Gilson Insights

Water/Cement Ratio of Concrete: How to Change a Number into a Tool

<div><a href="/blog/water-cement-ratio-of-concrete-article"><img loading="lazy" src="/Content/Images/uploaded/blog/2025/january/water-cement-ratio-hero.jpg" alt="Water/Cement Ratio Article" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 100%; max-width: 715px;" /> </a></div><p>More than a century ago, Duff Abrams established a simple ratio to define the strength, quality, and workability of concrete mixtures. The water to cementitious material (w/cm) ratio is universally used in mixture design and batching, but accurate determinations for on-site acceptance of fresh concrete have remained elusive until now. The Phoenix method provides accurate and repeatable w/cm measurements in the lab or field in minutes.</p>