The provider match passes one request for concrete mix design services, testing or specialty placement to independent providers, so state the specified strength, exposure class, test standard or placement method from the start. The page you came from preselects the service where it can.
A strength record no older than 24 months decides the mix design margin, composite sampling at delivery is limited to 15 minutes (ASTM C172/C172M-25), and durability tests run from 16 days to 2 years. The standards behind these numbers are collected in the reference on concrete additives.
Each value is traced to its source: standards and codes to their issuing body, product values to the data sheet named with them, prices to the dated source beside them (methodology and fact-checking).
Describe the work
Which Services Can You Request Through the Provider Match?#
Four services can be requested: mix design and trial batching, testing of fresh, hardened and durability properties, specialty placement such as sprayed, pervious, cellular or cold-weather work, and review of a specification, mix submittal or test report. Each request covers one service, and a second need is a second request.
The table below compares the four services by what they cover and what the request must state.
| Service | What it covers | What the request must state | Related page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mix design and trial batching | Proportions, trial batch, submittal | Strength and age, exposure classes, aggregate size, slump or slump flow, materials, specification | concrete mix design with admixtures and SCMs |
| Testing | Sampling, fresh, strength and durability tests | Tests with standard and edition, sample count, site or lab, date | fresh concrete tests for admixture acceptance |
| Specialty placement | Sprayed, pervious, cellular, cold-weather | Method, governing document, element size, temperature, crew credentials | special concretes and the admixture systems behind them |
| Specification review | Submittal, test report, data sheet, project specification | Document type, standards named, the question | none |
What Should a Mix Design Request State?#
A mix design request states the specified strength and test age, the exposure classes, the maximum aggregate size, the target slump or slump flow, the materials the plant already holds and the specification the mix must meet. The proportioning method itself, the absolute-volume method of ACI PRC-211.1-22, is worked through in concrete mix design with admixtures and SCMs.
Strength, exposure class and the margin over specified strength#
The required average strength f'cr comes from ACI SPEC-301-20 Article 4.2.3, because ACI 318 has carried no f'cr statistics since 318-14.
With a strength record, the standard deviation comes from tests on a similar class within 1,000 psi of f'c, the record is no more than 24 months old and covers at least 45 days, and f'cr may be reduced after 15 tests. Without a record, ACI SPEC-301-20 Article 4.2.3 adds a fixed margin from 1,000 psi up to (1.1 f'c + 700) psi depending on f'c. State in the request whether a strength record exists.
ACI CODE-318-25 exposure classes are F0 to F2, S0 to S3, W0 to W2 and C0 to C2, with w/cm calculated on all cementitious materials including SCMs.
Under EN 206-1:2026, the Annex F limiting values are informative and national provisions govern; BS 8500-1:2023 designated concretes come only from third-party certified producers (Concrete Centre, 2024). The class limits a provider applies are listed under w/cm code limits by exposure.
The table below compares what to state for each specification basis.
| Specification basis | Exposure classes to state | Strength margin source |
|---|---|---|
| US | ACI CODE-318-25 categories F0 to F2, S0 to S3, W0 to W2, C0 to C2 | f'cr per ACI SPEC-301-20 Article 4.2.3 |
| EU | EN 206-1:2026 exposure classes; EN 206 concrete specification | National provisions for limits |
| UK | BS 8500-1:2023 | Designated concretes from certified producers |
| India | IS 456:2000 exposure classes, IS 10262 proportioning (named only, no values) | Named in the request |
Local materials, admixtures and trial batches#
List every material the batch plant holds, because a trial batch is made with them: cement, SCMs, aggregates and admixtures in use.
ACI CODE-318-25 and ACI SPEC-301-20 contain no minimum cementitious materials content. NRMCA 2PE004-26 refers to trial mixture data within 24 months, so state the age of any existing trial data.
Admixture suppliers can bundle technical service and trial batching into the product price, so say whether a supplier trial already exists. Supplier terms are compared on concrete admixture manufacturers and suppliers.
What Should a Testing Request State?#
A testing request names each test by standard and edition, the number of samples, the sampling location and the date results are needed, because durability tests run from 16 days to 2 years.
The table below compares the tests a request can name, with the edition and the time that applies.
| Test | Standard (edition) | What to state in the request | Duration or time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slump: concrete slump test | ASTM C143/C143M-26b; EN 12350-2:2019 | Sample location, target slump | Start within 5 minutes of sampling (ASTM C172/C172M-25) |
| Air: air content tests | ASTM C231/C231M-26 (dense aggregate only); ASTM C173/C173M-26 (any aggregate) | Aggregate type | Start within 5 minutes of sampling (ASTM C172/C172M-25) |
| Slump flow: slump flow test | ASTM C1611/C1611M-21 | Self-compacting or flowing mix | Composite sample within 15 minutes (ASTM C172/C172M-25) |
| Charge passed: rapid chloride permeability test | ASTM C1202-25 | Curing age of the specimen | Set by the stated curing age |
| ASR: alkali-silica reaction tests | ASTM C1567-25; ASTM C1293/C1293M-23ae1 | Aggregate, cement and SCM combination | 16 days; 1 year (2 years with an SCM or lithium) |
| Sulfate: sulfate attack on concrete | ASTM C1012 | Class S1, S2 or S3 exposure | 6 to 18 months by class |
| Carbonation: carbonation of concrete | EN 12390-12:2020 | Curing and exposure age | At least 112 days |
Sampling and acceptance tests at delivery#
Sampling at delivery follows ASTM C172/C172M-25: a composite sample within 15 minutes and slump and air tests started within 5 minutes, so a technician stands at the discharge.
Slump follows ASTM C143/C143M-26b or EN 12350-2:2019. Air content uses ASTM C231/C231M-26, the pressure method for dense aggregates only, or ASTM C173/C173M-26, the volumetric method for any aggregate. Temperature follows ASTM C1064/C1064M-23.
ACI CODE-318-25 requires every average of 3 consecutive strength tests to equal or exceed f'c, with no single test below f'c by more than 500 psi (f'c up to 5,000 psi) or 0.10 f'c (above 5,000 psi). The test family is described under fresh concrete tests for admixture acceptance.
Durability tests and how long they run#
Durability tests run from 16 days (ASTM C1567-25) to 2 years (ASTM C1293/C1293M-23ae1 with SCMs or lithium). Four tests set the earliest date a result can exist.
- ASTM C1567-25: 16 days, valid only for the tested combination.
- ASTM C1293/C1293M-23ae1: expansion limit 0.04 % at 1 year for an aggregate and at 2 years for an SCM or lithium mitigation (FHWA-HIF-13-019); ACI SPEC-301-20 4.2.2.6(a) also accepts ASTM C1567 at most 0.10 % at 16 days.
- ASTM C1012: S1 0.10 % at 6 months, S2 0.05 % at 6 months and S3 Option 1 0.10 % at 18 months (ACI CODE-318-25 Table 26.4.2.2(c)), a submittal item.
- EN 12390-12:2020: 3.0 % CO2, 28 days water curing plus 14 days in laboratory air, at least 112 days in total.
ASTM C1202-25 reports charge passed in coulombs, so name the specimen curing age.
Laboratory records a specifier may ask for#
A specifier may ask for the laboratory's accreditation and the age of its data; Illinois DOT, for example, asks for corrosion-inhibitor test data from an AASHTO-accredited laboratory, no more than 5 years old.
Ask the provider for accreditation and certification documents with the quote.
What Should a Specialty Placement Request State?#
A specialty placement request states the placement method, the governing document, the element and its size, the lowest or highest expected concrete temperature and the credentials the crew needs.
For sprayed placement, ACI PRC-506-22 (adopted November 2022, superseding ACI 506R-16) defines dry-mix as adding most water at the nozzle and wet-mix as batching all water before pumping. ACI SPEC-301-20 extended its scope to shotcrete, ASTM C1141/C1141M-15 was withdrawn in 2024, and ACI offers Shotcreter (Dry-Mix Process), Shotcreter (Wet-Mix Process) and Shotcrete Inspector programs.
Pervious pavement work cites ACI SPEC-522.1-20 and ACI PRC-522-23, and temperature limits come from ACI SPEC-301-20 section 4.2.2.5. The concretes themselves are covered under special concretes and the admixture systems behind them.
The table below compares the placement types by governing document and request content.
| Placement | Governing document (edition) | What to state | Related page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprayed | ACI PRC-506-22; ACI SPEC-301-20; ACI certification programs | Process (wet-mix or dry-mix), area and thickness, crew credentials | shotcrete mixes |
| Pervious | ACI SPEC-522.1-20; ACI PRC-522-23; ASTM C1688/C1688M-26, C1701/C1701M-17a(2023), C1754/C1754M-25 | Area and thickness, freezing exposure | pervious concrete |
| Low temperature | ACI SPEC-301-20 4.2.2.5(a): 13, 10, 7 or 5 °C (55, 50, 45 or 40 °F) as delivered for least section dimensions below 305 mm (12 in), 305 to 914 mm (12 to 36 in), 914 to 1,829 mm (36 to 72 in) and above 1,829 mm (72 in) | Least section dimension, lowest forecast temperature | cold-weather concreting |
| High temperature | ACI SPEC-301-20 4.2.2.5(b): 35 °C (95 °F) maximum as delivered, higher where proven locally or by preconstruction testing | Highest forecast temperature | hot-weather concreting |
| Self-compacting | ASTM C1611/C1611M-21; ACI Self-Consolidating Concrete Testing Technician program | Slump-flow target | self-compacting concrete (SCC) |
| Cellular | No document named | Density target and volume | none |
What Happens After You Send a Request?#
Your request is stored with the page you sent it from and the time you sent it, and is passed to independent providers of the service you selected; no company pays for placement.
- Check the summary of your request.
- Send the request with the button.
- Let the form pass it to independent providers of the service you selected.
- Keep the confirmation screen as your reference copy.
Form data is kept for 24 months. The request is not a promise of a reply, a reply time or a number of offers. Your rights are described in the privacy policy.
Provider Match, Supplier Quotes and Mix Calculators#
The provider match is one of the calculators and quote tools on this site: admixtures, SCMs, fibers and pigments are sourced through the supplier quote request, and batch quantities can be checked first with the calculators. For materials rather than services, use the form to request quotes from concrete admixture suppliers. Send your specification to independent suppliers. Curing, surface treatments and repair products are construction-chemical topics and are not requested here.
Three calculators check a request first.
- concrete mix design calculator for first proportions
- water-cement ratio calculator for the w/cm check
- admixture dosage calculator for dose units
Provider match FAQs#
The provider match FAQ covers cost, scope and document review.
How much does a concrete mix design cost?#
A California lab fee schedule (ENGEO, effective February 2024) lists an ASTM C192 laboratory trial batch with cylinders at USD 1,000, or USD 2,000 same day; that is a trial batch fee, not a mix design fee. Admixture suppliers can bundle trial batching into the product price.
Is the provider match a contractor directory?#
No: the provider match is a request form, not a list of local contractors or laboratories, and it names, ranks and recommends no company. A request goes only to providers of the service selected.
Can a provider review a mix design submittal or test report?#
Yes: choose the specification-review service and name the document (mix submittal, test report, data sheet or project specification) and the standards it cites. The review is a provider's opinion, not a certification.