Effect of coarse aggregate blending on short-term mechanical properties of self compacting concrete

This investigation is mainly focused on finding the unit weight, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and splitting tensile strength (STS) of SCC mixes with different coarse aggregate blending (60:40 and 40:60) (20 mm and 10 mm) and coarse aggregate content (28% and 32%) and these properties were compared to a conventional concrete (CC). All SCC mixes had 35% replacement of cement with class F fly ash. The coarse aggregate blending did not affect the compressive strength of SCC mixes, but it affected the unit weight, MOE and STS of SCC mixes. A new parameter called coarse aggregate points (CAPs) has been introduced to study the effect of coarse aggregate blending in a particular coarse aggregate content on mechanical properties of SCC mixes. It is observed that for the given strength, SCC mixes with the same CAP value have shown similar mechanical properties. The measured MOE of all mixes were compared with ACI 363R and AASHTO LRFD/ACI 318 predicted equations. The measured STS of all mixes were compared with ACI 363R and CEB-FIP predicted equations.     

Properties of self-compacting concrete prepared with coarse and fine recycled concrete aggregates

In this study, the fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) using recycled concrete aggregate as both coarse and fine aggregates were evaluated. Three series of SCC mixtures were prepared with 100% coarse recycled aggregates, and different levels of fine recycled aggregates were used to replace river sand. The cement content was kept constant for all concrete mixtures. The SCC mixtures were prepared with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% fine recycled aggregates, the corresponding water-to-binder ratios (W/B) were 0.53 and 0.44 for the SCC mixtures in Series I and II, respectively. The SCC mixtures in Series III were prepared with 100% recycled concrete aggregates (both coarse and fine) but three different W/B ratios of 0.44, 0.40 and 0.35 were used. Different tests covering fresh, hardened and durability properties of these SCC mixtures were executed. The results indicate that the properties of the SCCs made from river sand and crushed fine recycled aggregates showed only slight differences. The feasibility of utilizing fine and coarse recycled aggregates with rejected fly ash and Class F fly ash for self-compacting concrete has been demonstrated.     

Experimental study of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of model rock-filled concrete (RFC)

Rock-filled concrete (RFC), a new type of concrete that was developed mainly for large scale concrete construction, has a different casting process than conventional concrete: large rocks are piled into the formwork first, then self-compacting concrete (SCC) is poured in and fill the voids of the rock skeleton under gravity due to its high flowability. One of the key issues about RFC lies in its large interfaces between the SCC and rocks. In this paper, laboratory-scale model RFC consisting of coarse aggregates (simulating rocks) and cement grout (simulating SCC) was cast to simulate RFC in construction. The effects of different factors (aggregate size, rheology of cement grout, etc.) on the properties of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between cement paste and aggregates of model RFC were investigated using Backscatter Electron (BSE) and nanoindentation techniques. Furthermore, by comparing the results of BSE and nanoindentation at identical regions, the relationship between porosity and elastic modulus was found to agree well with empirical formulas, bridging the microstructure with the mechanical properties of concrete.     

A review of the hardened mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete

Data from more than 70 recent studies on the hardened mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) have been analysed and correlated to produce comparisons with the properties of equivalent strength normally vibrated concrete (NVC).The significant scatter obtained in much of the data is a consequence of the wide range of materials and mixes used for SCC, but clear relationships have been obtained between cylinder and cube compressive strength, tensile and compressive strengths, and elastic modulus and compressive strength. It is also clear that limestone powder, a common addition to SCC mixes, makes a substantial contribution to strength gain.Bond strength of SCC to reinforcing and prestressing steel is similar to or higher than that of normally vibrated concrete. Variation of in situ properties in structural elements cast with SCC is similar to that with NVC, and the performance of the structural elements is largely as predicted by the measured material properties.The analysis has shown that sufficient data have been obtained to give confidence in the general behaviour of SCC, and future studies need only be focused on specific or confirmatory data for particular applications.     

Mix design method for self compacting metakaolin concrete with different properties of coarse aggregate

This study deals with a proposed mix design method for SCC utilizing different properties of coarse aggregate. The work was conducted in three phases, i.e. paste, mortar and concrete to facilitate the mix design process. Initial investigation on cement paste determined the basis for water cement ratio and superplasticizer dosage for the concrete. For the study on mortar, metakaolin (MK) as pozzolan was used at replacement levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of cement. Self compactability of mortars was obtained by adding suitable materials such as mineral admixtures and superplasticizer which provided a sufficient balance between flowability and viscosity of the mix. The optimum MK replacement level for cement was 10% from the viewpoint of workability and strength. Flowability of mortar decreased with the use of metakaolin. Moreover, strength of mortar increased when the optimum replacement level of pozzolan was used. Different fresh concrete tests were adopted. The results obtained for fresh concrete properties showed that flowability of concrete increased with increase flowability of mortar. The mixes which contained coarse aggregate with lower volume, small size, and continuous grading affected positively the fresh properties of SCC. Finally, the mix design method used was successful in producing SCC with different coarse aggregate properties.     

Laboratory study of larger sized aggregate in Portland cement concrete

A laboratory examination of the effects of coarse aggregate type and size on the mechanical properties of concrete is presented, in an effort to develop more cost-efficient mixes for pavements and other highway structures. Aggregate blending is used to generate the required coarse aggregate gradations. Six different concrete mixes are prepared, using three different coarse aggregate gradations, along with two different aggregate types, natural and crushed. Test results show that coarse aggregate properties often do not have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of concrete. When significant differences are observed, these are confounded by variability issues related to the testing protocols themselves, and by mineralogical distinctions among the various aggregate blends.     

Effect of natural coarse aggregate type on the physical and mechanical properties of recycled coarse aggregates

Many environmental problems caused by the large volumes of construction and demolition waste (C&DW), the lack of adequate deposition sites and the shortage of natural resources have led to the use of C&DW as replacement of natural aggregates in the production of new concrete. As in the case of natural aggregates, when recycled aggregates are used to manufacture structural concrete, the assessment of their physical, mechanical and durable characteristics is a key issue. The different physical and mechanical properties of the recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) are evaluated. RCA was obtained by crushing conventional concretes with different strength levels (different w/c ratios) containing four different types of natural coarse aggregates (three crushed stones and a siliceous gravel), which differ in shape, composition and surface texture. There is a significant influence of the natural coarse aggregate (NCA) on the properties of RCA, which in many cases is greater than that of the w/c ratio of the source concrete.     

多因素对再生混凝土力学性能及抗冻性的影响

为研究不同因素、不同水平对再生混凝土力学性能的作用。该文通过正交试验研究钢纤维掺量、再生粗骨料掺量和粉煤灰掺量对再生混凝土力学性能(抗压强度、劈裂抗拉强度和抗折强度)的影响,确定各因素对再生混凝土力学性能的影响程度,并加以量化表征,并提出多因素共同作用下再生混凝土力学性能的多元非线性回归模型且进行验证。在此基础上,该文进一步研究再生混凝土的抗冻性。结果表明:再生混凝土的力学性能随钢纤维掺量的增加而提高;随粉煤灰掺量增加而降低;再生粗骨料掺量对再生混凝土的力学性能影响较小。钢纤维的掺入可提高再生粗骨料的掺量。再生混凝土力学性能的实测值与通过建立的回归模型得到的计算值的最大误差在6.5%以内。此外,钢纤维的掺入和减少再生粗骨料的掺量均可以提高再生混凝土的抗冻性。     

Mechanical properties of prestressed self-consolidating concrete

Since the mix design of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) differs from that of conventional concrete, mechanical properties of SCC may differ from those of vibrated concrete. An experimental program was performed to evaluate mechanical properties of SCC used for precast, prestressed applications. Sixteen SCC mixtures with a fixed slump flow of 680 ± 20 mm were prepared with different mixture parameters, including binder content and binder type, w/cm, dosage of viscosity-modifying admixture, and sand-to-total aggregate volume ratio. Two high-performance concrete mixtures that represent typically concrete used for precast, prestressed applications were investigated for the control mixtures. They were proportioned with 0.34 and 0.38 w/cm and had slump values of 150 mm. Mechanical properties of SCC were compared to code provisions to estimate compressive strength, elastic modulus, and flexural strength. The modified ACI 209-90 and CEB-FIP MC90 codes are found to provide good estimate for compressive strength prediction. The AASHTO 2007 model can provide good prediction of the elastic modulus and flexural strength of SCC.     

Investigation on the scattering-filling coarse aggregate self-consolidating concrete

To secure good flowability and workability of SCC, the volume fraction of coarse aggregate keep at an extremely low level. A new kind of SCC pouring method named scattering-filling coarse aggregate process was invented: it was method to scatter 20% (volume fraction to the finished concrete) of extra coarse aggregate into the fresh SCC mixture to replace the fresh concrete mixture while the concrete was pouring. A high strength (82 MPa) SCC just composing 360 kg/m³ cement and 120 kg/m³ class F fly ash was prepared with this process. With an increase of the extra coarse aggregate replacing ratio from 0 to 30%, the compressive strength of SCC increased steadily and reached a peak value when this ratio is 20%, then the strength dropped sharply. The drying shrinkage ratio and the chloride ion permeability decreased with the increase of that ratio. The scattering-filling coarse aggregate process can cast high strength SCC with lower cementitious materials content and produce concrete with better performance than the ordinary process.     

Influence of water-to-binder ratio on top-bar effect and on bond variation across length in Self-Compacting Concrete specimens

The present study is investigating the impact of five different water-to-binder (w/b) ratios on bond capacity of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) specimens, with a focus on top-bar effect and on bond variation across horizontal specimens with a single casting point at one edge. One 600 mm high vertical specimen and one 1780 mm long horizontal specimen with transverse reinforcement bars that were distributed over height and across length, respectively, were cast and tested by pull-out for each of five SCC mixtures, and compared to three Normally Vibrated Concrete (NVC) mixtures with similar aggregate grading curves and compressive strength. The bond–slip curves were evaluated on the basis of analytical models for NVC, proposed by major international building codes and literature. SCC develops an improved bond capacity, a less intense top-bar effect and a lower scatter compared to NVC. The analytical bond–slip model curves appear to underestimate bond stiffness and overestimate the assumed maximum bond stress. Water increase leads to lower stresses and a more intense top-bar effect, which is though always less significant in SCC. The code provisions concerning the top-bar effect of rebars close to the poor bond conditions zone seem to overestimate the actual bond reduction. Bond capacity of SCC is not decreased across length up to the measured rebar distance (1.60 m) from the casting point and the scatter of the resulting stresses is significantly lower compared to NVC, especially for higher w/b ratios.     

Mix design for self-compacting palm oil clinker concrete based on particle packing

The consumption of waste materials in self-compacting concrete (SCC) in the construction industry will not only help to conserve the natural resources but also promote sustainability in preserving the environment. Palm oil clinker (POC) is a waste by-product from the incineration process of oil palm shells and fibres. They are porous and lightweight in nature, which makes them suitable for use as a lightweight aggregate (LWA). In this study, a new procedure was employed to obtain the mix design based on the particle packing (PP) concept to ensure the fresh and hardened properties of SCC are achieved. The actual packing level of aggregate and paste volume is integrated into the proportioning method to obtain the final mix design. The proposed procedure was verified by evaluating the SCC formed for self-compactability and mechanical properties. Based on the overall performance of fresh and hardened properties, it can be deduced that the procedure satisfied the requirements for SCC. The satisfactory results indicate that the mix design can be employed not only for POC but also for a variety of combinations of aggregate.     

Development of a modified concrete rheometer to measure the rheological behavior of conventional and self-consolidating concretes

The modified concrete rheometer (MCR) apparatus developed in this study is based on existing concrete rheometers, the main differences being the gap size and measurement method, and thus the interpretation of the results. The gap between the inner cylinder wall and the tip of the vane was set to 6.4 times the diameter of the largest coarse aggregate in order to reduce interaction between the aggregate and the wall and the friction force from the wall. The MCR apparatus was used to measure yield torque directly at different low rotational speeds (above 0.003 rev/s). A study of the yield torque and viscosity of 37 fresh concrete mixtures was also made, with a particular focus on self-compacting concrete or self-consolidating concrete (SCC), and the results were compared with those obtained using other workability tests. The test results showed that the MCR can differentiate between conventional concrete (CC), powder-type SCC and SCC with viscosity-modifying agents (VMA). The rheological behavior of powder-type SCC was found to be influenced by the composition of Class F fly ash and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), and this type of concrete exhibited a wider range of viscosity and yield torque values. Despite the lower powder content and larger water to binder ratio (w/b), the viscosity of VMA-type SCC was shown to be slightly lower than that of powder-type SCC, and the values were clustered together within a certain range; thus, the workability of SCC containing VMA is more easily controlled. In addition, the MCR apparatus can also be applied to CC of differing viscosity and yield torque, thus making this apparatus suitable for determination of the workability of all kinds of fresh concrete.     

On the classification of mixed construction and demolition waste aggregate by porosity and its impact on the mechanical performance of concrete

The properties of recycled aggregate produced from mixed (masonry and concrete) construction and demolition (C&D) waste are highly variable, and this restricts the use of such aggregate in structural concrete production. The development of classification techniques capable of reducing this variability is instrumental for quality control purposes and the production of high quality C&D aggregate. This paper investigates how the classification of C&D mixed coarse aggregate according to porosity influences the mechanical performance of concrete. Concretes using a variety of C&D aggregate porosity classes and different water/cement ratios were produced and the mechanical properties measured. For concretes produced with constant volume fractions of water, cement, natural sand and coarse aggregate from recycled mixed C&D waste, the compressive strength and Young modulus are direct exponential functions of the aggregate porosity. Sink and float technique is a simple laboratory density separation tool that facilitates the separation of cement particles with lower porosity, a difficult task when done only by visual sorting. For this experiment, separation using a 2.2 kg/dm3 suspension produced recycled aggregate (porosity less than 17%) which yielded good performance in concrete production. Industrial gravity separators may lead to the production of high quality recycled aggregate from mixed C&D waste for structural concrete applications.     

An experimental study on the hazard assessment and mechanical properties of porous concrete utilizing coal bottom ash coarse aggregate in Korea

This study evaluates quality properties and toxicity of coal bottom ash coarse aggregate and analyzes mechanical properties of porous concrete depending on mixing rates of coal bottom ash. As a result, soundness and resistance to abrasion of coal bottom ash coarse aggregate were satisfied according to the standard of coarse aggregate for concrete. To satisfy the standard pertaining to chloride content, the coarse aggregates have to be washed more than twice. In regards to the result of leaching test for coal bottom ash coarse aggregate and porous concrete produced with these coarse aggregates, it was satisfied with the environment criteria. As the mixing rate of coal bottom ash increased, influence of void ratio and permeability coefficient was very little, but compressive and flexural strength decreased. When coal bottom ash was mixed over 40%, strength decreased sharply (compressive strength: by 11.7–27.1%, flexural strength: by maximum 26.4%). Also, as the mixing rate of coal bottom ash increased, it was confirmed that test specimens were destroyed by aggregate fracture more than binder fracture and interface fracture. To utilize coal bottom ash in large quantities, it is thought that an improvement method in regards to strength has to be discussed such as incorporation of reinforcing materials and improvement of aggregate hardness.     

Filling ability and plastic settlement of self-compacting concrete

The use of self-compacting concrete (SCC) facilitates the placing of concrete by eliminating the need for compaction by vibration. Given the highly flowable nature of such concrete, care is required to ensure excellent filling ability and adequate stability. This is especially important in deep structural members and wall clements where concrete can block the flow, segregate and exhibit bleeding and settlement which can result in local defects that can reduce mechanical properties, durability and quality of surface finish.This paper shows results of an investigation of fresh properties of self-compacting concrete, such as filling ability measured by slump flow and flow time (measured by Orimet) and plastic fresh settlement measured in a columin. The SCC mixes incorporated various combinations of fine inorganic powders and admixtures. The slump flow of all SCCs was greater than 580 mm and the time in which the slumping concrete reached 500 mm was less than 3 s. The flow time was less than 5 s. The results on SCCs were compared to a control mix. The compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of SCCs were also measured.The effects of water/powder ratio, slump and nature of the sand on the fresh settlement were also evaluated. The volume of coarse aggregate and the dosage of superplasticizer were kept constant. It can be concluded that the settlement of fresh self-compacting concrete increased with the increase in water/powder ratio and slump. The nature of sand influenced the maximum settlement.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of prepacked aggregate concrete incorporating palm oil fuel ash

Prepacked aggregate concrete (PAC) is a special type of concrete which is made by placing coarse aggregate in a formwork and injecting a grout either by pump or under the gravity force to fill the voids. Use of pozzolanic materials in conventional concrete has become increasingly extensive, and this trend is expected to continue in PAC as well. Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) is one of these pozzolanic ash, which has been recognized as a good pozzolanic material. This paper presents the experimental results of the performance behaviour of POFA in developing physical and mechanical properties of prepacked aggregate concrete. Four concrete mixes namely, prepacked concrete with 100% OPC as a control, and PAC with 10, 20 and 30% POFA were cast, and the temperature growth due to heat of hydration and heat transfer in all the mixtures was recorded. It has been found that POFA significantly reduces the temperature rise in prepacked aggregate concrete and delay the transfer of heat to the concrete body. The compressive and tensile strengths, however, increased with replacement up to 20% POFA. The results obtained and the observation made in this study suggest that the replacement of OPC by POFA is beneficial, particularly for prepacked mass concrete where thermal cracking due to extreme heat rise is of great concern.     

An empirical approach for the optimisation of aggregate combinations for self-compacting concrete

The fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) depend on number of factors such as paste composition, paste content, aggregate content, aggregate gradation etc. In the present investigation, the influence of the packing density of aggregates on the properties of SCC was evaluated. Experiments were conducted to measure the packing density for different combinations of aggregates precisely. A ternary packing diagram (TPD) was developed based on the packing density of measured and interpolated data. Considering the limitations in generalising the TPD and the difficulty involved in adopting mathematical models for aggregates, an attempt was made to establish a simple method for the selection of the combination of aggregates resulting in maximum packing density from the particle size distribution of aggregates (represented by the Coefficient of uniformity??C _u). Further, studies were extended to investigate the effect of aggregate packing density on fresh and hardened SCC properties. The results indicate that for a constant paste volume and paste composition, with increase in packing density of aggregates, the fresh properties and the compressive strength of SCC were improved positively. An attempt was also made to identify the influence of 10 different proportions of aggregates having the same packing density on the properties of SCC. The results indicate that at the same aggregate packing density, the fresh concrete properties were influenced significantly by the choice of the aggregate combination, while there was little or no influence on the hardened properties. Furthermore, the experimental data obtained was used for supplementary validation of the existing model (compressible packing model) for predicting the packing density and the fresh behaviour of SCC.     

A comparison study of the mechanical properties and drying shrinkage of oil palm shell and expanded clay lightweight aggregate concretes

For making artificial lightweight aggregate, selected raw materials are fed into a rotary kiln at high temperature. Providing such a high temperature is costly and generally, the process of making artificial lightweight aggregate is not environmentally friendly. The use of natural lightweight aggregate for making lightweight concrete can lead to low-cost construction. The use of a solid waste lightweight aggregate namely oil palm shell (OPS) as coarse aggregate, is not only environmentally friendly but leads to a low-cost material. This study is a comparison between some engineering properties of OPS lightweight concrete and an artificial lightweight (expanded clay) concrete with low water to cement ratio, along with having good workability and without any segregation. The test results show that OPS concrete has better mechanical properties and a higher efficiency factor than expanded clay lightweight concrete. The ceiling strength of expanded clay lightweight concrete occurs at an early age; while it happens in OPS concrete at a later age. The crack pattern of the tested specimens shows that OPS is much stronger than expanded clay. On the other hand, the compressive strength of OPS lightweight concrete is more sensitive to lack of curing. Although OPS lightweight concrete shows twice the amount of drying shrinkage than expanded clay lightweight concrete in the short term, this difference reduces significantly at later ages.     

Statistical models to predict fresh and hardened properties of self-consolidating concrete

Several material properties and mix design parameters affect the performance of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and need to be taken into consideration to enhance the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete. A factorial design was conducted to model the effect of mixture parameters and material properties on workability, mechanical properties, and visco-elastic properties of SCC used for the construction of precast/prestressed structural elements. The modeled mixture parameters included the binder content, binder type, water-to-cementitious materials ratio, sand-to-total aggregate ratio (S/A), and dosage of thickening-type viscosity-modifying admixture. In total, 16 SCC mixtures were investigated to establish a factorial design with five main factors. Three replicate SCC mixtures were prepared to estimate the degree of the experimental error for the modeled responses. The mixtures were evaluated to determine several key responses that affect the performance of precast, prestressed concrete, including the filling ability, passing ability, filling capacity, stability, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, flexural strength, autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage, and creep. The derived statistical models enable to quantify the level of significance of each of the five investigated parameters on fresh and hardened properties of SCC, which can simplify the test protocol needed to optimize SCC. Based on the results derived from the factorial design, recommendations for the proportioning of SCC in terms of workability, mechanical properties, and visco-elastic properties are given.