1
ACI MATERIALS JOURNAL
Title no. 87-M38
Alternative Method to Measure Air Content in Fresh
by Kamal H. Khayat, K. W. Nasser, and Weston T. Hester
The correlations of air content measurements obtained with a new air
meter, called the mini air meter, and two other ASTM standard air
meters were examined to establish the reliability of the new appara-
tus. The mini air meter uses the volumetric principle to determine the
air content of fresh concrete. It weighs 8 lb (3.63 kg) and requires a
concrete sample approximately 1I 11 and 1128 the size of that needed
by the conventional roller and pressure meters, respectively. The lab-
oratory work involved testing the air content of 21 concrete mixtures
using the mini, roller, and pressure air meters. Both ¥a and 1 in. (9.5
and 25.4 mm) nominal size aggregates were used to make normal-
weight and lightweight concretes. The water-cementitious materials
ratios of the mixes ranged between 0.22 and 0.51. The cement con-
tent varied from 450 to 910 lb/yd' (267 to 540 kglm'), with silica
fume added to some mixes. All mixes incorporated superplasticizers,
and air-entraining agents were also added to yield air content be-
tween 1.25 and 12.5 percent.
Results indicate that the mini air meter exhibits excellent linear
correlations with the other standard tests and provides a quick means
to monitor air content. For the materials employed in this investiga-
tion, the accuracy of air volume measurements recorded using the
mini air meter does not seem to be influenced by the density of the
aggregate, nominal size of the aggregate, cement content, water-to-
cementitious materials ratio, or the presence of additives.
Keywords: air entraining agents; air entrainment; air meters; fresh concretes;
measuring instruments; plasticizers.
Air is entrapped naturally in fresh concrete and fre-
quently is entrained to enhance the workability and co-
hesiveness of fresh concrete. The presence of a well-
dispersed air system can enhance the resistance of
hardened concrete to destructive cycles of freezing and
thawing, and to damage resulting from exposure to
seawater and deicing salts. Most specifications call for
a total air content of 4 to 7 percent. However, an ex-
cessive air volume can sharply reduce the strength of
the concrete, especially in rich mixes. The actual air
content during placement may be considerably lower
than that initially intended, depending on the duration
of agitation and handling of the fresh concrete, its
temperature, and its fluidity. Therefore, the air content
should be monitored at the job site before accepting
and placing the fresh concrete to maintain effective
control over its quality and insure the desired proper-
ties of air entrainment in hardened concrete.
ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990
TECHNICAL PAPER
Concret~
Current ASTM and CSA specifications'·2 outline a
number of procedures for determining the air content
of freshly mixed concrete. One of the most frequently
used methods is the pressure method, ASTM C 231,
Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure
Method. This procedure consists of applying a prede-
termined air pressure over a constant column of water
that is poured in a tight chamber containing a 345.6 in. 3
(5663 ml) concrete sample. The pressure compresses air
bubbles in the concrete and causes a drop in the water
level at the neck of the device, which is calibrated to
read the total air volume. Since the applied pressure can
force water and air into aggregate voids, this method is
limited to concrete that contains relatively dense aggre-
gate. The results obtained with this method are sensi-
tive to the degree of aggregate saturation, magnitude of
the applied pressure, and changes in barometric pres-
sure. Therefore, the instrument needs to be calibrated
often to reflect the correct air content, especially when
low pressures are applied to detect large air volumes.
Another frequently used device is the volumetric air
meter, ASTM C 173, Air Content of Freshly Mixed
Concrete by the Volumetric Method, or the roller me-
ter. This test consists of pouring water over a concrete
sample, then sealing the chamber and agitating the wa-
ter to free the air from the fresh concrete. The inter-
mingling of the water and concrete washes the air out
of the mortar. The rising air causes a drop in the water
level at the tapered neck of the apparatus, which is cal-
ibrated to reflect air volume. This test does not cause
water to migrate into aggregate voids; therefore, it is
suitable for concrete made with either dense or porous
aggregates. This volumetric air meter requires a 130 in. 3
(2130 ml) sample, and when full, weighs approximately
38 lb (17 .2 kg). Considerable effort is therefore needed
ACI Materials Journal, V. 87, No.4, July-August 1990.
Received Oct. 31, 1988, and reviewed under Institute publication policies.
Copyright © 1990, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved, including
the making of copies unless permission is obtained from the copyright propri-
etors. Pertinent discussion will be published in the May-June 1991 ACI Mate-
rials Journal ifreceived by Feb. I, 1991.
355
 ACI member Kamal H. Khayat is a research civil engineer at the University of
California, Berkeley, where he received his BS, MS, MEng, and PhD degrees.
His research interests include underwater repair of damaged structures, high-
performance concretes and grouts, and new testing devices.
K. W. Nasser, FACI, is Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of
Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is a member of ACI
Committee 209, Creep and Shrinkage in Concrete. Prof. Nasser has been
awarded ACI's Wason Medal for research and the Province of Saskatchewan's
Engineering Achievement A ward. He holds several patents in concrete technol-
ogy and other fields.
ACI member Weston T. Hester is Professor of Civil Engineering at the Univer-
sity of California, Berkeley. Dr. Hester is a member of ACI Committee 363
High-Strength Concrete, and is actively involved in reserach and consulting ac-
tivities dealing with special concretes. He has a particular interest in concretes
which are placeable under adverse field conditions, and which require excellent
long-term performance.
to thoroughly remove the air from the tested concrete,
a particularly cumbersome procedure when the con-
crete is harsh or high in viscosity.
The gravimetric method, ASTM C 138, Unit Weight,
Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete, can
also be used to determine the air content of fresh con-
crete. The air volume is computed as the difference be-
tween the hatched weight of air-free concrete and the
measured unit weight, divided by the hatched weight of
air-free concrete. However, for this method to yield the
correct void content, it is imperative to know both the
moisture contents of the aggregates and the exact
weight and bulk specific gravity of all hatched mate-
rials. While these parameters may be accurately mea-
sured in laboratories, they are not normally known in
the field. As a result, the gravimetric method is not
commonly used for determining air content of fresh
concrete at a job site.
A new volumetric air meter, called the mini air me-
ter, has been proposed by Nasser. 3 The apparatus is
portable and uses a small sample size of 12.2 in. 3 (200
ml), which is approximately 1128 and 1111 the amount
Fig. 1-Pressure, roller, and mint air meters
i 356
of concrete required for the pressure and roller air me-
ters, respectively. The device is easy to operate and re-
quires minimum training. Approximately 5 to 10 min
are needed to complete the test and clean the appara-
tus, compared to the 10 to 15 and 10 to 20 min periods
required with the pressure and roller air meters, respec-
tively.
RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
The air content of freshly mixed concrete is sensitive
to several parameters, including the workability and
cohesiveness of the concrete, presence of admixtures,
temperature, and mixing duration. To insure the bene-
ficial effects attributed to air entrainment, it is impor-
tant to determine the air content accurately. The object
of this research was to compare air measurements ob-
tained with the mini air meter to those recorded by the
conventional pressure and roller meters. The sensitivity
of the new device in measuring air contents of several
concretes made with different aggregate types and
densities, cement contents, and various admixtures was
established and compared to those obtained with other
standard air meters. Results compiled in this investiga-
tion suggest that the mini air meter is a reliable device
for measuring the air content of fresh concrete.
MINI AIR METER
Fig. 1 shows the pressure, roller, and mini air meters
that were employed in this investigation. As illustrated
in Fig. 2, the mini air meter consists of four compo-
nents: a smaller inner bowl, a larger diameter outer
tare, a tapered top section, and a screw-on cap. The
device is about 13.5 in. (343 mm) in height. It has a
maximum outside diameter of 4.5 in. (114 mm), and
weighs approximately 8 lb (3.63 kg). A 12.2 in. 3 (200
ml) concrete sample is placed in the inner bowl, which
is then positioned inside the larger outer tare, thus
eliminating the need to thoroughly clean the flange of
the bottom section to secure a tight seal. A complete set
of operational instructions for using the mini air meter
is summarized in Table 1. The reproducibility of air
Fig. 2-Four components of the mini air meter
ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990
 measurements using this device was checked by mea- Table 1 - Procedure for using the mini air meter

r
I
suring the air volume of a concrete mix made with a
water-cement ratio of 0.60 and an aggregate-cement ra-
tio of 7 .0. 4 The performance of the new device was
1.

compared to that of a standard pressure meter. The
standard deviation and coefficient of variation of 16
different measurements taken from 16 reproduced
mixes were 0.5 and 10.5, respectively, using the mini air
meter, and 0.32 and 7.0 using the pressure meter.
EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
An experimental research program was undertaken at
j the University of California to evaluate the effects of
i aggregate size and porosity, content of cementitious
materials, and presence of admixtures on measuring the
air volume of fresh concrete using the mini air meter.
The performance of the new device was also compared
to other conventional devices. A wide range of mate-
rials and mix proportions were adopted; they included
the following parameters.
Aggregates
Two rounded gravels with maximum-size aggregate
(MSA) of % and 1 in. (9.5 and 25.4 mm) were used for
making normal-density concretes. An expanded-shale
aggregate of %-in. (9.5 mm) MSA was used for casting
lightweight concretes. All mixes contained natural river
sand for the fine aggregate. The aggregate gradations
are plotted in Fig. 3.
Water-cementitious materials ratios (w/cm)
The w/em of normal weight concretes were chosen to
be 0.22, 0.33, and 0.50 to test the performance of very
high, moderate, and conventional strength concretes,
2.
Fill the inner bowl with freshly mixed concrete in two layers
of equal depth. Rod each layer 10 times with tapping rod at-
tached to the lid, and tap sides lightly.
Strike off the surface flush with the top of the bowl. Fill half
of the outer tare with water and place the inner bowl inside
it.
3. Align the notches located on the flange of the top tapered
section with the pins protruding from the bottom tare edges.
Rotate the top section clockwise to insure a tight closure.
4. Fill the chamber with water. About 10 percent can be re-
placed with isopropyl alcohol.
5. Tighten the screw lid to seal the chamber, then invert and
shake the apparatus 10 times to agitate the concrete and wa-
ter and cause the air to be removed from the concrete by
washing action. The device should be rotated at the end of
each tip to facilitate mixing.
6. Set the apparatus in the upright position and allow one min-
ute for the air to bleed to the top.
7. Remove top cap and insert a slender nail down the tapered
section to clear any clogging.
8. Using a well-graduated syringe, fill the apparatus with iso-
propyl alcohol to dispel the foamy mass from the water sur-
face. Cover the top with a plastic cap to avoid evaporation
and allow one minute for air bubbles to continue rising to
the top. Add more alcohol if needed to completely fill the
chamber.
9. Record the volume of the added alcohol milliliter to the
nearest 0.5 mi., V
Air content, percent = [(V- 6)/200) · 100 = (V- 6)/2
where 200 ml = sample volume and 6 ml = volume dis-
placed by the rod.
10. Whenever a large volume of air is expected in cohesive con-
crete, it is advisable to add more alcohol and agitate the
concrete until no significant changes can be detected. The fi-
nal air content should then be calculated as
Air content, percent = [V- (6 · T)] I 2
where T= number of test repetitions.
11. If the concrete mix contains aggregates larger than 1 in. (25.4
mm), wet-sieve the concrete as outlined in Section 4 of
ASTM C 172 to remove these large particles.

Q
LLI 80
z
Ci
1-
LLI
a: 60
fl.
LLI
> 40
i=
cr
..J
::;) PEA GRAVEL
::::&
::;) 20
0

"1" 3/4 1/2 3/8 1/4 #4 #8 #16 #30 #50 #1 00 #200

SIEVE OPENING

Fig. 3-Aggregate gradation

ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990 357
respectively. All lightweight mixes had wlcm of 0.29.
These wI em. exclude water portions present in liquid
admixtures; the actual w/cm which account for the ex-
tra water present in liquid admixtures are included in
Table 2.
Cementitlous materials
An. ASTM C 150 Type 1111 portland cement was
used. The cement content ranged between 450 to 910
lb/yd3 (267 to 540 kg/m3). All mixes with wlcm of 0.22
incorporated silica fume added in a powder form as 7
percent of the cement weight.
Admixtures
All mixes incorporated moderate-to-high dosage rates
of melamine-based superplasticizers (H-RWR). Vinsol
resin air-entraining agents were also added to yield air
contents that varied from 1.5 to 12;5 percent. An anti-
washout admixture and a de-airing admixture were also
used with some high-viscosity mixes.
A total of 21 concretes was cast. Four mixes con-
tained lightweight aggregate, while 13 others were made
with normal-density aggregate with ~ in. (9.5 mm)
MSA. The rest of the mixes used a 1 in. (25.4 mm)
nominal-size dense aggregate. A K-slump tester4 was
employed to monitor the initial workability. The tester
yielded two values: K-mobility (Km) and K-cohesiveness
(Kc), which reflect the mobility and cohesiveness of the
mortar. These measurements are recorded in centime-
ters. Their sum (K-sum or K-slump) closely corre-
sponds to the conventional slump value in inches. The
air contents of normal-weight concretes were measured
using the pressure, roller, and mini air meters. How-·
ever, only the roller and mini air meters were employed
to monitor the air content of lightweight concretes. The
top section of the pressure meter was calibrated to read
air contents up to 7.5 percent at 15 psi (0.103 MPa)
pressure. Whenever the volume of air exceeded 7.5 per-
cent, a lower pressure value of 10 or 5 psi (0.069 or
0.035 MPa) was applied, and the drop in water level
was multiplied by a correction factor to estimate the
actual air content.
All mixes were prepared as 0.5 ft 3 (0.014 m3) batches
and were mixed in a 1 ft 3 (0.028 m 3) capacity pan mixer.

Table 2(a) - Mix proportions and test results

Mix designation P-8 P-9 P-10 P-11 P-12 P-13 P4 P-5 P-6 P-7
Cement, lb/yd' 450 450 445 460 426 476 645 650 657 652
Silica fume, OJo cement 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
w/cm 0.49 0.49 0.49 0.49 o.s 0.51 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33
Actual w/cm o.s 0.496 0.495 0.497 0.51 0.526 0.34 0.336 0.336 0.336
Sand, Ib/yd' 1546 1485 1428 1440 1405 1572 1396 1350 1326 1278
Coarse aggregate lb/yd' 1838 1766 1700 1712 1670 1869 1875 1813 1780 1715
Superplasticizer, oz/ 100#CM 30 20 20 20 40 so 30 20 20 20
Air-entraining agent, oz/100#CM 0 0.75 1.25 o:9 0 0 0 0.75 1.25 1.6
Anti-washout admixture, OJo CM 0 0 0 0 0.35 0.35 0 0 0 0
De-airing admixture, OJo CM 0 0 0 0 0 0.15 0 0 0 0
Sand/aggregate volume, OJo 46 46 46 46 46 46 43 43 43 43
Aggregate/cement weight 7.53 7.21 7.05 6.86 7.22 7.22 5.07 4.87 4.73 4.59
K., 2.5 1.5 3.5 4.75 1.25 1.5 1.25 l.S 2 4
K, 2.5 1.75 3 3 2 1 l.S l.S 2.25 3
K-sum, K-slump s 3.25 6.5 7.75 3.25 2.5 2.75 3 4.25 7
Unit weight, lb/ft' 150.5 145.5 140.5 142.3 138.1 154.8 153.4 149.5 147.8 143.3
OJo air - pressure meter 2 s 11.75 8.75 12.5 4.25 2 4.25 6.25 8.5
OJo air - roller meter 2.5 5.25 8.5 7.25 10.25 4.25 1.75 4 5.75 8.25
OJo air - mini meter 2.5 4.75 9.5 7 10.5 4 2 4.75 6.25 8.5
w/cm = water/cementitious materials ratio; K., = K-mobility, from K-tester; K, = K-cohesiveness, from K-tester K-sum = K .. +K,.
1lb/yd' = 0.593 kg/m'; 1lb/ft' = 16.018 kg/m'; 1 oz = 29.574 ml; 1 lb = 0.454 kg.

Table 2(b) - Mix proportions and test results

Mix designation P-1 P-2 P-3 C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 L-1 L-2 L-3 L-4
Cement, lb/yd' 838 850 848 653 657 658 661 910 901 888 881
Silica fume, OJo cement 7 7 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
wlcm 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.29 0.29 0.29 0.29
Actual w/cm 0.234 0.233 0.233 0.34 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.296 0.296 0.296 0.296
Sand, lb/yd' 1194 1176 1139 1406 1362 1326 1293 1443 1430 1408 1397
Coarse aggregate, lb/yd' 1891 1864 1805 1888 1829 1780 1736 719 711 701 696
oz/100#CM 42 40 40 29.5 20 20 18 19 19 19 19
Air-entraining agent, oz/
100#CM 0 0.5 1.5 0 0.75 1.25 l.S 0 0.5 0.8 1.25
Sand/aggrega~evolume, OJo 39 39 39 43 43 43 43 51 51 51 51
Aggregate/cement weight 3.44 3.34 3.24 s.os 4.86 4.72 4.58 2.37 2.37 2.37 2.37
K .. 3 5 8 3.5 9.25 11 7 2 3 2 4.5
K, 2.25 l.S 3 2.5 3.5 3 3.5 2 3 2.5 4.5
K-sum, K-slump 5.25 6.5 11 6 12.75 14 10.5 4 6 4.5 9
Unit weight, lb/ft' 1SS.S 154.7 150.9 154.6 150.9 147.8 145 123.9 122.8 121 120
OJo air - pressure meter
OJo air - roller meter
2
1.75
2.5
2.25
4.75
4.5
1.25
l.S 5.5
4.2
3.75
6 -
2.5
9
3.75
7.5
- -
5.25
-
8.25
OJo air - mini meter 2 2.5 4.75 l.S 5.5 4 2.5 84.25 6 8.5
w/cm = water/cementitious materials ratio; K,. = K-mobility, from K-tester; K, = K-cohesiveness, from K-tester; K-sum = K,.+K,.
1lb/yd' = 0.593 kg/m'; 1 lb/ft' = 16.018 kg/m'; 1 oz = 29.574 ml; 1 lb = 0.454 kg.

358 ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990

 All mixing and air volume measurements were carried
out in a moist environment of 73 ± 3 F (23 ± 2 C)
temperature. Each test was conducted by the same in-
dividual to minimize operator-related errors. Concrete
mix proportions and test results are summarized in Ta-
ble 2.
l
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Linear regression analysis was used to correlate air
volume measurements recorded with the different air
meters. Fig. 4 compares the results of the mini air me-
ter to those recorded by the other standard devices for
17 normal-density concretes. Four of the concretes had
1 in. (25.4 mm) MSA, and the remaining 13 had Vs in.
(9.5 mm) MSA. The analysis indicates a linear relation-
ship between the measurements of the mini and roller
air meters. The correlation coefficient was 0.991, with
a linear expression as follows
M = 1.03 R (1)
where M and R are the percentages of air content re-
corded using the mini and roller meters, respectively.
Fig. 4 also shows a best-fit line between the air mea-
surements obtained by the pressure and mini air me-
ters. Unlike the mini-roller relationship [Eq. (1)], the
mini-pressure linear estimate is not parallel to the 45
deg line, which designates a 1: 1 correlation between all
measurements from different devices. The deviation
from that line was especially large when the air content
was greater than 7.5 percent. These high values were
estimated by exerting lower pressures, then multiplying
the readings by correction factors. However, these fac-
tors seemed to exaggerate the actual air content and
render the pressure meter unreliable for accurately
measuring air volumes in excess of 7.5 percent, unless
the device is calibrated frequently.
13
•
A
PRESSURE METER
ROLLER METER
11
a: NORMAL WEIGHT
LIJ
1- CONCRETE
LIJ 9
:::E
z
:E 7
a:
< 5
0~
3 5
% AIR • OTHER METERS
Fig. 4-Comparison of air measurements for normal weight concretes
ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990
Fig. 5 presents test results for all 21 concretes, in-
cluding the lightweight mixes. As expected, a good
pressure-mini relationship was obtained by ignoring
pressure air meter readings greater than 7.5 percent.
The mini-pressure line fitted through the remaining
points can be expressed as
M = 0.91 P + 0.34 (2)
where P is the percentage of air content estimated us-
ing the pressure method. This line has a correlation
coefficient of 0.986. The best-fit line relating the roller
and mini air measurements for all 21 normal-weight
and lightweight concretes was found to be virtually the
same as that obtained with concretes containing nor-
mal-density aggregate [Eq. (1)]. The mini-roller rela-
tionship for all tested concretes has a correlation coef-
ficient of 0.991 and can be written as follows
M = 1.03 R (3)
The standard errors for predicting the value of M
from the linear relationships 1 and 2, using actual R
and P measurements, were computed to be 0.27 per-
cent and 0.36 percent, respectively. The 95 percent
confidence limits of these estimates were found to be
within ± 0.25 and ± 0.50 percent for Eq. (1) and
within ± 0.10 and ± 0.50 percent for Eq. (2).
Fig. 6 shows three graphs that were fitted through
points relating the average of air content values that
were recorded by all three air meters versus individual
measurements from each device. All air apparatuses
yielded measurements that corresponded very well to
the mean air volumes with best-fit lines close and nearly
parallel to the 45 deg line. These equations are as fol-
lows
M= 1.03 R
CORR. = 0.991
M = 0.80P+ 0.72
CORR. = 0.988
7 9 11 13
359
 13
•.. PRESSURE METER ,,'
M=1.03R
11
ROLLER METER
CORR. = 0.991
,,,,,''
,,
a: ALL TESTS
w 9
tij
::::&
z
------------
7
i
a: 5 M= 0.91 P+0.34
cc CORR. = 0.986
'#.
3

1
1 3 5 7 9 11 13
% AIR • OTHER METERS

Fig. 5-Comparison of air measurements for all tested concretes

13
t/)
a: •.. PRESSURE METER
ROLLER METER
AVO.= 0.98 M- 0.13
w 11 CORR. = 0.998
1- a MINI METER
w
::::&
w 9
w
a: AVO. = 1.02 R + 0.01
::c
1- CORR. = 0.997
u.. 7
0 AVO.= 0.94 P + 0.16
ci CORR. = 0.996
>
c
5

a: 3
cc
'#.
3 5 7 9 11 13
% AIR • INDIVIDUAL METER

Fig. 6-Comparison of averager0ir volumes to individual results for all tested con-
cretes

avg = 0.94 P + 0.16 (4) spectively. The average discrepancy between the calcu-
lated mean air content and each of the pressure, roller,
and mini air meter measurements were -0.05, 0.15,
avg = 1.02 R + 0.01 (5) and -0.10 percent, respectively.
It is especially interesting to determine the precision
avg = 0.98 M- 0.13 (6) of each device in measuring the air content of concretes
containing various amounts of mixing water and ce-
mentitious materials. Results obtained with the mini air
where avg is the calculated average air volume, ex- meter were compared to those recorded by the other
pressed in percent. These three linear equations have standard devices for conventional concrete (average
correlation coefficients of 0.996, 0.997, and 0.998, re- wlcm = 0.50), moderate-strength concrete (wlcm =
360 ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990

3 5
% AIR - PRESSURE METER
Fig. 7-Comparison of mini and pressure meters for
various normal weight concretes
0.33), and very high-strength mixes (w/cm = 0.22),
Mixes P-1 through P-13. The results relating air con-
tents measured using the mini air meter and the pres-
sure and roller meters are plotted in Fig. 7 and 8. The
new air meter and each of the other two meters yielded
similar air contents when testing concretes made with
wlcm of 0.22 and 0.33. Air-volume measurements as-
sociated with concretes made with 0.50 wlcm were
slightly offset from the equality line. However, the
maximum deviation from equality was limited to 0.5
percent, which is within the precision limits established
for the new air meter. 4 As shown in Fig. 7, slightly
lower air contents were recorded using the mini air me-
ter than with the pressure meter for 0.5 wlcm concretes
containing moderate air volumes. The two mixes show-
ing this trend had low consistency levels; therefore, it is
possible that some of the air was trapped within the
mortar, which was not the case when the pressure me-
ter was used. It is thus advisable to increase the agita-
tion effort of the mini device whenever concrete is co-
hesive, and to continue monitoring the air volume until
no significant increase in air volume can be detected.
Unit-weight measurements of freshly mixed con-
crete, which are necessary for calculating yields, can
also be used to approximate air content. For the mate-
rials used in this research program, linear equations re-
lating unit weights of fresh concretes to air volume
measurements made with the mini and roller air meters
can be written as
M = -0.48 W + 75.91 (7)
R = -0.46 W + 73.74 (8)
where W is the unit weight of fresh concrete expressed
as lb/yd3 (1 lb/yd 3 = 0.593 kg/m3). The correlation
coefficients of these equations are 0.932 and 0.941, re-
spectively. These two linear equations are based on 17
normal-weight concretes used in this research and do
not apply to lightweight mixes. Second-order polynom-
ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990
a:
w
Iii
::&
z
iii
EQUALITY LINE
5 7 9 11
% AIR • ROLLER METER
Fig. 8-Comparison of mini and roller meters for var-
ious normal weight concretes
ial equations can be used instead of these linear equa-
tions. The polynomial equations relating measured air
volume by the mini and roller methods to unit weights
have correlation coefficients of 0.935 and 0.944, in-
stead of the 0.932 and 0.941 values associated with the
linear equations. The difference in predicted air vol-
ume between the linear and polynomial equations seems
too small to justify the use of the latter in the field.
Therefore, whenever one of these volumetric air meters
is employed to monitor air content of normal-density
concrete, and the unit weight of the concrete is mea-
sured, Eq. (7) or (8) can be used to double-check the
tested air content.
CONCLUSIONS
The accuracy of the new mini air meter was deter-
mined by comparing measurements taken by it to those
obtained by standard pressure and volumetric air me-
ters. Both normal-weight and lightweight concretes
containing ¥s and 1 in. (9.5 and 25.4 mm) nominal-size
aggregates were used in this investigation. All mixes in-
corporated superplasticizers, and some included other
additives such as air-entraining agents, silica fume, anti-
washout admixtures, and de-airing additives. For the
type of materials used in this experimental program, the
following conclusions can be drawn:
1. A very close correlation can be derived between air
content measurements obtained with the mini air meter
M and the roller meter R, for both normal-weight and
lightweight concretes. The relationship relating the two
values can be expressed as
M = 1.03 R
2. Another close relationship was found between air
measurements made using the mini and pressure air
meters. This equation can be written as
M = 0.91 P + 0.34 .
361
The M-P expression is only applicable when dense ag-
gregates are employed and when the actual air volume
does not exceed 7.5 percent.
3. Based on all tests performed, excluding pressure-
meter measurements in excess of 7.5 percent, the aver-
age spreads between the calculated mean air contents
and ~he individual results recorded by the pressure,
roller, and mini air meters were -0.05, 0.15, and
-0.10 percent, respectively.
4. The unit weight of fresh concrete W can be uti-
lized to verify the measured air volume obtained by
either the mini or roller air meters. The equations relat-
ing these values are
M = -0.48 W + 75.9
R = -0.46 W + 73.7
362
5. Despite the small sample size it requires, the new
mini air meter yields air measurements that are in
agreement with other standard air meters, regardless of
the concrete's wlcm, size, or porosity of the coarse ag-
gregate used, or the consistency of the fresh concrete.
The apparatus is compact and easy to operate and can
be effectively used for monitoring the air content of
freshly mixed concrete in the field.
REFERENCES
1. 1987 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, V. 04.02, Concrete and
Mineral Aggregates, ASTM, Philadelphia, 986 pp.
2. "Methods of Test for Concrete," (CAN3-A23.2-M77), Cana-
dian Standards Association, Rexdale, 1977.
3. Nasser, K. W., and Whaley, B. D., "Mini Air Meter for Fresh
Concrete," Concrete International: Design & Construction, V. 10,
No.3, Mar. 1988, pp. 43-46.
4. Nasser, K. W., "New and Simple Tester for Slump of Con-
crete," ACI JOURNAL, Proceedings V. 73, No. 10, Oct. 1976, pp. 561-
565.
ACI Materials Journal I July-August 1990