Importance of maintaining proper water cement ratio in concrete

Concrete brings strength, durability and versatility to the construction, making the foundation of modern buildings. In this case, maintaining the water- cement ratio is an influential factor determining the concrete quality. At First Choice Ready Mix, we take care about the water- cement ratio affecting everything from large- scale industrial operations to home flooring concrete mixes. In this blog, we will understand the water- cement ratio and importance in modern construction.

Understanding water- cement ratio

In a construction setting, the water- cement ratio is expressed as a decimal number in which the lower number shows higher cement content while the higher number indicates lower cement content. For example- Water- cement ratio of 0.5 indicates 0.5 Kg of water in the mixture for every Kg of cement. Concrete with reasonably low water- cement ratio indicates denser, stronger and less porous while higher water- cement content indicates more workable, fluid mixture that is weaker and more prone to degradation due to cracking and other factors.

Importance of water- cement ratio

• Hydration of cement is an important process, leading to hardening of concrete. It can be defined as a reaction between cement and water influencing the hydration process, providing strength and durability of the concrete. For example- If the water content in concrete is low, there might be shortage of water in the hydration process especially in the cement particles. It ultimately leads to incomplete reactions as well as weakening the concrete structures. On the other hand, presence of higher water content may lower the chances of excess water in the hydration process that may evaporate, leaving behind voids and reducing concrete's strength. However, an ideal cement- water ratio is able to ensure durability by using our waterproof cement mix which takes care about additives within it which may prevent permeability of the concrete and make the concrete less prone to water penetration.
• Maintaining Water- cement ratio is ideal for cohesive mix to prevent segregation and also ensures uniform distribution of the concrete ingredients. We at First Choice Ready Mix maintain optimal water- cement ratio under the supervision of professionals that influences the cohesiveness of the mix in which flooring Concrete mix of us is highly appreciated. For example- Lower ratio indicates the stiff nature of concrete that is sometimes difficult to handle, often leading to poor compaction and segregation of particles like cement, additives. Similarly, higher ratio indicates the concrete is too fluid that leads to difficulties in pasting to raise the surface that resulted in weak flooring concrete structures.
• Segregation and bleeding has the ability to Influence water- cement ratio. Segregation usually arises when aggregates of concrete mix separately, resulting in an uneven distribution of materials. It mostly resulted in weakening the nature of Waterproofing properties, reducing structural integrity. On the other hand, bleeding occurs when water increases to the surface. We experienced that bleeding mostly influenced the mix of material in which our flooring concrete mix can be ideal, especially in freshly placed Concrete that can result in a durable concrete surface. That is why, we prefer to maintain an optimal ratio that helps to bring fiber reinforced concrete, well- blended mix alongside minimizing segregation and bleeding.
• Water- cement ratio is highly related to Workability that ensures uniformity and complete mixture of concrete aggregates. While working on any building or construction structure, we at First Choice Ready Mix follow water- cement ratio to ensure ideal compaction, providing a smooth surface which can be possible by our fiber reinforced concrete. For example- Lower water- cement ratio indicates stiffer cement mix as well as flooring Concrete mix which usually takes higher effort for compaction while higher water- cement ratio is ideal for workability but disadvantage for offering strength. That is why, managing the right balance between water- cement determines the reinforcement results, workability and strength.
• In offering comprehensive strength to the structures, water- cement ratio is an important parameter to ensure the lower chances of failure. To achieve higher performance in fiber reinforced concrete and appropriate mix, the right water- cement ratio is ideal to follow. For example- Increasing water content may lower the compressive strength of the structure while lower water content loses the waterproof properties of cement mix.
• We at First Choice Ready Mix follow the guidelines of Bureau of Indian Standards to manage ideal water- cement ratio in construction work. To ensure the durability and smooth surface, we suggest to follow IS 10262: 2019 that includes the guidelines for concrete mix proportioning. Adhering to this guideline, individuals can ensure concrete produced meets the specific quality and performance criteria.
• Another reason for maintaining the water- cement ratio is to avoid Honeycombing which refers to voids or cavities in the concrete. A concrete mix with low water content creates significant difficulties in Compacting that often leads to incomplete filling that results in creating voids. At First Choice Ready Mix, our experts monitor water quantity in respect of cement quality to avoid bleeding, segregation and honeycombing.