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ACI 211.5R-96 became effective November 22, 1996.Copyright 1997, American Concrete Institute.All rights reserved including rights of reproduction and use in any form or by any

means, including the making of copies by any photo process, or by electronic ormechanical device, printed, written, or oral, or recording for sound or visual reproduc-tion or for use in any knowledge or retrieval system or device, unless permission inwriting is obtained from the copyright proprietors.

ACI Committee reports, guides, standard practices, design hand-books, and commentaries are intended for guidance in planning, de-

signing, executing, and inspecting construction. This document is

intended for the use of individuals who are competent to evalu-

ate the significance and limitations of its content and recommen-

dations and who will accept responsibility for the application of

the material i t contains. The American Concrete Institute disclaims

any and all responsibility for the stated principles. The Institute shall

not be liable for any loss or damage arising therefrom.

Reference to this document shall not be made in contract docu-

ments. If items found in this document are desired by the Architect/

Engineer to be a part of the contract documents, they shall be restated

in mandatory language for incorporation by the Architect/Engineer.

Michael J. BoyleChairman

Gary R. Mass Ramon L. Carrasquillo George W. Hollon Dipak T. Parekh William X. Sypher

Michael L. Abshire James E. Cook Said Iravani James S. Pierce Kimberlie A. Teel

Olga L. Alonzo John F. Cook Tarif M. Jaber Michael F. Pistilli Jimmie L. Thompson

William L. Barringer Raymond A. Cook Robert S. Jenkins Sandor Popovics Stanley J. Virgalitte

Stanley G. Barton Russell A. Cook Frank A. Kozeliski Steven A. Ragan Woodward L. Vogt

Muhammad P. Basheer David A. Crocker Stephen M. Lane Royce J. Rhoads Jack W. Weber

Leonard W. Bell Guy Detwiler Mark D. Luther John P. Ries Dean J. White

Casimir Bognacki Donald E. Dixon Peter M. Maloney Donald L. Schlegel Linda F. Whitehead

Gary L. Brenno Calvin L. Dodl Ed T. McGuire James M. Shilstone, Sr. John R. Wilson

Marshall L. Brown Jose L. Fulginiti Richard C. Meininger Ava Shypula Richard M. Wing

John T. Guthrie Jeffrey F. Speck

Information required for the preparation and review of a concrete mixture

submittal is contained in reference documents such as codes and standards,

project drawings and specifications, and other contract documents. These

requirements depend on the intended use of the concrete, the available

information, and the size of the project. This guide is intended to assist both

the submitter and reviewer by providing a description of necessary infor-

mation and sample formats to insure that the appropriate information is

provided. Use of the guide may be limited when contract documents define

the submittal format. The guide emphasizes that the concrete mixture is a

unique combination of specific ingredients, from particular sources, and in

quantities necessary to achieve the intended purpose.

Keywords: concrete mixture proportions; performance records; perfor-

mance requirements; required average strength; submittals.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1Introduction, p. 211.5R-21.1General

1.2Purpose

1.3Scope

1.4Definitions

Chapter 2Materials and production, p. 211.5R-22.1Quality of materials

2.2Submittal information

Chapter 3Concrete mixture proportions,p. 211.5R-3

3.1Proportioning

3.2Quantities by mass

3.3Quantities by volume

3.4Freshly mixed concrete properties

Chapter 4Documentation of compressivestrength, p. 211.5R-3

4.1Required average strength (f'cr)4.2Past performance record submittal

4.3Trial batch record submittal

4.4Resubmittal

Chapter 5 - Sample forms and suggesteddocumentation, p. 211.5R-4

5.1Transmittal letter

5.2Source of materials

5.3Submittal forms

Chapter 6References, p. 211.5R-46.1Recommended referencesExample Form A

Example Form B

Example Form A-SI

Example Form B-SI

Guide for Submittal of Concrete Proportions

Reported by ACI Committee 211

ACI 211.5R-96

211.5R-1

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211.5R-2 SUBMITTAL OF CONCRETE PROPORTIONS

CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION

1.1GeneralProject specifications, reference publications, drawings,

and other contract documents contain the requirements for

concrete materials, proportions, and characteristics. Concrete

mixture proportions, intended to satisfy these requirements,

are usually submitted based upon field test results or laborato-

ry trial batch test results. The Purchasers acceptance of mate-

rials and proportions is based upon conformance of the

submitted details to the criteria contained in the contract doc-

uments. Specified submittal formats supersede this guide.

1.2PurposeThe purpose of this guide is to provide information to as-

sist in the submittal and review of materials and concrete

mixture proportions. It is intended to benefit both the submit-

ter and the reviewer. Beginning with the preparation of the

concrete mixture proportions and supporting documentation

by the concrete producer, followed by the actual submittal of

the mixture proportions by the concrete contractor to the

general contractor and subsequently to the Architect and En-gineer, each in turn should find this information helpful.

1.3ScopeThis guide is limited to the preparation and review of the

submittal of proposed materials and concrete mixture pro-

portions for conformance with the requirements of the con-

tract documents. It is not intended to impose additional

requirements but rather to help the user recognize and imple-

ment current ACI practices and procedures that may be re-

quired for the project.

1.4Definitions

AdmixtureA material other than water, aggregate, hy-draulic cement, and fiber reinforcement used as an ingredi-

ent of concrete or mortar and added to the batch immediately

before or during its mixing (ACI 116R).

AggregateGranular material, such as sand, gravel,

crushed stone, crushed hydraulic-cement concrete, or iron

blast-furnace slag, used with a hydraulic cementing medium

to produce either concrete or mortar (ACI 116R).

Aggregate, lightweightAggregate of low density, such as

(a) expanded or sintered clay, shale, slate, diatomaceous

shale, perlite, vermiculite, or slag; (b) natural pumice, scoria,

volcanic cinders, tuff, and diatomite; (c) sintered fly ash or

industrial cinders, used in lightweight concrete (ACI 116R).Cement, hydraulicA cement that sets and hardens by

chemical interaction with water and is capable of doing so

under water (ACI 116R).

ConcreteA composite material that consists essentially of a

binding medium within which are embedded particles or frag-

ments of aggregate, usually a combination of fine aggregate

and coarse aggregate; in portland cement concrete the binder

is a mixture of portland cement, and water (ACI 116R).

f'cr Required average compressive strength of concrete,

used as the basis for selection of concrete proportions

(ACI 104R).

f'c Specified compressive strength of concrete used in de-

sign (ACI 104R).

Fiber reinforcementDiscontinuous discrete fibers pro-

duced from steel, synthetic (organic), glass, or natural mate-

rials, in various shapes and sizes that are added before or

during mixing of the concrete.

Water-cementitious materials ratioThe ratio of the total

amount of water, exclusive only of that absorbed by the ag-gregates, to the total mass of cementitious materials in a con-

crete or mortar mixture (ACI 116R).

CHAPTER 2MATERIALS AND PRODUCTION

2.1 Quality of materials

Cementitious materials, aggregates, admixtures, fibers,

and water should comply with the contract documents. Evi-

dence of satisfactory performance of each material should be

provided on request. If a deviation from the specified mate-

rial is necessary, a full explanation to the Architect and En-

gineer should be included in the submittal.

2.2Submittal information

Cement/cementitious materialsThe source and type of

each material proposed for use on the project should be iden-

tified and included. Mill test reports, manufacturers certifi-

cation of compliance, or both, should be submitted, if

required, or be available upon request by the purchaser.

AggregatesThe sources and types and individual gradings

for each aggregate should be identified. In conformance with

ASTM C 33 and C 330, the combined gradings of the total

blended aggregate for each mixture should be included as de-

scribed in ACI 301. The fineness modulus of fine aggregateshould be reported. The saturated-surface-dry (SSD) specific

gravity and absorption of all aggregates should be provided.

Similarly, bulk density, specific gravity, and loose unit weight

of lightweight aggregate (both saturated and oven dry), should

be provided when lightweight aggregate is used.

For crushed stone and gravel coarse aggregates, the

dry-rodded unit weight for crushed stone and gravel coarse

aggregate is needed along with the size designation (as given

in ASTM C 33, C 330, or D 448) or the nominal maximum

size. Because all of these aggregate properties influence the

proportioning of the concrete mixture, they should be sub-

mitted to support the proposed mixture proportions.

AdmixturesThe vendor and type of all admixtures pro-

posed for use should be identified in accordance with ASTM

C 260, C 494, or other governing standard. These admixtures

should be of the same type as those used in the trial mixtures

from which strength data were obtained. If admixtures are to

be added at a point other than the concrete batching facilities,

the location should be identified.

WaterThe source of mixing water should be identified.

Non-potable water require evidence of satisfactory use in mor-

tar or concrete in accordance with ASTM C 94, Table 1. Some

specifications may restrict chloride ion content of the concrete.

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211.5R-3ACI COMMITTEE REPORT

Chloride ion contentEvidence of soluble chloride ion

content for each ingredient or for the hardened concrete may

be required.

Fibers, color pigments, and other additionsWhere the

source and type of specific additions are required by the con-

tract, they should be contained in mixtures from which

strength data were obtained. Materials identified in the sub-

mittal as alternates to products specified by name should in-

clude evidence of satisfactory performance and complianceto appropriate material standards.

ProductionInformation supporting compliance with the

contract documents or ASTM C 94 should be available upon

request by the purchaser. If more than one production facility

is proposed for use, the above information should be avail-

able for each.

CHAPTER 3CONCRETE MIXTUREPROPORTIONS

3.1ProportioningThe concrete proportions expressed in terms of quantity

of each component combined with the freshly mixed con-crete properties and the hardened concrete characteristics

constitute the concrete mixture submittal. The mass of ma-

terials determined by load cell, or balance beam scale,

equipment or by volumetric means and the absolute volume

contributed by each material in the mixture, should be in-

cluded in the mix design submittal. Ommission of compo-

nents, quantities, or properties by the submitter may result

in rejection of the submittal.

3.2Quantities by massThe quantity of cementitious material added in the powder

state should be expressed as pound-mass per cubic yard

(pcy) or kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3). Pozzolans that

are added in a slurry should have their respective solid and

water contents expressed as pound-mass/cubic yard or kilo-

grams/cubic meter. The quantity of each separately batched

size of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate should be ex-

pressed as pound-mass/cubic yard or kilograms/cubic meter

in a saturated-surface-dry (SSD) condition. If lightweight

aggregate is used, the oven-dry and estimated wet weight

should be stated.

Admixtures dispensed as liquids should be expressed as

fluid ounces/cubic yard (fl oz/cy) or liters/cubic meter (L/

m3) and where applicable, expected dosage range stated. The

quantity of any premeasured, prepackaged additives, such asfibers or color pigments, should be expressed in incremental

units (sacks, bags, boxes, or tins, etc.) and pound-mass/cubic

yard or kilograms/cubic meter.

3.3Quantities by volumeThe absolute volume of each material, air content, and the

total sum of the absolute volumes of all materials should be

provided in cubic feet (ft3) or cubic meters (m3). If light-

weight aggregate is used, the bulk volume in the saturated

condition should be stated. It is customary and acceptable in

most localities to proportion mixtures to yield in excess of

27.00 ft3/yd3 or in excess of 1.00 m3 per m3. The practice

provides producers with a systematic means of handling

charges of short yield due to air content fluctuation.

3.4Freshly mixed concrete properties

Slump, unit weight, and air content should be reported for

each set of mixture proportions intended for use. Placement

methods (pumping, slip forming, etc.) associated with each

proposed mixture should be indicated where appropriate.

Sometimes different freshly mixed concrete properties willbe needed for different placement procedures and condi-

tions; these should be consistent with the limits set in the

contract documents. When the concrete is to be delivered to

the point of placement by concrete pump or other convey-

ance, the location at which the above properties are to be

achieved should be clarified in advance.

CHAPTER 4DOCUMENTATION OFCOMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

4.1Required average strength (f'cr )

A submittal of concrete mixture proportions should dem-onstrate a compressive strength equal to or exceeding the re-

quired average strength. Provisions for calculating f 'cr are

contained in ACI 211.1, ACI 214, ACI 301 and ACI 318

documents. The required average strength can be based on

the specified minimum compressive strength (f'c ) for a class

of concrete, which should include an overdesign amount

when based on laboratory trial batches. When past perfor-

mance records of uniformity of the concrete production are

available, the statistical probability of a certain number of

test results falling below the design strength can be anticipat-

ed and controlled by selection of the appropriate f'cr . Sub-

mittal of concrete mixture proportions should contain the

method used to select f'cr for each class of concrete.

4.2Past performance record submittal

When compressive strength data are available from con-

crete production using the materials proposed, the statistical

analysis of the data should be calculated in accordance with

ACI 214. A data summary identifying the mixture propor-

tions and individual test results, should be part of the submit-

tal. These records become the basis for verifying the required

average strength and validation of the proposed mixture.

Concrete sampled and tested under conditions more strin-

gent than those imposed by the contract documents may be

excluded from use in calculation of the required averagestrength based on past performance.

4.3Trial batch record submittal

If past performance records for the proposed mixture pro-

portions are not available, trial batches may be required by

specification. When trial batches are used to establish

strength relationships or to verify strength characteristics of

the mixture, the least favorable combination of mixing water

and air content should be used (ACI 211.1). This will pro-

vide a conservative estimate of strength. Trial batch proce-

dures and report records should comply with ASTM C 192.

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4.4ResubmittalDuring the conduct of the work, if any changes to the mix-

ture proportions or materials are made, the revised propor-

tions should demonstrate a compressive strength equal to or

exceeding the current required average strength established

by job records.

CHAPTER 5SAMPLE FORMS AND SUGGESTEDDOCUMENTATION

5.1Transmittal letterEach submittal should be introduced by an original trans-

mittal letter identifying the proposed concrete mixture(s) to

be furnished, the project for which it is submitted, and the

method used to select proportions. The transmittal should be

signed and dated by the person that prepared the submittal

and the person selecting the mixture proportions. If more

than one party contributed to the submittal, each contribu-

tor's role should be identified.

5.2Source of materialsA statement identifying the source of each material is

needed. Certification of compliance with contract docu-

ments for each proposed material may be required by spec-

ification. These statements or certifications or both can be

included with the transmittal letter or attached separately.

An abbreviated source of materials can be incorporated in

Example Form A or B.

5.3Submittal formsThe quantity of each ingredient as described in Chapter 3

and the mixture proportions format should be prepared as an

independent document, suitable for distribution. Mixture

proportions, material characteristics, and freshly mixed con-

crete properties may be formatted as shown in Example

Forms A and B. The examples can be used to present the nec-

essary details, but they are not intended to replace specified

submittal formats or work sheets used to perform the neces-

sary calculations. When laboratory trial batches are used to

document a water-cementitious materials ratio curve, a com-

pleted Example Form B should follow a completed Example

Form A in the submittal. Additional data summarizing the

past performance records should be an integral part of the

submittal if the submittal is based on past performance with

the proposed materials and proportions. Space should be

provided for a date and signature of the person compiling or

verifying the tabulation.

CHAPTER 6REFERENCES

6.1Recommended references

American Concrete Institute (ACI)

104R Preparation of Notation for Concrete

116R Cement and Concrete Terminology

201.2R Guide to Durable Concrete

211.1 Practice for Selecting Proportions for Normal,

Heavy Weight, and Mass Concrete

211.2 Practice for Selecting Proportions for Structural

Lightweight Concrete

211.4R Guide for Selecting Proportions for High-Strength

Concrete With Portland Cement and Fly Ash

212.3R Chemical Admixtures for Concrete

214 Recommended Practice for Evaluation of Strength

Test Results of Concrete

226.1R Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag as a

Cementitious Constituent in Concrete

226.3R Use of Fly Ash in Concrete

301 Specifications for Structural Concrete for Buildings304R Guide for Measuring, Mixing, Transporting, and

Placing Concrete

318 Building Code Requirements for Reinforced

Concrete

363R State-of-the-Art Report on High-Strength Concrete

544.1R State-of-the-Art Report on Fiber Reinforced

Concrete

544.3R Guide for Specifying, Mixing, Placing, and Finish-

ing Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

C 29 Test Method for Unit Weight and Voids in

AggregatesC 31 Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test

Specimens in the Field

C 33 Specification for Concrete Aggregates

C 39 Test Method for Compressive Strength of

Cylindrical Concrete Specimens

C 94 Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete

C 143 Test Method for Slump of Hydraulic Cement

Concrete

C 172 Practice for Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete

C 173 Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed

Concrete by the Volumetric Method

C 192 Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test

Specimens in the LaboratoryC 231 Test Method for Air Content of Freshly Mixed

Concrete by the Pressure Method

C 260 Specification for Air-Entraining Admixtures for

Concrete

C 330 Specification for Lightweight Aggregate for

Structural Concrete

C 494 Specification for Chemical Admixtures for Concrete

C 1116 Standard Specification for Fiber-Reinforced

Concrete and Shotcrete

D448 Classification for Sizes of Aggregate for Road and

Bridge Construction

The publications listed above may be obtained from the

following organizations:

American Association of State Hightway and Transportation Offi-cials (AASHTO)

444 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 225Washington, DC 20001

American Concrete Institute (ACI)P.O. Box 9094Farmington Hills, MI 48333-9094

American Society for Testing and Materials100 Bar Harbor DriveW. Conshohocken, PA 19428

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