What should the sum of the absolute volumes of materials for one cubic yard of concrete be when using the absolute volume method?

When using the absolute volume method for calculating the amount of materials needed for one cubic yard of concrete, the sum of the absolute volumes of the materials must equal the volume of concrete being produced, which is one cubic yard.

One cubic yard is equivalent to 27 cubic feet. This measurement is derived from the fact that there are 3 feet in a yard, thus making the calculation for a cube (3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet) equal to 27 cubic feet.

Therefore, when you aggregate the volumes of the various components used to create the concrete mix—this includes cement, aggregates (both coarse and fine), and water—the total must remain at 27 cubic feet to ensure that the mix yields the correct volume of concrete without under or overestimating the required materials.

This principle is foundational in concrete mix design to ensure proper proportions are achieved and the resulting concrete performs as expected.