While we have tried to make this system fool-proof -

it still has to be operated with thought…

Note the rules

Inputs go in cells with blue colored text
Don’t touch anything else
Output is in yellow highlights

Page 1 Work on the aggregate system

Enter date and project at the top
Enter the names of the materials e.g. "Gravel"
Enter the nominal maximum size
Enter the gradations of the aggregates
Use 100 for the intermediate if there is none
Click The data tab
Solver
Solve
OK
You may have to install the solver function - Excel help will tell you how to do that
Look for flags saying ERROR that indicate you cant get a great solution
with the materials you have, if so, fool with cells D19, F19 and H19
Observe the plots
If it is really ugly get different materials
Go in the lab and measure aggregate voids in accordance with ASTM C 29 for the best combination

Page 2 Enter Paste Quality parameters from the spec

Binder types and percentages
Relative densities for all materials
w/cm
Air content
Measured aggregate voids
Initial desired void ratio, say 125%
Strength and permeability targets can be put in for the record - they don't affect calculations

Page 3 Determine trial batch proportions

Run the solver on this page
Check that the proportions look reasonable
If not - adjust the void ratio on Page 2
Go back and check that the binder content which is an input in the workability chart
on page 1 cell 7 is not too far off the initial value

Go play in the lab and see what needs to be adjusted, including admixtures

Page 4 Don’t touch - this is the heart of a lot of the number crunching
 Aggregate System

Project Gravel 1" 5/15/2017

Materials Blue= Input Data

S.G. Red = Calculation Don’t touch!
Cementitious 428 Yellow = Output Don’t touch!
Coarse Agg A85006 2.72 Black = Working Don’t touch!
Fine Agg A25518 2.66
Intermediate A85007 2.43

Sieve Analysis Data

Max nominal aggregate size 1.50 inch (0.75, 1.0 or 1.5) 0

Coarse A85006 Fine A25518 Intermediate A85007 Combined Fineness

Percent Cum. Sieve Retained Modulus
Percent mass 100.0 51.4 38.6 10.0 Passing Retained Retained Volumetric
Percent Vol 50.4 38.7 10.9 37.52
Sieve: % Pass % Mix % Pass % Mix % Pass % Mix % % % %
2" 100.0 51.4 100.0 38.6 100.0 10.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1 1/2" 100.0 51.4 100.0 38.6 100.0 10.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1" 82.0 42.1 100.0 38.6 100.0 10.0 90.7 9.3 9.3 9.1
3/4" 59.0 30.3 100.0 38.6 100.0 10.0 78.9 21.1 11.8 11.6
1/2" 32.0 16.4 100.0 38.6 100.0 10.0 65.1 34.9 13.9 13.6
3/8" 15.0 7.7 100.0 38.6 88.0 8.8 55.1 44.9 9.9 9.9 0.0
#4 2.9 1.5 100.0 38.6 22.0 2.2 42.3 57.7 12.8 13.3 0.0
#8 0.6 0.3 91.0 35.2 1.2 0.1 35.6 64.4 6.7 6.9 9.0
# 16 0.6 0.3 73.0 28.2 1.0 0.1 28.6 71.4 7.0 7.0 27.0
# 30 0.5 0.3 45.0 17.4 0.8 0.1 17.7 82.3 10.9 10.9 55.0
# 50 0.5 0.3 7.2 2.8 0.6 0.1 3.1 96.9 14.6 14.7 92.8
# 100 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.4 99.6 2.7 2.7 99.6
# 200 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.3 99.7 0.1 0.1
0 0 2.83
Coarsness Factor 69.68 Power 45 least difference 59.7 Tarantula error 0.0 4.6
Workability Factor 35.58 Power 45 error 575.7 27.7
Adjustments 0.00
Adjusted Workability Factor 35.58 Fine 28.4 24-34 23.9 34.1
Coarse 24.8 >15 15
P e rc e n t R e ta in e d , % v o l

Percent Passing

Individual and Combined Gradations

100

Tarantula 80
25 Greater than 15% on the sum of #8, #16 and #30
24-34% of fine sand (#30-200)

20 60
C33
15 Lower C33
40
A25518
10 A85007
20 A85006
5 Combined
0
0 # 200 # 100 # 50 # 30 # 16 #8 #4 3/8" 1/2" 3/4" 1" 1 1/2" 2"
1 1/2"

# 200
# 100
# 30

# 50
3/4"

1/2"

3/8"

# 16
#4

#8
2"

1"

Sieve Sieve
Workability Factor

Power 45
100
Shilstone Chart
% Passing

45
IV III
80 Sandy II Small Agg
40

60
35
I
Mixture Gap
40 Max 30
Density V
lower Coarse
upper 25
20

20
0 #50#200 #16
#4 1/2" 1" 2" 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Sieve (^0.45) Coarseness Factor

 Paste Quality

Project Gravel 1" 5/15/2017

Materials
Targets
R.D.
Cement Type I 3.15
SCM 1 F Ash 2.65
SCM 2 Slag 1.00
Coarse Agg A85006 2.72
Fine Agg A25518 2.66
Intermediate A85007 2.43
Water 1.00

Cementitious 428 pcy

w/cm 0.42
Air % 5.0 %
% SCM 1 20 %
% SCM 2 0 %

Voids in aggregate 25.3 %

Required Vp/Vv 125 %

Strength 4000 psi 7 days

RCP 1500 coulomb 56 days
Wenner 27 kΩ-cm 28 days
 Mixture Proportions

Project Gravel 1" 5/15/2017

Mixture Proportions
Targets Actual
Pounds R.D. Volume
Cement Type I 342 3.15 1.74
SCM 1 F Ash 86 2.65 0.52
SCM 2 Slag 0 1.00 0.00
Coarse Agg A85006 1753 2.72 10.33
Fine Agg A25518 1318 2.66 7.94
Intermediate A85007 340 2.43 2.24
Water 180 1.00 2.88
Air % 5.0 1.35
4019 27.00

Cementitious 428 428 pcy

Volume of paste 24.0 %
Volume of aggs 76.0 %
Volume of voids 19.2
vp/vv 125 125.0
w/cm 0.42 0.42
% SCM 1 20 20 %
% SCM 2 0 0 %
Mass aggs 3411 3411 pcy
Excess paste, % 4.8 %
Power 45 Optimize
Coarse Fine Intermediate Total
% 51.4 38.6 10.0 100.0

Sieve: mm ^45 Mixture Ideal Least

difference

2" 50 5.815 100.0 100.0 0.0 0.00

1-1/2" 37.5 5.109 100.0 100.0 0.0 0.00
1" 25 4.257 90.7 82.2 -8.5 72.43
3/4" 19.5 3.806 78.9 72.9 -6.1 36.92
1/2" 12.5 3.116 65.1 58.5 -6.6 43.43
3/8" 9.5 2.754 55.1 50.9 -4.2 17.66
#4 4.75 2.016 42.3 35.5 -6.8 46.05
#8 2.36 1.472 35.6 24.2 -11.4 130.01
# 16 1.18 1.077 28.6 16.0 -12.6 160.00
# 30 0.6 0.795 17.7 10.1 -7.7 58.58
# 50 0.3 0.582 3.1 5.6 2.5 6.40
# 100 0.15 0.426 0.4 2.4 2.0 3.92
# 200 0.075 0.312 0.3 0.0 -0.3 0.30
-59.7 575.7

Sieve: mm ^45 Mixture Haystack Limits C33 C33

Lower Upper
3" 75 6.979
2" 50 5.815 100.0 100 100
1-1/2" 37.5 5.109 100.0 100 100
1" 25 4.257 90.7 0 100 100
3/4" 19.5 3.806 78.9 0 18 100 100
1/2" 12.5 3.116 65.1 8 18 100 100
3/8" 9.5 2.754 55.1 8 18 100 100
#4 4.75 2.016 42.3 8 18 95 100
#8 2.36 1.472 35.6 8 18 80 100
# 16 1.18 1.077 28.6 8 18 50 85
# 30 0.6 0.795 17.7 8 18 25 60
# 50 0.3 0.582 3.1 0 18 10 30
# 100 0.15 0.426 0.4 0 2 10
# 200 0.075 0.312 0.3 0 0
Shilstone zones

line 1 100 36
35 45
line 2 100 27
85 27
15 37
0 37
line 3 75 28.43
75 39.46
line 4 45 32.71
45 43.62

^45 lines

Max size 1.50 Lower Upper

0.312
1.190 0 0.312 0.000
1.190 15.96 3.116 71.087
3.116 50.96 4.257 100
5.815 100

2.000 5.815 0.312 0.500 0.375

Max agg size 1.500 5.109 0.312 0.750 0.500
1.000 4.257 0.312 1.000 0.750
1.500 1.000
0.312 0.000 2.000 1.500
3.000 2.000
 1.50

0.75 1 1.5

100 100 100

100 100 100
100 100.0 82.2
100 88.6 72.9
80.2 71.1 58.5
69.9 61.9 50.9
48.8 43.2 35.5
33.2 29.4 24.2
21.9 19.4 16.0
13.8 12.2 10.1
7.7 6.8 5.6
3.3 2.9 2.4
0.0 0.0 0.0

Pumping curve Illinois Tollway Tick marks Mix by volTarantula NSW

100 100 100 100 0 5.815 100

100 100 100 100 0 0 100
100 100 100 100 0 4.257 16 0 100
80 88 88 98 20 0 95
63 75 66 86 0 3.116 20 4 75
55 70 50 75 20 4 55
40 59 40 52 0 2.016 20 4 38
28 48 33 43 12 0 30
18 35 25 35 0 1.077 12 0 22
12 25 15 25 20 4 16
7 15 5 15 0 0.582 20 4 5
3 8 1 8 10 0 0
0 0 1 6 0 0.312 0 0 0
 4.257 100
0.312 0
0.750 12.500 3.11609
1.000 19.500 3.80641 5.109 100
1.500 25.000 4.25670 0.312 0
2.000 37.500 5.10874
3.000 50.000 5.81482 3.806 100
4.000 75.000 6.97875 0.312 0
 Tarantula fit Sieve:
Mixture High Low Middle Error

100 2"
100 0.0 1-1/2"
100 9.1 0.0 0 8.0 -1.1 1.1 1"
100 11.6 0.0 0 10.0 -1.6 2.5 3/4"
90 13.6 0.0 0 12.0 -1.6 2.5 1/2"
75 9.9 0.0 0 12.0 2.1 4.5 3/8"
50 13.3 0.0 0 12.0 -1.3 1.7 #4
42 6.9 0.0 0 6.0 -0.9 0.8 #8
34 7.0 0.0 0 6.0 -1.0 1.0 # 16
30 10.9 0.0 0 12.0 1.1 1.2 # 30
15 14.7 0.0 0 12.0 -2.7 7.0 # 50
7 2.7 0.0 0 5.0 2.3 5.3 # 100
4 # 200
0.0 0.0 0.0 -4.6 27.7
Coarse Vol Fine Vol Int Vol Total % Cum Retained %
51.40 38.63 9.97 Vol Vol Retained Vol
2.72 2.66 2.43

51.39667 18.90 38.6313 14.52 9.972035 4.10 37.52 100.0 0.0 0.0
51.39667 18.90 38.6313 14.52 9.972035 4.10 37.52 100.0 0.0 0.0
42.14527 15.49 38.6313 14.52 9.972035 4.10 34.12 90.9 9.1 9.1
30.32403 11.15 38.6313 14.52 9.972035 4.10 29.78 79.4 20.6 11.6
16.44693 6.05 38.6313 14.52 9.972035 4.10 24.67 65.8 34.2 13.6
7.7095 2.83 38.6313 14.52 8.775391 3.61 20.97 55.9 44.1 9.9
1.490503 0.55 38.6313 14.52 2.193848 0.90 15.97 42.6 57.4 13.3
0.30838 0.11 35.15448 13.22 0.119664 0.05 13.38 35.7 64.3 6.9
0.30838 0.11 28.20085 10.60 0.09972 0.04 10.76 28.7 71.3 7.0
0.256983 0.09 17.38408 6.54 0.079776 0.03 6.66 17.8 82.2 10.9
0.256983 0.09 2.781453 1.05 0.059832 0.02 1.16 3.1 96.9 14.7
0.205587 0.08 0.154525 0.06 0.039888 0.02 0.15 0.4 99.6 2.7
0.205587 0.08 0.077263 0.03 0.019944 0.01 0.11 0.3 99.7 0.1
Retained %