High Early Concrete Strength Competition: University of Derby
The University of Derby hosted the very first High Early Strength Concrete Cube Competition (HESCCC). This challenge asked students to reimagine mix design to achieve the highest possible strength after just 24 hours of curing.
The idea was simple: modify a standard mix with additives or tweaks that could speed up strength development. The results? Clever thinking, some unexpected ingredient choices (lemon juice, anyone?), and an impressive display of future engineering talent.
The competitors
- University of Derby – two teams
- Loughborough University – two teams
- University of Nottingham – one team
- Nottingham Trent University – one team
The rules
The competition was organised by the ICE East Midlands Graduates and Students Committee, who also set the ground rules.
Key criteria:
- Maximum cementitious content: 500 kg/m³
- Coarse aggregate: max size 20mm
- Fine aggregate: 0.0475–4mm
- Fineness modulus: Fine = 2.6, Coarse = 7.2
- Specific gravity: Fine = 2.8, Coarse = 2.6
- Three cubes per team, cured in water or air for 24 hours
- Manual compaction only (tamping rod)
- No trial mixes allowed
- Safety documentation (MSDS & COSHH) required in advance
- Compulsory inductions before mixing
Non-compliance meant disqualification – so students had to be as rigorous with their paperwork as they were with their mix designs.
How it worked
The event ran over two days.
- Day one: Teams mixed their concrete and cast three cubes, which were then placed into curing tanks for 24 hours.
- Day two: Each team delivered a short presentation explaining their mix design choices and the role of their chosen additives. After that came the main event – cube testing.
Judging was conducted by Cooper Research Technology, who supplied a compression machine to test cube strength. They also delivered two informative technical presentations for students and staff.
We were proud to support the competition by providing prize money and, of course, pizza for the presentation ceremony.
The results
The testing produced some impressive early strength figures:
Winner: University of Derby, Team 1:
Highest cube strength: 53.07 MPa. Average of three cubes: 52.52 MPa
Prize: £150
Best Presentation: Loughborough University, Team 2:
Prize: £100
Lowest result: Loughborough University, Team 1:
14.42 MPa (from a team of first-year students)
Average strength across all teams: 32.9 MPa
The winning Derby team: Ramez, Joynul and Matt – produced cubes averaging 51 MPa, with their highest result passing 54 MPa.
What the competitors learned
The competition wasn’t just about numbers – it was about understanding the complexities of concrete and the factors influencing performance.
Here’s what some of the participants had to say:
“We learned over the two days that there are a lot more factors affecting concrete than purely its strength.” – Blessing, 3rd year Civil Engineering, UoN
“Always come prepared and ask questions. We didn’t appreciate the importance of early strength and why it’s important in the precast industry.” – Adam, NTU
“Attending this event made me feel like I have gained an advantage over people doing civil engineering and did not attend the event.” – Kimberlin, Foundation Civil Engineering, UoN
Looking ahead
The inaugural High Early Strength Concrete Cube Competition was a huge success – bringing students together, encouraging innovation, and highlighting the vital role of early strength in precast concrete.
We’d like to thank the organisers, the competitors, and everyone involved. We hope to see the competition return next year, and we look forward to sharing more data from the mix designs and cube test results soon.
