The ingredients for a strong and durable concrete mix undeniably remain a cornerstone of every project. The constituent blend of cement, sand, and aggregate in different quantities yields varied properties of hardened concrete.
- Cement - The binding agent
- Sand - The fine aggregate fillers
- Aggregate - The load bearers and distributors
Use this calculator to determine quantities of cement, sand & concrete for concrete grades denoted by a prefixing M.
Calculation
Inputs
Cross Section Shape
:Rectangle
Wet to Dry Volume Factor
:1.54
Explanation
There are two types of concrete mixes:
- Nominal mix - For your general small-scale construction use. Considers factor of safety against general quality control issues.
- Design mix - Mix proportions obtained from lab tests. Generally used for high strength requirements.
Concrete grades are denoted by a prefixing M - which stands for Mix - to the desired minimum compressive strength after 28 days of drying in MPa.
Concrete grades above M25 incorporate design mix favourable over nominal mix concrete (explored by this calculator). This is indicative of different workability requirements and risk of deviation.
The initial dimensions provided constitute the wet volume of the concrete mixture and are converted into dry volume and then into actual volume:
Actual Volume=Sum of mix ratioDry Volume This is used to determine the component quantities using the respective ratios.
Component Volume =Actual Volume⋅Component Ratio For each concrete constituent:
Mass=Component Volume⋅Component Density To determine the amount of bags required:
Bags Required=Cement Volume⋅Cement Bag WeightCement Density Related Resources
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