There are a variety of concrete mixes available, depending on the desired application. For general construction, there are three types of common concrete mixes: 1. plain (or regular) Portland cement concrete - This is the most common type of concrete mix and is used for most applications. It consists of Portland cement, gravel, sand, and water. 2. reinforced or structural Portland cement concrete - This type of concrete is stronger and able to support more weight than plain Portland cement concrete. It consists of Portland cement, gravel, sand, steel reinforcements, and water. 3. prestressed Portland cement concrete - This type of concrete is also stronger and able to support more weight than plain Portland cement concrete.
Concrete mixes can be classified based on three criteria: the aggregate material, the binder, and the water-to-cement ratio. 1) Based on aggregate material, there are two types of concrete mixes – Portland cement concrete and asphalt concrete. Portland cement concrete is made with crushed stone or gravel as the aggregate, while asphalt concrete is made with crushed asphalt as the aggregate. 2) Based on binder type, there are three types of concrete mixes – hydraulic lime mortar mix, portland cement mortar mix, and ready mixed mortar. Hydraulic lime mortar mix uses lime as the binder while portland cement mortar mix uses portland cement as the binder. Ready mixed mortar is a pre-mixed type
