COURSE WORK ON:

CONCRETE GRADE: IT’S MEANING,

SELECTION, STRENGTH AND USES IN
CONSTRUCTION
UNIVERSITY OF BENIN
BENIN CITY, EDO STATE

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

BY

OMOKHIBORIA JOSHUA OSEREMEN

MAT NO: PG/ENG0902249
OPTION: STRUCTURES AND TECHNOLOGY

COURSE TITLE: RCC/COMPOSITE DESIGN

(CVE 812)
COURSE LECTURER: ENGR DR. OKOVIDO

JULY, 2019
1.0 MEANING OF CONCRETE GRADE
Grade of concrete is defined as the minimum strength the concrete must possess

after 28 days of construction with proper quality control. Grade of concrete is

denoted by prefixing M to the desired strength in MPa. For example, for a grade of

concrete with 20 MPa strength, it will be denoted by M20, where M stands for

Mix. These grades of concrete are converted into various mix proportions. For

example, for M20 concrete, mix proportion will be 1:1.5:3 for cement:sand:coarse

aggregates.

1.1 SELECTION OF CONCRETE GRADE IN CONSTRUCTION

Grade of concrete construction is selected based on structural design requirements.

There are two types of concrete mixes, nominal mix and design mix. Nominal mix

concrete are concrete which are generally used for small scale construction and

small residential buildings where concrete consumption is not high. Nominal mix

takes care of factor of safety against various quality control problems generally

occurring during concrete construction.

Design mix concrete is those for which mix proportions are obtained from various

lab tests. Use of design mix concrete requires good quality control during material

selection, mixing, transportation and placement of concrete. This concrete offers

mix proportions based on locally available material and offers economy in

construction if large scale concrete construction is carried out. Thus, a large

concrete construction project uses design mix concrete. So, suitable grade of

concrete can be selected based on structural requirements. Nominal mixes for

grades of concrete such as M15, M20, M25 are generally used for small scale

construction. Large structures have high strength requirements, thus they go for

higher grades of concrete such as M30 and above. The mix proportions of these

concretes are based on mix design.

1.2 REGULAR GRADES OF CONCRETE AND THEIR USES

CONCRETE MIX CHARACTERISTIC COMPRESSIVE

GROUP
GRADE RATIO STRENGTH(N/mm2)
M5 1:5:10 5
M7.5 1:4:8 7.5
ORDINARY M10 1:3:6 10
CONCRETE M15 1:2:4 15
M20 1:1.5:3 20
M25 1:1:2 25
DESIGN
M30 30
MIX
DESIGN
M35 35
STANDARD MIX
CONCRETE DESIGN
M40 40
MIX
DESIGN
M45 45
MIX
DESIGN
M50 50
MIX
DESIGN
M55 55
MIX
HIGH DESIGN
M60 60
STRENGTH MIX
CONCRETE DESIGN
M65 65
MIX
DESIGN
M70 70
MIX
 C10

Used for: Patio slabs, pathways and non-structural work

Type: Domestic & commercial use

 C15

Used for: Pavement kerbs and floor blinding

Type: Domestic & Commercial

 C20

Used for: Domestic floors and foundations (where the weight of structure will be

lighter). Also good for workshop bases, garages, driveways and internal floor

slabs.

Type: Domestic

 C25

Used for: Construction in all areas. Multi-purpose concrete mix, usually used for

foundations.

Type: Domestic & Commercial

 C30

Used for: Pathways and roadways (this is the lowest grade concrete mix that can be

used for this purpose). More durable than the grades that have come before, and

thus is much more weather-resistant and can take heavy road traffic.

Type: Commercial

 C35

Used for: Commercial structures. This heavy concrete mix is usually used for

creating external walls and slabs, as well as for structural piling.

Type: Commercial

 C40

Used for: Commercial construction sites, creating foundations and beams for

structural support and roads. The most durable in this list, C40 can withstand

chemical corrosion also, so is frequently used on farms where slurry could corrode

structures, or in septic tanks.

Type: Commercial