How Many 50kg Cement Bags are Needed for 100 Feet of Concrete Mix 1:1.5:3?

To accurately determine the number of 50kg cement bags needed for 100 feet of concrete with a mix ratio of 1:1.5:3, it's important to breakdown and understand the different steps involved. Let's walk through each aspect in detail:

Concrete Mix Ratio

The mix ratio 1:1.5:3 refers to the proportions of materials required in a concrete mix:

1 part cement 1.5 parts sand 3 parts aggregate (gravel)

This tells us that for every 1 part of cement, we need 1.5 parts of sand and 3 parts of aggregate. This ratio is crucial for achieving the desired strength and workability of the concrete.

Volume of Concrete

Knowing the volume of concrete required is necessary to calculate the amount of materials needed. The length of 100 feet can be assumed to be for a slab, but it does not give us the full picture since we need to consider the width and depth as well.

For simplicity, let’s assume the slab is 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep. This means the volume required is:

Volume Length x Width x Depth 100 ft x 1 ft x 1 ft 100 cubic feet

Total Parts in the Mix

The total parts in the mix are given by adding the parts of each component:

Total Parts 1 (cement) 1.5 (sand) 3 (aggregate) 5.5 parts

Cement Volume Calculation

The volume of cement in the mix is calculated as follows:

Volume of cement (1 part / Total Parts) x Total Volume

Substituting the values:

Volume of cement (1 / 5.5) x 100 cubic feet ≈ 18.18 cubic feet

Convert Cement Volume to Weight

To determine the weight of cement, we use the density of cement, which is approximately 1440 kg/m3 or about 94 lb/ft3.

In terms of kilograms:

Weight of cement Volume of cement x Density of cement

Converting cubic feet to kilograms:

Weight of cement 18.18 cubic feet x 94 lb/ft3 ≈ 1716.92 lb

Converting pounds to kilograms (1 lb ≈ 0.453592 kg):

Weight of cement ≈ 1716.92 lb x 0.453592 kg/lb ≈ 778.96 kg

Calculate Number of Bags

Each bag of cement weighs 50 kg. Therefore, the number of bags required is:

Number of bags (Weight of cement / Weight per bag)

Substituting the values:

Number of bags 778.96 kg / 50 kg/bag ≈ 15.58

Since you can't purchase a fraction of a bag, you would need 16 bags of 50kg cement.

Conclusion

To summarize, you would require 16 bags of 50kg cement for 100 feet of a 1:1.5:3 concrete mix, assuming a concrete slab that is 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep. Adjust the calculations if the dimensions of the concrete work differ.