A Study on the Minimum Paste Volume in the Design of Concrete Mixture

Abstract

Optimization of concrete mixing system is very important for the production of quality mixture of concrete and requires very complicated, specialized knowledge as there are a variety of variables that influence the result. One of the methods of optimizing the concrete mixing system is to minimize the volume of cement paste which, in turn, means maximizing the volume of aggregate. The purpose of this study is to determine the minimum volume of cement paste used in the design of concrete mixture and to design the optimum concrete mixing system based on the fluidity of mortar and concrete. In determining the minimum volume of cement paste, experiments of mortar and concrete were performed based on their workability, material segregation and bleeding. Type of aggregate, granularity distribution and sand percentage were used as test parameters and measurements were taken of the distribution of granularity, usage of HRWRA, minimum volume of paste and drying shrinkage and compressive strength of concrete.