The materials used for making concrete are mixed with water for two reasons. Firstly to cause the reaction between cement and water which results in the cement acting as a binding agent and secondly to make the materials of concrete sufficiently plastic to be placed in position. The ratio of water to cement used in concrete affects its ultimate strength, and a certain water—cement ratio produces the best concrete. If too little water is used the concrete is so stiff that it cannot be compacted and if too much water is used the concrete does not develop full strength.
The amount of water required to make concrete sufficiently plastic depends on the position in which the concrete is to be placed. The extreme examples of this are concrete for large foundations, which can be mixed with comparatively little water and yet be consolidated, and concrete to be placed inside formwork for narrow reinforced concrete beams where the concrete has to be comparatively wet to be placed. In the first example, as little water is used, the proportion of cement to aggregate can be as low as say 1 part of cement to 9 of aggregate and in the second, as more water has to he used, the proportion of cement to aggregate has to be as high as say I part of cement to 4 of aggregate. As cement is expensive compared with aggregate it is usual to use as little water and therefore cement as the necessary plasticity of the concrete will allow.
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