Grade-wise Mix Ratios
MixDesignCalc Complete Reference 2026 — All Concrete Grades M5 to M70. IS 456:2000 Nominal Mix Ratios & IS 10262:2019 Design Mix Ratios. Cement Bags per m³, Sand & Aggregate per Bag, Batch Quantities & Interactive Grade Ratio Lookup Tool.
All Concrete Grade Ratios — Overview 2026
Concrete grades in India range from M5 (very lean fill concrete) to M100+ (ultra-high performance). Each grade is associated with a mix ratio that expresses the proportions of cement, fine aggregate (sand), and coarse aggregate (stone). Below M30, IS 456:2000 Table 9 provides simplified nominal mix ratios that can be used for minor or non-critical works. For M30 and above, and for any work where consistency and economy are important, IS 10262:2019 design mix ratios are computed from actual material properties and give more accurate, more economical proportions.
Nominal vs Design Mix Ratio — The Essential Distinction
- Nominal mix ratios (IS 456 Table 9): Fixed ratios by volume — same ratio regardless of material quality. Conservative (over-cemented to compensate for variable site quality). Permitted for M5–M25 only. Easy to use on site but wasteful of cement
- Design mix ratios (IS 10262:2019): Computed ratios by mass — specific to actual materials tested. Economical (uses only the cement needed for strength and durability). Mandatory for M30+. More complex to compute but MixDesignCalc does it instantly
- The number looks different: M20 nominal ratio = 1:1.5:3 (by volume) ≠ M20 design ratio ≈ 1:1.9:3.5 (by mass). They look different because: (1) one is by volume, one by mass; (2) nominal is over-cemented; (3) design ratio depends on actual aggregate SG and zone. Both are valid for their respective applications
- Do not mix them up: Using a nominal ratio in mass batching (or vice versa) produces incorrect concrete. Always specify which basis (volume or mass) is being used when communicating a mix ratio
Interactive Grade Ratio Lookup — Click Any Grade 2026
Click any grade below to see its full mix ratio details — nominal ratio (where applicable), typical design mix ratio, bags per m³, per-bag quantities, and IS 456:2000 requirements.
Site Batch Quantity Calculator – Any Grade 2026
Enter a grade and volume to get the exact batch quantities per bag and total quantities for your project, with moisture correction for FA.
🧱 Batch Quantity Calculator — Any Grade
Get per-bag and total batch quantities from a grade selection. Uses typical IS 10262:2019 design mix proportions.
Complete Grade-wise Mix Ratio Master Table – M5 to M70 2026
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| Grade | fck (MPa) | Nominal Ratio (by vol) | Design Mix Ratio (by mass, typical) | Cement (kg/m³) | Sand (kg/m³) | Agg (kg/m³) | Water (kg/m³) | W/C | Bags per m³ | IS 456 Exposure | Design Mix Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 | 5 | 1:5:10 | 1:5.3:10.7 | ~220 | ~745 | ~1495 | ~176 | 0.80 | 4.4 | PCC fill | No |
| M7.5 | 7.5 | 1:4:8 | 1:4.3:8.6 | ~260 | ~730 | ~1460 | ~182 | 0.70 | 5.2 | PCC fill | No |
| M10 | 10 | 1:3:6 | 1:3.2:6.4 | ~315 | ~700 | ~1400 | ~189 | 0.60 | 6.3 | PCC | No |
| M15 | 15 | 1:2:4 | 1:2.4:3.8 | ~330 | ~695 | ~1115 | ~198 | 0.60 | 6.6 | Mild (PCC) | Optional |
| M20 | 20 | 1:1.5:3 | 1:2.2:3.5 | ~330 | ~730 | ~1155 | ~182 | 0.55 | 6.6 | Mild (RCC) | Recommended |
| M25 | 25 | 1:1:2 | 1:1.9:3.0 | ~370 | ~710 | ~1115 | ~185 | 0.50 | 7.4 | Moderate | Recommended |
| M30 | 30 | No nominal | 1:1.8:2.8 | ~400 | ~715 | ~1120 | ~180 | 0.45 | 8.0 | Severe | MANDATORY |
| M35 | 35 | No nominal | 1:1.6:2.5 | ~435 | ~695 | ~1100 | ~174 | 0.40 | 8.7 | Very Severe | MANDATORY |
| M40 | 40 | No nominal | 1:1.5:2.3 | ~460 | ~680 | ~1080 | ~166 | 0.36 | 9.2 | Extreme | MANDATORY |
| M45 | 45 | No nominal | 1:1.3:2.1 (w SCM) | ~390+SCM | ~645 | ~1200 | ~155 | 0.32 | ~10.0 | Extreme | MANDATORY |
| M50 | 50 | No nominal | 1:1.0:2.1 (w SCM) | ~386+SCM | ~560 | ~1200 | ~154 | 0.29 | ~10.6 | Extreme | MANDATORY |
| M55 | 55 | No nominal | 1:0.9:1.9 (HPC) | ~400+SCM | ~530 | ~1175 | ~145 | 0.27 | ~11.5 | Extreme+ | MANDATORY+specialist |
| M60 | 60 | No nominal | 1:0.8:1.8 (HPC) | ~415+SCM | ~505 | ~1150 | ~140 | 0.25 | ~12.0 | Extreme+ | MANDATORY+specialist |
| M70 | 70 | No nominal | 1:0.7:1.7 (UHPC) | ~445+SCM | ~470 | ~1090 | ~125 | 0.22 | ~13.5 | Specialist | Specialist mix design |
Important Notes on the Grade-wise Ratio Table
- Nominal ratios are by volume; design mix ratios are by mass — do not use these on the same basis. Always specify which system you are using when communicating ratios on drawings, specifications, or site instructions
- Design mix ratios vary with materials — the values in the table are computed for OPC 53, Zone II river sand (SG 2.65), crushed granite (SG 2.68), and Good control (S=4.0 MPa). Your actual design mix ratio will differ if your materials have different SGs, FM, or you use a different cement grade
- M45 and above ratios include SCM — the cement content shown is OPC only; total binder (OPC + GGBS/SF) is typically 480–560 kg/m³. The ratio shown is Total Binder : FA : CA
- Bags per m³ shown for 50kg bags of cement (OPC only) — for SCM blends, additional material is needed in the SCM component; bags per m³ of OPC only will be lower than the total binder bags
Frequently Asked Questions – Grade-wise Mix Ratios 2026
Q: What is the mix ratio for M30 concrete?
M30 has no IS 456 nominal mix ratio — nominal mix is only permitted up to M25 per IS 456:2000 Table 9. M30 requires a design mix per IS 10262:2019. A typical M30 design mix (OPC 53, Moderate-to-Severe exposure, Zone II sand, 20mm crushed aggregate, S=4.0 MPa) produces a ratio of approximately 1:1.8:2.8 by mass with w/c = 0.45. The actual ratio for your project will depend on your specific material SG values and FA zone — use the MixDesignCalc IS 10262 calculator to compute your project-specific ratio.
Q: How many bags of cement per m³ for each grade?
Approximate cement bags (50kg) per m³ for IS 10262:2019 design mix, OPC 53, Zone II sand, 20mm crushed, Moderate/Severe exposure: M15 = 6.6 bags; M20 = 6.6 bags; M25 = 7.4 bags; M30 = 8.0 bags; M35 = 8.7 bags; M40 = 9.2 bags; M50 = 10.6 bags (OPC only — add SCM). For IS 456 nominal mix: M15 = 6.5 bags; M20 = 7.7 bags; M25 = 9.5 bags (higher than design mix due to conservative nominal proportioning). Use 8 bags per m³ as a rough planning figure for M30 in urban India.
Q: Can the same mix ratio be used for different grades by just changing water content?
No — this is a common misconception. Increasing water content while keeping other ingredients constant raises the w/c ratio, which reduces strength (not increases it). To move from M25 to M30 with the same workability, you must increase cement content (reduce w/c to achieve higher strength) and adjust aggregate proportions accordingly. The entire mix ratio changes when you change the grade. You cannot convert between grades by changing only one ingredient — all five steps of IS 10262 must be recomputed.
Q: What is the mix ratio for M50 concrete with silica fume?
A typical M50 HPC design mix with OPC 53 + 10% SF + 20% GGBS, 20mm crushed, Zone II sand, PCE SP 30% WR: OPC 386 kg | SF 39 kg | GGBS 106 kg | Water 154 kg | FA 559 kg | CA 1201 kg. Mix ratio based on total binder: 1 : 1.05 : 2.26 (Binder : FA : CA) with w/c (w/total binder) = 0.29. The ratio is very different from M20 or M25 because: (1) the low w/c drastically reduces water and increases cement; (2) HPC uses lower FA% (32% vs 38–40% for M25); (3) total binder includes SCM which displaces aggregate. Use the MixDesignCalc M50 calculator for project-specific proportions.