Studies on applicability of Dewar's theory of particle packing to concrete mix proportioning for sustainable development

The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the suitability of Dewar's theory of particle packing for mix proportioning of concrete and to evaluate its performance through comparison with conventional Indian Standard mix design procedure. From the comparative studies carried out on different grades of concrete mixes, it is observed that the concrete mixes designed based on the optimum proportions obtained from Dewar's void ratio diagram resulted in 6-14% increase in compressive strength, 6-15% decrease in secondary rate of absorption with considerable savings in cement consumption of about 5-30%.