Causes of variation in concrete yield

By Bruce A. Suprenant
DETERMINING UNIT WEIGHT

W
hen a contractor orders a
cubic yard of concrete, he Sample three truck mixers.
anticipates receiving a Run unit weight on each sample.
cubic yard of concrete. When a pre-
cast plant batches a known quantity
of ingredients, they expect to fill
their forms. But what happens when
the contractor can’t fill his forms
with the amount of concrete he
ordered or the batched ingredients
don’t provide the expected cubic
yards of fresh concrete? Obviously,
someone has to produce more con-
crete. It’s a fact of life that variations
in concrete volume can and do occur, ASTM C 138 Test for Unit Weight: Fill a 1⁄2-cubic-foot bucket in three layers;
but understanding how and why rod each layer 25 times and rap side with a mallet; strike off with a flat plate;
they occur can help make their occur- clean outside surfaces and weigh.
rence less frequent.

CONCRETE YIELD
Concrete yield is defined as the vol-
ume of fresh-mixed concrete pro-
duced from a known quantity of
ingredients. The basis for calculating
yield is prescribed in the American
Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) Standard Specification for
Ready Mixed Concrete (ASTM C 94).
Determine yield—the volume of fresh
concrete—by dividing the total batch
weight by the measured unit weight
of the fresh concrete.
The total batch weight is either the
sum of the weights of all materials,
including water, or the net weight of
the concrete in the batch as delivered.
The unit weight is determined in
accordance with ASTM C 138 (Test
Method for Unit Weight, Yield, and Air
Content). ASTM C 94 requires the unit
weight to be an average of at least
three measurements, with each sample
removed from the midpoint of a differ-
ent truck and measured using a 1⁄2-
cubic-foot container (see Figure).
P roducing too much concre t e
(overyield) isn’t cost-effective, while
producing too little concrete (under-
yield) makes contractors unhappy.
Everyone’s especially unhappy when
the batching operation is closed for
Three layers Use a flat plate Weigh
Unit weight (UW) = net concrete weight bucket volume = pounds per
cubic foot
Average unit weight = (UW1 + UW2 + UW3) 3 = pounds per cubic foot
Batch yield (in cubic feet) = weight of batch average unit weight
Batch yield (in cubic yards) = yield (in cubic feet) 27
Source: NRMCACIP 8: What, Why & How? “Discrepancies in Yield!”
the night, the trucks are assigned to Yield variations also occur because of
another job, or a different mix has changes in the mix proportions or tol-
been batched into the stationary hop- erances in weighing out the batch.
per only to find out that an extra 1⁄2 Apparent shortages. A contractor’s
cubic yard now is needed. operation can create what appears to
be a concrete shortage or underyield.
VARIATIONS IN YIELD Contractors should investigate these
ASTM C 94 specifically notes that the possible causes for apparent concrete
volume of hardened concrete may be, shortages:
or appear to be, less than expected due • Deflection or distortion of wall
to waste and spillage, overexcavation, forms by the pressure of the concrete
spreading forms, some loss of • Irregular subgrades due to
entrained air, or settlement of wet mix- improper granular fill, grading, or set-
tures. None are the responsibility of tlement
the producer. • Forms placed at the wrong eleva-
Variations in yield are sometimes the tions or locations
result of the contractor’s operation. Contractors also should make sure
that the concrete order has been cor-
rectly calculated for the form volume
or slab thickness. For example, a 1⁄8-
inch-low subgrade means a shortage
of 3 cubic yards in 100 cubic yards for
a 4-inch-thick slab. Also, don’t forget
to consider waste, most contractors
order an extra 5% to account for con-
crete spilled outside the forms.
Contractors shouldn’t be satisfied
with the initial concrete order; they
should verify their concrete needs as
the pour progresses. If extra concrete is
needed, it can be added to the last two
or three trucks.
Mix changes. Laboratory test
batches usually are made with the
highest specified air and water con-
tent to ensure that the required min-
imum compressive strength is
obtained. What happens when the
batched concrete has an air and
water content that meets specifica-
tions but isn’t as high as the labora-
tory test batch? The batched ingredi-
ents don’t deliver the same volume
that the laboratory test says they
should. For instance, a 1% decrease
in air content reduces the concrete
batched by 1⁄4 cubic foot in a cubic
yard (a 1% variation in yield). If the
specified slump is obtained with 20
pounds less water in a cubic yard,
that water represents a decrease in
yield of 1⁄ 3 cubic foot (another 1%
variation in yield).
Most specifications allow a 2% vari-
ation in air content and a 2-inch varia-
tion in slump. Batching the concrete
on the low end vs. the high end of the
specification can result in a variation
in yield of almost 4% or a shortage of
4 cubic yards for every 100 cubic yards
ordered.
F i n a l l y, let’s add in changes in
aggregate moisture. If the aggregate
is too dry and absorbs 1% of water by
weight, that could account for anoth-
er 1⁄2 cubic foot per cubic yard.
All these mix factors may have addi-
tive effects on yield and vary constant-
ly during the project. Fortunately, it’s
rare that all the effects will be additive.
And if the concrete is consistently
under-yielded, proportionally adjust
all the batch ingredients to eliminate
the deficiency.
Batching. If yield variations persist,
check and calibrate aggregate and
cement scales, water meters, and
admixture dispensers. Check aggre-
gate stockpile moisture and adjust
mix proportions. Check ready mix
t rucks to ensure compliance with
specifications, proper cleanout, and
calibration of truck water meters.
PUBLICATION #J940309
Copyright © 1994, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved