Methodology for the mix design of self-compacting concrete using different mineral additions in binary blends of powders

•A methodology for SCC mix design was proposed to reconcile workability and strength.•Interaction between the coarse aggregates and mortar phase particles was evaluated.•Maximum volume of coarse aggregates strongly depends on the mortar phase properties.•L-box test is more effective than Box test to evaluate the self-compactability level.

Objective: Interaction between the coarse aggregates and the mortar phase of self-compacting concrete (SCC) was evaluated in a two phase program.Materials and methods: In the first phase, 74 mortars suitable for SCC were produced, combining different volumetric ratios between powders and fine aggregates and different binary blends of powders. In the second phase, 60 concretes were produced with different volumetric ratios between the mortar phase and the coarse aggregates, and their fresh and hardened properties were evaluated.Results: Based on this study, correlations between mix design parameters, fresh and hardened properties were obtained and a methodology was proposed for the mix design of SCC.