e than plan quantities that knowledgeable contrac-
tors allow for concrete losses of 3-5 % [85] or s o m e t i m e s
w h e r e slabs on grade, u n f o r m e d footings, or f o r m e d walls
loss of entrained air, or settlement of wet mixtures, none of p r e d o m i n a t e , losses easily m a y be in the range of 5-12 %
which are the responsibility of the producer. [23] or more. One estimating guide places waste (lost) con-
crete at 5-10 % [93].
This note is advisory to the p r o d u c e r a n d the p u r c h a s e r Can a c o n t a i n e r 3 x 3 3 ft be c o n s t r u c t e d a nd one cubic
on s o m e of the items that can result in a d is c r e p a n c y of yield yard of c o n c r e t e be o r d e r e d to check the p r o d u c e r s yield?
as ordered. It i n fo r m s the p u r c h a s e r that w h e n c o n c r e t e The a n s w e r is simply no. Water losses m a y o c c u r due to ab-
hardens, its v o l u m e will be less than in its wet state. As m e n - sorption by the box material, b o w i n g of f o r m materials will
tioned before, this is due to the e v a p o r a t i o n of w a t e r an d certainly occur, g r o u t m a y escape the c o r n e r seams, en-
r e d u c t i o n of v o l u m e w h e n w a t e r chemically reacts with the t r ai n ed air m a y be lost, and the m o r t a r coating on d r u m fins
c e m e n t i t i o u s materials. This change in v o l u m e will be ap- will be u n p r o p o r t i o n a l l y excessive as c o m p a r e d to a full load,
p r o x i m a t e l y 2 % [18]. Part of the total g r o u p of losses in- particularly for loads o t h er t h a n the first load of the day. A
cludes a m o r t a r coating inside the m i x e r drum, p r i m a r i l y on 3 3 3 ft box does not work. The c o n c e p t a d v a n c e d by
the fins. This m o r t a r coating m a y a m o u n t to 400-600 lb (less ASTM C 138/C 138M of correctly checking a m i n i m u m of
t h a n a w h e e l b a r r o w ) a n d usually only affects the first load three loads for density (mass p er unit v o l u m e) c o m p a r e d to
of the day [68]. Over-excavation or a low subgrade excava- the mass p er b at ch does w o r k and is the best m e t h o d of
tion needs no explanation, b u t a relatively small v ar i at i o n in solving questions or establishing the true yield of a mixture.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Ordering Information
4.1 In the absence of designated applicable general specifica- 4.1.2 Slump, or slumps, desired at the point of delivery (see
tions, the purchaser shall specify the following. Section 6 for acceptable tolerances)

The s l u m p for each different concrete m i x t u r e m e a s u r e s


This i n t r o d u c t i o n to o r d e r i n g i n f o r m a t i o n for concrete is the consistency d e s i r e d for each mixture. The s l u m p m e a -
i n t e n d e d to cover all situations. E i t h e r there are specifica- s u r e m e n t is d e s c r i b e d in ASTM C 143/C 143M as the vertical
tions that spell o u t specific r e q u i r e m e n t s for the concrete, o r distance b e t w e e n the original a n d displaced p o s i t i o n of the
the c u s t o m e r (purchaser) o r d e r s concrete with the m i n i m u m center of the t o p surface of the concrete c o m p a c t e d , by rod-
a m o u n t of information. The five items t h a t follow need to be ding, in a mold, w h i c h is t h e n raised, allowing the concrete
p r o v i d e d by an individual f a m i l i a r with the project a n d can- to subside. Specified s l u m p s m a y range from z e r o - s l u m p to
n o t be the responsibility of the producer. I 0 + in., b u t the m o s t c o m m o n range is 3-5 in. S l u m p s shall
be specified for m e a s u r e m e n t at the p o i n t o f d i s c h a r g e f r o m
the t r a n s p o r t a t i o n unit at the j o b site. The d i s c h a r g e point,
4.1.1 Designated size, or sizes, of coarse aggregate generally at the chute of the delivery vehicle, is the location
where the p r o d u c e r ceases to have control over, o r respon-
sibility for, the mixture.
The p h r a s e "size o r sizes" refers to one concrete m i x t u r e
o r m u l t i p l e concrete mixtures, w h i c h m a y have varying t o p
4.1.3 When air-entrained concrete is specified, the air content
sizes of coarse aggregate. The o r d e r can b e in t e r m s of top
of the samples taken at the point of discharge from the trans-
size of coarse aggregate, such as 3/4 in., o r a size designation, portation unit (see Section 7 and Table 1 for the total air con-
such as N u m b e r 57. The coarse aggregate size n o r m a l l y is tent and tolerances) (Note 2)
d i c t a t e d by using the largest size t h a t is readily available, b u t
t h a t is small e n o u g h that the n o m i n a l m a x i m u m size shall
not exceed three-fourths of the m i n i m u m clear spacing be- If concrete is to be in a l o c a t i o n that will be exposed to
t w e e n reinforcing bars, one-fifth of the n a r r o w e s t d i m e n s i o n cycles of freezing a n d t h a w i n g while it is s a t u r a t e d o r n e a r
b e t w e e n sides of forms, or o n e - t h i r d of the thickness of slabs saturated, o r if it will be exposed to deicing salts, e n t r a i n e d
air m u s t be o r d e r e d for the p r o t e c t i o n of the concrete. In the
o r toppings. Commonly, the readily available coarse aggre-
late 1930s a n d early 1940s, the benefit of these tiny e n t r a i n e d
gates will have n o m i n a l m a x i m u m sizes of 3/4 in. up to 11/2
air b u b b l e s was discovered. P r o p e r air e n t r a i n m e n t in con-
in. in 1/4 in. increments. L a r g e r sizes are usually by special
crete, so exposed, in c o n j u n c t i o n with o t h e r g o o d c o n c r e t i n g
o r d e r a n d r e q u i r e large q u a n t i t y o r d e r s to m e r i t special pro-
practices, will prevent surface scaling of the concrete. Mi-
duction. A size of coarse aggregate that is s m a l l e r t h a n the croscopic air b u b b l e s such as these are not visible to the
allowed m a x i m u m is often u s e d for g r e a t e r w o r k a b i l i t y o r n a k e d eye. Readily available field e q u i p m e n t c a n n o t m e a s u r e
for ease of finishing. the size o r n u m b e r of these air bubbles, b u t it can m e a s u r e
The t e r m " n o m i n a l m a x i m u m size" of an aggregate is the the total q u a n t i t y of a i r in a concrete mixture. These tests
smallest sieve o p e n i n g t h r o u g h w h i c h the entire a m o u n t will be discussed later. E x p e r i e n c e a n d r e s e a r c h has dem-
(100 %) of the aggregate is p e r m i t t e d to pass. A typical o n s t r a t e d t h a t an air content of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 9 % of the
coarse aggregate g r a d i n g specification that defines Size des- v o l u m e of the m o r t a r s e g m e n t of the concrete is n e e d e d for
i g n a t i o n s is in Table 2 G r a d i n g R e q u i r e m e n t s for Concrete a d e q u a t e freeze-thaw resistance. B a s e d u p o n c u s t o m a r y
Aggregates of ASTM C 33. This specification provides for u p m i x t u r e p r o p o r t i o n s of coarse a g g r e g a t e / m o r t a r ratio, the
to 10 % of a s a m p l e to be r e t a i n e d on the smallest sieve values of Table 1 will provide a p p r o x i m a t e l y 9 % air in the
t h r o u g h w h i c h all of a s a m p l e is p e r m i t t e d to pass. The dis- m o r t a r fraction. Test m e t h o d s to d e t e r m i n e the total a i r con-
cussion in ASTM Terminology Relating to Concrete a n d Con- tent of the concrete r a t h e r t h a n only the m o r t a r fraction
crete Aggregates (C 125) c o n c e r n i n g the n o m i n a l m a x i m u m were developed. This concept of total air c o n t e n t has c o m e
size r e a d s as follows: to be the s t a n d a r d b y w h i c h the a i r content is m e a s u r e d a n d
also specified.
"Discussion--Specifications on aggregates usually stipulate a Table 1 r e c o m m e n d s total air contents c o n s i d e r i n g expo-
sieve opening through which all of the aggregate may, but sure c o n d i t i o n s a n d the n o m i n a l m a x i m u m aggregate size of
need not, pass so that a stated maximum proportion of the the c o n c r e t e mixture. Note C to Table 1 identifies ACI 211.1
aggregate may be retained on that sieve. A sieve opening so S t a n d a r d Practice for Selecting P r o p o r t i o n s for N o r m a l ,
designated is the nominal maximum size of the aggregate." Heavyweight a n d Mass Concrete as the source of definitions

8
Copyright* 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
ORDERING INFORMATION 9

for mild, moderate, a n d severe exposure. Section 6.3.3 of The concept of e n t r a i n e d air increasing the strength of low
ACI 211.1-91 provides the following definitions: c e m e n t c o n t e n t mixes a n d decreasing the strength of high
c e m e n t factor mixtures requires some explanation. Several
Mild exposure--When air entrainment is desired for a bene-
ficial effect other than durability, such as to improve worka- i n d e p e n d e n t factors m u s t be considered, b e g i n n i n g with a
bility or cohesion or in low cement factor concrete to improve reduced water r e q u i r e m e n t for a n e n t r a i n e d air m i x t u r e
strength, air contents lower than those needed for durability c o m p a r e d to a n o n - a i r e n t r a i n e d mix for the same target
can be used. This exposure includes indoor or outdoor service slump. E n t r a i n e d air provides increased workability a n d in-
in a climate where concrete will not be exposed to freezing creases s l u m p if water is n o t decreased. The decrease i n mix-
or to deicing agent. ing water to achieve the same s l u m p is approximately 5 gal
Moderate exposure--Service in a climate where freezing is per yd 3. Example 4.A d e m o n s t r a t e s the change i n water-
expected but where the concrete will not be continually ex- c e m e n t (w/c) ratio for two different c e m e n t contents a n d
posed to moisture or free water for long periods prior to freez- addresses the strength variation because of the addition of
ing and will not be exposed to deicing agents or other
e n t r a i n e d air. The compressive strength versus water-cement
aggressive chemicals. Examples include: exterior beams,
ratios is interpolated from Table 6.3.4(a) of ACI 211.1. The
columns, walls, girders, or slabs that are not in contact with
wet soil and are so located that they will not receive direct mixture with 400 lb of c e m e n t / y d 3 will have a slight increase
applications of deicing salts. in strength due to the lower water c o n t e n t of the m i x t u r e
Severe exposure--Concrete that is exposed to deicing chem- caused by the addition of e n t r a i n e d air. The m i x t u r e with
icals or other aggressive agents or where the concrete may 600 lb of c e m e n t / y d 3 will have a decrease in strength be-
become highly saturated by continued contact with moisture cause strength gained by the lower water c o n t e n t is of a
or free water prior to freezing. Examples include: pavements, smaller m a g n i t u d e t h a n the loss of strength due to the air
bridge decks, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, canal linings, or ex- e n t r a i n m e n t . Because of the addition of air e n t r a i n m e n t ,
terior water tanks or sumps." these shifts in strength are limited to c e m e n t i t i o u s contents
of approximately below a n d above 500 l b / y d 3 a n d to air con-
Note 2 ~ s l In selecting the specified air content, the purchaser tents in a n o r m a l range of less t h a n 7.5 % [34].
should consider the exposure conditions to which the concrete
will be subjected, s2Air contents less than s h o w n in Table 1 EXAMPLE 4.A---Strength changes with air-entrainment.
may not give the required resistance to freezing and thawing, Without Air-Entrainment With Air-Entrainment
which is the primary purpose o f air-entrained concrete, s3 Air Estimated Estimated
contents higher than the levels s h o w n may reduce strength Cement, Watei, W/C Strength, Water, W/C Strength,
without contributing any further improvement o f durability. lb gaF ratio psit gal* ratio psit
400 36 0.75 2500 31 0.65 2600
The use of these criteria allows selection of the proper hor- 600 36* 0.50 4800 31 0.43* 4600
izontal row in Table 1. Note that for a given size coarse ag- * Mass of water is obtained by multiplying gallons times 8.33 lb/gal.
gregate, the r e c o m m e n d e d air c o n t e n t varies with each ex- *ACI 211.1 values for estimated minimum strengths versus w/c ra-
tio have been used.
posure condition. The severe exposure is based o n a n air *ACI 211.1 does not design for increased water contents being
c o n t e n t that will produce approximately 9 % air i n the mor- needed with greater cement contents, but the basic principle is
tar fraction. The severity of exposure that includes the n u m - demonstrated by the use of 36 gallons with each mixture.
ber of freeze-thaw cycles a n d length of cycles each affect the
q u a n t i t y of air needed for durability. Concrete placed i n Table 1 r e c o m m e n d s lower required air contents as the
moderate exposure conditions needs approximately 7 % air aggregate sizes increase. This is due to the fact that concrete
in the mortar. Note that one of the differences b e t w e e n se- with larger size aggregates have a lower p r o p o r t i o n of mor-
vere a n d m o d e r a t e is the exposure of the concrete to the tar. The only segment of the mixture being e n t r a i n e d with
application of deicing salts. air is the mortar. Nine percent of a lower volume fraction of
The definition for mild exposure provides several advan- m o r t a r translates to a lower total air c o n t e n t in the concrete.
tages of using some e n t r a i n e d air, even in climates which do These changes in m o r t a r fraction center a r o u n d the fact that
n o t produce freeze-thaw conditions. High air contents, how- larger (well-graded) aggregates have a smaller percentage of
ever, will decrease the strength of m o d e r a t e to high c e m e n t voids between the aggregate particles t h a n do mixtures of
c o n t e n t concrete. This is reason e n o u g h to limit the air con- small sized (well-graded) aggregate. Fewer voids translate to
tent to the r e c o m m e n d e d a m o u n t s of Table 1. less m o r t a r per u n i t volume.

TABLE l--Recommended total air content for air-entrained c o n c r e t e . A,B

Total Air Content, %


Exposure Nominal Maximum Sizes of Aggregate, in. [mm]
Conditionc 3/s [9,5] 1/2112.5] 3/4119.0] l [25.0] 1%[37.5] 2 [50.0] 3 [75.0]
Mild 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5
Moderate 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.5 4.0 3.5
Severe 7.5 7.0 6.0 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5
A For air-entrained concrete, when specified.
Unless exposure conditions dictate otherwise, it is permissible to reduce air contents recommended above by up to 1 % for concretes with
specified compressiv'e strength, ~, o]:5000 psi [35 MPa] or above.
c For description of exposure conditions, refer to Standard Practice AC1 211.1, Section 6.3.3, with attention to accompanying footnotes.
10 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

To illustrate an example of the use of Table 1, consider a Note 3--sl The mass per unit volume of fresh concrete, which
n o r t h e r n state with exterior concrete usually being wet dur- is the only unit mass determinable at the time of delivery, is
ing freezing. The geographic area often uses deicing salts on always higher than the air-dry or oven-dry mass. s, Defini-
the streets. The concrete is to be used in curb a n d gutter a n d tions of, and methods for determining or calculating air-dry
will have a n o m i n a l m a x i m u m aggregate size of 3/4 in. Severe and oven-dry masses are covered by Test Method C 567.
exposure c o n d i t i o n coupled with 3/4 in. aggregate dictates a
r e c o m m e n d e d air c o n t e n t of 6.0 %.
The density (mass per u n i t volume) of structural light-
weight concrete c a n vary substantially d e p e n d i n g u p o n the
4.1.4 Which of Options A, B, or C shall be used as a basis for aggregates used. The p u r c h a s e r m u s t provide the desired
determining the proportions of the concrete to produce the re- density a n d the test c o n d i t i o n to be used to d e t e r m i n e the
quired quality, and specified density. The e q u i l i b r i u m density (air-dry density) of
structural lightweight concrete can vary from approximately
The three ordering options (A, B, a n d C) divide the re- 90-120 l b / f t 3. The typical range is 100-115 l b / f t 3 with only
sponsibilities for mixture proportions a n d related informa- the coarse aggregate being lightweight or 90-100 l b / f t 3 if
tion into specific responsibility groups for the m a n u f a c t u r e r both fine a n d coarse aggregate are lightweight. A good rule
a n d the purchaser. The division of responsibilities is listed in of t h u m b is the lower the specified density (unit weight), the
Table 4.A. The p u r c h a s e r m a y select any one of the three a n d higher the potential cost of the concrete. E q u i l i b r i u m density
shall t h e n f u r n i s h the specific i n f o r m a t i o n required based is a s t a n d a r d way of defining the anticipated concrete density
u p o n the particular option. (equilibrium air-dry u n i t weight) of the concrete i n the struc-
ture after some of the water has dissipated. The terminology
4.1.5 When structural lightweight concrete is specified, the of ASTM Test Method for D e t e r m i n i n g Density of Structural
mass per unit volume as wet mass, air-dry mass, or oven-dry Lightweight Concrete (C 567) a n d test m e t h o d s has changed
mass (see Note 3). considerably i n recent years. If a user is n o t familiar with

TABLE 4.A--Ordering options.


Item Option A Option B Option C
Maximum Nominal Aggregate Size By Purchaser Purchaser Purchaser
4.1.1 4.1.1 4.1.1
Slump at Point of Delivery By Purchaser Purchaser Purchaser
4.1.2 4.1.2 4.1.2
Air Content at Point of Delivery By Purchaser Purchaser Purchaser
4.1.3 4.1.3 4.1.3
Selection of Ordering Option 'W', "B", or "C" By Purchaser Purchaser Purchaser
4.1.4 4.1.4 4.1.4
Density (unit weight) for Structural Lightweight Conc. By Purchaser Purchaser Purchaser
4.1.5 4.1.5 4.1.5
Mixture Proportions By Manufacturer Purchaser Manufacturer
4.2.1 4.3.1 4.4.1
Cement Content By Manufacturer Purchaser Manufacturer
4.2.1 4.3.1.1 (above rain.)
4.4.t
Compressive Strength Specified By Purchaser ... Purchaser
4.2.1.1 4.4.1,1
Minimum Cement Content By . . . . . . Purchaser
4.4.1.2
List of Ingredients and Quantities of Each By Manufacturer Manufacturer Manufacturer
4.2.2 4.3.2 4.4.2
Proof of Mixture Strength By Manufacturer ... Manufacturer
4.2.2 4.4.2
Proof of Material Quality By Manufacturer ... Manufacturer
4.2.2 4.4.2
Proof of Other Concrete Qualities Specified By Manufacturer ... Manufacturer
4.2.2 4.4.2
Maximum Water Content By .. Purchaser ...
4.3.1.2
Maximum Water-Cement Ratio By . . . . . . . .
Required Admixtures By .. Purchaser Purchaser
4.3.i.3 4.4.I.3
Aggregate: relative density (sp gr), gradation, sources By .. Manufacturer ...
4.3.2
ORDERING INFORMATION 11

the terms used above, it is r e c o m m e n d e d that a current copy sity and equilibrium density provides sufficient accuracy for
of ASTM C 567 be consulted and the changes noted 9 the Architect/Engineer (A/E), The ASTM C 138/C 138M
There is a limited range of density (unit weight) a p r o d u c e r freshly mixed density can be determined when the cylinders
can achieve with a given aggregate. It is in the specifier's best for oven-dry density determination are made so that a cor-
interest to determine what density is achievable with the relation is established. A comparison between freshly mixed
c o m m o n l y available lightweight aggregates before the design density and oven-dry density is then possible. Note 3 of
stage. The decision of the cost-effectiveness of specifying a ASTM C 567 cautions that fresh density tests made by using
concrete with a lower density (unit weight) that requires spe- 6 12 in. cylinder molds rather than the prescribed 0.5 ft s
cial and more expensive aggregates is then made. Any need measure will indicate a greater fresh density by approxi-
to p u m p the lightweight concrete should be indicated during mately 2.5 lb/ft 3. Use the prescribed 0.5 ft 3 metal bucket for
initial discussions. This need can affect the mixture propor- best results.
tions, density (unit weight), and cost. On average, a density variation between fresh lightweight
Section 4.1.5 specifies that the m e t h o d of measuring the concrete and equilibrium (air-dry) lightweight concrete of 3 -
density (mass per unit volume) is to be specified as wet mass 12 lb/ft 3 should be expected [21,43]. For mixtures with both
(fresh or plastic concrete), air-dry mass, or oven-dry mass. lightweight fine and coarse aggregate, a range of 6-12 lb/ft 3
The same concrete will have a different density at each of is expected [21]. For mixtures with only coarse lightweight
these conditions. ASTM C 567 is referenced in Note 3. ASTM aggregate, the expected difference is only 3-6 lb/ft 3 [21].
C 567 specifies several test requirements for each type of Should time or circumstance prevent pre-construction
density determination as shown in Table 4.B. testing, the ready-mixed concrete producer m a y have histor-
Freshly mixed concrete density (ASTM C 138/C 138M) is ical densities that will provide the needed comparisons. An-
the only test that can be performed and completed in a other potential source of historical density data is the man-
timely m a n n e r to permit mixture adjustments the day of a ufacturer of each lightweight aggregate usually available in
concrete placement 9 All types of density are only determined the geographic location. ASTM C 567 provides a means to
well after it is too late to correct potential problems 9 ACI 301 calculate the equilibrium density from the mixture propor-
Specifications for Structural Concrete requires proportion- tions expressed on an oven-dry basis.
ing lightweight concrete mixtures to meet the specified limit
on m a x i m u m equilibrium density determined by ASTM C 4.2 Option A
567. It also requires correlating equilibrium density with the
fresh bulk density of the concrete and using the fresh bulk 4.2.1 When the purchaser requires the manufacturer to as-
density as the basis for acceptance during construction. sume full responsibility for the selection of the proportions for
ASTM C 94/C 94M permits the purchaser to specify the the concrete mixture (Note 4), the purchaser shall also specify
m a x i m u m density of lightweight concrete to be measured by the following:
wet density (mass), air-dry density (mass), or oven-dry den-
sity (mass) 9 The wet density (ASTM C 138/C 138M) is the Even though the purchaser wants the m a n u f a c t u r e r
only practical m e t h o d of verifying the concrete density as (ready-mixed concrete producer) to accept full responsibility
delivered and is encouraged as the m e t h o d of specifying and for the concrete performance, there are certain decisions the
ordering 9 purchaser or his agent (A/E) must make before the propor-
Structural engineers need the equilibrium (air-dry) density tioning process can begin9
for dead load design purposes. Note 1 of ASTM C 567 helps
with this by stating that the equilibrium density will be ap- 4.2.1.1 s~ Requirements for compressive strength as deter-
proximately 3.0 lb/ft 3 greater than the oven-dry density. The mined on samples taken from the transportation unit at the
oven-dry density can be determined in approximately one point of discharge evaluated in accordance with Section
week or can be calculated from the mixture proportions of 17. s2 The purchaser shall specify the requirements in terms
the concrete 9 This close correlation between oven-dry den- of the compressive strength of standard specimens cured under

TABLE 4.BILightweight concrete density testing procedures (ASTM C 567).


Freshly Mixed Oven-Dry Equilibrium
Concrete Density Density Density Air-DryDensity*
Method C 138/C 138M Yes No No No
Measure Size 0.5 ft 3 6 x 12in. cyl 6 x 12in. cyl 6 x 12in. cyl
Concrete Sampling C 172 C 172 C 172 C 172
Molding Field Cylinders C 31/C 31Mr C 31/C 31M or C 31/C 31M or C 192/C 192M
C 192/C 192M C 192/C 192M
Curing Time (Initial) 24-32 h 6 days 6 days
Curing Temperature (Initial) 60-80~ 60-80~ 60-80~
Curing Time 2ndPeriod 72 h+ 24 h 24 h
Curing Temperature 2 nd 230~ 73.5~ 73.4~
Curing Time 3ra Period ... 21 days + 21 days
Curing Temperature 3 rd 9. . 73.5~ 73.4~
Curing Humidity 3~d 9 .. 50%RH 50%RH
*Air-dry density has been replaced in ASTM C 567 by equilibrium density.
t Not recommended for fresh density (unit weight).
12 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

standard laboratory conditions for moist curing (see Section This note points out that the purchaser or his agent, in
17). sa Unless otherwise specified, the age at test shall be 28 defining the various purchaser-specific information, should
days. consider constructability (workability and placeability), life
and use conditions of the structure (durability) and appear-
ance (surface texture). The concrete density referenced in Sl
The ordering information previously stated that the pur- concerns the use of lightweight aggregates, heavyweight ag-
chaser must furnish coarse aggregate sizes, slumps, desired gregates, or normal weight aggregates. Normal weight is as-
air contents, and, if lightweight concrete is involved, the de- sumed unless otherwise specified. Sl also serves as a re-
sired equilibrium or fresh density (mass per unit volume). If minder that air entrainment affects the density of concrete,
Option A is selected, the purchaser needs to additionally se- freeze-thaw durability, and texture.
lect the compressive strength. S1 states that the specified N2 references the two ACI documents that are directed at
compressive strength is to be based upon concrete sampled proportioning normal weight, heavyweight, and lightweight
at the point of discharge from the truck mixer or other trans- concrete. ACI 211.1 provides detailed considerations and
portation unit. The reference to Section 17 identifies very procedures for proportioning normal weight and heavy-
specific sampling, molding, curing, handling, and testing weight concrete. ACI 211.2 Standard Practice for Selecting
procedures. $2 verifies that requirements of the compressive Proportions for Structural Lightweight Concrete does the
strength are to be measured by standard specimens cured same for lightweight concrete proportioning.
under the rigid requirements of Standard Curing defined in S3 is a reminder that water-cement ratio versus strength
ASTM C 31/C 31M. Field curing for acceptance is not an curves is difficult to establish with adequate accuracy to be
option. The purpose of field curing is to obtain an estimate used as a basis for the strength design of lightweight con-
of the in-place concrete strength to schedule operations such crete. Manufactured lightweight aggregates are commonly
as form removal or to verify if curing and protection af- very porous, irregularly shaped, and rough textured, making
forded to the structure during construction was adequate. it extremely difficult to separate absorbed water that is not
Placing cylinders indoors but without the benefit of a closely available for reaction with cement and surface moisture,
controlled temperature of 73 _+ 3~ and a relative humidity which may be hidden in open surface pores and is available
of 95 % or more is unacceptable. By the same token, the for hydration reaction with the cement. The total cement
temperature and humidity controls of the storage of cylin- content needed with each source of lightweight aggregate for
ders during the period of initial curing in the field is critical a specific strength is a common proportioning procedure. In
to the measured strength and by extension to whether the the absence of such data, ACI 211.2-98 provides design
concrete complies with the specified strength. The point to charts to estimate cementitious quantities for a first trial
be considered is that the manufacturer (producer) has no batch.
control over the concrete after it leaves the transportation A potential change in this specification involves Note 4.
unit. The use of standard cylinders with standard curing con- There has been considerable interest within subcommittee
ditions indicates the strength the manufacturer's product is C 09.40 to transfer a portion of the non-mandatory items of
capable of achieving, if properly handled and cured by the the note into the body of the specification, thus compelling
purchaser or purchaser's agent. If the actual field strength is the purchaser to assume responsibility for specifying re-
needed, make some extra cylinders, but do not use them as quirements that will ensure that the structure will be durable
the basis of acceptance of the quality of concrete delivered. in its intended application, when ordering the concrete and
Only standard cylinders as prescribed in Section 17 are al- the subsequent mixture proportions to be furnished. The em-
lowed for acceptance or rejection of concrete. phasis is expected to be on the purchaser or the design pro-
$3 is used to set the age at which the specified strength fessional for a project to determine needs such as maximum
should be attained. Concrete will gain strength daily for water-cement ratios, special types of cement to combat sul-
many months and often years. The rate of increase begins fate attack, or the addition of supplementary cementitious
with a rapid change and then attains a pattern of a decreas- materials to decrease the permeability of the concrete or
ing rate with each passing day. A typical strength require- other necessary specific requirements and then to commu-
ment would be "Provide concrete with a compressive nicate these needs to the manufacturer. The communication
strength of 4000 psi at 28 days." Section 4.2.1.1 prescribes could be in the form of written specifications or orally in
all the other particulars for testing the concrete and evalu- advance of a delivery order for the concrete.
ating the strength. It is not possible for every manufacturer to be a design
professional with regard to each durability situation that
may be encountered. All situations are different, and each
Note 4 ~ s l The purchaser, in selecting requirements for which needs a separate comprehensive evaluation whether the proj-
he assumes responsibility should give consideration to require- ect is a sports stadium, a sanitary sewage treatment facility,
ments for workability, placeability, durability, surface texture, a food freezer plant, or a hog house floor for the controlled
and density, in addition to those for structural design, s2 The production of pork. The issues often translate to the cost as
purchaser is referred to Standard Practice AC1211.1 and Stan- a major component in the evaluation process, and ultimately
dard Practice ACI 211.2 for the selection of proportions that the decision must be made by the purchaser.
will result in concrete suitable for various types of structures Many manufacturers have personnel on staff or available
and conditions of exposure, sa The water-cement ratio of to them on a consulting basis that are capable of assisting
most structural lightweight concretes cannot be determined the purchaser with evaluations and potential solutions to a
with sufficient accuracy for use as a specification basis. situation, but in the end the purchaser must be responsible
ORDERING INFORMATION 13

for the decision a n d the o r d e r i n g of the a p p r o p r i a t e con- (weight) of aggregates is the typical a p p r o a c h b e c a u s e the
crete. By extension, the p u r c h a s e r s h o u l d be a w a r e of local a b s o r b e d w a t e r in the aggregate pores does n o t usually r e a c t
c o d e r e q u i r e m e n t s for the s t r u c t u r e being c o n s t r u c t e d a n d with the cement, b u t surface w a t e r on the aggregates con-
include specification r e q u i r e m e n t s for the concrete that ad- stitutes a p o r t i o n of the m i x i n g water. Surface w a t e r is there-
dress those code requirements. Since the m a n u f a c t u r e r sel- fore i n c l u d e d with the w a t e r q u a n t i t y used for the m a n u f a c -
d o m knows w h e r e the concrete will be placed, he is not in ture of concrete. If a n y a d m i x t u r e s are used, solid o r liquid,
a p o s i t i o n to m a k e the j u d g m e n t w h e t h e r concrete furnished they shall be listed b y type (water reducer, fly ash, etc.), n a m e
c o m p l i e s with the code. ( b r a n d o r supplier), a n d quantity. Quantities for a d m i x t u r e s
Dr. Bryant Mather, f o r m e r Director, S t r u c t u r e s Laboratory, m a y be listed by m a s s (weight) o r v o l u m e ( o z / y d 3 o r oz/cwt
U.S. A r m y E n g i n e e r W a t e r w a y s E x p e r i m e n t Station, pro- of cement). See E x a m p l e 4.B.
p o s e d the best short set of i n s t r u c t i o n s possible for d u r a b l e
concrete in a (1994) p a p e r [50]: "Prepare specifications t h a t EXAMPLE 4.B---Satisfactory mixture proportion submittals.
require a p p r o p r i a t e levels of relevant p r o p e r t i e s of concrete Mixture ID
so t h a t the concrete can resist the deteriorative influence it 3500 psi
will e n c o u n t e r in service." The m o s t i m p o r t a n t p a r t of this Item 4000 psi w/Air
s t a t e m e n t is "require a p p r o p r i a t e levels of relevant proper- Cement (manufacturer A, Type I) lb 470 440
ties." I n short, specify w h a t you need, b u t n o t m o r e t h a n you Fly ash (Class C, supplier D) lb 50 80
Coarse aggregate (No. 57 lb 1750 0
need.
limestone) SSD
Coarse aggregate (5/8 in. gravel) lh 0 1850
4.2.2 sl At the request of the purchaser, the manufacturer shaU, SSD
prior to the actual delivery of the concrete, furnish a statement Fine aggregate (washed sand), lb 1480 1155
stream E
to the purchaser, giving the dry masses of cement and satu- Water, potable gal 30 30
rated-surface-dry masses of fine and coarse aggregate and Water reducer (manufacturer B, oz/yd 3 14 14
quantities, type, and name of admixtures (if any) and of water Normal set)
per cubic yard or cubic meter of concrete that will be used in Air entrainment (manufacturer oz/yd 3 0 4
C, AEA)
the manufacture of each class of concrete ordered by the
purchaser, s2 He shall also furnish evidence satisfactory to the
purchaser that the materials to be used and proportions se- S2 is m u c h m o r e d e m a n d i n g on the r e a d y - m i x e d concrete
lected will produce concrete of the quality specified. manufacturer t h a n is the p r o p o r t i o n i n g i n f o r m a t i o n of S1.
M a n u f a c t u r e r shall furnish satisfactory evidence to the pur-
The p u r c h a s e r is entitled to specific i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t the c h a s e r that "concrete materials" a n d "mixture p r o p o r t i o n s "
m i x t u r e p r o p o r t i o n s a n d materials, b u t a c c o r d i n g to Option will p r o d u c e concrete of the quality specified. There m a y b e
A they m u s t be requested, otherwise they need not be fur- special r e q u i r e m e n t s b y the purchaser, w h i c h b o t h m a t e r i a l
nished. $1 very specifically spells out everything that goes suppliers a n d m a n u f a c t u r e r s need to consider. These could
into a concrete m i x t u r e a n d says the p u r c h a s e r is entitled to take the form of o p t i o n a l r e q u i r e m e n t s for a special cement,
the ingredients a n d quantities of each before a n y concrete is test results on a 12-month long aggregate test, extraordinar-
delivered. S o m e w o u l d argue that various c e m e n t i t i o u s ma- ily lightweight concrete to w h i c h the p r o d u c e r is not accus-
terials such as p o z z o l a n s are not included, b u t they are tomed, or a m y r i a d of o t h e r possibilities.
wrong. ASTM Terminology Relating to Concrete a n d Con- A purchaser may want nothing more than a recent grading
crete Aggregates (C 125) dispels a n y such n o t i o n to o m i t poz- test of the coarse a n d fine aggregate a n d the relative density
zolans. (specific gravity) of each. The l a t t e r is p r e s u m a b l y to check
the yield of the m i x t u r e p r o p o r t i o n s submitted. A m a n u f a c -
"admixture, n - - a material other than water, aggregates, hy- t u r e r should do m u c h m o r e t h a n this for the p r o t e c t i o n o f
draulic cementitious material, and fiber reinforcement that is the c u s t o m e r s a n d himself. Virtually every m a t e r i a l used in
used as an ingredient of a cementitious mixture to modify its
concrete has s o m e e s t a b l i s h e d written requirements t h a t are
freshly mixed, setting, or hardened properties and that is
added to the batch before or during its mixing." set forth in a n ASTM m a t e r i a l specification. The m a n u f a c -
t u r e r (ready-mixed concrete p r o d u c e r ) should require copies
Pozzolans are clearly i n c l u d e d in this c u r r e n t definition as of the certification tests from suppliers on a r e g u l a r basis.
a d m i x t u r e s b e c a u s e they do n o t necessarily have cementi- C e m e n t p r o p e r t i e s are p r e s c r i b e d by ASTM Specifica-
tious value b y themselves. The w o r d cement, r a t h e r t h a n ce- tion for P o r t l a n d C e m e n t (C 150), ASTM Specification for
m e n t i t i o u s material, m a y seem like a gray area, b u t when B l e n d e d Cements (C 595), a n d ASTM P e r f o r m a n c e Specifi-
viewed as a whole, the intent is very clear. The t e r m "cement" c a t i o n for H y d r a u l i c C e m e n t (C 1157). C e m e n t m a n u f a c t u r -
in this p a r a g r a p h goes b a c k to a t i m e w h e n it was u n u s u a l ers test each p r o d u c t on a r e g u l a r basis a n d m a k e these test
to have a c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l o t h e r t h a n p o r t l a n d cement, results available to t h e i r customers. Suppliers of fly ash do
b u t it n o w includes all h y d r a u l i c c e m e n t i t i o u s materials. The tests p r e s c r i b e d in ASTM Specification for Coal Fly Ash a n d
intent is clear that each a n d every c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l a n d R a w o r Calcined N a t u r a l Pozzolan for Use as a Mineral Ad-
a d m i x t u r e with its q u a n t i t y is to be listed. m i x t u r e in Concrete (C 618). S u c h tests are typically avail-
S l calls for the disclosure of all mixture p r o p o r t i o n s in a able to c u s t o m e r s on a r e g u l a r basis of n o t less t h a n once
c u s t o m a r y f o r m a t of dry m a s s e s (weights) of c e m e n t i t i o u s p e r m o n t h . The s a m e is true for g r o u n d g r a n u l a t e d blast-
materials, s a t u r a t e d - s u r f a c e - d r y m a s s e s (weights) of each furnace slag w h i c h c o n f o r m s to ASTM Specification for
fine aggregate, a n d each coarse aggregate. The SSD m a s s G r o u n d G r a n u l a t e d B l a s t - F u r n a c e Slag for Use in Concrete
14 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

and Mortars (C 989); silica fume described in ASTM Speci- strength. Those not using ACI 301 may have different
fication for Use of Silica Fume as a Mineral Admixture in requirements.
Hydraulic-Cement Concrete, Mortar, and Grout (C 1240) On projects involving fewer statistical needs than incor-
also has prescribed physical and chemical requirements porated in ACI procedures, it may be satisfactory to ap-
which are tested often by their suppliers. Chemical admix- proach the strength submittal in a less sophisticated manner.
tures are commonly placed through a series of physical cer- The quickest approach would be compressive strength tests
tification tests, which are then available to users. The spec- for the proposed mixture from a previous use, even though
ifications for chemical admixtures are ASTM Specification there are less than ten sets. A second possibility is to batch
for Air-Entraining Admixtures for Concrete (C 260), ASTM the proposed mixture and take test samples from the middle
Specification for Chemical Admixtures for Concrete (C 494/ portion of the batch. This can be accomplished on a job or
C 494M), and ASTM Specification for Chemical Admixtures at the batch plant. The latter test site will require using a
for Use in Producing Flowing Concrete (C 1017/C 1017M). portion of the batch at the plant or off-loading a segment of
These physical tests are not performed continuously to prove the load to another truck at a high-low transfer station.
performance. Physical and chemical checks are performed Both ACI 301 specifications and other specifications allow
regularly to ensure the consistency of the product. These for laboratory mixing and confirmation cylinders. There are
tests include items such as pH, solids content, and specific varying views as to the reliability of "labcrete" submittals,
gravity. but it probably depends upon the experience, understanding
Aggregates are prescribed to meet ASTM C 33 or ASTM of the problem, and care with which the laboratory operates.
Specification for Lightweight Aggregates for Structural Con- Whatever the circumstances under which test cylinders
crete (C 330), depending on whether they are normal weight are obtained, it is essential that slump, air content, and tem-
or lightweight. The list of tests prescribed for each product perature determinations be performed and results be re-
is rather lengthy, and unless a product is borderline, many ported along with compressive strength test results.
of the tests are not performed more than annually, if that
often. Many state highway departments require annual 4.3 Option B
testing.
Should the purchaser desire material tests or material cer- 4.3.1 When the purchaser assumes responsibility for the pro-
tification tests not older than a specific time period, such as portioning of the concrete mixture, he shall also specify the
one year or one month, it is best to provide such a request following:
before issuing a purchase order. The information may not be
readily available and for whatever reason may not be attain-
Option B is the only one of the three ordering options that
able prior to the placement date of the concrete. ACI 301
allows the purchaser to prescribe mixture proportions. Since
requires that all aggregate tests be not more than 90 days
the purchaser is assuming responsibility for proportioning
old at the time of submittal for approval of use.
the mixture, the manufacturer is thereby constrained in
As the era of using truck washout water, captured rainfall
making adjustments or optimizing the mixture for any in-
runoff water, and plant washoff water intensifies, certifica-
tended performance and therefore cannot be held responsi-
tions concerning batch water and submittal of batch water
ble if the intended performance requirements are not satis-
test results will become common.
fied. The purchaser should be aware of the limitations of
S2 of 4.2.2 requires the manufacturer (ready-mixed con-
local materials and common practice when choosing this op-
crete producer) to submit evidence that the proportions se-
tion. When selecting this option, the purchaser must specify
lected will produce the quality of concrete desired. When
at least three specific items, if desired, as discussed below.
Option A is selected, this usually means historical data from
one or more sets of concrete cylinders or trial mixture test
results. Information commonly provided from the fresh con- 4.3.1.1 Cement content in bags or pounds per cubic yard [kil-
crete tests will be slump, air content, temperature, and often ograms per cubic meter] of concrete
the density (unit weight). For projects utilizing the ACI 301
specification, this requirement is for at least ten consecutive The cement content is a specific quantity and not a mini-
sets of strength tests for the mixture and tests ranging over mum quantity. This difference is very great and should not
a period of at least 60 days. If such testing results are not be confused. The purchaser in Option B states an exact
available, ACI 301 has an alternate procedure for using two quantity of cement, by mass, which is to be used. The allow-
groups of compressive strength tests with different water- ance is made for the quantity to be specified in bags per
cement ratios to verify the strength versus water-cement ra- cubic yard. Traditionally, if a 5 bag (5 sack) mix were spec-
tio with the proposed materials. Another alternative within ified, it means 94 times 5 (470 lb) per cubic yard. Note 10
ACI 301 is to prepare at least three trial mixtures, each hav- of ASTM C 94/C 94M currently verifies this quantity, but this
ing a different cementitious material content. Compressive is changing. As cement specifications have converted to SI
strength cylinders from each mixture are compared and a units or combined units, the quantity of cement in a stan-
design mixture is prepared based upon the data and the ap- dard bag has been questioned and has changed in ASTM C
propriate safety factor to produce the required average com- 150. The new quantity is 42 kg (92.59 lb) per bag. ASTM C
pressive strength. The required average strength of the de- 94/C 94M will soon follow ASTM C 150 and is expected to
signed concrete mixture is greater than the specified strength change Note 10 to conform to 92.6 lb per bag. With this
to account for batching variations and cylinder strength var- change, the request for a "5 bag mix" will be specifying 92.6
iations and to maintain a satisfactory average project times 5 (463 lb/yd3).
ORDERING INFORMATION 15

Does the specified c e m e n t content m e a n p o r t l a n d c e m e n t ? not be reduced when admixtures are used under this option
Not necessarily, b e c a u s e the b l e n d e d c e m e n t s c o n t a i n poz- without the written approval o f the purchaser.
zolans o r o t h e r c e m e n t i t i o u s products. ACI d o c u m e n t s often
use the t e r m c e m e n t i t i o u s materials, w h i c h includes ce- The use of a d m i x t u r e s is o p t i o n a l with the p u r c h a s e r w h e n
ments, pozzolans, g r o u n d g r a n u l a t e d blast-furnace slag, sil- Option B is used. Admixtures include b o t h s u p p l e m e n t a r y
ica fume, a n d metakaolin. ASTM C 94/C 94M does not do c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l s (SCM), solid, a n d c h e m i c a l admix-
this. In Section 5 "Materials," c e m e n t is confined to m a t e r i a l s tures. The n a m e refers to b r o a d categories of admixtures,
m e e t i n g ASTM C 150 p o r t l a n d cements, C 595 b l e n d e d ce- such as w a t e r reducer, fly ash, silica fume, accelerator, o r
ments, a n d C 1157 h y d r a u l i c cements. The o t h e r cementi- o t h e r categories, such as color p i g m e n t s o r fibers. The n a m e
tious m a t e r i a l s are specified s e p a r a t e l y as "mineral a d m i x - does n o t m e a n a b r a n d name. In Section 13, the t e r m
tures "3 o r G G B F slag. The latter items do n o t yet c o u n t as "brand" is used w h e n a b r a n d n a m e is desired. The i m p o s i -
c e m e n t w i t h o u t the purchaser's approval. tion of a b r a n d n a m e b y a p u r c h a s e r is a r a r e c i r c u m s t a n c e
that is usually not in the purchaser's best e c o n o m i c interest.
4.3.1.2 Maximum allowable water content in gallons per cubic Type further defines the a d m i x t u r e as to a grade, class, per-
yard [liters per cubic meter] of concrete, including surface f o r m a n c e category, o r o t h e r s u b g r o u p of the n a m e d a d m i x -
moisture on the aggregates, but excluding water of absorption ture. E x a m p l e s include class of fly ash, grades of slag, chem-
(Note 4), and ical a d m i x t u r e s by classifications defined in ASTM C 494, C
1017, o r C 260, w a t e r r e d u c e r p e r f o r m a n c e categories such
Part of the purchaser's o b l i g a t i o n with Option B is to spec- as n o r m a l range, mid-range, high-range (superplasticizer),
ify a m a x i m u m w a t e r quantity. The q u a n t i t y d e s c r i b e d in- o r d e s c r i p t i o n of the base, such as a lignin w a t e r reducer. It
cludes all w a t e r that affects c e m e n t h y d r a t i o n a n d w o r k a - is r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t the p u r c h a s e r o r d e r the type of c h e m -
bility of the concrete. This includes free w a t e r on the surface ical a d m i x t u r e s b y classification reference to the p e r t i n e n t
of the aggregates b u t excludes w a t e r the aggregates will ab- a d m i x t u r e specifications, such as ASTM C 494, Type A. Dos-
sorb. The a b s o r b e d w a t e r is not available to the concrete for a g e s are typically specified in either p o u n d s o r ounces p e r
r e a c t i o n with the c e m e n t a n d is therefore n o t i n c l u d e d as a cubic y a r d o r p e r h u n d r e d w e i g h t (cwt) of c e m e n t i t i o u s ma-
p a r t of the p r e s c r i b e d m a x i m u m w a t e r content. The refer- terials. There are no restrictions on dosage unit m e t h o d s ,
ence to Note 4 is a r e m i n d e r that the w a t e r q u a n t i t y m u s t with clarity a n d r e p e a t a b i l i t y being the only criteria.
c o n s i d e r workability, placeability, durability, surface texture, S2 confirms that the specified c e m e n t c o n t e n t of Section
a n d density in a d d i t i o n to strength. (See discussion of Note 4.3.1.1 is to be h o n o r e d a n d c a n n o t be r e d u c e d t h r o u g h the
4 following 4.2.1.1). use of a n a d m i x t u r e unless the p u r c h a s e r provides a w r i t t e n
Note that C 94/C 94M does n o t p r o v i d e for specifying a a p p r o v a l for a specific reduction.
w a t e r - c e m e n t o r w a t e r - c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l s ( w / c m ) ratio.
It m a y be specified that w a y if there is a p r o p e r u n d e r s t a n d - 4.3.2 At the request of the purchaser, the manufacturer shall,
ing h o w the w / c m ratio relates to the total quantity of ce- prior to the actual delivery of the concrete, furnish a statement
m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l s allowed in the concrete. The w a t e r to the purchaser giving the sources, densities, and sieve anal-
q u a n t i t y m u s t be a m a x i m u m d u e to the p r o b a b i l i t i e s t h a t yses of the aggregates and the dry masses of cement and sat-
aggregate g r a d i n g variations will affect the w a t e r c o n t e n t urated-surface-dry masses of fine and coarse aggregate and
n e e d e d to provide a specific s l u m p value o r w o r k a b i l i t y the quantities, type and name of admixture (if any) and of water
p u r c h a s e r m a y desire. S o m e of the o t h e r variables that affect per cubic yard or cubic meter of concrete that will be used in
s l u m p are changes in aggregate s h a p e a n d texture, a i r con- the manufacture o f each class o f concrete ordered by the pur-
tent, t e m p e r a t u r e , m i n o r v a r i a t i o n s in fine to coarse aggre- chaseF.
gate ratio with each successive l o a d in a d d i t i o n to variations
in c e m e n t i t i o u s materials, a n d m i n o r differences in h a u l i n g This O p t i o n B r e q u i r e m e n t is identical to S l of Section
e q u i p m e n t o r conditions. 4.2.2 except for the a d d i t i o n of "sources, densities, a n d sieve
An e x a m p l e is that the p u r c h a s e r m a y specify a m a x i m u m analyses of the aggregates." W h e n r e q u e s t e d b y the pur-
m i x i n g w a t e r q u a n t i t y of 32 gallons p e r cubic y a r d of con- chaser, the m a n u f a c t u r e r of the concrete shall furnish mix-
crete. The s l u m p as specified in Section 4.1.2 is to be 4 in. ture p r o p o r t i o n i n f o r m a t i o n d e s c r i b e d in S l of Section 4.2.2
M o i s t u r e c o n d i t i o n s a n d w a t e r quantities are as s h o w n in as well as the a d d i t i o n a l aggregate data. The p r e s c r i b e d ag-
E x a m p l e 4.C for a n 8-yd 3 batch. gregate d a t a a p p l y to each aggregate to be used in each spe-
cific class of concrete a p p l i c a b l e to the project order. The
s o u r c e of each aggregate includes the n a m e a n d l o c a t i o n of
4.3.1.3 sx I f admixtures are required, the type, name, and dos-
a specific pit or q u a r r y and, w h e n a p p r o p r i a t e , a ledge iden-
age to be used m u s t be noted, s2 The cement content shall
tification. I n m a n y cases, aggregate p r o p e r t i e s will vary sig-
nificantly from ledge to ledge, necessitating a ledge identifi-
cation (ID) to allow a specific c o n c e r n i n g the aggregate
3 Mineral admixture, n - - a deprecated term. Both ASTM and ACI quality to be used. River p r o d u c t s should include the n a m e
are discontinuing use of the term "mineral admixture." The mate- of the river, processing p l a n t ID, a n d specific river a r e a s
rials that were formerly grouped under the name "mineral admix- w h e n aggregate p r o p e r t i e s t e n d to vary in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h
tures" are actually supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in
the presence of cement [48,72]. These materials are now becoming original retrieval locations.
identified as (SCM), although when possible it is deemed appropri- The r e l a t i v e d e n s i t y (specific gravity) a n d g r a d i n g (sieve
ate to use the name of the specific cementitious material referenced. analysis) of each aggregate shall be f u r n i s h e d by the concrete
16 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

EXAMPLE 4.C--Option B water computation.


Total Aggregate (lb) Water per Water per
Water Source Absorption Moisture Oven Dry SSD yd3(gal)* 8 yd3(gal)*
Specified Mixture 32.0 256.0
Coarse Aggregate 018' ~ 016 ~ 178; t 18()()* -0.43* -3.5
Fine Aggregate (sand) 0.3 % 3.2 % 1396 1400 4.86 w 38.9
Wash Water Remaining ... 0 . . . . . . 0 0
in Mixing Drum
Metered Water . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.0 200.0
Subtotal as Truck Departs Batch Plant 29.43 235.4
Allowable Water at Job Site if Slump is Less Than 4 in. 2.57 20.6
Mixing Water on Arrival at Job Site 29.43 235.4
With 3 in. Slump Add 10 gal from Truck Side-Tank System 1.25 10.0
Total Water in Mix is < 32 gal (OK) 30.68 245.4
* 8.33 lb of water per gal.
* 1786 lb (OD mass) x 1.008 (one plus absorption value) = 1800 lb (SSD mass).
* 1786 lb (1.006 - 1.008)/8.33 = -0.43 gal/yd3 (minus sign indicates aggregate moisture less than absorption value).
w1396 lb (1.032 - 1.003)/8.33 = +4.86 gal/yd 3.

manufacturer. ASTM C 94/C 94M does n o t set the m a x i m u m teria are often relaxed, a n d water contents are allowed to be
age of these test results, in order to show that the informa- increased. Strength levels r e m a i n above that specified, b u t a
tion s u b m i t t e d m u s t be representative of aggregates cur- p o r t i o n of the c e m e n t is wasted due to a n increase in the
rently being used. water-cement ratio. If specified strengths are compatible
with m i n i m u m c e m e n t contents, the c e m e n t is used effec-
4.4 Option C tively. Another preferable option is to raise the specified
strength levels to coincide with the m i n i m u m c e m e n t con-
4.4.1 When the purchaser requires the manufacturer to as- tent desired for durability a n d to design for that strength
sume responsibility for the selection of the proportions for the level.
concrete mixture with the m i n i m u m allowable cement con-
tent specified (Note 5), the purchaser also shall specify the 4.4.1.1 sl Required compressive strength as determined on
following: samples taken from the transportation unit at the point of
discharge is to be evaluated in accordance with Section 17.
The p u r c h a s e r m a y require the concrete m a n u f a c t u r e r to s, The purchaser shall specify the requirements for strength in
develop the m i x t u r e proportions a n d also m a y specify the terms of tests of standard specimens cured under standard lab-
m i n i m u m c e m e n t c o n t e n t for the mixture, The r e q u i r e m e n t oratory conditions for moist curing (see Section 17). s3 Un-
for a m i n i m u m c e m e n t c o n t e n t is the p r i m a r y difference be- less otherwise specified the age at test shall be 28 days.
tween Option A a n d Option C. Be alert to the m i n i m u m ce-
m e n t c o n t e n t being a m i n i m u m value a n d n o t a n absolute
(See discussion u n d e r paragraph 4.2.1.1 .)
value, For example, the p u r c h a s e r m a y specify a m i n i m u m
of 470 lb of cement, b u t 500 lb m a y be needed to achieve
the desired strength. The 470 lb is only a m i n i m u m a n d not 4.4.1.2 Minimum cement content in bags or pounds per cubic
a specified value. yard [kilograms per cubic meter] o f concrete.
It is the m a n u f a c t u r e r ' s responsibility to verify that the
most critical r e q u i r e m e n t in the specification is satisfied. (See discussion u n d e r paragraph 4.3.1.1.)

Note 5--Sl Option C can be distinctive and useful only if the 4.4.1.3 I f admixtures are required, the type, name, and dosage
designated m i n i m u m cement content is at about the same level to be used m u s t be note& The cement content shall not be
that would ordinarily be required for the strength, aggregate reduced when admixtures are used.
size, and slump specified, s2 At the same time, it must be an
amount that will be sufficient to ensure durability under ex- (See discussion u n d e r paragraph 4.3.1.3.)
pected service conditions, as well as satisfactory surface texture
and density, in the event specified strength is attained with 4.4.2 sl At the request of the purchaser, the manufacturer shall,
it. sa For additional information, refer to Standard Practice prior to the actual delivery of the concrete, furnish a statement
ACI 211.1 and Standard Practice 211.2 referred to in Note 4. to the purchaser, giving the dry masses of cement and satu-
rated-surface-dry masses of fine and coarse aggregate and
M i n i m u m c e m e n t contents are usually specified to achieve quantities, type, and name of admixture (if any) and of water
durability or to e n h a n c e finishability. Often the strength level per cubic yard or cubic meter of concrete that will be used in
provided by the m i n i m u m c e m e n t c o n t e n t at the specified the manufacture of each class of concrete ordered by the
s l u m p a n d approved water c o n t e n t is m u c h greater t h a n the purchaser, s2 He shall also furnish evidence satisfactory to the
specified strength. As soon as the first cylinders test well purchaser that the materials to be used and proportions se-
above the specified strength requirements, specification cri- lected will produce concrete of the quality specified, s3 What-
ORDERING INFORMATION 17

ever strengths are attained, the quantity of cement used shall weights on each delivery ticket. S3 requires the manufac-
not be less than the m i n i m u m specified. turer to certify that the proportions for each concrete mix-
ture for the project and on file at the batch plant are in ac-
(See discussion under paragraph 4.2.2 concerning Sl and cordance with the option selected by the purchaser and meet
$2. $3 is clearly an admonishment that the minimum the purchaser's requirements.
amount of cement in lb/yd 3 shall not be decreased from the
specified quantity.) 4.6 sl The purchaser shall ensure that the manufacturer is pro-
vided copies of all reports of tests performed on concrete
4.5 sl The proportions arrived at by Options A, B, or C for each samples taken to determine compliance with specification
class of concrete and approved for use in a project shall be requirements, s2 Reports shall be provided on a timely basis.
assigned a designation to facilitate identification of each con-
crete mixture delivered to the project, sz This is the designa- The quality assurance testing for a project is furnished
tion required in 13. l. 7, and it supplies information on concrete normally by the owner or the general contractor through the
proportions when they are not given separately on each delivery selection of a testing laboratory or inspection agency. It is
ticket as outlined in 13.2. sa A certified copy of all proportions the purchaser's responsibility to provide the manufacturer
as established in Options A, B, or C shall be on file at the batch (ready-mixed concrete producer) with copies of all test re-
plant. ports of concrete or concrete materials tested for compliance
with specification requirements. Who gets copies of the test
Ease of communication between the job and the dis- reports and when they get them should be decided prior to
patcher or batchman is greatly enhanced by an identification the delivery of the first load to the job. The manufacturer
name for each concrete mixture. An order for a "3000 psi will usually know, better than anyone, what results to expect
mix" may lead to the wrong mixture being delivered and the on material tests, compression tests, or flexure tests. The
start of a problem. An order for "mix 30 ZT" is specific and manufacturer is therefore in the best position to spot poten-
identifies the quantity of each ingredient in the mixture to tial trouble trends before anyone else and to offer suggested
both the purchaser and the manufacturer. This is the same alterations to materials or mixture proportions to avoid or
item addressed in Section 13.1.7 describing batch ticket in- correct problems. ASTM C 94/C94M Section 4.6 does not
formation. The ID of the mixture batched should appear on address material samples directly, only concrete samples, but
the delivery ticket to enable both parties of the transaction it is a good policy to furnish both to the manufacturer. S2
to know what went into the concrete used in the project. demands reports on a "timely basis". ACI 301 requires re-
Although it is not a part of this specification, it is a good ports of tests within seven days after tests or inspections are
practice for the purchaser's representatives to maintain a performed. It is always desired by all concerned to know of
record of where the concrete is placed within the project, a problem or potential problem quicker than seven days, and
also including the mixture ID. S2 also points out that the a telephone call or e-mail concerning results may save others
purchaser is permitted by Section 13.2 to request batch a lot of time and cost.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Materials

5.1 In the absence of designated applicable specifications cov- specifications. In 1940, the "Standard Specification for Port-
ering requirements for quality of materials, the following spec- land Cement" was issued under the new designation, ASTM
ifications shall govern: C 150. This specification, like all ASTM Standards, is now
constantly reviewed and updated to keep pace with new
This sentence is an invitation to every specifier and pur- technology and evolving needs.
chaser to be explicit about the quality of raw materials de- Portland cement does not sound scientific, and, in fact, its
sired or requirements for the use of specific materials or a origination is not, but it now occupies a special spot in ce-
particular brand of product. Without any such special or spe- ment terminology. The name portland cement originated in
cific requirements or a complete list of material require- 1924 with John Aspdin, an English bricklayer, when he used
ments, the ready-mixed concrete manufacturer is obligated it as a trade name for his new cement produced in England.
to meet the requirements of Section 5. Note that it is not the He patented his new product, composed of limestone pow-
manufacturer's obligation to determine the proper materials der and argillaceous soil (clay), which included calcining
based upon a set of project criteria. It remains the respon- (heated to a high temperature, but without fusion) [29]. Mr.
sibility of the purchaser or the designated agent to determine Aspdin named his product, "Portland Cement," because its
specific material criteria and to identify these specific criteria color was so similar to an oolitic limestone quarried as a
to the manufacturer (producer) in advance of pricing and building stone on the Isle of Portland, England. The Portland
ordering. Defaults are provided for some materials not cov- limestone (whitbed ledge) was a durable stone with excellent
ered by specific information from the purchaser. weathering qualities that placed it in high demand for gov-
The purchaser or specifier should be careful in planning ernment buildings [44]. The name portland cement stuck,
for or ordering a material not in regular use by the producer even when the manufacturing process was modified by I. C.
or in the geographic area. Examples include specifying spe- Johnson of Swanscombe, England in 1845. Mr. Johnson de-
cial cements not in regular use because this normally re- termined that heating to a much higher temperature resulted
quires special dedication of a silo and very possibly extra in semivitrification [11,48]. The material was then pulver-
transportation charges to bring the cement from a mill much ized, and cement very similar to this material was produced
farther away than the one whose products are in regular use. in millions of tons per year for over the next 150 years.
Exposed aggregate from a special source may entail signifi- Definitions as they appear in ASTM Terminology Relating
cant additional freight charges. The use of a particular chem- to Hydraulic Cement (C 219) are:
ical admixture brand may be prohibitive if that chemical
admixture manufacturing company is not active in the Portland cement, n--a hydraulic cement produced by pulver-
geographic market of the project. The use of a specific class izing portland-cement clinker, and usually containing cal-
cium sulfate.
of fly ash or grade of slag may be prohibitive in a region
Portland-cement clinker, n--a clinker, partially fused by pyro-
where it is not generally available due to transportation costs processing, consisting predominately of crystalline hydraulic
and the need for a dedicated silo. The use of any special calcium silicates.
cementitious material may be subject to the availability of a
silo that can be dedicated to that product. One of the features of portland cement is that it is a hydrau-
Concrete is normally produced using materials available lic cement, meaning it requires the presence of water to
in the geographic area of the manufacturer, and requests achieve a chemical reaction resulting in set (solidification),
for major variations from these materials typically re- and that it is capable of doing so when under water. ASTM
sult in greater cost and, for a small project, may result in C 219 provides the remaining principles for the definition in
the purchaser not being successful in finding a willing terms of the clinker and the powdered product resulting
manufacturer. from the pulverized clinker. The clinker, usually less than 2
in. in diameter, is formed at a temperature in the range of
5.1.1 Cement--s1 Cement shall conform to Specification C 2550-2900~ which causes the various raw materials to have
150, Specification C 595, or Specification C 1157 (see Note chemical reactions and form predominately calcium sili-
6). s2 The purchaser shall specify the type or types required, cates. The tricalcium silicate (C3S) and the dicalcium silicate
but if no type is specified, the requirements of Type I as pre- (C2S) compounds will total more than 70 % of the product
scribed in Specification C 150 shall apply. we call portland cement, and, to be an effective cementitious
material and to predominate, it must contain more than
Cements acceptable under ASTM C 94/C 94M are quite 50 % of these compounds. The third part of the ASTM def-
varied, and although only three specifications are listed, each inition states that the portland cement usually contains
specification includes five or more specific types of cement. calcium sulfate (used to delay the time of set, typically in the
ASTM C 9 [80,89] was the "granddaddy" of these cement form of gypsum).

18
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
MA TER IA L S 19

The basic portland cement product being described con- up approximately 5 % of the final product. Some can be
tains four major constituents. The two largest components quite important, such as the alkali oxides (sodium oxide
are identified as C3S and C2S. These chemical notations are (Na20)) and potassium oxide (K20), which usually total less
industry abbreviations for lengthy chemical formulas. As the than 1.3 % [87]. The difference between 1.3 % and 0.60 %
major constituent C3S increases, the rate of hydration, re- could seem insignificant, but with the alkali oxides it is not.
sulting heat of hydration, and early age strength (28-day) all The 0.60 % alkali oxides, expressed as sodium oxide equiv-
increase. The C2S phase is responsible for the long-term alent (Na20 e) in cement, is an arbitrarily assigned limiting
(+28-day) strength development and, as expected, produces value between high and low-alkali cements based on histor-
lower heat of hydration. A third major component in the ical performance of cement. The appendix of ASTM C 150
cement is tricalcium aluminate (C3A). The C3A is responsible suggests the use of the term "Equivalent Alkalies (%)" to pro-
for starting the initial hydration process and contributes to vide the desired equivalent total alkali values on a Mill Test
the early age heat and strength at one to three days [3]. Even Report. Other abbreviations are often used in reports such
though C3A aids the early strength, its content is often min- as Na20, eq., but in all cases the desired value is equal to
imized due to unfavorable reactions with sulfates contained (Na20 + 0.658 K20). A high-alkali cement combined with an
in soil, water, or possibly in sewage or industrial waste treat- alkali-reactive aggregate in concrete may create long-term
ment plants. A typical quantity of C3A is approximately durability problems. Aggregate containing certain forms of
l 0 %; while in a sulfate resistant cement, the C3A is held to silica will react with alkalies to form products that cause
a maximum of 8 % or less. The lower C3A content also will expansive forces. These forces may be severe enough to
lower the heat of hydration. The last of the four major con- cause cracking in the concrete. ASTM C 33 states that these
stituents, by percentage, is tetracalcium aluminoferrite reactive aggregates are not prohibited when used with ce-
(C4AF). This compound has little effect beyond its coloring ment containing less than 0.60 % alkalies calculated as so-
influence on the finished cement product. The presence of dium oxide equivalent (Na20 + 0.685 K20). There have been
this compound gives portland cement its gray color. The iron cases of alkali reactive expansions occurring, even when the
oxide in the raw feed also serves as a flux during manufac- cement contained less than 0.60 % equivalent alkalies [72].
ture and reduces the kiln temperatures during the manufac- Specifications of some European countries take into account
ture of cement, thereby saving energy. the total alkalies in the concrete mixture rather than placing
The raw materials used in the manufacture of cement are limits on the cement alkali percentage. These specifications
in the two basic categories of calcarious and argillaceous generally limit total alkali content to 3 kg/m 3 [5 lb/yd 3]
materials. The compounds previously described are formed [31,53,72]. Oberholster, van Aardt, and Brandt [76] do not
primarily by combining lime (CaO), silica (SiO2), alumina suggest a specific alkali limit but do point out that the total
(M203), and iron oxide (Fe203). Lime is a catcarious material, alkali content of the concrete is determined by the total ce-
and the others can all be found in argillaceous materials. The ment content. Their research demonstrated that the same
compounds described are formed primarily by combining total equivalent alkali content of two cements did not nec-
limestone (CaO); clay or shale as a common source of silica essarily produce the same quantities of water-soluble and ac-
(SiOz); clay, shale, or fly ash as a source of alumina (A1203); tive-alkali contents. Further discussions of the raw materials
and iron ore, clay, or mill scale as the iron oxide (Fe203) or processes of cement manufacture are beyond the scope of
source. this discussion of ASTM C 94/C 94M. There are numerous
Limestone as a primary source of calcium oxide (CaO) for good publications on the subject available through the var-
the manufacture of cement is probably not a surprise to any- ious societies involved with the manufacture or regulation
one. The use of clay or shale in the process may be unex- of cement properties.
pected by many. Every clay-like deposit is not suitable for The selection of a cement depends on several factors, some
commercial cement due to mineral impurities, the presence of which are discussed in ACI 225R-99 Guide to the Selec-
of other soil types, or perhaps excess excavation and trans- tion and Use of Hydraulic Cements. The type of project may
portation costs. All clay minerals, however, do contain silica dictate a desired type of cement due to specific characteris-
and alumina, two of the minerals needed to manufacture tics. The availability of that desired cement may become the
cement. Kaolinite, which is the most prevalent clay mineral, deciding factor. Availability cannot be over-emphasized as a
is often used, but other forms of clay, such as illite, are usu- selection factor. The third factor is the manufacturer's ability
ally desired [47] because of a higher silica to alumina ratio to dedicate a silo to a special cement. Each of these factors
[51]. A potentially detrimental property of the illite is the should be considered in selecting and specifying a cement.
presence of potassium when a low alkali cement is needed. ASTM Specification for Portland Cement (C 150) is a
It is not unusual for clay to contain iron oxide. The quantity combination prescriptive and performance specification.
of iron oxide often is approximately one-half that of alumina ASTM C 150 contains prescriptive requirements on the
[241. chemical composition for each of the eight types of cement
During the clinker grinding process, calcium sulfate (gyp- included. ASTM C 150 also includes some performance re-
sum) is added to control the early reactions of C3A and quirements such as cube strengths and time of set. Each of
thereby d d a y set times of the finished cement. There are these cements is classified as a portland cement as indicated
other raw materials that are used in the manufacture of ce- by the specification title.
ment, but the same basic chemical compounds must be
formed. A comprehensive list of potential raw materials is 9 Type I--General purpose cement is the cornerstone prod-
contained in [48]. uct for most cement mills. It is the cement commonly used
The raw materials will contain other constituents in ad- for interior slabs-on-ground, interior structural slabs for
dition to the primary oxides. These minor components make low to moderate height multi-story buildings, pavements,
20 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D CONCRETE

sidewalks, curbs, box culverts, water reservoirs, bridges, 9 Type I I I - - H i g h e a r l y s t r e n g t h c e m e n t is very similar to
b u i l d i n g foundations, a n d precast concrete products. It Type I c e m e n t in chemical composition. Some c e m e n t
can be used in any application where its n o r m a l heat of mills use modest increases of C3S to help achieve higher
hydration is n o t a p r o b l e m a n d where the concrete is sub- early strengths. The p r i m a r y difference, however, is phys-
ject to negligible sulfate quantities in the soil or water. If ical in that Type III is g r o u n d to a m u c h smaller d i a m e t e r
n o other type of c e m e n t is specified, Type I is the default (finer), thus a greater surface area is available for hydra-
r e q u i r e m e n t in ASTM C 94/C 94M. tion reaction w h e n water is introduced. Type III is used
9 Type I I - - M o d e r a t e s u l f a t e r e s i s t a n c e has a n 8 % maxi- w h e n high strengths are needed at early ages, such as with
m u m limit on the tricalcium a l u m i n a t e (C3A) c o n t e n t a n d slip-formed structures, precast concrete, cast-in-place con-
a m e a n value of 6 % according to ACl 225 [3]. Type II crete with a n early form removal need, or a n y project with
c e m e n t m a y be used in concrete for structures adjacent to m o d e r a t e d i m e n s i o n s n e e d i n g quick strengths to allow
soils or water that test in the moderate sulfate exposure early use.
range based o n B u r e a u of R e c l a m a t i o n evaluation [18,86] A separate use of high early strength concrete is to sub-
a n d ACI 318-02 Building Code R e q u i r e m e n t s for Struc- stitute it for Type I or Type II c e m e n t d u r i n g cold weather,
tural Concrete reproduced in Table 5.A. Type II 4 m a y be taking advantage of its early a n d increased heat of hydra-
used as the c e m e n t w h e n concrete is adjacent to seawater. tion, thus reducing the length of cold weather protection
Type II also m a y be used to reduce the heat of h y d r a t i o n periods. High early strength also m e a n s a quicker time of
if one of the optional r e q u i r e m e n t s in ASTM C 150 is spec- set a n d shorter finishing time. The faster reactions also re-
ified: Table 2, Optional Composition Requirements; or the sult i n a c e m e n t that produces a higher heat of h y d r a t i o n
heat of h y d r a t i o n limit in Table 4, Optional Physical Re- t h a n Type I a n d Type II cements.
quirements. If one of the optional r e q u i r e m e n t s is n o t 9 Type I V - - L o w h e a t o f h y d r a t i o n c e m e n t was developed
specified, there is n o g u a r a n t e e that the concrete will have for use in massive structures where t h e r m a l cracking is a
a lower heat of hydration. The lower heat of hydration as- potential p r o b l e m due to excessive heat w h e n other ASTM
pect is desired for large f o u n d a t i o n s or piers, a b u t m e n t s C 150 p o r t l a n d cements are used. This p r o d u c t is not cur-
or heavy retaining walls, or other mass concrete situations rently available in the United States. The d e m a n d b e c a m e
that make it desirable to reduce a t e m p e r a t u r e gradient very low, a n d other more economical alternatives b e c a m e
between the surface and the interior mass where heat available and acceptable to achieve the same effects. For
builds up. Type II may be used for general construction, example, a Type II cement with the moderate heat option
although its strength gain is permitted to be s o m e w h a t a n d with a p o r t i o n of the p o r t l a n d c e m e n t replaced by slag
slower t h a n Type I. or pozzolans will reduce the heat of hydration at early ages
9 Type I / l I - - G e n e r a l C o n s t r u c t i o n c e m e n t is n o t a sepa- of the concrete. Either m e t h o d of reducing the heat of
rate type of p r o d u c t as defined by ASTM C 150. It is a h y d r a t i o n also will severely reduce early a n d u l t i m a t e
c e m e n t that meets both Type I a n d Type II r e q u i r e m e n t s strengths a n d will slow the rate of gain in strength. The
(See Note 1 of ASTM C 150). This designation for p o r t l a n d extent of strength rate retardation m a y need to be deter-
c e m e n t is c o m m o n in m a n y geographic areas. It m a y be m i n e d in the laboratory prior to c o m m e n c e m e n t of a
used in general c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d i n situations requiring project.
moderate sulfate resistance. The optional chemical re- 9 Type V w H i g h s u l f a t e r e s i s t a n t p o r t l a n d cement's pri-
q u i r e m e n t for m o d e r a t e heat of hydration is not necessar- m a r y use is for concrete exposed to severe sulfate condi-
ily present in a Type I / I I cement. tions. These conditions m a y be from soil, g r o u n d water, or
certain industrial waste waters. The improved resistance
of this c e m e n t to sulfate attack is due to a 5 % limit on
4 A Type I cement alone is not recommended in these circum-
stances. Either a Type II cement or a Type I cement combined with tricalcium a l u m i n a t e (C3A) in the Type V cement. Type V
a pozzolan that has been determined to improve sulfate resistance p o r t l a n d c e m e n t is not always readily available. There are
or a blended cement identified for this use should be utilized. other options to improve the sulfate resistance of concrete

TABLE 5.A--ACI 318-02 building code requirements for structural concrete, *


MaximumWater- Minimumf',
CernentitiousMaterials Normal Weight
Water Soluble Ratio, by Weight, and Lightweight
Sulfate Sulfate (SO4)in Soil, Sulfate (SO4)in Water, Normal Weight Aggregate
Exposure Percent by Weight ppm Cement Type Aggregate Concrete~ Concrete, psit
Negligible 0.00 -< SO4 -< 0.10 0.00 -< SO4 -< 150 . . . . . . . . .
II, IP(MS), IS(MS),
Moderate ~ 0.10 -< SO4 -< 0.20 150 -< SO, -< 1500 P(MS),
I(PM)(MS), 0.50 4000
I(SM)(MS)
Severe 0.20 < SO4 _< 2.00 i500 -< SO4 -< I0,000 V 0.45 4500
Very Severe SO4 > 0.10 SO4 > 10,000 V plus pozzolanw 0.45 4500
* Taken from Table 4.3.1--Requirements for Concrete Exposed to Sulfate-containing Solutions in ACI 318-02,
* When both Table 4.3.1 and Table 4,2,2 are considered, the lowest applicable maximum w/cm and highest applicable f" shall be used.
* Seawater.
Pozzolan that has been determined by test or service record to improve sulfate resistance when used in concrete containing Type V cement.
MATERIALS 21

by using slag or pozzolans. It is therefore prudent to de- ASTM Specification for B l e n d e d Hydraulic C e m e n t s
termine its availability prior to including it in a specifica- (C 595) is a combination prescriptive and performance spec-
tion or an order for ready-mixed concrete. Most of the ce- ification. Each of the ASTM C 595 cements has specific com-
ment mills which produce Type V cement are in California positional requirements, which account for the prescriptive
or other western states. The northeastern United States has portion of the specification, and each has specified physical
a moderate number of mills producing Type V. A good requirements for items such as cube strength, autoclave ex-
source of information concerning availability of a specific pansion, time of set, mortar expansion, and more. There are
cement is the "U.S. and Canadian Portland Cement Indus- six basic hydraulic cements included in this specification,
try Plant Information Summary" [82] published by the plus an air-entrained (A) version of each, providing a total
Portland Cement Association. This document contains a of 12 possible cement designations.
list of products produced by each mill. An inspection copy Most of these hydraulic cements use portland cement as
is usually available at the nearest cement mill. one of the major components, but due to the differences in
9 Optional portland c e m e n t properties can be specified by the finished composition, properties, and method of manu-
invoking Table 2 Optional Compositional Requirements or facture, they do not satisfy the definition of a portland ce-
Table 3 Optional Physical Requirements. An optional re- ment. All are produced by blending a portland or other
quirement available for each of the five types is a maxi- cement and slag or pozzolan, hence the name "Blended Ce-
m u m equivalent alkali content of 0.60 %. This restriction ment."
is one means of combating alkali-aggregate reactivity if the None of the blended cements may be available in some
aggregates have been identified as potentially reactive geographic areas, and none of them should always be ex-
when combined with a moderate or high-alkali level ce- pected to be available in a specific area [82]. It is prudent to
ment. At 0.60 % or less, the cement is identified as a low- check on availability before specifying any of the blended
alkali cement. As always, determine availability prior to cements. Availability will depend upon demand and trans-
specifying a low-alkali cement. If the cement types regu- portation costs for the material being blended with portland
larly available in a geographic area do not include low- cement. While the use of blended cement is more common
alkali cements or sulfate resistant cements, care should be in Europe, the general practice in the United States is that
exercised in specifying such cements without the option of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) are batched at
alternate cementitious materials that may offer the same the ready-mixed concrete plant. This system allows concrete
safeguards. Special cements or special cementitious ma- for different purposes to have differing quantities of supple-
terials may involve greater costs, longer haul distances, mentary cementitious materials. The average quantity of
and a dedicated silo or silos. blended cement used in the U.S. is less than 2 % of the total
There are Table 2 options for Type IlI portland cement cement consumption according to a U.S. Geological Sur-
that include resistance to high sulfate exposure or mod-
vey website: http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/
erate sulfate exposure. A Table 2 option for Type II port-
commodity/cement/.
land cement that limits the sum of C3S and C3A, intended
A very positive outlook on using blended cements is that
to reduce the heat of hydration, was mentioned previously.
the material being blended commonly has been processed
An optional Table 4, "Optional Physical Requirements"
from a product that otherwise would be wasted. Therefore,
is also available for the user to further modify the require-
as a group, blended cements are environmentally friendly.
ments for a cement. This addresses requirements to eval-
uate the false setting tendencies of a cement, heat of hy- 9 Type I S - - P o r t l a n d blast-furnace slag c e m e n t is a blend
dration, additional strength limits at 28 days, and sulfate of portland cement and finely ground granulated blast-
resistance evaluation by testing. The user is advised to furnace (GGBF) slag. The slag portion of the blended ma-
study all options closely, as Table 2 options and Table 4 terial is specified to be between 25-70 % of the total mass
options may not always be possible simultaneously. (weight) of the finished portland blast-furnace slag cement.
9 Air-Entrained Portland Cement--Types I, II, and III may The IS designation means a Type I portland cement plus
be prepared by inter-grinding an air-entraining material. slag (S). This is a cement suitable for the same general
These cements are formulated to provide air-entrainment construction uses as Type I portland cement. The time of
for concrete exposed to freezing and thawing conditions. set for Type IS will be somewhat longer than for Type I,
Most air-entrained concrete is achieved by means of a particularly in cooler weather, and the early age strengths
chemical admixture, meeting ASTM Specification for Air- will be somewhat lower. As the percentage of GGBF slag
Entraining Admixtures for Concrete (C 260), placed in a is reduced, the time of set also will be reduced. Research
batch of concrete during the mixing process using a non- indicates the addition of GGBF slag to cement will prob-
air-entrained cement. The air-entrained Types IA, IIA, and ably increase drying shrinkage of the mortar. The shrink-
IIIA make it impossible to accidentally omit air entrain- age increase at 50 % GGBF slag replacement for portland
ment, but fluctuating air contents with slump and temper- cement ranged from 125 % to near 150 % in one test series
ature changes cannot be controlled. Because of the limited [30].
demand, Types IA, IIA, and IIIA are not always available. There are several very positive effects of combining
When available in rural areas with small batching opera- GGBF slag with portland cement. Workability is improved,
tions, a Type IA may be the only option for the purchaser. partially because the slag particles do not react with mix-
A one-silo operation may only stock air-entrained cement ing water initially as much as portland cement. Also, when
and no chemical admixtures. Nothing improves consis- substituting GGBF slag for portland cement on a pound
tency more than limiting optional materials, and at some per pound basis, there is a greater paste volume due to the
plants, each driver may batch his own load. lower particle density (specific gravity) of the slag. Port-
22 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

l a n d c e m e n t has a relative density of 3.15, a n d G G B F slag's applies regardless of where or h o w the p o z z o l a n is b l e n d e d


density ranges f r o m 2.85-2.94. s This r e l a t i o n s h i p can eas- with the p o r t l a n d cement. A slower t i m e of set s h o u l d be
ily increase the c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l v o l u m e by 5 % o r expected with a Type IP t h a n with a Type I p o r t l a n d ce-
more. ment. The Table 1 c h e m i c a l r e q u i r e m e n t s of ASTM C 595
The p e r m e a b i l i t y of concrete c o n t a i n i n g GGBF slag is apply, as do the Table 2 physical requirements. Pozzolan
improved. This p r o d u c e s a concrete that t r a n s m i t s less wa- includes m o r e t h a n fly ashes. N a t u r a l p o z z o l a n s in c u r r e n t
ter a n d fewer chlorides. Resistance to sulfate attacks is in- usage are processed, calcined, a n d g r o u n d clays of various
creased by the s u b s t i t u t i o n of G G B F slag for a p o r t i o n of c o m p o s i t i o n s . These include calcined clays, calcined
the p o r t l a n d cement. The o p t i m u m r e p l a c e m e n t ratio de- shales, a n d m e t a k a o l i n (a high p u r i t y calcined k a o l i n clay).
p e n d s u p o n the c h e m i s t r y of b o t h the c e m e n t a n d G G B F Calcining is the h e a t i n g of the selected m a t e r i a l s to a pre-
slag, b u t typical r e p l a c e m e n t s are in the 50 % range. Alkali- s c r i b e d t e m p e r a t u r e below 2000~ to c h a n g e the material's
silica reactivity also is r e d u c e d by the use of GGBF slag as s t r u c t u r e without causing fusion. The calcined m a t e r i a l s
a c o m p o n e n t of the total c e m e n t i t i o u s material. Blends are then g r o u n d to the desired fineness. Other n a t u r a l poz-
n e a r the 50 % range usually are effective for r e d u c t i o n of zolans that m a y be used in the m a n u f a c t u r e of p o r t l a n d -
the p o t e n t i a l for b o t h a l k a l i - c a r b o n a t e r e a c t i o n s a n d alkali- p o z z o l a n c e m e n t s include d i a t o m a c e o u s earth, o p a l i n e
silica reactions. ACI 318-02 Building Code R e q u i r e m e n t s chert, tufts, volcanic ashes, a n d volcanic p u m i c i t e s [4]. Al-
for S t r u c t u r a l Concrete p r o h i b i t s m o r e t h a n 50 % G G B F ternatively, p o z z o l a n s c o n f o r m i n g to ASTM C 618 can be
slag in concrete, which will be exposed to deicing chemi- used as a s e p a r a t e l y h a t c h e d m a t e r i a l w h e n concrete is
cals. As an alternate to the use of an ASTM C 595, Type IS produced.
cement, the p r o d u c e r is likely to be able to use a p o r t l a n d 9 T y p e P--Portland-pozzolan cement is a b l e n d e d c e m e n t
c e m e n t a n d a GGBF slag c o n f o r m i n g to ASTM C 989 as a c o n t a i n i n g b e t w e e n 15-40 % p o z z o l a n b y m a s s (weight) of
s e p a r a t e l y b a t c h e d material. the total c e m e n t i t i o u s product. Type P, unlike Type IP,
9 Type I (SM)--Slag-modified portland cement has the has no r e q u i r e m e n t s for a m i n i m u m t h r e e - d a y c o m p r e s -
s a m e c h e m i c a l a n d physical r e q u i r e m e n t s as a Type IS. sive strength a n d has a very low seven-day strength re-
The difference is the greatly r e d u c e d G G B F slag quantity, quirement. It is classified as a general c o n s t r u c t i o n ce-
w h i c h m u s t be less t h a n 25 % for the Type I (SM). This is ment, b u t it c a n n o t be used in situations r e q u i r i n g even
a c e m e n t suitable for general c o n s t r u c t i o n use. It has bet- n o r m a l early strengths. The c h e m i c a l r e q u i r e m e n t s m a t c h
ter time of set characteristics t h a n a Type IS, m a k i n g it those of Type IP, b u t not the physical requirements. Type
m o r e suitable for cool weather. The lower GGBF slag con- P is available with a low heat of h y d r a t i o n by a d d i n g an
tent of the Type I (SM) reduces s o m e of the m a j o r attri- (LH) suffix. It is then c o m p a r a b l e to a Type IV p o r t l a n d
butes of the Type IS. These include greatly r e d u c e d imper- c e m e n t for use in m a s s concrete.
meability, resistance to sulfate attack, a n d resistance to 9 Type I ( P M ) - - P o z z o l a n - m o d i f i e d portland cement con-
alkali-silica r e a c t i o n o r a l k a l i - c a r b o n a t e reaction. Note the tains a m a x i m u m of 15 % p o z z o l a n by m a s s (weight) of
difference in the designations: S for slag a n d SM for slag- the total c e m e n t i t i o u s product. The c e m e n t m a y be either
modified. p o r t l a n d c e m e n t or p o r t l a n d blast-furnace slag cement.
9 Type S--Slag cement c o n t a i n s not less t h a n 70 % G G B F The m a x i m u m p o z z o l a n content is u n c h a n g e d , regardless
slag plus a p o r t l a n d c e m e n t o r h y d r a t e d l i m e or both. Type of w h i c h c e m e n t is used. This is a general c o n s t r u c t i o n
S is a h y d r a u l i c c e m e n t w h i c h will gain strength very c e m e n t with the s a m e physical r e q u i r e m e n t s as a Type I
slowly a n d will have a low h e a t of hydration. The p r i m a r y (SM), Type IS, o r a Type IP. Because of a lower p o z z o l a n
use of this c e m e n t is to p r o d u c e concrete for large d a m s r e q u i r e m e n t , it will p r o b a b l y have a faster set t i m e t h a n a
a n d bridge piers. This is a c e m e n t that can replace ASTM Type IP. It will n o t have s o m e of the a d v a n t a g e s of poz-
C 150 Type IV p o r t l a n d cement. zolans, due to the lower p e r c e n t a g e allowed. Type I (PM)
Type S also can be b l e n d e d with various ASTM C 150 meets ACI 318 r e q u i r e m e n t s for concrete exposed to de-
p o r t l a n d c e m e n t s at the b a t c h p l a n t to r e d u c e the overall icing chemicals.
G G B F slag c o n t e n t to a d e s i r e d level for use in o t h e r proj-
ects requiring faster strength gains. This usage is depen- Suffix to base type designations are possible for each of
d e n t u p o n an available silo for each cement. the six blended h y d r a u l i c cements. The suffix (A) is used for
9 Type IP--Portland-pozzolan cement is a b l e n d e d c e m e n t each slag o r p o z z o l a n c e m e n t if direct air e n t r a i n m e n t is
c o n t a i n i n g b e t w e e n 15-40 % p o z z o l a n by m a s s (weight) of desired in the cement. A m o d e r a t e sulfate resistance, a m o d -
the total c e m e n t i t i o u s product. Type IP is a c e m e n t that is erate heat of hydration, or b o t h m a y be o r d e r e d by a d d i n g
suitable for general construction. Note that fly ash o r o t h e r the suffix (MS), o r (MH) to a n y of the b l e n d e d c e m e n t s ex-
p o z z o l a n s are p r o h i b i t e d by ACI 318 f r o m c o m p r i s i n g cept a Type S. Other modifications are available u p o n re-
m o r e t h a n 25 % of the c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l if the con- quest at specific mills.
crete is to be exposed to deicing chemicals. This r e s t r i c t i o n General c o m m e n t s r e g a r d i n g ASTM C 595 b l e n d e d ce-
ments are for the p u r p o s e of alerting users to b a t c h p l a n t
possibilities a n d capabilities. ASTM C 595 places a + 5 %
5 The units for density of cement or other cementitious materials variability on the p o z z o l a n q u a n t i t y in a n y of the p o r t l a n d -
are reported in Mg/m 3 o r g / c m 3. Specific gravity = cement density/ p o z z o l a n blends. Variations of this extent a r e not expected
water density @ 4~ which equals 1 g/cm 3. For purposes of calcu-
lating volumes for proportioning concrete, the density and specific due to possible c u s t o m e r complaints, b u t they a r e p e r m i t t e d .
gravity numbers are used interchangeably. (ASTM Test Method for F o r c e m e n t s b l e n d e d with G G B F slag an allowable v a r i a t i o n
Density of Hydraulic Cement (C I88)). is not stated in ASTM C 595. Section 8 of ASTM C 94/C 94M,
MATERIALS 23

on the other hand, requires additions of pozzolan or GGBF 9 Type H E - - H i g h early strength hydraulic cement pro-
slag to produce a batch within _+ 1 % of the total desired duces the highest one- and three-day strengths of the
quantity of both cement and cement with added cementi- ASTM C 1157 cements. Its ASTM C 150 equivalent is Type
tious materials. The idea that blended cement from the mill III.
is more uniform than a batch plant produced mixture would 9 Type L H - - L o w heat of hydration hydraulic cement is a
therefore appear to be a myth. An advantage of the batch replacement for ASTM C 150, Type IV. Its primary use is
plant combination is the ability to alter the percentage of for very massive structures to reduce the potential for ther-
mixture components to meet the specific needs of the project mal cracking due to excessive heat of hydration. Early age
or season. Some of the advantages of a mill-produced prod- strengths are very low.
uct are that the chemistry of the blend is optimized for im- 9 Type MS--Moderate sulfate resistance cement is com-
proved performance with accompanying test data for the parable to ASTM C 150, Type II portland cement. The ce-
blended product, it permits faster batching, and it eliminates ment properties will provide resistance to moderate sulfate
the need of one silo. exposure when the concrete has a low water-cementitious
When a specifier desires a blended cement or has no ob- materials ratio.
jection to a blended cement, it will often be prudent for the 9 Type HS--High sulfate resistance is provided by this ce-
specifications to spell out any desired limits for supplemen- ment with usages comparable to an ASTM C 150, Type V
tary cementitious materials and to allow either appropriate portland cement. Early age strengths are low.
ASTM C 595 cements or batch plant mixing of the cemen- 9 Option R--Low reactivity with alkali-reactive aggre-
titious materials. gates may be specified with any of the six basic types in-
cluded in the ASTM C 1157 specification.
ASTM Specification for Hydraulic Cement (C 1157) is a 9 Strength options are provided by the ASTM C 1157 spec-
performance-based specification. The Scope of ASTM C 1157 ification to alter the standard requirements. Cements with
reads "There are no restrictions on the composition of the these optional strengths may not be available at every mill.
cement or its constituents." The general requirements of the
ASTM C 1157 hydraulic cements seem less restrictive than With alI of these cement options available, it is not nec-
the ASTM C 150 requirements. There is no minimum fine- essary for the purchaser or the architect/engineer to specify
ness requirement, the allowable time of set range is broader any of them. If they do not specify an~hing $2 clarifies, then
than for ASTM C 150 portland cements, and the required an ASTM C 150, Type I shall be used. This includes the use
compressive strengths of cubes are normally somewhat of a Type 1/II as previously discussed. The primary point of
lower than for ASTM C 150 portland cements. These hy- $2 is that unless an ASTM C 595 blended cement or an
draulic cement requirements tend to be more focused on the ASTM C 1157 hydraulic cement is specifically requested,
long-range durability aspects and less on short-term time of specified, or permitted, they shall not be used. Types of
set and early age strength characteristics than the ASTM C ASTM C 150 other than Type I or I/II are also prohibited
150, Types I and II portland cements. The ASTM C 1157 unless specifically named. What is clear is thatthe selection
hydraulic cements, however, can include the ASTM C 150 of the type of cement used is the responsibility of the spe-
portland cements and ASTM C 595 blended hydraulic ce- cifier or purchaser, not the manufacturer.
ments. For example, ASTM C 150, Type I meets require-
ments for ASTM C 1157, Type GU. Note 6--These different cements will produce concretes of dif-
The minimum and maximum performance requirements ferent properties and should not be used interchangeably.
are the only restrictions on materials used in the ASTM C
1157 cements. Analyses of chemical composition for both Previous discussions on various cements clarify the pur-
the individual constituents, which are either inter-ground or pose of Note 6. In addition to producing different strengths,
blended, and the finished product are required. This provides each type of cement will also have varying times of set and
the user an opportunity to monitor consistency of the fin- durability properties.
ished product through mill test reports. Trial batches are
suggested to verify required compressive strengths being 5.1.2. Aggregates--s, Normal weight aggregate shall conform
produced by the blended cement. to Specification C 33. s2 Lightweight aggregates shall conform
The ASTM C 1157 hydraulic cement types and their uses to Specification C 330, and heavyweight aggregates shall con-
can be summarized by relating to ASTM C 150 type usages form to Specification C 637.
[48]. If restrictions are placed on the quantities of supple-
mentary cementitious materials in concrete, the supplier of
Aggregates comprise approximately 70 % of the concrete
the cement can be asked to provide information on the gen-
volume and can be the constituents with the greatest varia-
eral composition of a blended cement that conforms to
bility. It is essential that control be exercised over the qual-
ASTM C 1157, even though this is not part of the materials
ity of the aggregate, both fine and coarse. There are nu-
certification and reporting requirements in the specification.
merous quality tests with minimum requirements in each
9 Type G U - - G e n e r a l Use cement is for general construction specification.
as an ASTM C 150, Type I would be used. ASTM C 33 addresses fine aggregate properties of grading,
9 Type MH--Moderate Heat of hydration cement reduces organic impurities, soundness testing, and deleterious sub-
the usual hydration rate and the resulting heat. Type MH stances. ASTM C 33 provides the option of additional re-
compares to an ASTM C 150, Type II with moderate heat quirements in its Section 4 on ordering and specifying in-
requirement. formation. The specifier is afforded the opportunity to
24 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

invoke a restriction on reactivity (alkali-aggregate reaction). Method for Soundness of Aggregates by Use of Sodium Sul-
Other choices consider which salt, sodium sulfate or mag- fate of Magnesium Sulfate (C 88). This test method for judg-
nesium sulfate, is to be used in the sulfate soundness test; ing the quality of aggregates to be subjected to weathering
what is the appropriate maximum limit for minus 75-txm action has proved to be beneficial, but it has a poor preci-
(No. 200) material, if other than 3.0 %; and what is the ap- sion. The test may not be considered suitable for outright
propriate maximum limit for coal and lignite, if other than rejection of aggregates failing to meet specification values. A
1.0 %. review of service records or other testing, such as freezing
Coarse aggregate, which is the ingredient that occupies the and thawing tests using ASTM Test Method for Resistance
largest volume in concrete, has a lengthy list of requirements of Concrete to Rapid Freezing and Thawing (C 666), are en-
in ASTM C 33 and also presents some decisions to be made couraged. ASTM publication STP 169C contains a discussion
by the specifier. Coarse aggregate properties for which there of test methods available [33].
are specific limits are clay lumps and friable particles, chert, ASTM C 33 places specific requirements on aggregates
minus 75-1xm (No. 200) sieve material, coal and lignite, without prescribing a testing frequency. The purpose of this
abrasion characteristics, and soundness test. Section 4 of approach is to send the message that any aggregate properly
ASTM C 33 assigns the responsibility to the specifier for sev- sampled by ASTM Practice for Sampling Aggregates (D 75)
eral items including selecting a grading Size Number or must meet the specified requirements. A suggested or ac-
nominal maximum size or a grading band from multiple size cepted frequency of tests varies. ACI 301-99 Specifications
aggregates. Any desired grading may be specified, instead of for Structural Concrete requires all aggregate tests to be less
selecting a standard size. The requirement for specialized than 90 days old when submitted for project approval. Qual-
grading often will become an economic issue because it will ity control frequencies during the project are not mentioned
force suppliers to change screens and make special produc- in ACI 301. Many state highway departments require annual
tion runs. checks. Each agency or A/E firm will have varying specifi-
The next critical item is the selection of a class designation cation requirements on this issue.
relating to geographic weather conditions and the use of de- S2 identifies the specifications to be used for special type
icing chemicals. For example, the quantity of allowable chert aggregates. Lightweight aggregates for structural concrete
(less than 2.40 sp gr SSD) changes due to these conditions. are specified by ASTM C 330. This specification includes the
In severe weathering regions like Chicago or St. Louis, a re- requirements for both fine and coarse lightweight aggre-
taining wall should have a 3S designation that limits the gates. The key word is "structural." Insulating concretes,
coarse aggregate to 5.0 % chert. Further south in Dallas, such as that made with vermiculite, are not covered by
Texas, a 3M designation is appropriate for the retaining wall ASTM C 330. The lightweight aggregates for structural con-
in this moderate weathering region. The chert limit for the crete are usually manufactured through the use of high tem-
retaining wall in Dallas is 8.0 %. In a negligible weathering peratures to expand clay, shale, or slate. Slag, a byproduct
region, such as Houston or New Orleans, the class designa- from iron manufacturing, also is processed to produce struc-
tion becomes 2N, and there are no chert limitations. These tural lightweight aggregates. Natural materials such as pum-
class designations should not be overlooked. Coarse aggre- ice, scoria, or tuff may be processed to produce lightweight
gate, like fine aggregate, may be a prime cause of alkali- aggregates. All lightweight aggregate will not sustain applied
aggregate reaction. Because of this possibility, ASTM C 33 loads and therefore do not qualify for use in structural con-
offers the option of restrictions to mitigate these destructive crete. ASTM C 330 contains requirements for minimum
chemical reactions. The available options actually permit re- compressive strengths and splitting tensile strengths in three
strictions on either the coarse aggregate or the cement. air-dry density categories. Lightweight aggregate producers
A recent update of Appendix X1 of ASTM C 33 contains should have this test data on file for submission to potential
several pages of non-mandatory information concerning the users. A critical criterion for lightweight aggregate is a max-
available test methods for evaluating the potential for dele- imum dry, loose, bulk density (unit weight) of 55 lb/ft 3 for
terious expansion of concrete due to alkali reactivity of an coarse aggregate and 70 lb/ft 3 for fine aggregate. ASTM C
aggregate. Within the appendix is a list of several references 330 provides several grading requirements, which are tied to
that may help produce a better understanding of the alkali- the nominal maximum size aggregate. As with normal
silica and alkali-carbonate reaction process. The bulk of the weight aggregates, there are no specified testing frequencies.
appendix is devoted to a brief discussion of each test method This is left to the discretion of the specifier. Due to limited
currently available to assist in the evaluation of potential demand for structural lightweight aggregates, there are a
reactivity of an aggregate and test methods to assist in judg- minimal number of suppliers. The specifier is advised to
ing the effectiveness of a potential mitigation material. check for product and size availability prior to specifying
An effective use of the material presented in the ASTM C these aggregates.
33 Appendix X1 is selecting the appropriate test method or The third type of basic aggregate included for the manu-
methods to be included with a specification for the aggregate facture of concrete is heavyweight aggregate. This special
reactivity evaluation, including a service record evaluation. aggregate is specified by ASTM Specification for Aggregates
It is appropriate to name the specific test method that will for Radiation-Shielding Concrete (C 637). There are referrals
be used within the project specification. These can be serious within this specification to ASTM C 33 for such items as
considerations that need to extend into economics to select deleterious substances and the grading limits for conven-
the best mitigation strategy. tionally placed concrete. ASTM C 637 is primarily concerned
The last option of ASTM C 33 allows the specifier to select with radiation-shielding and heavyweight concrete. The spe-
either sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate for ASTM Test cial properties are high specific gravities or special compo-
MATERIALS 25

sition, such as a high fixed-water content. F o r high-density TABLE 2--Acceptance criteria for questionable water supplies.
materials, the relative d e n s i t y (specific gravity) will range be- Limits Test Method
t w e e n 4.0-7.5. H y d r o u s aggregates identified in ASTM C 637 Compressive strength, rain % 90 C 109/C t09M ~
have fixed w a t e r contents r a n g i n g from 8-13 %. Synthetic control at 7 days
a g g r e g a t e s such as iron, steel, a n d b o r o n c o m p o u n d s are also Time of set, deviation from from 1:00 early C 191A
control, h: min to 1:30 later
i n c l u d e d w i t h i n this specification. The specification is u s e d
p r i m a r i l y for coarse aggregate, b u t it e n c o m p a s s e s b o t h fine A Comparisons shall be based on fixed proportions and the same vol-
ume of test water compared to control mix using city water or dis-
a n d coarse aggregates. tilled waten
W i t h either lightweight, heavyweight, o r n o r m a l weight
aggregates there is often c o n f u s i o n over w h a t is m e a n t by
the t e r m s m a x i m u m aggregate size a n d n o m i n a l m a x i m u m
aggregate size. ASTM Terminology Relating to Concrete a n d The Table 2 r e q u i r e m e n t s for q u e s t i o n a b l e w a t e r supplies
Concrete Aggregates (C 125) s e p a r a t e s these t e r m s as having include two tests. Compressive strength of cubes is tested at
two different meanings: seven days using the test p r o c e d u r e of ASTM Test M e t h o d
for Compressive S t r e n g t h of H y d r a u l i c C e m e n t M o r t a r s (Us-
maximum size, n--in specifications for, or description of ag- ing 2-in. or 50-ram Cube S p e c i m e n s ) (C 109/C 109M). This
gregate, the smallest sieve opening through which the entire is a test for h y d r a u l i c c e m e n t m o r t a r s using very specific
amount of aggregate is required to pass.
quantities of cement, sand, a n d water. The c o m p r e s s i v e
nominal maximum size, n--in specifications for, or descrip-
tion of aggregate, the smallest sieve opening through which strength control s a m p l e s using a city w a t e r supply o r dis-
the entire amount of the aggregate is permitted to pass. tilled w a t e r a n d the strength s a m p l e s using the questionable
w a t e r supply are to be c o m p a r e d . Table 2 states that from a
An e x a m p l e of these two definitions can be d e m o n s t r a t e d strength standpoint, the q u e s t i o n a b l e w a t e r m a y be u s e d if
by a No. 57 size (1 in. to No. 4). it attains an average c o m p r e s s i v e strength of 90 % o r m o r e
of the average strength of the control m i x t u r e cubes.
1 1/2 in. s i e v e - - 1 0 0 % passing (All of the m a x i m u m size m a - The use of m o r t a r cubes r a t h e r t h a n concrete cylinders for
terial is r e q u i r e d to p a s s / b e s m a l l e r t h a n the 1 I/2 in. sieve) s t r e n g t h c o m p a r i s o n s is s o m e t i m e s questioned. The m o r t a r
cubes have several a d v a n t a g e s b e g i n n i n g with m o r t a r versus
1 in. s i e v e - - 9 5 - 1 0 0 % p a s s i n g (All of 1 in. n o m i n a l maxi- concrete. With mortar, the w a t e r content of a s a m p l e is ap-
m u m size is p e r m i t t e d b u t is n o t r e q u i r e d to pass 1 in. sieve. p r o x i m a t e l y double t h a t for concrete. This places m o r e em-
Up to 5 % m a y be r e t a i n e d on the 1-in. sieve.) p h a s i s on the w a t e r quality, w h i c h is the subject of the test.
The use of m o r t a r also eliminates the coarse aggregate,
Therefore for a size No. 57 coarse aggregate, 1 i/2 in. is the w h i c h is typically the m a t e r i a l with the greatest variability.
m a x i m u m size, a n d 1 in. is the n o m i n a l m a x i m u m size. W i t h o u t the coarse aggregate, the test result differences are
m o r e a p t to reflect the variation in w a t e r properties, w h i c h
5.1.3 Water is the p u r p o s e of the test.
5.1.3.1 sl The mixing water shall be clear and apparently The second criterion is t i m e of set v a r i a t i o n b e t w e e n a
clean, s2 I f it contains quantities o f substances w h i c h dis- control p a s t e using c e m e n t a n d either city w a t e r o r distilled
color it or make it smell or taste u n u s u a l or objectionable or w a t e r a n d the test paste using a n equal q u a n t i t y of the ques-
cause suspicion, it shall not be used unless service records o f t i o n a b l e water. The questionable w a t e r m a y have a Vicat nee-
concrete made with it or other information indicates that it is dle t i m e of set v a r i a t i o n of up to one h o u r earlier t h a n the
not injurious to the quality o f the concrete, s3 Water o f ques- control s a m p l e a n d as long as 11/2 h later a n d be acceptable.
tionable quality shall be subject to the acceptance criteria o f Presumably, this m e a n s an evaluation of initial t i m e of set-
Table 2. ting as this is typically the r e p o r t e d value for the t i m e of
setting d e t e r m i n e d by ASTM Test M e t h o d for Time of Setting
The initial s t a t e m e n t a d d r e s s e s w a t e r t h a t by a p p e a r a n c e of H y d r a u l i c C e m e n t by Vicar Needle (C 191) in the c e m e n t
is c o n s i d e r e d d r i n k a b l e (potable). $2 a d d r e s s e s well w a t e r o r specifications ASTM C 150, ASTM C 595, a n d ASTM C 1157.
surface supplies t h a t are q u e s t i o n e d b e c a u s e of a discolora- Use the initial time of set as the criterion for Table 2.
tion, smell, o r taste that is not readily identifiable or attrib- A future revision to this specification is expected to p e r m i t
u t a b l e to a s u b s t a n c e not h a r m f u l to concrete. A well w a t e r tests using concrete s a m p l e s r a t h e r t h a n c e m e n t p a s t e a n d
c o n t a i n i n g sulfur certainly smells a n d tastes bad, but it m a y m o r t a r cubes.
be a c c e p t a b l e as mixing water. If the discoloration, smell, o r
taste is not so identifiable, o r if its effect as mixing w a t e r in 5.1.3.2 sl Wash water from mixer w a s h o u t operations is per-
concrete is questioned, the first investigation m a y include mitted to be used for mixing concrete provided tests o f wash
d o c u m e n t a t i o n t h a t it has been u s e d successfully in concrete water comply with the physical test limits o f Table 2. s2 Wash
previously, a n d the c o n d i t i o n of the concrete in w h i c h it was water shall be tested at a weekly interval for approximately 4
used has not b e e n affected adversely. If several uses are weeks, and thereafter at a monthly interval provided no single
known, concrete with the m o r e severe e n v i r o n m e n t a l dura- test exceeds the applicable limit (Note 7). ss Optional chem-
bility-challenged exposures s h o u l d be i n s p e c t e d a n d judged. ical limits in Table 3 shall be specified by the purchaser w h e n
If the service r e c o r d is nonexistent or is i n a d e q u a t e to m a k e appropriate for the construction, s4 The testing frequency for
a j u d g m e n t , the p r o p o s e d w a t e r source m u s t be tested in chemical limits shall be as given above or as specified by the
a c c o r d a n c e with Table 2, as stated in $3. purchaser
26 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

N o t e 7 - - - W h e n recycled w a s h w a t e r is used, a t t e n t i o n s h o u l d TABLE 3--Optional chemical limits for wash water.


be g i v e n to effects o n the dosage rate a n d b a t c h i n g s e q u e n c e o f Limits Test MethodA
air-entraining and other chemical admixtures, and a uniform Chemical requirements, m a x i m u m
a m o u n t s h o u l d be u s e d in c o n s e c u t i v e batches. concentration in mixing water, p p m B
Chloride as Cl, ppm: D 512
Prestressed concrete or in bridge decks 500 c
Other reinforced concrete in moist 1000 c
Wash water disposal has become a major issue in some environments or containing
geographic areas due to restrictions on release of process a l u m i n u m embedments or
waters from the batch plant site. Wash water is the water dissimilar metals or with stay-in-
used to wash the inside of the mixing drum either between place galvanized metal forms
Sulfate as S O . p p m 3000 D 516
loads, at the end of the work day, or both. Water used to
Alkalies as (Na20 + 0.658 g2o), p p m 600
wash the exterior of the truck and drum also falls into this Total solids, p p m 50 000 AASHTO T26
category, as does the water used to wash off the batching
A Other test methods that have been demonstrated to yield comparable
area pavements. results are permitted to be used.
S l is explicit that wash water may be recycled as concrete B Wash water reused as mixing water in concrete is allowed to exceed
mixing water, but it must be tested and must meet the re- the listed concentrations i f it can be shown that the concentration
quirements of Table 2, which consists of two physical tests, calculated in the total mixing water, including mixing water on the
aggregates and other sources does not exceed the stated limits.
compressive strength and time of set. According to S2, the c For conditions allowing use o f CaCl 2 accelerator as an admixture,
wash water (washout water) should be tested weekly for a the chloride limitation is permitted to be waived by the purchaser.
month and monthly thereafter, assuming all tests exceed the
m i n i m u m limits of Table 2. One failed test takes the process
back to testing weekly for four consecutive weeks. The higher chloride limit of 1000 ppm is implied to only
N o t e 7 is a precaution that by replacing all or a portion be necessary for the following: other reinforced concrete that
of the mixing water with recycled wash water, the dosage is going to be in a moist environment, concrete containing
rate requirements for chemical admixtures may change. This aluminum embedments, concrete with dissimilar metals, or
is particularly true for air-entraining admixtures, but the ad- concrete placed on stay-in-place galvanized metal forms
vice applies to all chemical admixtures. It may be found that (concrete on a metal deck). These are the locations and sit-
a change in the batching sequence will affect the dosage rate uations in which the presence of chlorides may accelerate
and the consistency of achieving desired effects. Gaynor [38] the corrosion of reinforcing steel. Projects that do not con-
cautions that it may be necessary to add air-entraining ad- tain these situations are not candidates to have the optional
mixtures with the sand or with an increment of clean mixing limits of Table 3 specified because of chloride concerns.
water. Others believe that not permitting the use of wash These criteria reflect the limits on chloride ions in concrete
water in air-entrained concrete without first having concrete for similar types of structures addressed in Chapter 4 of ACI
laboratory checks is the prudent approach [42,73]. The prop- 318-02 Building Code for Structural Concrete.
erties and effect of wash water may not be as consistent as Footnote C to Table 3 makes it acceptable for the pur-
a potable water supply, so it is suggested to not alter dosage chaser to waive the chloride requirements and to retain the
rates after one batch. Try the same dosage rate in consecu- other provisions of the table.
tive batches, measuring desired effects for consistency. What Sulfates as SO 4 have an upper limit of 3000 p p m in Table
may be found is that changes in admixture dosages are not 3. The concern here is potential expansion of concrete due
necessary, even though recycled water is being used as batch to cement aluminate compounds reacting with sulfates.
water. Higher concentrations have shown satisfactory 28-day
$3 moves into an area that optionally increases the limits strengths followed by reduced strengths at an age of one
for recycled wash water. If the requirements of Table 3 are year. The ultimate long-term deterioration question due to
to apply, the burden is on the specifier to require Table 3 the presence of excessive sulfates in the concrete mixing wa-
chemical limits. These optional limits apply only to the total ter must be considered. The 3000 ppm is arbitrarily low but
mixing water, which is generally a blend of tap or well water, has proven successful. The prescribed test method to mea-
aggregate moisture, and recycled wash water as indicated in sure the sulfate content in water is ASTM Test Method for
Footnote B of Table 3. The testing frequency for Table 3 lim- Sulfate Ion in Water (D 516).
its is the same as for Table 2 requirements according to $4. Alkalies reported as (Na20 + 0.658 }(20 ) have a Table 3
Table 3 contains limits on chlorides, sulfates, alkalies, and limit of 600 ppm. Alkalies are of concern due to their pos-
total solids. Two different limits are established for chloride, sible reaction with potentially reactive aggregates and a sub-
with the most restrictive (500 parts per million (ppm)) being sequent alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and deterioration of the
for pre-stressed concrete or bridge decks. These two areas of concrete.
use are especially vulnerable to the corrosion of reinforcing Total solids are limited in Table 3 to 50 000 ppm. The pre-
steel. Such corrosion could cause a sudden failure with pre- scribed test method is AASHTO T 26, "Method of Test for
stressed concrete, and bridge decks could deteriorate. The Quality of Water to be Used in Concrete." Footnote Apermits
bridge decks also are susceptible to additional chlorides due other test methods to be used for each of the Table 3 tests if
to applications of deicing chemicals. The prospect of wash- the substitute test has been shown to provide comparable
ing out concrete mixtures that contained chloride based ad- results. In certain types of washout facilities, the potential
mixtures, such as calcium chloride into washout pits should exists for the solids content to change very frequently, and
not be ignored. Table 3 takes this possibility into account. this needs constant monitoring, especially if this optional
MA TER IA L S 27

limit is invoked. Solids content is generally measured by a At some ready-mixed concrete operations, various me-
measurement of the density of the wash water, which is then chanical reclaim units are used to separate coarse and fine
correlated to the solids content by measurement or by cal- aggregates and a slurry composed of water and cementitious
culation. Plants with an agitation system for wash water to material. Depending upon the equipment, the slurry may be
maintain solids in suspension monitor the solids content at routed through settling chambers (ponds) as previously dis-
a minimum of once per day or have automated density mea- cussed or maintained as a slurry used as a portion of the
suring devices. concrete mixing water. This equipment allows reuse of vir-
Footnote B to Table 3 is a very significant statement. Foot- tually all of the returned concrete plus the drum washout
note B points out that the Table 3 limits apply to the total water.
mixing water and not just wash water. Thus, if a plant has Possible areas of concern include oil and grease in storm
wash water that is found to contain 4000 ppm of sulfates as runoff water and a resulting effect on bonding properties of
SO4, and the city water supply has sulfates (SO4) of 100 ppm, the concrete. There has been little research regarding oil or
the 3000 ppm limit can be reached by limiting wash water grease in runoff water from shop areas, which drains into
to 74 % or less of the total mixing water. the wash water retaining basins. It has been suggested that
The most common facility at ready-mixed concrete batch limits of 2 % by mass (weight) will prevent excessive losses
plants to collect washout water is a series of three or four of strength. The German Commission for Reinforced Con-
small settling ponds or chambers. These are usually inter- crete [42] suggests only minimal traces are permitted. Min-
connected in a fashion that causes the wash water to take imal traces are not defined. The research basis for this state-
its longest possible route from truck discharge point to the ment is not provided.
outlet chamber for reuse or discharge after a 12-24 h min- Early research has indicated that fresh slurry water (high
imum settling period. The route of movement is to induce solids content) may provide better strengths than aged slurry
the maximum possible settling time and to produce the water. Recent research at the National Ready Mixed Con-
clearest possible clarified wash water for that facility. Clari- crete Association [49] indicated a possible decrease in
fied wash water is that washout water allowed to remain in strength and accelerated time of set for concrete containing
a settling basin a sufficient time period for aggregate parti- wash water slurries with high volumes (> 50 000 ppm) of
cles and many cement particles to settle into the basin pro- solids aged as little as 1-3 days. One of the options available
ducing a water outlet color of clear greenish to somewhat to producers is the use of hydration stabilizing admixtures
cloudy. This clarified wash water may have dissolved solids (very potent retarders) whereby the hydration of cement is
in the 6000-8000 ppm range [69]. Earlier work indicated suspended. The NRMCA study demonstrated that it was pos-
dissolved solids in clarified wash water of 2500-5000 ppm sible to achieve similar setting times and strengths to con-
[55], but the water was not recycled as much in that earlier crete made with tap water when using mixing water at a
time period. Meininger indicated that without recycling the higher solids concentration and a hydration stabilizing ad-
dissolved solids range dropped to 500-2500 ppm. After sev- mixture. Research at The University of Toronto [90] also
eral hours of settling, the suspended solids content will drop found an acceleration of setting time with high solids con-
well below the dissolved solids content with reported sus- tent in the recycled water. Greater water demands also were
pended solids contents of only 30-500 ppm [36] after mini- measured in this work. Using ASTM Test Method for Scaling
mum settling. A total suspended solids content plus dis- Resistance of Concrete Surfaces Exposed to Deicing Salts (C
solved solids of less than 20 000 parts per million (ppm), or 672/C 672M), increased scaling was observed on concrete
< 2 % by mass is the usual result for wash water so clarified. slabs containing the high solids content recycled water. Field
Test results using clarified wash water have always been ex- slabs using the high content solids recycled water have not
cellent to the point that regular testing of this water is no been observed to have the increased scaling.
longer considered necessary. This is considerably cleaner wa- At many rural and small-town concrete batch plants and
ter than permitted by the 50 000 ppm of Table 3. At 50 000 at portable facilities such as for highway, airport, or large
ppm of total solids, the water is more like a slurry and is industrial projects, the runoff water draining into the wash-
distinguishable from clarified water. In a typical concrete water chamber may contain considerable quantities of clay
mixture, this amounts to approximately 15 lb of solids per or silt which have been shown to affect the concrete, either
cubic yard that are composed of partially hydrated cement, in producing lower strengths (greater water requirements for
aggregate fines, and fines washed into the pits by storm wa- same slump) or greater shrinkage. High quantities of silt or
ter. Current research is investigating the possibility of raising clay also can be obtained at any plant from product sand
the limit of 50 000 ppm even higher and expanding the types when the drum is washed out. ASTM C 33 permits as much
of water permitted from washout water to any water col- as 3-5 % minus 75-~m material in specification sand. The
lected at a concrete batch facility. The use of non-potable portion of this high-fines sand that sticks to the blades is
water as mixing water is to be applauded when it can be transferred to the drum wash water in the washout process.
accomplished without putting the project or the public at Assuming a washout quantity of 600 lb of mortar with 250
risk. The disposal of wash water, storm runoff water, process gal of water, the silt and clay fraction could amount to 5000-
water, and waste solids has become a major problem that 10 000 ppm. Excessive silts and clays, and particularly some
must be accommodated. Evolving technology with comput- clays, can greatly increase the water demand of the concrete.
erized systems and admixtures is allowing the ready-mixed Literature currently reflects a limit of 2000 ppm for silt and
concrete producer to produce uniform quality concrete from clay. Each of these potential deterrents to good concrete
batch to batch whereby potential effects of using wash water strength may be checked by the cube and time of set tests
are not discernable to the purchaser. of Table 2. It is prudent for a ready-mixed concrete producer
28 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

to be a w a r e of the characteristics of each m a t e r i a l going into 94M, it is difficult to p r e d i c t exactly w h a t form the final
the p r o d u c t a n d to observe its use for p o t e n t i a l p r o b l e m s . changes will take.
As r e s e a r c h progresses, m a j o r changes in allowable solids
for m i x i n g w a t e r are expected, a n d significant changes to
5.1.4 Mineral Admixtures--Coal fly ash and raw or calcined
Section 5.1.3 Water also are expected in the very n e a r future.
natural pozzolan shall conform to Specification C 618 as ap-
S o u n d r e s e a r c h will allow "green" concrete to b e c o m e even
plicable.
m o r e e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y friendly with n e w limits t h a t keep
concrete s o u n d a n d that s i m u l t a n e o u s l y d i s p o s e of un-
w a n t e d waste w a t e r a n d solids. M i n e r a l a d m i x t u r e is a t e r m that has lost favor in m o s t
The t e r m p a r t s p e r m i l l i o n (ppm) has been i n t r o d u c e d circles of concrete experts. At the m o m e n t it r e m a i n s a p a r t
here a n d needs to be related to o t h e r units of m e a s u r e . The- of ASTM C 94/C 94M a n d is an easy t e r m to u n d e r s t a n d a n d
oretically, p p m can be a m e a s u r e of either m a s s (weight) o r use. Mineral a d m i x t u r e s (see F o o t n o t e 3 of Section 4.3.1.1)
volume. The u s u a l m e a n i n g is b y m a s s (weight). W i t h the are very small particles of i n o r g a n i c m a t e r i a l s t h a t are a d d e d
solids in w a s h w a t e r o r slurry having a relative density (spe- to concrete in significant quantities d u r i n g the initial batch-
cific gravity) in the range of 2.40-3.0, the r e l a t i o n s h i p s in ing process a n d are o r d i n a r i l y a substitute for a p o r t i o n of
Table 5.B are customary. the cement. A non-scientific, b u t t h o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g view for
deleting the t e r m "mineral a d m i x t u r e " is p r o v i d e d by Neville
TABLE 5.B--Wash water and slurry relationships, [71 ], w h o takes the stance that the t e r m a d m i x t u r e "conjures
Solids Content by Mass (Weight) in Slurry (Wash Water) up, a m i n o r c o m p o n e n t , s o m e t h i n g a d d e d to the "main mix,"
Solids Content yet s o m e of the s u p p l e m e n t a r y m a t e r i a l s (mineral a d m i x -
Density tures) are p r e s e n t in large quantities." The e m e r g i n g t e r m to
ppm % of Slurry* Solids~
be used to describe a special g r o u p of m a t e r i a l s that includes
l0 000 1% 1.01 3
20 000 2% 1.01 6 those n o w identified as "mineral a d m i x t u r e s " is "supple-
50 000 5% 1.03 15 m e n t a r y c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l s (SCM)." As used in ASTM
100 000 10% 1.06 30 C 94/C 94M, "mineral a d m i x t u r e s " is confined to m a t e r i a l s
150 000 15% 1.10 45 that m e e t the r e q u i r e m e n t s of ASTM Specification for Coal
300 000 30% 1.23 90 Fly Ash a n d R a w or Calcined N a t u r a l P o z z o l a n for Use as a
*Assumes relative density of solids is 2.6. Mineral A d m i x t u r e in Concrete (C 618). The n a m e of ASTM
t Assumes slurry is used as the total mixing water at 36 gal/yd3. C 618 will soon be altered to r e m o v e the t e r m "mineral ad-
mixture." Section 5.1.4 can t h e n be c h a n g e d to r e m o v e the
The C 09.40 s u b c o m m i t t e e has struggled for several years p h r a s e "mineral admixture."
to i m p r o v e the w a t e r quality r e q u i r e m e n t s for w a t e r used as ASTM C 618 divides the p o z z o l a n i c m i n e r a l a d m i x t u r e s
a c o m p o n e n t in concrete while e n c o u r a g i n g the use of re- (SCM) into three categories: (1) Class "C" fly ash, (2) Class
cycled w a s h water. "Do not lower the quality of the concrete," "F" fly ash, a n d (3) Class "N" r a w or calcined n a t u r a l poz-
is the u n d e r l y i n g t h e m e in the overall endeavor. Research zolans t h a t c o m p l y with specific requirements.
has s h o w n that concrete can be m a n u f a c t u r e d using m i x e r C l a s s "C" fly a s h is a p r o d u c t of coal-fired p o w e r gener-
w a s h o u t w a t e r a n d storm r u n o f f w a t e r in either a settled ating plants. The ash is extracted from the exhaust gases cre-
state o r in a slurry state a n d s u s t a i n g o o d quality c o n c r e t e a t e d by b u r n i n g s u b - b i t u m i n o u s coal o r lignite. The p r e d o m -
[15,55]. inate sources of s u b - b i t u m i n o u s coal a n d k n o w n reserves are
The c u r r e n t p l a n is to r e m o v e the actual r e q u i r e m e n t s for Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, a n d Montana. Class "C"
w a t e r f r o m Section 5 a n d write a s e p a r a t e ASTM " S t a n d a r d fly ash has c e m e n t i n g p r o p e r t i e s of its own due to a high
Specification for Mixing W a t e r Used in the P r o d u c t i o n of lime content. Pozzolan is p a r t i a l l y defined as a material,
Ready-Mixed Concrete" w i t h a reference to the S t a n d a r d w h i c h in itself possesses little o r no c e m e n t i t i o u s value, b u t
p l a c e d in Section 5. This a p p r o a c h parallels the one cur- will, in finely divided form a n d in the presence of moisture,
rently used for aggregates via a reference to ASTM C 33. It c h e m i c a l l y react with c a l c i u m h y d r o x i d e (lime) at n o r m a l
is expected t h a t there will be a s e p a r a t e ASTM S t a n d a r d pro- t e m p e r a t u r e s to form c o m p o u n d s possessing c e m e n t i t i o u s
viding a test m e t h o d for the d e t e r m i n a t i o n of the q u a n t i t y properties. The key i t e m is that Class "C" fly ash contains
of solids in the w a s h w a t e r o r slurry. The actual p r o p e r t y sufficient lime t h a t it does not m e e t the little o r no cemen-
limits for the w a s h w a t e r a n d slurries are not expected to titious value r e q u i r e m e n t . It meets all the o t h e r criteria for
vary significantly from the c u r r e n t requirements. The re- a pozzolan, so it is s o m e t i m e s identified as "pozzolanic" o r
q u i r e d testing will p r o b a b l y have different test m e t h o d s a n d "cementitious."
different frequencies from the c u r r e n t specification. It is ex- Fly ash as a substitute for a p o r t i o n of the cement, c o m -
p e c t e d that concrete cylinders will replace m o r t a r cubes for m o n l y 15-35 % b y m a s s of the c e m e n t i t i o u s materials, w h e n
c o m p r e s s i o n testing. There m a y be s o m e s t a n d a r d mixtures used, p r o d u c e s m a n y positive a t t r i b u t e s for the concrete.
p r e s c r i b e d using the wash w a t e r o r slurry with control Workability is i m p r o v e d d u e to the spherical s h a p e of the
mixtures being m a d e using p o t a b l e o r distilled water. An em- particles. Fly ash provides h i g h e r long-term strength gains,
p h a s i s is expected to r e m a i n on testing the water, so s o m e l o w e r permeability, often lower w a t e r r e q u i r e m e n t s for the
w a t e r - c e m e n t ratios o r s l u m p r e q u i r e m e n t s with g r e a t e r val- s a m e slump, lower heat of h y d r a t i o n , a n d often a m i n i m a l
ues t h a n generally used for d u r a b l e specification concrete decrease of drying shrinkage. A cost savings can usually be
m a y be p r e s c r i b e d for test mixtures. Changes are f o r t h c o m - a c c o m p l i s h e d by substituting fly ash for cement, m o s t often
ing, b u t with a consensus d o c u m e n t such as ASTM C 94/C on a p o u n d for p o u n d basis.
MATERIALS 29

Class "C" fly ash normally is not a good mineral admixture in time of set with the Class "F" fly ash. Another problem
if mitigating alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) is the objective. with Class "F" fly ash is an increase and variability of carbon
The only alkalies in the fly ash that affect ASR are soluble content as measured by loss on ignition (LOI). The carbon
alkali sulfates, which may be excessive in the high-calcium present affects the dosage requirements for air-entraining
fly ashes. Table 3 Supplementary Optional Physical Require- admixtures to produce the desired air content in the con-
ments in ASTM C 618 limits expansion in a prescribed lab- crete. The fly ash may absorb the air-entraining admixture
oratory test. Fly ash is not a manufactured product however, during mixing and delivery, thus reducing air contents as
and you get what the coal and its burning produce. Speci- much as 60 % (2 or 3 % of air content) during the delivery
fying Table 3 may eliminate some otherwise very good fly process [41 ]. Stickiness with higher fly ash substitution rates
ashes. If the limitation on expansion is not necessary for the is also a problem with Class F fly ashes. The usual substi-
situation, it may not be cost effective to specify this option. tution rates for Class "F" will be in the 15-25 % range.
Class "C" fly ash is not a good choice for inclusion in con- Class "N" pozzolans include both raw and calcined nat-
crete to be subjected to detrimental sulfate conditions. Be- ural pozzolans. The definition for a pozzolan was provided
cause of its high calcium oxide content and potential for- earlier but an explanation of where this name originated was
mation of C3A, the Class "C" fly ash will not improve the not provided. A volcanic tuff from the Naples, Italy area was
sulfate resistance of the concrete [72]. combined with lime and water many centuries ago to pro-
A property of Class "C" fly ash that is an attribute in hot duce a cement-like product that would harden even under
weather can become a curse in cold weather. This fly ash watel. The best volcanic tuff (ash) came from the famous
results in a retarded time of set in concrete. In the summer Vesuvius volcano near a village named Pozzuoli. The name
it can be beneficial to offset faster setting characteristics, and given to the material was pozzolana [57]. Other natural poz-
in the winter it can keep a finisher up all night. Time of set zolans in addition to volcanic ash include pumicite, diato-
will be proportional to the quantity used in the mixture. maceous earth, opaline cherts, and opaline shales [4]. Nat-
Stickiness is another physical property that can be a problem ural pozzolans are available throughout the United States,
at higher substitution rates. but most of those testing satisfactory for use are located west
Class "F" fly ash is initially different only in its origin. of the Mississippi River [83]. Depending upon the particular
This fly ash is produced by the burning of bituminous or material, it may or may not be necessary to calcine these
anthracite coal. The major sources of this coal are Pennsyl- pozzolans. These materials can be used in the same manner
vania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois. Almost all as fly ash and produce many of the same properties as a
of these types of coal are found east of a North-South line Class "F" fly ash.
located midway across North Dakota and extending due Calcined clays and shales are the most frequently used nat-
south through the mid-point of Texas. There are some scat- ural pozzolans in blended cements. They are most frequently
tered spots of bituminous coal across the western states and added at the mill rather than at the batch plant, where they
along the Pacific coast. As a general rule, Class "F" fly ash is are seldom available. These products are often effective in
found east of the Mississippi River, and Class "C" fly ash is combating alkali-silica reactivity. Permeability of the con-
primarily west of it [61]. crete is lowered, reducing water penetration. Resistance to
Class "F" fly ash must be composed of a minimum of sulfates is increased irrespective of their source (water or
70 % silicon dioxide (SiO2) plus aluminum oxide (A1203) plus soil) by the use of pozzolans. Pozzolans will decrease the
iron oxide (Fe203). It contains far less lime than Class "C" fly heat of hydration and increase the time of set. The air-
ash, giving it little or no cementitious value by itself. Class entraining admixture dosage to obtain a specific air content
"F" fly ash is therefore a pozzolan in the true sense of the usually will need to be increased. The 25 % limit on pozzolan
definition. by ACI 318 for concrete exposed to deicing chemicals should
Class "F" fly ash has many of the same attributes as Class be observed.
"C" fly ash. The spherical particles improve the workability, Metakaolin is a calcined kaolinite clay which has no spe-
and it attains higher ultimate strengths, lower permeability, cial properties beyond those of other pozzolans. High-
often lower water requirements for the same slump, lower Reactivity Metakaolin is a calcined kaolinite clay that has
heat of hydration, and typically a minimal decrease of drying been purified, has been bleached to appear white, has par-
shrinkage. Cost savings can often be accomplished by sub- ticles smaller in size than the average cement, and, because
stituting fly ash for cement in a range of 15-35 %. of its purification and processing, has attained properties
A major improvement to the concrete available from Class that make it comparable to silica fume. Kaolinite is a very
"F" fly ash as compared to Class "C" fly ash is that Class "F" prevalent and very stable clay mineral. As compared to other
is usually effective in reducing alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) clay minerals, kaolinite has little tendency to change volume
because of higher silicon dioxide contents and lower lime when exposed to water. High-reactivity metakaolin is a Class
contents [32]. When calculating the total effective alkali con- "N" pozzolan but produces changes in the concrete at much
tent of a concrete mixture, the total sodium oxide equivalent smaller addition rates than a typical pozzolan.
for the fly ash segment is limited to approximately 15-17 % As compared to concrete without any mineral supple-
of the fly ash's Na20 equivalent [81]. Class "F" fly ash in the ments, concrete with 5 - I 0 % high-reactivity metakaolin is
concrete mixture will also normally increase the resistance expected to have higher early strengths and ultimate
to sulfate attack. strengths. Drying shrinkage, chloride ion permeability, and
Time of set can be a problem in cold weather when using risk of ASR damage are reduced with high-reactivity recta-
Class "F" fly ash [79]. The time of set is typically slower than kaolin. This can be a high-cost mineral admixture due to the
with Class "C" fly ash, but there also may be more variability processing involved, but it may be used in a ternary mixture
30 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

(three cementitious materials) with cement and fly ash or Silica fume has received several names over its history,
slag to produce improved concrete at nominal overall cost such as microsilica or silica dust, but they are all the same
increases. The product is available in bulk or bagged quan- product.
tities. One of the pleasing features of the high-reactivity me-
takaolin is that its white color has little effect on the concrete 5.1.5 Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace SlagmGround
color. The high-reactivity metakaolin particles are larger granulated blast-furnace slag shall conform to Specification
than silica fume particles and may produce a mixture that C 989.
is not as sticky when finishing. There will be little bleeding
when this mineral admixture is used. Close attention must Slag is a waste product from the manufacture of iron in a
be given to wind, humidity, and temperature to prevent plas- blast furnace. The slag is in a granulated form that is later
tic shrinkage cracks. ground into a powdery substance. ASTM Specification for
Rice-husk ash meets the requirements for a C 618, Class Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag for Use in Concrete
"N" pozzolan. It is a product produced by incineration of and Mortars (C 989) classifies ground granulated blast-
empty rice hulls. It has particle sizes similar to fly ash and furnace slag (GGBF slag) into three grades as determined by
produces the same concrete attributes as other pozzolans. the average compressive strength of cubes. An ASTM C 150
Mehta [54] provides data revealing significant increases in portland cement is used for a control mixture for cubes, and
compressive strength and reductions in permeability with the same cement is used with the GGBF slag on a 50/50
the substitution of rice-husk ash for 15 % of the cement. Test basis for cubes. The Grade 80 material has compressive
results were good for both ordinary concrete mixtures and strengths from the 50/50 cubes of not less than 75 % of con-
high-strength mixtures. The husks (hulls) are a waste prod- trol, but less than 95 % of control. Grade 100 GGBF slag has
uct, but turning them into ash by means of controlled incin- strengths comparable to the cement control cubes, and
eration is expensive so, as yet, this is not a widely distrib- Grade 120 GGBF slag produces cube strengths equal to not
uted, cost competitive mineral admixture in the United less than 115 % of the cement control cubes. Therefore,
States. a higher grade of stag has better strength producing
Silica F u m e is a very finely divided pozzolanic material properties.
produced as a smoke byproduct from the production of sili- GGBF slag is used in producing ASTM C 595 blended ce-
con metal or ferrosilicon alloys. The smoke palnticles are ap- ments, ASTM C 1157 hydraulic cements, or as a cementi-
proximately 1/ 100 the size of cement particles. Although sil- tious component at the batch plant. Typical substitution
ica fume is a pozzolanic material, it is not covered by ASTM rates can be from 25-70 % or more, but a range near 50 %
C 618 because 1) it is not a coal fly ash, 2) it is not a raw or is the most common. This is a bulk product that is not read-
calcined product, and 3) it will not meet the maximum water ily available in all areas due to transportation costs.
requirement of ASTM C 618 Table 2. Attributes of GGBF slag include good resistance to sulfate
ASTM Specification for Use of Silica Fume as a Mineral attack, good ASR resistance with potentially reactive aggre-
Admixture in Hydraulic-Cement Concrete, Mortar and Grout gates, improved workability, reduced permeability, and re-
(C 1240) covers silica fume. The ASTM C 1240 specification duced chloride intrusion due to the decreased permeability
is planned as a material reference in ASTM C 94/C 94M. It [5]. The almost white color of the GGBF slag provides con-
is a highly specialized product that requires special knowl- crete with a lighter and brighter color.
edge of handling, mixing, and use that may not be readily The time of set with GGBF slag mixtures is usually longer
available to some producers. Bulk silica fume must be un- than for portland cement mixtures, particularly in cold
loaded at lower pressures than cement and may require un- weather. Thus, in cold weather, GGBF slag percentages may
loading times in the range of four hours. Mixing times may need to be reduced and chemical accelerators considered.
need to be extended and batch sizes reduced to achieve thor- Concrete made with GGBF slag requires better attention to
ough mixing of the mixture [6]. It is therefore prudent to curing practices than portland cement mixtures. This is true
have project specifications with greater detail for silica fume of any combination of cementitious materials that lower
than can be provided in ASTM C 94/C 94M. both the heat of hydration and early strengths.
Silica fume is used in typical dosages of 3-12 % of the
cement mass, usually requiring a high-range water-reducer. 5.1.6 Air-Entraining Admixtures (AEA)--Air-entraining ad-
It can be purchased in bags or bulk in the form of slurry or mixtures shall conform to Specification C 260 (Note 8).
as a densified agglomerated product. The most notable at-
tributes are high strengths, greatly reduced permeability, im- There are numerous materials that meet the ASTM C 260
proved resistance to chemical attacks, reduced ASR expan- specification. It is a performance type specification requiring
sion, and greater resistance to sulfate attacks. Silica fume is the admixture to meet specific physical requirement tests
permitted to be batched in bulk quantities with the cement. compared to non-admixture concrete, including time of
Section 8.1 currently requires the cement to be batched first. set changes, maximum compressive and flexural strength
The batching systems seek to achieve a target total after each changes, and maximum shrinkage changes. The specifica-
material is batched, rather than a specific quantity of each tion does not distinguish between the use of a liquid admix-
material. Because small variations of silica fume have such ture or a powdered admixture. The selection of an air-
a pronounced effect on the concrete, an alteration is ex- entraining admixture depends upon compatibility with
pected soon in the specification with regard to batching bulk cementitious materials being used, how well the air content
silica fume. The change is expected to assist in the endeavor holds on longer hauls, and good response to dosage changes
to maintain tighter control on the silica fume quantity with of the admixture. Different cements will react differently
each batch. with a specific AEA. Entrained air is generated by the mixing
MATERIALS 31

action when concrete is produced. Some air entraining Type C (accelerating) includes calcium chloride and chlo-
agents need longer mixing time of concrete to generate a ride containing products unless chlorides are specifically ex-
stable air entrained system than others. cluded by the project specifications. Calcium chloride prod-
A complete test series for an admixture shipment is a time- ucts, both flake and solution, are discussed in greater detail
consuming endeavor. Three tests that can be performed in Chapter 8, Section 8.4. Non-chloride accelerating admix-
rather quickly and without extensive laboratory facilities are tures are often specified when there is a potential for cor-
density (specific gravity) of the product, pH, and percent sol- rosion of reinforcing or pre-stressing steel. No water reduc-
ids (residue by oven drying). These values may be compared tion is required for these admixtures.
to design values supplied by the admixture manufacturer or Type B (retarding) does not require any water reduction,
to previous test data by the ready-mixed concrete producer. but commonly retarders include water reduction features.
The dosage rate needed to produce a desired air content There are water reducers (Type A) available that will meet
will change with factors such as temperature, slump, types Type B requirements by using an increased dosage rate.
of cementitious materials, aggregate gradings, minus 75-1xm The other five types of chemical admixtures covered by
(No. 200) material quantity, mixing time, other admixtures ASTM C 494/C 494M all require a minimum water reduction
in the mixture, and the interior condition of the mixer. There of 5 % (A, D, & E) or 12 % (F & G). These admixtures may
are so many influencing factors that manufacturers typically be used in either of two ways. Maintain a constant slump
will provide a wide range for possible dosage rates of the and decrease the water content, thereby lowering the water-
AEA. A stated range such as 1/4-4 fl oz/100 lb (hundred cement ratio, or hold the water and water-cement ratio con-
weight) of cementitious material is common. stant and increase the slump. Care should be observed in the
An example dosage range for a mixture with 540 pounds second application that segregation does not take place by
of cement plus fly ash would be: 5.4 x (1/4 fl oz/100 lb) -- the production of excessive slumps.
1.35 fl oz/yd 3 up to 5.4 (4) = 21.6 fl oz/yd 3. ASTM C 1017/C 1017M is the specification for chemical
A good rule of thumb is to start low on the dosage rate admixtures for use in producing flowing concrete. The basic
and work up, not down, to attain the proper rate range. Ex- requirements set forth to define flowing concrete in ASTM C
cessive air reduces strength and it is much more difficult to 1017/C 1017M are that it must have a slump greater than
remove than it is to increase the air in a batch of concrete. 7 1/2 in., and it must maintain a cohesive nature. Physical
requirements set forth within the specification (Table 1) re-
quire a minimum slump increase of 3 1/z in. while maintain-
5.1.7 Chemical Admixtures--Chemical admixtures shall
ing specified physical properties including time of set and
conform to either Specification C 494/C 494M or C 1017/C
minimal strength losses (10 % maximum) as compared to
lO17M as applicable (Note 8).
control mixtures.
The ASTM C 1017/C 1017M chemical admixtures include
ASTM C 494/C 494M is a specification for chemical ad- two types:
mixtures for concrete that has been in place for over 40
Type I--Plasticizing admixture
years. A chemical admixture is usually a liquid but also in-
Type II--Plasticizing and retarding admixture
cludes non-pozzolanic admixtures in suspension or water-
soluble solids. There are seven types of admixtures within The only difference in requirements for these two types of
C 494 with seven types of end results being expected. admixtures is in the time of set window. The only significant
difference in physical requirements between the ASTM C
Type A--Water-reducing admixtures t017/C 1017M chemical admixtures and the ASTM C 494/
Type B--Retarding admixtures C 494M, Type F & G High-Range, Water-Reducing chemical
Type C--Accelerating admixtures admixtures is lower strength requirements for the former.
Type D--Water-reducing and retarding admixtures
Type E--Water-reducing and accelerating admixtures
Note 8--sL In any given instance, the required dosage of air-
Type F--Water-reducing, high-range admixtures
entraining, accelerating, and retarding admixtures may vary.
Type G--Water-reducing, high-range, and retarding admix-
s2 Therefore, a range of dosages should be allowed, which will
tures
permit obtaining the desired effect.
ASTM C 494/C 494M is a performance specification which
includes a table (Table 1) setting forth a range of required The initial statement here is that the three types of chem-
test results, to be compared to a control mixture, for such ical admixtures named (air-entraining, accelerating, and re-
properties as water requirements, time of set, compressive tarding) will require varying dosages depending upon the
strength, flexural strength, shrinkage, and relative durability, ambient and concrete temperature, other weather condi-
The premise of this performance specification for product tions, concrete slump, and haul distances plus other factors.
evaluation is to demonstrate that under standard conditions, S2 strongly recommends that mixture proportioning sub-
the admixture will perform the function it is designed to per- mittals and mixture proportioning acceptance or approvals
form while not causing any detrimental effects on the fresh recognize the need for dosage changes on a moment's notice.
and hardened concrete properties. The material is certified Submittals and acceptances or approvals should, therefore,
to comply with these minimum requirements. Actual per- be based on an acceptable dosage range rather than a spe-
formance in job concrete may differ due to the large number cific dosage. For example, an air-entraining admixture dos-
of other variables involved. These tests are normally per- age may need to be submitted as 0.6-1.2 fl oz/100 lb ce-
formed only to test a new product and not on a regular basis, mentitious material (0.6-1.2 oz/cwt). Submitting a value of
as are cement mill test reports. 0.9 oz/cwt is not recommended.
32 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

Chemical water-reducing admixture terminology is a sub- (C 845), used to compensate for the early shrinkage ten-
ject not mentioned in ASTM C 94/C 94M and should not be dencies of the customary cement products associated with
because no specific definitions have been totally accepted by concrete (powder).
ASTM or the chemical admixture industry. The terminology 9 shrinkage-reducing admixture, a chemical formulation
alluded to involves the three groups of water reducers iden- that is plant added to reduce the early shrinkage tenden-
tified by most manufacturers as water reducers, mid-range cies of the customary cement products (liquid).
water reducers and high-range water reducers. In terms of 9 calcium-aluminate c e m e n t s are used in non-structural
anticipated changes in slump, these categories are never de- concrete that will be exposed to high temperatures (up to
fined. An approximation of what to expect is in Table 5.C. 3400~ with correct aggregates and conditions) [3], strong
The difference between an ASTM C 494/C 494M, Type A sulfate attacks, very quick high strengths, resistance to
water reducer and an ASTM C 494/C 494M, Type A mid- weak acids at industrial plants, or other special uses
range water reducer is generally the capacity of the mid- (powder).
range reducer to be dosed at a higher variable rate and re- 9 corrosion-inhibiting admixtures are used to retard chlo-
main inside the time of set window of ASTM C 494/C 494M, ride induced corrosion of reinforcing steel (liquid).
Table 1. If a Type A, D, or E water reducer dosage rate re- 9 h y d r a t i o n - c o n t r o l admixtures used by purchasers for ex-
duces water to a range between 5-12 % without a major tended hauls by truck mixers or other situations, produc-
impact on the time of set, it is often termed a mid-range ing extended delays before placement after mixing (liquid).
water reducer. Another benefit available with specific mid- 9 anti-washout o r viscosity modifying admixtures used
range water reducing admixtures is an improvement in the principally for underwater applications to resist segrega-
ability to finish concrete in flatwork applications. Many older tion and promote stiffening under adverse conditions and
Type A, D, or E water reducers do not react well to increases in self consolidating concrete (liquid or powder).
in dosage rates. The increased dosage rate may increase the 9 foaming agents for controlled low-strength concrete used
slump into the mid-range slump area, but a major increase to increase stable air, lower the density (unit weight), con-
in time of set also occurs. This increase actually can be mea- trol strengths, and decrease shrinkage (liquid or powder).
sured in days rather than hours for some chemical admix- 9 w a t e r repellant admixtures for lower permeability of
tures. The user needs to investigate the specific product for concrete (liquid or powder).
dosage versus time of set characteristics. 9 p o l y m e r modifiers such as latex additives for increased
At this time there is no specific specification addressing flexural strength, increased abrasion resistance, reduced
mid-range water reducers. permeability, or other properties (liquid) [79].
9 lithium-based additives for the control of alkali-silica

Other Materials reactivity (liquid or powder).


9 bacteriocidal admixtures providing toxic agents guarding
against surface degradation by bacteria [84] (liquid or
Other materials not specifically mentioned, both liquid
powder).
and solid (including powders), but primarily solid, are prod-
9 p u m p i n g aids are used to enhance the pumpability of con-
ucts that are not a routine part of concrete mixtures and
crete mixtures that are marginally pumpable by improving
therefore are not mentioned within ASTM C 94/C 94M. Sec-
viscosity and cohesion (liquid or powder).
tion 1.1 permits the purchaser's specification to include these
specialty products. Included in this category are such items This list is not complete, but it can be seen by the array
as: of products listed above that a variety of effects on concrete
is available by the use of other materials, both as primary
9 polypropylene fibers conforming to ASTM Specification cement and as admixtures. Some of these products have
for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete and Shotcrete (C 1116), ASTM specifications governing their properties, and some do
Type IlI, for use as secondary reinforcement and as a pos- not. The purchaser is advised to include any relevant refer-
sible deterrent to plastic shrinkage cracks, (solid). ence to the appropriate ASTM designation when ordering
9 steel fibers meeting ASTM Specification for Steel Fibers products not covered by ASTM C 94/C 94M. The purchaser
for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (A 820); special steels may also should be aware of any potential problems or secondary
also be available, and ASTM C 1116, Type I, for multiple property changes that the proposed admixture or material
uses and purposes as a steel reinforcement for concrete, may cause in the concrete. As the number of products at-
(solid). tainable to enhance or alter specific properties of concrete
9 coloring admixtures meeting ASTM Specification for Pig- increases, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for the man-
ments for Integrally Colored Concrete (C 979) to produce ufacturer to attain a technical knowledge of each admixture
integrally colored concrete, pigments that may be added or material and the possible adverse affects of each. This
to the concrete as powder or in a liquid form. type of knowledge is the responsibility of the purchaser and
9 s h r i n k a g e - c o m p e n s a t i n g expansive c e m e n t s governed the project's design professionals to ascertain prior to spec-
by ASTM Specification for Expansive Hydraulic Cement ifying or ordering such products.

TABLE 5.C--Slump changes expected using ASTM C 494 and C 1017 admixtures.
Type Slump Increase Final Slump ASTMSpecification
Water reducer _+2 in. 3-5 in. C 494, Types A, D, or E typically
Mid-range water reducer 3-4 in. + 5-7.5 in. C 494, Type A typically
High-range water reducer rain 3.5 in. rain 7.5 in. C 494, Type F or G
C 1017, Type I or II
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005
i

Tolerances in Slump
SECTIONS 15 AND 16 REFERENCE or identify the use of the When two laboratories are performing tests from the same
slump test, which has very specific procedures described in wheelbarrow sample, the standard deviation of slump mea-
ASTM C 143/C 143M. The slump test was originally devel- surements is approximately 3/8 in.
oped to provide a measure of consistency of freshly mixed
concrete [77]. The basic test is performed by compacting a 6.1 Unless other tolerances are included in the project speci-
sample of concrete in a mold in the shape of a frustum of a fications, the following shall apply.
cone with a height of 12 in. The concrete is compacted by
tamping with a 5/8 in. smooth rod. The mold is raised ver- The user is reminded by the phrase "Unless other toler-
tically for removal. The slump measurement is the vertical ances are included" that this specification may be altered. If
drop of the concrete from its original height (12 in.) to the it is not, two types of criteria for slump tolerance are in-
displaced position of the original center after removal of the cluded for the specifier to choose from. These are "not to
mold. exceed" or a "nominal slump value." Tolerances for the de-
A portion of Note 1 of ASTM C 143/C 143M provides a livered slump of the concrete are provided for each of the
good overview of the original slump research and current two specification types. Caution is urged in any considera-
technology. "Under laboratory conditions, with strict control tion to reduce the slump tolerance.
of all materials, the slump is generally found to increase pro- Like all concrete properties, slump is subject to some var-
portionally with the water content of a given concrete mix- iation in successive batches. Such factors as variations in
ture, and thus to be inversely related to concrete strength. aggregate gradings, batch mass (weights), air content, tem-
Under field conditions, however, such a strength relationship perature, and aggregate moisture will each affect slump
is not clearly and consistently shown. Care should therefore value. Not to be overlooked is the variation in slump value
be taken in relating slump results obtained under field con- between two tests by the same technician. For example, at
ditions to strength." an average slump of 3.4 in., the acceptable range of two tests
There are many potential causes of increases or decreases on the same concrete sample is 1.07 in. Testing variations
in the slump of a concrete mixture beyond a change in water are discussed in greater detail later. Coupling raw material
content. Aggregate changes of grading, batch mass (weight) variations and batching variations with testing variations,
differences, surface texture, and surface area evaporation, the allowable tolerances shown in Section 6.1.1 are actually
and hydration rate. Variations in air content, either en- quite limited and should be used unless there is a very com-
trained or entrapped will alter the slump measurement. Ce- pelling factor for a change.
ment will have variations in batch weights, chemistry, and
fineness, each of which will affect slump to some extent. Fly 6.1.1 sl When the project specifications for slump are written
ash, GGBF slag, or silica fume will, like cement, have vari- as a "maximum" or "not to exceed" requirement:
ations in batch weights, chemistry, and fineness. Chemical
admixtures can affect the slump due to varying dosage rates Specified Slump:
and varying times of introduction to the mix. Uniformity of I f 3 in. [75 m m ] I f more than 3 in.
mixing and total time of mixing will also affect the slump or less [75 m m ]
value. Concrete temperature and its effect on the water de- Plus tolerance: 0 0
mand and rate of hydration (setting) of the concrete also will Minus tolerance: 1 1/2 in. [40 m m ] 2 1/2 in. [65 m m ]
affect slump if measures are not used to offset these effects.
Close scrutiny of each material or batching and delivery pro- s2 This option is to be used only if one addition of water is
cedure will reveal other possibilities, but a major factor may permitted on the job, provided such addition does not increase
be testing variations. the water-cement ratio above the m a x i m u m permitted by the
An important point to remember is that with the wide specifications.
range of materials used in concrete and the factors that can
affect slump, the measured slump should not be strictly re- The purpose of specifying a "maximum" or "not to exceed"
lated to the quantity of water in the mixture. There is guid- slump is to maintain tight control over the constructability
ance provided on establishing specification requirements for of the concrete application. Examples include slip form con-
slump for different types of concrete applications in ACI struction such as curb and gutter or concrete pavements
211.1. With the new self-consolidating concrete, the mea- when it is important that the concrete in its plastic state does
surement of slump has no meaning, and the slump flow (hor- not change its shape when the placing equipment moves.
izontal spread) and the rate at which the concrete spreads is This brief table provides the plus and minus tolerances for
measured. slump when the project specifications read "the slump shall

33
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
34 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

not exceed _ _ inches" or "the concrete s l u m p shall have traffic, causing a f u r t h e r loss in s l u m p of a/2 in. Just these
a m a x i m u m value o f _ _ inches." There are two categories three items change the w a t e r d e m a n d by 2.1 gal p e r yd 3 a n d
of tolerance in the table. A tolerance of 11/a in. is set for will affect the s l u m p by a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 in. (1 in. of s l u m p
specified s l u m p s u p to a n d i n c l u d i n g 3 in. F o r specified max- c h a n g e p e r 1 gal of w a t e r change). The net result is a j o b site
i m u m s l u m p s of m o r e t h a n 3 in., the t o l e r a n c e is i n c r e a s e d s l u m p test of 2 in., w h i c h is l o w e r t h a n the 2 1/2 in. l o w e r
to 2 1/2 in. The s t a n d a r d deviations s h o w n in the ASTM C limit.
143/C 143M precision s t a t e m e n t clearly d e m o n s t r a t e that The s i t u a t i o n in this e x a m p l e dictates an e x a m i n a t i o n of
s l u m p testing variations increase as s l u m p increases. The the allowable w a t e r c o n t e n t w i t h o u t violating the m a x i m u m
s t a n d a r d deviations for s i n g l e - o p e r a t o r a n d m u l t i l a b o r a t o r y specified w a t e r - c e m e n t ratio. The mixture s u b m i t t a l i n c l u d e d
tests are as follows from ASTM C 143/C 143M. 31 gal of free w a t e r p e r cubic yard. E x a m p l e 6.B d e m o n -
strates the w a t e r situation with r e s p e c t to the a p p r o v e d pro-
S t a n d a r d Deviation [1 s] portions, the last a c c e p t a b l e load, a n d the p r o b l e m load,
Slump value Single-Operator Multilaboratory w h i c h has a 2-in. s l u m p u p o n arrival at the j o b site. The total
1.2 in. [30 m m ] 0.23 in. 0.29 in. free w a t e r in the p r o b l e m l o a d is 28.3 gal. Therefore an ad-
3.4 in. [85 m m ] 0.38 in. 0.39 in. dition of 2.7 gal (31.0-28.3) is p e r m i t t e d . This 2.7 gal will be
6.5 in. [160 m m ] 0.40 in. 0.53 in. m o r e t h a n e n o u g h to raise the s l u m p above the 2 1/2 in. min-
i m u m a c c e p t a b l e slump.
These values are the results of a series of tests utilizing 15
technicians, all p e r f o r m i n g tests on the s a m e concrete sam- EXAMPLE 6.B--Water management for slump control.
ples. Approved Accepted Problem
Ingredient Mixture Load Load
Note that with " m a x i m u m " a n d "not to exceed" specifica-
tions, the plus tolerance is always zero. The s l u m p is n o t Cement lb 520 . . . . . .
Coarse Agg. (SSD) lb 1900 . . . . . .
allowed to exceed the specified m a x i m u m value. All of the
Sand (SSD) lb 1400 . . . . . .
specified tolerance is on the m i n u s side. Several cases in Ex- Allowable Water (Total) gal* 31
a m p l e 6.A will d e m o n s t r a t e the use of the "not to exceed" o r Free Water on C.A. gaF ... "0.5 -0.7
" m a x i m u m " s l u m p specification, tolerances, a n d s u b s e q u e n t Free Water on Sand gal* ... 5.0 5.0
field evaluation of the concrete b a s e d u p o n slump. Metered Water gaF ... 24.0 24.0
Total Water at job arrival gal" ... 29.5 28.3
Concrete m a t e r i a l s and concrete b a t c h i n g have n o t reach- Permitted Job Water gal* .. 1.5 2.7
ed the level of an exact science. The s l u m p will have load- Slump in. 5 4 2
to-load variations despite the best efforts o f the c o n c r e t e pro- * Water is presented in gallons rather than pounds due to the fact
ducer. W h e n the specifications i m p o s e a m a x i m u m slump, that most batch plants and all known transit-mix truck sidetanks
the b a t c h m a n will a t t e m p t to p r o d u c e a s l u m p n e a r the mid- measure in gallons. One (1) gallon of water = 8,33 lb.
dle to high end of the allowable tolerance range. A respon-
sible b a t c h m a n will not often send out a l o a d with a s l u m p The possible changes in a m i x t u r e affecting the s l u m p
above the m a x i m u m , unless it is a hot day a n d the haul t i m e greatly exceed the ones identified in E x a m p l e 6.A, Case G.
is extended. E a c h m a t e r i a l o r m i x t u r e p r o p e r t y t h a t affects s l u m p has the
I n E x a m p l e 6.A, C a s e G, a s l u m p of 3 - 4 in. will be the c a p a c i t y either to increase o r decrease s l u m p w i t h o u t a
target. Assume several loads have been batched, a n d the wa- change in w a t e r content. P r u d e n t r e a d y - m i x e d concrete pro-
ter is a d j u s t e d to 24 gal p e r cubic y a r d of concrete, p r o d u c - ducers therefore do not a t t e m p t to b a t c h at the m a x i m u m
ing a s l u m p w i t h i n the target range. New loads of coarse p e r m i s s i b l e s l u m p b u t instead choose a target range b e l o w
aggregate are u n l o a d e d a n d p u t into the o v e r h e a d bin b y the the m a x i m u m allowed. The n e e d to have a s l u m p value win-
front-end l o a d e r o p e r a t o r w i t h o u t providing this i n f o r m a t i o n d o w dictates the need for the s u p p l i e r to be able to a d d w a t e r
to the b a t c h m a n . The coarse aggregate m o i s t u r e has at the j o b site, up to the limit p e r m i t t e d by the w a t e r - c e m e n t
c h a n g e d from + 0.2 % to - 0 . 3 %. Coarse aggregate o v e r h e a d ratio.
bins usually do n o t have m o i s t u r e probes. At 1900 lb of r o c k C i r c u m s t a n c e s of Case G n e e d s o m e explanations. The ex-
p e r cubic yard, the 0.5 % m o i s t u r e swing a m o u n t s to a de- a m p l e states that an u n k n o w n decrease in coarse aggregate
crease of 9.5 lb (1.1 gal) p e r yd 3 of available water. The ag- m o i s t u r e c o n t e n t helped create the p r o b l e m slump. So, h o w
gregate grading, u n k n o w n to anyone, h a p p e n s to be gap- did it b e c o m e k n o w n that 2.7 gal of w a t e r p e r cubic y a r d
g r a d e d in this s h i p m e n t a n d increases the w a t e r d e m a n d by could be a d d e d at the j o b site? A g o o d driver keeps a close
a n o t h e r 0.5 gal p e r yd 3. The t r a n s i t mix t r u c k is delayed in eye on testing p r o c e d u r e s a n d test results. As soon as

EXAMPLE &A---Slump values versus test results.


Acceptable Slump Test Value Specification
Case Specified Slump Range (in.) (in.) Compliance
A 3 in. maximum 1 1A-3 2 I/4 Meets specification
B 4 in. maximum I 1/2-4 3 3~ Meets specification
C Shall not exceed 4 in. 1 1/2-4 4 Meets specification
D Shall not exceed 2 in. 1/2-2 2 1/4 Fails (excessive)
E 3 in. maximum 1 1/2-3 3 1/2 Fails (excessive)
F 4 in. maximum 1 1/z-4 1 1/4 Fails (low)
O Shall not exceed 5 in. 2 1/2-5 2 Fails (low)
TOLERANCES IN SLUMP 35

the 2 in. slump result is suspected or known, the driver therefore the addition of water is needed only if the slump
should radio this information to the batch plant. Typically falls below the target value during transport. The tolerances
moisture contents will be performed immediately on each for nominal slumps are narrower than those for maximum
aggregate used in the load. Ouick results can be obtained by slumps, so the allowance for one water addition at the job
means of a microwave oven or a Speedy Moisture Tester. site is a nice approach, especially in hot weather when the
Calculations require another minute, and the information is slump loss during transport is difficult to prejudge.
transmitted by radio to the driver that an additional 2.7 gal/
yd 3 is permitted in the load. Without a set of small scales,
6.2 sl Concrete shall be available within the permissible range
this quick adjustment is not possible. The microwave oven
of slump for a period of 30 rain starting either on arrival at
also is necessary, but this is an item commonly available for
the job site or after the initial slump adjustment permitted in
heating lunches. Remember that ready-mixed concrete man-
11.7, whichever is later se The first and last 1/4 yd 3 or//4 m 3
ufacturers do not close for lunch, so facilities such as a break
discharged are exempt from this requirement, sa If the user is
room are usually available.
unprepared for discharge of the concrete from the vehicle, the
producer shall not be responsible for the limitation of mini-
6.1.2 When the project specifications for slump are not written
as a "maximum" or "not to exceed" requirement: m u m slump after 30 min have elapsed starting either on ar-
rival of the vehicle at the prescribed destination or at the re-
Tolerance for Nominal Slumps quested delivery time, whichever is later.
For Specified Slump of." Tolerance
0-2 in. [0-50 mini +- 1/2 in. [15 m m ] The very nature of concrete's chemical reactions causes
2-4 in. [50-100 m m ] + 1 in. [25 m m ] the slump to decrease with the passage of time. These re-
+ 4 in. [100 mini +_ 1 1/2 in. [40 m m ] actions are accelerated by hot temperatures and slowed by
cold temperatures, but the reactions and slump loss con-
Nominal slumps are those specified as a 3 in. slump, a 4 tinue. Only the rate of slump loss varies. The question then
in. slump, or some other target value. A typical specification becomes, at what point is it the concrete supplier's respon-
might read: sibility for the concrete to be within the tolerance and when
does that responsibility transfer to the purchaser or desig-
Foundations 5 in. nominal slump nated agents? Slump increases are also possible if entrained
Grade beams 5 in. nominal slump air content increases with continued mixing.
Floor slabs 4 in. nominal slump S1 states that the supplier is responsible for the slump
Paving 2 1/2 in. nominal slump (maximum or nominal) for a 30-min period. The 30-min pe-
riod begins either at the delivery vehicle's arrival at the job
Slump values written in this manner have a permissible site or after the job site addition of water to the load. This
window of variation similar to that for maximum slumps. one-time job site addition of water is for the purpose of in-
The tolerance for a nominal slump specification is plus or creasing the slump to a point within the allowable tolerance.
minus a value of 1/2 in., 1 in., or 1 I/2 in., depending upon the Neither a specified nor an approved maximum water-cement
numerical value of the specified slump. The target value for ratio should be exceeded during a slump adjustment. The
slump at the batch plant generally will equal the nominal details of this water addition are discussed in Section 11.7.
slump specified unless the purchaser requests a target be- Which governs, arrival at job site or job site slump adjust-
tween the nominal value and the maximum allowable value. ment? The latter of the two governs, and this will be the job
A comparison of several specified slumps and the acceptable site slump adjustment, unless there are some unusual logis-
tolerance for each follows in Example 6.C. tics set up for a specific job. When does the 30-min clock
begin when a Section 11.7 adjustment is made? The answer
EXAMPLE 6.C--Slump tolerance.
is when all the water is in the load.
Maximum Acceptable Nominal Acceptable S2 excludes the first and last 1/4 yd 3 o r 1//4 m 3 from the
Slump (in.) Tolerance (in.) Slmnp (in.) Tolerance (in.)
slump requirements. The extreme ends of the load may not
6 3 89 4 1/2 3-6
5 2 89 4 3-5 be uniform with respect to the remainder of the load. Two
4 1 89 3 2-4 factors are important here: 1) do not test either fraction for
3 1 89 21/2 11/2_31/2 slump, and 2) do not accept or reject the remainder of the
2 89 1-2 89 2 1 1/2-2 1/2 load based on the appearance of these load portions.
2 89 1 1/2 1-2
S3 points out that after the 30-min period described in S1
and S2, the user becomes responsible for the concrete
The option of one addition of water at the job site is not slump, with one exception. If the delivery truck with the con-
a requirement for a nominal slump specification, although it crete is early, the 30-rain clock of responsibility begins at the
remains an excellent choice within the specification. There requested delivery time. Purchaser is not to be responsible
is no prohibition for a one-time job site water addition with for a mistake by the producer. By the same token, if the pur-
this option since the ready-mixed concrete producer often chaser is not ready for the concrete when the truck arrives
"holds back" some water at the batch plant to accommodate at the job site, the producer cannot be responsible for the
a water addition at the job site by the contractor to achieve slump at discharge if the delay is more than 30 min after the
greater consistency. The target slump at the batch plant and concrete was ordered, and the option to add water at the job
the nominal slump specification usually will be identical, site has been used.
36 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

EXAMPLE 6.D--Slump responsibility.


(~ Arrival time at job site ]
Time Criterion I Whichever is later
After s l u m p r d j u s t m e n t ~

{~ Arrival timeorat job site ]


Time Criterion 2 Whichever is later
Requested delivery time

Delivery Job Time of


Time Arrival Job Slump Time to which
Specified Specified Time Arrival Adjusted Adjustment Supplier is
Case Slump C A Slump Slump B Responsible
1 4 in. max 9:00 9:12 3 in. 3 1/~ in. 9:23* 9:53
2 4 in. max 9:20 9:15 3 in. 3 1/2 in. 9:25* 9:55
3 4 in. max 9:40* 9:30 4 i n . . . . 10:10
4 4 in. max I0:00" 9:42 3 in. 3 1/2 in. 9:55 10:30
5 4 in. max 10:20 10:23" 4 in . . . . . . . 10:53
6 4 in. max 10:40" 10:30 4 in . . . . . . . 11:10
* Controlling time element,

T h e t h r e e t i m e c r i t e r i a for t r a n s f e r of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f A. 3 0 - m i n after arrival at j o b site.


s l u m p f r o m p r o d u c e r to u s e r a r e i t e m i z e d as follows a n d are B. 3 0 - m i n after s l u m p a d j u s t m e n t at j o b site.
i l l u s t r a t e d i n E x a m p l e 6.D. C. 30-rain after s c h e d u l e d delivery time.
T i m e criteria s u m m a r y :
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Air-Entrained Concrete
SECTIONS ] 5 AND 16 REFERENCE or detail the specifics of de- crease in the alkalinity of the c e m e n t o r the concrete will
t e r m i n i n g the air content of freshly m i x e d concrete. Three i n c r e a s e the initial air c o n t e n t at a c o n s t a n t a d m i x t u r e dos-
ASTM m e t h o d s are available for the m e a s u r e m e n t of a i r in age, b u t s o m e of this e n t r a i n e d a i r is a p t to be lost in t r a n s i t
the concrete: [27]. Even this long list does n o t include all factors that m a y
1. ASTM Test M e t h o d for Air Content of F r e s h l y Mixed Con- affect the total air c o n t e n t a n d variations in the m e a s u r e d
crete b y the Pressure M e t h o d (C 231) a i r value.
2. ASTM Test M e t h o d for Air Content of F r e s h l y Mixed Con-
crete b y the Volumetric M e t h o d (C 173/C 173M) 7.1 sl When air-entrained concrete is desired the purchaser
3. ASTM Test M e t h o d for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, a n d shall specify the total air content o f the concrete, s2 See Table
Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete (C 138/C 138M) 1 for recommended total air contents (Note 8).
Variations o c c u r in air c o n t e n t for m a n y reasons, includ-
ing i n a c c u r a c i e s in testing m e t h o d s . Time affects air con- The earlier discussion in Section 4.1.3 of the a d v a n t a g e s
tents, j u s t as it affects slump, so m u l t i - o p e r a t o r tests from of e n t r a i n e d air in concrete s h o u l d be revisited. S l is a re-
the s a m e s a m p l e a p p e a r to be the best c o m p a r i s o n of tested m i n d e r to the specifier ( p u r c h a s e r o r p u r c h a s e r ' s agent) that
air contents. The p r e c i s i o n s t a t e m e n t of ASTM C 173/C it is the specifier's r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to d e t e r m i n e the n e e d for
173M is b a s e d u p o n m u l t i - o p e r a t o r tests. The p r e c i s i o n for e n t r a i n e d air a n d the o p t i m u m a m o u n t desired. Note t h a t
ASTM C 173/C 173M (Roll-a-meter) varies with air content, the p h r a s e "total air content" is u s e d r a t h e r t h a n "entrained
b u t in the r a n g e of 5-6 % air, the s t a n d a r d deviation is ap- air content." E a c h of the test m e t h o d s available to m e a s u r e
p r o x i m a t e l y 0.5-0.7 %. Using the Type B p r e s s u r e m e t e r a i r c o n t e n t m e a s u r e s the total a i r a n d c a n n o t s e p a r a t e en-
(most c o m m o n device) of ASTM C 231, the s t a n d a r d devia- t r a i n e d air from e n t r a p p e d air.
tion 6 reduces to a p p r o x i m a t e l y 0.4 %. The Type A p r e s s u r e A m o d e r a t e a m o u n t of air is e n t r a p p e d in concrete d u r i n g
m e t e r of ASTM C 231 has an even lower s t a n d a r d deviation the mixing process. This n o r m a l a i r ( e n t r a p p e d air) typically
of 0.28 % for m u l t i o p e r a t o r precision. Test d a t a c o n c e r n i n g occupies 0.5-2.0 % of the v o l u m e of the concrete mixture.
air c o n t e n t p r e c i s i o n for the ASTM C 138/C 138M test The m o r e typical r a n g e is 1.0-1.5 % for e n t r a p p e d air. These
m e t h o d a r e n o t available. M a k i n g s o m e a s s u m p t i o n s , if the a i r b u b b l e s a r e usually 1 m m o r larger in d i a m e t e r a n d ir-
m u l t i - o p e r a t o r p r e c i s i o n of the density m e a s u r e m e n t is r e g u l a r in shape, while e n t r a i n e d air b u b b l e s are p r e d o m i -
t r a n s l a t e d to the c a l c u l a t e d a i r content, it a m o u n t s to a stan- nately 0.1-0.05 m m (100-50 v m ) with m i n i m u m d i a m e t e r s
d a r d deviation of a b o u t 0.5 %. In s u m m a r y , it is clear that of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 10 Ixm [94,95]. One m i c r o m e t e r 0xm) is
testing p r e c i s i o n s have r e p o r t e d s t a n d a r d deviations from one t h o u s a n d t h of a m i l l i m e t e r (mm), so e n t r a i n e d a i r is
0.28-0.7 % air content. c o m p o s e d of very small bubbles, too small to be visible to
S o m e of the o t h e r items that will cause variations in air the n a k e d eye. The shape of these e n t r a i n e d b u b b l e s is spher-
c o n t e n t include variations in slump, changes in t e m p e r a t u r e , ical a n d uniform.
variations of b a t c h m a s s e s (weights) of all materials, varia- $2 is a reference to Table 1 (see Ch. 4) for a r e c o m m e n -
tions in air-entraining a d m i x t u r e (AEA), b a t c h size as com- d a t i o n to the specifier for a total a i r content. As discussed in
p a r e d to m i x e r capacity, alterations in b a t c h i n g sequence, Section 4.1.3, Table 1 m a k e s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s on air con-
speed of m i x i n g d r u m , h a u l time, s a m p l i n g point, c a r b o n tent d e p e n d i n g on the severity of exposure to freeze-thaw
c o n t e n t variations in fly ash, aggregate grading variations, w e a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s a n d the n o m i n a l m a x i m u m aggregate
q u a n t i t y of fines a t t a c h e d to the surface of c r u s h e d coarse size. In g e o g r a p h i c areas w h e r e i n t e r i o r slabs are p l a c e d a n d
aggregate, use of w a t e r r e d u c i n g c h e m i c a l admixtures, a n d finished in an exterior e n v i r o n m e n t that is expected to freeze
use of c h e m i c a l accelerators o r colored pigments. An in- before enclosure, e n t r a i n e d air m u s t be a consideration. If a
dense, polished, m a c h i n e - t r o w e l e d surface is desired, en-
t r a i n e d air m a y be d e t r i m e n t a l to the desired surface texture
a n d eventual durability. E n t r a i n e d air in concrete tends to
6 ASTM Test Method C 231 does not yet address precision of the
r e d u c e the bleeding, a n d after the surface is sealed b y trow-
more common, shorter-necked Type B pressure meters. These were
involved in a 1996 study conducted by the Portland Cement Asso- elling, air a n d w a t e r are t r a p p e d b e l o w the surface skin,
ciation at their Skokie, Illinois laboratory. Fifteen Chicago area test- w h i c h m a y eventually p o p off. In such cases, it m a y be nec-
ing technicians assembled in Skokie to compare the results of Type essary to schedule sequencing of an enclosure p r i o r to slab
B pressure meters when using the same concrete at three different p l a c e m e n t . Several cases of Table 1 are d e m o n s t r a t e d in Ex-
ranges of air content. The unpublished test results indicated a stan-
dard deviation of approximately 0.4 % and an acceptable range of a m p l e 7.A.
approximately 1.0 %, by volume of concrete, on consecutive tests on Note 8, w h i c h was discussed in Section 5.1.6, is referenced
portions of the same sample. in $2 as a r e m i n d e r that air contents are subject to m a n y

37
Copyright* 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
38 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

EXAMPLE 7.A--Recommended total air content using ASTM C 94/C 94M Table 1.
Nominal Recommended
Exposure Maximum Total Air
Case Environment of Concrete Condition Aggregate Content
A Pavement in a deicing salt location Severe 1 in. 6.0 %
B Interior slab placed in summer N.A. 1 in. none specified
C Pavement in geographic areas exposed to occasional freezing but not deicing salts Moderate 1 1/2 in. 4.5 %
D Basement wall in area exposed to freezing (wet soil) Severe 3/4 in. 6.0 %
E Exterior beam not exposed to wet soil but exposed to periodic freezing Moderate 3/4 in. 5.0 %
F Interior or exterior service without freezing exposure, but better workability desired Mild 1 in. 3.0 %
G Exposed gravel sidewalk in a deicing salt location Severe 3/8 in. 7.5 %

variations. A p r e d e t e r m i n e d dosage for a n entire project is r e s p o n s i b i l i t y a m o n g the c a n d i d a t e parties involved in the


only a dream. A d j u s t m e n t s in the AEA dosage are c o m m o n p u m p i n g process in the specifications, a n d to decide a pro-
a n d necessary. cess for ensuring that the correct q u a n t i t y of a i r is achieved
at the p o i n t of p l a c e m e n t at a p r e c o n s t r u c t i o n conference.
7.2 The air content of air-entrained concrete when sampled The u l t i m a t e goal is for the d e s i g n a t e d r e s p o n s i b l e p a r t y to
from the transportation unit at the point of discharge shall be direct the m a n u f a c t u r e r to increase the s l u m p a n d air con-
within a tolerance of + 1.5 of the specified value. tents by "X" in. a n d "Y" % to a c c o u n t for the j o b site trans-
p o r t a t i o n losses. These a d d i t i o n s of "X" in. for s l u m p a n d
The tolerance from the specified air c o n t e n t is d e s c r i b e d "Y" % for air m a y take the concrete out of specification r a n g e
as _+ 1.5 % a n d is further defined as being the m e a s u r e d air at the p o i n t of discharge, b u t if t r a n s p o r t a t i o n losses are cor-
c o n t e n t at the p o i n t of discharge from the t r a n s p o r t a t i o n rectly assessed, the p r o d u c t will be correct at the p o i n t of
unit. This b r o a d t e r m " t r a n s p o r t a t i o n unit" includes the cus- p l a c e m e n t . Losses of e n t r a i n e d air in the p u m p can be
t o m a r y r e a d y - m i x e d concrete truck, an agitating delivery 2-3 % o r m a y be c o n s i d e r a b l y less. Losses on belt conveyors
unit, o r even a n a p p r o v e d d u m p truck. There is no difference c a n be 1 % or more. S l u m p s also decrease d u r i n g t r a n s p o r t
in e n t r a i n e d air r e q u i r e m e n t s due to configuration of the de- b y these devices. E x a m p l e s of h a n d l i n g such c i r c u m s t a n c e s
livery vehicle. are s h o w n in E x a m p l e 7.B. A c o n s e q u e n c e of n o t losing the
A s e c o n d i m p o r t a n t aspect of this sentence is that the air
a n t i c i p a t e d air c o n t e n t d u r i n g the p l a c e m e n t of the concrete
c o n t e n t for the p u r p o s e of a c c e p t a n c e is to be m e a s u r e d at
is that the in-place concrete will be at a h i g h e r air c o n t e n t
the p o i n t of discharge a n d not at s o m e o t h e r l o c a t i o n such
a n d a l o w e r strength.
as the p o i n t of placement. This distinction b e t w e e n measur-
There is no d i s a g r e e m e n t that the A / E is best served by
ing at the p o i n t of d i s c h a r g e (discharge from t r a n s p o r t a t i o n
test results at the p o i n t of placement. There is also no dis-
unit) as o p p o s e d to m e a s u r e m e n t at p o i n t of p l a c e m e n t is
a g r e e m e n t that the p r o d u c e r has no control over the p r o d u c t
very critical a n d is crucial to the producer. This is an under-
b e y o n d the p o i n t of discharge. The only d i s a g r e e m e n t seems
s t a n d a b l e p r o b l e m because the A / E is c o n c e r n e d w i t h the
to r e g a r d the p l a c e m e n t of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y on k n o w l e d g e a b l e
concrete as it b e c o m e s a p a r t of the project, w h i c h is at the
p e r s o n s having s o m e degree of control.
p o i n t of placement. The p r o d u c e r s are c o n c e r n e d with the
The p r u d e n t a p p r o a c h on a project where the p o i n t of dis-
concrete only up to the p o i n t of discharge b e c a u s e t h a t is
w h e r e their control over the p r o d u c t ends. The typical inter- charge a n d p o i n t of p l a c e m e n t are different is for the pur-
m e d i a r y is a concrete p u m p . It could be a conveyor, a p o w e r chaser's testing l a b o r a t o r y to initially evaluate air c o n t e n t
buggy, a concrete bucket, o r s o m e o t h e r m o v e m e n t device a n d s l u m p at b o t h locations using w h a t m i g h t be a typical
for the concrete. The p u m p a r r a n g e m e n t of Fig. 7.A depicts p u m p line configuration. This will establish initial h a n d l i n g
the two potential s a m p l i n g points. losses, thus assisting in a d j u s t m e n t s at the b a t c h p l a n t as
The conflict with the needs of the A / E is t h a t b e t w e e n the dictated by the testing l a b o r a t o r y o r o t h e r r e s p o n s i b l e party.
p o i n t of discharge a n d the p o i n t of p l a c e m e n t , u n p r e d i c t a b l e Do n o t be a l a r m e d if changes o c c u r later in the air c o n t e n t
changes in air c o n t e n t a n d s l u m p often occur. The p r o d u c e r a n d slump, as the p u m p line configuration m a y change, tem-
is not in a p o s i t i o n to g u a r a n t e e a i r c o n t e n t at a l o c a t i o n p e r a t u r e s m a y change, m i x e r waiting times m a y change, o r
o t h e r t h a n the p o i n t of discharge. Changes o c c u r to air con- the testing t e c h n i c i a n m a y change. If the trial o r expected
tent a n d s l u m p in a p u m p line o r o t h e r t r a n s p o r t i n g m e t h o d . air c o n t e n t losses are n o t realized d u r i n g the p l a c e m e n t
The s l u m p a n d air content will typically decrease, b u t h o w process, the a d d i t i o n a l a i r i n c o r p o r a t e d b y the p r o d u c e r to
m u c h of a decrease is u n k n o w n . The p u m p line losses are a c c o u n t for p l a c e m e n t losses m a y result in excessive air con-
affected by the p u m p line diameter, p u m p i n g pressure, line tents a n d a strength p r o b l e m .
length, a n d line configuration, w h i c h can change signifi- S o m e designers w o u l d like to reduce the + 1.5 % speci-
cantly even while placing the s a m e load of concrete. fication w i n d o w p r o v i d e d to the producer. In light of the
W h o is r e s p o n s i b l e for p r e d i c t i n g the changes in air con- m a n y u n p r e d i c t a b l e changes in a i r content a l r e a d y dis-
tent b e t w e e n the p o i n t of discharge a n d the p o i n t of place- cussed, including w e a t h e r changes a n d testing variations, a
m e n t ? Candidates include the A/E, inspector, general con- r e d u c t i o n in the 3 % w i n d o w is not prudent. If the specifier
tractor, concrete subcontractor, testing laboratory, a n d is nervous a b o u t the low side of the + 1.5 % w i n d o w pro-
p u m p i n g contractor. E a c h of these has equal k n o w l e d g e a n d viding i n a d e q u a t e a i r c o n t e n t for the project, a b e t t e r ap-
g r e a t e r control over the concrete after it reaches the j o b site p r o a c h is to increase the specified a i r content. Do n o t r e d u c e
t h a n the r e a d y - m i x e d concrete producer. It is best to assign the size of the specification window.
AIR-ENTRAINED CONCRETE 39

FIG. 7.A--Sketch of ready-mixed truck unloading through pump line.

EXAMPLE 7.B--Air content specification compliance.


Specified Acceptable Air Content Air Content
Air Content Specified Test Range for Air at Discharge at Point of Specification
Case (%) Location Content (%) (%) Placement (%) Compliance
A 6 at discharge 4 1/2-7 1/2 5.2 4.5 Yes
B 6 at placement 4 1/2-7 1/a 6.0 4.2 No
C 6 at placement 4 1/2-7 1/2 8.0 6.0 Yes
D 6 at discharge 4 1/2-7 1/2 8.0 6.0 No
E 6 at placement 4 1/2-7 1/2 7.0 4.0 No
F 6 at discharge 4 1/2-7 i/2 6.5 5.0 Yes

7.3 sl When a preliminary sample taken within the time limits is the same sample described in Section 6.3. It does not in-
of 11.7 and prior to discharge for placement shows an air con- clude the first 1/4 yd 3 [1/4 m 3] b u t m a y t h e n be taken to check
tent below the specified level by more than the allowable tol- air c o n t e n t or s l u m p before any further concrete is dis-
erance in accordance with 7.2, the manufacturer may use ad- charged for the project. The sample m u s t be taken prior to
ditional air entraining admixture to achieve the desired air the 11/2 h time limit a n d the 300 revolution limit or limits
content level, followed by a minimum of 30 revolutions at mix- specified by the purchaser. If the specified time limit or n u m -
ing speed, so long as the revolution limit of l l. 7 is not exceeded ber of mixing revolutions is exceeded, the air c o n t e n t be-
(see Note 9). comes a moot point. The concrete m a y already be rejected.
If not, the air c o n t e n t m a y be checked from a p r e l i m i n a r y
sample.
Two references to Section 11.7 are stated within Section If the air c o n t e n t is below the specified m i n i m u m , the
7.3; the first of these is a reference to time limits. Section m a n u f a c t u r e r m a y add some additional air-entraining ad-
11.7 includes a m a x i m u m mixing time of 11/2 h unless waived mixture. The mixing d r u m is then t u r n e d a m i n i m u m of 30
by the purchaser. The second Section 11.7 reference is a revolutions at mixing speed to achieve adequate mixing a n d
m a x i m u m of 300 mixing d r u m revolutions unless waived by u n i f o r m air c o n t e n t t h r o u g h o u t the load. The revolution
the purchaser. limit of Section 11.7 r e m a i n s in effect. As a n example, if the
S 1 begins with reference to a "preliminary sample" taken batch has 280 revolutions at the time the AEA is added, it
"prior to discharge for placement." The p r e l i m i n a r y sample would have 310 revolutions after mixing is completed a n d
40 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

EXAMPLE 7.C--Air content adjustments.


Specified Air Specified Range of Preliminary Air Adjusted Air Revolutions Specification
Case Content (%) Air Content (%) Content (%) Content (%) of Drum Compliance
A 5.0 3 1/2-6 1/2 3.0 4.5 200 Yes
B 6.0 4 1,5-7 1/2 4.0 5.0 310 No*
* Limit of 300 revolutions may be waived by purchaser (see 11.7).

w o u l d be rejected by the excessive n u m b e r of revolutions, ASTM Practice for S a m p l i n g Freshly Mixed Concrete (C
w h i c h a g a i n the p u r c h a s e r c a n waive. 172) contains two specific provisions that are violated b y the
Two cases of using Section 7.3 are s h o w n in E x a m p l e 7.C. p r e l i m i n a r y s a m p l i n g process. ASTM C 172 requires sam-
The situation of a n air c o n t e n t h i g h e r t h a n the u p p e r e n d pling two o r m o r e p o r t i o n s of the l o a d at regularly s p a c e d
of the tolerance m a y occur. While C94/C 94M is silent on intervals d u r i n g discharge of the m i d d l e p o r t i o n of the b a t c h
this, there are m e a n s of using c h e m i c a l s t h a t r e m o v e s o m e to o b t a i n the s a m p l e for a c c e p t a n c e testing. The p r e l i m i n a r y
of the air in the concrete, a n d these s a m e p r o c e d u r e s m i g h t s a m p l e is one small s e g m e n t of concrete after 1/4 yd 3 has b e e n
be p e r m i t t e d b y the p u r c h a s e r to allow for correcting this discharged, so it clearly is n o t from the middle. Note 9 states
situation. t h a t the p r e l i m i n a r y s a m p l e c a n n o t be used for strength test-
ing a n d c a n n o t be used as the r e p o r t e d a c c e p t a n c e test. The
r e p o r t e d test results will still c o m e from two o r m o r e com-
Note 9--Acceptance sampling and testing in accordance with b i n e d p o r t i o n s of concrete taken from the m i d d l e p o r t i o n
Practice C 172 is not obviated by this provision. (70 %) of the b a t c h or load.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

8
Measuring Materials
O N E OF T H E CRITICAL F A C T O R S in producing consistent c o n - not be released into the weighing apparatus simultaneously.
crete is the consistency of batching materials in successive They must each be weighed separately so that the individual
batches, on successive days, and throughout the course of weight of each material is known and may be recorded. The
the project. The required accuracy of these batching mea- batching hopper for cement is not to be used for "other ma-
surements is the primary focus of Section 8. terials," meaning aggregates. $3 stipulates that the cement
will always be measured first when other cementitious ma-
8.1 sl Except as otherwise specifically permitted, cement shall terials are weighed in the same batching hopper. The re-
be measured by mass. s2 When mineral admixtures (includ- quirement to weigh the primary cement first is a recognition
ing ground granulated blast-furnace slag, coal fly ash, silica that this quantity is critical to the intended performance of
fume, or other pozzolans) are specified in the concrete propor- the concrete and also that it is most often the most expensive
tions, the cumulative mass is permitted to be measured with ingredient in the concrete, thereby protecting the purchaser.
cement, but in a batch hopper and on a scale which is separate Minor deviations of the target mass of the supplementary
and distinct from those used for other materials, s3 The cementitious materials (SCM) generally can be compensated
mass of the cement shall be measured before mineral ad- for by adjustments in the aggregate measurements. Batching
mixtures, s4 When the quantity of cement exceeds 30 % of hoppers for the cementitious materials are also called ce-
the full capacity of the scale, the quantity of the cement shall ment weigh hoppers or cement scales.
be within +_ 1 % of the required mass, and the cumulative The practical approach to configuring an apparatus to con-
quantity of cement plus mineral admixtures shall also be tain cement and to weigh the cement is to provide a con-
within +_ 1 % o f the required mass. ss For smaller batches tainer that is suspended from a separate support system. The
to a m i n i m u m of I yd 3 [1 m3J, the quantity o f the cement and container is to be attached to the support system by one of
the cumulative quantity o f cement plus mineral admixture two methods: suspended from the support system frame by
used shall be not less than the required amount nor more than steel rods interconnected by intermediate load cells to mea-
4 % in excess, s6 Under special circumstances approved by sure the suspended weight or attached by means of a series
the purchaser, cement is permitted to be measured in bags of of knife-edges and lever arms, which transmit the weight to
standard mass (Note 10). sTNo fraction of a bag of cement a beam-and-poise type lever system. The scale capacity is
shall be used unless its mass has been determined. related to the size of the container (cement weigh hopper).
Cement traditionally is said to have a loose density of 94 lb/
Requirements for measuring cement and cementitious ft 3. In a weigh hopper it is not compacted but is in a partially
mineral admixtures (SCM) (see Footnote 3 in 4.3.1.1) are aerated state with a density closer to 75 or 80 lb/ft 3 rather
covered in Section 8.1. The section covers not only the than 94 lb/ft 3. A typical assumption is that a cement weigh
method and required accuracy of material measurement, but hopper with a volume of 3 yd 3 (81 ft 3) will hold three tons
it is explicit in which material is measured first. of cement (2000 lb/yd3). The scale capacity can therefore be
S1 is clear that cement, and by extension, cementitious sized based on the size of the cement weigh hopper. The
materials, will be measured by mass (weight), unless the more common process for sizing weigh batchers is to pro-
specifications specifically permit otherwise. Alternative ap- vide sufficient capacity for the ingredient to produce a target
proaches to cement measurement could include measure- minimum number of cubic yards of concrete in one batch.
ments in bags of cement, shovels of cement, a meter such as A manufacturer's approach is to provide a minimum of 9 ft 3
in ASTM Specification for Concrete Made by Volumetric of batcher volume for each yd 3 of concrete, plus an addi-
Batching and Continuous Mixing (C 685/C 685M) volumet- tional allowance of 3 f[3 for fluffing of cement [22]. Thus, for
ric batching devices, or possibly as a slurry whose density is a batch plant rated at 10 yd 3, the cement batcher capacity
closely monitored. The typical mass (weight) measurements must equal or exceed (10 9) + 3 = 93 ft 3 of volume. The
are in pounds or kilograms. rated capacity of a cement hatcher built to Concrete Plant
$2 concerns itself with mineral admixtures, which also are Manufacturers Bureau (CPBM) standards is listed on a plate
identified as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) 3. from the CPMB and affixed to the batcher. The dead load of
Specifically named are ground granulated blast-furnace slag, the weigh container must also be considered in selecting the
fly ash produced by burning coal, silica fume, and other equipment, but this weight is zeroed or tared during the in-
pozzolans. Each of these mineral admixtures (SCM) can be stallation process.
substituted for a portion of the cement, under the proper S4 specifies the accuracy required when batching loads in
circumstances. It is permissible for these supplementary which the cement quantity will be in the upper 70 % (30-
cementitious materials to be weighed with the cement and 100 %) of the cement scale capacity. The required accuracy
the mass (weight) accumulated. The different materials can- in this range of use is _+ 1 % for both cement and mineral

41
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
42 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

FIG. 8.A--Photo of a load cell for scales.

admixtures. An e x a m p l e on the r e q u i r e d a c c u r a c y is dem- A situation t h a t m a y be confusing is one t h a t straddles


o n s t r a t e d in E x a m p l e 8.A. 30 % of capacity. Consider a scenario of a m i x t u r e with 400
$$ discusses the c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l b a t c h i n g a c c u r a c y lb of c e m e n t a n d 150 lb of fly ash a n d a n o r d e r for 5 yd 3.
for batches of 30 % or less of scale capacity. The r e q u i r e d The c e m e n t scale c a p a c i t y r e m a i n s at 8000 lb.
a c c u r a c y for the lower 30 % of scale c a p a c i t y changes to W h i c h a c c u r a c y criteria governs this situation, the - 0 %,
- 0 % a n d + 4 %. In the lower 30 % of the c e m e n t scale + 4 % or the - 1%, + 1 % ? Actually, S4 handles this question
capacity, an u n d e r w e i g h t of c e m e n t is not p e r m i t t e d . Using in its o p e n i n g phrase, "When the quantity of c e m e n t exceeds
o u r previous e x a m p l e of an 8000 lb scale c a p a c i t y a n d a mix- 30 % . . . " the c e m e n t shall be w i t h i n __+ 1 % of the r e q u i r e d
ture utilizing 550 lb of c e m e n t p e r yd 3 for a b a t c h of 3 yd 3, mass." In the example, the m a s s of the c e m e n t (25 %) is less
the r e q u i r e d a c c u r a c y is as illustrated in E x a m p l e 8.B. t h a n 30 %, a n d therefore the criterion r e l a t e d to o p e r a t i n g
S5 is explicit that these plus or m i n u s tolerances only ap- at < 30 % of scale c a p a c i t y governs for b o t h the c e m e n t a n d
ply to b a t c h e s of 1.0 yd ~ or larger. Batches of less t h a n 1 yd 3 the c e m e n t plus m i n e r a l admixtures. The tolerances for this
do not have a m i n i m u m o r m a x i m u m tolerance a n d are dis- e x a m p l e are - 0 %, + 4 %. Current practice with m o s t ready-
c o u r a g e d due to the difficulties of a c c u r a t e batching. Batch- m i x e d concrete p r o d u c e r s is to r e a d 8 4 as "When the quan-
ing e q u i p m e n t available to the i n d u s t r y will n o t r o u t i n e l y tity of c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l s (cement plus m i n e r a l a d m i x -
b a t c h less t h a n 1 yd 3 within these n a r r o w tolerances. A 1-yd 3 tures) exceeds 30 % of the full c a p a c i t y of the s c a l e . . . "
b a t c h in the previous e x a m p l e of 550 lb of c e m e n t w o u l d Unfortunately, that is not w h a t is stated.
have a tolerance range of 550-572 l b - - a very n a r r o w Discussions at the s u b c o m m i t t e e level a r e expected to pro-
window! duce a c h a n g e in S4 in the n e a r future. The expected c h a n g e
MEASURING MATERIALS 43

DIAL SCALE
FI6.8.B--Schematic of scale lever system.

EXAMPLE 8.A~Required cement scale accuracy at greater than EXAMPLE 8.B--Required cement scale accuracy at less than 30 %
30 % capacity. capacity.
Cement scale capacity = 8000 lb Total cement per batch = 3 550 = 1650 lb
Size of batch = 8 yd 3 Percent of scale capacity used* = 1650 8000 = 20.6%<30%
Cement per yd 3 = 550 lb Required accuracy ( - 0 % to +4 %) = 1650 x 0 = - 0 lb
Total cement per batch = 8 x 550 = 4400 lb 1650 x 0.04 = 66 lb
Percent of scale capacity used = 4400 + 8000 = 55 % > 30 % Acceptable mass (weight) range = 1650-1716 lb
Required accuracy ( 1%) = 4400 x 0.01 = _+ 44 lb
* Capacity of cement scale is 8000 lb.
Acceptable mass (weight) range = 4356-4444 lb

Tolerances are based upon Quantity of cement A c o n s e q u e n c e to t h e s e t w o d i f f e r e n t t o l e r a n c e b r a c k e t s is


(not cementitious materials) t h a t t h e c e m e n t s c a l e s h o u l d h a v e its f u l l - s c a l e c a p a c i t y l i m -
Quantity of cement less than Quantity of cement exceeds i t e d t o t h e m i n i m u m v a l u e t h a t will a l l o w it t o b a t c h t h e
30 % of scale capacity 30 % of scale capacity l a r g e s t t y p i c a l l o a d . F r o m t h e p r o d u c e r s t a n d p o i n t , a _+ 1 %
- 0 % + 4 % of cumulative _+ 1 % of cumulative total t o l e r a n c e is m o r e d e s i r a b l e t h a n - 0 % , + 4 %, b e c a u s e t h e
total of cement and of cement and zero negative t o l e r a n c e forces the b a t c h target m a s s to be a n
cementitious materials cementitious materials
o v e r yield.
S 6 is v e r y s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d i n its r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t b a g g e d
c e m e n t is o n l y p e r m i t t e d w h e n a p p r o v e d b y t h e p u r c h a s e r .
w o u l d i n v o l v e c h a n g i n g "cement" t o "cementitious m a t e r i a l s " The other requirement for usage of bagged cement regards
e x c e e d i n g 30 % o f t h e full c a p a c i t y o f t h e scale. A n o t h e r p o r - special circumstances. Examples of special circumstances
t i o n o f t h e d i s c u s s i o n will a d d r e s s h a v i n g m o r e t h a n o n e a r e r u n n i n g o u t o f c e m e n t i n a silo a n d t r y i n g t o f i n i s h a n
t o l e r a n c e r a n g e f o r o n e b a t c h o f c o n c r e t e as c u r r e n t l y exists. order with bagged cement from the lumber yard or a small

EXAMPLE 8.C--Required cement scale accuracy when cementitious materials straddle 30 % capacity.
Total cement per 5 yd 3 batch = 5 x 400 = 2000 lb
Cement as % of scale capacity* = 2 0 0 0 - 8000 = 2 5 % < 3 0 %
Total fly ash per 5 yd 3 batch = 5 x 150 = 750 lb
Fly ash as % of scale capacity = 750 + 8000 = 9.4 % < 30 %
Total cementitious material in batch = 25 % + 9.4 % = 34.4 % > 30 %
Acceptable mass (weight) range = 2750 lb-2860 lb ( - 0 % to + 4 %)t
* Capacity of cement scale is 8000 lb.
* Cement quantity controls allowable total tolerance.
44 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

order into the outback country and holding the cement out ment for weighing cement and supplementary cementitious
until the mixer reaches the job site. Another special circum- materials (mineral admixtures). The difference in the batch-
stance can include a small job using white cement and a silo ing equipment for cementitious materials and aggregates is
not being available or the order not large enough to require discussed in Section 9.
a full tanker load. A small job requiring a special cement Like cementitious batchers, manufacturers of plant equip-
such as a Type III can present the same scenario as the white ment provide for a minimum volume of the aggregate batch-
cement. ers and rate it based on the volume of concrete that can be
$7 addresses the use of partial bags of cement. No partial produced. An aggregate batcher built to CPMB standards
bags of cement may be used unless scales are available to will have a plate issued by the Concrete Plant Manufacturers
determine the mass of their contents. An example is an order Bureau affixed to it that indicates its rated capacity. The
of 1.5 yd 3 for a 5 1/2 bag mix. This is 8.25 bags of cement, standards [22] require 38 ft 3 of aggregate volume capacity
thus, necessitating scales to determine the accuracy of the for each cubic yard of concrete. Therefore an aggregate
1/4 bag. Many plants have platform scales available for such batcher rated to produce 10 yd 3 of concrete will have a vol-
emergencies or in some localities a feed and grain store may ume equal to or greater than 10 38 = 380 ft 3. Assuming a
not be far away. loose density of 85 lb/ft 3 for the aggregate, this amounts to
about 3300 Ib of aggregate for each cubic yard of concrete.
Note lO--In the United States the standard mass of a bag of S2 gets into the first difference between weighing ce-
portland cement is 94 lb [42.6 kg) +_ 3 %. ment and weighing aggregate, where aggregate moisture is
weighed also. With cement, moisture is carefully excluded
This note is for the purpose of advising the quantity of from the product until the time of mixing. With aggregates,
cement in a bag and the tolerances for a bag of cement. Tra- this is not necessary; The only effect of aggregate moisture
ditionally the per bag quantity has been 94 lb, but the em- is the requirement to account for it in the total mixing water.
phasis on metric (SI) units in the 1990s caused ASTM Spec- S2 is clear that batch weights for aggregates must include
ification for Portland Cement (C 150) to alter a standard bag three components: dry aggregate mass, moisture absorbed
to 42 kg, which is 92.6 lb. Note 10 of ASTM C 94/C 94M is by the aggregate, and surface moisture on the aggregate. It
expected to adopt the 92.6 lb bag standard to conform to does not say that the aggregate must be dry, and it does not
ASTM C 150. say that aggregate proportions are to be recorded as dry
There are two significant reasons for manufacturers and weights. The intent of the phrase "based on dry materials" is
purchasers to be advised on the mass (weight) and toler- to ensure that the quantity of aggregate incorporated in the
ances of a bag of cement. One relates to batching a mixer mixture is consistent with that of the mixture proportioning
with bagged cement when proportions have been stated in design and establishes that the batched weight is the sum of
pounds. Every bag does not need to have its mass deter- the dry mass of the aggregate and the total (absorbed and
mined (be weighed). The second reason encompasses Sec- free) moisture within and on the aggregate. Aggregate mois-
tion 4 Ordering Information, Option B, 4.3.1.1, and Option ture content typically is measured on the basis of its dry
C, 4.4.1.2, which allow the purchaser to state the desired mass as described in ASTM Test Method for Total Evapora-
cement content in bags per cubic yard or minimum cement ble Moisture Content of Aggregate by Drying (C 566).
content in bags per cubic yard. These options do not mean $3 discusses tolerances for aggregate mass when each ag-
the manufacturer must actually use bagged cement. The in- gregate has a separate weigh batcher (scale hopper). Sepa-
tent is that the manufacturer must use a mixture proportion rate weigh batchers are referred to in S3 as individual ag-
that includes a comparable cement content. When a pur- gregate weigh batchers. This type of arrangement is present
chaser says "It's cold today, send me a 6-bag mix," the order at high production rate plants because individual aggregate
is for a mixture with a cement content of 564 lb (6 94 lb/ weigh hoppers allow each of the aggregates to be measured
bag) of cement per yd 3. (weighed) simultaneously rather than consecutively, as in the
more traditional batch plants. With individual aggregate
8.2 sa Aggregate shall be measured by mass. s2 Batch mass weigh hoppers, the tolerance is _+ 2 % of the target mass. If
measurements shall be based on dry materials and shall be the target aggregate mass is 14 400 lb, the acceptable range
the required masses of dry materials plus the total mass of for the target mass is 14 112-14 688 lb.
moisture (both absorbed and surface) contained in the S4 discusses cumulative aggregate weigh batchers (scale
aggregate, sa The quantity of aggregate used in any batch of hoppers), which take on a characteristic of a cement weigh-
concrete as indicated by the scale shall be within +_ 2 % of the ing system. The referenced characteristic is that allowable
required mass when the mass is measured in individual ag- tolerances change at 30 % of scale capacity. S4 addresses
gregate weigh batchers, s4 In a cumulative aggregate weigh tolerances for batches in the plus 30 % of capacity range.
batcher, the cumulative weight after each successive weighing The 30 % of capacity division is based on the total cumula-
shall be within +_ 1 % of the required cumulative amount up tive aggregate in the batcher being in excess of 30 % of scale
to that point when the scale is used in excess of 30 % of its capacity.
capacity, ss For cumulative weights for less than 30 % of S5 describes the aggregate batching tolerances for cumu-
scale capacity, the tolerance shall be +_ 0.3 % of scale capacity lative mass scales at masses (weights) less than 30 % of scale
or ++_3 % of the required cumulative weight, whichever is less. capacity. The lesser of two criteria govern. The criteria are
+ 0.3 % of scale capacity or _+ 3 % of the desired weight at
Aggregates, both fine and coarse, are measured by mass that point in the batching process. Compare the following
(weight). The weighing system is very similar to the arrange- values:
MEASURING MATERIALS 45

Assume there is a n aggregate scale capacity of 30 000 lb. Five water sources are n a m e d in Section 8.3, b u t there is one
At 30 % capacity, the scale will read 9000 lb. F r o m 9000- m i n o r source of water that is n o t n a m e d a n d not specifically
30 000 lb, the required accuracy is +- 1 % of the desired m e a s u r e d or a c c o u n t e d for. This is the water which is
batch weight. At less t h a n 9000 Ib, the dual criteria are used. sprayed onto the mixing d r u m , mixing d r u m loading hopper,
At 9000 lb, +- 3 % equals 270 lb. The +- 0.3 % of scale ca- a n d the rear-mixing blade of the d r u m i m m e d i a t e l y after
pacity criteria equals 90 lb. The latter value (90 lb) is the loading to wash d o w n c e m e n t a n d s a n d adhering to the
m i n i m u m accuracy required. The _+ 3 % of load only gov- metal. There is n o practical m e a n s of separating a n d mea-
erns at 10 % or less of scale capacity. The _+ 0.3 % of scale suring cleaning water going into the d r u m a n d that water
capacity applies for loads b e t w e e n 10-30 % of scale capacity. which does n o t go into the d r u m , because it all comes from
Above 30 % of scale capacity, the +- 1 % of desired weight one source at one time. The q u a n t i t y of this u n m e a s u r e d
becomes the acceptable tolerance. mixing water is usually small a n d carries additional c e m e n t
A typical aggregate scale capacity is 40 000 lb. The 30 % into the concrete.
of capacity m a r k is then 12 000 lb. Assume a mixture com- $2 requires the p r i m a r y source of water added to the batch
posed of three aggregates with proportions of 37.5-19.0 m m to be m e a s u r e d before discharge into the load by m e t e r i n g
(11/2 in.-3/4 in.) = 950 lb, 19.0-4.75 m m (3/4 in. to No. 4) = the volume or weighing the water. The most c o m m o n mea-
850 lb, a n d S a n d 1400 lb. The customer's order is for 6 yd 3. s u r e m e n t is with a 2-in. or 3-in. t u r b i n e meter. These are
Aggregate desired masses in a cumulative aggregate weigh good i n s t r u m e n t s b u t c a n get out of calibration due to tem-
b a t c h e r a n d allowable tolerances are s h o w n i n Example 8.D. perature changes, variable water pressures, excessive repe-
Note that the section does n o t require a p a r t i c u l a r se- titions of water hammer, a n d r o u t i n e wear. These meters
quence in which the aggregate is weighed. Producers choose should have their calibration checked o n a regular basis.
the o p t i m u m sequence of b a t c h i n g aggregates i n cumulative Other types of meters, such as magnetic meters, are available
batchers based o n the p l a n t a r r a n g e m e n t , tolerable noise and require fewer calibration checks due to the lack of mov-
level, a n d best sequence to prevent balling a n d to p r o d u c e ing parts in the water stream. Weighed water c o n t a i n e r s are
h o m o g e n e o u s mixtures in the shortest time. almost all h a n d l e d by load cells, which also require fewer
calibrations t h a n t u r b i n e meters. These factors are m e n -
8.3 st Mixing water shall consist of water added to the batch, tioned because the required accuracy is a relatively tight
ice added to the batch, water occurring as surface moisture +-1%.
on the aggregates, and water introduced in the form of Each type of water m e a s u r i n g system has advantages. Tur-
admixtures, s2 The added water shall be measured by weight bine meters have the lowest initial cost. Magnetic meters do
or volume to an accuracy of l % of the required total mixing not require strainers, as do t u r b i n e meters, a n d will accu-
water, ss Added ice shall be measured by weight, s4 In the rately m e t e r recycled wash water. Weighed water has the ad-
case of truck mixers, any wash water retained in the drum for vantage of p r o d u c t i o n speed. The weighed water m a y be
use in the next batch of concrete shall be accurately measured," m e a s u r e d in its load cell supported holding tank while a mix-
if this proves impractical or impossible, the wash water shall ing truck is m a n e u v e r i n g into its loading position. The u s u a l
be discharged prior to loading the next batch o f concrete. a r r a n g e m e n t for metered water is direct discharge into a
s5 Total water (including any wash water) shall be measured mixing truck, a n d this operation c a n n o t begin until the
or weighed to an accuracy o f +_ 3 % of the specified total mixer is in the loading position. This delays the c o m m e n c e -
amount. m e n t of loading, thus increasing the loading time per truck
a n d decreasing productivity.
Concrete mixing water comes from so m a n y actual There is a m e t h o d by which it is possible to meter water
sources that it is difficult to precisely a c c o u n t for total water. while a mixing truck is m a n e u v e r i n g into the loading posi-

EXAMPLE 8.D--Tolerances for cumulative aggregate batcher.


Percent of
Target Target 40 000 lb
Aggregate Quantity for CumulativeMass Scale Controlling Tolerance
Component 6 yd3 (lb) for 6 yd3(lb) Capacity~ Tolerance Range (lb)
37.5-19.0 mm 5700 5700* 14 % 0.3 % Capacity* _+ 120"
19.0-4.75 mm 5100 10 8002 27 % 0.3 % Capacity* _+ 120'
Sand 8400 19 200IF 48 % _+ 1%ri + 192ii
*40 000 capacity 0.3 % = 120 lb
* 5700 target x 3 % = 171 lb > 120 lb: use 120
* 40 000 capacity 0.3 % = 120 lb
10 800 target 3 % = 324 lb > 120 lb: use 120
I119 200 target 1% = 192 lb > 30 % of scale capacity: use _+ 1%
The _+ 3 % of the desired weight criterion does not become a factor until the aggregate weight drops below 10 % of scale capacity.

Cumulativeweight of aggregate as compared to scale capacity


Cumulativeaggregate weight to point in question is less than 30 % of scale capacity
Cumulativeaggregate weight is now
Lesser of greater than 30 % of scale capacity
-+ 0.3 % of scale capacity
I -+ 3.0 % of cumulative aggregate total _+ 1.0 % of cumulative aggregate total
46 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

tion. Rather than discharging metered water into the mixing ical admixtures, such as water reducers, retarders, and air-
drum, it is metered into a holding tank. Following position- entraining admixtures are also available in powdered form
ing of the mixing truck into the loading position, the water in bags but are commonly only used for adjustments at the
is released from the holding tank into the mixing drum. The job site. Fibers, whether steel, polypropylene, polyethylene,
speed advantage is gained by a quicker release of water into glass, nylon, or some other material, are handled and dosed
the mixing drum. The slowest process of loading a mixing similarly to powdered admixtures. Each of these products is
drum is often the metered mixing water. The holding tank to be dosed by mass (weight). Many of these products are
allows this time constraint on production to be overcome. purchased in bags containing prescribed product masses.
The integrity of this water system is protected by a sensor Some of the bags require opening and dumping the product
that prohibits the commencement of loading a new batch into the mixer. Some bags dissolve in water or disintegrate
and more metered water into the holding tank when there by the mixing action, allowing both bag and contents to be
is already water in the tank. placed into the mixer. Water-soluble bags containing 1.5 lb
$2 states a required accuracy for the added mixing water of polypropylene fibers are a common product. The 1.5 lb is
equal to 1% of the required total (metered or weighed) mix- a commonly specified fiber quantity per cubic yard, allowing
ing water. Water meter calibrations are typically to a toler- the supplier to drop eight bags of fibers into an 8-yd3 batch
ance of _+ 1 % of the actual water quantity going through of concrete. No muss, no fuss, and the manufacturer and
the meter. This is a tighter tolerance than $2 demands. The purchaser are both satisfied with the measure. When using
1 % in $2 is based on total mixing water and not 1 % of the powdered color products, pre-weighed bags are a popular
metered mixing water. The difference is that aggregate mois- method of measuring and dispensing. These bags are also
ture and retained wash water are not added water but are a available sized for one cubic yard of concrete. The only prob-
part of total mixing water. lem with i yd 3 sized product bags is the inaccuracies with
$3 requires ice to be measured by mass when it is used as orders involving fractional cubic yards, such as a 6 I/2 yd 3
a portion of the mixing water. The substitution rate is 8.33 load to finish an order (the clean up load).
lb of ice for each gallon of water removed from the batching Powdered or fiber products may be purchased in larger
process. Ice should be substituted for the water and not used containers and the mass determined (weighed) on scales
as an addition. Ice is used to control concrete temperature such as bench scales or platform scales. Examples of this
in summer months when it is critical to meeting maximum equipment are the scales normally used for density tests of
specification temperatures, or to control the setting charac- concrete (bench) and feed store scales (platform). These
teristics of the concrete. Ice is sometimes used in blocks that weighing devices take more time but can be more accurate
are crushed with a chipper that discharges the ice into the for fractional yd 3 orders, such as 6 1/2 yd 3.
truck mixer. In smaller applications, bagged ice might be The most frequently abused powdered product is probably
used. Larger projects more often use chilled water or liquid flaked calcium chloride. Bags of flaked calcium chloride
nitrogen for cooling rather than ice due to economics. (CaC12) may be opened and fed into a truck mixer by dump-
$4 requires that any wash water used to remove adhered ing onto the aggregate transfer conveyor. The CaC12 is pro-
mortar from the inside skin of the drum from a previous portioned by guessing at the fractional number of bags re-
load be measured accurately. This water generally is from quired to provide the CaC12 quantity ordered. No weighing
the side tank on a truck mixer when washing is done at the is involved. Sometimes bags are strapped to the fender of
job site. This quantity of water is difficult to measure accu- the ready-mixed concrete truck and dumped into the con-
rately because it depends on the habits of the truck operator. crete mixture at the job site using the same guessing method.
It is likely practical to quantify this quantity through the site An example of this poor practice is given in Example 8.E.
gage, or a meter on the side tank, or "eye-bailing" to the
nearest 10 gal. The requirement in $4 is that if this water EXAMPLE 8.E--Flaked calcium chloride bag proportioning.
source cannot be determined accurately, the water should be Concrete mixture contains 564 lb of cement
discharged before the new concrete batch is loaded. Order is for 2 % (by weight of cement) CaCl 2 in a 9-yd3
Recognizing the various sources of water and the imprac- load
ticality of accurately tracking and measuring each source, Required CaC12 quantity = 564 x 2% 9 yd 3 = 101.5 lb/
the tolerance for mixing water in $5 is + 3 % of the target load
water intended by the design of the concrete mixture or the Number of 80 lb bags required = 101.5 :- 80 = 1.27 bags
specified total water amount including aggregate moisture
and wash water.
It is difficult to accurately discharge 1/4 of a bag manually
8.4 slAdmixtures in powdered form shall be measured by by feel and by eye. This is a bad practice that does not meet
mass. s2Liquid admixtures shall be batched by mass or ASTM C 94/C 94M batching tolerances of _+ 3 %. The pri-
volume, sa Admixtures, except mineral admixtures (see 8.1), mary problem is that inaccurate batching will produce vary-
measured by either mass or volume, shall be batched with an ing times of set, A typical result of these variations is a slab
accuracy of +_ 3 % of the total amount required or plus or that is not within the desired smoothness tolerances. Section
minus the amount or dosage required for 100 lb [50 kg] of 9 discusses allowable batching tolerances for the equipment.
cement, whichever is greater. The recommended method of using dry CaC12 is to place
it in solution at the batch plant and introduce it at the plant
Powdered admixtures include such items as flaked cal- in liquid measured quantities. A calcium chloride solution is
cium chloride, coloring pigments, and lithium salts. Chem- obtained by placing approximately two-thirds of the ultimate
MEASURING MATERIALS 47

FIG. 8.C~Photo of laboratory bench scales.

w a t e r q u a n t i t y in a tank. Dry CaC12 is then slowly a d d e d to form. The most a c c u r a t e m e a n s of meeting this r e q u i r e m e n t
the w a t e r while stirring the mixture. Quantities a d d e d vary is for the r e a d y - m i x e d concrete m a n u f a c t u r e r to p u r c h a s e
with the form (flake or pellet) of t h e dry product. With a the calcium cbloride in a p r e - m i x e d solution a n d to dispense
flaked p r o d u c t the usual a d d i t i o n rate is 4 lb p e r gallon of it t h r o u g h a m e t e r e d or weighing a r r a n g e m e n t just as o t h e r
water. Thus, for a 500-gal tank, 2000 lb of Car12 w o u l d be c h e m i c a l a d m i x t u r e s are m e a s u r e d .
p l a c e d in solution before the final o n e - t h i r d of the w a t e r is In s o m e large m e t r o p o l i t a n areas w h e r e n o n - c h l o r i d e ac-
added. Quantities of pellets will vary a n d are d e p e n d e n t celerators (NCA) m a y be the rule, r e a d y - m i x e d c o n c r e t e pro-
u p o n the c o n c e n t r a t i o n of CaCl~ in the pellet. The d e s c r i b e d ducers m a y n o t stock calcium c h l o r i d e products, b u t in m o s t
m i x t u r e will p r o d u c e a solution c o n t a i n i n g 1 lb of c a l c i u m g e o g r a p h i c areas w h e r e t e m p e r a t u r e s routinely d r o p below
c h l o r i d e p e r q u a r t ( l % p e r 100 lb of c e m e n t p e r cubic y a r d 60~ it is a n i n - d e m a n d product. The m a j o r i t y of r e a d y -
of concrete) [28]. F o r an 8-yd 3 l o a d of concrete c o n t a i n i n g m i x e d concrete p r o d u c e r s do not use a flake or pellet p r o d -
500 lb of c e m e n t p e r cubic yard, the s o l u t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t is uct but instead use a p r e - m a n u f a c t u r e d solution o f c a l c i u m
(500 + 100) x 8 = 40 q u a r t s (two 5 gal buckets) p e r e a c h chloride. The p r e - m a n u f a c t u r e d solution will usually r a n g e
1 % c a l c i u m chloride needed. b e t w e e n 28-42 % calcium chloride, with 32 % being the
A p r e c a u t i o n to be taken with a c a l c i u m chloride solution most popular, p r o b a b l y b e c a u s e of its low freezing temper-
is to s u b t r a c t the CaCl 2 solution f r o m the b a t c h w a t e r quan- ature. Available solutions will d e p e n d u p o n the m a n u f a c -
tity. The m o s t i m p o r t a n t p r e c a u t i o n is to not use calcium turer a n d the g e o g r a p h i c region. E a c h c a l c i u m chloride
c h l o r i d e if the concrete is to c o n t a i n steal r e i n f o r c e m e n t a n d s o l u t i o n of a different percentage will c o n t a i n a different
will n o t be in a d r y o r m o i s t u r e p r o t e c t e d service environ- q u a n t i t y of c a l c i u m and chloride ions. It is i m p o r t a n t t h a t a
ment. R e q u i r e d limitations on the use of c a l c i u m c h l o r i d e concrete p r o d u c e r be p r e p a r e d to m e e t ACI 301 a n d ACI 318
are given in ACI 301-99, Specifications for S t r u c t u r a l m a x i m u m chloride requirements, when so specified by the
Concrete r. purchasm: As a liquid admixture, the CaC12 s o l u t i o n is to be
A s t a t e m e n t of i m p o r t a n c e in ACI 30I is that c a l c i u m chlo-
h a t c h e d to the accuracies p r e s e n t e d in S3.
ride shall be a d d e d into the concrete m i x t u r e only in solution
With a variety of solution c o n c e n t r a t i o n s available to a
r e a d y - m i x e d concrete producer, t h e r e is a question of dosage
7 The maximum chloride limits in ACI 301 are stated in terms of calculations for each c o n c e n t r a t i o n . Early r e s e a r c h was per-
maximum water-soluble chloride ion (C1-) content in concrete, per- f o r m e d on the flake variety of c a l c i u m c h l o r i d e t h a t con-
cent by weight of cement. The various limitations are on the chlo- t a i n e d a p p r o x i m a t e l y 78 % c a l c i u m chloride, 17 % water,
ride portion of the compound and not on the calcium chloride
compound. The quantity of chloride ion in calcium chloride is a n d 5 % of o t h e r p r o d u c t s o r impurities. It was r e s e a r c h
approximately 48 % of the total product [37]. An order for 2 % caL using the flaked p r o d u c t f r o m which o u r c u r r e n t r e c o m -
cium chloride only produces 1% chloride ion. m e n d e d restriction evolved, of not using m o r e t h a n 2 %
48 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

FIG. 8.D--Photo of laboratory platform scales.

CaCl 2 as an accelerator. Thus 2 lb of flaked CaC12 p e r 100 10.99 lb. 0.32


- - x
p o u n d w e i g h t (cwt) of c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l is the tradi- gal 0.78
tional m a x i m u m dosage.
To o b t a i n the s a m e q u a n t i t y of effective c a l c i u m chloride = 4.51 lb of "Equivalent" CaC12/gal of 32 % solution
f r o m a solution product, the 78 % CaCl 2 p r e s e n t in the flaked
p r o d u c t m u s t be considered. The o t h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n is the
s t r e n g t h of concentration. E a c h c o n c e n t r a t i o n of CaCl z so- 1.00 lb "Equivalent" CaCl2/yd 3 m
128 oz
- 28.2 o z / y d ~
lution will have a different density at v a r i o u s t e m p e r a t u r e s . 4.51 ]b "Equivalent" CaC1z/gal gal
E a c h CaCl 2 m a n u f a c t u r e r has this d a t a r e a d i l y available. F o r
the p u r p o s e s of a n example, a d e n s i t y of 10.99 l b / g a l for a
32 % solution is a s s u m e d . Thus: (dosage for 1 % "Equiv." flake CaC12/yd3/cwt of cement)
MEASU~NG MATERIALS 49

TABLE 8.A--ACI 301-99 specifications for structural concrete. * to p h r a s e the r e l a t i o n s h i p is that 2 % equivalent CaC12 pro-
Maximum Water-Soluble duces 1 % chloride ions.
Chloride Ion (C1-) S2 allows the concrete p r o d u c e r to choose b e t w e e n deter-
Content in Concrete,
Percent by Weight of m i n i n g liquid a d m i x t u r e b a t c h quantities b y either v o l u m e
Type of Member Cement7 (metering) o r by m a s s (weighing). P u m p i n g c h e m i c a l ad-
Prestressed concrete 0.06 m i x t u r e s t h r o u g h a m i n i a t u r e w a t e r m e t e r a n d into a m e t a l
Reinforced concrete exposed to chloride 0.15 o r plastic d i s p e n s e r bottle is the most prevalent m e a s u r i n g
in service
Reinforced concrete that will be dry or 1.00 m e t h o d for liquid products. The weighing of liquid a d m i x -
protected from moisture in selwice tures has been historically r a r e b u t a c c o m p l i s h e d by sus-
Other reinforced concrete construction 0.30 p e n d i n g a weighing pot from a l o a d cell, which weighs the
* Taken from Table 4.2.2.6--Maximum allowable chloride-ion con- liquid product. The latest technology weighs the a d m i x t u r e
tent in ACI 301-99. by p u m p i n g it into the b o t t o m of a vertical cylindrical tank.
As the liquid rises in the cylindrical tank (dispenser), a l o a d
cell at the t o p of the d i s p e n s e r m e a s u r e s the change in pres-
S o m e t i m e s it is n e c e s s a r y to k n o w the a m o u n t of chloride
sure, w h i c h is converted to m a s s (weight). E a c h of these
ion in a cubic y a r d of concrete. Solutions of CaC12 are pro-
m e a s u r e m e n t m e t h o d s has p r o v e n effective a n d can be ac-
d u c e d from a b r i n e solution a n d do not have the i m p u r i t i e s
of the flake product, The CaC12 p o r t i o n of the solution has a c u r a t e if p r o p e r l y m a i n t a i n e d a n d calibrated.
total m o l e c u l a r weight of (2 x 35.5 + 40 = 111). The chlo- $3 requires a d m i x t u r e s to be b a t c h e d to an a c c u r a c y of _+
ride p o r t i o n is (71 + I i 1 = 64 %). The m o s t convenient 3 % of the d e s i r e d dosage or for small b a t c h e s the require-
m e t h o d of c o m p a r i s o n is to d e t e r m i n e the a m o u n t of chlo- m e n t is _+ the dosage p e r h u n d r e d w e i g h t (cwt.) of cement.
ride ion in w h a t has been previously d e s c r i b e d as 1 % equiv- The greater v a r i a t i o n of the two criteria is used. F o r exam-
alent CaC12. One p o u n d of equivalent CaC12/yd3/cwt of ce- ple, a s s u m e a water-reducing c h e m i c a l a d m i x t u r e is dosed
m e n t only requires 0.78 Ib of CaC12. Of the 0.78 lb, 64 % is at 4 oz p e r curt. of cement. An 8-yd 3 b a t c h of a 5-bag mix is
c o m p o s e d of chloride ions (0.78 0.64 = 0.50 lb). This is a loaded. W h a t is the p e r m i s s i b l e tolerance for the w a t e r re-
2 : 1 ratio of equivalent CaC12 to chloride ions. A n o t h e r w a y d u c e r quantity?

FIG. 8.E--Photo of admixture dispenser.


50 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

9 The first criterion is _+ 4 oz. The s e c o n d question concerns the p h r a s e "except m i n e r a l


9 The second criterion is _+ 3 % of (94 5 + 100) 4 o z / a d m i x t u r e s (see 8.1)." The m i n e r a l a d m i x t u r e s (SCM) dis-
cwt x 8 yd 3. cussed in Section 8.1 are a p a r t of the c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l
9 This result is + 3 % of 150.4 oz equaling _+ 4.5 oz. a n d are n o t c o n s i d e r e d a d m i x t u r e s u n d e r Section 8.4. The
9 The 4.5 oz being g r e a t e r t h a n 4.0 oz is the allowable tol- m i n e r a l a d m i x t u r e s of fly ash, silica fume, g r o u n d g r a n u l a t e d
erance. The range of a c c e p t a b l e a d m i x t u r e dosage is 150.4 blast-furnace slag, or o t h e r p o z z o l a n s are c o n s i d e r e d c e m e n -
oz _+ 4.5 = 146 to 155 oz. titious m a t e r i a l a n d m u s t be weighed within the s a m e tol-
Two questions are raised: Does "100 lb [50 kg] of cement" erances as established for c e m e n t in Section 8.1.
m e a n just cement, o r does it m e a n "cementitious material"?
Admixture dosages are often c o m p u t e d b a s e d u p o n a dosage Note l l Admixture dispensers of the mechanical type capa-
p e r cwt. of total c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l r a t h e r t h a n p u r e l y on ble of adjustment for variation of dosage, and of simple cali-
the p o r t l a n d c e m e n t content, a l t h o u g h s o m e concrete indus- bration, are recommended.
try professionals r e c o m m e n d using only the h y d r a u l i c ce-
m e n t c o n t e n t w h e n c o m p u t i n g the dosage of w a t e r reducers,
retarders, a n d high-range w a t e r reducers. F o r air-entraining Several suggestions are p a c k e d into Note l 1. The p r i m a r y
admixtures, the consensus is to always use the total cemen- idea is t h a t a reliable m e c h a n i c a l d i s p e n s e r is s u p e r i o r to a
titious material. The solution to the w a t e r r e d u c e r a d m i x t u r e c a l i b r a t e d b e a k e r or 5 gal b u c k e t for r o u t i n e batching. Small
question is for a p r o d u c e r to establish the dosage rate b a s e d variations in c h e m i c a l a d m i x t u r e dosages can create notice-
on w h a t is p r a c t i c a l or technically s o u n d to o p t i m i z e the able changes in successive b a t c h e s of concrete. This is par-
q u a n t i t y of a d m i x t u r e required. ticularly noticeable for w o r k a b i l i t y a n d time of set.
The w a t e r r e d u c e r dosage for a m i x t u r e c o m p r i s e d of 400 E q u i p m e n t t h a t allows the a d m i x t u r e dosage to be i n p u t
lb of c e m e n t plus 150 lb of fly ash a n d a dosage of 4 ounces/ in t e r m s of ounces p e r h u n d r e d w e i g h t of c e m e n t i t i o u s ma-
cwt. of c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l is 4 (400 + 150) + 100 = terial (oz/cwt) can be the simplest to use. I n p u t in t e r m s of
22 o z / y d 3. The dosage tolerance for a 3-yd 3 b a t c h is 22 3 ounces p e r cubic y a r d is also very simple to use.
0.03 = _+ 2 ounces or _+ 4 ounces (cwt. dosage). The latter Good dispensers will be p l u m b e d to provide a simple
value is greater a n d applies to this batch. The acceptable m e a n s of checking the c a l i b r a t i o n and m a k i n g corrections
r a n g e of a d m i x t u r e is thus 62-70 oz. w h e n necessary.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005
i |ml ml,m

Batching Plant
THIs Is AN OVERALL specification for a concrete b a t c h plant. the t e r m bin with o v e r h e a d b i n a n d j u m p to a n e r r o n e o u s
A wide range of p l a n t types is covered w i t h i n this section. a s s u m p t i o n t h a t o v e r h e a d bins are required. This is n o t true.
The basic needs for p r o d u c i n g consistent concrete are de- The definition of the w o r d b i n is: a box, f r a m e , crib, o r
fined. Plant differences are b r o u g h t a b o u t b y factors such as e n c l o s e d p l a c e u s e d for s t o r a g e . This can be a spot on the
increasing p r o d u c t i o n rates, a u t o m a t i n g m e t h o d s to r e p l a c e g r o u n d with large blocks of concrete or t i m b e r s s e p a r a t i n g
personnel, a n d r e p l a c i n g h u m a n j u d g m e n t with e q u i p m d n t a r e a s as easily as it can be a steel c o m p a r t m e n t in the air.
o p e r a t i n g on fixed p a r a m e t e r s . The w o r d c o m p a r t m e n t does n o t h i n g to change the require-
W h y do we call a concrete m a n u f a c t u r i n g facility a b a t c h ments. C o m p a r t m e n t means: a s e p a r a t e d i v i s i o n o r s e c -
plant? W e b s t e r defines b a t c h as "the q u a n t i t y of m a t e r i a l pre- tion; o n e o f t h e parts i n t o w h i c h an e n c l o s e d s p a c e is
p a r e d or r e q u i r e d for one operation: a m i x t u r e of r a w ma- divided.
terials r e a d y for fusion into glass." W e b s t e r uses the w o r d S1 states very s i m p l y that "each ''8 fine aggregate a n d each
glass r a t h e r t h a n concrete, b u t the w o r d s are i n t e r c h a n g e a - size o r type of coarse aggregate m u s t be s t o r e d s e p a r a t e l y
ble in this instance. The m a t e r i a l s are all p r o p o r t i o n e d for a with each c o m p a r t m e n t of a d e q u a t e size to prevent the dif-
specific v o l u m e a n d p l a c e d into a vehicle for delivery either ferent aggregates from b e c o m i n g intermingled. As a n ex-
in a m i x e d or u n m i x e d c o n d i t i o n d e p e n d i n g u p o n the p l a n t ample, a s s u m e a concrete p l a n t uses six different aggregates.
configuration a n d the delivery vehicle. The p r i m a r y p o i n t E a c h aggregate m u s t have its individual c o m p a r t m e n t to
here is that the p l a n t p r o d u c e s one b a t c h of p r o p o r t i o n e d prevent i n t e r m i n g l i n g p r i o r to entry into the weighing hop-
m a t e r i a l at a time a n d t h e n starts over for a n o t h e r batch. It per. One final question r e g a r d i n g S1 is: are visible physical
is n o t a c o n t i n u o u s process such as you see at s o m e a s p h a l t walls r e q u i r e d a r o u n d each type a n d size aggregate, or m a y
plants. an open air space be used to s e p a r a t e piles? Open air spaces
Can concrete be p r o d u c e d c o n t i n u o u s l y as a s p h a l t is? Yes are satisfactory if they are m a i n t a i n e d as open air spaces,
it can. Do we n o r m a l l y w a n t to do this on a m a s s basis? Not a n d aggregate stockpiles are n o t p e r m i t t e d to "grow" to-
often, b e c a u s e concrete users are m o r e n u m e r o u s with m u c h gether o r intermingle. S1 also includes such e l a b o r a t e ag-
b r o a d e r needs t h a n a s p h a l t users. By using one b a t c h at a gregate storage as c o m p a r t m e n t a l i z e d concrete silos with
t i m e plants, r a t h e r t h a n c o n t i n u o u s flow type plants, each c o m p l e x o v e r h e a d conveyor feeds a n d u n d e r g r o u n d dis-
b a t c h can be of the size a n d p r o p o r t i o n s d e s i r e d by the spe- charge systems. The u l t i m a t e e m p h a s i s of S1 is that each
cific customer. H o w can you serve a c u s t o m e r b e t t e r t h a n aggregate m u s t be stored s e p a r a t e l y w i t h o u t inte~aningling
with individually, c u s t o m - p r o p o r t i o n e d concrete delivered to p r i o r to t r a n s f e r into the weighing hopper.
the c h o s e n receiving point? R e a d y - m i x e d concrete is a ser- $2 discusses aggregate d i s c h a r g e into the weighing hop-
vice-oriented industry, a n d a "batch" p l a n t is step one in this per. Does "designed a n d o p e r a t e d so as to discharge effi-
service. Continuous or v o l u m e t r i c b a t c h i n g of concrete can ciently a n d freely" m e a n an o v e r h e a d bin? No, it does not.
be a c c o m p l i s h e d b y using ASTM Specification for Concrete Designed for efficient a n d free discharge can m e a n easy ac-
M a d e b y Volumetric B a t c h i n g a n d Continuous Mixing (C cess by a front-end l o a d e r to scoop up large bucketsful of
685/C 685M). At this t i m e these c o n t i n u o u s mixing units are aggregate. Or it can m e a n a p o w e r - o p e r a t e d gate at the bot-
t r u c k m o u n t e d a n d are c u s t o m a r i l y used for very small proj- t o m of a bin t h a t d r o p s aggregate directly into a weighing
ects o r for extremely long hauls. P r o p o r t i o n i n g of m a t e r i a l s h o p p e r o r takes a less direct r o u t e via conveyors a n d even
a n d mixing takes place at the j o b site. an i n t e r m e d i a t e b i n before r e a c h i n g the weighing hopper.
The real p o i n t of $2 is t h a t the aggregate gets f r o m its stor-
9.1 sl Bins with adequate separate compartments shall be pro- age space into the weighing h o p p e r with a m i n i m u m of seg-
vided in the batching plant for fine and for each required size regation. The t e r m s efficiently a n d freely are a reference to
of coarse aggregate, s2Each bin compartment shall be de- not having spots or locations in w h i c h aggregate is t r a p p e d
signed and operated so as to discharge efficiently and free- a n d interferes w i t h m o v e m e n t of o t h e r segments of the ag-
ly, with minimum segregation, into the weighing hopper. gregate supply. All aggregate control e q u i p m e n t (front-end
s3 Means of control shall be provided so that, as the quantity l o a d e r or gates) a n d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n conveyors shall be de-
desired in the weighing hopper is approached, the material
shall be shut off with precision, s4 Weighing hoppers shall be
constructed so as to eliminate accumulations of tare materials 8 Section 9.1 does not use the term "each" with the fine aggregate,
and to discharge fully. but it is implied by the "each" that precedes coarse aggregate. It is
only in very recent years that blending of fine aggregates has come
into prominence, while blending coarse aggregate is a long estab-
Aggregate storage, weighing, a n d discharge are the focus lished practice. In either case, separate bins are needed to achieve
of Section 9.1. To the casual reader, it is easy to associate a uniform product from batch to batch.

51
Copyright* 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
52 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

signed and operated to handle aggregate with a minimum of loader bucket as the load indicator or dial head indicates the
loss and segregation. desired batch quantity is being approached. Many important
S3 requires a method of determining when the desired and long lasting projects that we enjoy today were con-
batch weight (mass) is being approached for each aggregate. structed in this fashion.
Such an indication will make stopping the flow of aggregate S4 is directed to assurance factors that all material
into the weigh batcher more precise with respect to obtain- weighed gets into the final batch, and a portion of the
ing the desired aggregate mass. There are three basic types weighed material is not retained in the weighing hopper.
of scale indicators. Beam type scales with the long notched Weighed aggregate remaining in the weigh hopper when the
beams and poises have an over and under indicator atop the material is discharged affects the current batch by being
scales. These devices have very visible pointer arms that be- short on aggregate and all subsequent batches until this ag-
gin to move up toward a level position as the load in the gregate is removed. The tare weight has been increased and
weighing hopper approaches the desired load currently in- the full quota of aggregate is not batched. Some of the tared
dicated on the active scale beam. Thus, the operator is aggregate may enter subsequent batches. Methods routinely
warned that the cut-off point is approaching. With circular used to ensure the complete discharge of aggregates are
dial heads, the material quantity in the weighing hopper is smooth sloping sides for the weigh hopper, no shelves in
constantly visible. Many dial heads have markers which can these sides (walls) upon which aggregate can be trapped, dis-
be pre-set to the desired load, thus, negating the operator's charge gates occupying the entire bottom of the weigh hop-
necessity of remembering what the cut-off load is for each per, and a vibrator attached to at least one wall of the weigh
batch. The third system is the more modern computer mon- hopper. The location selected for the vibrator is typically the
itor that often shows a bar chart as the masses of materials side with the flattest horizontal slope. At many batch plants,
are being weighed, and the actual scale values are displayed the weigh hopper vibrator is activated automatically during
on the monitor. the discharge cycle. Most of the batching computers now
S3 also requires the aggregate feed system to be capable available are interlocked to prevent the commencement of
of being consistently closed off with precision. Acceptable the next batch unless the scales return to zero within a small
precision is identified by the tolerances of Section 8.2, Com- load tolerance such as 0.3 % of scale capacity. On older com-
puter Controlled Batching, which considers the mass of ag- puters the batch man retains the responsibility of observing
gregate suspended in air during the snapshot in time be- and ensuring a scale returns to near zero before commenc-
tween aggregate gate closing and all aggregate entering the ing the next batch.
weighing hopper, plus the bounce of the weighing hopper A relatively new approach to aggregate weighing hoppers
due to the acceleration energy of the falling aggregate is cur- is the weigh-on-the-belt configuration, This arrangement
rently the near ultimate in aggregate batching. These com- uses a conveyor belt assembly rather than metal gates on the
puters measure the change in mass in milliseconds of time bottom of what might otherwise pass for a weighing hopper.
and thus predict when to stop aggregate flow and act auto- The entire system of side panels and conveyor belt assembly
matically on these data. Jogging the aggregate feed gates to is suspended from load cells to measure the weight (mass)
get within the prescribed tolerance is a part of the computer of aggregate being dropped on to the conveyor belt.
software program. A decumulative batcher where a storage bin functions as
Can non-computer plants operate within prescribed tol- a weigh batcher and discharged material is measured by the
erances? Yes, it is possible, and it happens at numerous difference of the original mass and the final mass in the bin
batch plants on a regular basis. Precision is accomplished by is usually confined to portable plants. This type of plant re-
personnel pushing buttons or pulling levers to open and quires separate bins for fine aggregate and coarse aggregate.
close gates on overhead bins while watching load indicators.
At batch plants without overhead bins, the operator adjusts 9.2 sl Indicating devices shall be in full view and near enough
the aggregate flow by reducing the tip angle of a front-end to be read accurately by the operator while charging the

FIG. 9.A--Photo of scale dial head. FIG. 9.A.2--Overhead aggregate bins with weighing hopper below.
BATCHING PLANT 53

FIG. 9.B--Photo of computer monitor.

hopper, s2 The operator shall have convenient access to all


controls. FIG. 9.C---Over-under indicator for beam and poise weighing sys-
tem.
This is a very short and straightforward section. The clear
intent is that the operators (batch men) have all batching
controls at their fingertips and all weight (mass) or volume
book 44 accepts test loads, however, which only reach 50 %
indicators for the current batch in full view so indicators can
of scale capacity or the m a x i m u m load to which the scales
be read easily. The operator must know how much of each
will be subjected. Greater variations than described by
ingredient is going into the batch and be able to verify the
Handbook 44 are permitted because concrete is sold by vol-
ingredients that actually went into the batch. The target
ume (see Section 3) and is not sold by mass, although the
mass of each ingredient generally is displayed on monitors
mass of the materials is what ultimately leads to the greater
of computerized systems. One example of the extent taken
part of the volume. The variations described herein have
to ensure this provision is the use of closed-circuit TV cam-
been found to be acceptable in normal and high quality con-
eras on aggregate conveyors feeding mixer trucks when the
crete without the additional costs necessary for minimal in-
aggregate transfer conveyor from weighing hopper to mixing
creases in scale accuracy. ASTM C 94/C 94M is currently
drum is hidden from the operator's view. A second example
is the use of TV cameras to transmit a view of remotely silent as to procedures required to check the accuracy of the
scales other than stating it should be done within each quar-
placed admixture dispensers. In each case, the operator has
ter of the scale capacity. All 50 states have adopted NIST
a TV monitor at his workstation providing a view of product
movement. Handbook 44 so scale calibration personnel in each state are
familiar with the prescribed quantities of m i n i m u m certified
test weights (usually 12.5 % of scale capacity). They are also
9.3 Scales shall be considered accurate when at least one static
familiar with the NIST procedure of using product load (e.g.,
load test within each quarter of the scale capacity can be
aggregate) as a substitute for test weights (substitute load-
shown to be within +_ 0.2 % of the total capacity of the scale.
ing) after the test weights have been used to check up to the
m i n i m u m prescribed quantity of test weights. Exceptions to
How accurate is accurate enough? The answer as defined
here is _+ 0.2 % of scale capacity. For an aggregate scale with the NIST Handbook 44 procedures should be used only if
a 40 000-1b capacity, 0.2 % is + 80 lb. If the scale capacity the State DOT has lesser requirements, along with the re-
is 30 000 lb, the allowable error when being calibrated is _+ quirement for the scale calibrations to be checked at inter-
60 lb. Cement scales are smaller, as is the allowable variance. vals not exceeding six months. Under these conditions, a
A cement scale with a capacity of 7200 lb has an allowable lesser requirement of a State DOT may be acceptable. Do
calibration tolerance of _+ 14.4 lb. Scales for concrete ma- not confuse scale equipment accuracy defined here with re-
terials must be checked and must be accurate at all positions quired batching accuracies described in Section 8.
within the scale capacity. Concrete is batched in quantities
from 12 yd 3 or larger down to 1 yd 3, or in some cases frac- 9.4 sl Adequate standard test weights shall be available for
tions of a cubic yard. Section 9.3 calls for scales to be checking accuracy, s2 All exposed fulcrums, clevises, and sim-
checked within each quarter of the scale's capacity. This re- ilar working parts of scales shall be kept clean, sa Beam scales
quirement may be satisfied by two additional test loads shall be equipped with a balance indicator sensitive enough to
nearly equally divided between one calibration check at 24 % show movement when a weight equal to 0 . 1 % of the nominal
or less and one at 76 % or more of the scales' capacity. capacity of the scale is placed in the batch hopper, s4 Pointer
The required scale accuracy ( _+ 0.2 %) is less than required travel shall be a m i n i m u m of 5 % of the net-rated capacity of
by the National Institute of Standards and Technology the largest weigh beam for underweight and 4 % for over-
(NIST) Handbook 44 on Weights and Measures [64]. Hand- weight.
54 U S E R ' S GUIDE TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

S t a n d a r d test weights shall be used in the c a l i b r a t i o n of ing their calibration unless other means are provided for read-
scales. This does n o t m e a n t h a t the m a n u f a c t u r e r m u s t have ily and accurately determining the amount of water in the tank.
these test weights, only t h a t they shall be available a n d u s e d
w h e n the scales are checked. The m o s t c o m m o n source of
The t e r m "added water" is used to distinguish b e t w e e n wa-
the test weights are c o m p a n i e s regularly engaged in cali-
ter c o n t a i n e d in a n d on aggregates plus r e t a i n e d w a s h w a t e r
brating, inspecting, a n d p e r f o r m i n g preventive m a i n t e n a n c e
a n d the o t h e r w a t e r p u t into the batch. The a d d e d w a t e r is
on the scales. S o m e r e a d y - m i x e d concrete p r o d u c e r s r e t a i n
p u t into the concrete b a t c h from an outside source such as
a set of test weights at the plant, w h i c h allows t h e m to m a k e
a m u n i c i p a l w a t e r supply, a w a t e r well, a p p r o v e d river, creek,
quick checks a n d corrections if t h e r e is r e a s o n to believe t h a t
o r p o n d supply, satisfactory w a s h w a t e r supply, o r a n o t h e r
the scales are out of calibration. To be identified as " s t a n d a r d
a p p r o v e d i n d e p e n d e n t supply. A d d e d w a t e r is the q u a n t i t y of
test weights," the test weights m u s t be a c c u r a t e w i t h i n
w a t e r that is d e t e r m i n e d after adjusting the design m i x i n g
_+ 0 . 0 1 % of the i n d i c a t e d weight [63]. To avoid d e c i m a l
w a t e r for the free m o i s t u r e on aggregates, w a t e r to be ab-
points, the allowable tolerance on 50-1b weights m u s t be
stated in g r a m s (2 1/4 g). s o r b e d b y aggregates, a n d o t h e r potential sources such as
ice, large quantities of admixtures, etc. (see Section 5). Re-
N o t h i n g in either Section 9.4 o r 9.5 is w r i t t e n a b o u t h o w
gardless of the source, the a d d e d w a t e r m u s t be m e a s u r e d .
often scales o r test weights m u s t be checked. The attitude of
"Device" is the descriptive t e r m used for the w a t e r m e a -
ASTM C 94/C 94M is that the calibrations should be often
suring equipment, b e c a u s e it m a y be a v o l u m e t r i c m e a s u r e -
e n o u g h to keep the scales w i t h i n the p r e s c r i b e d accuracy.
m e n t o r a weighing system. Even the v o l u m e t r i c system m a y
The NRMCA Plant Certification p r o g r a m [70] requires test
be a flow t h r o u g h meter, o r it m a y b e a c a l i b r a t e d t a n k re-
weight certification at m a x i m u m intervals of two years. More
s e m b l i n g a n over-sized c a l i b r a t e d flask. A t u r b i n e type m e t e r
is p r e s e n t e d a b o u t scale c a l i b r a t i o n frequencies in the dis-
cussion of Note 12. has been the i n d u s t r y favorite for decades, b u t in the future
a s t r a i g h t - t h r o u g h flowing m e t e r capable of m e a s u r i n g w a s h
S2 is a gentle r e m i n d e r of preventive m a i n t e n a n c e t h a t is
w a t e r a n d slurry w a t e r is a p t to b e c o m e p r o m i n e n t in con-
n e e d e d to m a i n t a i n a c c u r a t e scales in a d u s t y a t m o s p h e r e
crete b a t c h plants.
with equipment, w h i c h is a b u s e d every t i m e it is used be-
Accuracy is defined as that r e q u i r e d b y Section 8.3. A m e a -
cause several tons of m a t e r i a l are s u d d e n l y d r o p p e d on the
suring a c c u r a c y of _+ 1 % of the t o t a l m i x i n g w a t e r (not
scales from a height of several feet. The weighing h o p p e r
a d d e d water) is the r e q u i r e m e n t for this m e t e r e d or w e i g h e d
jerks a n d j u m p s from this abuse, a n d w e a r on m e t a l parts is
water. H o w t h a t a c c u r a c y is o b t a i n e d is not the c o n c e r n of
the result. S2 also m e a n s that just b e c a u s e c e m e n t dust a n d
this specification. The total a c c u r a c y for all w a t e r in the mix-
r o c k dust are a p a r t of life at a b a t c h plant, they are n o t an
ture including all o t h e r w a t e r sources is _+ 3 % of total mix-
a c c e p t a b l e excuse for i n a c c u r a t e scales. The w o r k i n g parts
m u s t be kept clean. ing water.
S2 requires that the m e a s u r i n g device not be affected b y
S3 addresses the sensitivity of the scales. There m u s t be
c h a n g i n g pressures in the w a t e r feed line. Variable p r e s s u r e s
m o v e m e n t of the b a l a n c e i n d i c a t o r w h e n a l o a d as small as
in m u n i c i p a l w a t e r lines or w a t e r well p u m p systems are
0 . 1 % of the scale c a p a c i t y is p l a c e d in the weighing hopper.
c o m m o n . The p r i m a r y t h o u g h t being conveyed is t h a t a
This is 30 lb in a scale with a c a p a c i t y of 30 000 lb. Does
t i m e r c a n n o t be used to o p e n a n d close w a t e r valves. If a
this a p p l y only to b e a m scales? The i n t e n t i o n is to a p p l y this
t i m e r is used to control the flow of water, varying p r e s s u r e s
criterion to any scale including the m o d e r n load-cell sup-
will deliver varying quantities of w a t e r in a given time.
p o r t e d weighing hoppers, w h i c h activate n u m b e r s on a com-
$3 provides specific guidelines for c a l i b r a t e d tanks u s e d
puter-controlled monitor. Scales m u s t be sensitive to loads
as small as 0 . 1 % of capacity. Thus, a 7200-llo c a p a c i t y ce- to m e a s u r e the a d d e d water. They m u s t have valves to d r a w
w a t e r directly from the t a n k for c a l i b r a t i o n p u r p o s e s o r
m e n t weigh h o p p e r m u s t be sensitive to a l o a d as low as 7
lb. s o m e o t h e r m e t h o d that will allow an a c c u r a t e check of wa-
ter in the tank. The a c c u r a c y of Section 8.3 m u s t be ob-
$4 provides detailed r e q u i r e m e n t s for the over-under in-
tained. The m o s t p r a c t i c a l m e a n s of doing this is a cylindri-
d i c a t o r specified in Section 9.1 for b e a m scales. The l o a d
cal t a n k with the long axis upright. A cylinder lying d o w n is
range for the over-under i n d i c a t o r shall be n o t less t h a n 9 %
very difficult to calibrate a n d m a r k within the r e q u i r e d ac-
of the r a t e d l o a d c a p a c i t y of the largest weigh b e a m in the
curacy. It is also difficult to control the s h a p e of a cubical
b e a m scale system. With a 20 000-1b m a x i m u m b e a m scale,
the i n d i c a t o r m u s t have a m i n i m u m range of 1800 lb. The t a n k w h e n it is filled with water. Metal sides bulge as the
square o r r e c t a n g u l a r p l a n view a t t e m p t s to b e c o m e a circle
i n d i c a t o r will b e c o m e active w h e n the load reaches a p o i n t
d u r i n g the filling operation. The vertical cylindrical t a n k
1000 lb (5 %) below the desired q u a n t i t y a n d will c o n t i n u e
to be active u p to 800 lb (4 %) over the d e s i r e d b a t c h weight. with a u n i f o r m c a l i b r a t i o n strip is the simplest m e t h o d of
These criteria are a p p l i c a b l e to b e a m scales u s e d to mea- m e e t i n g the r e q u i r e m e n t s for a c a l i b r a t e d tank.
sure any of the concrete ingredients. Do these r e q u i r e m e n t s a n d suggestions for tanks a p p l y to
a c o n t a i n e r holding weighed o r m e t e r e d water? No, they do
not, b e c a u s e for the l a t t e r applications, the t a n k is m e r e l y a
9.5 sl The device for the measurement of the added water shall
h o l d i n g vessel as o p p o s e d to a m e a s u r i n g vessel.
be capable of delivering to the batch the quantity required
within the accuracy required in 8.3. s2 The device shall be so
arranged that the measurements will not be affected by variable Note 12--The scale accuracy limitations of the National
pressures in the water supply line. s3 Measuring tanks shall Ready Mixed Concrete Association Plant Certification meet the
be equipped with outside taps and valves to provide for check- requirements of this specification.
BATCHING PLANT 55

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has a gates. Section 8 states that cement shall be measured before
written program for the inspection and certification of con- mineral admixtures (supplementary cementitious materials)
crete batch plants and their delivery fleets. The inspection when the same batch hopper is used. To do this, the cement
program is designed to ensure that a batch plant is capable and mineral admixtures (S(2M) must be in separate storage
of producing quality concrete meeting all requirements of bins or silos. One thing that is not stated is that the cement
ASTM C 94/C 94M. It also covers some items that are ad- and mineral admixtures must be kept dry until the added
dressed in the CPMB standards for concrete plant equipment water is introduced into the mix. Ordering and strength re-
[22], all of which are not addressed in ASTM C 94/C 94M. quirements, as well as hatching accuracy requirements, take
The inspection guidelines make some specific requirements care of this potential problem. If the cementitious materials
in a positive attempt to ensure ASTM C 94/(2 94M compli- are pre-wetted, large lumps are formed, which make accu-
ance. Some of the inspection procedures and manufacturer rate batching impossible, and the early hydration adversely
management commitments concern scale accuracy. For ex-
affects strengths. Not mentioning keeping your powder dry
ample, manufacturer (producer) management agrees that all
is akin to not saying delivery vehicles must have wheels. It
scales will be checked (calibrated) at intervals of six months
is simply unnecessary.
or less [70]. The same agreement binds producer manage-
Chemical admixtures are not a required part of a batch
ment to check the calibration of volumetric admixture dis-
plant, although they are present in most plants today. The
pensers and volumetric water batching devices (meters or
accuracy with which they are proportioned is discussed in
calibrated tanks) at intervals not exceeding 90 days. These
time intervals between calibrations are short enough that it Section 8. Visibility to plant operators of all proportioning
is rare for a plant to lose accuracy to the extent of product indicating devices is stated in Section 9.2.
failure unless there is an actual failure of the proportioning The plant certification program of the National Ready
equipment. Mixed Concrete Association describes specific plant require-
A close study of Section 9 "Batching Plant" reveals that the ments, which ensure compliance with the broad require-
words cement or cementitious material or chemical admix- ments of ASTM C 94/C 94M. As an example, the NRMCA
tures are never mentioned. How can you have a concrete certification checklist commences with "Cement bins or silos
batch plant section and not discuss specifics for these ma- tight and provide for free movement to discharge opening."
terials, or has this been accomplished in other sections? The checklist also requires methods of ensuring that admix-
Section 8 calls for cement to be measured by mass and for ture dispensers are measuring chemical admixtures and not
it to be measured in a batch hopper separate from aggre- air, as can occur with turbine type meters.

FIG. 9.D--Concrere Datch plant.


MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

10
Mixers and Agitators
THE BASICREQUIREMENTSfor mixers (stationary or portable) 10.1.1 Sl Stationary mixers shall be equipped with a metal
and for agitating transport equipment are described in this plate or plates on which are plainly marked the mixing speed
section. Mandatory nameplate data are listed for both mixers of the drum or paddles, and the maximum capacity in terms
and agitators. Maximum capacities (mixed concrete volume) of the volume of mixed concrete, s2 When used for the com-
of the units in terms of their overall volume are stated. Uni- plete mixing of concrete, stationary mixers shall be equipped
formity of the mixed concrete occupies a major segment of with an acceptable timing device that will not permit the batch
this section. The importance of concrete homogeneity and to be discharged until the specified mixing time has elapsed.
uniformity is evidenced by the last five subsections, which
reference Annex A1, "Concrete Uniformity Requirements." Sl is a very direct statement concerning two pieces of in-
formation that need to be attached to a stationary mixer: the
10.1 Sl Mixers will be stationary mixers or truck mixers. maximum speed in rpm at which mixing should take place
s2 Agitators will be truck mixers or truck agitators. and the maximum capacity of the mixer as reported in yd 3
[m 3] of mixed product. The placement by the manufacturer
A broad net is cast in describing equipment that may be of this information on a metal plate attached to the equip-
used for mixing a concrete batch or for agitating a previously ment ensures availability to both operators and inspectors.
mixed batch. Stationary mixers consist of a variety of mixer ASTM C 94/C 94M does not impose a limit on the capacity
types, which have one thing in common. They are a part of of a stationary mixer with regard to volume of the mixer.
the batch plant, and after mixing the concrete is then trans- Limitations are imposed by the manufacturer based upon
ferred to a delivery vehicle. A common term used to describe uniformity performance and desired time of mixing, The
a stationary plant is "central mix plant" or "wet plant," but rated capacity of stationary or plant mixers is addressed by
"shrink-mix plants" are also stationary. the standards of the Concrete Plant Manufacturer's Bureau
Truck mixers have only two basic types: rear discharge [22]. The rated capacities for member manufacturers require
drums and front discharge drums. These units are the tra- a minimum specific volume in cubic feet for a rated capacity
ditional concrete transit mix trucks seen on the streets. Ma- as a mixer in cubic yards. The minimum volumes for a par-
terials are batched into them in an unmixed or partially ticular rated capacity of concrete vary depending upon the
mixed condition, and the mixing into a uniform mass occurs type of stationary mixer. Five types are defined by CPMB
inside the revolving drum. Truck mixers are inclined with with accompanying tables for minimum volume capacities.
the charging and discharge end upwards. The higher point $2 addresses the use of stationary mixers to do the com-
of the feed hopper allows materials to move toward the plete mixing of the concrete batch. This is the true intent of
lower and closed end of the drum. The blades (fins) in the the term "central mixing." The requirement is for inclusion
mixer are generally of two helixes. Clockwise drum rotation, of a timing device that will prevent mixer discharge before
when viewed from the high end, is in the charging and mix- a predetermined amount of mixing time. The determination
ing mode, while counter-clockwise rotation causes the ma- of the length of mixing time is discussed under Section 11.3
terial to be lifted by the blades (fins) toward the discharge and its subsections. This is the specified mixing time ad-
end. dressed in $2. The purchaser seldom specifies a mixing time,
$2 divides agitating units into two groups. The first of but such a requirement is not unusual for concrete paving
these is a conventional truck mixer, which is rotated at a jobs.
slower speed than used for mixing concrete. Truck agitators
may take a shape more closely resembling a dump truck
than a truck mixer. Agitation of the concrete is provided by 10.1.2 sl Each truck mixer or agitator shall have attached
thereto in a prominent place a metal plate or plates on which
some type of moving paddle arrangement. The agitation is
used to maintain the previously mixed concrete in a uniform are plainly marked the gross volume of the drum, the capacity
fluid-like condition until discharge. of the drum or container in terms of the volume of mixed con-
crete, and the minimum and maximum mixing speeds of ro-
tation of the drum, blades, or paddles, s2 When the concrete
is truck mixed as described in 11.5, or shrink mixed as de-
scribed in 11.4, the volume of mixed concrete shall not exceed
63 % of the total volume of the drum or container, s3 When
the concrete is central mixed as described in 11.3, the volume
of concrete in the truck mixer or agitator shall not exceed
80 % of the total volume of the drum or container, s4 Truck
FIG. lO.AmDrawing of rear discharge mixer. mixers and agitators shall be equipped with means to readily

56
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
MIXERS AND AGITATORS 57

FIG. lO.B--Drawing of front discharge mixer.

verify the number of revolutions of the drum, blades, or pad- mized for weight and environmental protection purposes,
dles. and new mixers are often unable to exceed a speed of 20
rpm.
This subsection deals with specific requirements for t r u c k $2 states a maximum approved capacity of a drum used
mixers a n d agitators. Requirements for t r u c k mixers get for mixing (truck mixed or shrink mixed) is 63 % of the total
the first look. S1 requires an attached metal plate or plates drum volume. If the total inside volume of a drum is 352 ft3
to indicate the gross volume of the mixing drum (usually in what is the allowable capacity for mixing concrete? Using
cubic feet). These plates usually are attached to a pedestal (352 x 0.63) + 27 = 8.2 yd 3, the answer is that this is an
supporting the drum or are located on the inside of the 8-yd3 mixer.
driver-cab door. Also shown on the plates will be the ap- The 63 % of total volume allows adequate vacant space for
proved capacity of the mixer (drum) in volume of mixed con- the concrete to mix as the mixing blades (fins) pick the ma-
crete (cubic yards are typical). The metal plate or plates shall terials up inside the drum, move them forward to the drum
also have inscribed the equipment manufacturer's recom- head, and return materials back up the central axis toward
mended range for mixing speed of the drum in revolutions the discharge end during each revolution [ 14] and minimizes
per minute. The Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau concrete spillage from the discharge end. There must be ade-
(TMMB) sets this range at 6-18 rpm of the drum for mixing quate space for these movements, or the required mixing
concrete [91]. Tests by both drum manufacturers and the time will increase. The 63 % of total drum volume also al-
NRMCA have shown that mixing speeds up to 25 rpm will lows adequate volume to get all the materials in the drum
produce good mixing of the concrete [67]. The only potential before they are completely mixed. Mixing drums have had
problem with mixing at speeds between 18-25 rpm is equip- this requirement by the NRMCA since 1957 [66]. The stan-
ment fatigue. The specific equipment that may be jeopard- dard size for mixing drums evolved from extensive 1952 re-
ized by high speeds is the direct-drum drive, which experi- search by the NRMCA [92] in cooperation with the TMMB.
ences tremendous torque loads while turning large volumes Do not forget that the mixing blades form a dam near the
of low-slump concrete. Truck engine sizes have been mini- discharge opening to help retain concrete in the drum.
58 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

FIG. lO.C--Photo of agitator truck.


M I X E R S AND AGITATORS 59

The 80 % of drum volume is an investigated capacity [65]


that is seldom used by transit-mix trucks being used as agi-
tator trucks. When loaded to this capacity, a portion of the
load is subject to spillage on hilly terrain, especially with
higher slump concrete, and could exceed the local weight
regulations for travel on roads and bridges.
S4 requires a counter on all mixing drums to record the
number of drum revolutions. Mechanical counters are
mounted at the front of the drum, usually on the driver's
side. The newer electronic counters with proximity switch
sensors often have the revolution read out in the truck cab,
thus allowing the driver to be better informed. The number
of revolutions by the drum is related to three primary re-
quirements:
1. Section 11.5 requires complete mixing within 70-100 rev-
olutions at mixing speed.
2. Section 11.7 requires a minimum of 30 revolutions at mix-
FIG. lO.D--Copy of mixer plates for rear discharge. ing speed when additional water is injected at the job site.
3. Section 11.7 allows a maximum of 300 revolutions for dis-
charge of the concrete unless this requirement is waived
$3 allows a truck mixer (truck-mounted mixing drum) to by the purchaser.
have a load of 80 % of its total volume if the concrete is Requirements from 10.1.2 for agitators are similar to
completely pre-mixed in a true central-mixed stationary those for drum mixers, except as a transport vehicle, the pur-
plant. Shrink-mixed concrete (Section 11.4) requires mixers pose differs. Mixing is already completed in a "central-mix
that will be filled to no more than 63 % of their capacity. plant," and the agitator's only purpose is to maintain a co-
The mixing of shrink-mixed concrete can be completed by hesive mixture during transport and to prevent premature
mixing in the truck mixer using full mixing speed either in setting in the drum.
the batch-plant yard or after arrival at the job site. Usually Sl requires a metal plate or plates attached to indicate the
the truck mixer-agitator must not exceed the minimum nom- gross volume of the agitator container. These plates are typ-
inal agitating speed during transit to the job site because of ically attached to the supporting frame or may be located on
potential truck stability problems. Mixers for central-mix op- the inside of the driver's side door. The plates also will dis-
erations (Section 11.3) may be filled to the greater capacity play the approved capacity of the container or mixing drum
because the materials have already been combined, thus when used to agitate pre-mixed concrete. The volume is typ-
minimizing their volume and because now all they need is ically displayed in cubic yards to coincide with the sale units
agitation, not mixing. As an agitator, the 352-ft3 drum vol- of concrete. S1 also requires the metal plate or plates to have
ume looked at earlier produces the following numbers: inscribed the equipment manufacturer's recommended
range for agitation speed of the drum or blades or paddles
(352 0.80) + 27 = 10.4 yd 3, so for agitation this is a (agitating mechanism). The Truck Mixer Manufacturer's Bu-
10-yd3 drum. reau [91] sets this speed at a maximum of 6 rpm, leaving
any minimum speeds to the individual manufacturer.

FIG. lO, E--Copy of mixer plates for front discharge. FIG. lO.E.2--Truck mixer loading at batch plant,
60 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

FIG. lO.F---Sketch of mixing drum filled at 63 % of volume.

$2 contains no requirements for agitator units. 1. Mass (weight) per cubic foot calculated to an air-free
$3 increases the maximum approved capacity of an agi- basis in lb/ft 3, based on density test (unit weight) and test
tator container, be it open topped or a mixing drum to 80 % for air content
of its total volume. A sample computation is a 405-fl 3 con- 2. Air content (% of concrete volume)
tainer (0.80 - 27) = 12-yd3 agitator. 3. S l u m p (in.)
$4 requires agitators to be equipped with counters just like 4. Coarse aggregate content, portion by mass (weight) re-
the requirement for mixers to have counters. The number of tained on 4.75 m m (No. 4) sieve (% of sample that is
revolutions of a drum or paddles pulled through the concrete coarse aggregate)
must be known, because the limit of 300 remains in effect 5. Mass (weight) per unit volume of air-free mortar cal-
unless waived by the purchaser. culated from test results of density test (unit weight), mea-
sured air content, wet-sieve analysis on 4.75 mm (No. 4),
and predetermined relative density of coarse aggregate
10.2 All stationary and truck mixers shall be capable of com-
(specific gravity, SSD)
bining the ingredients of the concrete within the specified time
6. Average compressive strength of not less than three
or the number of revolutions specified in 10.5, into a thor-
seven-day cylinders
oughly mixed and uniform mass and of discharging the con-
crete so that not less than five o f the six requirements shown Values for each of the six test results are compared be-
in Table AI.1 shall have been met. tween the concrete sample from each end of the load. Ac-
ceptable test comparisons are set forth in Table AI.I. For a
The reference to time concerns stationary central-mix mixer to be acceptable it must satisfy any five of the six test
plants as specified in Section 11.3 and its subsections. The requirements. The discussion of Table AI.I in Chapter 20
reference to number of revolutions concerns transit-mix (Annex to ASTM C94/C 94M) includes a numerical example
trucks, which perform the mixing operation and must do so and a discussion of the physical tests and information
within the 70-100 revolutions prescribed in Section 11.5. needed for each of the six values.
Table AI.1 is in the A1 Annex to ASTM C 94/C 94M and A common practice when checking transit mixers for uni-
sets forth the uniformity requirements for concrete as mixed formity compliance is to check one mixer of each drum man-
and as discharged (see Table 20.A). The criteria set forth in ufacturer and size of drum. If the chosen mixer from a group
Table A1.1 provide six measurable values to enable checking meets the "mixer performance test," it can be reasonably as-
for "thoroughly mixed and uniform mass." Each of the val- sumed that identical mixers of the same size, blade design,
ues can assist in assessing the uniformity of the concrete. and overall condition also will perform satisfactorily. Each
The concrete is to be tested and judged when discharged mixer that is not tested should be inspected for blade wear,
from the mixer. concrete or mortar build-up, and for missing blade sections.
Section 11.5.1 describes the obtaining of two separate The latter should be repaired. For excessive build-up or ex-
samples from a single load of truck-mixed concrete. Sections cessive wear, the truck mixer may receive a uniformity per-
of 11.3.3 provide a description of acceptable sampling from formance test or be arbitrarily sidelined by the producer.
a stationary plant. Each procedure yields two samples, each Mixing uniformity evaluation requires considerable effort
from different segments of the batch. Each of the two sam- and a full load of concrete. It is not reasonable to require
ples is tested for six fresh and hardened concrete properties, mixers to be tested for mixing uniformity on a regular basis.
and the test results compared for uniformity with acceptable Factors that affect mixing are generally visually checked.
differences defined in Table A1.1. These include the wear on the blades inside the drum barrel,
The six test values to be obtained for each of the two sam- especially at the section of the largest diameter, and the oc-
ples are as follows: currence of build-up of hardened concrete inside the barrel.
MIXERS AND AGITATORS 61

These items are p a r t of the i n s p e c t i o n p r o c e s s for t r u c k mix- used unless the condition is corrected, except as provided in
ers in the NRMCA p l a n t certification p r o g r a m . 10.5.

Note 13--The sequence or method of charging the mixer will A quick check on a m i x e r o r a g i t a t o r m a y be m a d e at a n y
have an important effect on the uniformity of the concrete. t i m e b y using the s l u m p test. S a m p l e s are t a k e n a n d s l u m p
tests p e r f o r m e d after discharge of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 15 % of the
Studies p e r f o r m e d b y the N a t i o n a l R e a d y Mixed Concrete l o a d a n d after discharge of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 85 % of the load.
Association b e g i n n i n g in 1969 a n d p u b l i s h e d in p h a s e s be- The d i s c h a r g e of the l o a d shall be fast e n o u g h t h a t n o t m o r e
ginning in 1969 [14] a n d c o n c l u d i n g in 1975 [39] are p r o b - t h a n 15 m i n u t e s elapse b e t w e e n taking the two s a m p l e s a n d
ably w h a t p r o m p t e d this note. The studies c o n c l u d e d that b e t w e e n the two s l u m p tests. The difference b e t w e e n the two
several l o a d i n g sequences could be u s e d satisfactorily, but s l u m p test results s h o u l d not be greater t h a n the l i m i t in
t h a t the b a t c h i n g sequence was a n i m p o r t a n t factor in pro- Table A1.1 of Annex AI.
d u c i n g h o m o g e n o u s concrete. The p o i n t of w a t e r injection A m i x e r o r a g i t a t o r failing the s l u m p test p o r t i o n of the
s e e m e d to be an i m p o r t a n t c o m p o n e n t of several b a t c h i n g u n i f o r m i t y test m a y be disqualified from use until the m i x i n g
p r o c e d u r e s . A desired sequence of b a t c h i n g was s o m e form u n i f o r m i t y p r o b l e m is corrected. Section 10.5 provides s o m e
of r i b b o n l o a d i n g in w h i c h the ingredients were p l a c e d into specific exceptions b y w h i c h the unit m a y c o n t i n u e to be
the m i x e r simultaneously. used.
A frequently u s e d r i b b o n - l o a d i n g b a t c h i n g sequence is to If one o r b o t h of the s l u m p tests a p p e a r to have a p o s s i b l e
b a t c h 50 % o r m o r e of the b a t c h w a t e r followed by p a r t of error, it is p e r m i s s i b l e to r e r u n the test, if d o n e so i m m e d i -
the coarse aggregate. The r e m a i n i n g c o a r s e aggregate, the ately. The tolerance limits are small, a n d e q u i p m e n t s h o u l d
sand, a n d the c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l s a r e then a d d e d simul- not be p e n a l i z e d by a n e r r o n e o u s test result.
t a n e o u s l y to the b a t c h p r e c e d i n g the last p o r t i o n o f the mix-
ing w a t e r (tail water). L o a d i n g of c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l s Note 14--sl No samples should be taken before 10 % or after
s h o u l d be c o m p l e t e d before the last of the aggregates enters 90 % o f the batch has been discharged, s2 Due to the difficulty
the mixer. The c o m b i n a t i o n o f initial w a t e r (head water) a n d of determining the actual quantity o f concrete discharged, the
a p o r t i o n of the c o a r s e aggregate as the first ingredients to intent is to provide samples that are representative o f widely
be h a t c h e d usually avoids h e a d packs. A c o m b i n a t i o n of s a n d separated portions, but not the beginning and end o f the load.
o r s a n d a n d c e m e n t p a c k e d a g a i n s t the h e a d of the m i x i n g
d r u m is identified as a h e a d pack. This m a t e r i a l m a y r e a c h $2 states "the intent" is to o b t a i n s a m p l e s that are repre-
a thickness of a foot o r m o r e a n d often does not d r o p into sentative of the load, b u t w h i c h are widely separated. Stay
the r e m a i n d e r of the load until the u n l o a d i n g (discharge) a w a y from b o t h ends of the l o a d b e c a u s e t h e y will not always
process. be representative of the m a j o r i t y of the load. S o m e t i m e s it
Other b a t c h i n g sequences m a y provide excellent unifor- m a y be rock c o n t e n t o r s l u m p o r one of the o t h e r factors,
m i t y of the concrete d e p e n d i n g u p o n the actual materials, b u t the very ends of the l o a d are n o t always r e p r e s e n t a t i v e
mixing e q u i p m e n t , a n d p l a n t configuration. If a p r o v e n pro- of the delivered concrete.
c e d u r e s u d d e n l y seems to go bad, the first place to begin S1 is explicit that the first a n d last i 0 % of a l o a d s h o u l d
looking for a solution is a c h a n g e in the w a t e r a d d i t i o n se- not be tested. Section 10.4 states to o b t a i n a concrete s a m p l e
quences o r p r o p o r t i o n s . Countless o t h e r possibilities exist,
b u t w a t e r is the m o s t c o m m o n culprit.
EXAMPLES 10.A and lO.B--Table AI.1 slump requirement
10.3 The agitator shall be capable of maintaining the mixed excerpt.
concrete in a thoroughly mixed and uniform mass and of dis- Slump Range of concrete by test Requirement, Expressed as
charging the concrete with a satisfactory degree of uniformity Maximum Permissible
Difference in the Two
as defined by Annex A1. Results of Tests
If average slump is 4 in. or less 1.0 in.
The s a m e p a r a m e t e r s as discussed in Section 10.2 for mix- If average slump is 4 in. to 6 in. 1.5 in.
ers a p p l y to agitators. The concrete as d i s c h a r g e d from the
a g i t a t o r m u s t m e e t a m i n i m u m of five of the six c o m p a r i s o n
values of Table A1.1. EXAMPLE lO.A---Slump uniformity test.
If an a g i t a t o r fails the u n i f o r m i t y test, it m a y be a p p r o - Truck No. 41
priate to p e r f o r m a u n i f o r m i t y test on the s t a t i o n a r y m i x e r Slump one = 5.25 in. and Slump two = 6.50 in.
feeding the agitation unit. The a g i t a t o r is only expected to Average slump = 5.88 in.
Allowable difference in two slumps = 1.5 in.
m a i n t a i n a m i x t u r e in the state that it was received a n d is Measured difference in two slumps = 1.25 in. < 1.5 in. OK
n o t expected to s u p p l e m e n t the mixing.

10.4 sl Slump tests of individual samples taken after discharge EXAMPLE l O.B--Slump uniformity test.
of approximately 15 % and 85 % of the load will provide a Truck No. 53
quick check of the probable degree of uniformity (Note 14). Slump one = 3.0 in. and Slump two = 4.25 in.
sz These two samples shall be obtained within an elapsed time Average slump = 3.63 in.
of not more than 15 min. sa I f these slumps differ more than Allowable difference in two slumps = 1.0 in.
that specified in Annex A1, the mixer or agitator shall not be Measured difference in two slumps = 1.25 in. > 1.0 in. Fails
62 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

15% 85%
0% 10%! 25% ,~\~\\\\x,\x\\\\ \\ 75% I 90% 100%
! Concrete Not To t
, Be Sampled \ I

FIG. lO.G--Drawing of test segments of concrete.

at approximately 15 % and 85 % of the load. No limits are proof-tests described in Annex A1 shall be performed to show
ever stated, but it is reasonable to assume that the center whether the correction of deficiencies is required.
50 % of the load does not meet the criterion of "widely
separated portions." The interior of mixer and agitator containers must be in-
How can the discharge points be measured? The most ac- spected by responsible persons on a regular basis. The terms
curate method is to use a stopwatch to clock the actual dis- "as necessary" and "regular basis" mean that inspections
charge time of a couple of trucks prior to sampling the cho- shall be often enough to prevent build-ups of concrete or
sen mixer or agitator. Note that the discharge rates should mortar that would cause the mixer or agitator to fail a mix-
be similar if this technique is used. Many drivers will have ing uniformity performance test. It is virtually impossible to
an excellent idea of the portion of a load that has been dis- prevent some build-up and completely impossible to prevent
charged. blade wear. As these items occur they should be corrected
via a regular maintenance program prior to causing a per-
10.5 Use o f the equipment is permitted when operation with formance test failure.
a longer mixing time, a smaller load, or a more efficient charg- There are no specific criteria in Section 10.6 because the
ing sequence wilt permit the requirements o f Annex A1 to be quantity of build-up that might be considered unacceptable
met. will vary with size of drum or container and with blade con-
figurations. Many producers weigh their delivery fleets on a
Alternatives are presented here that may make it possible regular basis and establish limits for concrete build-up. Lim-
to keep the equipment in service either temporarily or per- its of between 500-2000 lb are common. The middle of this
manently depending upon the problem that has prevented it range, somewhere between 1000-1500 lb, is the most often
from meeting the Annex A1 uniformity criteria. Section 10.5 used limit before chipping and cleaning a drum.
is applicable to both full uniformity criteria, and the quick A quick look into the mixer from the charging hopper may
check allowed in Section 10.4. not reveal the extent of build-up. The routine build-up on
blades occurs on the side facing the head of the drum and
10.6 s1 Mixers and agitators shall be examined or their mass thus is not readily visible from the rear of drum. These build-
determined as frequently as necessary to detect changes in con- ups can be observed via a mirror on a pole or by removing
dition due to accumulations o f hardened concrete or mortar the drum inspection hatch.
and examined to detect wear of blades, s2 When such changes Allowable blade wear has been quantified by the NRMCA
are extensive enough to affect the mixer performance, the in its plant certification inspection instructions [70]. The

-F T
X
T X X

1 ,SHELL
/--- DRUM

2
"L" Die-Formed Straight "T"

MIXER BLADE TYPES


FI6. lO.H--Mixer blade types from NRMCA plant certification checklist.
M I X E R S AND AGITATORS 63

FIG. lO.l--Drawing of inside of mixing drum depicting mixer blade configuration for truck
mixers.

NRMCA r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s are not a p a r t of this specifica- u f a c t u r e r s also provide g u i d a n c e on the level of w e a r t h a t


tion b u t m a y be used as g u i d a n c e for an inspector. NRMCA m a y adversely affect m i x e r p e r f o r m a n c e . A g o o d rule of
identified four blade types as s h o w n in Fig. 10.H. The inter- t h u m b is to p e r f o r m a u n i f o r m i t y test if all of the lip is gone.
nal configuration of the m i x i n g d r u m blades n e e d e d for the If c i r c u m s t a n c e s do not p e r m i t u n i f o r m i t y tests, the need for
m i x i n g a n d d i s c h a r g e of c o n c r e t e is s h o w n in Fig. 10.I. an e x t e n d e d mixing time a n d a l o n g e r time r e q u i r e m e n t to
NRMCA criteria state that w h e n the height of the b l a d e at d i s c h a r g e l o w - s l u m p concrete is usually a n i n d i c a t o r of
the p o i n t of m a x i m u m d r u m d i a m e t e r n e a r e s t to the d r u m excessive blade w e a r o r blades with excessive h a r d e n e d
h e a d is less t h a n 90 % of the original r a d i a l height (dimen- buildup. A n o n - u n i f o r m s l u m p o r a i r c o n t e n t of the concrete
sion "X" in Fig. 10.H of a p p l i c a b l e blade type), the b l a d e is t h r o u g h o u t the d i s c h a r g e is also a sign of p o o r m i x i n g due
c o n s i d e r e d excessively w o r n a n d s h o u l d be r e p a i r e d o r re- either to w o r n lips o r blades or to excessive b u i l d u p of hard-
placed. F o r blades with a lip, a view from the charging hop- ened concrete inside the d r u m . S l u m p variations will u s u a l l y
p e r m a y reveal if all of the lip has b e e n w o r n off. Mixer m a n - be visible w i t h o u t test m e a s u r e m e n t s .
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005
i

11
Mixing and Delivery
11.1 Ready-mixed concrete shall be mixed and delivered to the 11.2 Mixers and agitators shall be operated within the limits
point designated by the purchaser by means of one of the fol- of capacity and speed of rotation designated by the manufac-
lowing combinations of operations: turer of the equipment.

11.1.1 Central-Mixed Concrete Each manufacturer of mixers (stationary or transit) and


agitator equipment shall label their equipment with capaci-
11.1.2 Shrink.Mixed Concrete
ties and speeds of rotation. The ready-mixed concrete pro-
11.1.3 Truck-Mixed Concrete ducer shall utilize this information in providing ready-mixed
concrete.
There are several ways to mix concrete, beginning with a For central-mix stationary mixers, ASTM C 94/C 94M does
wheelbarrow, a shovel for measuring, and a garden hoe for not list specific ratios of concrete volume to mixer volume.
mixing, but there are currently only four methods of fur- There are five basic types of stationary mixers at this time.
nishing commercial concrete in accordance with ASTM Each type has its own unique style of mixing, but each must
specifications. The less common of these methods is hauling meet the uniformity requirements of Section 11.3. Mixing
raw materials on a truck and mixing them volumetrically at uniformity combined with mixing time to achieve the uni-
the job site. This method of producing concrete is covered formity are coupled with marketplace demands to achieve
by the ASTM Specification for Concrete Made by Volumetric realistic production times for each type of mixer. Even
Batching and Continuous Mixing (C 685/C 685M). This though ASTM C 94/C 94M does not place specific volume
method has some benefits whereby concrete can be pro- restraints on the various types of mixers, an organization of
duced and delivered in small quantities and on demand such stationary mixer manufacturers has established standards on
as for small residential addition applications and overcomes each type. The Plant Mixer Manufacturers Division (PMMD)
some issues related to long haul situations and delays on the of the Concrete Plant Manufacturers Bureau (CPMB) places
job site. It is also used in situations where it is preferred not volumetric requirements on stationary mixer units manufac-
to use the regular ready mixed truck mixers due to the na- tured by its membership [22]. The mixer-related concrete ca-
ture of the materials used in the concrete. These applications pacities versus mixer volumes differ with each type of mixer
include latex-modified or rapid setting concrete for trans- and are based upon research by equipment manufacturers.
portation infrastructure projects. Rotating drum type (tilting or non-tilting) mixers contain ap-
By definition, ready-mixed concrete is concrete that has proximately one-half the occupied volume of a mixer utiliz-
been proportioned, mixed, and transported to the place of ing rotating shaft supported paddles or blades.
discharge. There are three viable methods, covered in ASTM The rotating shaft types perform mixing by pulling paddles
C 94/C 94M, for accomplishing this task. The methods each or blades through the materials and not by the folding and
use mass (weight) to proportion solid materials and either dropping process of the rotating drum type. Mixers manu-
mass (weight) or volume for liquid components. factured by members of the PMMD carry a mixer capacity
plate and identify the mixer as meeting PMMD standards. A
Central-Mixed c o n c r e t e (11.1.1) consists of a batching fa- brief description of each type of plant mixer is provided in
cility and a stationary plant mixer which completely mixes Table 11.A.
the concrete before discharging it into a dump truck, agita-
tor truck, mixer truck, conveyor, or some other means of 11.3 Central-Mixed Concrete--s1 Concrete that is mixed
transporting the finished product to the point of use completely in a stationary mixer and transported to the point
of delivery either in a truck agitator, or a truck mixer operating
Shrink-Mixed concrete (11.1,2) consists of a batching fa- at agitating speed, or in nonagitating equipment approved by
cility and a stationary plant mixer, which partially mixes the purchaser and meeting the requirements of Section 12,
the concrete (shrinks individual volumes to a mixed volume) shall conform to the following: s2 The mixing time shall be
before discharging the product into a truck mixer for com- counted from the time all the solid materials are in the
pletion of mixing the material into a homogeneous material drum. sa The batch shall be so charged into the mixer that
and simultaneous transport to the point of use. some water will enter in advance of the cement and aggregate,
and all water shall be in the drum by the end of the first one-
Truck-Mixed concrete (11.1.3) consists of a batching plant fourth of the specified mixing time.
facility without any mixing capability, which deposits pro-
portioned individual materials into a transit mix t r u c k for At a central-mix plant, all of the required mixing of the
c o m p l e t e mixing and transport to the point of use. concrete materials is accomplished at the plant. Uniform

64
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
MIXING AND DELIVERY 65

TABLE 11.A---Stationary mixer types.


Type of Mixer Description Picture
Tilting Mixer A rotating-drum mixer that discharges by tilting a drum opening downward
w/15 ~ Mixing when the drum is tilted about a horizontal axis at fight angles to the drum
Angle axis. The drum axis shall be inclined @ 15~ with horizontal while mixing.

Tilting Mixer A rotating-drum mixer that discharges by tilting a drum opening downward
w / Horizontal when the drum is tilted about a horizontal axis at right angles to the drum
Mixing Axis axis. The drum axis shall be horizontal while mixing.

Non-Tilting A rotating-drum mixer that charges, mixes, and discharges with the drum axis
Mixer horizontal. Drum typically reverses in manner of truck mixer to discharge.

Horizontal A mixer with one or more rotating horizontal shafts holding mixing paddles or
Shaft (One or blades, which are pulled through the concrete materials. The mixer shell has a
Multiple) cylindrical lower interior shape coinciding with each rotating shaft.

Vertical Shaft A mixer with a vertical cylindrical shape. Paddles are mounted on a vertical
(Pan Mixer) shaft or annular ring. Charge at top and discharge from bottom.

mixing a n d the correct consistency of concrete before dis- e q u i p m e n t . The description of satisfactory delivery vehicles
charge are essential. No further mixing either in transit or for central-mixed concrete includes "nonagitating e q u i p m e n t
at the site is required, although it is n o t prohibited. If n o n - a p p r o v e d b y t h e p u r c h a s e r . " The p u r c h a s e r m u s t approve
agitating e q u i p m e n t is used, it is not possible to have a water the use of n o n a g i t a t i n g e q u i p m e n t (typically d u m p trucks)
addition or other a d j u s t m e n t s to the mixture at the job site. for several reasons. The haul time m a y require some t r a n s i t
Section 12 describes the r e q u i r e m e n t s for n o n a g i t a t i n g mixing to avoid p r e m a t u r e setting of the concrete, or the
66 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

prescribed slump may be high enough that separation of the 11.3.2 sl Where mixer performance tests have been made on
mixture will occur in transit without some agitation. The dis- given concrete mixtures in accordance with the testing pro-
charge situation may preclude the use of nonagitating equip- gram set forth in the following paragraphs, and the mixers
ment that typically discharges very low and very close to the have been charged to their rated capacity, the acceptable mix-
transportation unit. Perhaps waiting times at the site will ing time is permitted to be reduced for those particular circum-
vary enough that job site added water will be necessary. If stances to a point at which satisfactory mixing defined in
economic factors are involved, the planned use of nonagi- 11.3.3 shall have been accomplished, s2 When the mixing
tating equipment should be made known and approved prior time is so reduced, the maximum time of mixing shall not
to the pricing of a project. exceed this reduced time by more than 60 s for air-entrained
The use of agitating equipment including transit mix concrete.
trucks is possible when approved by the purchaser. The ap-
proval of drum-type delivery units is needed because both To reduce the mixing times of Section 11.3.1, the central-
loading and unloading are slower than conventional non- mixer (stationary mixer) must be loaded to its rated capacity
agitating delivery units. Some mixers and agitator units will during tests to qualify the mixer for reduced mixing time
have trouble handling very low-slump concrete. These units requirements. What constitutes satisfactory mixing is de-
also require extra cleaning time during the workday as com- fined in Section 11.3.3 and more specifically in Table AI.1 of
pared to open top dump truck or trailer units. Annex A1. There are no specific requirements for the type of
$2 defines the beginning of the mixing time, which is usu- mixture used for this qualification, but they should be rep-
ally started automatically in modern central-mix plants. resentative of the concrete that will be produced by the con-
While the mixing in a transit mixer is usually defined by the crete plant. It would be inappropriate to test a mixture with
number of revolutions of the mixer drum, time is generally 1800 lb of sand rather than 1300 lb of sand if the latter was
used to control the amount of mixing in stationary plant representative of the typical mixture from the plant. It would
mixers. Individual materials do not appear instantly in a be inappropriate to use a mixture with only cement, if the
mixer. Some amount of time measured in tens of seconds up typical mixture contains 25 % fly ash. The purpose of the
to one or two minutes is required to get all the materials for tests is to determine required times to produce typical con-
a batch into the mixer. When all of the solid materials are crete and ensure that it is mixed uniformly.
in the mixer, the clock begins measuring the mixing time. 82 is a precaution against excessive mixing times for air-
Note that "solid" materials are used to differentiate sand, entrained mixtures. There is sometimes a tendency to in-
rock, and cementitious materials from water. All the water crease the mixing time to that qualified by testing as a safety
does not have to be in the mixer for the mixing timer to factor to ensure the proper development of air content and
commence. uniformity. Excessive mixing, however, may increase the en-
S3 requires some head water (initial water placed at front trained-air content of the concrete. The restriction imposed
of drum) in the mixer prior to cement and aggregates. All of here is to not increase the mixing time by more than 60 s
the scheduled mix water must be in the drum by the time for air-entrained mixes. The reference time here is the mix-
one-fourth of the mixing time has elapsed. Thus, during at ing time that has been qualified by testing to produce a ho-
least three-quarters of the mixing time, all of the ingredients mogeneous mixture. This requirement would apply to all
shall be in the mixer. air-entrained mixtures considered similar enough that a
separate mixing time test is not required. A short established
11.3.1 sl Where no mixer performance tests are made, the ac- mixing time for some mixtures may provide uniformity, but
ceptable mixing time for mixers having capacities of l yd 3 it may not be adequate to fully develop the air content that
[0. 76 m 3] or less shall be not less than 1 rain. s2 For mixers additional mixing time would produce. Thus there is a 60-s
of greater capacity, this m i n i m u m shall be increased 15 s for maximum for additional mixing time to prevent the possi-
each cubic yard [cubic meter] or fraction thereof of additional bility of excessive entrained air. 9
capacity.
11.3.3 Sampling for Uniformity Tests o f Stationary Mix-
The reference to mixer performance tests is a reference to ers--Samples of concrete for comparative purposes shall be
Section 11.3.2, which describes testing to demonstrate that obtained immediately after arbitrarily designated mixing times,
a stationary mixer properly performs mixing in a shorter in accordance with one of the following procedures:
time period than the minimum time required in Section
11.3.1. If the mixer has a rated capacity of 1 yd 3 (0.76 m 3) When the minimum mixing time for a central-mix plant is
or less, the minimum mixing time shall be one (1) rain. If being established for a specific mixture, the arbitrary mixing
the mixer is larger than 1 yd 3, S2 requires an increase in times must be timed very carefully and shall meet the re-
mixing time of 15 s for each 1 yd 3 of rated capacity above quirements of Section 11.3 regarding the starting time. It is
the original 1 yd 3. No distinction is made for mixer types in also prudent to record the time from the commencement of
this requirement. Thus, a 10 yd 3 mixer would have a mini- material charging to the beginning of mixing time.
mum mixing time of [1 + (9 15 + 60)] = 3.25 rain., and
a 4 1/2 yd 3 or 5 yd 3 mixer's minimum mixing time is [1 +
(5 15 + 60)] = 2.25 rain. Each of these time periods may
be shorter if the mixer performs well as tested and has been 9 Gaynor, Richard D., former V. R of Engineering at National
Ready Mixed Concrete Association, 2003, personal communication
qualified to produce a homogeneous mixture as per the re- via note concerning the origin of a maximum of 60 s additional
quirements of Section 11.3.2. mixing time beyond the approved time for central-mixed concrete.
MIXING AND DELIVERY 67

The sampling for uniformity testing shall take place im- Time a couple of discharges for maximum load sizes, and
mediately after the mixing time is reached. There are two use these data to measure the 15 % and 85 % discharge
acceptable procedures, which are described in Sections points, or allow a batchman with adequate experience to es-
11.3.3.1 and 11.3.3.2. timate the 15 % and 85 % points of discharge.

11.3.3.1 Alternative Procedure I--The mixer shall be EXAMPLE 11.A--Sampling for mixing uniformity test.
stopped, and the required samples removed by any suitable
means from the concrete at approximately equal distances One satisfactory sampling procedure for a mixer unifor-
from the front and back of the drum or mity test requires a front-end loader and a delivery vehicle
plus a nearby testing station. Assume a 10-yd3 (270 ft 3) batch
11.3.3.2 Alternative Procedure 2--s~ As the mixer is being is to be sampled. A minimum sample size of approximately
emptied, individual samples shall be taken after discharge of 2-3 fr is desired for each sample. This is almost a full wheel-
approximately 15 % and 85 % of the load. s2 The method of barrow. Fifteen percent off each end of the batch is approx-
sampling shall provide that the samples are representative of imately 40 ft ~ (1 1/2 yda). Discharge the load as follows:
widely separated portions, but not from the very ends of the
batch (Note 14). 1o 1. Discharge 1.5 yd 3 into the delivery vehicle.
2. Temporarily halt the discharge without any remixing, and
Section 11.3.3. i involves sampling concrete from a drum move the delivery vehicle a few feet out of the discharge
or mixer that is stopped while being sampled. Due to the spot, replacing it with a front-end loader with its bucket
many differences in mixing chambers, no specifics are de- raised.
tailed except to direct that the two samples shall be taken 3. Discharge a sample into the loader bucket.
from opposite ends of the batch, and each shall be taken 4. Move front-end loader to testing station, briefly remix
from approximately equal distances from the batch ends sample in loader bucket using a shovel, and unload loader
with regard to discharge position. Any method possible may bucket into a sample container or onto a piece of vis-
be used to sample the concrete, including the use of manual queen, dampened plywood, or some other non-absorbing
labor and shovels. A caution is issued here that a mixer is surface.
considered an enclosed or confined space and should be 5. Simultaneously with Step 4, discharge the middle portion
treated as such during the sampling process. Lock-out and (6 1/2 yd 3) of the batch into the delivery vehicle, and pull
tag-out precautions shall be utilized by personnel entering it out of the discharge spot.
halted rotating equipment. 6. Discharge a second sample into the raised loader bucket,
Alternate procedure No. 2 (Section 11.3.3.2) provides for and move to the testing station. Remix this sample, nnd
taking concrete samples while the mixer is discharging. hold it in the loader bucket until it can be tested. It is best
Therefore no one needs to enter the mixer, and this should to hold the sample in the loader bucket until testing and
be the safer sampling method for most equipment. Depend- to cover the sample with visqueen to maintain moisture
ing upon the specific method used for sampling, it may also and slump.
be the most wasteful. Choose the sampling procedure con- 7. Finish loading the remaining 15 % of batch into the de-
sidering safety, sample accuracy, and economy of product. livery vehicle, and use the concrete in a manner appro-
S ! requires the two uniformity samples be taken near the priate with the general appearance, consistency, and
discharge points of 15 % and 85 % of the batch (load). This strength of the concrete.
means a gap representing approximately 50-70 % of the load 8. Test the two samples of concrete for uniformity as de-
between samples. S2 cautions not to sample the very ends scribed in Annex AI. Consult the appropriate ASTM test
of the batch. Mixers currently available will not consistently methods for allowable times between sampling and per-
produce batches that are 100 % uniform, particularly at the formance of specific tests. Because concrete properties
ends of the batch. Some believe the segregation that occurs change with time, it is required by ASTM Practice for
at the end of the batch is primarily the result of slow or Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete (C 172) to begin testing
intermediate discharge speeds at this point. 1~ several of these properties within 5 min of obtaining each
Note 14 is discussed in Section 10. It states that samples sample.
should not be taken prior to 10 % of the batch being dis-
charged, and samples should not be taken after 90 % of the 11.3.3.3 sl The samples of concrete shall be tested in accord-
product has been discharged. ance with Section 17, and differences in test results for the two
The standard does not require continuous discharge. The samples shall not exceed those given in Annex A1. s2 Mixer
lack of such a requirement greatly simplifies the sampling performance tests shall be repeated whenever the appearance
process of Procedure No. 2. of the concrete or the coarse aggregate content of samples se-
lected as outlined in this section indicates that adequate mix-
ing has not been accomplished.
10The reference to Note 14 was erroneously a reference to Note
13 for several years. The corrected reference to Note 14 took place Most of the test procedures are identified in Section 17 by
with the 2003 edition of ASTM C 94/C 94M. means of reference to ASTM C 31/C 31 M, which lists slump,
11Gaynor, Richard D., former V. E of Engineering at National
Ready Mixed Concrete Association, 2003, personal communication density, air content, and molding of compressive strength
via a note concerning one explanation for segregation of the last few specimens as companion procedures. The exception is the
cubic feet of discharge from a truck mixer. coarse aggregate content, identified and discussed in Annex
68 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

A1. Table A1.1 of the Annex also sets forth the specific re- Tests are n e e d e d to d e t e r m i n e the n u m b e r of revolutions
q u i r e m e n t s n e e d e d for the two b a t c h s a m p l e s to be consid- a t r u c k m i x e r d r u m requires to c o m p l e t e the two stage mix-
e r e d uniform. $2 removes a n y t h o u g h t s of accepting a uni- ing cycle. These tests are the s a m e tests p r e s c r i b e d for the
f o r m i t y test using a fixed t i m e p e r i o d as u n c h a l l e n g e d p r o o f central-mix p l a n t to check uniformity; however, the s a m p l i n g
of g o o d mixing. Visual i n s p e c t i o n of b a t c h e s a n d s a m p l e s for process f r o m a t r u c k m i x e r d r u m is simpler. The p r o c e d u r e s
a p p a r e n t consistency a n d u n i f o r m i t y s h o u l d be a c o n t i n u a l o u t l i n e d in Sections 11.3.3 a n d 11.3.3.3 still apply.
process. S h o u l d the a p p e a r a n c e of the concrete o r s o m e t h i n g 84 refers to the d r u m revolutions following the c o m p l e t i o n
else suggest n o n - u n i f o r m i t y of the mixture, one of the uni- of the mixing revolutions. S o m e revolutions of a t r u c k m i x e r
f o r m i t y tests usually will a n s w e r the question of b a d percep- are n e c e s s a r y to prevent the f o r m a t i o n of flat spots on the
tion o r p o o r l y m i x e d concrete. Obtain two s a m p l e s of the d r u m rollers, a n d on a long h a u l a stiff mix m a y r e q u i r e
concrete as d e s c r i b e d previously, a n d check each s a m p l e for s o m e a g i t a t i o n to prevent p r e m a t u r e stiffening. These revo-
the coarse aggregate c o n t e n t as discussed in Annex A1. If the lutions s h o u l d be at agitating speed, w h i c h s h o u l d be p o s t e d
coarse aggregate u n i f o r m i t y criterion is n o t met, it is a g o o d on a plate a t t a c h e d to the d r u m f r a m e o r the t r u c k (usually
i n d i c a t i o n t h a t p r o p e r mixing is not being achieved. I n c r e a s e cab door). ASTM C 94/C 94M is silent on a limit for the
mixing time, o r alter the charging sequence. n u m b e r of revolutions in a t r u c k m i x e r for s h r i n k - m i x e d
concrete, h u t the m a x i m u m limits for t r u c k - m i x e d concrete
11.4 Shrink-Mixed Concrete--s~ Concrete that is first par- d i s c u s s e d in Section 11.5 will apply.
tially mixed in a stationary mixer, and then mixed completely
in a truck mixer, shall conform to the following: The time of 11.5 Truck-Mixed Concrete--st Concrete that is completely
partial mixing shall be the m i n i m u m required to intermingle mixed in a truck mixer, 70-100 revolutions at the mixing speed
the ingredients, s2 After transfer to a truck mixer, the amount designated by the manufacturer to produce the uniformity of
of mixing at the designated mixing speed will be that necessary concrete indicated in Annex A1. s2 Concrete uniformity tests
to meet the requirements for uniformity o f concrete as indi- shall be made in accordance with 11.5.1 and if requirements
cated in Annex A1. s3 Tests to confirm such performance shall for uniformity of concrete indicated in Annex A1 are not met
be made in accordance with 11.3.3 and 11.3.3.3. s4Addi- with 100 revolutions of mixing, after all ingredients including
tional turning of the mixer, if any, shall be at a designated water are in the drum, that mixer shall not be used until the
agitating speed. condition is corrected, except as provided in 10.5. s3 When
satisfactory performance is found in one truck mixer, the
The volume o c c u p i e d b y the individual m a t e r i a l s for a cu- performance of mixers of substantially the same design and
bic y a r d of concrete is m u c h g r e a t e r t h a n one cubic y a r d (27 condition of blades are permitted to be regarded as satis-
ft3). Consider the c o m p a r i s o n of individual m a t e r i a l s for a factory, s4Additional revolutions of the mixer beyond the
basic mix as s h o w n in Table 11.B. number found to produce the required uniformity of concrete
These individual m a t e r i a l s o c c u p y 166 % of the volume of shall be at a designated agitating speed.
the m i x e d concrete. S h r i n k mixing is e m p l o y e d to use a sta-
t i o n a r y mixer to get the m a t e r i a l s m i x e d sufficiently to Truck-mixing concrete is the m o s t c o m m o n p r o c e d u r e
s h r i n k the v o l u m e of a b a t c h close to the final 27 ft 3 p e r cubic used for p r o d u c i n g r e a d y - m i x e d concrete. NRMCA e s t i m a t e s
yard. The m i x t u r e is not expected to be u n i f o r m u p o n dis- t h a t a p p r o x i m a t e l y 80 % of the r e a d y - m i x e d concrete pro-
charge from the s t a t i o n a r y m i x e r into the t r u c k mixer. The d u c e d in the United States is t r u c k mixed. It is also called
m i x i n g t i m e in a s t a t i o n a r y m i x e r is typically 60 s or less. dry b a t c h o r t r a n s i t - m i x e d concrete, due to the mixing d r u m
Note that discharge m u s t be into a mixing d r u m b e c a u s e the c o n t i n u i n g to t u r n a n d mix while the t r u c k is in t r a n s i t to
c o n c r e t e is not yet a u n i f o r m mixture. S h r i n k m i x i n g affords the project site. The specification is that 70-100 revolutions
s o m e efficiencies to the r e a d y - m i x e d concrete p r o d u c e r in of the d r u m are n e e d e d for c o m p l e t i o n of the mixing. It is
t e r m s of s h o r t e r times for l o a d i n g mixers a n d r e d u c e d w e a r also explicit t h a t these 70-100 revolutions need to be at mix-
of the fins in the t r u c k a n d the s t a t i o n a r y mixer. ing speed. The m o s t c o m m o n mixing speed of truck mixers
H o w long is the concrete m i x e d in a t r u c k mixer? Long is in the range of 6-18 rpm. The fast revolution speed for
e n o u g h to o b t a i n the u n i f o r m i t y d e s i g n a t e d in Annex A1. m i x i n g a c c o m p l i s h e s two things: l) it does a b e t t e r j o b of
Once the concrete is d i s c h a r g e d into a t r u c k mixer, the ad- m o v i n g the m a t e r i a l s due to the centrifugal forces a n d blend-
ditional mixing r e q u i r e d is m e a s u r e d in revolutions of the ing action involved, a n d 2) it gets the j o b done quickly (ap-
m i x i n g d r u m , not in t i m e as it is in the s t a t i o n a r y mixer. The p r o x i m a t e l y 4 - 6 min). S o m e mixers are designed for a faster
r e q u i r e d mixing in a t r u c k m i x e r will be at the e q u i p m e n t rate of revolution, b u t w h e n speed of mixing exceeds a b o u t
m a n u f a c t u r e r ' s r e c o m m e n d e d mixing speed or a speed ap- 24 rpm, the i n t e n d e d folding action for b l e n d i n g m a t e r i a l s
proved for the specific t r u c k m i x e r d r u m . m a y be lost.

TABLE 11.B--Volumetric comparison of loose and combined ingredients.


Relative Loose Density Quantity Volume in Mixed Loose Volume of
Material Density (sp gr) (lb/ft3) (lb) Concrete (f13) Ingredients (ft3)
Cement 3.15 75 500 2.55 6.67
C. Agg. 2.69 92 1850 11.04 20.11
Sand 2.6I 90 1463 9.00 I6.26
Water 1.00 62.3 258.2 4.14 4.14
Air (1%) . . . . . . . . . 0.27
Total 27.00 47.18
MIXING AND DELIVERY 69

The u n i f o r m i t y of the concrete s h o u l d m e e t the require- ples, where necessary to maintain slump, the mixer shall be
m e n t s of Annex A1. $2 provides clear directions on w h e n the turned in mixing direction at agitating speed, s6 During sam-
c o u n t for the 70-100 revolutions begins. The rules differ pling the receptacle shall receive the full discharge of the
from those for a central-mix plant. The c o u n t for m i x i n g rev- chute, s7 Sufficient personnel must be available to perform
o l u t i o n s does n o t start for t r u c k - m i x e d concrete until all ma- the required tests promptly, s8 Segregation during sampling
terials, including tail water, a r e in the d r u m . and handling must be avoided, sa Each sample shall be re-
Section 11.5.1 discusses the u n i f o r m i t y tests for truck- mixed the m i n i m u m amount to ensure uniformity before spec-
m i x e d concrete. If the m i x e r does not p r o d u c e the r e q u i r e d imens are molded for a particular test.
u n i f o r m i t y of the concrete w i t h i n 100 revolutions at m i x i n g
speed, it is c o n s i d e r e d to have failed the u n i f o r m i t y test, a n d O b t a i n i n g a concrete s a m p l e from a t r u c k m i x e r is m u c h
the situation should be corrected, o r the m i x e r shall n o t be s i m p l e r t h a n from a s t a t i o n a r y mixer. The b a t c h size s h o u l d
used, unless it can be qualified b y one o r m o r e of the pro- be the m a x i m u m t h a t will be h a u l e d by the m i x e r type being
visions of Section 10.5. Section 10.5 gives options of per- tested. The larger the b a t c h is with respect to d r u m volume,
f o r m i n g u n i f o r m i t y tests on the m i x e r using a l o n g e r mixing the greater the challenge of p r o d u c i n g a u n i f o r m product.
time (more revolutions), using s m a l l e r b a t c h e s such as 6 o r The discharge rate f r o m the d r u m shall be the n o r m a l rate
7 yd 3 r a t h e r t h a n a fall l o a d of 8, 9, o r 10 yd 3, o r c h a n g i n g for the m i x e r (drum) t h a t is being checked. F o r example,
the sequence for loading materials, w h i c h m a y offer b e t t e r paving mixers discharge low s l u m p concrete (1-2 in.) m u c h
m i x i n g in a s h o r t e r time. Other options available are to in- faster t h a n g e n e r a l - p u r p o s e mixers. S1 cautions a g a i n s t ob-
spect the m i x e r a n d correct a n y e q u i p m e n t p r o b l e m s . Con- structing o r r e t a r d i n g the d i s c h a r g e by a gate o r seal t h a t is
crete build-up on the blades a n d d r u m walls, w o r n - o u t not c o m p l e t e l y open. This is a reference to m i x e r s 30 o r m o r e
blades, o r i n a d e q u a t e m i x i n g speeds will all affect mixing years ago, w h i c h h a d a h o r i z o n t a l axis, r a t h e r t h a n a n in-
uniformity, a n d all are correctable. If the t r u c k is to be used, clined axis as is c o m m o n today. The h o r i z o n t a l axis mixers
it m u s t be tested based u p o n the selected strategy a n d m u s t had variable d i s c h a r g e openings. The a d m o n i t i o n not to ob-
m e e t the u n i f o r m i t y r e q u i r e m e n t s of Annex A1 p r i o r to fur- struct o r r e t a r d the discharge r e m a i n s valid. An extraordi-
t h e r use. narily r a p i d rate of discharge can r e p r e s e n t a safety h a z a r d
$3 is m e a n t to reduce the w o r k of u n i f o r m i t y testing, to the t e c h n i c i a n s o b t a i n i n g the samples, so it is advisable
w h i c h can r e q u i r e c o n s i d e r a b l e time. A s s u m e a m i x e r is to a d j u s t to a slower rate of discharge d u r i n g the tests, if
tested a n d meets the m i x i n g u n i f o r m i t y test. Inspect the necessary, a n d not to vary the rate while the s a m p l e s are
b l a d e c o n d i t i o n s for w e a r a n d concrete build-up. All mixers obtained.
of the s a m e b r a n d , with the s a m e b l a d e configuration, a n d S2 declares t h a t s a m p l e s s h o u l d be t a k e n after the dis-
with the s a m e i n t e r i o r c o n d i t i o n o r b e t t e r m a y be a s s u m e d charge of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 15 % a n d 85 % of the load. This can
to be satisfactory. Not all of these d r u m s need to have the be a c c o m p l i s h e d by t i m i n g the discharge of full loads, m a i n -
s a m e c a p a c i t y rating. Different d r u m m a n u f a c t u r e r s will taining t h e s a m e discharge rate, a n d using a s t o p w a t c h to
have different characteristics for t h e i r d r u m s , thus negating o b t a i n the two distinct s a m p l e s for evaluating m i x i n g uni-
the i d e a t h a t all 10 yd 3 dt!ams by different m a n u f a c t u r e r s a r e formity. If you have d o u b t s a b o u t where the 15 % a n d 85 %
the same. They are not, unless u n i f o r m i t y tests on two dif- of toad really are, it is best to e r r slightly t o w a r d the m i d d l e
ferent b r a n d s ( d r u m m a n u f a c t u r e r s ) prove they a r e in fact of the l o a d on b o t h ends. Note 14 advises against o b t a i n i n g
quite s i m i l a r for future evaluations. s a m p l e s before 10 % o r after 90 % has been unloaded. A
$4 is a r e m i n d e r that after the m i x i n g of the concrete is s a m p l e size at each l o c a t i o n of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2-3 ft3 is rec-
completed, a d d i t i o n a l revolutions of the d r u m s h o u l d be at o m m e n d e d . A s a m p l e t h a t is t o o large is difficult to w o r k
the m u c h slower agitation speed. This is usually b e t w e e n 2 with, a n d a s a m p l e too small will be insufficient to c o n d u c t
a n d 6 rpm. Section 11.6 a d d r e s s e s s o m e of the r e a s o n s for all the r e q u i r e d tests.
this limitation. Two s a m p l e s are to be t a k e n in a s p a n of not m o r e t h a n
15 rain ($3). The two s a m p l e s shall be o b t a i n e d in accord-
11.5.1 s~ Sampling for Uniformity o f Concrete Produced in ance with ASTM C 172, except the s a m p l e s shall be kept a n d
Truck Mixers--The concrete shall be discharged at the normal tested s e p a r a t e l y (S4). A s e g m e n t of ASTM C 172 t h a t is
operating rate for the mixer being tested, with care being ex- critical to these s a m p l e s reads as follows:
ercised not to obstruct or retard the discharge by an incom-
pletely opened gate or seal. s2 Separate samples, each consist- "Sample by repeatedly passing a receptacle through the entire
ing of approximately 2 f[3 [0.1 m 3 approximately] shall be discharge stream or by completely diverting the discharge
into a sample container. Regulate the rate of discharge of the
taken after discharge of approximately 15 % and 85 % of the
batch by the rate of revolution of the drum and not by the
load (Note t 4 ) ) z ss These samples shall be obtained within size of the gate opening."
an elapsed time of not more than 15 rain. s, The samples
shall be secured in accordance with Practice C 172 but shall If the concrete is to be used in a project, the testing m u s t
be kept separate to represent specific points in the batch rather be done very n e a r the discharge point. Within a 15 min. pe-
than combined to form a composite sample, ss Between sam- riod allowed b e t w e e n the two samples, the truck m o v e m e n t s
are very limited, a n d the test itself places p r a c t i c a l limits on
m o v i n g the truck. E a c h situation will dictate w h a t to d o with
12The reference to Note 14 was erroneously a reference to Note the concrete that is n o t s a m p l e d . Several m e t h o d s of sam-
13 for several years. The corrected reference to Note 14 took place pling a n d c o m p l y i n g with ASTM C 172 are available. Two
with the 2003 edition of ASTM C 94/C 94M. wheelbarrows, one for each sample, m a y be used, a n d the
70 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

discharge chute may be completely diverted over the wheel- 11.7 st When a truck mixer or agitator is approved for mixing
barrow as quickly as possible when sampling is appropriate. or delivery of concrete, no water from the truck water system
An alternate to wheelbarrows could be two sheets of vis- or elsewhere shall be added after the initial introduction of
queen or two wash tubs. Hand sampling by repeatedly pass- mixing water for the batch, except when on arrival at the job
ing a shovel through the discharge stream is not satisfactory, site the slump of the concrete is less than that specified, s2
because a representative sample will not be obtained unless Such additional water to bring the slump within required lim-
a large shovel such as a scoop shovel for grain is used, and its shall be injected into the mixer under such pressure and
it is entered and retracted from the discharge parallel to the direction o f flow that the requirements for uniformity specified
axis of the chute. Such a method of sampling requires a very in Annex A1 are met. s3 The drum or blades shall be turned
strong man and also may require a method of suddenly an additional 30 revolutions or more if necessary, at mixing
blocking off the concrete at the end of the chute to prevent speed, until the uniformity of the concrete is within these
an overflow of the shovel. Give two wheelbarrows further limits, s4 Water shall not be added to the batch at any later
consideration. time. ss Discharge of the concrete shall be completed within
S5 is a reminder that the concrete already has received all 11/2 h, or before the drum has revolved 300 revolutions, which-
of its mixing revolutions, but that turning the drum in agi- ever comes first, after the introduction of the mixing water to
tation speed between sampling is allowed to help maintain the cement and aggregates or the introduction of the cement to
the slump. Consider not discharging the middle 70 % of the the aggregates, s6 These limitations are permitted to be waived
load until the personnel are almost in position to obtain the by the purchaser if the concrete is of such slump after the
second sample. A good procedure (but not required) is to 1r time or 300-revolution limit has been reached that it
discharge the middle portion of the load and, without stop- can be placed, without the addition of water, to the batch.
ping the drum, obtain the second sample in the same man- s7 In hot weather, or under conditions contributing to quick
ner as used for sample one. stiffening of the concrete, a time less than 11/2 h is permitted
S7 is a requirement for adequate personnel, but what con- to be specified by the purchaser.
stitutes adequate personnel? It is virtually impossible for one
technician to meet all the specified time constraints for test- This subsection concerns the job site addition of water to
ing two samples, which must be obtained within a 15 min. a batch of concrete and the maximum limits on time and
interval. By careful preplanning, two technicians can accom- drum revolutions before the concrete must be discharged.
plish the testing by working as a team. It is very helpful if a Therefore, it is primarily about s l u m p and workability.
third person is available to assist with obtaining the second SI is a reminder that truck mixers and agitators are sub-
sample, washing tools between uses, wetting slump cones, ject to inspection and approval or rejection. The truck water
and keeping up with the elapsed time for the various tests. system shall not be used to inject water at the plant, in tran-
S8 is a further warning about the integrity of the sample. sit, or even at the job site unless the slump is less than spec-
Remix the remaining sample minimally after each test to ified upon arrival at the job site. As it is stated, the first im-
retain uniformity. $9 admonishes against too much remix- pression may be that the job site water addition must occur
ing, which may change (reduce) the slump and air contents. immediately upon arrival. Section 6.2, however, makes a
A partial sheet of visqueen or plywood placed over each sam- clear distinction between two criteria: "arrival at the job site"
ple during any periods in which test materials are not being and "initial slump adjustment." In Sl, the intent is not to
taken will also assist in maintaining a representative sample. mean "immediately" upon arrival. The "job site addition
The discussion in Section 17. I of this text will assist in only" limitation is to permit an inspector to be present for
meeting the uniformity test time schedules. The test to be all additions of water, should the purchaser so desire. Even
performed last is the coarse aggregate content because this then there are restrictions, which must be followed. The
value will not change and has no time limit. An example of truck water system has two (2) functions. The most impor-
the mixing uniformity test procedures is provided in the dis- tant is actually providing water to clean the drum and truck
cussion on Annex A1. after batching and after delivery. The second is to make wa-
ter available to adjust the slump when it is specified or per-
11.6 When a truck mixer or truck agitator is used for trans- mitted. Section 6, "Tolerances in Slump" alludes to the pur-
porting concrete that has been completely mixed in a stationary chaser's right to prohibit any water additions at the job site.
mixer, any turning during transportation shall be at the speed Such a prohibition is not usually a wise choice because it
designated by the manufacturer of the equipment as agitating could detract from the placeability and finishability of the
speed. concrete, but it is nevertheless a purchaser's choice. The
other limit and possible restriction to job site added water
For concrete mixed in a central-mix facility that is not op- is a maximum water-cement ratio.
erating in a shrink-mixing mode, there is no need for addi- $2 discusses the injection of permitted water into the load
tional mixing during transit of the concrete. Additional rev- of concrete. The water system shall not leak, shall be pres-
olutions at mixing speed can cause heat build-up in the surized, and shall have a flow direction to assist with achiev-
concrete plus a reduction in both slump and air content. ing a uniform mixture. The water is injected at the discharge
Confine any additional mixing speed revolutions to a few end of the drum, causing it to be carried to the nose of the
turns immediately before discharge to enhance uniformity drum during the mixing rotation. When transit-mix drums
after a long or bumpy trip from plant to discharge point. The are inspected, a check of the truck water system should in-
drum should be turned at the manufacturer's drum plate clude the end of the water injection outlet. These outlets are
stated agitating speed during transit and waiting times. somewhat hidden from drum cleaning operations and will
MIXING AND DELIVERY 71

often become partially blocked by h a r d e n e d concrete. This EXAMPLE 11.B--Evaluations for ;ob site w a t e r additions.
blockage will prevent a strong flow of water toward the nose Example No. (1) (2) (3)
of the drum, resulting i n a poor d i s t r i b u t i o n of added water. Process Step gal in. gal in. gal in.
For most concrete mixtures, it requires approximately 3 Allowable water in 36 36 9 . no limit . . .
gal of water per cubic yard to lose the strength overdesign mixture
for the specified strength 9 A c o m m o n practice is to use a Free water on aggregate 4 4 9 4 ..,
Batch water 23 23 23 ...
p o r t i o n of this water for r e t e m p e r i n g the load to overcome
Allowable job site water 9 9 as needed . . .
s l u m p losses9 There are also implications on the durability Specified slump 9 . 4 4 9 . 4
of concrete. W h e n a specification calls for a m a x i m u m water- (maximum)
c e m e n t ratio, water that exceeds that a m o u n t should never Slump upon arrival at 9. 3 3 .. 3
be added. A m a x i m u m water-cement ratio is often a m a j o r job
Water added upon arrival 5 7 5
c o m p o n e n t of a concrete specification a n d is closely related Slump immediately after .. 31/2 4 .. 3,/2
to the expected concrete durability a n d sometimes the ex- water addition
pected strength. Does all of any added water c o u n t in the Additional water added 0 9 . as needed . . 9
water-cement ratio? Probably not, according to Neville [72]. immediately after
Neville states that there is considerable evidence that water slump determination
Additional water O* 0~L 9 . as needed . . .
lost b y evaporation should n o t be counted, while water used permitted now
in early h y d r a t i o n should be counted. W h e n a m a x i m u m wa- Additional water none none 9 . none* ...
ter-cement ratio is n o t a n issue, m i n o r additions of water for permitted later
restoration of workability are often the most practical ap- Maximum water-cement ratio has been reached9 5 + 4 = 9 gal
proach to good concrete b u t will lower the concrete's com- allowable.)
pressive strength. Burg [ 19] f o u n d that r e t e m p e r i n g with u p Maximum water-cement ratio has not been reached (2 gal permit-
ted), but the maximum slump has been reached9 (7 gal added is
to 8-10 % of the total water c o n t e n t was acceptable a n d less than 9 gal allowable.)
m a i n t a i n e d desired qualities in a properly p r o p o r t i o n e d mix- Maximum water-cement ratio is not specified, but any additional
ture using chemical admixtures. It is the practice of m a n y water desired should have been added after the 3 1/2 in. slump was
ready-mixed concrete m a n u f a c t u r e r s to design their mixture measured9 A later time counts as a second addition and is not per-
proportions for a late a d d i t i o n of job site water a n d to batch mitted9
concrete at the p l a n t with some of the design mixing water
held back to allow for the job site addition. Research by An- t h a n a b o u t 10 %, has been discharged, since the q u a n t i t y of
derson a n d Carrasquillo [10] indicated strengths were not concrete r e m a i n i n g in the d r u m c a n n o t be estimated accu-
affected by adding withheld water at the job site. The ulti- rately, a n d the effect of the water added on the water-cement
mate water-cement ratio has a greater effect o n the concrete ratio c a n n o t be determined.
properties t h a n does the time of water addition. Withholding S5 begins the discussion of discharge limits. The specified
some p l a n t water until s l u m p losses d u r i n g delivery have oc- time limit is 1 1/2 h for c o m p l e t i o n of d i s c h a r g e , n o t the
curred is a c o m m o n practice. The s l u m p loss a n d water qual- start of discharge. A second criterion is 300 d r u m revolu-
ity required for r e t e m p e r i n g vary with each individual mix- tions. A d r u m m u s t have a n operating revolution c o u n t e r to
ture d e p e n d i n g u p o n c e m e n t content, chemical admixtures, verify the n u m b e r of revolutions. The controlling factor be-
temperature, haul time, a n d other factors [40]. Even w h e n tween 1 1/2 h a n d 300 revolutions is w h i c h e v e r c o m e s first.
there are water-cement ratio limitations, it is wise to check The clock a n d the revolution c o u n t e r begin w h e n the mixing
the total p l a n t water versus the allowable water before dis- water contacts the c e m e n t a n d aggregates (usual case) or
allowing a job site addition. w h e n c e m e n t is added to the aggregates ( u n u s u a l case). The
S3 gives i n s t r u c t i o n s for 30 or more d r u m revolutions at water, cement, a n d aggregates case is very typical a n d readily
mixing speed after job site water is added. These revolutions u n d e r s t o o d because c e m e n t h y d r a t i o n has n o w begun.
are i n t e n d e d to u n i f o r m l y distribute a n d mix the added wa- Just adding c e m e n t to the aggregates is a bit h a r d e r to
ter into the entire load. 84 in effect says this is a one time u n d e r s t a n d as a trigger to the clock. This is a situation typ-
a n d one time only addition of water9 This should be consid- ically reserved for a long haul, a n d the batch water is added
ered in evaluating w h e n to add water a n d to what s l u m p the at the job site. Aggregates will usually c o n t a i n free moisture,
a d j u s t m e n t should be made, a s s u m i n g a m a x i m u m water- which will c o m m e n c e h y d r a t i o n of the c e m e n t w i t h o u t the
c e m e n t ratio is n o t exceeded. Subsection 6.1.1 uses the presence of batch water.
phrase "one addition of water." Does this m e a n if 10 gal are There are a couple of scenarios that would be excluded
added a n d mixed into the load a n d the resulting s l u m p re- from c o m m e n c i n g the h y d r a t i o n process. One is to batch the
m a i n s low that more water c a n n o t be added at that time? It aggregates in the usual m a n n e r a n d then to load the c e m e n t
does not m e a n this. If the water-cement ratio is n o t ex- on top of the aggregates a n d n o t rotate the d r u m until the
ceeded, more water m a y be i m m e d i a t e l y added a n d mixed water is added at the job site. Getting the c e m e n t i n m a y
into the load at this point 9 What is p r o h i b i t e d is the second require a smaller t h a n desired load, a n d w i t h o u t d r u m ro-
addition of water at a later time frame w h e n the s l u m p has tation in transit, the d r u m rollers m a y acquire fiat spots. The
been allowed to decrease, due to the passage of time a n d the second scenario would be to dry aggregates in a n asphalt
heat of hydration. The p r o h i b i t i o n of a second water addi- p l a n t or some other m e a n s prior to batching.
tion applies regardless of the water-cement ratio. Example The reasons for these limits are generally understood. The
1 I.B provides three examples of adding water9 Water should time limit is because of a c o n c e r n with excessive h y d r a t i o n
not be added once a significant q u a n t i t y of concrete, m o r e of c e m e n t or loss of s l u m p that m i g h t require a n excessive
72 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

w a t e r a d d i t i o n to achieve the desirable consistency. The limit of 73~ [20]. The e s t i m a t e d times of set for the previous ex-
on the n u m b e r of revolutions has historically been in the a m p l e change to 2 1/3 h at 90~ a n d 6 3/4 h at 50~ f r o m the
s t a n d a r d due to a c o n c e r n of b r e a k d o w n of aggregate due to 4 h at 70~ base. W h e n the t e m p e r a t u r e of the concrete d r o p s
attrition a n d p o s s i b l y d e t r i m e n t a l effects of excessive m i x i n g to s o m e w h e r e in the m i d 20s, it does not set, b u t it will
on e n t r a i n e d air content. If the p u r c h a s e r believes t h a t freeze. W h e n the concrete thaws, the h y d r a t i o n process be-
exceeding a n y one of these limits is n o t of c o n c e r n to the gins anew, a l t h o u g h the concrete should n o t be expected to
concrete quality, the o p t i o n to waive these l i m i t a t i o n s is r e a c h its potential strength o r to achieve the original d u r a -
provided. bility t h a t m a y have b e e n expected. All of these factors are
$6 m a k e s provisions for waiver of the t i m e o r revolution a function of items such as the length of freeze a n d the tem-
restriction b y the purchaser. This waiver w o u l d extend to the p e r a t u r e s experienced b y the concrete d u r i n g the freeze. To
purchaser's agent. The waiver is c o n d i t i o n e d u p o n the s l u m p assist the concrete in a t t a i n i n g final set p r o p e r t i e s d u r i n g
being satisfactory for p l a c e m e n t w i t h o u t m o r e w a t e r being cold weather, concrete t e m p e r a t u r e s sfiould c o m p l y with the
a d d e d to the concrete. The use of c h e m i c a l a d m i x t u r e s m a y d a t a s h o w n in the table " M i n i m u m Concrete T e m p e r a t u r e As
be p e r m i t t e d to achieve the r e q u i r e d w o r k a b i l i t y for place- Placed." This table was extracted f r o m ACI 306R, "Cold
ment. Admixtures m e e t i n g ASTM C 494/C 494M, Type B o r W e a t h e r Concreting" [8].
Type D, High-Range Water-Reducers with or w i t h o u t retard-
ing effects o r a p p r o v e d two c o m p o n e n t admixtures, w h i c h TABLE 1 l.C--Concrete temperatures for cold weather construction
stop the h y d r a t i o n process until reactivation at the will of (ACt 306R).
the producer, m a y all be used to extend the life of the con- Section Size, Minimum Dimension, in. (ram)
crete b e y o n d 1 1/2 h a n d 300 d r u m revolutions. The waiver Air Temperature, <12 12-36 36-72 >72
b a s e d u p o n these m e t h o d s is the purchaser's decision. W h e n ~ (~ (300) (300-900) (900-1800) (1800)
possible, an a g r e e m e n t p r i o r to the concrete p l a c e m e n t t i m e Minimum concrete temperature as placed and maintained, ~ (~
on w h e n these waivers m i g h t a p p l y is a g o o d practice. 55 (13) 50 (10) 45 (7) 40 (5)
$ 7 allows the p u r c h a s e r to r e d u c e the allowable t r u c k time Minimum concrete temperature as mixed for indicated air
to less t h a n 1 1/2 h in hot weather. This t i m e r e d u c t i o n m u s t temperature,* ~ (~
be stated p r i o r to pricing due to the possible effect on cost Above 30 (-1) 60 (16) 55 (13) 50 (10) 45 (7)
a n d price. W h e n less t h a n 1 1/2 h, the selected t r u c k t i m e 0 to 30 ( 18 to -1) 65 (18) 60 (16) 55 (13) 50 (10)
Below 0 (-18) 70 (21) 65 (18) 60 (16) 55 (13)
should be stated sufficiently in a d v a n c e to allow b o t h plan-
ning a n d price negotiations or adjustments. The t e r m "spec- Maximum allowable gradual temperature drop in the first 24
hours after end of protection
ified" implies advance notification via a specification as op- 50 (28) 40 (22) 30 (17) 20 (11)
p o s e d to a s p o n t a n e o u s decision.
* For colder weather a greater margin in temperature is provided
between concrete as mixed and required minimum temperature of
11.8 sl Concrete delivered in cold weather shall have the ap- fresh concrete in place.
plicable m i n i m u m temperature indicated in the following
table, s2 (The purchaser shall inform the producer as to the The table from ACI 306R, s h o w n here as Table 11.C, de-
type of construction for which the concrete is intended.) fines m i n i m u m concrete t e m p e r a t u r e s at p l a c e m e n t in t e r m s
of the n a r r o w e s t d i m e n s i o n of the concrete element. ACI
Minimum Concrete Temperature as Placed 306R instructs the c o n t r a c t o r to m a i n t a i n these s a m e tem-
Section Size, in. [mm] Temperature, rain, ~ [C] p e r a t u r e s until the concrete has a t t a i n e d a c o m p r e s s i v e
< 12 [< 300] 55 [13] strength of at least 500 psi. This will often o c c u r in the first
12-36 [300-900] 50 [10] 48 h after placement.
36-72 [900-1800] 45 [71
> 72 [> I800] 40 [5] ACI 306R defines cold weather "as a period when, for more
than 3 consecutive days, the following conditions exist: 1) the
average daily air temperature is less than 40~ (5~ and 2)
ssThe m a x i m u m temperature of concrete produced with
the air temperature is not greater than 50~ (10~ for more
heated aggregates, heated water, or both, shall at no time dur- than one-half of any 24-hr period".
ing its production or transportation exceed 90~ [32~
A p r a c t i c a l a p p r o a c h is t h a t if the t e m p e r a t u r e is b e l o w
G o o d t e m p e r a t u r e s for concrete are from a p p r o x i m a t e l y 50~ c o n s i d e r it cold w e a t h e r from a producer's standpoint.
60~ up to the 80-85~ range. In this 20-25~ t e m p e r a t u r e S o m e p r o d u c e r s a u t o m a t i c a l l y use hot w a t e r in cold weather,
window, the concrete has g o o d t i m e of set characteristics a d d i n g a fixed winter-price surcharge. Other p l a n t s use h o t
a n d requires little special attention. At lower t e m p e r a t u r e s w a t e r u p o n request for a cubic y a r d charge, a n d s o m e p l a n t s
a n d p a r t i c u l a r l y with certain c h e m i c a l a d m i x t u r e s or cemen- s i m p l y do not have this capability. In a d d i t i o n to using meth-
titious materials, it w a n t s to lie quietly a n d not set u p a n d ods to c h a n g e the t e m p e r a t u r e of the concrete, c h e m i c a l
get hard. One rule of t h u m b is t h a t for a p a r t i c u l a r concrete a d m i x t u r e s o r different c e m e n t s or c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l
mixture, a c h a n g e in the concrete t e m p e r a t u r e b y 20~ will c o m b i n a t i o n s m a y be e m p l o y e d to affect the t i m e of set
change the setting t i m e by a factor of 2, for example, a con- characteristics of concrete in cold or hot w e a t h e r conditions.
crete t h a t sets in 4 h at 70~ will take 8 h to set at 50~ a n d 8 2 places the b u r d e n o n t h e p u r c h a s e r to o r d e r concrete
2 h to set at 90~ A n o t h e r such a p p r o x i m a t i o n is that setting with hot water, hot w a t e r a n d heated aggregates, o r c o n c r e t e
t i m e c a n be a n t i c i p a t e d to c h a n g e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 30 % for at a m i n i m u m t e m p e r a t u r e . The p u r c h a s e r s h o u l d either or-
e a c h 10~ c h a n g e in t e m p e r a t u r e from a base t e m p e r a t u r e d e r b y the m i n i m u m p l a c e m e n t t e m p e r a t u r e o r b y the rain-
MIXING AND DELIVERY 73

i m u m d i m e n s i o n of the concrete being placed. S2 does not requires approximately five times the heat required for ag-
preclude the p r o d u c e r from asking the p u r c h a s e r a b o u t cold gregates or c e m e n t for the same t e m p e r a t u r e rise. Approxi-
weather concrete characteristics desired, if any. m a t e specific heat is a s s u m e d to be 0.22 for the solid ingre-
The table of Section 11.8 describes concrete temperatures, dients and since water is the reference, its specific heat is
as placed, not as batched. The "as batched" concrete tem- 1.00. The f o r m u l a does not consider a n y frozen materials
perature m u s t allow for heat losses d u r i n g transit, antici- because all materials should be thawed prior to batching.
pated job site waiting times, a n d a n y delays for p r e l i m i n a r y Note that the free m o i s t u r e on aggregates will be at the same
s l u m p or air-content testing. ACI 306R reports a f o r m u l a de- t e m p e r a t u r e as the aggregates. S3 limits the m a x i m u m tem-
veloped by Petersons in Sweden [78]: perature of cold weather concrete to 90~ The c o n c e r n is a n
excessively rapid loss of t e m p e r a t u r e after p l a c e m e n t will re-
T = 0.25 ( t f - t~) sult i n excessive cracking of the concrete due to a tempera-
ture differential between a cool surface a n d the interior at a
where: m u c h higher temperature. Another benefit of cooler concrete
t e m p e r a t u r e is a lower rate of slump loss a n d a higher ulti-
T = approximate t e m p e r a t u r e drop of concrete d u r i n g 1 h mate concrete strength. Concrete at a higher t e m p e r a t u r e
of agitation in revolving d r u m mixer. will also cause the need for additional water to attain the
desired slump. Determine the expected concrete t e m p e r a t u r e
tf = desired concrete t e m p e r a t u r e at placement, degrees F
(T) in accordance with Example 11.D.
or C.
t a = a m b i e n t air temperature, degrees F or C.
EXAMPLE 11.D--Estimated concrete temperature.
E X A M P L E 1 1 . C ~ E s t i m a t e d temperature loss after
batching. T = [0"22(TsWs + TaWa + TcWc) + TwWw+ TsWw~+ T~W,~]
[0.22(W~ + W~ + W~) + W,,, + W,~ + W , j
Assume the air t e m p e r a t u r e is 23~ a n d the concrete is to
have a thickness of 15 in. F r o m the t e m p e r a t u r e table, the Where: Example
T = final temperature of concrete mixture Desired value
"as placed" concrete t e m p e r a t u r e should be 50~ or more.
(~ or C)
The approximate t e m p e r a t u r e loss d u r i n g a one h o u r deliv- Tc = temperature of cement 60~
ery a n d s t a n d b y time is calculated as: Ts = temperature of fine aggregate (sand) 38~
T a = temperature of coarse aggregate 40~
Tw = temperature of added mixing water 140~
T = 0.25 (tf - ta) = 0.25 (50 - 23) = 0.25 x 27 = 7~ We = mass (weight) of cement 514 lb
Ws = mass (weight) of SSD sand 1350 lb
The concrete t e m p e r a t u r e at c o m p l e t i o n of mixing should Wa = mass (weight) of SSD coarse aggregate 1800 lb
n o t be less t h a n (50 + 7) = 57~ Ww = mass (weight) of added mixing water 258 lb
Ww~ = mass (weight) of free water on sand 30 lb
Wwa = mass (weight) of free water on coarse aggregate 9 lb
There are n u m e r o u s m e a n s of c o m b a t i n g low-concrete
[0.22((38 1350) + (40 1800) + (60 514))
temperatures. Most of t h e m b e g i n with hot water b e i n g sub- + (140 258) + (38 x 30) + (40 x 9)]
stituted for all or a p o r t i o n of the mixing water added to the T=
[0.22(1350 + 1800 + 514) + 258 + 30 + 9]
batch. Hot water also can be carried in the side tank of the
delivery vehicle. Heating of aggregates t h r o u g h the use of [0.22(154140) + 37620] 71531
T= 65~
steam or hot air is the most c o m m o n secondary m e t h o d [0.22(3664) + 297] 1103
available to produce concrete with a higher temperature.
65~ > 55~ OK and < 90~ OK
Steam is used to heat aggregate stockpiles, storage bins,
transfer hoppers, or other aggregate storage locations. Often
hot air is circulated in or a r o u n d enclosed aggregate con-
Note 1 5 ~ si When hot water is used rapid stiffening may occur if hot
tainers, such as overhead bins or u n d e r g r o u n d storage units, water is brought in direct contact with the cement.
with a n enclosed c h a m b e r s u r r o u n d i n g the bins that will ac- s2 Additional information on cold weather concreting is contained in
c o m m o d a t e the hot-air ducts. ACI 306R.
Aggregates should not be frozen at the time of batching.
The use of frozen aggregates m a y lead to frozen l u m p s in
the discharged concrete a n d a n excess of water due to thaw- Note 15 cautions a b o u t placing hot water a n d c e m e n t to-
gether immediately. Boiling water (212~ is seldom used,
ing of l u m p s at a p o i n t in the mixing process after the s l u m p
otherwise flash setting m a y occur u p o n direct contact of ce-
has b e e n adjusted.
m e n t a n d water. To avoid this possibility some plants limit
A f o r m u l a for predicting the t e m p e r a t u r e of the concrete
the hot water t e m p e r a t u r e to approximately 180~ Another
is available in ACI 306R a n d "Design a n d Control of Concrete
m e t h o d of avoiding a potential p r o b l e m is a b a t c h i n g se-
Mixtures" by the Portland Cement Association [48]. Each quence of head water, aggregates, cement, aggregates, a n d
p u b l i c a t i o n contains the same formula, which is based u p o n tail water. This avoids b a t c b i n g c e m e n t a n d water simulta-
the t e m p e r a t u r e a n d q u a n t i t y of each raw material at the neously. Such a b a t c h i n g sequence allows the initial aggre-
time of batching a n d the specific heat of each material. Spe- gates to temper the t e m p e r a t u r e of boiling water before the
cific heat is a n u m e r i c a l ratio that compares the heat re- i n t r o d u c t i o n of cement.
quired to raise the t e m p e r a t u r e of a material I~ to the heat S2 of Note 15 references ACI 306R [8] as a good source
required to raise a n equal mass (weight) of water l~ Water of i n f o r m a t i o n for cold weather concreting.
74 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

11.9 sl The producer shall deliver the ready-mixed concrete Meininger, and Khan [40] plus the current ACI 305R [7] each
during hot weather at concrete temperatures as low as practi- indicate concrete can be successfully placed at temperatures
cable, subject to the approval of the purchaser. up to and even in excess of 95~ $2 references the Bureau
of Reclamation Concrete Manual plus ACI 305R, "Hot
High temperature concrete requires more water to attain Weather Concreting" as good sources for additional infor-
the same slump when compared to low or moderate tem- mation.
perature concrete. A Bureau of Reclamation study indicated Time o f Set for concrete is not a topic in C 94. A list of
that for a typical concrete mixture, the change in water for factors which affect time of set is very long and often in-
a constant slump is approximately 0.8 gal (6 2/3 lb) per 10~ cludes specified conditions that may be counterproductive
temperature change [18]. The producer should take reason- to a desired range for time of set. This property can be so
able precautions to hold the concrete temperature down. variable that if the need exists for close control, a negotiation
There are no specific requirements, and depending upon the process may be appropriate sufficiently in advance to allow
particular ready-mixed concrete operation, some or all of the trial mixtures.
following suggestions may not be available without an ad- Cold Weather slows down the hydration rate of cement,
ditional charge or an additional cost to the producer:
and thus the time of set is lengthened. The primary constit-
1. Do not batch earlier than necessary to meet delivery uents of cement affecting time of set are Tricalcium Silicate
schedule. (C3S) and Tricalcium Aluminate (C3A). The heat rise in con-
2. Paint transit-mix drums a light color, preferably white. crete is proportional to the quantity of these two compounds
3. Sprinkle coarse aggregate stockpiles with water to pro- and the fineness of the cement as it affects the rate of hy-
vide evaporative cooling. (Sand can also be sprinkled, dration. The heat of hydration directly affects the time of
but it is difficult to maintain a uniform moisture condi- set. Each brand of cement from each mill will have different
tion of the sand). time of set characteristics.
4. Store aggregates in a location protected from direct sun- The use of calcium chloride has been the primary time of
light. set acceleration source for many decades. Research has now
5. Keep cement silos full to allow as much cooling time for
substantiated that chloride ions in concrete exposed to mois-
cement as possible.
ture will also accelerate corrosion of any reinforcing steel.
6. Reduce mixing revolutions to the minimum number nec-
ACI 318 places restrictions on the use and quantity of any
essary to achieve a uniform mixture.
chloride compound including the usual form, which is cal-
7. Re-proportion the mixture to replace portions of the ce-
cium chloride. In reading ACI 318, remember that adding
ment with fly ash, ground granulated blast-furnace slag,
or natural pozzolans. 2 % calcium chloride dihydrate (CaC12 9 2H20) as an accel-
8. Design and batch mixture for the maximum allowable erator will increase the chloride ion content 1%. When using
slump. a purchased preconditioned solution of liquid calcium chlo-
9. Use chemical retarders to reduce temperature rise during ride, rather than a flake product, the proportion of chloride
transit due to reduced hydration rate. (Retarders do not ion content may increase. Detailed data concerning the com-
cool concrete.) position and use of calcium chloride are available from the
10. Cool concrete via chilled batch water. product manufacturer.
11. Cool concrete via replacing water with chipped or shaved Common practices to accelerate the time of set during cold
ice. weather include the following:
12. Cool concrete via injection of liquid nitrogen into mixer.
9 Addition of calcium chloride (CaC12) at a rate not to exceed
Approval of the purchaser is needed for any of these meth- 2 % by mass of cementitious materials.
ods or others which affect price of concrete or a change in
9 Hot water as mixing water.
approved or requested mixture ingredients or proportions.
9 Lower slumps at point of discharge.
9 Heated aggregates.
N o t e 16-- s, In some situations difficulty may be encountered
9 Increase the quantity of cement by 100 lb or more per cu-
when concrete temperatures approach 90~ [32~ s2 Addi-
bic yard of concrete.
tional information may be found in the Bureau of Reclamation
Concrete Manual and in ACI 305R. 9 Chemical accelerating admixtures containing some form
of chlorides.
9 Chemical accelerating admixtures without any chlorides.
Note 16 directs attention to possible difficulties with
higher temperature concrete. These include lower strengths These are called Non Chloride Accelerators (NCA).
with higher water contents for constant slump, potential for 9 Decrease the quantity of supplementary cementitious ma-
increased shrinkage, higher potential for plastic shrinkage terials such as fly ash, natural pozzolans, and ground gran-
cracks, faster set times that make placement and finishing ulated blast-furnace slag while maintaining the required
difficult, and decreased durability. Current knowledge of total cementitious materials to obtain desired strength and
available materials including supplementary cementitious durability.
materials (SCM), chemical admixtures, and concrete pro- 9 Decrease the use of lignosulfonate-based and hydroxylated
portioning for hot weather makes it possible to batch and carboxylic acid-based water reducers.
deliver quality concrete at temperatures above 90~ 95~ or 9 Substitute Type III for the general use cement if permitted
even 100~ Research by Mittelacher [58,59] and Gaynor, by the specification.
MIXING AND D E L I V E R Y 75

H o t Weather also can produce time of set problems. Re- 9 Reproportion the mixture to increase the quantity of sup-
tardation can be accomplished by several methods, some of plementary cementitious materials such as fly ash, natural
which are: pozzolans, and ground granulated blast-furnace slag when
9 Cooling the individual ingredients of the concrete, thus permitted.
lowering the concrete temperature. 9 Sprinkle coarse aggregate stockpiles.
9 Chemical retarding admixtures meeting ASTM C 494, Type 9 Shade aggregate stockpiles.
D--Water-reducing and retarding admixtures or Type G - - 9 Batch with chilled water.
Water-reducing, high range, and retarding admixtures. 9 Substitute ice for a portion of the batch water.
9 Reduce the amount of cement when feasible and permit- 9 Change to a Type II cement or a blended cement when
ted. permitted.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005
HH I

Use of Nonagitating
Equipment
12.1 s1 When the use of nonagitating transportation equipment The discharge gate shall control the concrete discharge
is approved by the purchaser, the concrete shall be manu- rate. In its simplest form, this may be a material trailer gate
factured in a central mix plant, s2 The proportions of the con- with the discharge opening of the gate regulated by chains.
crete shall be approved by the purchaser, and the following Any device that is more sophisticated and that effectively
limitations shall apply: controls the discharge rate is acceptable.
$2 concerns the purchaser's option of requiring the loads
to be covered when open top containers are used for delivery.
It is not the intention of ASTM C 94lC 94M to require the
Weather conditions forcing consideration of covers include
use of nonagitating equipment when the mixing is accom-
rain, very hot clear days for sun protection, or very windy
plished in a central-mix plant. It is the intention of ASTM
days requiring protection from evaporation or even blow-
C 94/C 94M to require the purchaser's approval to use non-
ing dust. The typical scenario is that the trip length with
agitating equipment as a delivery vehicle. The question to be
nonagitating units is too short for covers to be effective, es-
answered is if the purchaser will allow the concrete to be
pecially if they do not unroll and re-roll automatically. It
hauled by nonagitating equipment, or if agitating equipment
does behoove the purchaser to require a specified number of
will be required or permitted.
covers at the site in the event of a breakdown or weather
S2 requires the purchaser to approve the proportions be-
condition that halts work. There may be several nonagitating
cause of the possibility of segregation during transit. Also
delivery units stranded and unable to discharge their load
with nonagitating equipment, there is no possibility of add-
immediately. Covers to protect these loads are appropriate
ing water at the job site or any job site adjustments, such as
and may save the concrete.
additional air-entraining admixture. In effect, what you see
coming out of the central-mixer is what you get, so it had
better be what you want. Nonagitating delivery units are 12.3 The concrete shall be delivered to the site of the work in
common on concrete paving projects where a portable cen-
a thoroughly mixed and uniform mass and discharged with a
tral-mixing plant is set up close to the paving project, the
satisfactory degree of uniformity as prescribed in Annex A1.
concrete slump is low, and the haul distance is short.
Restrictions on the use of nonagitating equipment are nec- The use of nonagitating delivery equipment does not ex-
essary because of the no remixing, no tempering, and no empt the concrete from having to be mixed uniformly upon
addition of admixture limitations. discharge at the job site. The uniformity requirements at dis-
charge are stated in Annex A1 to ASTM C 94/C 94M. The
requirements are identical to those for concrete delivered in
12.2 sl Bodies of nonagitating equipment shall be smooth, wa- a truck mixer. To meet this requirement the producer and
tertight, metal containers equipped with gates that will permit purchaser must consider the length of haul, road conditions,
control of the discharge of the concrete, s2 Covers shall be and selected mixture in the deliberations concerning the use
provided for protection against the weather when required by of nonagitating delivery vehicles.
the purchaser.
12.4 sl Slump tests of individual samples taken after discharge
Watertight containers are required so that any water or of approximately 15 % and 85 % of the load will provide for
mortar, which may separate in transit, is not lost. Metal is a quick check of the probable degree of uniformity (Note
required as the base container material for rigidity and non- 14). s2 These two samples shall be obtained within an elapsed
absorptive characteristics. A non-watertight rigid container time of not more than 15 rain. s3 If these slumps differ more
can be used if it has a liner that is slick, non-absorbent, and than that specified in Table AI.1, the nonagitating equipment
watertight. The shape of the container must be such that all shall not be used unless the conditions are corrected as pro-
of the transported concrete is discharged. The best method vided in 12.5.
of achieving this is to use a container (trailer or other unit)
that has a smooth radius joining the container floor (bottom) The slump test on two samples is the preliminary check
and the side walls. A sharp edge at this junction of the floor for uniformity of concrete. This is the quickest of the Annex
and side is apt to collect a build-up of non-discharging con- A1 tests. Samples for the slump test are taken at locations
crete. The NRMCA Plant Certification program requires this representing the load at a point approximately 15 % from
rounded connection along the container sides [70]. The front each end. ASTM Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Con-
of the container (often a dump trailer) has no such require- crete (C 172) is not cited, but adhering to its requirements
ment. The concrete discharges away from the front trailer is recommended. Note the variable sampling styles allowed
wall and not parallel to it as occurs along the sides. by ASTM C 172 for nonagitating equipment.

76
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
USE OF N O N A G I T A T I N G E Q U I P M E N T 77

RoundedComef - [
Fr ofCo~rlcr

Root
FIG. 12.AmNonagitating defivery unit wall and floor junction.

The sampling is the difficult portion of this operation. hauls, or longer mixing times, or combinations thereof that
With a full width tailgate discharge, sampling the full width will result in the requirements of Annex AI being met.
of the discharge stream is difficult. ASTM C 172 permits non-
agitating equipment to be sampled in the manner of paving
mixers. One of the approved methods of ASTM C 172 is to Annex A1 requires six tests and that five of the six have
place shallow containers at predetermined locations on the results meeting the requirements of Table AI.1. The same
subgrade and discharge the concrete across the containers. tests and requirements of Annex A1 apply to transit mixers,
The containers shall have sufficient capacity to provide sam- stationary mixers or nonagitating units. The tests for non-
ples of adequate size based upon the tests to be performed agitating units are to be performed after undergoing the
and maximum aggregate size. The 15 min. time limit is ex- most severe conditions expected for the project. Two condi-
tremely important for the comparison of two slump tests. tions present the worse situation and promote the most se-
During hot weather, an unprotected sample can lose 1 in. of vere conditions with regard to uniformity of the delivered
slump during the 15 min. period. mixture. These are the stationary mixer operating for the
N o t e 14 is discussed in Section 10.4. minimum acceptable mixing time and the haul unit moving
82 and 83 are discussed in Section 10.4. The only addi- the maximum expected time at the anticipated delivery
tional comment for nonagitating equipment is that "the con- speeds. If a nonagitating haul unit fails to meet the unifor-
ditions" can be taken to mean rough roads causing segre- mity test under these conditions, it shall only be used when
gation of the concrete as well as the condition of the haul times are shorter and mixing times longer and a satis-
equipment. The equipment problems to be suspected are ar- factory uniformity test is achieved using a prescribed com-
eas of hardened concrete within the trailer bed (container) bination. Tests may show that a longer mixing time achieves
not being discharged and growing in size with each load. the desired results or that it is only necessary to shorten the
With nonagitating equipment, the specified slump will haul time.
probably be less than 4 in. The allowable slump difference It is also possible that a satisfactory test is not achieved
between the two samples will then be 1 in. with any available nonagitating haul unit. The mixture pro-
portions may need adjustment or the haul road repaired. If
12.5 sl If the requirements of Annex A1 are not met when the none of these solutions solve the problem, it may be neces-
nonagitating equipment is operated for the maximum time of sary to switch to truck mixers or agitators for the long hauls.
haul, and with the concrete mixed the minimum time, the Annex A1 tests can then be used to determine an approved
equipment shall only be used when operated using shorter haul time or distance for the nonagitating haul units.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Batch Ticket Information

13.1 The manufacturer of the concrete shall furnish to the pur- It is helpful to all concerned if the concrete is ordered using
chaser with each batch of concrete before unloading at the site, this ID, and if the designation on the ticket is checked at the
a delivery ticket on which is printed, stamped, or written, in- time of delivery. With literally hundreds of mixtures available
formation concerning said concrete as follows: to the batchmen, mistakes will occur, but they can be iden-
tified before the problem becomes worse. IDs are very help-
Delivery tickets are business items that are critical to the ful in forensic investigations. It is the responsibility of the
ready-mixed concrete industry. Without tickets, who could entity placing the order to ensure the mixture ordered meets
remember at day's end if 14 loads were delivered, or was it the job specification, is the proper job mixture for the seg-
15, and was the last load 6 1/2 yd 3 or 7 yd3? The signed de- ment of the project to be placed with a specific load, and
livery ticket (batch ticket) is a major component of a busi- that the delivery is discharged into the proper location.
ness transaction. For small projects, the delivery ticket is
essentially the contract between the purchaser and the 13.1.8 Amount of concrete in cubic yards (or cubic meters)
manufacturer of the concrete. It is usually only on larger
projects that a purchase order or subcontract is used as a The basis of purchase is volume measured in cubic yards
contract. The delivery ticket also can become a major part as discussed in Section 3.
of a forensic investigation if problems develop. The need for
many of the items on the ticket is self-evident and will not 13.1.9 7~me loaded or of first mixing of cement and aggregates,
be discussed. and

13.1.1 Name of ready-mix company and batch plant, or batch The time loaded (or first mixing of cement and aggregates
plant number and the aggregate moisture) is related to Section 11.7 and
the 1 1/2 h allowable time lapse before the concrete has been
The specific plant ID isolates the origin of a load for in- discharged.
house bookkeeping and for the source of materials, equip-
ment, etc., in the event of a concrete problem. 13.1.10 Water added by receiver of concrete and his initials.

13.1.2 Serial number of ticket The delivery ticket must have a location to indicate the
quantity of water added at the job site. This value relates to
This identifies an individual load. This is particularly im- strength, durability, time of set, shrinkage, and other poten-
portant on a project with multiple loads by several mixer tial problems that develop after the concrete is actually
trucks. placed. The initials of the purchaser's representative indicate
receipt of the concrete and acknowledgment of the job-
13.1.3 Date (Self-evident) added water quantity. If water is not added at the job, this
fact should be indicated on the ticket with a "zero." Although
13.1.4 Truck number not required, many producers have drivers note the mea-
sured slump or estimated slump on the delivery ticket (pro-
The truck number on tickets is helpful in attempts to iso- ducer's copy) as useful information in the event of unex-
late problems. pected problems.

13.1.5 Name of purchaser (Self-evident) 13.2 Additional information for certification purposes as des-
ignated by the purchaser and required by the job specifications
13.1.6 Specific designation of job (name and location) shall be furnished when requested; such information as:

A purchaser may have more than one project under con- The data listed under Section 13.1 are all mandatory. The
struction, making this additional information important for data listed under Section 13.2 are all available to the pur-
bookkeeping purposes as well as for providing evidence that chaser by prior request. These items may each be requested
the load is at the correct job site. or specified individually or as a total unit. Some of these
items are not verifiable without a full-time inspector. For that
13.1.7 Specific class or designation of the concrete in confor- reason, it is specified that the information provided be cer-
mance with that employed in job specifications tified by the manufacturer, thereby saving the expense of an
inspector. A couple of examples are brand of cement and
Section 4.5 requires an identification (ID) designation for reading of revolution counter during batching. Neither of
each of the concrete mixtures to be furnished to a project. these items can be verified by a third party at a later date.

78
Copyrights 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
BATCH TICKET INFORMATION 79

Many of these optional items concern the composition of investigation of a problem, or for other unnamed reasons.
the mixture. Note that reporting the mixture composition is These same concerns are valid for every component of the
not mandatory. There are many cases where a producer, as concrete mixture. The list of items to be shown on the deliv-
a matter of prior agreement, may choose not to report the ery ticket, both mandatory and optional, first appeared in
composition of the mixture, as it may represent proprietary the late 1960s. One of the items on the list was "type and
information to the company that has a cost associated with name of admixture and amount of same." In ASTM C 94 -
its development. The purchaser, however, has the right to 69 under the Materials section, the heading "Admixtures" in-
request such information according to ASTM C 94/C 94M. cluded both chemical admixtures (ASTM C 260 and ASTM
Identification of the mixture ID may suffice, however, to en- C 494) and mineral admixtures (ASTM C 618, for Fly Ash
sure the correct mixture is being delivered and placed. Prac- and Raw or Natural Pozzolans). In Section 13.2.3, the term
tices for reporting mixture composition information varies "admixtures" has been recently changed to pozzolans includ-
by company, and ASTM C 94/C 94M does not dictate how ing fly ash and admixtures relocated to Section 13.2.6.
this is reported, whether by cubic yard or total batch, or The brand of pozzolan or fly ash optional requirement is
whether the ingredient quantities are reported by actual re- satisfied by naming the supplier who handles the product.
corded weights or that intended in the mixture design. In The class is a name such as "Class C fly ash" as defined in
computerized plants, recording devices record actual scale ASTM C 618. Disclosure of the class of the material provides
readings when concrete ingredient materials are batched. additional information that may reveal important character-
This recording cannot be tampered with and is linked to the istics due to differences between these materials. The
delivery ticket ID in the event this information is needed for amount is typically shown in total pounds per batch, match-
a forensic investigation. ing the presentation method used for cement.

13.2.1 Reading of revolution counter at first addition of water 13.2.4 Grade, brand, and amount of ground granulated blast-
furnace slag
It is unreasonable to expect the revolution counter to be
zeroed at the instant of the first addition of water to the The grade of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (80,
batch. It is not unreasonable to expect the driver to read the 100, or 120), defined in ASTM C 989, will affect the early
counter when the first water is hatched. This number be- strength and bleeding characteristics of the concrete. Each
comes important when the mixer approaches 300 revolu- brand or manufacturer will produce variations of material
tions and the determination of compliance with Section 11.7 because of differing chemical contents of raw materials and
and 300 maximum revolutions is at issue. The best place to different grinding finenesses. These differences will affect the
retain the initial number of revolutions is on the delivery handling and time of set characteristics of the concrete.
ticket. Note that Section l 3.1.9 (mandatory information) has GGBF slag is a product that has influences on bleeding rates,
already requested the time of batching. Section 13.2.1 is sim- time of set, workability, and rate of slump loss. An alteration
ply the other shoe dropping to provide a complete picture in the amount of GGBF slag will affect each of these prop-
for both time and revolutions. erties and thus affects the contractor. As always, knowing
what the components of the concrete are provides historical
13.2.2 Type, brand, and amount of cement value.

The brand of cement may be important if the Architect/


13.2.5 Type, brand, and amount of silica fume,
Engineer (A/E) has specified that all cement shall be from
one source. Brand name also provides the purchaser the con-
tact information should additional information on the prod- Silica fume is a critical cementitious material component.
uct be desired. The type of cement to be used includes data Variations in the quantity and type of silica fume will affect
such as ASTM C I50, Type I/II, or a ASTM C 595, Type IP, the ability to place the concrete and perhaps the intended
or maybe an ASTM C 1157, Type GU. The purchaser is en- functional purpose for which it was used in the concrete.
titled to know what type of cement is being used on the proj-
ect. Providing good historical records is one reason for such 13.2.6 Type, brand, and amount of admixtures,
a request. Another reason would be a project utilizing more
than one type of cement. The quantity of cement in each load This section now refers only to non-cementitious admix-
may be of interest to the purchaser. This and other values tures. Principally it refers to chemical admixtures, but it also
regarding the concrete mixture may be reported as the actual refers to such items as coloring pigment (liquid or pow-
batched quantity in the complete load, but more commonly dered). The record keeping value cannot be underestimated,
it is reported as the quantity per cubic yard as indicated in but the different affects of different admixtures cannot be
the purchase order or the mix design. overlooked. Types of chemical admixture can be satisfied by
a simple C 494, Type A, or the brand name may be used.
13.2.3 Class, brand, and amount of coal fly ash or raw or Amounts may be stated in oz/yd 3, oz/hundredweight (cwt),
calcined natural pozzolans or ounces per load although the first method is more com-
mon. Solids may have quantities stated in either lb/yd 3or lb/
Brands and classes of pozzolans and pozzolanic materials batch. The change in types of chemical admixtures, quantity,
are of interest to purchasers for the project record, for com- or brand can have influences on the time of set, workability,
parison to mixture submittals, for potential changes in ex- finishability, and early strengths. The issue in this section is
pected time of set or finishing characteristics, for a forensic clarity of type of product and the quantity used.
80 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

13.2.7 Type, brand, and amount of fiber reinforcement, at the plant, wash water retained in the mixing drum, and
water added by the truck operator from the mixer tank

Fibers include m a n y varieties f r o m steel to polypropylene.


There are varieties w i t h i n e a c h g r o u p c o n c e r n i n g length, The intent here is to m e a s u r e and record the total w a t e r
size, shape, an d o t h e r p r o p e r t y selections. They m a y be mea- in the load. The source of the w a t e r is not really that im-
sured by various methods, b u t each is expected to m e e t the portant, if each source is correctly m easu r ed , recorded, a nd
t ole r an ce cri t eri o n of -+ 3 % of the total a m o u n t r e q u i r e d or totaled. This i n f o r m a t i o n is n e e d e d to enable j ob site per-
plus or m i n u s the a m o u n t or dosage r e q u i r e d for 100 lb of sonnel to k n o w h o w m u c h w a t e r can be ad d e d at the site
cement, w h i c h e v e r is greater as established in Section 8 for w i t h o u t violating the m a x i m u m p e r m i t t e d quantity of water.
admixtures. Fibers bagged for one cubic yard quantities m a y The m a x i m u m p e r m i t t e d w a t e r m a y be a specification i t e m
have their quantities stated in a m a n n e r of 1.5 l b / y d 3 or 15 or m a y be a part of the c o n c r e t e m i x t u r e submittal.
l b / l o a d for a 10-yd 3 batch. Clarity of the units being r e p o r t e d Aggregate m o i s t u r e s m a y be d e t e r m i n e d by several me t h-
is i m p o r t a n t w h e n a prescribed m e t h o d is n o t set forth. ods. M o i s t u r e probes are often present, particularly in the
fine aggregate (sand). Aggregate samples m a y be c he c ke d for
w a t e r co n t en t by being w ei g h ed m o i s t and then drying on a
1 3 . 2 . 8 Source and amount of each metered or weighed water
hot plate, in a m i c r o w a v e , or in an oven. A n o t h e r satisfactory
or recycled slurry
m e t h o d of m o i s t u r e d e t e r m i n a t i o n is a Speedy Moisture
Tester. All of these m o i s t u r e - m e a s u r i n g methods, including
The p r i m a r y c o n s i d e r a t i o n for this section is to keep a rec- the probe, d e t e r m i n e total m o i s t u r e in and on the aggregate.
ord of the q u a n t i t y of w a s h - o u t w a t e r or w a s h - w a t e r slurry The m o i s t u r e p r o b e indicators can s o m e t i m e s be adjusted to
used in the concrete. A r e c o r d of w a s h w a t e r or w a s h - w a t e r r e p o r t free m o i s t u r e r a t h e r t h a n total w at er if the aggregate
slurry test properties is expected to be on file at the m a n u - a b s o r p t i o n value is k n o w n and is relatively constant. This
facturer's office to allow c o m p u t a t i o n of total w a t e r proper- type of m o i s t u r e probe r ead i n g makes it difficult to c h a n g e
ties. Section 5 r e q u i r e m e n t s for w a t e r are all based u p o n the o v e r h e a d bin usage to a different aggregate. It is i m p o r t a n t
total w a t e r and not the w a s h w a t e r or w a s h - w a t e r slurry. to k n o w w h a t m o i s t u r e value (total or free) is being r e p o r t e d
This is the reason for r e c o r d i n g the quantity of each type of by the probe. The w a t e r to be a c c o u n t e d for on the ticket is
w a t e r used w i t h i n a batch. The presence of the prescribed only the free w a t e r on the aggregate, w h i ch is a p o r t i o n of
i n f o r m a t i o n on the ticket will allow a n y o n e to check for the net mixing w a t e r that reacts with the c e m e n t i t i o u s ma-
specification c o m p l i a n c e in such circumstances. terials. The a b s o r b e d w a t e r will n o t and should not e nt e r
into the total mixing water. See E x a m p l e 13.A for types of
calculations.
13.2.9 sl Information necessary to calculate the total mixing As Section 13.2.4 is written, the various calculations are
water, s2 Total mixing water includes free water on aggre- n o t necessary, only the r aw data are necessary to m a k e the
gates, batch water (metered or weighted) including ice batched calculations including aggregate a b s o r p t i o n values a nd total

EXAMPLE 13.A--Total mixing water calculations.


An 8 yd 3 load of concrete has an allowable mixing water content of 266.6 lb/yd 3 (32 gal/yd3). Aggregate moisture properties and desired
batch quantities (SSD) follow:
Absorption, Total Water Quantities lb/ yd3 Quantity per
% Content, % Oven Dry SSD 8 yd3 (SSD)
Coarse Aggregate 2.6 2.1 1852 1900 15 200
Fine Aggregate (sand) 0.4 3.2 1295 1300 10 400
a. Moisture calculations for coarse aggregate indicate a deficiency of water.
1852 8 yd 3 (1.021 - 1.026) = -74.1 lb + 8.33 lb/gal = -8.9 gal
b. Moisture calculations for fine aggregate indicate free water on the sand.
1295 8 yd3 x (1.032 - 1.004) = +290.1 lb + 8.33 lb/gal = +34.8 gal
c. Ice is used to replace a portion of the batch water (assume 100 lb/yd3).
100 lb/yd 3 x 8 yd 3 = +800 lb + 8.33 lb/gal = +96.0 gal
d. Water placed in mixing drum through water meter (or weighed water).
15 gal/yd 3 8 yd 3 8.33 lb/gal = +999.6 lb = +120.0 gal
e. Wash water in drum from last load was discharged prior to batching current load. = 0.0 gal
f. Plant w a t e r s u b t o t a l placed on delivery ticket = +2015.6 lb = +242.0 gal
g. Allowable water in load
32 gal/yd 3 8 yd 3 = + 2132.5 lb = 256.0 gal
h. At the job site it is estimated another 1.5 gal/yd 3 is needed for the slump to reach the desired range.
i. Water added from side tank is
1.5 gal/yd 3 8 yd3 = = 12.0 gal
j. This quantity is placed on the ticket as water added.
k. Total water in load is now 254.0 gal (2115.8 lb) and is 2.0 gal (16.7 lb) less than the allowable 256.0 gal (2132.5 lb).
L o a d m e e t s a l l o w a b l e w a t e r requirements.
BATCH TICKET I N F O R M A T I O N 81

Control No.: 2 4 5 3 4 5 6

ABC Ready Mixed Concrete Your Town, USA


Plant No. 2
Ready-Mixed Concrete Products
Aggregates Office: (222)333-4444
Cnncrete Co. Fax: (222)333-5555
Visit us at: www abcconcreteco.com

FIG. 13.A--Sample of an acceptable delivery ticket.

aggregate water (percentages), ice in pounds, added water in aggregate or an alternate method is acceptable. One alter-
gallons or pounds. The batchman has more experience than nate includes listing the total for the initial aggregate, and
anyone at making these calculations however, and is the least the total of both aggregates is then recorded. These two
apt to make a mistake. quantities provide the required data. Clarity is needed in
what is presented, such as:
13.2.10 Maximum size of aggregate,
# 57 Rock 19 090 lb or #57 Rock 19 090 lb
This will usually be a nominal m a x i m u m size. Some spec- Sand 12 920 lb Total Agg. 32 010 lb
ifications will require the size to be a m a x i m u m size. The
nominal maximum and m a x i m u m differences are examined Each of these provides clarity of what the quantities repre-
in Section 5.1.2, Aggregates. If ASTM C 33 gradings are be- sent.
ing used, those size numbers may be used, such as, "No. 57"
or "Size No. 67." 13.2.12 Ingredients certified as being previously approved, and

13.2.11 Mass (amount) of fine and coarse aggregate The request for a certification of materials presupposes
that a list of ingredients was requested in the Ordering In-
These are the batched masses (weights) of the aggregates. formation of Section 4 and that the purchaser responded
A computer printout listing the total mass (weight) of each with a written approval. Otherwise, it is not possible to cer-
82 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

tify the ingredients have been previously approved. This in- 13.2.13 Signature or initials of producer's representative.
gredient certification means sources, sizes, and types of
materials have not been changed from those previously The initials of the producer's (manufacturer's) representa-
approved. The coarse aggregate for example was listed on tive are the certification that the delivery ticket information
mixture submittals as being a size No. 57 from Quarry A. is correct. The initials (or signature) will usually be those of
The aggregate size cannot change to a size No. 67 without the batchman because this is the person knowledgeable with
approval, and the aggregate source cannot change to Quarry what actually went into each batch (load), plus each ticket
B without approval. will normally be available for certification.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Plant Inspection
14.1 sl The manufacturer shall afford the inspector all reason- person will usually shorten the sampling time, produce
able access, without charge, for making necessary checks of more representative samples, and protect the safety of all
the production facilities and for securing necessary samples to concerned.
determine if the concrete is being produced in accordance with Many plants have safety rules that all visitors must follow,
this specification, s2 All tests and inspection shall be so con- as well as company policies concerning the disposition of
ducted as not to interfere unnecessarily with the manufacture information to visitors. Reasonable access is typically readily
and delivery of concrete. attainable by open communication, scheduling in advance,
a clear understanding as to what is to be inspected, what
documentation is desired for review, and what safety rules
This is a very encompassing two-sentence specification
are to be observed.
clause. It places burdens and responsibilities on both the
S2 has been discussed somewhat in the above discussion
concrete manufacturer and the inspector. Sl makes it very of reasonable access. One particular point to consider is that
clear that the concrete manufacturer (producer) must pro- the vast majority of plants do not produce concrete for only
vide access to the inspector, who presumably represents the the client represented by the inspector. The inspector's right
purchaser or the purchaser's agent. One interesting aspect of to interfere with production or delivery is totally confined to
this section is that it places access responsibilities directly the client represented. An inspector halting production of
on the concrete producer, who is not a direct party to the concrete for others while making an inspection is unreason-
contract between Owner and Contractor. It is unusual for a able. For example, an inspector may be sent to the batch
specification, but concrete is a rather unique product and plant to obtain samples of raw materials for quality control
therefore demands unusual stipulations. (QC) tests. If the (OC) sampling can be safely accomplished
S1 is unmistakable in that the inspector is allowed access without delaying the product flow to others, there should be
without charge. It is just as clear that the access must be no problem. Other customers should not be affected by the
reasonable. Reasonable is defined as not extreme or exces- actions of an inspector.
sive, having the faculty of reason, and possessing sound What types of duties do inspectors have? This is totally
judgment. Unreasonable is not governed by or acting ac- dependent upon the agency, Architect/Engineer, or Owner
cording to reason, or absurd. Reasonable is to schedule an directing their work. It can be as simple as collecting aggre-
inspection time while the plant is operating at less than peak gate samples once a day for moisture content determina-
capacity. This usually occurs in the afternoon when some tions. It may entail notation of truck numbers versus time
jobs are finished and others are finishing. Reasonable access of loading and ticket numbers. Preliminary checks of air
is to observe how the plant operates and to review calibra- content and slump prior to leaving the batch plant yard may
tion certificates. Reasonable is for the inspector to confine be needed. The most intensive inspection is checking every
his activities to portions of the plant where his safety can be aspect of a batch plant and delivery fleet using the NRMCA
assured. Unreasonable is to expect to go into confined Plant Certification Checklist [70]. A more significant item
spaces. Reasonable is to confine questions of producer em- that is not very practical would be performing uniformity
ployees to time periods when their attention is not diverted tests on each mixing drum built by a different manufacturer
from critical operations. or of a different style. Typically an inspection of a rating
S1 also allows for sampling by the inspector. This includes plate and an observation of the condition of the fins and
both concrete and raw materials. Sampling concrete at the occurrence of hardened concrete buildup is sufficient to en-
plant from a truck mixer generally means using the first con- sure that mixers can perform to produce homogeneous
crete discharged for testing. It is not reasonable to expect a mixtures. The NRMCA inspection of plant and delivery fleet
producer to discharge and waste 2 or 3 yd 3 of concrete to does not guarantee good concrete, but it can ensure that the
reach the middle portion of the batch. The inspector is ad- plant is capable of producing and delivering good concrete,
vised to follow the mixer truck to the job to get a proper and it verifies that the production facility complies with all
representative sample as per ASTM C 172. Sampling from a the pertinent requirements of ASTM C 94/C 94M. Under this
stationary mixer can usually be arranged by the use of a program, each delivery vehicle, as well as the plant, is in-
front-end loader. Is it reasonable for the inspector needing spected. This inspection program requires the leader of the
samples of raw materials to seek assistance from plant per- inspection process to be a licensed engineer with knowledge
sonnel? It is very reasonable as long as such assistance is of concrete plants. Requesting an NRMCA certification of
requested through the person responsible for the plant op- compliance should be adequate to suit the needs of most
eration. Assistance of the loader operator or other plant plant inspection requirements.

83
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Practices, Test Methods,


and Reporting
15.1 Test ready-mixed concrete in accordance with the follow- gestions o n g o o d curing practices. One note of caution is
ing methods: that if the concrete has a specified strength of 6000 psi or
greater, the allowable initial curing temperature limits are
The purpose of the opening statement in Section 15.1 is tighter at 68-78~
to prohibit the reporting of test results or rejection of con- On initial curing some people will say "I want the cylinders
crete on the basis of any test method not included in the cured like the structure so I will know how strong the struc-
subsections of 15.1. Each of these test methods has pre- ture gets." This is accomplished by molding an extra set of
scribed equipment and procedures to produce as much uni- cylinders to be cured as prescribed for "field curing." The
formity and repeatability as possible in the test results. Other a c c e p t a n c e cylinders are for the purpose of determining
test methods or deviations from the prescribed test methods how good the concrete can be, if handled and cured by stan-
or practice are not permitted. dard procedures.
Final curing in the laboratory at 73 -+ 3~ with free water
15.1.1 C o m p r e s s i o n Test Specimens--Practice C 31/C on the cylinder surface at all times is equally important.
31M, using standard moist curing in accordance with the ap- Most laboratories are conscientious about maintaining this
plicable provisions of Practice C 31/C 31M. prescribed environment, so laboratory curing does not pres-
ent the challenge associated with initial curing.
Compression test specimens are generally molded at the
job site for the purpose of determining whether the concrete 15.1,2 Compression Tests--Test Method C 39/C 39M
as delivered complies with the acceptance criteria. For that
purpose it is important that standard procedures are fol- Initial curing of cylinders does not always take place in a
lowed. Standard curing is defined in terms of temperature level spot as required, and if the ends of compression cyl-
and moisture when the cylinders are stored at the job site inders are not prepared properly for testing, the test results
and after they are transported to the laboratory. Cylinders are often lower than what they should have been. Another
that have just been molded are very sensitive to the method problem that sometimes arises, especially with pad caps, is
of handling and storage conditions during the first few an edge breaking off the cylinder, a sudden drop in the load,
hours. Most deviations from standard procedures will result and an overzealous technician shutting off the compression
in a lower measured strength of the strength specimens and machine to control the debris in and around the testing ma-
might cause perfectly acceptable concrete to be rejected due chine. Many times the load on the cylinder will immediately
to no fault of the concrete producer. recover after the momentary drop and continue to a higher
Two of the most abused practices in concrete testing occur load at true failure. Compression cylinder tests must be car-
when compression test specimens are molded. The samples ried to complete failure to identify the type of failure as re-
are often taken improperly such that they are not represen- quired by ASTM C 39/C 39M.
tative of the load. More discussion on this is in Section 15.1.6 Note in Section 17 that the average of at least two com-
"Sampling Fresh Concrete." pression tests of specimens obtained from the same sample
The other often abused criteria are the procedures for ini- at the same age is required to represent one strength test.
tial curing, which are explicit in ASTM C 31/C 31M, Any This is because it is rare for two specimens, even from the
movement of cylinders to a storage area must take place im- same sample, to have identical compressive strengths. There
mediately after finishing. Merriam Webster defines imme- is a limit to such differences, however, and these are pro-
diately as "without interval of time." The initial curing period vided by the precision statement in ASTM C 39/C 39M. For
is allowed to extend up to 48 h, but no longer. The cylinders cylinders molded in the field, the coefficient of variation is
must not be moved from the storage area until at least 8 h 2.87 % of the average compressive strength. Statistical pro-
after final set of the concrete. An acceptable scenario is to cedures developed by ASTM Committee C 09 establish an
transport the cylinders from job site curing to the laboratory acceptable range between two companion cylinders as 8.0 %
on the day following molding. The initial curing environ- of their average strength. If there are three companion cyl-
ment shall be maintained at a temperature between 60-80~ inders, the acceptable range expands to 9.5 %. The accept-
plus protection against moisture loss from the specimens. able range in this context means that when compressive
Specimens shall not be exposed to direct sunlight or radiant strengths of companion sets of cylinders are observed, the
heating devices. The storage temperature shall be controlled range or difference between the highest and lowest strength
by use of heating and cooling devices, as necessary, to main- in a set should not exceed the acceptable range more often
tain the moist environment and the temperature. Record than one time in 20. ACI 214R Evaluation of Strength Test
the temperature using a maximum-minimum thermometer. Results of Concrete provides some additional information on
N o t e 7 o f ASTM C 31/C 3 IM provides s o m e excellent sug- the acceptability of tesf results and provides typical numbers

84
Copyrights 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
PRACTICES, T E S T M E T H O D S , A N D R E P O R T I N G 85

that show how good or bad a particular laboratory performs for air plus the m o i s t u r e contents of the aggregates for
in testing cylinders [1]. greater accuracy. Step 2 is to d e t e r m i n e the relative densities
(specific gravities) of each material in the batch. The m a n u -
E X A M P L E 15.A--Acceptable range of compressive strengths. facturer usually will have this information. Step 3 is a den-
sity (unit weight) d e t e r m i n a t i o n from c o m b i n e d samples
taken from the middle portion of the load of concrete. Ex-
Assume a set of two 28-day cylinders tested at 3360 psi ample 15.B d e m o n s t r a t e s a gravimetric air c o n t e n t deter-
a n d 3600 psi. mination.
Average strength is 3480 psi.
The acceptable strength range is 3480 0.08 = 278 psi. EXAMPLE 15.B--Gravimetric air content determination.
The actual range is 3600-3360 = 240 psi < 278 psi, OK. Mass Mass Volume
(Weight) (Weight) Density13 (air-free)
Material lb/ batch lb / yd3 (sp gr) ft3/ yd3
If the range of the compressive strength of c o m p a n i o n cyl- Cement (lb) 4210 421 3.15 2.14
inders exceeds the ASTM C 39/C 39M criterion i n several Fly ash (lb) 930 93 2.51 0.59
sets of results, a n investigation should be u n d e r t a k e n . Coarse Agg. (SSD) (lh) 17 970 1797 2.69 10.70
Sand (SSD) (lb) 13 500 1350 2.62 8.26
Water (Total) (lb) 2830 283 1.00 4.54
15.1.3 Yield, M a s s p e r C u b i c Foot--Test Method C 138/C TOTALS 3944 26.23 ft 3
138M T (theoretical density) = 3944 lb + 26.23 ft3 ~ 150.36 lh/ft 3
D measured density (unit weight)* = 143.75 lb/ft 3
A (air content) = [(T - D) + T] 100
Test Method C 138 has a n e w designation a n d a n e w title: A = [(150.36 - 143.75) + 150.36] 100 = 4.4 %
ASTM Test Method for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, a n d Air
*Value assumed to have been determined by field test.
Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete (C 138/C 138M). The test
m e t h o d for density (unit weight) is used as a c o m p o n e n t in
How m u c h does the calculated air c o n t e n t vary as differ-
the d e t e r m i n a t i o n of concrete yield. Section 3 of ASTM
ences i n density (unit weight) d e t e r m i n a t i o n s vary? The pre-
C 94/C 94M requires a 1/2 fla c o n t a i n e r rather t h a n the
cision statement of ASTM C 138/C 138M states for a single
smaller ones allowed by ASTM C 138/C 138M for r o u t i n e
operator, two properly conducted tests o n the same sample
density tests. The larger sample bucket increases the accu-
m a y differ by 1.85 l b / f l 3, a n d for a m u l t i o p e r a t o r test, the
racy of the m e a s u r e m e n t , a n d accuracy is critical i n a yield
results should not differ more t h a n 2.31 l b / f l 3. The s t a n d a r d
test. Using a I/2 ft 3 c o n t a i n e r to d e t e r m i n e what a 27-ft 3 (1
deviations for these two cases are 0.65 lb/ft 3 a n d 0.82 l b / f t ~,
yd 3) volume of concrete should weigh introduces a m u l t i p l i e r
respectively.
of 54 for a n y error in the test result, thus d e m a n d i n g careful
a n d accurate test procedures. The calibration of the sample
E X A M P L E 15.C--Allowable variations in gravimetric air
bucket should be accomplished to three decimal places.
content.
ASTM procedures do not require duplicate calibrations of a
sample bucket, but it can increase the accuracy a n d confi-
Assume a change in the m e a s u r e d concrete density of Ex-
dence in the resulting bucket volume. Divide the mass of the
ample 15.B from 143.75 to 141.9 l b / f l 3 (difference of 1.85
concrete in the bucket by the k n o w n volume of the bucket
lb/fl3).
to o b t a i n the mass per u n i t volume.
The n e w calculated air c o n t e n t becomes:
Again from Section 3 of ASTM C 94/C 94M, density (unit
weight) samples for yield d e t e r m i n a t i o n s m u s t come from
A = [(150.36 - 141.9) + 150.36] 100 = 5.6 %
the middle p o r t i o n of three different loads a n d the concrete
densities averaged. Again, accuracy a n d u n i f o r m i t y are
The allowable single-operator difference i n m e a s u r e d con-
p r i m e considerations.
crete density accounts for a n allowable reported difference
The most c o m m o n source of error with the concrete den-
of (5.6 - 4.4) = 1.2 % in air content. Had the test b e e n a
sity test is in the strike-off procedure. I n a d e q u a t e work with
m u l t i o p e r a t o r test, the allowable difference i n air c o n t e n t for
the strike-off plate results in a reported density that is too
this example would be 1.5 % (5.9 - 4.4).
high a n d a yield value that is too low. I m p r o p e r strike-off
procedures m a y compress the concrete r a t h e r t h a n trim the
top. The use of a field t e c h n i c i a n certified by ACI or a n equiv- Note that !.5 % is 50 % of the allowable tolerance for air
alent certification p r o g r a m is essential to this yield compu- as specified in Section 7.2. Testing errors (or inaccuracies)
tation procedure. reduce the m a r g i n of error available for the producer. Cor-
rect a n d careful testing procedures are once again d e m o n -
strated to be essential.
15.1.4 Air Content--Test Method C 138/C 138M; Test Method
C 173/C 173M, or Test Method C 231.
13Two deprecated terms, weight and specific gravity, are contained
Each of these test methods presents a different procedure in parentheses in this example. The scientificallycorrect terms, mass
a n d different e q u i p m e n t for m e a s u r i n g the air c o n t e n t of and density, are shown along with the deprecated terms. Other such
concrete, a n d each will provide a slightly different result. pairs of terms or phrases are used throughout the text. The correct
term for specific gravity of aggregates is now accepted to be "relative
T h e ASTM C 138/C 138M test procedure begins with re- density." The accepted term for unit weight of concrete or mass per
cording the batch masses (weights) of the load to be tested unit volume is "density."
86 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

FIG. 15.A--Photo of equipment for density test.

ASTM C 138/C 138M is seldom used as a field acceptance 1. Measured air c o n t e n t = 4.4 % --- 0.32 % 4.4 % = 1.4 %
m e t h o d for air content. It is more c o m m o n in trial batch 2. Measured air c o n t e n t = 5.0 % --- 0.32 % 5.0 % = 1.6 %
evaluation in the laboratory. 3. Measured air c o n t e n t = 6.0 % --- 0.32 % 6.0 % = 1.9 %
T h e ASTM C 173/C 173M test m e t h o d is identified as the
volumetric m e t h o d for air c o n t e n t determination. It is more The base of the roll-a-meter is too small to qualify as a n
often referred to as a "Roll-a-Meter" test. Recent changes in acceptable m e a s u r e for concrete density. ASTM C 138/C
the test procedure, including a large increase in the per- 138M does not p e r m i t the use of density measures with a
centage of isopropyl alcohol to be used, have decreased the volume less t h a n 0.2 ft 3.
time r e q u i r e m e n t for this test, b u t it still needs some time T h e ASTM C 231 test m e t h o d uses air pressure to mea-
a n d physical effort to ensure that all the air in the concrete sure the air c o n t e n t i n fresh concrete. A Type A meter uses
sample is measured. This is the test m e t h o d n o r m a l l y used a cylinder of water above a bowl of concrete. Applied air
for lightweight concrete due to the porous n a t u r e of light- pressure o n the water c o l u m n compresses the air in the con-
weight aggregates. It is less involved t h a n ASTM C 138/C crete sample, lowering the height of water in the cylinder.
138M, has n o r e q u i r e m e n t s for additional information, a n d The m e a s u r e d drop of the water height provides a m e a s u r e
does not involve pressurized air as does ASTM C 231. of the air content.
The testing work necessary for a completely new precision The precision s t a t e m e n t of ASTM C 231 for the Type A
statement has not been accomplished. Perhaps the results m e t e r has a n u p p e r limit of 7 % air content. The multiop-
will improve with the new procedures, b u t at the m o m e n t erator s t a n d a r d deviation is 0.28 % air, which translates to
the reported m u l t i operator coefficient of variation is 1 1 % a n acceptable difference in two tests of 0.8 % air by v o l u m e
of the m e a s u r e d air content. "Results of tests by two different of concrete. With a m e a s u r e d air c o n t e n t of 4.4 % by Oper-
operators o n specimens taken from a single concrete sample ator 1, the m e a s u r e d air c o n t e n t by Operator 2 c a n be as low
should not differ from each other by more t h a n 32 % of their as 3.6 % (4.4 - 0.8) a n d can be considered a n acceptable test
average air content" reports Section 9.1 of ASTM C 173/C range.
173M. Two items are noted here. The acceptable difference A Type B m e t e r uses a different a p p r o a c h of air pressure
in two test results is approximately 1/3 of the test value, a n d to make the air c o n t e n t m e a s u r e m e n t . A closed air c h a m b e r
the acceptable difference is m e a s u r e d by the coefficient of c o n t a i n s air pressurized to a p r e d e t e r m i n e d level a n d is t h e n
variation. The latter item indicates that the difference in tests released in the u n d e r l y i n g bowl of concrete. The air pres-
is not a constant but becomes larger n u m e r i c a l l y as the air sures equalize in the concrete bowl a n d in the air chamber.
c o n t e n t becomes larger. Examples of the acceptable differ- The change in air pressure is calibrated to the air c o n t e n t of
ences c h a n g i n g with varying air contents follow: the concrete sample a n d is displayed on a pressure gage.
PRACTICES, T E S T M E T H O D S , A N D R E P O R T I N G 87

At this time, there is no p u b l i s h e d p r e c i s i o n s t a t e m e n t for This range of acceptable test results uses up 50 % o r m o r e
Type B meters. Because of the s i m i l a r i t y of the meters, the of the t o l e r a n c e in s l u m p p e r m i t t e d by Sections 6.1.1 a n d
p r e c i s i o n is expected to be s i m i l a r to that of the Type A 6.1.2.
meter. S o m e u n p u b l i s h e d tests indicate the s t a n d a r d devia-
tion m a y rise to a p p r o x i m a t e l y 0.4 % for the Type B meter.
S u c h a value w o u l d place an a c c e p t a b l e difference in com- 15.1.6 Sampling Fresh Concrete--Practice C 1 72
p a n i o n tests at a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 . 1 % as c o m p a r e d to 0.8 %
for the Type A meter.
E a c h of these air m e t e r s is b a s e d on Boyle's law, w h i c h The p r o p e r s a m p l i n g of freshly m i x e d concrete is the first
states, "If the t e m p e r a t u r e r e m a i n s constant, the v o l u m e of step to m e a n i n g f u l test results for all test m e t h o d s u s e d to
gas (air) is inversely p r o p o r t i o n a l to the pressure" [16]. j u d g e the quality of concrete, w h e t h e r it is for quality control
Boyle's law is stated as V~ P1 = Vz P2. o r for quality assurance. If the s a m p l e is not r e p r e s e n t a t i v e
The m o s t c o m m o n l y used i n s t r u m e n t for the m e a s u r e - of the batch from w h i c h it came, conclusions r e g a r d i n g the
m e n t of air contents for fresh concrete is the Type B p r e s s u r e quality of the b a t c h will be in error, a n d this m a y create
meter. The m o s t c o m m o n abuse of this m e a s u r i n g system is p r o b l e m s for someone, m o s t likely the concrete producer.
n o t calculating a n d using the r e q u i r e d aggregate c o r r e c t i o n The m o s t c o m m o n process of o b t a i n i n g s a m p l e s at the j o b
factor. This m e a s u r e d factor accounts for the air c o n t e n t in- site is from t r a n s i t mixers being used as t r u c k mixers o r as
d i c a t e d on the p r e s s u r e gage b y the pores w i t h i n aggregate agitators. The s a m p l i n g p r o c e d u r e is one of the m o s t com-
particles n o t filled with water. Since the air c o n t e n t of inter- m o n errors in testing c o n d u c t e d at the j o b site. ASTM C 172
est is that which is in the c e m e n t paste, the aggregate cor- requires that the concrete s a m p l e for testing s h o u l d be a
rection factor is s u b t r a c t e d f r o m the m e a s u r e d air content. composite sample obtained by combining smaller portions
Because the test m e t h o d m e a s u r e s the "air" within aggregate from two o r m o r e locations within the load. This is to e n s u r e
particles, it c a n n o t be used for concrete c o n t a i n i n g very po- that the s a m p l e tested has a better c h a n c e of being repre-
rous aggregate or lightweight aggregate. sentative of the batch. Using a s a m p l e from just one l o c a t i o n
The bowl in which the concrete s a m p l e is placed has a in the load r a t h e r t h a n m u l t i p l e p o r t i o n s to m a k e up a com-
m i n i m u m c a p a c i t y of 0.20 ft 3, a n d m o s t Type B m e t e r s are posite s a m p l e r e p r e s e n t i n g the b a t c h is c o m m o n , a n d it is
0.25 ft 3 in size. Thus, these c o n t a i n e r s are large e n o u g h to wrong. M a j o r m o n e t a r y a m o u n t s a n d time are involved, so
m e a s u r e the concrete density a c c o r d i n g to ASTM C 138/C u n p r o f e s s i o n a l w o r k by technicians is unacceptable. If con-
138M w h e n the concrete c o n t a i n s 1 in. n o m i n a l m a x i m u m crete was entirely u n i f o r m t h r o u g h o u t a batch, it w o u l d not
size coarse aggregate or smaller. W h e n the s a m e exact sam- be necessary to exclude the first a n d last p o r t i o n s d i s c h a r g e d
ple is used for concrete density (unit weight) a n d air content, from the testing procedure. N e i t h e r w o u l d it be n e c e s s a r y to
the density m u s t be p e r f o r m e d first, and the s p e c i m e n top provide a c c e p t a b l e tolerances in Annex A1 for differences
m u s t be p r e p a r e d with a strike-off plate, not just a strike-off b e t w e e n s a m p l e s taken from different s e g m e n t s of the load.
bar. ASTM C 172 provides for s a m p l i n g from a variety of mix-
ing units a n d t r a n s p o r t units, a n d all require m u l t i p l e por-
15.1.5 Slump--Test Method C 143/C 143M tions of concrete to be c o m b i n e d to m a k e up the c o m p o s i t e
s a m p l e for testing. Mixing u n i f o r m i t y tests do not r e q u i r e
This m e a s u r e of consistency of the concrete is s o m e w h a t c o m p o s i t e samples. Three different scenarios are d e s c r i b e d
crude, b u t quick. It r e m a i n s a m u c h specified test m e t h o d . in ASTM C 172 for s a m p l i n g a n d then c o m b i n i n g the por-
C h a p t e r 6 of this text has a discussion of the test. The m a j o r tions of concrete into a c o m p o s i t e s a m p l e w i t h i n 15 min.
p e r f o r m a n c e p r o b l e m s with the test are i m p r o p e r m e a s u r e -
m e n t of the s l u m p a n d n o n - u n i f o r m c o n s o l i d a t i o n by rod-
Number of Individual Samples to
ding that will often result in a l o p s i d e d s l u m p i n g of the con- Concrete Unit Sampled be Combined
crete w h e n the m o l d is removed.
Stationary Mixer, except paving 2 or more portions of middle
After r e m o v a l of the mold, the s l u m p m e a s u r e m e n t is mixers portion of batch
taken at the d i s p l a c e d original center of the top surface of Paving Mixers 5 or more portions of batch
the fresh concrete s p e c i m e n a n d not from the low p o i n t of after mixer discharge
the original top o r the high p o i n t of the original top. Im- Revolving-Drum Truck Mixer or 2 or more portions of middle
Agitator portion of load
p r o p e r selection of the p o i n t of m e a s u r e m e n t can lead to
Open-Top Truck Mixers, Sample according to the most
m a j o r errors in the s l u m p value reported. Agitators, Nonagitating appropriate of the three
The p r e c i s i o n s t a t e m e n t of ASTM C 143/C 143M indicates Equipment, or Other Types above procedures.
an i n c r e a s i n g range of a c c e p t a b l e test results b e t w e e n two of Open-Top Containers
tests as the s l u m p value increases, b u t not to the extent t h a t
the coefficient of v a r i a t i o n is a b e t t e r m e a s u r i n g tool t h a n
the s t a n d a r d deviation. With a single o p e r a t o r and a s l u m p Note that no s a m p l i n g p r o c e d u r e to d e t e r m i n e c o m p l i a n c e
between a p p r o x i m a t e l y I - 8 in., the a c c e p t a b l e range of two with the quality r e q u i r e m e n t s of the specifications utilizes a
s l u m p test results is between 0.65-1.13 in. F o r m u l t i p l e op- single s a m p l i n g point. The m i n i m u m n u m b e r of p o r t i o n s of
e r a t o r test results, this r a n g e increases to between 0.82-1.50 the load to m a k e up the c o m p o s i t e s a m p l e is two.
in. Except for l o w - s l u m p paving concrete, it is safe to say the ASTM C 172 also specifies a p r o c e d u r e for the r e m o v a l of
typical range b e t w e e n a c c e p t a b l e s l u m p test results is 1-1.5 large aggregate w h e n the coarse aggregate c o n t a i n s particles
in. larger t h a n p e r m i t t e d for the a p p l i c a b l e test m e t h o d .
88 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

FIG. 15.B--Photo of Type A meter.

15.1.7 Temperature--Test Method C 1064/C 1064M specification limits, it is in everyone's interests for measured
and reported temperatures to be correct. At the time of mea-
This test method, first published in 1986, became neces- suring, it is seldom known that a temperature will later be
sary because temperature of the mixture had become such the subject of an arbitration proceeding question. Purchase
a wide issue with regard to air content, slump, strength, and thermometers with a knowledge of their accuracy, and cali-
time of set, plus specification requirements for concrete tem- brate them often. Thermometers for use with concrete (tem-
perature related to construction of massive or sensitive con- perature measuring devices) shall be calibrated in accord-
crete elements. A couple of requirements are to maintain at ance with the procedures and at the m i n i m u m frequencies
least 3 in. of concrete completely around the temperature specified in ASTM C 1064/C 1064M.
sensing element of the thermometer and to begin the test as
quickly as possible after discharge from the transportation 15.2 The testing laboratory performing acceptance tests of con-
unit. The temperature desired for ASTM C 94/C 94M pur- crete shall meet the requirements of Practice C 1077.
poses is the temperature as discharged. It is not required to
obtain a sample of concrete if temperature is the only test ASTM Practice for Laboratories Testing Concrete and Con-
being conducted. The temperature of the concrete after crete Aggregates for Use in Construction and Criteria for
placement in its forms is also permitted, provided sufficient Laboratory Evaluation (C 1077) identifies m i n i m u m techni-
volume surrounding the temperature probe is available. cal requirements for testing equipment and personnel in-
One caution regarding temperature-measuring devices is volved in testing concrete and concrete aggregates. The Prac-
that many of the concrete thermometers on the market do tice sets forth specific criteria a laboratory must meet. ASTM
not meet the ASTM C 1064/C 1064M accuracy requirements C 1077 does not require approval of a laboratory, but instead
of ___ I~ [_+ 0.5~ Do not use thermometers not meeting sets up the criteria to be used by an accrediting agency or
the accuracy requirements. When temperatures approach by other parties for approval, should that be desired. The
PRACTICES, TEST METHODS, AND REPORTING 89

FIG. 15.C--Photo of Type B meter.

FIG. 15.D--Photo of slump cone and tamping rod.

Practice provides a qualification checklist for a n y o n e in- laboratory's technical direction. These are all helpful features
specting a laboratory. to all parties d e a l i n g with concrete p r o d u c e d u n d e r ASTM
ASTM C 1077 sets m a x i m u m time intervals for the cali- C 94/C 94M.
b r a t i o n of testing e q u i p m e n t a n d m i n i m u m relative experi- The r e q u i r e m e n t s for t e c h n i c i a n s actually p e r f o r m i n g tests
ence levels for t e c h n i c i a n supervisors as well as a require- are spelled out in Sections 16.2 a n d 17.1 of ASTM C 94/C
m e n t for a registered professional e n g i n e e r to oversee the 94M. The t e c h n i c i a n p e r f o r m i n g the tests of Section 15.1
90 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

FIG. 15.E--Photo of field thermometer.

shall be a certified ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician, or tant to know what factors should not have contributed to a
equivalent, or ACI Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician-- problem, and which ones may have contributed. For exam-
Grade I or Grade II or equivalent, as appropriate for the test ple, if concrete sampling for strength tests only involved one
involved. Equivalent certifications to ACI must include both portion of a load rather than a composite sample made from
written and performance examinations equal to or exceeding two portions, it should be stated on the cylinder report.
ACI requirements. See discussion in Chapter 16 for specific S2 concerns identifying any of the test procedures per-
requirements. formed by others. For example, if the compression cylinders
were molded, initially cured, and transported to the labora-
15.3 sl Laboratory reports of concrete test results used to de- tory by the contractor, this information should be noted on
termine compliance with this specification shall include a the test report. If the Contractor reports a slump value, it
statement that all tests performed by the laboratory or its should be noted if the value was measured or estimated.
agents were in accordance with the applicable test methods or N o t e 1 7 is a self-evident reminder of the importance of
shall note all known deviations from the prescribed procedures using prescribed test procedures.
(Note 17). s2 The reports shall also list any part of the test Note 18 is an extension of Note 17 as a special precaution
methods not performed by the laboratory. on the proper initial curing of concrete cylinders and the
possible consequences of ignoring prescribed procedures.
Field research has shown that improperly cured compressive
Note 17--Deviation from standard test methods may adversely
test cylinders can produce compressive strengths well below
affect test results.
the strengths of properly cured cylinders. A series of hot
weather tests in New Mexico led to test values as much as
Note 18--s~ Deviation from standard moisture and tempera- 19 % lower for improperly cured cylinders, compared to
ture curing conditions is often a reason for low strength test those for properly cured specimens. The concrete being
results, s2 Such deviations may invalidate the use of such test tested was designed to produce an averge strength of 4000
results as a basis for rejection of the concrete. psi. With a 20 % loss due to improper curing, the result is a
reported strength of 3200 psi [75].
Deviations from the prescribed procedures and equipment Cold weather can be even harder on 28-day cylinders. Con-
in each Test Method or Practice may be the cause of inap- crete cylinders that are allowed to fi'eeze for as short a time
propriate test values. Statements of compliance by the lab- as one or two nights before being removed and placed in
oratory regarding testing methods are as important in a laboratory curing conditions can lose 50 % or more of their
forensic investigation as the manufacturer's certification potential compressive strength [60]. Prior to setting, the cyl-
regarding batch information on delivery tickets. It is impor- inders have all of the mix water available to freeze and ex-
PRACTICES, TEST METHODS, AND REPORTING 91

pand upon freezing. This expansion in concrete that has not strengths produced by standard cured 28-day specimens
set or is just past the state of hardening will significantly [26].
damage the cylinder. The freshly molded cylinder does not These data cover both ends of the temperature spectrum
have any strength to resist these forces and is immediately and show loss of strength for cylinders not properly cured.
damaged. Field tests on a smaller scale indicated compres- hnproperly cured (non-standard) cylinders are a problem for
sive cylinders stored outside in freezing temperatures for a all parties involved. Statistics are not available, but it is en-
weekend period (3 days) had even greater reduction of 28- tirely possible, if not probable, that the majority of problems
day compressive strengths. These referenced test values re- involving low-strength cylinders are the result of improper
sulted in a compressive strength at 28 days of 37 % of the curing as opposed to all other problems combined.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Sampling and Testing 16


Fresh Concrete
16.1 The contractor shall afford the inspector all reasonable There may be times when the A/E desires some additional
access and assistance, without charge, for the procurement of samples at the point of pump discharge or the point of re-
samples of fresh concrete at time of placement to determine mote placement, but these tests are not a part of ASTM
conformance of it to this specification. C 94/C 94M and only affect the contractor and not the pro-
ducer. Access for remote points of discharge is covered by
other portions of the project specifications, because they are
Section 16 is very similar to Section 14, except that it ad-
beyond the ready-mixed concrete producer's scope of con-
dresses the contractor rather than the producer. The inspec-
trol. This does cause problems as a practical matter because
tor must have the opportunity to sample the fresh concrete
the A/E is interested in the concrete properties in the struc-
at the job site. The inspector will not be charged for the
ture. A process needs to be established prior to the place-
concrete, for the down time of the delivery vehicle, or for
ment whereby the requirements for the concrete at the point
the idle time of the contractor's concrete crew while the con-
of discharge are established, even if they are different from
crete is being sampled and tested. The concrete itself is al-
the specification requirements, such that the concrete at the
ready being paid for by the Owner, so that is a non-issue.
point of placement complies with those requirements. The
The idle time of the delivery vehicle and the crew is a con-
common problem elements are the air content and slump of
tingency that should be considered in the pricing of concrete
the concrete, which can each change depending upon the
and the placement costs of concrete. What the "without
placement method.
charge" statement means is that "without direct additional
Section 16.1 states "reasonable access and assistance."
charge" to others and "at no charge" to the inspector or the
What does assistance mean? There is no further explanation
testing laboratory.
here, but it certainly seems to be coupled with the word "rea-
The question of reasonable access is raised again just as it
sonable." This does not mean that the Contractor is expected
was in Section 14. Reasonable access can depend upon the
to furnish people to carry testing equipment and cylinders,
unloading circumstances. In the context of ASTM C 94/C
although there are times and places where this type of assis-
94M, it also revolves around two very specific concepts. The
tance is both helpful and appreciated. What reasonable as-
first of these concepts is that ASTM C 94/C 94M applies only
sistance does mean is cooperation in diverting the discharge
to the point of discharge from the mixer or delivery vehicle
chute at the proper times to allow good sampling techniques,
at the job site. Reference S4 of Section 1.1 states "This spec-
a clear working area near the curing box suitable for per-
ification does not cover the placement, consolidation, cur-
forming tests, a location for truck mixers to be spotted for
ing, or protection of the concrete after delivery to the pur-
preliminary tests, an electrical outlet for a temperature reg-
chaser". Section 3.1 reads, "The basis of purchase shall be
ulated curing box, and water to wash off testing equipment
the cubic yard or cubic metre of freshly mixed and unhar-
or to perform similar acts.
dened concrete as d i s c h a r g e d f r o m the mixer." These two
Cooperation between contractor, producer, inspector, and
statements make it very clear that ASTM C 94/C 94M and
testing technician is the bottom line. All work for the Owner,
the producer's responsibility for the product quality end
and all want or should want a successful project.
when the concrete is discharged from the delivery vehicle.
This spirit of cooperation will assist in producing good
Therefore, the concrete is to be tested at the point of dis-
samples to more accurately reflect the quality of the concrete
charge. The second specific item is that the concrete samples
being delivered by the producer. Without quality samples,
shall be obtained in accordance with ASTM C 172. This prac-
any non-conforming test results will themselves become
tice requires that two portions of concrete from the middle
questionable.
part of the load be combined into one test sample. ASTM
C 94/C 94M makes exceptions for preliminary slump and air
contents, but it makes no exceptions for strength tests and 16.2 s~ Tests of concrete required to determine compliance with
the related tests required when strength tests are made (see this specification shall be made by a certified ACI Concrete
Section 16.4). Field Testing Technician, Grade I or equivalent, s2 Equivalent
What does all of this have to do with reasonable access? personnel certification programs shall include both written and
The sampling must be done as the delivery vehicle is un- performance examinations as outlined in ACI CP-1.
loading. It is not difficult to divert the unloading chute away
from the pump, power buggy, point of direct placement, con- Some tests at the site may not be to determine compliance.
crete bucket, conveyor, or other point of discharge a couple For example, the producer may send a technician to measure
of times and put some concrete in a wheelbarrow for the slump or air content on several loads to adjust plant-added
inspector and the concrete technician. If the mixer truck can batch water or the air entraining admixture dosage. Anyone
reach the point of discharge, a wheelbarrow should also be who can perform this duty to the producer's satisfaction is
capable of reaching it. eligible, and certification requirements will not apply. When

92
Copyright+2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
SAMPLING AND TESTING FRESH CONCRETE 93

the tests are p e r f o r m e d to m e a s u r e specification c o m p l i a n c e , shall be a m i n i m u m of 60 % on each individual test pro-


a h i g h e r level of p r o v e n proficiency is required. Considering c e d u r e a n d a m i n i m u m overall score of 70 %.
t h a t a l o a d of fresh concrete represents 500-700 U.S. dollars, 3. A p e r f o r m a n c e d e m o n s t r a t i o n of each test p r o c e d u r e to
the h i g h e r r e q u i r e m e n t s are justified. Before a l o a d is re- be included in the certification. This d e m o n s t r a t i o n m u s t
jected due to n o n - c o m p l i a n t test results, everyone w a n t s to be closed b o o k a n d w i t h o u t c o a c h i n g o r assistance of a n y
be sure the tests are a c c u r a t e a n d p e r f o r m e d correctly. It is type. E a c h test p r o c e d u r e m u s t be a c c o m p l i s h e d properly.
just as i m p o r t a n t to k n o w t h a t the concrete is of a c c e p t a b l e 4. The e x a m i n e r for the p e r f o r m a n c e test m u s t be a P.E. a n d
quality, t h r o u g h a c c u r a t e testing, before it is p e r m i t t e d to be m u s t be an i m p a r t i a l observer w i t h o u t affiliation to the
p l a c e d into the project structure. e x a m i n e e o r the examinee's e m p l o y e r o r p o t e n t i a l em-
Technicians certified to be ACI Concrete Field Testing ployer.
Technicians, G r a d e I have b e e n tested for a knowledge a n d 5. The certification m u s t have a limited t i m e p e r i o d p r i o r to
proficiency of the following ASTM Test M e t h o d s a n d Prac- re-examination, w h i c h does n o t exceed the ACI t i m e pe-
tices. r i o d p r i o r to r e - e x a m i n a t i o n for the specific p r o g r a m .
ACI p u b l i c a t i o n CP-1 [9] provides detailed g u i d a n c e on test-
C 1064/C 1064M Temperature of Freshly Mixed Portland Cement ing p r o c e d u r e s , s a m p l e questions for each p r o c e d u r e , grad-
Concrete ing r e q u i r e m e n t s , a n d s o m e helpful s u p p l e m e n t a r y infor-
C 172 Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete mation.
C 143/C 143M Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete
C 138/C 138M Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content
(Gravimetric) of Concrete 16,3 Samples of concrete shall be obtained in accordance with
C 231 Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Practice C 172, except when taken to determine uniformity of
Pressure Method slump within any one batch or load of concrete (10.4, 11.3.3,
C 173/C 173M Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the 11.5.1, and 12.4).
Volumetric Method
C 31/C 31M Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in
the Field ASTM Practice for S a m p l i n g F r e s h l y Mixed Concrete
(C 172) is a two page d o c u m e n t t h a t is a m u s t - r e a d for every
concrete technician. It is, w i t h o u t a doubt, the m o s t com-
The testing e x a m i n a t i o n for these s t a n d a r d s includes a m o n l y violated practice in the world of concrete testing.
closed-book w r i t t e n e x a m i n a t i o n consisting of approxi- W h e t h e r the violations are due to i g n o r a n c e of the s t a n d a r d
m a t e l y 50 m u l t i p l e choice questions to be a n s w e r e d in a 1- o r not k n o w i n g the easiest m e t h o d to follow, violations still
h period. A p a s s i n g score is c o n s i d e r e d to be 60 % o r m o r e o c c u r repeatedly, thus bringing test results into question.
on each of the ASTM s t a n d a r d s a n d a n overall score of n o t The following s t a t e m e n t w i t h i n the Significance a n d Use
less t h a n 70 %. section of ASTM C 172 speaks volumes:
To attain certification, the t e c h n i c i a n m u s t also correctly
"This practice is intended to provide standard requirements
p e r f o r m each of six s t a n d a r d s w i t h o u t notes, a book, assis-
and procedures for sampling freshly mixed concrete from dif-
tance, or p r o m p t i n g , as verified b y i n d e p e n d e n t examiners. ferent containers used in the production or transportation of
It is p e r m i t t e d for the e x a m i n e r to ask a series of questions concrete."
a n d accept oral answers on s a m p l i n g procedures.
The e x a m i n e r m u s t m e e t certain criteria to be a c c e p t a b l e W h y is o b t a i n i n g a concrete s a m p l e so p a i n s t a k i n g l y de-
to ACI. The e x a m i n e r m u s t be a registered professional en- scribed? Think in t e r m s of a 10-yd 3 l o a d of concrete as it
gineer with at least two y e a r s of recent experience in con- arrives at the j o b site. This size l o a d typically r e p r e s e n t s a
crete construction, inspection, o r testing a n d shall be unre- 500-700 U.S. d o l l a r investment. F u r t h e r m o r e , it m a y repre-
lated professionally o r p e r s o n a l l y to the t e c h n i c i a n being sent the a c c e p t a n c e testing for the day's pour, o r at least 150
examined. The e x a m i n e r m u s t be t h o r o u g h l y f a m i l i a r with yd 3. A s a m p l e of 1-2 ft 3 in size is usually o b t a i n e d in a wheel-
t h e c u r r e n t ASTM s t a n d a r d s a p p l i c a b l e to the field techni- b a r r o w a n d tested to d e t e r m i n e if the l o a d is a c c e p t a b l e o r
cian certification p r o g r a m i n c l u d i n g ASTM C 94/C 94M a n d not acceptable. A 10-yd 3 l o a d has a v o l u m e of 270 ft 3. The
s h o u l d have o b t a i n e d the s a m e certification at s o m e p o i n t in fate of this l o a d is thus d e t e r m i n e d by a s a m p l e t h a t repre-
the past. sents a p p r o x i m a t e l y 0.5 % of the total load. The worst-case
The ACI certification has a 5-year limit. After five years, s c e n a r i o is if the l o a d is placed, the 28-day strength test fails,
the t e c h n i c i a n m u s t once a g a i n take a n d pass the s a m e ex- w o r k stops while in-situ testing o r cores are taken, a n d these
a m i n a t i o n p r o g r a m , a g a i n with a n e u t r a l PE examiner. This tests prove the p r o b l e m was with the original tests a n d n o t
re-certification ensures that t e c h n i c i a n s are familiar with the concrete. The total cost of such a scenario is unlimited.
c u r r e n t s t a n d a r d s , b e c a u s e t h e y are revised frequently. The Scope of ASTM C 172 gets right to the p o i n t in the
$2 references a n e x a m i n a t i o n n o t p r o v i d e d u n d e r the ACI very first sentence:
umbrella. Such a p r o g r a m can be w r i t t e n by a n y o n e knowl- "This practice covers procedures for obtaining representa-
edgeable a b o u t the specified tests. The five p r i m a r y features tive samples of fresh concrete as delivered to the project site
to be observed in an equivalent p r o g r a m include: on which tests are to be performed to determine compliance
with quality requirements of the specifications..."
1. All o r m o r e test p r o c e d u r e s t h a n covered b y the a p p l i c a b l e
ACI p r o g r a m . The key p h r a s e here is representative samples. The s a m p l e
2. A closed b o o k w r i t t e n (oral in special c i r c u m s t a n c e s ) a n d m u s t r e p r e s e n t the entire load, not just an isolated segment.
t i m e d e x a m i n a t i o n covering essential elements of each Everyone, from the r a w m a t e r i a l suppliers, to the producer,
test p r o c e d u r e to be i n c l u d e d in the certification. Scores to the contractor, to the Owner, to the A/E, w a n t s a repre-
94 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

sentative sample. ASTM C 172 is really only about one thing, 12.4 Slump test on nonagitating equipment to deter-
obtaining a representative sample. The first segment of the mine the probable degree of uniformity
load is not reliable for a representative sample.
The initially discharged concrete may be affected by the 16.4 s~ Slump, air-content, density, and temperature tests shall
loading sequences of materials, especially the cement and be made at the time of placement at the option of the inspector
quantity of tail water (last metered or weighed water), plus as often as is necessary for control checks, s2 In addition,
the number of mixing and total drum revolutions. If the these tests shall be made when specified and always when
batching sequence places the cement at the end or near the strength specimens are made.
end of the loading process, and only a small quantity of tail
water is used, the initially discharged concrete may have a
high proportion of cement and produce test strengths in ex- The tests discussed do not include strength testing itself.
cess of what is representative for the load. A series of un- These are supplemental tests used to evaluate the concrete
published tests by Daniel [25] compared compression tests at the moment of discharge and not 28 days later when
of initial discharge concrete to tests on ASTM C 172 sam- strength tests become available. What is the condition of the
pling procedures at the job site. The average compressive concrete at the time of discharge? If this can be determined
strength and standard deviation were both greater for the accurately, potential problems can be overcome. Each of the
tests on the initial discharge samples. Approximately 75 % tests named often have limits named within the specifica-
of the initial discharge samples had greater compres- tions subjecting the concrete to possible rejection, and each
sive strengths, and approximately 25 % resulted in lower are capable of sounding an alarm of potential or pending
strengths when compared to the ASTM C 172 mid-load, com- trouble, regardless of the lack of a specification requirement.
posite samples. The standard deviation for the compression A review of the test procedure methods follows:
test results of the initial discharged concrete was approxi-
mately 40 % higher than the standard deviation of the prop- Slump C 143/c 143M
erly sampled concrete. These are significant differences that Air-Content C 231 (Pressure), C 173/C 173M (Volumetric), or C
explain why preliminary samples are not permitted to be 138/C 138M (Gravimetric)
used for acceptance strength testing. Density C 138/C 138M (concrete density)
Temperature C 1064/C 1064 (fresh concrete)
The Procedures section of ASTM C 172 discusses sampling Temperature Ambient (There is no requirement to check the
from stationary mixers, paving mixers, revolving-drum truck ambient temperature, but it can be beneficial and
mixers, revolving-drum agitators, open-top truck mixers, ag- prudent.)
itators, nonagitating equipment, and other types of open-top
containers. The central theme in the procedure for each is
collecting two or more distinct portions of the concrete and The inspector may have each or all of these tests per-
then compositing these into a single test sample. The most formed by the Owner's technician any time it is desired. Typ-
common of the sampling procedures is from a revolving- ically, all tests would not be performed on each load, but it
drum truck mixer, which reads ". , .by collecting t w o or is not uncommon for one of these to be targeted on each
m o r e p o r t i o n s t a k e n at r e g u l a r l y s p a c e d i n t e r v a l s d u r i n g load. This is a very strenuous inspection of fresh concrete,
discharge of the middle p o r t i o n of the batch." This in- and the question is whether it is ever justified. "At the option
struction is amplified by a later caution of "do not obtain of the inspector" means justification is not necessary. This
samples from the very first or last portions of the batch dis- exercise can be costly to the producer by tying up trucks
charge." A note defines first and last portions as 10 % each. while inspections and testing take place, thus requiring extra
Technically, this means to sample from the middle 80 % of trucks on a project. Delays in discharging the concrete dur-
the load. Prudent practice is to focus on the middle two- ing these tests may change the consolidation and finishing
properties of concrete. If it is known that this type of scru-
thirds of the load. Do not forget a requirement to obtain the
tiny is needed, it is best to state it in the specifications.
first and last portions of the sample within a 15-rain. time
span. What types of circumstances could lead to checking every
load of concrete for a particular property of the fresh
An exception to the "two portions makes one sample" rule
product?
is spelled out in the last part of Section 16.3 regarding pre-
liminary tests for slump and air content prior to job site ad- 1. Superflat floors require a consistent slump and no en-
justments to the mixture. The details of preliminary samples trained air for the best results.
are provided in Section 16.6. If a load is being tested for 2. Pumping concrete, particularly with a high stone content,
uniformity of slump or complete uniformity testing, the use also requires a consistent slump.
of composite samples is also waived by ASTM C 172. The 3. Air-content can change dramatically after a long haul on
section references to specialized testing (not for acceptance a hot day. If traffic conditions, and therefore delivery times
of concrete testing) are as follows: are variable, the air content also may be variable.
4. Temperatures can become particularly important if the
project specifications contain specific temperature restric-
10.4 Slump test on mixer or agitator to determine the tions for either hot or cold weather concreting or mass
probable degree of uniformity concrete sections, and if conditions are borderline.
11.3.3 Sampling for uniformity tests of stationary mixers 5. Density of concrete may be the acceptance criterion on a
11.5.1 Sampling for uniformity of concrete produced in lightweight aggregate project. If the density of the fresh
truck mixers concrete is not consistent, it may be prudent to continue
SAMPLING AND TESTING FRESH CONCRETE 95

to measure fresh densities until the condition is solved to take any strength tests. However, note the responsibility
and densities are stabilized. of the Owner as it applies to conformance to the Building
6. Highly variable slumps may lead to checking slumps on Code. What is required is that if the Owner elects to have
every load until the cause is determined. The cause often strength tests made, the other tests must be made in support
proves to be the same trucks with high slumps because of the data gleaned from the strength test itself. This require-
wash water is not being discharged prior to batching con- ment is no different than requiring tests to be performed in
crete or otherwise controlled as required by Sections 8.3 a very specifically-prescribed procedure.
and 13.2.9. How can all of these tests be useful to anyone? Consider
these possibilities. A high temperature on the concrete could
These are only some isolated examples of the inspector's
indicate excessive mixing, traffic delays, or loading on top of
need to check every load for a physical property. Such cir-
some leftover concrete. Temperatures of concrete can be par-
cumstances are actually somewhat rare, but this is an option
ticularly useful if several are obtained during the day to
that must be available to the inspector. Good inspectors and
watch for a trend. Simultaneous ambient temperatures are
the testing technicians assisting them will work with a pro-
helpful in the evaluation of concrete temperatures. Was the
ducer to isolate and solve any problem as quickly as possible,
air content high and the density (unit weight) low? This
thus allowing the checking of every load to be discontinued
could indicate a problem with the presence of excessive air
as quickly as possible.
in the concrete. If the air content is at the proper level and
$2 provides no leeway for testing procedures when
the density (unit weight) is low, perhaps the wrong aggre-
strength tests are made. Each of the physical property tests
gate was utilized, or the wrong mixture proportions were
for fresh concrete is required. Tests are slump, air-content,
batched. If the density is low, it may indicate that air content
temperature, and density in addition to the casting of cyl-
is high if it is not measured, and this serves as a check on a
inders or beams for strength determination. This is a lot of
potential for low strength. Slump tests, while not the true
information, but should the strengths be lower than specified
indicator of excessive water, are nonetheless helpful as an-
or exceedingly high, this information usually will offer clues
other tool in evaluating strength tests which provide unex-
to the reason and become the first step in correcting the
pected results. These test results all work together to form
problem.
probabilities of what may have caused an unexpectedly low-
strength test. The evaluation of these other tests will some-
16.5 sl Strength tests, as well as slump, temperature, density, times point to improper testing as being a problem.
and air content tests shall generally be made with a frequency Even when every test has acceptable results, the testing
of not less than one test for each 150 yd 3 (115 m3). szEach program is helpful in achieving a successful project. Typi-
test shall be made from a separate batch, sa On each day con- cally there will be test results that are near the borderline,
crete is delivered, at least one strength test shall be made for and if these are promptly reported to the producers, adjust-
each class of concrete. ments can often be made to move the particular property
closer to the middle of the specification window. Good test-
The initial part of the section is a restatement of the fact ing and good communication can be a major part of a suc-
that when strength tests are made other tests are required. cessful project.
A rare statement in a specification is one such as "shall gen- S1 suggests that strength tests, along with the accompa-
erally be made." Specifications by definition are explicit and nying tests, be made at a frequency of "not less than one test
demanding, and the word "generally" does not fit. So why is for each 150 yd3." ACI 301 requires strength tests at least
it used here? Testing of the delivered product is normally once for each 100 yd 3 or any fraction thereof, for each con-
performed for the Owner and at the expense of the Owner. crete mixture placed in any one day. The suggestion of not
ACI 301-99, Specifications for Structural Concrete follows less than one test for each 150 yd 3 is directly in line with the
this path of responsibility and payment, of the Owner hiring, ACI 301 specification requirement. As indicated above,
directing, and paying the testing laboratory, which performs ASTM C 94/C 94M reflects the minimum requirement in ACI
the services for the project. ASTM Specification C 94/C 94M 318-02. When these quantities are considered in terms of
cannot demand that the Owner test the concrete every 50 typical mixer truckloads (8-10 yd3), the spacing of tests
yd 3, or every 100 yd 3, or even every 150 yd 3. It can only sug- (every 10-20 loads) is a compliment to producers that their
gest a frequency, thus the term "generally" to provide helpful product is usually consistent enough that it is sampled so
guidance to the Owner or the Owner's representative, ACI seldom. Earlier it was pointed out that a test sample repre-
318-02 Building Code for Structural Concrete is frequently sents 0.5 % of a load, and now the specifications are only
referenced in building codes applicable to local jurisdictions, requiring a test every 10-20 loads. Thus, less than 0.05 % of
including the relatively new, but widely used International the concrete is actually tested. Only a small portion of these
Building Code. The testing frequency of not less than once tests ever fails, which is a tribute to the concrete being man-
for each 150 yd 3 of concrete is a specific requirement of ACI ufactured and to the technicians performing the tests.
318. This minimum frequency thus applies by law to all S2 states that each test shall be made from a separate
structures, or portions thereof, that are covered by building batch of concrete. If three strength tests are to be made to-
codes containing or adopting ACI 318. day, the samples must come from three different trucks. Le-
Some would argue that the Owner cannot be required to gitimately there is no reason to cast multiple sets of cylinders
perform the physical tests that Section 16 demands be a part from the same truck or batch, except for uniformity testing.
of any strength test. After all, the Owner is also the one pay- Each set of cylinders and thereby each set of tests must be
ing for these extra tests. As stated, the Owner is not required made on separate batches.
96 U S E R ' S G U I D E T O A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

S3 concerns testing different classes of concrete. Classes S3 is an instruction concerning a slump or air content
may mean different strengths, different air contents, differ- value from the preliminary sample that is outside the spec-
ent aggregates, or a multitude of possible differences. Class ification window of tolerance. If the slump or air content or
of concrete is used here to indicate different mixture pro- both are greater than permitted, the requirements of Section
portions. The statement in S3 then becomes, you should per- 16.6.1 are to be followed. If the preliminary test results for
form not less than one strength test per different mixture on slump or air content or both are less than the specified min-
each day the specific mixture is used, regardless of how imum, the requirements of Section 16.6.2 are to be followed.
many or how few cubic yards are placed. There is no indi- If both slump and air content meet specification require-
cation of why this statement is made, but one very good rea- ments, the placement of concrete proceeds as planned.
son is to ensure to the extent possible that the correct mix
design is used. If a project places 200 yd 3 of a 3000 psi mix-
ture today, and in the midst of this large concrete order, an 16.6.1 sl I f the measured slump or air content, or both, is
order for 8 yd 3 of a 4000 psi mix with 6 % air is ordered, it greater than the specified upper limit, a check test shall be
is rather important to ensure this one load with different made immediately on a new test sample, s2 In the event the
properties was furnished correctly. Accidents can happen in check test fails, the concrete shall be considered to have failed
a busy day, and a small amount of testing is an excellent the requirements o f the specification.
method of buying insurance.

16.6 sl f f preliminary checks o f slump or air content are made, This section is only applicable if the measured slump or
a single sample shall be taken after the discharge o f not less air content or both is greater than permitted by project spec-
than t/4 yd 3 [1/4 m3]. s2 All other requirements o f Practice C ifications. S1 addresses the reality that a preliminary sample
172 shall be retained, s3 I f the preliminary measurement o f may not he satisfactory or that a test result can be in error
slump (11.7) or air content (7.3) falls outside the specified and must be checked before a load of concrete is declared
limits, address as indicated in Section 16.6.1 or 16.6.2, as "out of specification." To fully satisfy both of these possibil-
appropriate. ities, a new (replacement) sample is taken. No mitigation
procedures are currently addressed within ASTM C 94/C
Slump or air content or both are often checked on a pre- 94M for slump or air contents that are greater than desired.
liminary basis as alluded to in Section 6.2 (slump) and as Thus, no mention is made of the possible use of air-
specified in Section 7.3 (air content). These properties are detraining admixtures or slump reducing agents. Such miti-
always tested when strength test specimens are cast. Sl con- gation products are available and may be desirable by both
cerns sampling for preliminary tests. A sample is permitted the producer and purchaser. ASTM currently takes no posi-
to be taken after the discharge of as small a quantity as 1/4 tion on the use of these products.
yd 3. This is a preliminary sample that is to be used only for The check test on the replacement sample is performed
checks of slump and air content to determine specification before any additional concrete is discharged for the pur-
compliance. The preliminary sample does not need to be chaser's use. If the results of this second test are outside the
very large, but there is a requirement to not use the first 1/4 acceptable limits for the project, the concrete shall be con-
yd 3 discharged. This is a quantity approximately equal to the sidered as failing the specifications and may be rejected for
manageable mass of a couple of loaded construction grade use on the project or otherwise handled in accordance with
wheelbarrows. One-fourth cubic yard is not a dribble, it is project requirements. The purchaser still has the ability to
approximately 1000 lb of material, which must be dis- accept the concrete. The purchaser's representative on the
charged prior to taking the preliminary sample. Nothing pro- job site with the appropriate authority needs to make the
hibits this discharge into the project. One of the primary judgment as to whether the deviation from the specification
purposes of this preliminary sample is to avoid making ad- requirement is of significance to the requirements of the
justments on air content and slump when a significant por- project and whether the cost and delay associated with re-
tion of the load is discharged, as is true when an acceptance jecting the concrete are justified.
sample is taken in accordance with ASTM C 172. Because Is it really necessary for a technician to check a test result
the quantity of concrete in the truck will be unknown, mak- by performing a second test? Can the same technician check
ing adjustments at a later point during discharge will be the slump twice on the same sample and obtain identical
purely guesswork. results? Usually they cannot. Can two technicians check the
The preliminary sample is not to be used for the molding slump on the same sample and obtain identical results? Usu-
of strength specimens. It is tempting to everyone to proceed ally they cannot. ASTM subcommittee C09.60 (Testing Fresh
with test specimens when slump and air content require- Concrete) has done everything possible to standardize the
ments are met, but do not succumb to temptation. slump test, but every test is new and different and will nor-
$2 cautions that all other requirements of ASTM C 172 mally give a different value for tests that are both well per-
shall be retained. This addresses the technique of obtaining formed. The precision statement for slump (ASTM C 143/C
concrete from the complete stream of discharge, allowing 143M) was revised recently, based upon some closely super-
free flow of the discharge, handling of large maximum sized vised tests performed by certified field technicians. Both the
aggregate concrete, remixing of sample once in the sample standard deviation and the acceptable range of two succes-
container, and beginning the slump test and air content de- sive slump test results by the same technician are shown in
terminations within 5 rain. after obtaining the sample. Noth- the Section 6.1.1 discussion.
ing is waived beyond the early sampling point and the use Based upon 270 slump tests by 15 technicians all working
of only one portion of concrete to make up the test sample. with the same load of concrete, the acceptable range of
SAMPLING AND TESTING FRESH CONCRETE 97

EXAMPLE 16.A--Retest possibilities for slump and air content. within a n acceptable variation of test series one. The con-
Specified Item Slump(in.) Air Content (%) Remarks crete meets specifications a n d can be placed.
Specification 4 in. _+ 1 in. 6.0 % _+ 1.5 %
Test No9 1 3 1/2 in. 4.2 % Air Content Low
Test No. 2 ,,, 5.0 % Air Content OK 16.6.2 sl I f the measured slump or air content, or both, is less
than the lower limit, permit adjustments in accordance with
11,7 or Z3 or both, as appropriate, and obtain a new
sample, sz I f the sample o f the adjusted concrete fails, a check
test shall be made immediately on a new sample o f the adjusted
s l u m p results is slightly m o r e t h a n 1 in. Section 6.1.2 allows
concrete, sa In the event the check test fails, the concrete shall
a 4-in. n o m i n a l s l u m p to range from 3-5 in. But is a 5 1/4 in.
be considered to have failed the requirements o f the specifica-
s l u m p really a 5 1/4 in. slump, a n d does the 5 1/4 in. s l u m p
tion.
concrete fail the specification? No, n o t u n t i l the certified
t e c h n i c i a n has performed a second s l u m p test o n a n o t h e r
p o r t i o n of a sample of concrete a n d the second sample has W h e n the s l u m p is less t h a n permitted, Section 11.7 per-
also failed by giving a second test result outside the specifi- mits a one-time a d d i t i o n of water at the job site. What Sec-
cation w i n d o w of acceptance. tion 11.7 does not do is waive any project restrictions or
Air c o n t e n t values also vary from test to test a n d are not mixture p r o p o r t i o n i n g submittals that limit the total water
absolute values. The precision s t a t e m e n t for ASTM C 231 c o n t e n t or prescribe a m a x i m u m water-cement ratio.
(Pressure Method) states that two tests properly c o n d u c t e d W h e n a n air c o n t e n t m e a s u r e m e n t is less t h a n specified as
by different operators b u t o n the same material should not a lower limit, Section 7.3 allows the m a n u f a c t u r e r to use
vary by more t h a n 0.8 % air by volume of concrete. Air con- additional air e n t r a i n i n g admixture to increase the air con-
tents o b t a i n e d u s i n g a volumetric m e t e r (Roll-a-meter) usu- tent. Section 7.3 does not place a one-time limit o n such a n
ally have a wider range of results t h a n other test methods. increase.
The acceptable air-content range for two tests performed o n The permitted a d j u s t m e n t s apply to either or both, s l u m p
different portions of the same sample is 1.6 % for a n average a n d air content, as appropriate a n d in accordance with other
air c o n t e n t of 5.0 % a n d 1.9 % for a n average air c o n t e n t of restrictions of the specifications, i n c l u d i n g additional mixing
6.0 %. Both are very large values a n d d e m o n s t r a t e why a as specified in Section 7.3 a n d 11.7, m a x i m u m revolutions
second test should be performed before declaring a load of of the mixer, a n d time limits of Section 11.7. After the ad-
concrete has failed to meet air c o n t e n t requirements. j u s t m e n t s have been m a d e a n d the additional revolutions of
Example 16.A d e m o n s t r a t e s how a second test can benefit the mixer completed, a n e w sample is o b t a i n e d for a second
everyone, even though the second series of test results are series of tests.

FIG. 16.A--Group photo of testing equipment9


98 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

S2 recognizes the possibilities discussed in Section 16.6.1 second adjusted sample is grounds to reject the concrete as
for two tests by the same technician or different technicians not meeting project specifications.
to produce differing test results. Therefore if a test on the What then happens to this load of concrete is beyond the
adjusted concrete sample fails, a second test shall be made scope of ASTM C 94/C 94M. The immediate foreseen pos-
immediately on a new sample of the adjusted concrete. A sibilities are:
new sample is considered important as a hedge against a 1. Reject the load, and remove it from the job site.
problem sample initially, insurance that ASTM C 172 time 2. Place the load in the project, and immediately call the
constraints on beginning the tests will be met, and it affords batch plant for changes in the mixture proportions that
the opportunity for using a second technician, if readily are expected to correct the next load.
available to participate in checking the new sample (second 3. Make further corrections to the slump or air content with
sample of adjusted concrete). the permission of the Purchaser or Owner's representative
$3 really needs no explanation beyond the specification as appropriate under the terms of the project specifica-
statement. A failed slump or air-content test result on this tions.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

17
Strength
17.1 s~ When strength is used as a basis for acceptance of con- 7. Perform air content determination; ASTM C 231 or
crete, standard specimens shall be made in accordance with ASTM C 138/C 138M are the quickest. ASTM C 173/C
Practice C 31/C 31M. s2 The specimens shall be cured under 173M requires a second technician (5 min.).
standard moisture and temperature conditions in accordance 8. Perform molding of cylinders or flexural beams, ASTM C
with the applicable provisions of Practice C 31/C 31M. 31/C 31M (15 min.).
sa The technician performing the strength test shall be certified Cylinders
as an ACI Concrete Strength Testing Technician, Concrete Lab- a. Select method of consolidation (rodding or vibrator)
oratory Testing Technician--Grade H or by an equivalent writ- from Table 2 of ASTM C 31 / C 31M.
ten and performance test program covering the relevant test b. Select number of layers and consolidation require-
methods, s4 I f acceptance is based upon compressive strength ments from Tables 3 or 4 of ASTM C 31/C 31M.
test results, the certification requirement is satisfied by certifi- c. Tap outside of mold after rodding each layer.
cation as an ACI Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician-- d. Smooth top of concrete with trowel or float.
Grade I or by an equivalent written and performance test e. Move cylinders quickly to location of initial curing in
program. the field while fully supporting bottom of cylinder mold.
f. Cover top or otherwise prevent moisture loss.
Minimum strength requirements are the most common g. Cure in 60-80~ temperatures up to 48 h (68-78~ for
method of ultimate acceptance of concrete. Strength may be specified strengths of 6000 psi or greater). Keep min-
measured by either compressive or flexural methods. Even max thermometer with cylinders, and record curing
when a mixture has been proportioned to meet a criterion temperatures.
other than strength, such as a maximum water-cement ratio h. Move to laboratory, strip mold, cure at 73 + 3~ and
or a minimum cement content, there typically will be some maintain free water on surface as described in ASTM
minimum strength assigned to become the ultimate pass-fail Specification for Moist Cabinets, Moist Rooms, and
judgment of the concrete. Water Storage Tanks Used in the Testing of Hydraulic
All strength specimens shall be made (molded) in accord- Cements and Concretes (C 511).
ance with ASTM Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Beams
Test Specimens in the Field (C 31/C 31M). A study of ASTM a. Fill mold in 2 layers.
C 31/C 31M is recommended, particularly for concrete with b. Rod if slump greater than 1 in.
slumps of 1 in. or less and with approved cylinder molds c. Rod each layer at 1 rodding per each 2 in. 2 of top sur-
different from 6 in. 12 in. A brief summary of the pri- face area.
mary considerations for proper strength testing procedures d. Tap outside of mold 10-15 times with rubber or raw-
follows: hide mallet after rodding each layer, and then spade the
Sampling: ASTM C 172: Take two portions of concrete sides and ends of mold with a trowel after consolidating
from middle portion of load separated by not more than 15 layer.
min., and combine into one composite sample. e. Smooth top of concrete with float.
Begin Tests: ASTM C 172: Time constraints for beginning f. Move quickly to field storage area.
strength tests and the specified companion tests are rigid and g. Cover top or otherwise prevent moisture loss.
require good planning and execution when only one tech- h. Cure in 60-80~ temperatures up to 48 h. Keep rain-
nician is available. One sequence of tests that permits com- max thermometer with beams, and record tempera-
pliance using a single accomplished technician and meeting tures during initial storage period.
the required starting times after obtaining the final portion i. Move to laboratory, remove molds, cure at 73 + 3~ and
of the composite sample follows (maximum starting times maintain free water on surface as described in ASTM C
in parentheses): 511, except the last 20 h or more prior to testing require
submersion in water saturated with calcium hydroxide.
1. Advance planning on where testing will take place.
9. Perform density (unit weight) test last, unless it was the
2. Lay out and prepare equipment.
selected method for air content determination, ASTM C
3. Obtain two sample portions, and mix into one composite
sample. 138/C 138M (start and complete test expeditiously).
4. Begin temperature determination, ASTM C 1064/C $3 makes the point that the technician performing the lab-
1064M (5 min.). oratory portion of the strength tests must be certified. This
5. Perform slump test, ASTM C 143/C 143M (5 min.). is not a field testing certification, it is a Laboratory Testing
6. Complete temperature determination ASTM C 1064/C certification. The ACI Strength Testing Technician certifica-
1064M. tion covers the testing of both cylinders and beams (flexural).

99
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
100 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

The ACI certification program Concrete Laboratory Testing method's precision statement, inspections and inquiries
Technician--Grade II covers both cylinders and beams (flex- should be made for possible bad test specimens. If a problem
ural). $4 provides for the ACI certification Concrete Labo- is found, the low cylinder strength result may be excluded
ratory Testing Technician--Grade I covering only cylinders, and the strength of the other cylinder reported as the test
when the project acceptance tests are compression cylinders. result. If a specific reason for a low test is not found, the
Any of these ACI certification tests may be supplanted by average of both is reported. While the precision statement
a certification program that includes all the basic elements provides a basis for qualifying what might be a significantly
of the ACI program. The basis for an equivalent technician high difference between specimens, it does not qualify
certification program is outlined in Chapter 16 in the dis- whether the testing conducted is acceptable. ACI 214R-02
cussion of Section 16.2. Evaluation of Strength Test Results of Concrete [1] is a doc-
ument that provides greater detail on evaluating strength test
17.2 sl For a strength test, at least two standard test specimens results. It indicates that with reasonably good testing, the
shall be made from a composite sample secured as required in within-test coefficient of variation is around 3-4 % of the
Section 16. s2 A test shall be the average of the strengths of average strength. If it is higher, there should be concern
the specimens tested at the age specified in 4.2.1.1 or 4.4.1.1 about the testing procedures. Further, if the within-test co-
(Note 19). s3 Ira specimen shows definite evidence other than efficient of variation is too low, say in the range of 1-2 %,
low strength, of improper sampling, molding, handling, curing, this should also be considered abnormal, and the procedures
or testing, it shall be discarded, and the strength of the re- used at the lab should be reviewed. The relationship of the
maining cylinder shall then be considered the test result. coefficient of variation and the standard deviation is that the
standard deviation expressed as a percentage of the average
Compression cylinders or flexural beams whose test re- strength is the coefficient of variation. If the standard devi-
sults are to be a part of the acceptance or rejection process ation is 120 psi and the average strength of cylinders is 4000
shall be made such that the test made at the age designated psi, the coefficient of variation is 3.0 %.
for the acceptance has at least two or more specimens. One The age for acceptance tests is 28 days unless otherwise
cylinder does not represent a test result. Even when strength stated in the project specifications. This age is spelled out in
specimens are molded from a well-mixed sample and by cer- both Section 4.2.1.1, Option A Ordering Information and
tified technicians the strength results of these specimens will Section 4.4.1.1, Option C Ordering Information. It is not un-
not be identical. ASTM Test Method for Compressive usual for pavements to be based on 90-day acceptance test-
Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens (C 39/C 39M) ing or for tilt-up panels to require a very short acceptance
contains a precision statement, which states that a pair of strength period to permit lifting in 1 or 2 days. High strength
cylinders molded in the field may have a strength range as concrete containing higher amounts of supplementary ce-
high as 8.0 % of their average and be acceptable. When three mentitious materials often have strength acceptance criteria
cylinders are tested to be averaged, the range can be as high at 56 days. Such deviations for acceptance testing, if desired,
as 9.5 %. This value (8.0 %) is based upon procedures must be spelled out in the project specification, otherwise
adopted by subcommittee C 09.94 and approved by com- the default value of 28 days prevails.
mittee C 09 and published in ASTM Practice for Preparing
Precision and Bias Statements for Test Methods for Con- Note 19--s~ Additional tests may be made at other ages to ob-
struction Materials (C 670). Consider a compression test re- tain information for determining form removal time or when
sult of 4850 psi and a companion cylinder with a strength a structure may be put in service, s2 Specimens for such tests
of 5250 psi. At an average strength of 5050 psi, 8 % is an are cured according to the section on Field Curing in Practice
allowable spread of 404 psi. The spread is acceptable, and C 31/C 31M.
the average is an acceptable 5050 psi for a 5000 psi strength
specification. Note 19 points out that tests not used to judge the ac-
A second example has a first cylinder strength of 3700 psi ceptability of the concrete as delivered may be tested at other
and a companion cylinder strength of 5250 psi. The ASTM ages. What it does not say is that for these non-acceptance
C 39/C 39M precision statement suggests that there is a tests, the curing conditions may also differ from standard
problem with a cylinder when the range is this large, 34 % curing conditions. These curing conditions may be tailored
of the average compared to 8 %, expected to be exceeded to the specific purpose and tested at selected ages depending
only 5 % of the time. From a practical standpoint there are upon the purpose. ASTM C 31/C 31M discusses field-cured
long odds that the problem is with the low-test result (3700) cylinders. Field cured tests are for purposes such as when a
rather than the high one (5250). Nevertheless, S2 is explicit structure may be put into service, determination of the ade-
that "a test" includes all the cylinders or beams from a com- quacy of curing and protection from adverse weather con-
posite sample and that the reported test result is the average ditions, when forms may be removed, when tilt-up panels
of these individual specimen strengths tested at the same may be lifted, or a comparison of standard test results and
age. These are just a couple of reasons for having more than in-place test methods. These cylinders or beams are for the
one strength specimen to form a strength test. Three speci- benefit of the contractor or owner and are not to be consid-
mens is great, two is good, and one is unacceptable. $3 pro- ered as acceptance test results. Field cured cylinders are ad-
vides for excluding bad cylinders or beams (strength test dressed in ACI 318-02 Building Code Requirements for
specimens) from the reported test results. When the differ- Structural Concrete for the purpose of judging whether the
ence between the strength of two specimens averaged for a curing and protection afforded to the structure were ade-
test result is larger than the allowable range stated in the test quate. In that instance, the purpose of the tests is to verify
STRENGTH 101

contractor's practices a n d c o m p a r i s o n s of field c u r e d tests to keep ASTM C 94/C 94M c u r r e n t with Concrete Building
the s t a n d a r d c u r e d cylinders to d e t e r m i n e acceptability. Code requirements. The revisions will be for specified com-
The New Mexico R e a d y Mix Concrete And Aggregate As- pressive strengths (f') g r e a t e r t h a n 5000 psi. Overdesign fac-
sociation p a p e r c o n c e r n i n g n o n - s t a n d a r d curing versus stan- tors a n d pass-fail criteria will b e c o m e m o r e conservative for
d a r d curing conditions for cylinders indicates t h a t n o t all the h i g h e r strength (plus 5000 psi) concrete. Essentially, the
professionals are a w a r e of the differences in the curing re- 500 psi o r 3.5 MPa in Section 17.4.2 will be r e p l a c e d b y (0.1
q u i r e m e n t s for a c c e p t a n c e cylinders a n d j o b - c u r e d cylinders f~) w h e n f" > 5000 psi. Table 4 will be r e p l a c e d with a n e w
[75]. table c o m p a t i b l e with the n e w ACI 318-02 r e q u i r e m e n t s .
The testing of flexural strength s p e c i m e n s (beams) is n o t
17.3 The representative of the purchaser shall ascertain and c u r r e n t l y i n c l u d e d in ASTM C 94/C 94M, a l t h o u g h s o m e
record the delivery-ticket number for the concrete and the exact specifications use these tests as a basis for acceptance. F o r
location in the work at which each load represented by a projects using flexural strengths, the specifications m u s t in-
strength test is deposited. clude the a p p l i c a b l e a c c e p t a n c e provisions. Sampling, mold-
ing flexure specimens, curing, handling, testing, a n d certi-
Section 16.5 r e c o m m e n d s a strength test frequency of n o t fying field a n d l a b o r a t o r y t e c h n i c i a n s are each covered
less t h a n every 150 yd 3. ACI 301 specifies a test set at least within the ASTM C 94 / C 94M specification. Only the m e t h o d
every 100 yd 3. With 9-10 yd 3 b a t c h e s as the n o r m , testing of flexural testing (third-point o r center-point loading) to be
occurs every 10-17 loads. In percentages, this translates to used a n d the m e t h o d of evaluation with respect to pass-fail
testing only 6-10 % of the p l a c e d product. It is e x t r e m e l y criteria are n o t i n c l u d e d in ASTM C 94/C 94M a n d s h o u l d
i m p o r t a n t to k n o w where each tested l o a d is w i t h i n the proj- be covered b y the project specifications that invoke this spec-
ect. I n the event a test is low a n d the quality of a l o a d of ification by reference.
concrete is suspect, it is i m p o r t a n t to k n o w exactly w h e r e Several potential p r o b l e m s arise in E x a m p l e 17.A a n d will
b o t h good a n d suspect loads are located. K n o w i n g w h e r e the be examined. The c o m b i n e d average of sets 3, 4, a n d 5 is
questionable l o a d a n d a c c e p t a b l e loads were p l a c e d helps less t h a n the r e q u i r e d 4000 psi (3973 psi). There are no ma-
limit the a r e a w h e r e the o t h e r 10-17 l o a d s that were not j o r differences b e t w e e n cylinders within a set a n d no m a j o r
tested m a y be located, b e c a u s e t h e y too m a y be suspect. The low c y l i n d e r strengths. The within test a c c e p t a b l e r a n g e of
cataloging process of load locations m u s t include the n u m - 8.0 % of the test average is n o t exceeded (4.0 %, 2.0 %, a n d
b e r of the delivery ticket. An a b u n d a n c e of i n f o r m a t i o n is 2.5 %, respectively) in a n y of the cylinder sets, so results
tied to the delivery ticket n u m b e r b e g i n n i n g with the iden- a p p e a r valid. N o n e of the cylinder sets are m o r e t h a n 90 psi
tification of the mixture h a t c h e d a n d very often the quanti- below specified strength a n d therefore do n o t a p p r o a c h the
ties of each m a t e r i a l b a t c h e d for the suspect load. The deliv- 500 psi value of Section 17.4.2. W h a t h a p p e n s with this close
ery ticket s h o u l d include the t i m e l o a d e d a n d the q u a n t i t y but technically low strength c y l i n d e r group? There is p r o b -
of any extra w a t e r a d d e d at j o b site. ably an increase in c e m e n t i t i o u s m a t e r i a l o r a decrease in

17.4 To conform to the requirements of this specification, EXAMPLE 17.A--Applied strength criteria of Sections 1Z 4.1 and
strength tests representing each class of concrete must meet the IZ4.2.
following two requirements (Note 20): Assume a specified strength, f~, of 4000 psi.
Individual
1 7.4.1 The average of any three consecutive strength tests shall Cylinder Average Averageof
be equal to, or greater than, the specified strength, f', and Set Strengths at (TestResult) Last 3 Tests
No. 28 days (psi) (psi) (psi) Remarks
1Z4.2 No individual strength test shall be more than 500 psi 1 4310 4270 4290 ... OK
[3.5 MPa] below the specified strength, f~. 2 4670 4430 4550 OK
3 3960 4120 4040 4293 OK
4 3870 3950 3910 4167 OK
Section 17.4 a n d its s u b p a r t s are each derived from ACI 5 3920 4020 3970 3973 Avg. last 3---low
318-99, Building Code R e q u i r e m e n t s for S t r u c t u r a l Concrete 6 4310 4210 4260 4047 OK
a n d Commentary, which establishes the pass-fail criteria for 7 4720 4680 4700 4310 OK
concrete compressive strength tests. The strength tests m u s t 8 4670 4630 4650 4537 OK
9 4450 3770* 4110 4487 OK (Testing suspect)*
m e e t b o t h of the m i n i m u m criteria set forth in Sections 10 3360 3540 t 3450 4070 550 psilow
17.4.1 a n d 17.4.2 to be a c c e p t a b l e for a c o m p r e s s i v e strength 11 4410 4550 4480 4013 OK
r e q u i r e m e n t . The criteria of Sections 17.4.1 a n d 17.4.2 es- 12 4800 5060 4930 4287 OK
tablish the necessity for m a i n t a i n i n g a r u n n i n g average of 13 4260 4100 4180 4530 OK
14 5310 4810" 5060 4723 OK
strength tests for each different m i x t u r e on a project a n d 15 4010 3610" 3810 4350 Less than 500 psilow
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y w a t c h i n g for a n individual test result (which 16 3810 3450* 3630 4167 See footnote ~
is averaged from two or m o r e cylinders) to always exceed a * Outside the test range limit of 8.0 % specified by ASTM C 39/C
value of the specified strength m i n u s 500 psi. The criteria in 39M. In Example, this occurred on 25 % of the tests and suggests
Section 17.4.2 do n o t a p p l y to single cylinders in that a the possibility of sloppy testing.
p r o p e r strength test is the average strength of two o r m o r e t Nothing to directly imply bad cylinders. Individual cylinder test
cylinders. They a p p l y to the test (test set) average. results support each other.
* Wide range of two compression tests from one concrete sample.
W i t h ACI 318-02 n o w published, the ASTM C 09.40 sub- w3450 is OK because it is a single cylinder (1/2 a test), not a full
c o m m i t t e e is p r e p a r i n g revisions to Section 17.4 that will test.
102 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

slump and water and a closer look at initial curing of cyl- EXAMPLE 17.B---Sample evaluation of concrete cores.
inders at the job site. Any legal questions probably will be Specified compressive strength, f" = 4000 psi
resolved in accordance with Section 18. Removing and Core test criteria:
replacing the concrete are probably not required. Non- Average of at least 3 cores > 0.85 (4000) ~ 3400 psi
Individual core > 0.75 (4000) = 3000 psi
destructive in-place tests with a rebound h a m m e r or other
Core No. CompressiveStrength * (psi) Evaluation Remarks
methods m a y be warranted to verify the similarity of con-
crete strengths, but nothing further should be anticipated 1 3750 > 0.75 (4000) OK
2 3300 > 0.75 (4000) OK
unless these tests show contradictory results. R e m e m b e r 3 3650 > 0.75 (4000) OK
these cylinders represent the 28-day strength and from a 4 3900 > 0.75 (4000) OK
safety standpoint, the concrete strength is expected to in- Avg. 3650 > 0.85 (4000) OK
crease between 10-18 % during the succeeding 28 days (56
9 Corrected for the L/D ratio of core as per ASTM C 42.
day strengths). At 56 days, the 3973 psi average can be ex-
pected to reach 4300 psi or more depending u p o n the mix-
ture materials and proportions. are often short, c o m p a r e d to their diameter. The 85 % factor
Test set 9 has a wide spread (4450 - 3770 = 680 psi) be- is questioned occasionally, but this has proven to provide a
tween two individual cylinders within a test set. This is more reliable comparison between cylinders and cores. Cylinders
than double the acceptable 8.0 % range variation of ASTM provide a m o r t a r coating outside all of the aggregate, and
C 39/C 39M. Nothing is found to appear visually defective cores do not provide this protection. Cores by cutting
with the cylinders, and the average of 4110 is greater than through m a n y pieces of aggregate along the core circumfer-
the 4000 psi design strength, so typically nothing would be ence m a y produce microcracking adjacent to the aggregate.
changed. If the 3770 psi cylinder revealed signs of being im- Many cores do not have as s m o o t h and uniform a surface as
properly molded, such as honeycomb, it would be discarded, the cylinders will, and the curing conditions for the in-place
with the average for set 9 recorded as 4450 psi. concrete m a y not have been quite as good as that for the
Set 10 has an average of m o r e than 500 psi below the 4000 cylinders. The result is that 85 % of cylinder strength is all
psi design strength. Both cylinders tested low, so there is that is expected of cores, thus the 85 % and 75 % factors.
concern for the in-place concrete. Several factors will be in- Regarding the suitability of concrete strength in the struc-
vestigated, beginning with a look at the test cylinders plus ture, one needs to realize that the process of structural de-
the molding, curing, and handling of test cylinders. The sign applies several safety factors, in the form of load factors
batch plant load print-outs will be examined for potential and reliability factors, qb, that ensure that the actual design
problems as will the delivery tickets for that day looking for stresses witnessed by the structure are significantly smaller
excess water, excessive stand-by time, or some form of mis- than the design or specified strength, f'. While these core
handling or change that m a y have affected the tests or the strength criteria are provided for determining the accepta-
concrete. Many producers require a driver's log to note any bility of concrete as delivered, the core strength data should
changes or irregularities in the concrete, its testing, or its not be used to determine the equivalent strength of standard
handling. cured cylinders or equivalent design strength, f ' , by dividing
This is the type of situation which suggests the possible the average core strength by 0.85 [88]. This is not an appro-
need to drill concrete cores. The plan for coring the concrete priate interpretation or use of these acceptance provisions.
and handling the cores is discussed in ASTM Test Method There are rational methods for calculating conservative es-
for Obtaining and Testing Drilled Cores and Sawed Beams timates of the value of the compressive strength of concrete
of Concrete (C 42/C 42M) and ACI 318-02. There should be within a structure when investigating structural adequacy.
no less than three cores, and each should be carefully ex- ACI Committee 228 has a d o c u m e n t AC1 228.1R-95 In-Place
amined for acceptability. The cores should be obtained from Methods to Estimate Concrete Strength, which addresses
r a n d o m locations within the portion of the structure repre- this issue. ACI Committee 214 has a recently approved doc-
sented by the low strength cylinders, and for this purpose it u m e n t using core strength results for the same purpose. The
is important to establish locations at which individual loads d o c u m e n t is ACI 214.4R-03 Guide for Obtaining Cores and
were placed. ACI 318-02 sets acceptance criteria based u p o n Interpreting Compressive Strength Results [2]. Again these
at least three cores at an average strength (corrected to L/D procedures should not be turned a r o u n d to determine the
ratio of 2) equal to at least 85 % of the specified strength acceptability of the concrete as delivered. These are two dis-
(f') and no single core less than 75 % of the specified com- tinct and separate issues for different purposes that should
pressive strength, f;. An example of acceptable concrete not be c o m p a r e d or confused.
strength for Example 17.A is shown in Example 17.B. Cylinder set 15 is questioned because at 3810 psi it is less
The provisions for core strengths are established primarily than the 4000 psi design strength, but everything is deemed
to determine if the concrete furnished for the job meets the to be satisfactory because it does not drop to more than 500
requirements of the strength specification requirements. The psi below design strength (4000 - 3810 = 190 psi), and the
provisions are established based on considerable research running average of the last three tests is 4350 psi and thus
that c o m p a r e d core strengths to well cured cylinders above the 4000 f'.
[12,35,88]. Research by Meininger, Wagner, and Hall [56] es- Set 16 m a y appear to be trouble because of the 3450 psi
tablished correction factors for use in ASTM C 42/C 42M to cylinder strength, but it is not a concern because the test
adjust compressive strengths to an L/D (length/diameter) ra- result (average of two) is 3630 psi and only 370 psi low. The
tio of 2:1. This was a necessary element to establish any 500 psi low factor applies to a test result and not an individ-
relationship between standard cylinders and cores, which ual cylinder strength.
STRENGTH 103

N o t e 2 0 w s ~ D u e to variations in materials, operations, and The s t a n d a r d deviation is a c o n v e n i e n t m e a s u r e of the dis-


testing, the average strength necessary to meet these require- persion of a group of n u m b e r s from its m e a n (average). Var-
m e n t s will be substantially higher than the specified iance a n d s t a n d a r d deviation are terms used to m a t h e m a t i -
strength, s2 The a m o u n t higher depends u p o n the standard cally describe how close together or how far apart a series
deviation o f the test results a n d the accuracy w i t h w h i c h that of test results m a y be. Small n u m b e r s for either the s t a n d a r d
value can be estimated f r o m prior data as explained in A C I deviation or the variance indicate close test results a n d good
318 a n d A C I 301. s3 Pertinent data are given in Table 4. consistency of materials, hatching, mixing, a n d testing. For
example, a s t a n d a r d deviation of 500-600 psi m a y be con-
It is a k n o w n fact that the same concrete proportions in sidered good for a batch plant, a n d lower n u m b e r s such as
different batches will not p r o d u c e identical strengths each 400 psi are considered excellent, while a 700 psi value rep-
time they are tested. The same is true for a n y other m e a s u r e d resents poor control.
property of concrete. If the same results were the n o r m , There is one m i n o r point to note on the calculation of var-
c o m p a n i o n cylinders would always have the same exact iance a n d s t a n d a r d deviation. What is n o r m a l l y calculated is
strength test result. If testing were n o t a factor, there would the s a m p l e variance a n d the s a m p l e s t a n d a r d deviation be-
be no allowable difference between cylinders m a d e by dif- cause we are o b t a i n i n g a m e a s u r e of variability from tests of
ferent technicians. Every effort is m a d e to keep materials the a portion (or samples) of the total concrete placed (total
same, to batch a n d mix precisely the same each time, a n d population). The sample variance is calculated by dividing
to test exactly the same each time, b u t it is never exactly the the s u m of the squared deviations by (n-1), rather t h a n n,
same, a n d therefore test results vary. Because of these dif- where n is the total n u m b e r of tests or samples. The sample
ferences, the average strength for which the concrete mix- s t a n d a r d deviation is the square of the sample variance.
ture is designed m u s t be higher t h a n the specified strength, The m a t h e m a t i c a l expression for the c o m p u t a t i o n of the
f'. This reduces the probability that tests of concrete fail the variance a n d s t a n d a r d deviation actually comes in two forms
acceptance provisions. $2 relates the a m o u n t of increase (n) a n d (n-l). One form is the variance a n d s t a n d a r d devia-
needed above the average strength to the s t a n d a r d deviation tion of the p o p u l a t i o n (all the concrete). This form is appro-
of a series of c o m p r e s s i o n test results. priate w h e n m e a s u r e m e n t s are available for all possible
S t a n d a r d deviation is a statistical term often used i n the items in an entire group that all characterize the property
analysis of concrete tests. Another such term is variance. being measured, for example, the age of 20 people. I n this
Mean, the third term used in the statistical evaluation of con- case, the variance is calculated from the s u m of the squared
crete, is often referred to as the average. The m e a n is cal- deviations divided by the n u m b e r of m e a s u r e m e n t s , (n). The
culated as the s u m of test values divided by the n u m b e r of other form is w h e n only a sample of all possible items is
test results (observations). In Example 17.A, the n u m b e r of m e a s u r e d to estimate the variance a n d s t a n d a r d deviation of
test results (observations) is 16. The m e a n (average) of the the population. This sample (tested concrete) a n d the mea-
cylinder strengths is 4251 psi (68 020 + 16). sured characteristics of the sample are used to estimate the
Variance is defined as the m e a n of the squares of the de- m e a n , variance, a n d s t a n d a r d deviation of the p o p u l a t i o n (all
viations of the observations ( n u m b e r of tests) from their
mean. By s q u a r i n g the difference between a n observation EXAMPLE 17.C--StatisticaI use of previous test results.
a n d the m e a n of a group of n u m b e r s , all negative signs are
Strength Test
voided. The variance (average of the squares) will be a posi- Result Deviation
tive number. This can be d e m o n s t r a t e d by a n expansion of Observation (psi) X- X Squared Deviation
Example 17.A into Example 17.C. 1 4290 4290-4251 = 39 1521
2 4550 4550-4251 = 299 89 401
TABLE 4--Overdesign necessary to meet strength requirements, a 3 4040 4040-4251 = -211 44 521
4 3910 3910-4251 = -341 116 281
Number of Standard Deviation, psi 5 3970 3970-4251 = -281 78 961
Tes~ B 300 400 500 600 700 Unknown 6 4260 4260-4251 = 9 81
15 466 622 851 1122 1392 c 7 4700 4700-4251 = 449 201 60l
20 434 579 758 1010 1261 c 8 4650 4650-4251 = 399 159 201
30 or more 402 526 665 898 1131 c 9 4110 4110-4251 = -141 19 881
10 3450 3450-4251 = -801 641 601
S~ndardDev~t~n, MPa 11 4480 4480-4251 = 229 52 441
2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Unknown 12 4930 4930-4251 = 679 461 041
15 3.1 4.7 7.3 i0.0 c 13 4180 4180-4251= -71 5041
20 2.9 4.3 6.6 9.1 c 14 5060 5060-4251 = 809 654 481
30 or more 2.7 4.0 5.8 8.2 c 15 3810 3810-4251 = -441 194 481
16 3630 3630-4251 = -621 385 641
a Add the tabulated amounts to the specified strength to obtain the
required average strengths. Totals 68 020 3 106 176
B Number of tests of a concrete mixture used to estimate the standard Mean (avg.), X 68 020 4251 psi
deviation of a concrete production facility. The mixture used must 16
have a strength within 1000 psi [7.0 MPa] of that specified and be Variance = s2 = sum of squared deviations from mean
made with similar materials. See AC1 318. (number of observations - 1)
c I f less than 15 prior tests are available, the overdesign should be 1000 ~', (X-X) z 3 106 176
psi [7.0 MPa] for specified strength less than 3000 psi [20 MPa], 1200
psi [8.5 MPa] for specified strengths from 3000 to 5000psi [20 to 35 (n-l) (16-1)
MPa] and 1400 psi [10.0 MPa] for specified strengths greater than Variance = s2 207 078
5000 psi [35 MPa]. Standard Deviation = s = square root of variance 455.1 psi
104 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

of the concrete). In this case, in the formula used to calculate where:


the variance and standard deviation utilizes Bessel's correc-
tion [46]. Bessel's correction involves using a value of one f'r = required average compressive strength;
less than the total number of observations (n - 1) in the f~ = specified compressive strength;
denominator for calculations. This is called the sample var- k = factor for increasing the standard deviation if the to-
iance and sample standard deviation. In most cases in con- tal number of tests available to calculate the stan-
crete testing, because we are using samples to estimate char- dard deviation is less than 30. (For 30 tests, k = 1.0;
acteristics of a larger load of concrete, the sample variance for 20 tests, k = 1.08; and for 15 tests, k = 1.16);
and sample standard deviation form of the calculation is s = standard deviation from a test record of a previous
used. In this example, a set of 16 observations is being used mixture for a similar class of concrete from the batch
to predict the standard deviation for hundreds of mixtures plant.
produced by this ready-mixed concrete plant. This applies
to calculations on calculators and computer spreadsheets
where different key functions are available for measures of Table 4 of ASTM C 94/C 94M and its notes may be used
dispersion of samples and population. The difference be- after the standard deviation is known to calculate the
tween sample and population standard deviation gets rather strength overdesign (safety factor) when proportioning the
small when the number of samples gets large, say in the concrete mixture.
range of 15-30. A more detailed explanation of the mathe- ASTM C 94/C 94M Table 4 contains three notes important
matics of this correction is available in textbooks on statis- to its use. Note A points out that Table 4 calculates the ov-
tics [46]. erdesign and that this overdesign for compressive strength
In Example 17.C the variance will equal 3 106 176 + (16 must be added to the project's specified strength f" to obtain
- 1) = 207 078, and the standard deviation (207 027) 1/2 the required average strength f'r of the compression strength
equals 455 psi. of the proposed mixture.
The standard deviation of a set of strength test results is Note B involves the number of tests used to calculate the
used to establish a safety factor to account for variability mixture overdesign (safety factor). The "k" factors presented
related to concrete production and testing and to establish a earlier are directly related to the number of tests used to
target value for average strength when proportioning calculate the required overdesign. The test record from the
mixtures for each class of concrete at a particular concrete mixture used to calculate the standard deviation for the con-
batch plant. crete batch plant must have a specified strength within
S! of Note 20 includes the term operations along with ma- _+ 1000 psi of the specified strength and shall use similar
terials and testing as variables that will show up in the stan- materials. The term similar materials refers to not using tests
dard deviation for a plant. Operations include equipment from a limestone coarse aggregate mixture to calculate the
and personnel. Equipment affects the variation in test re- overdesign for a lightweight concrete mixture. Do not use a
sults, and each plant is configured differently, which leads to non-air-entrained mixture to establish the overdesign for an
differences between plants. Operations also include person- air-entrained mixture. It does not prohibit using a mixture
nel, primarily the batchman, loader operator, and drivers. containing 15 % fly ash to calculate the overdesign for a mix-
There remain some batch plants that batch by pulling levers ture containing 25 % fly ash. Every possible situation cannot
on aggregate bins and cement silos. Even on computerized be identified here, but the intent is to use reason when com-
plants there often are no functioning moisture probes in the paring the proposed mixture to the mixture from where the
aggregate bins. Even when there are such advantages, there test record was obtained. For example, can the overdesign
will be material variations, which bring about a need for be calculated for a mixture with 60 % GGBF slag from a
batch water adjustments requiring the experience of the mixture with 30 % fly ash and 20 % GGBF slag? These are
batchman. At plants, which transfer aggregates to overhead similar if the design strengths are within 1000 psi, if each is
bins using a front-end loader, the operator's experience is either air-entrained or non-air-entrained, and if each uses
instrumental in preventing aggregate segregation and main- similar aggregates. A test here for similarity may be the ce-
taining uniform moisture contents. The effect of drivers is mentitious weigh hopper arrangement. Typically the fly ash
more visible through the care and cleaning they provide to and slag will be augered into the cement weigh hopper for
their trucks and mixers. Little things such as a few revolu- proportioning. If this is the case, these may be considered
tions at mixing speed and wetting the chutes immediately similar. If a separate weigh hopper was used for the fly ash,
before discharge will aid the uniformity of the concrete prod- which has now been dropped out of the mixture, the equip-
uct and subsequent test results. ment itself has changed, and a different mixture without fly
ACI 318 provides requirements for overdesign of concrete ash could be used to calculate the overdesign.
strength that minimize the chances of failing the acceptance Note C discusses the required overdesign if less than 15
provisions in Sections 17.4.1 and 17.4.2 to a probability of test values are available to calculate the standard deviation
less than 1%. The following equations are used to establish for the concrete batch plant. In this event, the overdesign
the required average strength, f'cr: factor shall be as follows:

Specified Strength Overdesign


f ' , = f ~ + 1.34ks < 3000 psi 1000 psi
and 3000-5000 psi 1200 psi
frcr = ]crc + 2.33 ks - 500 > 5000 psi 1400 psi
STRENGTH 105

In the revision to this section in ACI 318, the r e q u i r e d av- the strength variability f r o m a p l a n t a n d r e d u c i n g the level
erage s t r e n g t h , / c , , for a specified s t r e n g t h exceeding 5000 of overdesign (safety factor) b a s e d u p o n p a s t experience.
psi is )c, = l . t f " + 700, a n d this will be i n c o r p o r a t e d in
ASTM C 94/C 94M in a future revision. No provision is m a d e Could the 455 psi have been used by i n t e r p o l a t i o n b e t w e e n
for using a single m i x t u r e with less t h a n 15 tests for the com- 400-500 psi in Table 4 of ASTM C 94/C 94M? I n t e r p o l a t i o n
p u t a t i o n of the overdesign factor. ACI 3 l 8 does m a k e pro- is not wise with this table b e c a u s e the t a b u l a r values are the
visions for c o m b i n i n g the results of two g r o u p s of c o m p r e s - larger n u m b e r s p r o d u c e d by two s e p a r a t e calculations. The
sion test results if the total n u m b e r of tests is at least 30 a n d two equations w h i c h c o m e from ACI 301, were p r e s e n t e d
each set has at least 10 tests. earlier a n d will be used here to d e m o n s t r a t e the d e v e l o p m e n t
An e x a m p l e of d e t e r m i n a t i o n of the r e q u i r e d overdesign of Table 4 a n d as an alternate p r o c e d u r e to Table 4.
for a specified compressive strength considers the following The i n t e r p o l a t e d value will n o t always be larger t h a n the
relationships. solution using the calculated s t a n d a r d deviation b e c a u s e two
different equations are involved. Note t h a t the e q u a t i o n pro-
d u c i n g the l a r g e r r e q u i r e d overdesign was different for s =
EXAMPLE 17.D--Determination of required safety factor 400 f r o m the critical e q u a t i o n for s = 500.
(overdesign). Note that these differences in calculated values of f'~ are
small a n d n o t really d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e r e g a r d i n g the p r o p o s e d
m i x t u r e p r o p o r t i o n s . The intent is for the concrete p r o d u c e r
The p r o p o s e d m i x t u r e for a project is to have a m i n i m u m
to d e m o n s t r a t e to the A/E, typically in a pre-job submittal,
compressive strength q") of 5000 psi. The m i x t u r e w i t h test
that the p r o p o s e d m i x t u r e will p r o d u c e a strength equal to
results shown in E x a m p l e 17.A used s i m i l a r m a t e r i a l s a n d is
or g r e a t e r t h a n f'cr. The p r o d u c e r does n o t have to achieve
w i t h i n 1000 psi of the specified design strength. It will be
that average level of strength d u r i n g the course of the job.
used to c o m p u t e the r e q u i r e d average strength for the pro- All that governs d u r i n g the j o b is that the strength tests com-
p o s e d 5000 psi mixture. The 16 tests of E x a m p l e 17.A are ply with the a c c e p t a n c e provisions in Section 17.4.
less t h a n the r e q u i r e d 30 test results, b u t this can be h a n d l e d
by a correction factor "k" o r p r o p e r use of Table 4 of ASTM EXAMPLE 17.E--Demonstration of Table 4 development.
C 94/C 94M. All of the proposed mixture information and standard deviation
In E x a m p l e 17.C, the concrete plant's s t a n d a r d deviation data of Example 17.C will be used.
from 16 test results was c a l c u l a t e d as s = 455 psi f" = 5000 psi; s = 455 psi
With a s t a n d a r d deviation value of 455 psi, the r e q u i r e d number of tests = 16, therefore k = 1.16 from Table 4.2.3.3.a of
overdesign m a y n o w be d e t e r m i n e d from Table 4. Select 15 ACI 301 (one can also interpolate for the value of k between
as the n u m b e r of tests (16 is the actual value, b u t if the ac- 1.16 for 15 tests and 1.08 for 20 tests)
Solution for s = 400
tual value is not in the left h a n d column, select a l o w e r f'~. = 5000 + 1.34 (1.16 400) = 5622 (larger value)
value). Move h o r i z o n t a l l y in Table 4 to a s t a n d a r d deviation f'r = 5000 + 2.33 (1.16 400) - 500 = 5581
of 500 psi, a n d select an overdesign factor of 851 psi. The Solution for s = 500
r e q u i r e d average compressive strength target for a m i x t u r e fc'~-= 5000 + 1.34 (1.16 500) = 5777
f~r = 5000 + 2.33 (1.16 500) - 500 = 5851 (larger value)
with a specified strength of 5000 psi is 5851 psi based u p o n Solution for s = 455
the test d a t a used. If the historical test r e c o r d was not avail- f'r = 500 + 1.34 (1.16 x 455) = 5707
able for this class of concrete from this concrete plant, Note f'~ = 500 + 2.33 (1.16 455) - 500 = 5730 (larger value)
C of Table 4 governs, a n d the r e q u i r e d average strength for Interl~olation from Table 4
p r o p o r t i o n i n g the mixture will be 6200 psi. This d e m o n - ~, / ( 4 5 5 - 400) (851 ]
/ ~ kt~Uu=
[ ,--72--A~,- - - 4 ~ - 622)j + 622 + 5000 = 5748 psi
strates the benefit of collecting strength test d a t a to establish
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Failure to Meet 18
Strength Requirements
18.1 s~ In the event that concrete tested in accordance with the 2) having complied with the specific requirements or prec-
requirements of Section 17 fails to meet the strength require- edent conditions (as for an office or employment): eligible."
ments of this specification, the manufacturer of the ready- The implication is that the panel will be composed of three
mixed concrete and the purchaser shall confer to determine individuals who know something about concrete, concrete
whether agreement can be reached as to what adjustment, if construction, and concrete testing, but they do not need to
any, shall be made. s2 If an agreement on a mutually satis- be an expert in each phase. As engineers, they should each
factory adjustment cannot be reached by the manufacturer and have been trained in the assembly of facts and an orderly
the purchaser, a decision shall be made by a panel of three assessment of those facts to reach a logical conclusion. The
qualified engineers, one of whom shall be designated by the greater knowledge they have of the key elements, the quicker
purchaser, one by the manufacturer, and the third chosen by the case may be presented, but a good mechanical engineer
these two members of the panel, s3 The question of respon- or geotechnical engineer, for example, may be perfectly com-
sibility for the cost of such arbitration shall be determined by petent or even desirable to sit on the panel. Competent and
the panel, s4 Its decision shall be binding, except as modified eligible do not necessarily mean a civil engineer. Arbitrating
by a court decision. parties have the right to impartial and independent judg-
ment. A neutral and unbiased arbitrator possessing the abil-
S1 addresses a possible adjustment or compromise proc- ity to understand a technical presentation, evaluate the facts
ess if strength tests do not equal or exceed the specification as presented, and vote with conviction based upon these
requirements. One scenario was suggested in Example 17.A. facts is an asset to any such proceeding. A civil engineer with
Other possibilities are the Owner's test laboratory has low limited field experience or considerable experience in only
cylinder test results, and the producer's test results indicate one aspect of concrete may have preconceived ideas that are
the design strength criteria of Section 17 were met. Other detrimental to an unbiased examination of the facts pre-
obvious situations are apparently low strength concrete was sented. A prospective arbitrator, whether or not a civil en-
removed and replaced, and somebody must pay for the re- gineer, should always abide by professional ethics to con-
moval and second placement, or perhaps the design engineer sider and decide if the knowledge and ability are present to
decides that the apparently low strength concrete may be allow for a satisfactory process and decision. A knowledge
accepted due to its specific location, but the Owner still be- of concrete, concrete production, concrete construction, and
lieves a reduced price is in order because the tests indicated possibly testing will be needed, but the arbitrators do not
the concrete was below the specification requirements of need to be experts in these fields. Lawyers usually remain
Section 17. All of these scenarios can and often do lead to involved, and it is their job to make sure the arbitration
resolution through the Section 18 arbitration process. Even panel fully understands their client's view of the problem.
arbitration is not inexpensive but almost always is cheaper Expert witnesses to explain specific facts and to advance
than lawsuits and courtrooms. The preference for an arbi- their professional and personal views will often testify for
tration process in ASTM C 94/C 94M is that it offers an op- each of the arbitrating parties. An ability to evaluate properly
portunity to bring in professionals with knowledge or a sys- the testimony of expert witnesses is an important part of an
tematic process of evaluation as opposed to the legal system arbitrator's job. The true expert witness is not an advocate
where the judge and/or jury may not have the technical but responds to questions with the entire truth; unfortu-
background that could be advantageous to come to an eq- nately this does not always occur. Neville [74] reports a judge
uitable decision. once asking an expert witness, "Would you hold the same
$2 suggests the best way out of a disagreement. Get the views if you were retained by the other side to the dispute?"
purchaser who may be the Owner or a contractor together S2 further tells how the panel will be selected. The pur-
with the manufacturer (ready-mixed concrete producer), and chaser selects one panelist, individual A, and the manufac-
perhaps they or some appointed representatives can work turer selects one panelist, individual B. Individuals A and B
out an agreement that each feels is either equitable or the will now confer and mutually agree on a third panelist, in-
best he will ultimately achieve financially when considering dividual C. Now, when A and B are selected, the purchaser
the costs of arbitration or a courtroom battle. Typically the and manufacturer are each hoping that their selected indi-
lawyers get the best of the latter scenario unless the dispute vidual will favor their interests, but the intended purpose is
involves many tens of thousands of dollars. that these friendships are put aside to rule based upon evi-
If mutual agreement is not possible, $2 directs an arbitra- dence and facts. Each arbitrator will in fact take an oath to
tion panel of three qualified engineers. Oualified can take on act in this fashion.
a broad meaning. The dictionary definition is: 1) "fitted (as $2 does not suggest arbitration; it commands arbitration
by training or experience) for a given purpose: competent; if the dispute cannot be settled by the involved parties. "A

106
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
FAILURE TO M E E T S T R E N G T H R E Q U I R E M E N T S 107

decision shall be made by..." cannot be interpreted any other action if the losing party believes the judgment was wrong
way but as a command. and desires to take the disagreement further; or if the winner
Whether everyone is bound by the c o m m a n d is a legal received a monetary award for less than expected and be-
question that will vary with circumstances. ASTM C 94/C lieves a better judgment will be received in a civil court.
94M is typically a referenced document in an Architect/En- Legal action will not often prevail. Most states have
gineer's (A/E's) specification. Thus, ASTM C 94/C 94M forms adopted or adopted with modification, the Uniform Arbitra-
a portion of the contract documents binding the owner and tion Act [62] or a previous version of this Act, which was
contractor to Section 18. The manufacturer may or may not promulgated in 1955 by the National Conference of Com-
be bound to arbitration depending upon the agreement be- missioners on Uniform State Laws. The Uniform Arbitration
tween contractor and manufacturer, be it a subcontract, pur- Act sets forth rules that encourage arbitration rather than
chase order, or verbal agreement. In most instances, the lawsuits. These rules extend from compelling reluctant par-
manufacturer will be bound in this situation. ties into arbitration when contracts contain language, such
When there is no contract for sales of concrete to knowl- as in ASTM C 94/C 94M, to providing civil action subpoena
edgeable contractors, it becomes an arbitration gray area power to the arbitrators, to defining the grounds for vacating
that can certainly depend upon tbe circumstances and the or modifying an award.
background of both the manufacturer and the contractor. Awards can only be annulled for such acts as corruption
If the purchaser is a consumer who has ordered concrete or fraud, evidence of partiality by an arbitrator or legal ar-
to be put in a paved driveway and parking space at his res- guments, such as the arbitration paneI refusing to hear evi-
idence, it becomes doubtful if arbitration is binding. Even if dence pertinent to the controversy or refusing to postpone
the delivery ticket's small print involves the term ASTM C the hearing when the reasons presented would normally be
94/C 94M, a user of this background is not expected to have considered sufficient by legal standards. The rules set forth
advance knowledge of ASTM C 94/C 94M. in the Uniform Arbitration Act tend to support the original
The best part is that arbitration is usually looked upon award unless there is evidence the panel acted improperly.
favorably as a means of settlement rather than a court pro- If the award is vacated, the rules tend to send the contro-
ceeding. Arbitration is quicker, cheaper, and a means of de- versy back to a new arbitration panel if there was legal stand-
ciding a dispute on the merits by knowledgeable profession- ing initially for arbitration, such as Section 18 of ASTM C
als rather than a jury of virtual unknowns. 94/C 94M.
$3 states that the arbitrators have complete authority in Modifications of arbitration awards have relatively short
deciding how the costs of arbitration will be assigned to the action periods, and again the court is limited in its action by
involved parties. These costs include fees and expenses for the rules of the Uniform Arbitration Act. The action of mod-
the panel of arbitrators, plus costs for hearing rooms, court ification is primarily directed at monetary values of an
recorders, and other expenses incurred in the arbitration award. The modification may be appropriate for such items
process. The expenses considered by the arbitrators would as mathematical errors in the written award or the arbitra-
not normally include the fees for attorneys hired by the in- tors awarding upon a matter not actually submitted to them.
volved parties. A few items have been presented that could cause binding
S4 contains two parts. The arbitration is binding unless arbitration to be modified or overturned but, as mentioned,
contested and overruled or modified in legal action. The ar- the courts approve of arbitration. They are therefore reluc-
bitration usually does not preclude the possibility of court tant to modify awards without very good reason.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005
|ill

19
Keywords
19.1 accuracy; blended hydraulic cement; certification; ready- 3. At K e y w o r d --* E n t e r one of keywords of 19.1, such as
mixed concrete; scales; testing "ready.mixed concrete".
4. Click on "Designations, Titles, Scopes, and Terms".
K e y w o r d s are significant w o r d s from the specification. 5. Click on Search.
These are u s e d b y ASTM a n d p e r h a p s others in c o m p u t e r o r 6. Select C 9 4 / C 94M a n d click on it. A s u m m a r y of this
subject searches r e g a r d i n g the c o n t e n t of this s t a n d a r d . As specification a n d d o c u m e n t s referenced w i t h i n ASTM
ASTM C 94/C 94M is p e r i o d i c a l l y revised, the list of key- C 94/C 94M a p p e a r on the c o m p u t e r m o n i t o r as do the
w o r d s m a y also be revised. The chosen keywords are be- price a n d i n s t r u c t i o n s to o b t a i n a c o m p l e t e copy of the
lieved b y the C 09.40 s u b c o m m i t t e e to best r e p r e s e n t this latest s t a n d a r d . An o p t i o n available on the ASTM website
specification for r e a d y - m i x e d concrete in a k e y w o r d index. is suggested language to be used when citing ASTM C 94/
An e x a m p l e of the use of keywords follows: C 94M in a project d o c u m e n t . If you used a k e y w o r d such
On the ASTM website: h t t p : / / w w w . a s t m . o r g / , a m e n u is as "scales" w h i c h is c o m m o n to m a n y s t a n d a r d s , a list of
i m m e d i a t e l y displayed of over 12 subjects, of w h i c h one of five m a t c h i n g results will appear. The one you w a n t m a y
the choices is "Standards". not be a m o n g them.
1. Click on " S t a n d a r d s " . a. Click on "Show All Results" (A long list of possible stan-
2. Go to Search Standards, a n d locate space d e s i g n a t e d as d a r d s will a p p e a r f r o m w h i c h select a n d click on
"Enter Designation or Keyword". "C94/C 94M").

108
Copyright* 2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Annex (Mandatory
Information)
AI.1 sl The variation within a batch as provided in Table AI.1 A1.3 Mass p e r Unit Volume o f Air Free Mortar shall be cal-
shall be determined for each property listed as the difference culated as follows:
between the highest value and the lowest value obtained from
the different portions of the same batch, s2 For this specifi- Inch-pound units:
cation, the comparison will be between two samples, repre-
senting the first and last portions of the batch being b -c
M = (A1.2)
tested, sa Test results conforming to the limits of five of the
six tests listed in Table AI.1 shall indicate uniform concrete
( VxA
within the limits of this specification.

SI units:
When a batch or load of concrete is tested for uniformity,
the properties tested from each of the two samples are not
b - c
required to match each other exactly. The range between the M = (31.3)
high test value and the low test value may equal but not
exceed the value indicated in Table A1 .I. The language here v-\
C 1oo +
is "the different portions of the same batch". The high and
low test values do not allow testing three or four samples where:
and tossing out the tests with undesirable results. Use the
values obtained for each of the two samples. $2 is very spe- M = mass per unit volume of air-free mortar, lb/~t 3 [kg/m3],
cific that two samples will be used--no more and obviously b = mass of concrete sample in mass container, lb [kg],
no less. Within ASTM C 94/C 94M, every reference to the c = saturated-surface-dry mass of aggregate retained on No.
uniformity test indicates that the two samples shall be taken 4 [4. 75-mm] sieve, lb [kg],
after the discharge of approximately 15 % and 85 %. Note V = volume of mass per unit volume container, ft 3 [m3],
14 (following Section 10.4) is explicit that none of the sam- A = air content of concrete, %, measured in accordance with
ples shall come before discharge of 10 % of the batch or after 15.1.4 on the sample being tested, and
90 % of the batch has been discharged. Mixing uniformity G = density of coarse aggregate (SSD).
requirements are pertinent to truck mixers for both truck-
mixed and shrink-mixed concrete or for plant mixers for cen- The size of each sample should be close to 2 cubic feet,
tral mixed concrete as discussed in Section 11, since these which is about the manageable capacity of a wheelbarrow.
are the methods of mixing the raw ingredients to produce The six test values stated in Annex Table AI.1 in the order
concrete. of appearance within the table, plus some formula items,
S3 states the pass-fail limits for mixing uniformity. Pass have been given shorter descriptions and letter designations
any five of the six tests, and the equipment being checked is for purposes of formulas, discussion, and example (Table
considered capable of producing a homogeneous batch of 20.A).
concrete. It does not matter which five tests of the six meet The slump tests must be performed first in accordance
the requirements of Table AI.1. with ASTM C 172 time limits for beginning tests. Assuming
the air content determination will be accomplished by the
A1.2 Coarse Aggregate Content, using the washout test, shall pressure method, the air-meter base is filled next. Before the
be computed from the following relations: air content is determined, the concrete density (unit weight)
test is performed. This concrete density (D) test is very crit-
P = (c/b) x 100 (AI.1) ical, and extreme care is essential, especially in the use of
the strike-off plate for surface preparation. Following careful
surface preparation and cleaning off excess concrete, the air-
where: meter base is weighed, and then the air-content test (A) is
completed using the pressure method. The concrete com-
P = mass % of coarse aggregate in concrete, pressive strength cylinders are then molded, and the sample
c = saturated-surface-dry mass in lb [kg] of aggregate retained from the concrete density test is washed over a 4.75-mm [No.
on the No. 4 [4.75-mm] sieve, resulting from washing all 4] sieve as the last physical test. The Bureau of Reclamation
material finer than this sieve from the fresh concrete, and [17] suggests the use of the ASTM C 231 air-meter base ma-
b = mass of sample of fresh concrete in mass per unit volume terial for the coarse aggregate sieve analysis on the 4.75-mm
container, lb [kg]. (No. 4) sieve. By ASTM C 136 standards [ASTM Test Method

109
Copyright*2005 by ASTM International www.astm.org
110 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

TABLE A l.l--Requirements for uniformity of concrete.


Requirement, Expressed as Maximum
Permissible Difference in Results of Tests
of Samples Taken from Two Locations in
Test the Concrete Batch
Mass per cubic foot [mass per cubic meter] calculated to an air-flee basis, lb/ft 3 [kg/m 3] 1.o [16]
Air content, volume % of concrete 1.0
Slump:
If average slump is 4 in. [100 mm] or less, in. [mm] 1.0 [25]
If average slump is 4 to 6 in. [100 to 150 mm], in. [mm] 1.5 [4o]
Coarse aggregate content, portion by mass of each sample retained on No. 4 [4.75-mm] sieve, % 6.0
Mass per unit volume of air-free mortar A based on average for all comparative samples tested, %. 1.6
Average compressive strength at 7 days for each sample, ~ based on average strength of all 7.5 c
comparative test specimens, %
A"Test for Variability of Constituents in Concrete," Designation 26, Bureau of Reclamation Concrete Manual, 7th ed. (available from Super-
intendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402).
B Not less than three cylinders will be molded and tested from each of the samples.
c Approval of the mixer shall be tentative, pending results of the 7-day compressive strength tests.

TABLE 20.A--Discussion, abbreviations, and comments on tests. ASTM C 231 for air c o n t e n t d e t e r m i n a t i o n s , unless aggre-
Method of gates exceed a 2 in. m a x i m u m size. F o r a m a x i m u m aggre-
Item ID U n i t s Determination gate size g r e a t e r t h a n 1 in. n o m i n a l m a x i m u m , the concrete
Concrete Density (unit wt.) (air-free) Daf lb/ft 3 calculated density (unit weight) test can no longer be p e r f o r m e d in the
Air Content A % measured base of the ASTM C 231 a i r meter. A l a r g e r d e n s i t y (unit
Slump of concrete 4 in. or less Sl in. measured
Slump of concrete 4-6 in. Sz in. measured weight) bucket is required. It is also a c c e p t a b l e to take a
Coarse aggregate content ca % measured s e p a r a t e p o r t i o n of each s a m p l e that is not for the air con-
Mortar Density (unit wt.) (air-free) M % calculated tent o r density (unit weight) m e a s u r e m e n t s to d e t e r m i n e the
Compressive strength (average 7 day) Favg psi measured coarse aggregate content. It is suggested t h a t the weight of
Density (unit weight) of concrete* D lb/ft 3 measured
Volume of density buckeU* VD ft 3 measured the p o r t i o n of the concrete s a m p l e should be at least 25 lb
Mass (weight) of density bucket** WD lb measured be[ore it is w a s h e d over the sieve.
Air-flee volume of concrete* Av ft 3 calculated The B u r e a u of R e c l a m a t i o n Concrete Manual, 7 th a n d 8 th
* Not a direct comparative value. E d i t i o n s [17,18] each c o n t a i n the s a m e n u m e r i c a l calcula-
* These items are only used for calculations. tion e x a m p l e w h e n r e m o v i n g large aggregate b y wet sieving
* Density bucket and air-meter base will sometimes be the same con- for the m i x i n g u n i f o r m i t y test. The p r e s e n t a t i o n m e t h o d s dif-
tainer and become interchangeable in computations.
fer slightly, b u t each are identified as Appendix, Designation
26.
A1.2 a n d A1.3 c o n t a i n f o r m u l a s w h i c h will be utilized in
for Sieve Analysis of Fine a n d Coarse Aggregates (C 136)],
an e x a m p l e of u n i f o r m i t y testing.
the coarse aggregate s a m p l e is s o m e w h a t small, less t h a n 22
lb for a s a m p l e with a n o m i n a l m a x i m u m size of 1 in., but
the s t a n d a r d s actually set no m i n i m u m s a m p l e size for this Batch Characteristics
coarse aggregate w a s h o u t test. The B u r e a u of R e c l a m a t i o n
has r e c o m m e n d e d the concrete s a m p l e from the ASTM C The b a t c h size for either s t a t i o n a r y mixers o r t r u c k mixers
231 a i r test be used, a n d it has stood the scrutiny of t i m e should be the m a x i m u m v o l u m e p r o p o s e d for p r o d u c t i o n
[17]. a n d n o t necessarily at the m a x i m u m r a t e d m i x i n g c a p a c i t y
Alternatively, it m a y be desirable to use a larger unit- of the unit. It is a c o m m o n practice, p a r t i c u l a r l y in t r u c k
weight c o n t a i n e r a n d possibly a different air c o n t e n t deter- mixers l o c a t e d in hilly o r m o u n t a i n o u s terrain, to size mixers
m i n a t i o n m e t h o d such as ASTM Test M e t h o d for Air Content larger t h a n the usual m a x i m u m load. The extra v o l u m e is
of F r e s h l y Mixed Concrete b y the Volumetric M e t h o d (C 173/ n e e d e d to prevent spills on uphill pulls. Using a s m a l l e r t h a n
C 173M). W h e n a larger ASTM C 138/C 138M c o n t a i n e r is n o r m a l m a x i m u m b a t c h size to have the two s a m p l e s closer
used for unit weight o r the air is d e t e r m i n e d by ASTM C t o g e t h e r does n o t provide p r o o f of the mixing capabilities of
173/C 173M, the a i r c o n t e n t is d e t e r m i n e d i m m e d i a t e l y after the unit. Mixing t i m e s for s t a t i o n a r y mixers s h o u l d be care-
the s l u m p test a n d then the cylinders m o l d e d before the fully r e c o r d e d on the u n i f o r m i t y test calculation sheet. The
ASTM C 138/C 138M density (unit weight) test. The coarse m i n i m u m t i m e r e q u i r e d to achieve u n i f o r m i t y is a n impor-
aggregate content of the s a m p l e is d e t e r m i n e d using the m a - tant p a r t of this test. With t r n c k mixers, it is r e c o m m e n d e d
terial f r o m the ASTM C 138/C 138M m e a s u r e m e n t t h a t is t h a t at least 70 revolutions, a n d p r e f e r a b l y the full I00 mix-
then w a s h e d on a 4.75-mm sieve. ing revolutions p e r m i t t e d , be used unless a special p r o j e c t
The ASTM C 231 p r e s s u r e air-meter base c a n n o t be used will limit d r u m s to fewer revolutions.
for the density (unit weight) d e t e r m i n a t i o n of concrete w h e n Unless the u n i f o r m i t y tests are strictly for a project o r ge-
the n o m i n a l m a x i m u m size of aggregate exceeds 1 in. (see o g r a p h i c a r e a not requiring a i r e n t r a i n m e n t , it is r e c o m -
Table 1 of ASTM C 138/C 138M). ASTM C 172 provides for m e n d e d that a n air-entrained m i x t u r e be used b e c a u s e the
r e m o v a l by wet-sieving of larger aggregate f r o m the m i x t u r e ability to generate the r e q u i r e d q u a n t i t y of air t h r o u g h o u t
p r i o r to testing, b u t this p r o c e d u r e is n o t r e c o m m e n d e d by the m i x e d concrete is an i m p o r t a n t p a r t of this evaluation.
ANNEX (Mandatory Information) 111

E X A M P L E 20.A--Uniformity test. lb m i n i m u m a c c u r a c y is the control. Older field scales m a y


n o t m e e t the a c c u r a c y criterion. P r e d e t e r m i n e (calibrate) the
Having j u s t one p e r s o n to do all the r e c o r d i n g of test re- v o l u m e of air m e t e r base in a c c o r d a n c e with p r o c e d u r e s de-
sults a n d to m a i n t a i n the t i m i n g for the testing schedule is s c r i b e d in ASTM C 29/C 29M.
helpful. Not less t h a n two certified technicians are essential.
If the testing t e c h n i c i a n s w o r k as a team, the m o s t efficient Example:
p r o c e d u r e is to allow each t e c h n i c i a n to p e r f o r m the s a m e
tests on each s a m p l e a n d t h e r e b y r e m o v e the p o t e n t i a l var- Sample Sample
iance of different t e c h n i c i a n s p r o d u c i n g varying test results. Item No. 1 No. 2
S l u m p : This is the only one of the six tests w h i c h has a Concrete + W D (density m e a s u r e ) (lb) 45.22 44.86
variable r e q u i r e m e n t d e p e n d i n g on the level of slump. W h e n WD (density m e a s u r e ) m a s s (lb) 9.68 9.68
the a v e r a g e value of the two s l u m p tests is 4 in. o r less, the Concrete = h (lb) 35.54 35.18
m a x i m u m allowable difference b e t w e e n the test results is 1 V D = Volume of b a s e (f13) 0.25 0.25
in. W h e n the average value of the two s l u m p tests is 4 - 6 in., Density of Concrete (unit weight)
the allowable difference increases to 1.5 in. W h e n the aver- D=b+VD
age s l u m p value is greater t h a n 6 in., the b a t c h is not ac- D = 35.54 + 0.25 (Test N o . l ) (lb/ft 3) 142.16
ceptable for u n i f o r m i t y testing. At the high slump, the con- D -- 35.18 + 0.25 (Test No. 2) (lb/ft 3) 140.72
crete is b e g i n n i n g to get sloppy a n d difficult to s a m p l e Note: Scale readings in 0.1 lb increments are acceptable.
p r o p e r l y for this critical u n i f o r m i t y test.
Density of Concrete (air-free): The a i r c o n t e n t of the two
Test No. 1 s l u m p = 3.00 in. s a m p l e s has a l r e a d y b e e n d e t e r m i n e d . By calculating the
Test No. 2 s l u m p = 4.25 in. concrete density of each s a m p l e on an air-free basis, the ef-
Average s l u m p (S 0 = 3.625 in. (3 % in.) fect of the different air contents of each s a m p l e is r e m o v e d
from this calculation so that the c o m p o s i t i o n of the s a m p l e s
Difference = 1.25 in. > 1 in. N G
in t e r m s of density can be c o m p a r e d .
The density of concrete on an air-free basis can be calcu-
The average s l u m p value of 3.625 in. is less t h a n 4 in., thus
lated using:
the u n i f o r m i t y r e q u i r e m e n t is a m a x i m u m difference of 1 in.
(see Table AI.1). The m e a s u r e d difference is 1.25 in., m e a n -
D
ing the s l u m p difference is greater t h a n permitted, a n d D a f - 100-----A x 100
s l u m p failed in this u n i f o r m i t y test.
where: Daf is the density on an a i r free basis, D is the m e a -
A i r Content: The p r e s s u r e m e t e r has b e e n found to pro-
s u r e d density, a n d A is the air c o n t e n t in percent.
duce the m o s t consistent results (lowest s t a n d a r d deviation)
F r o m previous calculations:
of any of the air content d e t e r m i n a t i o n tests. Therefore
ASTM C 231 is the p r e f e r r e d test m e t h o d if the type of ag-
S a m p l e No. 1 S a m p l e No. 2
gregate in the concrete p e r m i t s it to be used. ASTM C 231
c a n n o t be u s e d to test the air content of concretes m a d e with Density, D (lb/ft 3) 142.16 140.72
lightweight aggregates, air-cooled blast furnace slag, o r ag- Air c o n t e n t % 4.5 5.1
gregates of high porosity. Density on a n air-free 142.16 100 140.72
100
basis, Daf 100 - 4.5 100 - 5.1
Example: Daf (lb/ft 3) 148.86 148.28
Difference (lb/ft 3) 148.86 - 148.28 = 0.58
Test No. 1 air c o n t e n t = 4.5 %
Test No. 2 air content = 5 . 1 % A difference of only 0.58 l b / f t 3 is good. The allowable dif-
Difference = 0.6 % ference is 1.0 l b / f t 3. This is the s e c o n d of three u n i f o r m i t y
values that is within allowable tolerances.
The difference of 0.6 % is less t h a n the allowable differ-
ence of 1.0 %. The air-content test meets m i x i n g u n i f o r m i t y Coarse aggregate content (%): Use the density (unit
r e q u i r e m e n t s of Table AI.1. weight) s a m p l e to d e t e r m i n e coarse aggregate content. It
does n o t m a t t e r that the ASTM C 231 a i r test c o n t a m i n a t e d
Density of Concrete ( U n i t W e i g h t ) : Using the base sec- the s a m p l e with w a t e r b e c a u s e the washing process occurs
tion of the p r e s s u r e air meter, the density is d e t e r m i n e d b y before a n y t h i n g else is done to the sample. W a s h the entire
m e a s u r i n g the m a s s of (weighing) the m e t e r base while s a m p l e over a 4.75-mm [No. 4] sieve. The p o r t i o n of the sam-
e m p t y a n d t h e n again after being p r o p e r l y filled a n d the top ple that is r e t a i n e d on the 4.75-mm sieve m u s t be saved me-
surface p r e p a r e d , b u t p r i o r to c o m p l e t i n g the a s s e m b l y of ticulously, while the p o r t i o n p a s s i n g the 4.75-mm sieve m a y
the t o p section for the a i r c o n t e n t d e t e r m i n a t i o n . The a i r be wasted. If the u n i f o r m i t y test is not a regularly p e r f o r m e d
m e t e r b a s e will have a v o l u m e of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1/4 ~t3 a n d test, it is usually a c c o m p l i s h e d b y h a n d s h a k i n g the 4.75-mm
will weigh a p p r o x i m a t e l y 10 lb. The scales are r e q u i r e d to sieve. F o r frequent uses o r checking a large n u m b e r of mix-
be a c c u r a t e to 0.1 lb or to within 0.3 % of the test load, ers, a large tray type m e c h a n i c a l s h a k e r with a s p r a y b a r will
w h i c h e v e r is greater, at any p o i n t w i t h i n the range of use. speed u p the process. Wipe the r e t a i n e d coarse aggregate
F o r a 10-1b tare weight, this is 0.1 lb versus 0.03 lb. The 0.1 surface dry, a n d t h e n d e t e r m i n e the m a s s in air. Alternatively,
112 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

the wet m a t e r i a l m a y be w e i g h e d while s u s p e n d e d in w a t e r 19.48


M = - - = 138.85 l b / f t 3
a n d the s a t u r a t e d surface d r y (SSD) m a s s c o m p u t e d using a 0.1403
previously d e t e r m i n e d SSD density (sp gr). The 4.75-mm
sieve r e p r e s e n t s the s e p a r a t i o n p o i n t b e t w e e n coarse a n d fine To view this f o r m u l a in perspective, look at the p a r t s as ob-
aggregate. Annex section A1.2 provides the f o r m u l a for this jects a n d volumes.
computation.
Concrete m a s s - Coarse aggregate m a s s
S a m p l e No. 1 S a m p l e No. 2 M o r t a r (lb/ft 3) =
Vol. of density m e a s u r e - Vol. of a i r
Mass of SSD 16.63 15.70 - Vol. of coarse aggregate
aggregate lb
r e t a i n e d on ft 3
4.75-mm (No.
4) sieve (lb) The alternate s o l u t i o n o f d e t e r m i n i n g the Mortar Den-
Percent Coarse (16.63~ (15.70~ sity (Air-free) using the field m a t e r i a l s w i t h o u t a predeter-
Aggregate, \ 3 5 . 5 4 / 100 \ 3 5 . 1 8 ] 100 m i n e d relative density (specific gravity) is n o w illustrated.
P = c / b x 100 The a p p a r e n t m a s s of the S a m p l e No. 1 c o a r s e aggregate
P (%) 46.8 44.6 while s u b m e r g e d in w a t e r is 10.23 lb. Use the f o r m u l a in
Difference (%) (46.8 - 44.6) = 2.2 ASTM C 127 to c o m p u t e the Relative Density (Specific Grav-
ity) (SSD) of the coarse aggregate:
The difference of 2.2 % is less t h a n the allowable differ-
ence of 6.0 %. The coarse aggregate c o n t e n t meets the mix- Relative Density (SSD)
ing u n i f o r m i t y requirements. Mass of SSD s a m p l e in air
M o r t a r Unit Weight ( a i r - f r e e ) : This is a m e a n s of deter- Mass of SSD s a m p l e in air
m i n i n g differences in m o r t a r p r o p e r t i e s of the two samples. - Mass of S a m p l e w h e n i m m e r s e d in w a t e r
The coarse aggregate has b e e n physically removed, a n d cal-
culations have b e e n c o r r e c t e d for the m e a s u r e d air content, 16.63
leaving only c e m e n t i t i o u s materials, fine aggregate, a n d wa- Relative Density (SSD) = = 2.60
16.63 - 10.23
ter. Tests by Bloem, Gaynor, a n d Wilson [13] at the NRMCA
( S a m p l e No. 1)
d e t e r m i n e d t h a t differences of m o r e t h a n I I b / f t 3 in this test
i n d i c a t e d s u b s t a n t i a l variations in the m o r t a r p r o p o r t i o n s
P r o c e e d with the calculations for M w i t h o u t any prede-
a n d r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t a difference of 2 l b / f t 3 in the air-free
t e r m i n e d values for specific gravity. F o r Test No. 2, the
m o r t a r density value r e p r e s e n t e d changes in m i x t u r e com-
s u b m e r g e d m a s s of coarse aggregate from the field
position that are unacceptable.
m e a s u r e m e n t s will be used for c o m p u t a t i o n s . In practice, it
The s a t u r a t e d - s u r f a c e - d r y relative density (specific gravity)
is b e t t e r to use the s a m e m e t h o d for b o t h tests.
of the coarse aggregate is a final test value n e e d e d to p e r f o r m
the m o r t a r density (unit weight) calculations. This value m a y
( S a m p l e No. 2)
be p r e d e t e r m i n e d in the l a b o r a t o r y by ASTM C 127 o r by a
s u b m e r g e d d e t e r m i n a t i o n of the m a s s (weighing) of the
Mass of aggregate r e t a i n e d on the 4.75 m m sieve (SSD in
coarse aggregate p r o c u r e d from the mixing u n i f o r m i t y test,
air) = 15.70 lb.
p e r c e n t coarse aggregate d e t e r m i n a t i o n . This value m a y also
A p p a r e n t m a s s of aggregate w h e n i m m e r s e d in w a t e r = 9.66
be available f r o m aggregate test d a t a f u r n i s h e d by the ag-
lb.
gregate supplier. Use the f o r m u l a of Annex section A1.3 for
calculations.
15.70
Relative Density of coarse aggregate is 2.60 as predeter- Relative Density (SSD) - 2.599 (Use 2.60)
mined. 15.70 - 9.66

b -c 35.18 - 15.70
M = M =
VXA 0.25- (0.25~05.1+ 15.70 .~
2.60 6 2 . 3 /

19.48
35.54 - 16.63
S a m p l e 1: M = 0.25 - (0.128 + 0.969)
0.25_ (0.25~4.5+ _16.63 ~
2.60 62.3] 19.48
M - - - 138.85 l b / f t 3 ( S a m p l e No. 2)
0.1403
18.91 18.91
M = - - - 139.04 t b / f t 3
0.25 - (0.0113 + 0.1027) 0.1360 The difference in M o r t a r Unit Weight c o m p u t e d on an air-
free basis is (139.04 - 138.85) = 0.19 l b / f t 3.
35.18 - 15.70 The average of the two tests is 138.94 l b / f t a.
S a m p l e 2: M =
0.25-(0"250~5'1 + 15.70 Percentage difference is (0.19 + 138.94) 100 -- 0.14% <
2.60 62.3] 1.6% (OK)
ANNEX (Mandatory Information) 113

TABLE 20.B--Summary of uniformity test.


Difference Maximum
Sample Sample Between Permissible
Property Tested No. I No. 2 Samples Difference Remarks
Slump in. 3.00 4.25 1.25 > 1.0 in. Fails
Air content % 4.5 5.1 0.6 < 1.0 % Passes
Density of concrete (air-free) lb/ft 3 148.86 148.28 0.58 < 1.0 ]b/ft 3 Passes
Coarse aggregate in concrete % 46.8 44.6 2.2 < 6.0 %* Passes
Mortar density (air-free) lb / ft3 139.04 138.85 0.14 < 1.6 %t Passes
7-day compressive strength psi 5318 5117 3.85 < 7.5 %* Passes
* Allowable variance is a percent of coarse aggregate segment of sample.
t Allowable variance is a percent of air-free density of mortar.
* Allowable variance is a percent difference in compressive strengths.

F o u r of the five tests have m e t the mixing u n i f o r m i t y cri- Difference (psi) (5318-5117) = 201 psi
teria. According to Note C of Annex Table A1 .I, the a p p r o v a l Average of a l l c y l i n d e r 5218 psi
of the m i x e r shall be tentative, p e n d i n g results of the 7-day tests
c o m p r e s s i v e strength tests. A tentative status is established % Difference 201
- - x 100 = 3 . 8 5 % < 7 . 5 %
in the event the 7-day tests do not m e e t m i x i n g u n i f o r m i t y 5218
criteria: the m i x e r will not have m e t five criteria, only four, OK
a n d will have failed.
7 - D a y C o m p r e s s i v e S t r e n g t h : Note B to Annex Table A1.1
requires that n o t less t h a n three cylinders will he m o l d e d The difference o f 201 psi is used in c o n j u n c t i o n with the
from each sample. More t h a n three a r e permissible, b u t the average of all cylinders, 5218 psi to c o m p u t e the actual per-
s a m e n u m b e r m u s t be m o l d e d from each sample. A different cent difference of 3.85 %.
n u m b e r of cylinders from each s a m p l e could u n f a v o r a b l y The mixer of E x a m p l e 2 0 . A - - U n i f o r m i t y test passes five of
skew the test results b e c a u s e the allowable percentage of dif- the six mixing u n i f o r m i t y criteria a n d meets r e q u i r e m e n t s of
ference is b a s e d u p o n the average of all test results. These u n i f o r m i t y test. This m i x e r can be a p p r o v e d for use.
s p e c i m e n s shall be c u r e d in a c c o r d a n c e with ASTM C 31/C Effective June 1, 2001, m i x i n g u n i f o r m i t y evaluation be-
31M. Just as i m p o r t a n t is t h a t all the cylinders from each c a m e a r e q u i r e m e n t for n e w t r u c k mixers of s i m i l a r design
m i x e r tested shall be kept close t o g e t h e r to ensure that cyl- for mixers m a n u f a c t u r e d b y m e m b e r s of the Truck Mixer
inders from b o t h s a m p l e s receive identical curing. Identical M a n u f a c t u r e r s B u r e a u as a d d r e s s e d in t h e i r s t a n d a r d TMMB
curing is absolutely necessary. 100-01.
Due to the c o n s i d e r a b l e t i m e a n d effort a n d potential
7-day Compressive Sample Sample waste of concrete, mixing u n i f o r m i t y evaluations of individ-
S t r e n g t h Results No. 1 No. 2 ual m i x e r units is s e l d o m p e r f o r m e d . Visual i n s p e c t i o n of the
Cylinder I 5473 psi 5006 psi inside of a m i x e r will indicate if w o r n blades o r b u i l d - u p of
Cylinder 2 5118 psi 5137 psi h a r d e n e d concrete are excessive a n d adversely i m p a c t the
Cylinder 3 5364 psi 5209 psi mixer's ability to function. The configuration of the b a t c h
p l a n t a n d the sequence used to b a t c h r a w ingredients into
Average of 3 cylinder 5318 psi 5117 p s i the m i x e r also p l a y a n i m p o r t a n t role in the ability to o b t a i n
tests =fav = a h o m o g e n e o u s l y m i x e d concrete batch.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

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Ready Mixed Concrete Factories in Sweden," Reprint No. 43, [92] Walker, S. and Bloem, D. L., "Tests of Concrete Truck Mixers,"
Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute, Stockholm, NRMCA Publication No. 50, National Ready Mixed Concrete
Sweden, 1966. Quoted in ACI Committee 306, "Cold Weather Association, Silver Spring, MD, 1954, 35 pp.
Concreting," ACI 306R-88, ACI Committee 306 Report, Amer- [93] White, G. R., Concrete Technology, 3rd ed., Delmar Publishers
ican Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 1988, pp. 6-7. Inc., Albany, NY, 1991, p. 99.
[79] Popovics, S., Concrete Materials: Properties, Specifications and [94] Whiting, D. A. and Nagi, M. A., Manual on Control of Air Con-
Testing, 2nd ed., Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ, 1992, 661 tent in Concrete, EB 116, Portland Cement Association and Na-
Pp. tional Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Skokie, IL, 1998, pp.
[80] Pordand Cement Association (PCA), Design and Control of Con- 2-3.
crete Mixtures, 2na ed., Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL, [95] Whiting, D. and Stark, D., "Control of Air Content in Concrete,"
1927, p. 16. National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 258,
[81] Portland Cement Association (PCA), "Guide Specification for Transportation Research Board of the National Research Coun-
Concrete Subject to Alkali-Silica Reactions," Concrete Infor- cil, Washington, D.C., 1983, pp. 40-41.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

i
t,

A.S.T.M. Standard Specifications


FOR

Ready Mixed Concrete


ADOPTED, 1935

Authorized Reprint h'om the Copyrighted


PUBLICATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATERIALS
260 S. Broad. St, Philadelphia, Pa.

Reprinted by
NATIONAL READY MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATION
Munsey Building, Washington, D.C.

117
Copyright* 2005 by ASTM International www. astm. org
118 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATERIALS


260 S. BROAD ST., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

@
STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS
FOR

READY MIXED CONCRETE l


A.S.T.M. Designation: r 9 4 - 35

T h e s e s p e c i f i c a t i o n s are i s s ue d u n d e r t h e fixed d e s i g n a t i o n C 94; t h e fi na l


n u m b e r i n d i c a t e s t h e y e a r of o r i g i n a l a d o p t i o n as s t a n d a r d or, i n t h e c a s e of re vi s i on,
t h e y e a r of l a s t revision.

ISSUED AS TENTATIVE, 1933; ADOPTED IN AMENDED FORM, 1935.

Scope
l. These specifications cover requirements for the materials,
proportioning, mixing, delivery, quality, inspection, testing, and
acceptance of ready mixed concrete for all purposes.
Ready Mixed Concrete
2. The term ready mixed concrete is used to describe mixed
concrete delivered at the work ready for use.

~ATERIALS
General
3. Ready mixed concrete shall consist of a mixture of portland
cement, aggregates and water, proportioned in accordance with the
requirements of these specifications. Admixtures may be included
with these primary ingredients when specified by, or with the
permission of, the purchaser.
Cement
4. (a) Portland cement shall conform to the requirements of the
Standard Specifications for Portland Cement (A.S.T.M. Designation:
C 9) of the American Society for Testing Materials. 2
(b) High-early-strength portland cement shall conform to the
requirements of the Tentative Specifications for High-Early-Strength
Portland Cement (A.S.T.M. Designation: C 7 4 - 3 0 T) of the
American Society for Testing Materials. s
1 Under the standardization procedure of the Society, these specifications are under the jurisdic-
tion of the A.S.T.M. Committee C-9 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates.
1933 Book of A.S.T.M. Standards, Part II, p. 3.
s Proceedings, Am. Soc. Testing Mats., Vol. 30, Part I, p. 1016 (1930) ; also 1935 Book of A.S.T.M.
Tentative Standards.
APPENDIX 119

SPECIFICATIONS FOR READY MIXED CONCRETE

Aggregates
5. (a) Aggregates shall conform to the requirements of the
Tentative Specifications for Concrete Aggregates (A.S.T.5/f. Designa-
tion: C 33 - 31 T) of the American Society for Testing Materials. 1
(b) Frozen aggregates, or aggregates containing lumps of frozen
material, shall be thawed before use.
Water
6. Water shall be free from injurious amounts of impurities.
Potable water shall be considered as meeting the requirements of
these specifications.
COMPOSITION OF CONCRETE
General
7. The size and type of aggregate and the quality and consistency
of the concrete required for the work shall be specified by the pur-
chaser. The manufacturer of ready mixed concrete shall determine
the quantities of materials for the batch to produce concrete of the
quality and consistency specified. The consistency shall be deter-
mined by the slump test, referred to in Section 26 (a), unless another
method is specified or permitted by the purchaser.
Proportions by Volume
8. When the quality of the concrete is specified in terms of the
consistency and arbitrary proportions by volume, 1 cu. ft. of cement
shall be considered to weigh 94 lb., and, unless another basis is
specified by the purchaser, the weight per unit of volume of the
aggregates shall be based on rodded weights determined on dry
materials, in accordance with the Standard Method of Test for Unit
Weight of Aggregate for Concrete (A.S.T.M. Designation: C 29)
of the American Society for Testing Materials3
Proportions by Weight
9. When the quality of the concrete is specified in terms of the
consistency and arbitrary proportions by weight, the weights of the
aggregates shall be stated in terms of dry materials.
Proportions in Terms of Quantity of Cement
10. When the quality of the concrete is specified in terms of the
consistency and the quantity of cement per unit of volume of concrete,
1 cu. ft. of cement shall be considered to weigh 94 lb., and the ratio
by weight of the fine aggregate to the fine plus coarse aggregate shall
t Proceedings, Am. Soc. Testing Mats., Vol. 31, P a r t I, p. 750 (1931); also 1935 Book of A.S.T.M.
Tentative Standards.
s 1933 Book of A.S.T.M. Standards, Part II, p. 247.
120 USER'S GUIDE TO A S T M SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

A.S.T.M. DESIGNATION: C 9 4 - 3 5

be such as to produce a plastic and workable mixture and shall not


be greater than shown in Table I, unless otherwise specified by the
purchaser; except that this ratio may not apply to aggregates having
specific gravities less than 2.2 or greater than 3.0. Under this clause
the proportions of cement to aggregate shall not be stated.
TABLE I . - - L I M I T I N G RATIO OF F I N E AGGREGATE TO F I N E PLUS COARSE
AGGREGATE.
MAXIMUM RATIO OF
MAXIMUM SIZE OF FINE AGGREGATE TO
GRADED AGGREGATE, FINE PLUS COARSE
~N. AGGREGATE
2 ....................................................... 0.40
189. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.45
1....................................................... 0.50
...................................................... o.5s

...................................................... 0.60
Proportions Based on Water-Cement Ratio
I I. When the quality of the concrete is specified in terms of the
consistency and the ratio of quantity of mixing water to quantity of
cement, the water shall include that added to the batch and the
surface moisture of the aggregates, and the ratio of fine to coarse
aggregate shall be such as to produce a plastic and workable mixture.
Under this clause the proportions of cement to aggregate shall not
be stated, except that a minimum cement content may be specified.
Proportions Based on Strength
12. When the quality of the concrete is specified in terms of the
consistency and the compressive or flexural strength, at an age
specified by the purchaser, the ratio of fine to coarse aggregate shall
be such as to produce a plastic and workable mixture. Under this
clause the proportions of cement to aggregate shall not be stated,
except that a minimum cement content may be specified.

MEASURING ~/~ATERIALS
Cement
13. Cement shall be measured by weight or, if permitted by the
purchaser, in full bags of 94 lb. each. When the cement is measured
by weight, it shall be weighed on a scale separate from those used
for the other materials; the entire contents of the hopper shall be
completely discharged. When the cement is measured in bags, no
fraction of bags shall be used unless weighed.
Aggregates
14. Coarse aggregates shall be measured by weight. Fine
aggregates shall be measured by weight or by inundated volume in a
APPENDIX 121

SPECIFICATIONS FOR READY MIXED ~ONCP..ETE

device approved by the purchaser. Batch weights shall be based on


dry materials and shall be corrected to take into account the weight
of moistur~ contained in the aggregates.
Water
15. Water shall be measured by volume or by weight. The
device for the measurement of the water shall be readily adjustable
and, under all operating conditions, shall be accurate to 0.5 per cent
or less of its maximum capacity.
Admixtures
16. Powdered admixtures shall be measured by weight and
liquid admixtures by weight or volume.
Weighing Hoppers and Scales
17. Weighing hoppers and scales shall conform to the Specifica-
tions and Tolerances of the American Road Builders' Association
for the Bin Batcher Type of Equipment for Weighing Concrete
Aggregates}'2
MIXING
General
18. The mixing equipment shall be capable of combining the
aggregates, cement, and water within the specified time into a thor-
oughly mixed and uniform mass, and of discharging the mixture
without segregation.
Central Mixing Plant
19. In the case of the stationary mixers, the mixer drum shall be
of adequate size to accommodate the maximum batch, and shall be
in accordance with the Concrete Mixer Standards adopted by the
Mixer Manufacturers' Bureau of the Associated General Contractors
of America. The mixer shall be rotated at the rate recommended
by its manufacturer. Provision shall be made at the mixer to insure
that the concrete is not discharged until the specified mixing time
has elapsed. The mixing time shall be measured from the time that all
cement and aggregates are in the mixer. The batch shall be so charged
into the mixer that some water shah enter in advance of cement and
aggregate, and shall continue to flow for a period which may extend
to the end of the first one third of the specified mixing time. When
the central mixing plant is depended upon for the complete mixing,
the minimum mixing time for mixers of l-cu. yd. capacity or less
shall be not less than 1 minute; for larger capacities of mixers this
t Am. Road Builders" Assn., Bulletin 15, Section I, Part 1 (1931).
t The essential requirements outlined in Bulletin 15 have been adopted by the American Assoc/atlon
of State Highway Officials.
122 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON P~ADY-MIXED CONCRETE

A.S.T.M. DESIGNATION: C 9 4 - 3 5

m3xing time shall be increased at the rate of 15 seconds or more for


each cubic yard, or fraction thereof, additional capacity. When the
concrete is transported in an agitator, the size of batch shall not
exceed the rated capacity of the agitator as stated by the manufac-
turer, and as stamped in metal at a prominent place on the equipment.
When the agitator is provided with adequate mixing blades, the mix-
ing time at the central mixer m a y be reduced to the minimum required
to incorporate the ingredients of the mixture into a mass and the
mixing completed in the agitator; under these circumstances all ingre-
dients for a batch shall be in the mixer and properly incorporated
before any concrete is discharged to the agitator and each batch of
concrete shall be mixed in the agitator for 50 revolutions or more.
Truck Mixing
20. In the case of truck mixers, the size of batch shall not exceed
the maximum rated capacity of the mixer as stated by the manufac-
turer and as stamped in metal at a prominent place on the mixer.
The mixer shall be water-tight when closed. Each batch of concrete
shall be mixed not less than 50 nor more than 150 revolutions of the
mixer at the rate of rotation specified by the manufacturer as mixing
speed. Additional mixing, if any, shall be done at a slower speed
specified by the manufacturer for agitation. Except as subsequently
provided, the truck mixer shall be equipped with a tank for carrying
the mixing water; the water shall be measured and placed in the
tank at the proportioning plant, unless the tank is equipped with
an automatic measuring device of the required accuracy and capable
of being locked. The mixing water may be added directly to the
batch, except as limited by Section 22, in which case a tank shall
not be required.
DELIVERY
General
21. Concrete shall be hauled in a water-tight container in which
segregation will not take place and from which the concrete can be
discharged freely and shall be delivered to the work at the consistency
specified.
Time of Hauling
22. Concrete shall be delivered to the site of the work, and dis-
charge from the hauling container shall be completed within a period
of 189 hr. after the introduction of the mixing water to the cement and
aggregates, or the cement to the aggregate when the fine aggregate
contains moisture in excess of 6 per cent by weight and the coarse
aggregate contains moisture in excess of 3 per cent by weight.
APPENDIX 123

SPECIFICATIONS FOR READY MIXED CONCRETE

Temperature
23. Concrete delivered in out-door temperatures lower than
40 F. (5 C.) shall arrive at the work having a temperature not less
than 60 F. (15 C.), nor greater than 100 F. (38 C.), unless otherwise
specified or permitted by the purchaser.

INSPECTION
General
24. Proper facilities shall be provided for the purchaser to inspect
ingredients and processes used in the manufacture of the concrete
either at the mixing plant, loading plant or point of delivery. The
manufacturer shall afford the inspector representing the purchaser,
without charge, all reasonable facilities for securing samples to deter-
mine if the .concrete is being furnished in accordance with these
specifications. All tests and inspections shall be so conducted as not
to interfere unnecessarily with the manufacture and delivery of the
concrete.
Samples
25. (a) Samples of concrete taken for the purpose of determining
if the concrete conforms to the requirements of these specifications
shall be secured at the point of delivery during the discharge of the
batch.
(b) Each sample of concrete for strength tests shall consist of
not less than one cubic foot made up of portions obtained from not
less than three points within the batch.

M E T H O D S OF TESTING
Methods of Testing
26. Tests of the concrete shall be carried out in accordance with
the following methods of the American Society for Testing Materials:
(a) Consistency.--The consistency of the concrete , unless
otherwise specified or permitted by the purchaser, shah be measured
by the slump determined in accordance with the Tentative Method
of Test for Consistency of Portland-Cement Concrete (A.S.T.M.
Designation: D 138-32 T). t
(b) Compression Tests.--Compression test specimens of concrete
shall be molded, cured, and tested in accordance with the Standard
Method of Making and Storing Compression Test Specimens of
Concrete in the Field (A.S.T.M. Designation: C 31), 2 except that
* Proceedings, Am. Soe. Testing Mats., Vol. 32, Part I, p. 775 (1932)~ also 1935 Book of A.S.T.M.
Tentative Standards.
* 1933 Book of A.S.T.M. Standards, Part II, p. 225.
124 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

A:S.T.M. DESIGNATION: C 9 4 - 3 5

Section 7 (b) shall not apply for specimens used as the basis for
acceptance.
(v) Flexure Tests.--Flexure test specimens of concrete shall be
molded and tested in accordance with the Tentative Laboratory
Method of Making Flexure Tests of Concrete, Using a Simple Beam
with Center Loading (A.S.T.M. Designation: C 7 8 - 30 T). 1 The
samples of concrete shall be obtained and the specimens cured in
accordance with the method described for compression tests in the
Standard Method of Making and Storing Compression Test Specimens
of Concrete in the Field (A.S.T.M. Designation: C 31), 2 except that
Section 7 (b) shall not apply for specimens used as the basis for
acceptance.
ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION
Consistency
27. (a) The concrete shall be considered to have conformed to
the consistency requirements of these specifications if the average
consistency of three determinations of the slump on a single sample
is within 20 per cent of the consistency specified.
(b) The slump test for consistency shall be made as often as
required by the purchaser.

Strength
28. (a) Concrete shall be considered to have conformed to the
strength requirements of these specifications if the average strength
of all specimens tested is equal to or greater than the strength specified
and if the number and concordance of the strength tests conform to
the requirements of Paragraphs (b) to (e).
(b) The number of strength tests shall be determined by the
purchaser, except that, if acceptance or rejection is based on Paragraph
(a), not less than the number of tests shown in the following table
shall be made:
TOTAL CUBIC YARDS OF CONCRRTE
D~LIVER~D ON"JOB N ~ B E R OF STR~qGTH TESTS
0 to 100. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One for each 50 cu. yd.
101 to 1000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One for each 125 cu. yd.
1001 to 2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One for each 175 cu. yd.
2001 and ove~. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One for each 250 cu. yd.
(c) A test shall consist of the average of two or more standard
specimens made from a single sample. Results from obviously
1 Proceedings, Am. Soc. Testing Mats., Vol. 30, Part I, p. 1027 (1930) ; also 1935 Book of A.S.T.M.
Tentative Standards.
2 1933 Book of A.S.T.M. Standards, Part II, p. 225.
APPENDIX 125

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S FOR R E A D Y MIXED CONCRETE

faulty, defective or improperly cured specimens shall be disregarded


in determining the average.
(d) At least 90 per cent of all strength tests shall be equal to or
greater than 90 per cent of the strength specified.
(e) The strength tests shall be carried out under the supervision
of a qualified engineer mutually agreed upon by both the manufacturer
and purchaser.
N o T ~ . - - T h e q u e s t i o n of p a y m e n t for t h e s t r e n g t h t e s t s shall f o r m a p a r t of the
contract between t h e p u r c h a s e r a n d t h e m a n u f a c t u r e r .

Alternate Strength Basis


29. The provisions of Section 28 may be waived, at the option
of the purchaser, if the manufacturer can produce evidence satis-
factory to the purchaser that concrete of the proportions proposed
for use will furnish the specified strength. Under this clause the
concrete shall be considered to have conformed to the requirements
for strength if these proportions are maintained throughout the work.
Retest
30. (a) When Section 28 is used as the basis for acceptance, if
the concrete fails to conform to the requirements of that section, the
manufacturer shall have the right to test specimens cut from the
structure. Such specimens shall be obtained in accordance with
the Standard Methods of Securing Specimens of Hardened Concrete
from the Structure (A.S.T.M. Designation: C 42) L and tested in
accordance with Sections 19, 20 and 21 of the Standard Methods of
Making Compression Tests of Concrete (A.S.T.M. Designation: C 39)
of the American Society for Testing Materials. *
(b) Specimens cut from the structure shall be obtained and
tested within a period of 60 days after placing the concrete. The
specimens shall be tested in a saturated condition and no correction
shall be made for the age of the concrete.
(c) The tests shall be carried out under the supervision of a
qualified engineer mutually agreed upon by both the manufacturer
and purchaser, and the costs of the tests shall be borne by the
manufacturer.
(d) The concrete shall be considered as conforming to the require-
ments of these specifications if the average strength of the specimens
cut from the structure is equal to or greater than the specified strength,
and at least 90 per cent of all tests are equal to or greater than 90
per cent of the specified strength.
t 1933 Book of A.S.T.M. Standards, Part I[, p. 238,
t lb/d., p. 230.
126 USER'S GUIDE TO ASTM SPECIFICATION C 94 ON READY-MIXED CONCRETE

A.S.T.M. DESIGNATION: C 9 4 - 3 5 9

Measurement of Concrete
31. The basis of measurement of the concrete shall be the cubic
yard. The quantity of concrete produced by a given combination of
materials may be determined by measurement in a standard measure
or may be calculated from the absolute volumes of the separate
ingredients as determined from the weight of each used in a batch
and its specific gravity. When the latter method is used, proper
correction shall be made for the free and absorbed moisture content
of the aggregate.

This is a reprint of one of the 700 standards and tentative standards published
by the Society. Separate copies are available at the following prices:
Lots up to 9................. 25 centseach. Lots of 25 to 99............ 171/~centseach.
Lots of 10 to 24 .............. 20 centse a c h . Quotations givenon largerquantities.
Lots mayconsistof the same or astottcdstandards.
The standards and tentative standards are also available collectively in bound
form through the Book of A.S.T.M. Standards (Part I Metals, Part II Non-Metallic
Materials, each approximately 1200 pages) and the Book of A.S.T.M. Tentative
Standards (approximately 1000 pages).
For further information on these and other Society publications and on member-
ship in the Society, address

A~UCRICANSOCIETY FOR TBST~rO MA~RZAZa


260 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
MNL49-EB/Jan. 2005

Index

A scales, 52, 53 certified testing technicians, 89, 92


size, 25 concrete field testing, 89, 93, 99
source, 16 concrete laboratory testing, 89
AASHTO T 26, 26 sulfate test of, 24 referenced standards, 3-4
Acceptance tests, test laboratory Agitating equipment, use of, 66 Arbitration
requirements, 88 Agitating speed, 70 panel
Admixtures, 13, 16 Agitators, truck composition, 106
air-entraining, 30-31 central-mixed concrete, 64 engineers, 106
C 260, 30 discharge drums, 56 selection process, 106
anti-washout, 32 inspection, 62 process, Uniform Arbitration Act, 107
bacteriocidal, 32 placard information, 56-60 strength requirement failure, 106
batch/delivery ticket information, 79- capacity, 56, 60 Aspdin, J., 18
80 gross volume, 56, 60 ASTM Standard Specifications for Ready
chemical speeds, mixing, 56, 60, 70
C 494/C 494M, i3, 15, 31, 32, 72 Mixed Concrete (1935), 117-I26
sampling, 61 ASTM standards
C 1017/C 1017M, 13, 15, 31-32 slump tests, 61
plasticizing, 31 A 820, 32
Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau, C 31/C 31M, 3.67, 84, 99, 113
retarding, 31 57
Type B, 31 C 33, l, 8, 14, 19, 23-25, 27
see also mixers C 39/C 39M, 3, 84, 100
Type C, 31
coloring, 32 Air content, 8-10, 21, 26, 29-31, 37-40, C 42/C 42M, 102
85-86, 96-98, 111 C 88, 24
corrosion-inhibiting, 32
dispensers, 49-50 ACI 301, 1, 11, 14, 17, 24, 39 C I09/C 109M, 25
dosages, 15, 49 C 138/C 138M, 37, 85, 99, 110 C 125, 13, 25
hydration control, 32 C 173/C 173M, 37, 85, 99, 110 C 127, 112
measurement, 46 C 231, 37, 94, 97, 99, 109, 110 C 136, 109
mineral, 13-15, 28, 41, 46, 49, 74 C 260, 13, 15, 21, 30 C 138/C 138M, 5, 6, 7, 11, 37, 83, 85,
C 1240, 13, 30 carbon content effects, 29 94, 99, 110
shrinkage-reducing, 32 changes, responsibility for, 38 C 143/C 143M, 3, 8, 33, 87, 94, 99
viscosity modifying, 32 definition, 8-9 C 150, 13, 14, 18, 19-20, 22, 23, 44
water-repellent, 32 factors affecting, 37 C 172, 3, 5, 6, 40, 67, 69, 76, 87, 92,
Aggregates, 21, 23-25, 71 testing, 38 93, 96, 99, 109
alkali-reactive, 23, 24 weather, 38 C 173/C 173M, 37, 85, 99
batch control, computer, 52 feed system, 52 C 191, 25
batch/delivery ticket information, 81 mixing effects on, 66
C 231, 37, 94, 97.99, 109, 110
batch plant bin storage, 51 point of discharge measurement, 38
C 260, 13, 15, 21, 30, 79
batching tolerances, 44-45 recommended, 9
responsibility for, 39 C 330, 14, 23, 24
C 33, 1, 8, 14, 19, 23-25 C 494/C 494M, 13, 15, 31, 32, 72
C 88, 24 sampling, 39, 60
specification compliance, 39 C 511, 3, 99
C 136, 109 C 566, 44
C 330, 14, 23, 24 Air pressure air content method, 86
Alkali content, 21, 26 C 567, 10-11
C 566, 44 C 595, 13, 14, 21-23
C 637, 23, 24-25 Alkali oxides, 19
Alkali-silica reactivity, 29, 32 C 618, 13, 22, 28-29, 79
coarse, 24
coarse, content, 109, 111-I 12 American Association of State Highway C 637, 23, 24-25
coarse, sampling, 60 and Transportation Officials, 4 C 670, 100
coarse, size(s) designation, 8 American Concrete Institute (ACI) C 672/C 672M, 27
D 75, 24 ACI 211.1, 8, 9, 12, 16, 24, 33 C 685/C 685M, 41, 64
deicing and, 24 exposure definitions, 8-9 C 845, 32
discharge to weighing hopper, 51 ACI 211.2, 12, 16 C 979, 32
heavyweight, 24 ACI 214.4R-03, 102 C 989, 13, 22, 30, 79
lightweight, 24 ACI 214R, 100 C 1017/C 1017M, 13, 15, 31
manufacturer information about, 15- ACI 225 R-99, 19 C 1064/C 1064M, 87, 88, 94, 99
16 ACI 228.1R-95, 102 C 1077, 88
mass measurement, 44 ACI 301-99, 1, I1, 14, 17, 24, 39, 95 C 1116, 32
materials for, 24 ACI 305R, 74 C 1157, I, 13, 14, 18, 23
moisture, 34, 44, 45, 80 ACI 306R, 72 C 1240, 13, 30
purchaser's specification, 1 calcium chloride use, 47 D 75, 24
reactivity evaluation, 24 ACI 318-02, 20, 22, 26, 95, 100, 101, D 516, 26
saturated-surface-dry masses, 13 102, 104 referenced standards, 3-4

127
128 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

B Cement sampling, 60
bagged, 43 Computer controlled batching, 52
partial, 44 Concrete Plant Manufacturers Bureau,
Bacteriocidal admixtures, 32 batch/delivery ticket information, 79 41, 44, 53, 56, 64
Bagged cement, 43, 44 blast-furnace slag, 21 Consistency, mixture, 8
Batch characteristics, 110-113 Cement, calcium-aluminate, 32 Construction cement, general, 20
Batch mass, 44 Cement content, 14 Cores, drilled, 102
Batch moisture, 45 minimum, 16 Covers, nonagitating transportation
Batch plant Cement, hydraulic equipment, 76
aggregate discharge, 51 C 109/C 109M, 25 C2S, 18, 19
bin compartments, 51 C 219, 18 C3S, 18, 19
central mix, 76 C 511, 3, 99 Curing, 12, 100
computer control, aggregate, 52 C 845, 32
indicators, operator access, 52-53 C 1157, 1, 13, 14, 18, 23 D
mixing methods, 64 Option R, 23
central-mixed concrete, 64-66 Type GU, 23 Deicing salts, 8-9
shrink-mixed concrete, 64, 68 Type HE, 23 C 672/C 672M, 27
truck-mixed concrete, 64, 68-69 Type HS, 23 Delivery ticket information, 78-82, 101
mixture proportion information, 16- Type LH, 23 admixtures information, 79-80
17 Type MH, 23 aggregate information, 81
National Ready Mixed Concrete Type MS, 23 cement information, 79
Association certification program, performance requirements, 23 certification information, 78-79, 81-82
54, 55 selection and use, ACI 225 R-99, 19 fiber reinforcement information, 80
scales, 52, 53 Cement, hydraulic, blended, 21 mandatory, 78
accuracy, 53-54 C 595, 13, 14, 18, 21-23 pozzolans information, 79
calibration test weights, 54 Type IP, 22 slag information, 79
indicators, 54 Type I (PM), 22 slurry, recycled, information, 80
preventive maintenance, 54 Type IS, 21 water information, 78, 79, 80
sensitivity, 54 Type I (SM), 22 Density
specification, 51-55 Type P, 22 C 127, 112
water measurement, added, 54 Type S, 22 C 138/C 138 M, 5, 6, 7, 11, 85, 94, 110
calibrated tanks, 54 Cement materials determination of, 5-7, 111
measuring devices, 54 argillaceous, 19 mortar, 109, 112
weigh hopper, 51-53 calcarious, 19 relative, 16
vibrator, 52 Cement, portland, 18-23 structural lightweight concrete, 10
Batch ticket information, 78-82 C 150, I3, 14, 18, 19-20, 22, 23, 24 testing procedures, 11
admixtures information, 79-80 C 150 classifications Discharge
aggregate information, 80-81 air entrained, 21 completion, 70, 71
cement information, 79 Type I, 19-20 mixer structure, 65
certification information, 78-79, 81-82 Type I (PM), 22 sampling point, 62, 67, 69, 77
fiber reinforcement information, 80 Type II, 20 Dispensers, admixture, 49
mandatory, 78 Type I/II, 20 Durability, 6, 12, 16, 23
pozzolans information, 79 Type III, 20
slag information, 79 Type IV, 20 E
slurry, recycled, information, 80 Type V, 20
water information, 78, 79, 80 C3A, 18, 19, 20, 74 Exposure, definition, 8-9
Batch variation determination, 109 CzS, 18, 19
Batching accuracy, 42 C3S, 18, 19, 20, 74 F
Batching devices, 41 general construction, 20, 22
Batching hopper, 41 general purpose, 19
Batching sequence, 61 Fiber reinforcement batch/delivery
hydration, low heat of, 20 ticket information, 80
Batching temperature, 73 modified, 22
Batching tolerances, 42, 43 Flexural strength (beams) specimens,
origin, 18 I01
Batching, volumetric C 685/C 685M, 41, pozzolan modified, 22
64 Flowing concrete, 31
slag modified, 22 Fly ash
Bessel's correction, 104 Cement scales, 41
Boyle's law, 87 C 618, 13, 22, 28-29
Cement weigh hoppers, 41 Class "C', 28-29
Building code requirements, ACI 318-02, Cementitious mineral admixtures, 41, 49
20, 22, 26, 95, 100, 101, 102, 104 Class "F", 29
Certification information carbon content, 29
Bureau of Reclamation, 109 batch/delivery ticket, 78-79, 81-82
Concrete Manual, 4, 5, 74, 110 Foaming agents, 32
proportions, 16-17 Footnotes and notes, use in C 94/C
Certification, ACI technicians, 89, 93, 99 94M, 2
C Certification, test information, 13 Freeze-thaw cycle
Chloride ion measurement, 49 conditions, 21, 37
Chlorides, 26 considerations, 7-10
C3A, 19 Coal, 28, 29 aggregates and, 24
C4AE 19 Coloring admixtures freeze-thaw resistance, 8-9
Calcium-aluminate cements, 32 C 979, 32
Calcium chloride, 74 Compacting sample, slump test, 33 G
flaked, admixture, 46-47 compliance testing, 92-94
dosage calculations, 47, 49 certified testing technicians, 89, 92, 96 Geographic area, effect on materials
Calcium oxide, 19 specification, 17 specification, 18
Calcium silicates, 18 Compression test German Commission for Reinforced
Calcium sulfate, 19 C 39/C 39M, 3, 84, 100 Concrete, 27
Calibration, 45 Compressive strength, 9, 11-12, 16, 102, Grading, 16
scale test weights, 54 113 Ground granulated blast furnace slag
Carbon content, Class "F" fly ash, 29 C I09/C 109M, 25 (GGBF), 14, 21-23, 30, 104
INDEX 129

C 989, 13, 22, 30, 79 uniformity, charging effects on, 61 Producer, term use in C 94/C 94M, 2
permeability, 22 uniformity, performance test, 61 Pump line, 38
Gypsum, 19 Mixing methods Pumping aids, 32
central-mixed concrete, 64-66 Purchase, basis of, 5-7
H shrink-mixed concrete, 64, 68 Purchaser
truck-mixed concrete, 64, 68-69 identified, 2
Hydration, heat of, 19, 20, 23 Mixing time, minimum, 66 rights, 1
Hydration, rate of, 19 Mixture proportions responsibility, 10-12, 14, 15
disclosure, 13, 16 material specification, 18
manufacturer responsibility for, 10-17 quality assurance testing, 17
purchaser responsibility for, 8-17 Purchasing method, concrete, 5
Mixture types mass, 5-6
Ice, measurement, 46
central-mixed concrete, 64-66
Inspection, 83, 92
shrink-mixed concrete, 64, 68 R
truck-mixed concrete, 64, 68-69
Moist cabinets and rooms Radiation shielding concrete, 24
C 511, 3, 99 aggregates for
Johnson, I. C., 18 Moisture content C 637, 24
see Water Referenced docmnents list, 3-4
K Mortar cubes, 25 Roll-a-meter test, 97
Mortar, unit weight, 112 C 173, 37, 85, 99
Kaolinite, 19, 29
Keywords, C 94/C 94M, 108 N S

L National Institute of Standards and Sampling, 66-67, 69-70, 92-98


Technology (NIST), Handbook 44 C 172, 3, 5, 6, 40, 67, 69, 76, 87, 92,
Lime, 28 on Weights and Measures, 53 93, 96, 99, i09
Limestone, 19 National Ready Mixed Concrete hand, 70
Lithium-based additives, 32 Association, 27, 57, 61, 68 integrity, 70
Load cell, 42, 49 blade wear, 63 procedure example, 67
Plant Certification program, 54, 55, representative, 93-94
M 61, 76, 83 truck mixed concrete tests, 60, 62
Nonagitating equipment, 65, 76-77 Sand, 27
Magnesium sulfate, 88 covers, 76 Scales
Manufacturer discharge gate, 76 accuracy, 43, 53-54
defined, 2 test requirements, 77 National Ready Mixed Concrete
responsibility, 1, 10-17 Non-chloride accelerators, 47 Association program, 55
information statement for Notes and footnotes, use in C 94/C 94M, calibration, test weights, 54
purchaser, 13 2 hoppers, 44
teITn use, 2 indicators, 54
Mass, 10-I1, 13, 16 O preventive maintenance, 54
aggregate, 81 sensitivity, 54
determining, 5-7, 41-45, 52, 60 Ordering information, 8-17 Scaling, 8
determining, admixtures, 46-47 manufacturer responsibility, 10-17 C 672/C 672M, 27
determining, aggregates, 44-45 purchaser responsibility, 8-17 Scope, C 94, 1-2
mass per unit volume Shrinkage-compensating expansive
C 138/C 138M, 5, 6, 7, 11, 37, 83, P cements, 32
85, 94, 99, 109, 110 Sieve analysis, 16
mix methods and, 64 Pavements, 19 Silica fume, 79
Measurement units used, 2 Performance aspects, hydraulic cement C 1240, 13, 30
Metakaolin, 29-30 C 1157, 23 Silt, 27
Mixers, 56-63 Plant inspection, 83 Slab on grade variation, effects of, 7
blade wear, 62, 63 access, 83 Slabs, interior, 1914, 21-23, 30, 104
buildup, 63 National Ready Mixed Concrete Slag, 14, 21-22, 104
central-mixed concrete, 64 Association Plant Certification batch/delivery ticket information, 79
described, 56 Checklist, 83 C 989, 13, 22, 30, 79
discharge drums, 56 sampling by inspector, 83 Slump, 31, 32, 70-71, 96-98
discharge rate, 69 Polymer modifiers, 32 C 143/C 143M, 3, 8, 33, 87, 94, 99
drum revolution, 71 Polypropylene standard deviation, 34
recording, 59-60 C 1116, 32 control, water management for, 34
inspection, 62 admixture, 46 flow, 33
National Ready Mixed Concrete Portland cement heat effects on, 74
Association, 57 see Cement, portland nominal, 35
mixing time, minimum, 66 Portland Cement Association responsibility, 36, 39
performance tests, 66, 67 Design and Control of Concrete temperature effects on, 35
placard information, 56-60 Mixtures, 73 tests, 61, 76-77, 95, 111
drum capacity, 56-57, 60 U.S. and Canadian Portland Cement tolerances in, 33-36
drum volume, 56-57, 59, 60 Industry Plant Summary, 21 measurement of, 8
mixing speed, 56-57 Potassium oxide, 19 Slurry, 27
sampling, 60, 61, 66 Powdered admixtures, measuring, 46 recycled, batch/delivery ticket
stationary, 56, 64 Pozzolans, 13, 22 information, 80
capacity, 56 batch/delivery ticket information, 79 wash water and, 28
central mixing, 56, 66 C 618, 13, 22, 28 Sodium sulfate, 88
speed, 56 Class "N", 29 Specific gravity, 16
types, 65 rice-husk ash, 30 Specification, defined, 1
Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau, Precision and bias statements Specimens
57 C 670, I00 C 31/C 31M, 3, 67, 84, 99, 113
130 U S E R ' S G U I D E TO A S T M S P E C I F I C A T I O N C 94 O N R E A D Y - M I X E D C O N C R E T E

C 42/C 42M, 102 T W


cores, 102
ACI 214.4R-03, 102 Temperature considerations, 95 Water
cylinders, 12, 14, 84, 90, 99, 101-102, C 1064/C 1064M, 87-88, 94, 99 additions, job site, 35, 71, 97
113 cold weather, 72-73 batch/delivery ticket information, 78,
flexural strength (beams), 99, 101 delivery, 72-75 79, 80
mortar cubes, 25 batch mixing, 25, 27, 45, 70
freezing and thawing, 7-10, 21, 24, 37
Standard deviation, 103-104 C 511, 99
variables, 104 hot weather, 73-74
Terminology chlorides, 26
Standard test weights, 53-54
C 125, 13, 25 computation, 15
Standards, 53
C 219, 18 content, 15, 16
see ASTM standards
see also specific groups Testing laboratory requirements durability and, 71
Steel fibers C 1077, 88 measurement, added, 54
A 820, 32 Thawing and freezing resistance, 8-10, calibrated tanks, 54
C 1116, 32 24 devices for, 54
Strength, 99-105 Time of set, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, 46, 74 meters, turbine, 45
applied, 101 accelerating, 74 pressures, 54
C 31/C31M, 99 C 191, 25 quality, 25
changes with entrained air, 9 weather effects on, 72-75 AASHTO T 26, 26
compressive, 9, 11-12, 16, 102, 113 Transportation unit, 38 acceptance criteria, 25
overdesign, 104 Tricalcium aluminate, 20 reducers, 32
overdesign safety factor, 105 Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau, 57, C 494/C 494M, 31-32
design, 12 113 C 1017, 31-32
estimated, ACI 228.1R-95, 102 Turbine water meters, 45 storage tanks, C 5 l l , 3, 99
field, 12 calibration, 45 use of hot, 73
high early strength cement, 20 wash water, 25-28, 45, 46
minimum cement content, relation U clarified, 27
with, 16 Weather
requirements, failure to meet, 106-107 cold weather, 72-73
arbitration, 106 Uniform Arbitration Act, 107 ACI 306R, 72
slump, relation with, 33 Uniformity, 66, 110 C 1064/C 1064M, 87-88, 94, 99
test result evaluation batch variation determination, 109 calcium chloride use, 47
ACI 214R, 100 sampling procedure, 67 cold weather protection, 20
tests, 14, 90, 95 shrink-mixed concrete, 68 delivery, 72-75
Structural concrete truck-mixed concrete, 60-61, 68-69 freezing and thawing, 7-10, 21, 24, 37
ACI 211.1, 8, 9, 12, 16, 24 U.S. and Canadian Portland Cement hot weather, 73-74
exposure definitions, 8-9 Industry Plant Summary, 21 ACI 305R, 74
Structural lightweight concrete, 10 U.S. Geological Survey, 21 Weigh batchers, 44
C 567, I0-11 Weigh hoppers, 51-53
Sulfate ion test V vibrator, 52
D 516, 26 Workability, 70
Sulfate resistant cement, 20-22
C 88, 24 Variance, 103-104
C 1157, 23 Vicat needle, 25 Y
Supplementary cementitious materials Voids, 9
(SCM), 13-15, 28, 41, 46, 49, 74 Volume, concrete purchasing method, 5 Yield, concrete, determination of, 6-7
C 1240, 13, 30 changes, 7 C 138/C 138M, 83, 85
Supplier, term use in C 94/C 94M, 2 mass to determine, 5-6 relative, calculations, 6-7

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