Traditionally, earth-moist concretes are formed from a three-component system comprising cement, aggregate and water, whereby neither the design nor the optimisation of earth-moist concrete mixtures has been uniformly regulated to date. In recent years, the use of additives and admixtures has been accorded increasing significance, so that even the modern earth-moist concrete is gradually becoming a five-component system that enables new possibilities for variation of the recipe design. The mastery of such a system requires a deep understanding of the interrelationships in terms of concrete technology. This essay deals with several aspects of recipe optimisation. Within the context of recipe optimisation, the experimental characterisation of the processability of earth-moist concrete is accorded particular importance. The methods used for this differ from those that are used for concretes with normal consistencies. Such methods are presented in this essay. Several of these methods additionally represent the basis for determining the optimum compaction parameters on block making machines. By way of example, it will also be shown how material investigations and machine optimisations led to a new type of block making machine.
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