Factors Affecting Workability:

Water Content

As discussed above, the ease of flow of concrete mix governs the workability. The ease of flow can be achieved by reducing the internal friction between the particles of concrete. Increasing the lubrication of the surface of aggregates can reduce the internal friction of particles. Water content of a concrete mix plays an important role in increasing the lubrication between the particles. Thus, more is the quantity of water better will be the workability but excess quantity of water has a few severe adverse effect on the quality of concrete. Since, as we increase the quantity of water, the water cement ratio also increases therefore the strength of concrete reducing. So, one could use this option for increasing the workability by keeping the limit on W/C ratio as per requirement for which one has to increase the quantity of cement also along with the quantity of water to restrict the W/C ratio within the desirable limit.