Concrete Technology (Compiled by Er.

Girish
Deshmukh)…Writing
Thursday, October 13, 2016 11:11 PM

Types of Ready Mix Concrete Plants

Following are the different types of ready mix concrete plants and their mixing actions:

• Dry batch concrete plant

• Wet batch concrete plant
• Half-wet batch concrete plant
• Combination batch concrete plant

Fig.1: Ready Mix Concrete Batching Plant

1. Dry Batch Ready Mix Concrete Plants

This type of ready mix concrete plant produces uniform concrete mix through the mixing action of the truck mixer. The mixing
action is basically a twofold mechanism. Consider the complex movement of already well mixed plastic concrete in the drum.

At the beginning, neglect the blade action, then rotation of the drum and both concrete internal friction of the concrete and its
friction against drum inside surface make the concrete appears to move up the right-hand wall of the drum as shown in
Figure-2.

Fig.2: Cross Section of Track Mix Action

There are two factors which affect the height that the concrete can climb up before gravity surpasses it and make it to fall.
Firstly, drum surface linear velocity which based on its angular velocity and the inside diameter of the drum. Concrete falling
point is increased with increasing linear velocity. Secondly, concrete workability which its decline leads to rise concrete falling
point.

It is observed that, at speed of 22-27 rpm (normal speed is 10-14 rpm), the concrete spins full contact with the drum surface
hence concrete falling will no longer exist. This may lead to create problems because substantially efficient local mixing will be
lost if concrete falling point is avoided.

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Fig.3: Dry Batch Ready Mix Concrete Plant

2. Wet Batch Ready Mix Concrete Plants

There are various types of wet batch systems and the wet batch system is plant based mixer. This means that different
component of concrete mixture such as cement, aggregate, and water is mixed in the system.

Comparatively, the output of wet batch concrete plant is greater than dry batch concrete plant that is why it is frequently seen
as large plants. Moreover, the wet batch concrete plant is necessary in the case mortar production is required.

There are different mixers sizes that range from 0.8 m2 to 6 m2 and the largest mixer drum can adequately mix about 6
m2 plastic concrete in around forty five seconds.

Furthermore, there are several factors for example, required to output, predominant type of mixes supplied, plant geometry,
available space, initial and entire life expenses, upon which specific mixer is decided to be chosen.

Types of Wet Batch Mixer and its Mixing Action

Following are the available different types of wet batch mixers and its mixing action:

Rotating Drum Mixer

1. Rotating drum, freefall mixing action, none tilting.

2. Rotating drum, freefall mixing action, tilting.

Fixed Trough Mixers

1. Fixed mixing trough within which spiral blades revolve on horizontal shafts
2. Fixed mixing trough within which paddles rotate on twin horizontal shafts

Pan Mixers

1. Fixed horizontal pan in which mixing paddles travel around an annular channel
2. Fixed horizontal pan in which mixing paddles travel around an annular channel while revolving about their own axis
3. Fixed horizontal pan in which the mixing blades traverse the entire pan floor with a planetary motion
4. Fixed horizontal pan in which two sets of mixing paddles travel around an annular channel in opposite directions
5. Horizontal pan rotating beneath a stationary motor unit carrying paddles, the axes of rotation being non-coincident

Reversing Drum Mixers

1. System of fixed blades and shovels within a non-tilting rotating drum giving a combined freefall and compulsory mixing
action.

Continuous Mixers

1. Fixed trough mixer with twin rotating shafts and paddles angled at about 20° arranged to produce a continuous mixing
action
3. Half-Wet Batch Ready Mix Concrete Plants
Half wet system includes premixing of sand, cement, and water to make slurry, after that, the slurry and aggregate are

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 Half wet system includes premixing of sand, cement, and water to make slurry, after that, the slurry and aggregate are
added to the truck. Not only does the half-wet system decrease wear and tear on central mixer units but also substantially
decline the time of batching.

4. Combination Batch Ready Mix Concrete Plants

Both dry batch and wet batch system is combined in this type of batching plant, and most of concrete is mixed in dry leg
bur small mixers with 0.8-2 m3 is employed to deliver concrete to the customer.

Ready Mix Concrete-Batching, Mixing, Transporting, and Handling

Quality control of ready mix concrete is important as it has to be mixed and transported to different locations. Batching, mixing,
transportation and handling of ready mixed concrete is discussed.

While Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete Following Points is to be specified:

1. Coarse aggregate size

2. Slump
3. Air content
4. Basis for proportioning, select Options A ,B, or C.
Option A—performance based:
Purchaser specifies:
• Compressive strength
Concrete producer selects mix proportions.
Option B—prescription based:
Purchaser specifies mixture proportions including:
· Cement content
· Water content
· Admixture type and content
Option C—mixed option:
Purchaser specifies:
n Compressive strength
n Cement content
n Admixture type and content
Concrete producer selects mix proportions.
Batching

Fig. 1. Control room for batching equipment in a typical ready mixed concrete plant.
Stationary Mixing
• Stationary Mixers
• Onsite or Central Mix R/M plant
• Used for complete or shrink mixing
• Mixer Types ? up to 9m3
• Tilting or non-tilting drum
• Open top revolving blade or paddle
• Typical complete mixing times
• Minimum of 1 min. for up to 1 m3 or less mixer capacity plus 15 sec. for each additional m3 or fraction thereof
Ready Mixed Concrete
• Shrink-mixed concrete
• mixed partially in a stationary mixer and completed in a truck mixer
• Truck-mixed concrete
• mixed completely in a truck mixer

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• mixed completely in a truck mixer

Fig.2. Concrete can be mixed at the jobsite in a stationary mixer.

Ready Mixed Concrete
• Shrink-mixed concrete
• mixed partially in a stationary mixer and completed in a truck mixer
• Truck-mixed concrete
• mixed completely in a truck mixer

Fig. 3. Truck-mixed concrete is mixed completely in a truck mixer.

• Central-mixed concrete
• mixed completely in a stationary mixer
• delivered in
• a truck agitator
• a truck mixer operating at agitating speed
• a non-agitating truck

Fig. 4. Central mixing in a stationary mixer of the tilting drum type with delivery by a truck mixer operating at agitating speed.

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 Fig: 5. Ready Mix Plant

Truck Mixed Concrete

• 70 to 100 revolutions required for mixing,
Mixing speed = 6 to 18 rpm
• After mixing, drum revolves at agitating speed, 2 to 6 rpm
• Discharge before exceeding 300 drum revolutions
• Discharge before 1½ hours
Mobile Batcher Mixer
• Used for: Intermittent production of concrete at jobsite, or small quantities.
• Advantages: Combined materials transporter and batching and mixing system. One-man operation.
• Watch for: Good preventive maintenance program. Materials must be identical to those in original mix design.

Fig. 6. Mobile batcher measures materials by volume and continuously mixes concrete as the dry ingredients, water, and admixtures are fed into a mixing trough
at the rear of the vehicle.

Non-agitating Truck
• Used for: Transport concrete on short hauls over smooth roadways.
• Advantages: Cost of non-agitating equipment is lower than that of truck agitators or mixers.
• Watch for: Slump should be limited. Possibility of segregation. Height upon discharge is needed.

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 Fig 7. Non-agitating trucks are used with central-mix batch plants where short hauls and quick concrete discharge allows the rapid placement of large volumes of
concrete.
Agitator Trucks
• Used for: Transporting concrete for all uses. Haul distances must allow discharge of concrete within 1½ hours.
• Advantages: Operate usually from central mixing plants.
• Watch for: Timing of deliveries should suit job organization. Concrete crew and equipment must be ready onsite to handle concrete.

Fig .8. Truck agitators are also used with central-mix batch plants. Agitation mixing capabilities allow truck agitators to supply concrete to projects with slow
rates of concrete placement and at distances greater than non-agitating trucks.
Remixing Concrete
Water may be added at jobsite provided:
• Spec. w/c-ratio is not exceeded
• Measured slump less than specified
• Allowable mixing and agitating time (or drum revolutions) are not exceeded
• Concrete is remixed
• min. 30 rev. at mixing speed
• until uniformity is within limits
Transporting and Handling
Wheelbarrows and Buggies
• Used for: Short flat hauls on all types of onsite concrete construction.
• Advantages: Versatile—ideal inside and on jobsites with changing placing conditions.
• Watch for: Slow and labor intensive.

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 Fig. 9. Versatile power buggy can move all types of concrete over short distances.
Belt conveyor
• Used for: Conveying concrete horizontally or higher/lower level.
• Advantages: Adjustable reach, traveling diverter, variable speed.
• Watch for: End-discharge arrangements needed to prevent segregation and mortar on return belt. Belt cover needed in hot and windy weather.

Fig. 10. The conveyor belt is an efficient, portable method of handling concrete. A drop chute prevents concrete from segregating as it leaves the belt; a scraper
prevents loss of mortar. Conveyor belts can be operated in series and on extendable booms of hydraulic cranes.
Truck mounted conveyors
• Used for: Conveying concrete horizontally or higher/lower level.
• Advantages: Conveyer arrives with concrete. Adjustable reach and variable speed.
• Watch for: End-discharge arrangements needed to prevent segregation and mortar on return belt. Belt cover needed in hot and windy weather.

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 Fig. 11. A conveyor belt mounted on a truck mixer places concrete up to about 12 meters (40 feet) without the need for additional handling equipment.
Buckets
• Used with: Cranes, cableways, and helicopters.
• Advantages: Enables full versatility of cranes, cableways, and helicopters to be exploited. Clean discharge.
• Watch for: Select bucket capacity to conform to size of the concrete batch and capacity of placing equipment

Fig. 12. Concrete is easily lifted to its final location by bucket and crane.

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 Fig. 13. In comparison to conventional rear-discharge trucks, front-discharge truck mixers provide the driver with more mobility and control for direct discharge
into place.
Cranes and Buckets
• Used for: Work above ground level.
• Advantages: Can handle concrete, reinforcing steel, formwork, and sundry items.
• Watch for: Has only one hook. Careful scheduling between trades and operations is needed to keep crane busy

Fig. 14. The tower crane and bucket can easily handle concrete for tall-building construction.
Pumps
• Used for: Conveying concrete from central discharge point to formwork.
• Advantages: Pipelines take up little space and can be readily extended. Delivers concrete in continuous stream. Pump can move.
• Watch for: Constant supply of freshly-mixed concrete is needed without any tendency to segregate.

Fig.15. A truck-mounted pump and boom can conveniently move concrete vertically or horizontally to the desired location.
Flexible Hose at End of Pump’s Rigid Pipeline

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 Fig. 16. View of concrete discharging from flexible hose connected to rigid pipeline leading from the pump. Rigid pipe is used in pump booms and in pipelines to
move concrete over relatively long distances. Up to 8 m (25 ft) of flexible hose may be attached to the end of a rigid line to increase placement mobility.
Screw Spreaders
• Used for: Spreading concrete over large flat areas.
• Advantages: Concrete can be quickly spread over a wide area to a uniform depth.
• Watch for: They are normally used as part of a paving train. They should be used for spreading before vibration is applied.

Fig. 16. The screw spreader quickly spreads concrete over a wide area to a uniform depth. Screw spreaders are used primarily in pavement construction.
Work Above Ground Level

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Fig. 17. A pump boom mounted on a mast and located near the center of a structure can frequently reach all points of placement. It is especially applicable to tall
buildings where tower cranes cannot be tied up with placing concrete. Concrete is supplied to the boom through a pipeline from a ground-level pump. Concrete
can be pumped hundreds of meters (feet) vertically with these pumping methods.

Ready Mix Concrete Placement Methods for Concrete Construction

The placement methods of readymix concrete plays an important role as it affects the strength and durability of concrete structures. The time of delivery, quality
checks and time of placements affects the ready mix concrete.

Ready mix concrete is a concrete which is manufactured as per required mix ratio in batching plant,and then is transported to
construction site on continuously mixing trucks.

Ready Mix Concrete Placement Methods

Ready Mix Concrete placement methods include following basic principles:

1. When arriving to the site the concrete transport certificate must be checked for desired characteristics of ordered concrete
(quantity, class, maximum aggregate size, slump, temperature, type cement etc.) and time duration of transport.

2. Concrete shall be delivered to the site and discharged from the truck completely and in the forms ready for vibration within
1-1/2 hours after batching.

3. Concrete shall be placed in maximum 15 minutes after its arrival to the site, and the finishing of placement will take place
before the cement starts setting.

4. Concrete shall be stored / deposited as near as (physically and economically) possible to its final position, in crane hoisted
buckets, concrete pumps, chutes etc.

5. The receptacles used for the transport and deposition of concrete shall be cleaned and washed out at the end of each day’s
work and whenever concreting is interrupted for more than 30 minutes.

6. If the concrete, due to transport, is segregated. It should be mixed again on clean platforms, without adding water, if not
possible the batch should be refused.

7. As placing begins the consistency of the delivered concrete should be checked with a slump cone for conformance with
specifications and the required number of samples must be taken (1 sample = 3 specimens) according to the volume of concrete
placed.

8. Concrete shall be placed to prevent segregation. The concrete shall not be permitted to strike against forms and ricochet on
bars and form faces. The free fall of concrete should in no case exceed 1,5 m. For greater heights, as in walls or columns, metal
or rubber hoppers, chutes or flexible hoses must be lowered into the formwork to control the rate of fall of the concrete, if not
the concrete will flow rapidly entering the forms invariably resulting separation and honeycombing.

9. In some cases, when it may not be possible to use chutes inside the formwork, concrete may be deposited through openings
in the side of the form, known as cleanout windows. They provide an outside pocket from which the concrete can flow into the
form at a controlled rate, rather than allowing it to enter directly into the form at a high velocity.

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10. When concrete is dumped from a cart or wheelbarrow, there is a tendency for the heavier particles to separate from the
mass. To prevent this, the concrete should be discharged against a striking (baffle) board.

11. Concrete shall not be allowed or caused to flow horizontally or on a slope in the forms. Concrete placing on a slope shall
begin at the lower end of the slope and progress upward. If necessary, boards forming the sloping surfaces may be placed as
concreting progresses

11. When unloading concrete on the surface of a cast member, the direction deposition should be into the face of previously
placed concrete and not away from it.

12. Concrete shall be placed as nearly as possible in its final position. It should not be placed in large quantities in one position
or allowed to flow or be worked over more than 1,5 m. The mortar will tend to flow ahead of the coarser materials, thus causing
stone pockets and sloping work planes.

13. The concrete should be spread and deposited in horizontal uniform thick layers, according to the type of vibrating equipment
used (it should be usually between 200 – 400 mm thick).

14. Placing of concrete shall be so regulated that the pressures caused by the wet concrete shall not exceed those used in the
design of forms.

15. Concreting should be as continuous as possible to avoid planes of weakness. When the concrete placement stops do to
different reasons a construction joint will be made;

16. Efforts should be made to consolidate the concrete by using different means of vibration (manual or mechanical) according
to type of member, site possibilities, volume of works etc.

When fresh Ready Mix Concrete is to be placed on hardened concrete surface

1. It is important to secure a good bond and a watertight joint.

2. The hardened concrete shall be level, rough, clean, and moist. Some of the aggregate particles must be exposed by cutting
away part of the existing surface by sandblasting cleaning with hydrochloric acid, or by using a wire brush. Any laitance or soft
layer of mortar must be removed from the surface.

3. When concrete is to be placed on a hardened concrete surface a layer of mortar must be placed on the hard surface first. This
provides a cushion on which the new concrete can be placed and stops aggregate from bouncing on the hard surface and
forming stone pockets.

4. The mortar should be approximately 50 mm deep leveling concrete.

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4. The mortar should be approximately 50 mm deep leveling concrete.

5. The concrete shall be placed continuously from one side or end of the section to the other, using precaution to put the full
load upon any given area of form as rapidly as possible.

6. The rate of delivery of concrete to the work shall be such as to insure continuity of placement. No partially completed surface
shall be allowed to stand more than 45 minutes before continuing the placing of concrete thereon.

7. The mixing drums of transit-mix trucks shall be thoroughly washed after discharging each load to prevent the accumulation of
adherent layers of concrete.

8. Concreting of any unit or section of the work shall be carried out in one continuous operation or until an authorized
construction joint is reached.

EFFECT OF TRANSIT TIME ON READY MIX CONCRETE

Ready mix concrete is generally produced in large quantity and is transported to distant places for placement in structural elements. Sometimes the distance can be
in many kilometers or miles. So, the effect of this transit times can reduce the quality of concrete. Following are the various effects of transit times on Ready Mix
Concrete:

1. Loss of workability:

The concrete should always be laid in position without loss of time to avoid setting and stiffening of concrete to reduce its
workability. When the transit time is high, it will have effect on workability of concrete. This happens due to hydration reaction
taking place when cement mixes with water, evaporation of mixed water in concrete and due to absorption of water by
aggregates.

While the workability of concrete depends on many factors such as the constituent material, mixed proportion, ambient
temperature, humidity and method of transport etc., the reduction in workability may lead to difficulty in placement of concrete.
Thus, while planning for use of Ready Mixed Concrete, the aspect of loss of workability in the likely transit time involved should
be taken into account.

By measuring slump or compacting factor of concrete immediately after mixing at RMC plant and after transit time, loss of
workability may be estimated.

How to Prevent Reduction of Workability of Ready Mix Concrete:

In order to reduce rate of loss of workability generally water reducing agent / superplasticizer is used. Use of water reducing
agent/ admixtures should be permitted after testing their suitability in proposed concrete mix.

Dose of water reducing agent/ super plasticizer should be decided on trials. Excessive dose may lead to segregation. In addition,
there may be retardation also.

IS: 4926-2003 permits re-tempering i.e. addition of water / admixture in concrete at site to restore the workability, provided
requirement for uniformity, as specified in IS: 4926-2003, are met with. Uniformity requirement specify variation limits for

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requirement for uniformity, as specified in IS: 4926-2003, are met with. Uniformity requirement specify variation limits for
properties like air content, slump, compressive strength & density etc. At site, there is no way to judge whether specified
uniformity requirement are met or not.

Moreover, addition of water affects the strength and durability characteristic of concrete. Thus, it is advised that re-tempering
i.e. addition of water after mixing, should not be permitted at all either during transit or at the site of construction.

2. Setting of concrete:

When the transit time of ready mix concrete is high, the initial setting of concrete may take place. To avoid setting of concrete,
retarding admixtures can be used to prolong the setting of concrete. While permitting use of retarder, it should be ensured that
the suitability and dose of retarder is decided after conducting necessary trials. It may be noted that generally retarding effect of
retarder is smaller at higher temperature and sometimes few retarders seem to be in-effective at extremely high temperature.
Thus, it is desirable to keep the temperature of concrete as low as possible.

In addition, it is also important that a dose of retarding admixture is tested by conducting trials. Large quantity of admixture/
retarder may delay the setting of concrete adversely or may prevent the setting of concrete totally. Some ti me dosing of
admixture is done in stages to ensure desired workability. In such cases, admixture should be mixed at delivery site only.
Addition of admixture should not be permitted during transit.

3. Time period for delivery of concrete:

In order to control loss of workability and setting of concrete, the concrete should be delivered completely to the site of work
within one and half hours (when the atmospheric temperature is above 200C) and within two hours ( when the atmospheric
temperature is at or below 200C)of adding the mixing water to the dry mix of cement and aggregate or adding the cement to the
aggregate whichever is earlier.

Adequacy of the time period, required for delivery of concrete, should be checked. In case, location of site of construction is
such that this time period is inadequate, delivery time period should be increased and specified clearly duly keeping some
margin for hurdles in the way (i.e. level crossing/ check post/heavy traffic congestion locations etc).

Checking suitability of admixture:

As explained earlier, generally admixture like water reducing agents/ retarders are used in Ready Mixed Concrete for retention
of workability and to avoid setting of concrete. IS: 9103 “Specification for admixtures for Concrete” may be referred to judge the
suitability of admixtures.

According to it, the concrete mix should be prepared both with and without admixture using the same raw materials as proposed
to be used for the work. The later being treated as the reference or controlled concrete mix.

READY MIX CONCRETE – ADVANTAGES & LIMITATIONS

Ready mix concrete is a tailor-made concrete which improves durability and sustainability. Instead of purchasing the raw materials by individuals and

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 Ready mix concrete is a tailor-made concrete which improves durability and sustainability. Instead of purchasing the raw materials by individuals and
experimenting every time with handling and proportioning, it would be far better idea to entrust all these activities to some expert supplier who is having a
professional acumen.

Advantages of Ready Mixed Concrete:

1. Quality assured concrete:- Concrete is produced under controlled conditions using consistent quality of raw material.
2. High speed of construction- Speed of construction can be vary fast in case RMC is used.
3. Reduction in cement consumption by 10 – 12 % due to better handling and proper mixing. Further reduction is possible if
mineral admixtures or cementitious materials are used.
4. Versatility in uses and methods of placing: The mix design of the concrete can be tailor made to suit the placing methods of
the contractor.
5. Since ready mixed concrete (RMC) uses bulk cement instead of bagged cement, dust pollution will be reduced and cement will
be saved.
6. Conservation of energy and resources because of saving of cement.
7. Environment pollution is reduced due to less production of cement.
8. With better durability of structure, their overall service life increase and there is saving in life-cycle cost.
9. Eliminating or minimizing human error and reduction in dependency on labour.
10. Timely deliveries in large as well as small pours.
11. No need for space for storing the materials like coarse and fine aggregate, cement, water and admixtures.
12. No delay due to site based batching plant erection/ dismantling; no equipment to hire; no depreciation of costs.
13. Reduced noise and air pollution; less consumption of petrol and
diesel and less time loss to business.
Limitations of Ready Mix Concrete:
14. As the Ready Mixed Concrete is not available for placement immediately after preparation of concrete mix, loss of
workability occurs. In addition, there are chances of setting of concrete if transit time involved is more. Therefore, generally
admixture like plasticisers/ super plasticisers and retarders are used. Addition of retarders may delay the setting time
substantially which may cause placement problems. In addition, it may also affect the strength of concrete. Therefore, it is
necessary that the admixtures i.e. plasticisers and super plasticisers/ retarders used in Ready Mixed Concrete are properly
tested for their suitability with the concrete. In case loss of strength is observed, the characteristic strength may have to be
enhanced so that after loss of strength, required characteristic strength is available.
15. Because of large quantity of concrete available in short span, special placing and form work arrangement are required to
be made in advance.

GUIDELINES ON USE OF READY MIXED CONCRETE

Testing of Ready Mixed Concrete at site of construction (i.e.delivery
point):
On arrival of RMC at construction site, concrete should be checked for
transit time elapsed, workability and strength.
1 Transit time & workability:
It should be ensured that the concrete has arrived to the site within the
permissible time limit from the time of mixing of concrete. In case transit
time has exceeded the permissible time limit, concrete should not be
accepted. Further on arrival of Ready Mixed Concrete at site, it should be

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 accepted. Further on arrival of Ready Mixed Concrete at site, it should be
tested for specified workability (i.e. slump etc.).
2 Testing for strength:
2.1 Sample should be taken from concrete delivered at placing point for
testing of strength of concrete. Sample should spread over entire period
of concreting and cover each load brought by truck agitator. Frequency
of testing of concrete may be as specified under IRS concrete Bridge
Code Cl. 8.7.2.2 which is as under:

Note: At least one sample shall be taken from each load brought by the
truck agitator.
2.2 Three test specimens should be made from each sample for testing at
28 days. Additional cubes may be required for various purposes such as
to determine the strength of concrete at 3 or 7 days or at the time of
striking the formwork etc. Specimen should be tested as described in IS:
516. The test strength of the sample shall be the average of the strength
of three specimens. The individual variation should not be more than +
15 percent of the average. If more, the test results of the sample are
invalid.

GUIDELINES ON USE OF READY MIXED CONCRETE

2.3 Acceptance criteria:- The concrete shall be deemed to comply with the
strength requirements when it fulfills the criteria laid down in IRS
Concrete Bridge Code Cl. 8.7.6, which are as under:
Compressive strength:- When both the following conditions are met,
the concrete complies with the specified compressive strength:
a) The mean strength determined from any group of four consecutive
test results complies with the appropriate limits in column A of
table-9 of this report;
b) Any individual test results complies with the appropriate limits in
column B of table 9 of this report.
Flexural strength:- When both the following conditions are met, the
concrete complies with the specified flexural strength:
a) The mean strength determined from any group of four consecutive
test results exceeds the specified characteristic strength by at least
0.3 N/mm2.
b) The strength determined from any test result is not less than the
specified characteristic strength less 0.3 N/mm2.

TABLE : Characteristic compressive strength compliance requirements

Acceptance Test Reports of Ready Mixed Concrete

Who Should Get Them?
The process of testing concrete and quality assurance criteria for ready mixed concrete delivered to projects are reasonably well established. The owner or the
owner’s representative hires an independent testing and/or inspection agency to perform quality assurance functions during the construction of the Work. Industry
standards provide requirements for the following:

• qualification of testing agencies and testing technicians performing tests at the jobsite and in the laboratory
• frequency of testing
• standardized procedures for obtaining samples and performing tests
• acceptance criteria for fresh and hardened concrete tests
• referee testing and criteria when test results fail to meet the acceptance criteria

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• referee testing and criteria when test results fail to meet the acceptance criteria
Industry standards require that the concrete supplier maintains a quality control plan. Quality control on the part of a ready mixed concrete supplier constitutes
proactive actions that ensure that quality of the product is maintained; consistency of product characteristics is assured between loads and for the duration of the
project; and steps are taken to avoid the delivery of non-conforming product. Quality control constitutes management of materials used for concrete, the concrete
mixtures being produced, and the production process. Certification of production facilities, such as that administered by the National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association (NRMCA), provides some assurance that the concrete plants and delivery vehicles comply, at a minimum, with industry standards.

The Need
With regards to strength requirements, the concrete supplier should be able to respond to situations when strength test results are trending towards potential non-
compliance. Prior to a project, the supplier is required to use a complete test record from previous projects as a basis for establishing their concrete mixture
proportions and properties for new Work, and to provide this documentation in a submittal to the engineer of record.

Figure 1: Monitoring strength test results relative to strength acceptance criteria.

Figure 2: Running average of 3 consecutive test results relative to the specified strength.

To ensure that this occurs, it is essential that the concrete supplier be provided ALL reports of acceptance tests performed by third-party testing agencies on the
concrete mixtures delivered during the a project. These test reports should be provided in a timely manner so that strength test and other data can be charted and
proactive action can be taken to ensure that specified requirements for concrete, especially strength, are not violated. Figure 1 illustrates a chart of the individual
strength test results plotted along with the specified strength and the ACI 318 acceptance criteria for these data. The overall average of the complete strength test
record is also plotted. The overall average can be plotted for smaller sets of strength tests to observe a change in the average strength during different periods.
Figure 2 plots the running average of 3 consecutive strength tests relative to the specified strength. The running average of 3 tests should not fall below the
specified strength. More involved quality control charting processes, such as cusum (cumulative sum) charts are also used to gain an early indication of a
decreasing trend of test results. Some of these are discussed in ACI 214R, Guide to Evaluation of Strength Test Results of Concrete.

When low strength problems occur, considerable time and money is expended to evaluate the cause and to take corrective actions. It is thereby beneficial to all
parties to minimize the risk of low strength concrete. From the perspective of the engineer of record, he/she is assured that characteristics of concrete are
consistent with the needs of the project, corrective action can be taken when a decreasing trend is observed and before there is a non-conformance with the project
specifications, and dispute resolution and the associated project delays and increased cost can be avoided.

Why is the distribution of test reports an issue? Some testing agencies do not provide test reports to concrete suppliers because they believe these reports should
only go to the entity that contracted with them for the testing services. Some testing agencies believe that distribution of test reports to several entities increases
their cost, although this concern should be less of an issue with the widespread availability of electronic communications. Some testing agencies only provide
failing strength test results to concrete suppliers to notify them that a problem exists. Clearly this is undesirable because, if all previous tests were provided to the
concrete supplier, a trend or anomaly may have been observed and a failing test result could have likely been avoided.

Many concrete producers have established relationships with local testing agencies to ensure that test reports of all tests performed on their concrete are distributed
to them. With the ease of web-based test reporting systems, the distribution of test reports is streamlined and can be readily accessed by pertinent project team
members.

Revisions to ACI 318

Important revisions were approved in the ACI 318-11 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concreteto address issues related to testing of concrete and
reporting of results. Section 5.6.1 of ACI 318-11 has been revised to address distribution of test results. The following is the excerpt from the Code:

All reports of acceptance tests shall be provided to the licensed design professional, contractor, concrete producer, and, when requested, to the owner and the
building official.

The following is the discussion in the Commentary to this Code provision:

The Code requires testing reports to be distributed to the parties responsible for the design, construction, and approval of the work. Such distribution of test

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The Code requires testing reports to be distributed to the parties responsible for the design, construction, and approval of the work. Such distribution of test
reports should be indicated in contracts for inspection and testing services. Prompt distribution of testing reports allows for timely identification of either
compliance or the need for corrective action. A complete record of testing allows the concrete producer to reliably establish the required average strength fcr‘ for
future work.

This commentary highlights the fact that distribution of test results is important not only to the current project, but also to quantify the level of quality control of
the concrete supplier, which is measured by the standard deviation of strength test results. While a component of this variability is attributed to testing, a measure
of standard deviation allows for continuous improvement and facilitates better optimization and reliability of concrete mixture proportions for future projects. A
complete test record from past projects is required for use as the basis of a submittal for future work. Optimization of concrete mixtures for the specified
performance will avoid significant overdesign for strength. The benefits include reducing the potential for cracking of concrete associated with thermal effects,
drying shrinkage and some types of chemical-related distress that can negatively impact the service life of concrete structures.

The contractor or other owner’s representative should ensure that the distribution list of test reports includes the entities listed in ACI 318. ACI Committee 311
publishes ACI 311.6, Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete Testing Services that can be used by the owner as part of the contract for testing and inspection on
projects. One of the mandatory checklist items that is required to be addressed to make this a complete specification is to state the agency’s responsibility for
submittal of reports to include timelines, methods of delivery, and the distribution list. The distribution list defined in the contract with the testing agency should
include the concrete supplier and all the other parties listed in ACI 318-11. Details about the acceptance testing and distribution of test results should be addressed
in a concrete pre-construction conference. Details on acceptance testing that includes proper distribution of test reports, time constraints, and the distribution list
should be discussed with the involvement of the engineer of record, general contractor, the concrete contractor, the concrete supplier and the testing agency. A
comprehensive checklist covering various aspects of construction and testing is published by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the American
Society for Concrete Contractors. Include the importance of the concrete pre-construction conference and incorporation the proper report distribution and
transmission method into the conference agenda. ACI Committee 132 on Responsibility in Concrete Construction is finalizing their document that defines this
important process.

ACI 318-11 includes another revision regarding testing that now requires testing agencies to comply with ASTM C1077, Standard Practice for Agencies Testing
Concrete and Concrete Aggregates for Use in Construction and Criteria for Testing Agency Evaluation. This has been a requirement in ACI 301, Specification
for Structural Concrete, and ASTM C94, Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete, but is now also an ACI 318 Code requirement. ASTM C1077 establishes
quality systems for testing agencies, requiring labs to have periodic inspections of their procedures and equipment, verifies qualifications of testing technicians
and requires laboratories to participate in proficiency sample testing. Proficiency sample testing allows labs to compare their results to those of other labs when the
same material is tested. The validation that a laboratory complies with ASTM C1077 is obtained through an accreditation program provided by several national
and local entities; however, ACI 318 does not require the testing agency to be accredited. ACI 311.6 goes this extra step to require testing agencies to be
accredited and lists acceptable testing agency accreditation programs.

Conclusion
It is imperative that information obtained from third-party evaluation of any product be provided to the manufacturer. This is not only of interest to the
manufacturer, but it also serves the interest of the user of the product. Timely distribution of test results to all impacted parties will ensure that quality is
maintained and will save time, money and prevent delays in project schedules.

References
ACI 318-11/ACI 318R-11, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills,
MI, www.concrete.org.

ACI 301-10, Specifications for Structural Concrete, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, www.concrete.org.

ACI 311-09, Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete Testing Services, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, www.concrete.org.

ASTM C94/C94M-12, Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, American Society of Testing Materials, Volume 4.02, ASTM
International, West Conshohocken, PA, www.astm.org.

ASTM C1077-12, Standard Practice for Agencies Testing Concrete and Concrete Aggregates for Use in Construction and Criteria for Testing Agency
Evaluation, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, American Society of Testing Materials, Volume 4.02, ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA, www.astm.org.

ACI 214R-11, Guide to Evaluation of Strength Test Results of Concrete, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, www.concrete.org.

Checklist for Concrete Pre-Construction Conference, jointly published by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the American Society for
Concrete Contractors.

From <http://www.structuremag.org/?p=630>

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