SCC mixes with poorly graded aggregate and high volume of limestone filler

Nonpozzolanic fillers are frequently used to optimise the particle packing and flow behaviour of cementitious paste in self-compacting concrete (SCC) mixes. This paper deals with the influence of finely ground limestone and crushed limestone dust on the properties of SCC mixes in the fresh and hardened state. Mixes were prepared using poorly graded crushed limestone aggregate. To compensate the lack of fine material in the crushed sand, a viscosity agent (VA) was added to the mixtures. The results obtained indicate that finer and better-graded limestone dust significantly increases the deformability of the paste. When a high volume of this filler was added to the SCC mix, the required self-compacting properties were achieved at a lower water/(cement+filler) ratio, and it also appeared that the addition of filler improves the 28-day compressive strength of concrete mixes due to the filler effect and improved fine-particle packing.     

Self-consolidating concrete incorporating new viscosity modifying admixtures

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is known for its excellent deformability, high resistance to segregation and use without applying vibration in congested reinforced concrete structures characterized by difficult casting conditions. The use of viscosity modifying admixtures (VMA) has proved very effective in stabilizing the rheology of SCC. Commercial VMAs currently available on the market are costly, which increases the cost of such a concrete. This article presents the suitability of four different types of new polysaccharide-based VMA in the development of SCC. A preliminary investigation was carried out on the rheological properties and setting times of mortar mixes with various types and dosages of VMA to study the influence and suitability of new VMAs. A more detailed study was then carried out on the SCC fresh and hardened properties such as slump flow, segregation, bleeding, flow time, setting time and compressive strength of different mixes with various dosages of an identified new VMA. The performance of various SCC mixtures with the new VMA was compared with a SCC using a commercial VMA designated as “COM” and a SCC mixture with Welan gum. The study on new VMA is encouraging and confirms the production of satisfactory SCC with acceptable fresh and hardened properties comparable with or even better than that made with commercial VMA and Welan gum. The suggested mix with 0.05% of the new Type A VMA satisfies the requirement of fresh and hardened properties of SCC and will require 7% less VMA dosage than that required in the commercial VMA mixture. The SCC with new VMA is also cost-effective.     

Yield stress and viscosity equations for mortars and self-consolidating concrete

The rheological behavior of flowable concrete, such as self consolidating concrete is closely influenced by concreting temperature and the elapsed time. The variation of the plastic viscosity and the yield stress with the elapsed time and temperature must be accurately quantified in order to forecast the variation of workability of cement-based materials. A convenient method to study the variation of these rheological parameters is proposed, using the mortar of the concrete. This latter is designed from the concrete mixture, taking in account the liquid and solid phases with a maximum granulometry of 315 μm. Different SCC and mortars proportioned with two types of high range water reducing admixtures (HRWRA) were prepared at temperatures ranging from 10 to 33 °C. Test results indicates that the yield stress and the plastic viscosity of the mortar mixtures vary in a linear way with the elapsed time while an exponential variation of these rheological parameter is seen on SCC. In order to enhance robotization of concrete, general equations to predict the variations of the yield stress and plastic viscosity with time are proposed, using the corresponding mortar initial yield stress and plastic viscosity. Such equations, derived from existing models, can easily be employed to develop concrete design software. Experimental constants which are related to the paste fluidity or the aggregates proportioning can be extracted from a database created with either mortar or aggregates test results.     

Effects of marble powder as a partial replacement of cement on some engineering properties of self-compacting concrete

Self-compacting concretes (SCC) are highly fluid concretes that can flow and be placed in formwork under their own weight without the requirement of internal or external energy. This fluidity is obtained with the use of high paste volume and superplasticizer. The paste of SCC is made principally of cement, which is the most expensive component of concrete. As a result, the production cost of SCC is higher than conventional concrete. However, to make the manufacture of SCC more practical and economical, the binder is often a binary, ternary even quaternary compound: Portland cement mixed with mineral additions. The primary aim of this work is to study the effect of incorporating the marble powder as a supplementary cementations material on the rheological and mechanical properties of SCC. The fresh properties were measured using the slump flow, J-Ring, V-funnel, and modified slump flow. The properties of hardened SCC such as strengths and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) were determined at age of 3, 28, and 90 days. The results have shown that using of marble powder in SCC enhances their fresh properties. At hardened state, the incorporation of marble powder decreases the mechanical strengths and UPV. It can be noted that it is possible to produce an economical SCC when the cement is partially substituted by the marble powder.     

A study on the applicability of vibration in fresh high fluidity concrete

The introduction of superplasticizers (Sp) in the production of concrete has produced highly flowable mixtures with enhanced viscosity. In cases of optimum flowability and viscosity, for example self-compacting concrete (SCC), no vibration is necessary for placement. However, such ideal conditions are not practically easy to achieve and deviations are possible. This paper reviews the results of a study to investigate the vibration of such high fluidity concrete. Two criteria were used to characterize the fresh mix, that is, slump flow and V-funnel time (V-time). Firstly, the feasibility of vibration on such mixes was studied. Then, the significance of flowability and viscosity was determined. Next, the relationship between workability and its segregation tendency was investigated. Finally, concrete mixes that missed SCC criteria were vibrated. Three different scenarios of vibration were concluded: namely, mix that accept vibration freely, mix that required controlled vibration and mix that needed prior treatment of viscosity enhancing agent (VEA) before vibration.     

A simple mix design method for self-compacting concrete

This paper proposes a new mix design method for self-compacting concrete (SCC). First, the amount of aggregates required is determined, and the paste of binders is then filled into the voids of aggregates to ensure that the concrete thus obtained has flowability, self-compacting ability and other desired SCC properties. The amount of aggregates, binders and mixing water, as well as type and dosage of superplasticizer (SP) to be used are the major factors influencing the properties of SCC. Slump flow, V-funnel, L-flow, U-box and compressive strength tests were carried out to examine the performance of SCC, and the results indicate that the proposed method could produce successfully SCC of high quality. Compared to the method developed by the Japanese Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (JRMCA), this method is simpler, easier for implementation and less time-consuming, requires a smaller amount of binders and saves cost.     

Why do HPC and SCC require a longer mixing time?

The industrial production of superplasticized concrete is slowed down because of the long mixing time often necessary for these materials. The aim of the study presented here was to find out the mix-design peculiarities of high-performance concrete (HPC) and self-consolidating concrete (SCC) that could be responsible for the long mixing time.

To compare the behaviour of various mixes, a mathematical model is proposed to fit the power consumption curve of the mixer and to choose a criterion to determine the stabilisation time of the curve.

The parameters studied were the paste content, its components (silica fume, limestone filler, etc.), the high-range water reducing admixture (HRWRA) type and dosage and the water/cement (w/c) ratio. The comparison of stabilisation time for 36 different HPC and SCC mixes allowed to highlight the major influence of w/c ratio, on the stabilisation time. The higher the w/c ratio, the lower the stabilisation time. It also appears that fine content, HRWRA dosage and the use of silica fume have significant effects on the time necessary to homogenise the material. This result can also be expressed by using the actual and maximum solid content concepts, which are dependent on all the mix-design parameters.

These results were quantified, for our experimental conditions, through two models which are proposed in this paper. An empirical one using the components' amount and the other, the actual and maximum solid content of the concrete.

The validation of such a model with other sets of data obtained with different materials and mixers could lead to its use in mix-design software programs; thus, it would become possible to take the mixing time into account at the laboratory step of mix design.     

Performance of new viscosity modifying admixtures in enhancing the rheological properties of cement paste

The use of viscosity modifying admixtures (VMA) has proved to be very effective in stabilizing the rheological properties and consistency of self-compacting concrete (SCC). SCC is known for its excellent deformability, high resistance to segregation and use, without applying vibration, in congested reinforced concrete structures characterized by difficult casting conditions. Most of the commercial VMAs currently available in the market are costly and increase the price of such a concrete. Identification or production of new low-cost VMA is then essential. This paper presents the performance of four new polysaccharide-based VMAs in enhancing the rheological and consistency properties of cement paste. The study of the rheological properties and consistency of cement paste to screen the dosage and type of new VMA to be used in SCC is a promising approach. Investigation was carried out on cement pastes with combinations of various dosages of new VMAs and of a superplasticizer (SP) to study the influence on rheology, consistency and washout mass loss. A commercial VMA designated in this paper as “COM” was tested for comparison. The study on new VMAs is encouraging and confirms that pastes with satisfactory rheological and consistency properties comparable with or even better than commercial VMA can be developed. The combined use of proper dosages of VMA and SP is shown to clearly contribute to securing high-performance cement pastes that is highly fluid yet cohesive enough to reduce water dilution and enhance water retention. Attempt has also been made to correlate rheological properties (yield stress) to consistency (slump) of pastes.     

Effects of experimental ternary cements on fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concretes

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a concrete that flows alone under its dead weight and consolidates itself without any additional compaction and without segregation. As an integral part of a SCC, self-compacting mortars (SCMs) may serve as a basis for the mix design of concrete since the measurement of the rheological and viscosity properties of SCC is often impractical due to the need for complex equipment. This paper discusses the properties of SCM and SCC with mineral additions. ordinary Portland cement (OPC), natural pozzolana (PZ), and marble powder (MP) are used in ternary cementitious blends system following the cement substitution with PZ and MP in ratio 1/3. Within the framework of this experimental study, a total of 12 SCM and 6 SCC were prepared having a constant w/b ratio of 0.40. The fresh properties of the SCM were tested for mini-slump flow diameter, mini-V-funnel flow time, and viscosity measurement. Slumps flow test, L-box, J-ring, V-funnel flow time, and sieve stability were measured for SCC. Moreover, the development in the compressive strength was determined at 3, 7, 28, 56, and 90 days. Test results have shown that using ternary blends improved the fresh properties of the mixtures. The combination of natural pozzolana and marble powder increase the slump flow test up to 826 mm for the mixture prepared with 10% of mineral additions. Moreover, the use of mineral addition reduced the time flow to 4.27 s for SCC with 20% mineral addition, thus reducing the viscosity of all mixtures. Addition of MP increases the capacity of the passage through the plates between 88.75 and 93.50% for SCC with 7.5 and 15% of MP, respectively. The ternary system (PZ and MP) improve the sieve stability with the value for 4.07% of SCC with 50% of substitution compared for SSC without additions. The compressive strength of SCC at 90 days with 40% of PZ and MP was similar to that of OPC.     

锂渣掺量对水泥-减水剂浆体流变特性和混凝土性能的影响

本文研究了锂渣掺量对水泥-减水剂浆体流变特性、新拌混凝土工作性及硬化混凝土强度的影响。从紧密堆积理论和固体颗粒体积分数角度解释了锂渣掺量对水泥-减水剂浆体流变性能的影响。结果表明：锂渣水化初始的屈服应力和塑性黏度均随锂渣掺量的增加而增大，流变性能劣化。新拌混凝土的工作性与锂渣掺量呈负相关；随锂渣掺量的增加，7 d抗压强度不断降低，28 d抗压强度呈现出先增后降的趋势。     

Parameter-study on the influence of steel fibers and coarse aggregate content on the fresh properties of self-compacting concrete

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) offers several economic and technical benefits; the use of steel fibers extends its possibilities. Steel fibers bridge cracks, retard their propagation, and improve several characteristics and properties of the concrete. Fibers are known to significantly affect the workability of concrete. Therefore, an investigation was performed to compare the properties of plain SCC and SCC reinforced with steel fibers. Two mixtures of SCC with different aggregate contents were used as reference. Each of the concretes was tested with four types of steel fibers at different contents in order to answer the question to what extent the workability of SCC is influenced. The slump flow, a fiber funnel and the J-ring test were used to evaluate the material characteristics of the fresh concrete. This paper discusses the suitability of the applied test methods and the effect of the coarse aggregate content, the content and type of steel fibers on the workability of SCC.     

From ordinary rhelogy concrete to self compacting concrete: A transition between frictional and hydrodynamic interactions

This paper focuses on the physical phenomena involved in the transition between ordinary fluidity concrete and high fluidity concrete according to the aggregate content of the mixture. It is shown that there exists a strong transition in the rheological behavior of concrete between a regime dominated by the friction between aggregate particles and a regime dominated by hydrodynamic interactions far less dissipative. It is also demonstrated that it is possible to define a transition criterion between these two regimes. Finally, the consequences of these changes in mix design on the mechanical strengths of the concretes are studied showing that a small decrease in granular skeleton volume fraction, which may generate a decrease in yield stress of almost two orders of magnitude, only reduces the mechanical strength of a few percents.     

The use of quarry dust for SCC applications

Limestone powder has been the traditional material used in controlling the segregation potential and deformability of fresh self-compacting concrete (SCC). This paper deals with the utilisation of alternative materials, such as quarry dust, for SCC applications. Results from rheological measurements on pastes and concrete mixes incorporating limestone or quarry dust were compared. It was found that the quarry dust, as supplied, could be used successfully in the production of SCC. However, due to its shape and particle size distribution, mixes with quarry dust required a higher dosage of superplasticiser to achieve similar flow properties.     

On the mechanism of polypropylene fibres in preventing fire spalling in self-compacting and high-performance cement paste

With the increasing application of self-compacting concrete (SCC) in construction and infrastructure, the fire spalling behavior of SCC has been attracting due attention. In high performance concrete (HPC), addition of polypropylene fibers (PP fibers) is widely used as an effective method to prevent explosive spalling. Hence, it would be useful to investigate whether the PP fibers are also efficient in SCC to avoid explosive spalling. However, no universal agreement exists concerning the fundamental mechanism of reducing the spalling risk by adding PP fiber. For SCC, the reduction of flowability should be considered when adding a significant amount of fibres.In this investigation, both the micro-level and macro-level properties of pastes with different fiber contents were studied in order to investigate the role of PP fiber at elevated temperature in self-compacting cement paste samples. The micro properties were studied by backscattering electron microscopy (BSE) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests. The modification of the pore structure at elevated temperature was investigated as well as the morphology of the PP fibers. Some macro properties were measured, such as the gas permeability of self-compacting cement paste after heating at different temperatures. The factors influencing gas permeability were analyzed.It is shown that with the melting of PP fiber, no significant increase in total pore volume is obtained. However, the connectivity of isolated pores increases, leading to an increase of gas permeability. With the increase of temperature, the addition of PP fibers reduces the damage of cement pastes, as seen from the total pore volume and the threshold pore diameter changes. From this investigation, it is concluded that the connectivity of pores as well as the creation of micro cracks are the major factors which determine the gas permeability after exposure to high temperatures. Furthermore, the connectivity of the pores acts as a dominant factor for temperatures below 300 °C. For higher temperatures micro cracks are becoming the major factor which influences the gas permeability.     

Rheological behaviour of fresh cement pastes formulated from a Self Compacting Concrete (SCC)

Self Compacting Concrete (SCC) has a high flowability and can be placed without vibration. It is defined as a concrete that exhibits a high deformability and a good resistance to segregation. This kind of concrete is of great interest and has gained wide use especially in the case of difficult casting conditions such as heavily reinforced sections. From a rheological point of view, the use of a Viscosity Enhancing Admixture (VEA) along with an adequate superplasticizer content enables to ensure high deformability and stability. However, little is known about the interactions between superplasticizer and viscosity agent. Hence, we propose to study several cement pastes formulated from the original paste of a typical SCC mix. Depending on their rheological behaviour, these pastes will be used later to study the stability of coarse aggregates. The major aim of this paper is to show that empirical tests such as spread and flow time are suitable to characterise the rheological behaviour of cement pastes instead of more complex ones. Rheological properties, i.e. viscosity and shear yield stress, are well correlated with empirical test results in the range of flowable mixes. Moreover, the experimental program leads to emphasize the effects of the mixing procedure on the rhelogical properties of cement pastes. Finally, test results enable to underline the interactions between superplasticizer and Viscosity Enhancing Admixture used in designing Self Compacting Concrete.     

Phase distribution and microstructural changes of self-compacting cement paste at elevated temperature

Self-compacting concrete, as a new smart building material with various advanced properties, has been used for a wide range of structures and infrastructures. However little investigation have been reported on the properties of Self-compacting when it is exposed to elevated temperatures. Previous experiments on fire test have shown the differences between high performance concrete and traditional concrete at elevated temperature. This difference is largely depending on the microstructural properties of concrete matrix, i.e. the cement paste, especially on the porosity, pore size distribution and the connectivity of pores in cement pastes.In this contribution, the investigations are focused on the cement paste. The phase distribution and microstructural changes of self-compacting cement paste at elevated temperatures are examined by mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The chemical decomposition of self-compacting cement paste at different temperatures is determined by thermogravimetric analysis. The experimental results of self-compacting cement paste are compared with those of high performance cement paste and traditional cement paste. It was found that self-compacting cement paste shows a higher change of the total porosity in comparison with high performance cement paste. When the temperature is higher than 700 °C, a dramatic loss of mass was observed in the self-compacting cement paste samples with addition of limestone filler. This implies that the SCC made by this type of self-compacting cement paste will probably show larger damage once exposed to fire. Investigation has shown that 0.5 kg/m³ of Polypropylene fibers in the self-compacting cement paste can avoid the damage efficiently.     

Effect of the length and the volume fraction of wavy steel fibers on the behavior of self-compacting concrete

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a highly workable concrete that fills formwork under its own weight (without any vibration or impact). It also passes easily through small spaces between reinforcement bars. The inclusion of fibers in such concrete limits the concrete shrinkage cracks at early age and enhances some of its properties. However, fibers may affect the flow characteristics of SCC. In this paper, three wavy steel fibers (SF) of different lengths, 35, 40, and 50 ± 2 mm with six different volume fractions (V_f) of 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1, 1.2, and 1.4% were used in SCC. The experimental results showed that the addition of SF with higher V_f content and longer length decreases the workability of SCC, reduces its passing ability and increases the possibility of blockage. Mechanical performances of concrete in terms of flexural strength and elasticity modulus were improved, where the slightly compressive strength decreased with an increase in V_f content of SF.     

Utilization of Recycled Carpet Waste Fibers for Reinforcement of Concrete and Soil

The use of recycled fibers from textile waste for concrete and soil reinforcement is a very attractive approach, with such benefits as performance enhancement, low-cost raw materials, and reduced needs for landfilling. This article discusses the general advantages of fiber reinforcement and reviews some studies on the use of carpet waste fibers for concrete and soil reinforcement. A study on recycled carpet waste fibers for fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) showed a significant toughness increase and reduced shrinkage. It included two concrete mix designs and a wide range of fiber dosage rates, from 0.07 to 2.0 vol.%. A research program on fiber-reinforced soil is underway for fiber characterization, analysis of the engineering properties of the fiber-soil systems, and field trials. A significant improvement in soil behavior under the triaxial loading condition was observed.     

Why is fresh self-compacting concrete shear thickening?

The rheological properties of fresh concrete are mostly described by means of the Bingham model. For self-compacting concrete, the Bingham model is applicable in a lot of cases, but some authors report that the rheological behaviour is non-linear. The apparent viscosity increases with increasing shear rate and the SCC shows shear thickening behaviour. Shear thickening becomes important in operations occurring at high shear rates, like mixing and pumping. In these cases, shear thickening should not be forgotten in order to avoid breaking of the mixer, pump or pipes.This paper will describe two possible theories for shear thickening behaviour of SCC, based on results published in the rheology literature. The first theory consists of the formation of so-called (hydro-)clusters, which are temporary assemblies of small particles. These clusters start being formed from a certain shear stress on: the critical shear stress. They cause the viscosity to increase with increasing shear rate. A second theory is based on grain inertia, where a part of the shearing force is transmitted through direct momentum transfer between solid particles. Results on cement pastes prove that the grain inertia theory is not the main cause of shear thickening in self-compacting concrete. The influence of several parameters on the shear thickening behaviour of SCC can be well explained by means of the cluster theory.     

A concrete mix proportion design algorithm based on artificial neural networks

The concepts of five parameters of nominal water-cement ratio, equivalent water-cement ratio, average paste thickness, fly ash-binder ratio, grain volume fraction of fine aggregates and Modified Tourfar's Model were introduced. It was verified that the five parameters and the mix proportion of concrete can be transformed each other when Modified Tourfar's Model is applied. The behaviors (strength, slump, et al.) of concrete primarily determined by the mix proportion of concrete now depend on the five parameters. The prediction models of strength and slump of concrete were built based on artificial neural networks (ANNs). The calculation models of average paste thickness and equivalent water-cement ratio can be obtained by the reversal deduction of the two prediction models, respectively. A concrete mix proportion design algorithm based on a way from aggregates to paste, a least paste content, Modified Tourfar's Model and ANNs was proposed. The proposed concrete mix proportion design algorithm is expected to reduce the number of trial and error, save cost, laborers and time. The concrete designed by the proposed algorithm is expected to have lower cement and water contents, higher durability, better economical and ecological effects.