Conclusion:
In summary, a great deal of care is taken to develop the proportions of the concrete mixtures to achieve
desired performance characteristics such as compressive strength and resistance to damage from
freezing and thawing, exposure to sulfates, and corrosion. It is critical to understand that these
performance characteristics may become vulnerable with additions of water above the design limitations.
In addition, the provision of proper curing will further promote the optimal characteristics of the concrete.
Strict adherence to the most restrictive design w/cm limitations of ACI 318 for structural concrete based
on the exposure conditions is of great importance and the project specified design strengths should
closely relate to proven concrete performance at the maximum permitted w/cm.