Cement consumption of small concrete quantity

If a small amount of concrete is to be cast and the mixer is not present on the site, if we want to make a hand mix concrete, then how much percent of cement will be used as much as per the Indian standard.
 

Dnyan Deshmukh

Staff member
You can make small amount of hand-mix concrete provided you know the end result of it i.e. - 28 days strength parameter.

To avoid any damages to the concrete prepared say water quantity or any other material quantity get varies due to improper or volume batching by unskilled labours under or without supervision.

Many suggest to add 10% extra cement to compensate the effect of any error in batching.

This is not written in IS code but Derived by many after getting a bad results from produced concrete (This is called as experience, which is not told any any book or school)

For reconciliation - either you do a close monitoring on batching and ensure batching done correctly or spend extra money for things which can not be controlled by you i.e. - 10% extra cement.

Handling a unskilled manpower is not a easy task, you can not control the actions of many, i saw a frustrated masons asking to add water in concrete which can not be finished and engineer arguing ending up in stopping of work or allowing them to what they wanted to do.

To all problem there is one solution, do mix design as per your local requirement and use it. This solve the all problems or bare the extra cost for not doing.