Published Resources Details
Journal Article
- Title
- History of Ready Mixed Concrete
- In
- Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia
- Imprint
- vol. 14, no. 7, Jul 1942, pp. 161-165
- ISBN/ISSN
- 0020-3319
- Description
This paper, No.782, originated in the Brisbane Division of The Institution, and was presented before a meeting of the Townsville Group on 2nd December 1941. The author. Mr R. Wilson MIEAust, is Construction Engineer for Concrete Constructions (Qld:) Pty. Ltd., at Townsville.
- Abstract
The history of the rational design of concrete appears to begin with the publication, in 1918, of "Design of Concrete Mixes", by Duff. A. Abrams. This presented two concepts: (a) the water/cement ratio law, and (b) an arbitrary function of the grading of the aggregate, known as the "fineness modulus."
Experience has demonstrated the essential soundness of the water/cement ratio law.
It is obvious then that the choice of the proper water/cement ratio law is only the first step in the design of the mix. For a complete method of design, some means must be provided to determine the workability of the mix with regard to the amounts and grading of the aggregates. It was for this purpose that the fineness modulus was developed. And so the Portland Cement Association, under the control of Duff. A. Abrams, proceeded to the making of thousands of trial batches by the method of "cut and try," for the purpose of arriving at strengths of concrete having known water/cement ratios.