ACI · PRELIMINARY TRIAL WORKSPACE

US concrete mix design calculator

An ACI absolute-volume trial worksheet: cylinder strength in psi, dry-rodded coarse aggregate, moisture corrections and quantities in lb or kg.

01 / STRENGTH REQUIREMENT

Choose the specified cylinder strength

Display units

f′c is the specified cylinder strength. Selecting psi does not derive a safe water ratio or predict the strength of this trial.

02 / Required concrete volume · yd³

Total batch weight3,836.4 lb

1 yd³ designed volume · measured yield still requires testing

03 / MATERIALS TO WEIGH FOR YOUR BATCH

Cement674.2 lb

Sand — as batched1,204.7 lb

Coarse aggregate — as batched1,705.5 lb

Water to add at mixer251.9 lb

Actual w/cm 0.450Free water 303.4 lb/yd³Mixer water volume 30.19 US galAir 6%

These are illustrative trial quantities. Sand and stone use measured total moisture; mixer water accounts for aggregate absorption and water in admixture. Neither the chosen strength nor standards conformity has been demonstrated.

Use material and trial evidence to select the inputs.

Prefilled numbers are demonstration assumptions. Current ACI lookup tables and a strength-qualified ratio are not selected automatically.

Water, cement and air

Selected free water · lb/yd³

Total free water, including applicable aggregate surface water and admixture carrier water.

Water/cementitious ratio

Mass ratio selected from material evidence and project requirements, not from the strength button.

Selected total air · %

Include intentionally entrained air where required. Verify the required level and actual air test.

Cement product / material identity

Cement particle specific gravity

Separate additions are mass fractions of total cementitious content. Eligibility for the project is not checked.

Fly ash · % of cementitious mass

Fly ash specific gravity

Slag cement · % of cementitious mass

Slag specific gravity

Aggregate proportion and properties

Dry-rodded coarse bulk volume fraction

Bulk volume of dry-rodded coarse aggregate per unit concrete volume; includes voids between stones.

Oven-dry, dry-rodded bulk density · lb/ft³

Measured compacted bulk density, such as ASTM C29. This is not particle density.

Sand bulk SSD specific gravity

Stone bulk SSD specific gravity

Absorption and total moisture below are percentages of oven-dry aggregate mass. SSD means saturated surface-dry.

Sand absorption · % OD

Sand total moisture · % OD

Stone absorption · % OD

Stone total moisture · % OD

Admixture solution

Product dose · % of cementitious mass

Solution specific gravity

Water in product · % by mass

Use the manufacturer’s product data. Its water and full solution volume are accounted for once.

Project specification and checksGoverning standard, edition and specificationExposure / placing / required workability

Required average strength · psi · optional

Enter a qualified target on the stated specimen basis. No IS or universal statistical margin is applied.

Project maximum water ratio · optional

Blank means not supplied and not checked.

Project minimum cementitious content · lb/yd³ · optional

A supplied minimum increases cementitious content and reduces the actual ratio.

Project maximum content · lb/yd³ · optional

Project minimum air · % · optional

Material test / water-demand / ratio evidence

METHOD & SOURCE BOUNDARIES

How this ACI-family worksheet proportions a trial

Water and a qualified water/cementitious ratio establish cementitious demand. The selected coarse bulk fraction and measured dry-rodded density establish coarse aggregate mass. SSD volume accounting determines the remaining sand, and measured moisture determines the wet batch and mixer water.

The method family is ACI PRC-211.1-22. Current ACI water, air and aggregate selection tables are not automatically applied. ACI 318 requirements depend on the project-adopted edition. The worksheet does not certify ASTM material conformity, strength, durability or acceptance.

Normal-density concrete only. Special concrete, structural design and complete conformity assessment are outside this worksheet. Keep the specimen type and test age consistent. A grade change is not evidence of achieved strength.

Read the methodology and privacy details · Open this regional worksheet directly

Concrete Ratio · United States trial record

Preliminary calculations. Not project approval or a strength prediction.

Concrete Ratio — preliminary regional trial worksheet
Region	United States
National reference context	No additional national reference selected
Method	ACI absolute-volume / dry-rodded coarse aggregate worksheet
Engine	1.0.0
Status	Arithmetic only; strength, durability and conformity are not certified
Project governing specification	Not supplied
Exposure / project conditions	Not supplied
Cement identity	Illustrative cement product — replace with measured properties
Input / trial evidence	Not supplied; illustrative inputs
Strength specimen	cylinder
Specified strength MPa	27.579029172673444
UK strength class	Not applicable
SI input key	Value; masses kg/m3, volumes m3, strength MPa, percentages as labelled
strength	27.579029172673444
strengthClass	C30/37
specimen	cylinder
meanStrength	Not supplied
batch	0.764554857984
water	180
ratio	0.45
air	6
cementSG	3.15
faSG	2.65
caSG	2.7
coarseBulk	0.62
dryRoddedDensity	1600
fineVolumeShare	38
flyAsh	0
slag	0
flyAshSG	2.2
slagSG	2.9
dose	0
admixtureSG	1.1
admixtureWater	0
faAbsorption	1
caAbsorption	1
faMoisture	4
caMoisture	2
maxRatio	Not supplied
minBinder	Not supplied
maxBinder	Not supplied
minAir	Not supplied
Material	per yd³ · lb	batch · lb
Cement	674.2219742223618	674.2219742223618
Sand — as batched	1204.739848075127	1204.739848075127
Coarse aggregate — as batched	1705.5119059928863	1705.5119059928863
Water to add at mixer	251.92707243718112	251.92707243718112
Batch volume	1	yd³
Total batch weight	3836.400800727556	lb
Actual water ratio	0.45
Free water kg/m3	180
Mixer water kg/m3	149.46239195348107
Constituent	Absolute m3 per m3	Mass kg/m3 on stated basis
Cement	0.12698412698412698	400
Sand · SSD	0.2619343915343916	694.1261375661376
Stone · SSD	0.37108148148148146	1001.92
Free water outside admixture	0.18	180
Air	0.06	0
Outstanding check	No strength or complete code conformity assessment
Water and cementitious content	B = max(W / r, supplied minimum)	180.000 / 0.450 → 400.000 kg/m³; actual W/B = 0.450. Water demand and the strength-qualified ratio are inputs, not inferred from the grade.
Account for paste, liquid admixture and air	Vagg = 1 − Σ(Bj / 1000 Gj) − (W − D·u)/1000 − D/(1000 GD) − air	Admixture carries 0.000 kg/m³ water. Residual aggregate absolute volume = 0.633 m³/m³. Water density reference: 1000 kg/m³.
Coarse aggregate from dry-rodded bulk volume	CAOD = bulk fraction × dry-rodded density; CASSD = CAOD × (1 + absorption)	0.620 × 1600.000 = 992.000 kg OD/m³. At 1.000% absorption → 1001.920 kg SSD/m³. Bulk volume includes particle voids; absolute volume does not.
Close the one-cubic-metre balance	VF = Vagg − CASSD / (1000 GCA); FASSD = VF × 1000 GFA	Sand 694.126 kg SSD/m³; coarse aggregate 1001.920 kg SSD/m³. The constituent absolute volumes, including air, sum to 1 m³.
Correct the aggregate moisture	OD = SSD / (1 + A); wet = OD × (1 + T); surface water = OD × (T − A)	Sand contributes 20.618 kg/m³ and stone 9.920 kg/m³ free surface water. Negative values represent absorption deficits. A and T are fractions of oven-dry mass in the equation.
Prepare the batch and test it	Mixer water = W − admixture water − sand surface water − stone surface water	180.000 − 0.000 − 20.618 − 9.920 = 149.462 kg/m³. Multiply each ingredient by 0.765 m³. Measure workability, air, density/yield and strength; revise the trial.
Reference	ACI PRC-211.1-22 · proportioning guide	https://www.concrete.org/store/productdetail.aspx?ItemID=211122&Language=English
Reference	ACI 318 · structural requirements; project-adopted edition	https://www.concrete.org/publications/typesofpublications/standards%28codesandspecs%29/suiteofcodes.aspx
Reference	FHWA · absolute-volume and dry-rodded aggregate method	https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/pubs/013683.pdf
Reference	ASTM C39/C39M · cylinder strength testing	https://store.astm.org/c0039_c0039m-26.html