Concrete Mixes & Cement
Bagged mixes, portland cement types, and ready-mix by strength class — what each is for and how to pick between them.
How to choose within concrete mixes & cement
The category splits three ways and choosing wrongly is the most common material mistake in concrete work. Bagged mixes are complete — cement, sand and aggregate already proportioned — so you add only water. Portland cement on its own contains no aggregate and will not make a slab; it is an ingredient, bought to blend with sand and stone or to make mortar. Ready-mix arrives batched to a specified strength and is the right answer above roughly half a cubic yard.
Strength is the second decision. Interior slabs and footings in mild climates are commonly 3,000 psi (21 MPa). Sidewalks, patios, garage floors and residential driveways run 3,500 to 4,000 psi, and ACI 332 requires 4,000 psi with air entrainment for garage floors and exterior flatwork exposed to freezing or deicing chemicals. Structural members go to 5,000 psi and above under ACI 318 design.
Cement type matters less often than people expect. Type I/II covers most general work. Type IL portland-limestone cement (ASTM C595) is approved by all 50 state DOTs plus DC, produces up to about 10% less CO₂, and in many markets is simply what the plant supplies.
What this category covers
- Standard bagged concrete
- High-strength and fast-setting
- Mortar and mason mix
- Sand and topping mix
- Portland cement Types I–V
- Blended and Type IL
- Ready-mix by PSI class
- Specialty: countertop, pervious, UHPC
Standards that govern it
- ASTM C150/C150M — Standard Specification for Portland Cement
- ASTM C595/C595M — Standard Specification for Blended Hydraulic Cements
- ASTM C39/C39M — Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
- ASTM C94/C94M — Standard Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete
Manufacturers in this category
Listed alphabetically, in no order of preference. This site does not test products and does not recommend one brand over another.