MIX DESIGN Compressive strength - MPa Fig. 19.1: 90 12000 80 70 10000 60 3000 50 & a 6000 30 4000 20 2000 10 0 0 i) yy Water/cement ratio Relation between compressive strength and free waterfcement ratio for use in the British mix design method. (Building Research Establishment, Crown copyright) An example is shown where sulfate-resisting Portland (Type V) cement is used to make concrete. According to Table 19.2, for a free water/cement ratio of 0.5, the 28-day strength is 49 MPa (7100 psi). This point is plotted and the dashed curve is interpolated between the adjacent curves. From this curve, the water/cement ratio for 4 strength of 40 MPa (5800 psi) is estimated to be 0.57. method, the water/cementitious material ratio is equal to the water/cement ratio of the Portland-cement-only mix but, because pozzolans have a lower specific gravity than Portland cement, the volume of the cementitious material is greater than that of the Portland cement mix. With the volume method, the mass of the cementitious material is smaller than that of the cement in the Portland-cement-only mix so that the water/cementitious material ratio is greater than in the Portland-cement-only mix. 360