Self compacting concrete

• Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is an innovative concrete

vibrations not required.

• It is able to flow under its own weight achieving full
compaction, even in the presence of congested
reinforcement.
• The hardened concrete is dense, homogeneous and has the
same engineering properties and durability as traditional
vibrated concrete.
 Introduction

• Self – compacting concrete (SCC) is a fluid mixture, which is

suitable for placing difficult conditions and also in congested
reinforcement, without vibration. In principle, a self –
compacting or self – consolidating concrete must:
• Have a fluidity that allows self – compaction without external
energy
• Remain homogeneous in a form during and after the placing
process and
• Flow easily through reinforcement
•
 Types of SCC

• In Japan, self – compacting concretes are

divided into three different types according to
the composition of the mortar:
• Powder type
• Viscosity – modifying agent (stabilizer) type
• Combination type
 WHAT IS SCC?
• SCC stands for self compacting concrete or
self consolidating concrete.
• It is highly flowable, non-segregating concrete
that can spread into place , fill formwork and
encapsulate the reinforcement without any
mechanical consolidation.
• The spread (slump flow) of SCC typically
ranges from 1 to 32 inches depending on the
requirements for the project.
 Self compacting concrete :

“Self compacting Concrete is highly engineered concrete with much

higher fluidity without segregation and is capable of filling every corner

of form work under its self weight only”.

 It eliminates the need of vibration either internal or external for its

compaction.

 It reduces the deterioration of concrete quality due to lack of skilled

labors.
 Introduction to self compacting concrete:

 It was first devloped in japan in late 80’s to increase the concrete

quality.

 It is an innovative concrete which flows under its own weight.

 Construction material consists of cement and Aggregates only.

 It eliminates the vibration either internal or external.

 Advantages of SCC

 Beneficial in structures where casting are difficult due to congested

reinforcement.

 shows good filling ability.

 very well suited for special and technically demanding structures such as

tunnel linings.

 Reduction in wear and tear of forms, therefore, it extends the service life

of forms.

 Reduction in the number of worker.

 Advantages of SCC
• Improved quality of concrete and reduction of onsite repairs.
• Faster construction times.
• Lower overall costs.
• Facilitation of introduction of automation into concrete construction.
• Improvement of health and safety is also achieved through elimination of handling
of vibrators.
• Better surface finishes.
• Easier placing.
• . Improved durability, and reliability of concrete structures.
• Ease of placement results in cost savings through reduced equipment and labor
requirement.
• SCC makes the level of durability and reliability of the structure independent from
the existing on – site conditions relate to the quality of labor, casting and
compacting systems available.
• The high resistance to external segregation and the mixture self – compacting
ability allow the elimination of macro – defects, air bubbles, and honey combs
responsible for penalizing mechanical performance and structure durability.
 MECHANICAL CHARACTERSTICS

– Characteristic compressive strength at 28 days

shall be 25 – 60 Mpa.
– Early age compressive strength shall be 5 – 20
Mpa at 12 – 15 hours (Equivalent age at 200 C)
• Normal” creep and shrinkage
 
HOW DOES IT WORK
• Have a fluidity that allows self – consolidation without external
energy.
• Remain homogenous in a form during and after the placing
process and
• Flow easily through reinforcement
To achieve these performances, Okamura redesigned the
concrete mix design process. His mix design procedure focused
on three different aspects:
• 1. Reduction of the aggregate content in order to reduce the
friction, or the frequency of collisions between them increasing
the overall concrete fluidity
• Increasing the paste content to further increase fluidity
• Managing the paste viscosity to reduce the risk of aggregate
blocking when the concrete flows through obstacles.
 DISADVANTAGES OF SCC

The production of SCC places more stringent requirements

on the selection of materials in comparison with conventional
concrete.
An uncontrolled variation of even 1% moisture content in
the fine aggregate will have a much bigger impact on the.
Property of SCC.
The development of a SCC requires a large number of a trial
batches.
Fig 1:Congested reinforcement

13
Fig 2:Tunnel reinforcement
• Modern application of self-compacting
concrete is focussed on high performance,
better and more reliable and uniform quality.
 Mix proportion of SCC

• All ingredients have different sp gravity and so it is

difficult to keep them in cohesive form.
• When the concrete has consistency of fluid , the
material of higher mass will tend to settle down.
• This problem is tackled by adding more fines and SP.
• The production of SCC is more expensive than
regular concrete, and it is difficult to keep SCC in the
desired consistency over a long period of time.
•
• Coarse Aggregates 10-12 mm, 700-800 kg per Cum
• Fine Aggregates Sand more finer than normal
concrete. 40-50 % of the mortar/paste volume .
Natural and Crushed meeting size can be used.
•
 Flow Chart for achieving self compactibility
Limitation of
coarse
aggregate Usage of
Reduction Addition of
content & Super
of water to mineral
maximum plasticizer &
binder ratio admixture
size VMA

High segregation
High Deformability
resistance of
of mortar &
mortar &
concrete
concrete

Self compactibility
• Improved consolidation around reinforcement
and bond with reinforcement.
• Improved pumpability.
• Improved uniformity.
• Labour savings.
• Shorter construction periods and resulting
cost savings.
• Service the project more efficiently.
• Reduction of vibrator noice.
 SCC Rheology
Conflict between high flow & Segregation resistance

V
M
A
PCE
 VMA
VMA’s are a family of admixtures designed for specific
applications.
They are used to:
• reduce segregation in highly flowable/self compacting
concrete
• reduce washout in underwater concrete
• reduce friction and pressure in pumped concrete
• compensating for poor aggregate grading, especially a lack of
fines in the sand
• reducing powder content in self compacting concrete
• reduce bleeding in concrete
• improve green strength in semi-dry concrete
The key function of a VMA is to modify the rheological properties
of the cement paste. The rheology of fresh concrete can be
mainly described by its yield point and plastic viscosity:
• The yield point describes the force needed to start the concrete
moving. Yield point is related to the workability of the concrete
and may be assessed by tests such as the slump value (EN
12350-2).
• Plastic Viscosity describes the resistance of a concrete to flow
under external stress. Viscosity is caused by internal friction. The
speed of flow of concrete is related to its plastic viscosity as
shown in the diagram below and may be assessed by the T500
time during a slump flow test (prEN 12350-8) or by the time to
flow through a V Funnel
• Self compacting Concrete is also known as high
performance concrete.

• This is defined by three stages of concrete :-

1. Fresh : Self Compactable.
2. Early stage : Avoidance of initial effects.
3. After Hardening : Protection against external
factors.
 Initial mix composition
• In designing the mix it is most useful to consider the relative
proportions of the key components by volume rather than by mass.
Indicative typical ranges of proportions and quantities in order to
obtain self-compactability are given below.
• Further modifications will be necessary to meet strength and other
performance requirements. ·
• Water/powder ratio by volume of 0.80 to 1.10
• Total powder content - 160 to 240 litres (400-600 kg) per cubic
meter.
• Coarse aggregate content normally 28 to 35 per cent by volume of
the mix.
• Water:cement ratio is selected based on requirements in EN 206.
Typically water content does not exceed 200 litre/m3 .
• The sand content balances the volume of the other constituents
 REQUIREMENTS FOR SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE

• SCC differs from conventional concrete in that its fresh

properties are vital in determining whether or not it can be
placed satisfactorily. The various aspects of workability which
control its Filling ability, its Passing ability and its Segregation
resistance all need to be carefully controlled to ensure that its
ability to be placed remains acceptable.
• Workability The level of fluidity of the SCC is governed chiefly
by the dosing of the Super plasticizer. However overdosing
may lead to the risk of segregation and blockage. Consequently
the characteristics of the fresh SCC need to be carefully
controlled using preferably two of the different types of test.
 REQUIREMENTS FOR SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE

• Segregation resistance Due to the high fluidity of SCC, the risk

of segregation and blocking is very high. Preventing
segregation is therefore an important feature of the control
regime. The tendency to segregation can be reduced by the
use of a sufficient amount of fines (< 0,125 mm), or using a
Viscosity Modifying Admixture (VMA).
• Open time The time during which the SCC maintains its
desired rheological properties is very important to obtain good
results in the concrete placing. This time can be adjusted by
choosing the right type of super plasticizers or the combined
use of retarding admixtures. Different admixtures have
different effects on open time, and they can be used according
to the type of cement and the timing of the transport and
placing of the SCC.
General Requirements in the Mix Design of SCC

1. A high volume of paste:

The friction between the aggregate limits the spreading and the filling
ability of SCC. This is the why SCC contains a high volume of paste
(cement + additions + efficient water + air), typically 330 to
400 l/m³, the role of which is to maintain aggregate separation.
2. A high volume of the particles (<80µm):
In order to ensure sufficient workability while limiting the risk of
segregation or bleeding, SCC contains a large amount of fine particles
(around 500 kg/m³).Nevertheless, in order to avoid excessive heat
generation, the Portland cement is generally partially replaced by
mineral admixtures like fly ash (cement should not be used as a filler).
The nature and the amount of filler added are chosen in order to
comply with the strength & durability requirements.
General Requirements in the Mix Design of SCC
3. A high dosage of super plasticizer:
• Super plasticizers are introduced in SCC to obtain the fluidity.
Nevertheless a high dosage near the saturation amount can increases
the proneness of the concrete to segregate.
• 4. The possible use of viscosity agent (water retainer):
• These products are generally cellulose derivatives, polysaccharides or
colloidal suspensions. These products have the same role as the fine
particles, minimizing bleeding and coarse aggregate segregation by
thickening the paste and retaining the water in the skeleton. The
introduction of such products in SCC seems to be justified in the case of
SCC with the high water to binder ratio (for e.g. residential building).
Viscosity agents are assumed to make SCC less sensitive to water
variations in water content of aggregates occurring in concrete plants.
Because of he small quantities of viscosity agents required, however it
may be difficult to achieve the accuracy of dosage.
General Requirements in the Mix Design of SCC

5 A low volume of coarse aggregate

It is possible to use natural rounded, semi crushed or crushed
aggregate to produce SCC. Nevertheless, as the coarse
aggregate plays an important role on the passing ability of SCC
in congested areas, the volume has to be limited.
On the other hand the use of coarse aggregate allows
optimizing the packing density of the skeleton of the concrete
& reduction of the paste volume needed for the target
workability.
Generally speaking, the maximum aggregate size (Dmax) is
between 10mm &20mm. the passing ability decreases when
Dmax increases, which leads to decrease of the coarse
aggregate content. The choice of a higher Dmax is thus
possible but is only justified with low reinforcement content.
Properties Selection Guidance
Testing Methods Of SCC
Testing Methods Of SCC
• The three key properties of self
compacting concrete are :
1.Flowing ability.
2.Passing ability.
3.Resistance to segregation.
• adequate flowing ability is directly
proportional to workability.
• factor affecting workability :
• water content
• water/cement ratio
• ratio of surface area to volume of aggregate
• Shape of aggregates
• aggregate/cement ratio
• admixtures
• The concrete must be able to flow through all openings
such as the spaces between reinforcing bars and within
the formwork without blocking.

• Passing Ability of SCC is affected by various factors :

1. Size and characteristics of aggregate.
2. Ratio between aggregate diameter and the clear
spacing between reinforcing bar.
3. Volume of aggregate.
• It is clear that the passing ability of the
mixture composed of small size and
round shaped aggregates are better
than the mixture composed of big size
and crushed aggregates.
• The lower the ratio of aggregate diameter to
clear spacing between reinforcing bars, the
better the passing ability. For the same
aggregate diameter, the smaller clear spacing
between reinforcing bars increases the
possibility of higher formation of aggregate
arching, resulting in poor passing ability of the
mixture.
• Higher aggregate volume within a SCC
mixture leads to a higher risk for
aggregate to collide with each other
and increases the inter-particle
friction, there by reducing the passing
ability.
The approach to achieve these properties is as
follows
•A low coarse aggregate volume reduces the
amount of collisions between the aggregate
particles, thus providing better passing ability,
and a consequent increase in paste volume.
•low water/powder ratio and super plasticizer
provide both flowing ability and segregation
resistance.
• In the design of concrete structures, engineers may refer
to a number of concrete properties, which are not always
part of the concrete specification. The most relevant are:
1. Compressive strength
2. Tensile strength
3. Modulus of elasticity
4. Creep
5. Shrinkage
6. Coefficient of thermal expansion
7. Bond to reinforcement
8. Shear force capacity in cold joints
9. Fire resistance
• Self-compacting concrete with a similar
water cement ratio will usually have a
slightly higher strength compared with
traditional vibrated concrete, due to the
lack of vibration giving an improved
interface between the aggregate and
hardened paste.
• Self-compacting concrete may be supplied
with any specified compressive strength
class. For a given concrete strength class
and maturity, the tensile strength may be
safely assumed to be the same as the one
for a normal concrete as the volume of
paste (cement + fines + water) has no
significant effect on tensile strength.
• The modulus of elasticity (E-value, the ratio
between stress and strain), is used in the elastic
calculation of deflection, often the controlling
parameter in slab design, and of pre or post
tensioned elements.
• Selecting an aggregate with a high E-value will
increase the modulus of elasticity of concrete.
However, increasing the paste volume could
decrease the E-value. Because SCC often has a
higher paste content than traditional vibrated
concrete, some differences can be expected and
the E-value may be somewhat lower .
• Creep takes place in the cement paste and it is influenced
by its porosity which is directly related to its
water/cement ratio. During hydration, the porosity of the
cement paste reduces and so for a given concrete, creep
reduces as the strength increases.
• Due to the higher volume of cement paste, the creep
coefficient for SCC may be expected to be higher than for
normal concrete of equal strength.
• In practice, durability depends on the
material selection, concrete composition, as
well as on the degree of supervision during
placing, compaction, finishing and curing.
• Self-compacting concrete with the right
properties will be free from shortcomings
and result in a material of consistently low
and uniform permeability, offering less weak
points for deleterious actions of the
environment and, hence, better durability.
• The benefits of using SCC in general construction can be
addressed with two important issues, which concern the
economic development of the Nation.

1. The first issue deals with the build-ability in construction

and
2. the other relates to ecological sustainability through
utilization of wastes.
• Reduce the number of workers.
• Improved productivity
• better quality
• Safer working environment.
• Cost effectiveness.
• Time saving
• Better Pumpability
• Waste utilization.
• Ease of construction.
• Durability.
• Maintenance
• The constituent materials used in SCC are
basically the same as those used in traditional
vibrated concrete. These are :

1. PORTLAND CEMENT
2. AGGREGATES
3. FLY ASH
4. SUPERPLASTICIZERS
5. VISCOSITY MODIFYING ADMIXTURES
• The three key fresh properties of SCC are :

 FILLING ABILITY
 PASSING ABILITY
 RESISTANCE TO SEGREGATION
MEASUREMENT OF SCC FLOW PROPERTIES IN FRESH STATE

• Slump Flow & T50 test

 Slump flow test is used to find the filling ability of the SCC.
 The SCC sample is poured in to the slump cone then the slump flow
diameter is measured.
 The flow time is measured & that is know as T50 slump time.
 The higher the slump flow value, the greater its ability to fill
formwork under its own weight.
Test Procedure
 Slump Flow & T50 test
• Procedure
About 6 litre of concrete is needed to perform the test, sampled normally.
1. Moisten the base plate and inside of slump cone,
2. Place base plate on level stable ground and the slump cone centrally on
the base plate and hold down firmly.
3. Fill the cone with the scoop. Do not tamp, simply strike off the concrete
level with the top of the cone with the trowel.
4. Remove any surplus concrete from around the base of the cone.
5. Raise the cone vertically and allow the concrete to flow out freely.
Simultaneously, start the stopwatch and record the time taken for the
concrete to reach the 500mm spread circle. (This is the T50 time). Measure
the final diameter of the concrete in two perpendicular directions.
6. Calculate the average of the two measured diameters. (This is the slump
flow in mm). Note any border of mortar or cement paste without coarse
aggregate at the edge of the pool of concrete.
 Slump Flow & T50 test
• Interpretation of result
• The higher the slump flow (SF) value, the greater its ability to fill
formwork under its own weight. A value of at least 650mm is required for
SCC. There is no generally accepted advice on what are reasonable
tolerances about a specified value, though ± 50mm, as with the related
flow table test, might be appropriate. The T50 time is a secondary
indication of flow. A lower time indicates greater flow ability. The Brite
EuRam research suggested that a time of 3-7 seconds is acceptable for
civil engineering applications, and 2-5 seconds for housing applications.
• In case of severe segregation most coarse aggregate will remain in the
centre of the pool of concrete and mortar and cement paste at the
concrete periphery. In case of minor segregation a border of mortar
without coarse aggregate can occur at the edge of the pool of concrete. If
none of these phenomena appear it is no assurance that segregation will
not occur since this is a time related aspect that can occur after a longer
period
• Four tests are recommended to check these three properties :
 Slump flow test (total spread and T50 time): primarily to assess
filling ability, suitable for laboratory and site use
 L-box test: primarily to assess passing ability, suitable for
laboratory use
 J-ring test: primarily to assess passing ability, suitable for
laboratory and site use
 Sieve stability test: to assess segregation resistance, suitable
for laboratory and site Use.
• Three other tests are recommended for
standardization as alternative methods.

 V-funnel test: partially indicates filling ability and

blocking, suitable for laboratory and site use.
 Orimet test: partially indicates filling ability and
blocking, suitable for laboratory and site use.
 Penetration test: to assess segregation, possibly
used in combination with the sieve stability test.
Principles :

The slump flow test aims at investigating the filling

ability of SCC. It measures two parameters:
•flow spread and flow time T50 (optional). The former
indicates the free, unrestricted deformability and the
latter indicates the rate of deformation within a defined
flow distance.
•The slump flow time T50 is the period between the
moment the cone leaves the base plate and SCC first
touches the circle of diameter 500 mm. T50 is
expressed in seconds to the nearest 1/10 seconds.
 Fig. Base Plate and Abrams Cone

Fig. Example of dimensions of a

weight ring
 Slump flow spread S < 600 600 ∼ 750 >750
[mm]
Repeatability r [mm] N.A. 42 22

Reproducibility R [mm] N.A. 43 28

Slump flow time T50 ≤ 3.5 3.5 ∼ 6 >6

[sec]
Repeatability r [sec] 0.66 1.18 N.A.

Reproducibility R [sec] 0.88 1.18 N.A.

• PRINCIPLE
• The method aims at investigating the
passing ability of SCC. It measures the
reached height of fresh SCC after passing
through the specified gaps of steel bars and
flowing within a defined flow distance.
With this reached height, the passing or
blocking behaviour of SCC can be
estimated.
 L-BOX TEST
 The L-Box test is used to find the passing ability of
SCC.
 The SCC sample is poured in to the L-Box apparatus,
now the plate is removed to allow flow.
 The L-box ratio is calculated as H2/ H1.
• According to EFNARC , when the ratio of h2
to h1 is larger than 0.8, self compacting
concrete has good passing ability.
Apparatus
Test Procedure
 J RING TEST

• PRINCIPLE
• The J-ring test aims at investigating both
the filling ability and the passing ability of
SCC. It can also be used to investigate the
resistance of SCC to segregation by
comparing test results from two different
portions of sample. The J-ring test
measures three parameters: flow spread,
flow time T50J (optional) and blocking step.
Fig. 5 Dimensions of the J-ring and positions
for measurement of height
Differences
72
 Typical range of values

s. no Method Unit
Minimum Maximum
1. Slump flow test Mm 650 800

T50cm slump
2. flow Sec 2 5

3. V-funnel test Sec 6 12

V-funnel at
4. T5minutes Sec 6 15

5. L-Box test H2/H1 .8 1.0

 Conclusion
After comparing the properties of normal concrete
and SCC both, we can conclude that SCC is
advantageous over normal one in several parameters:
•Economical
•Environmental factor
•Ease of construction
•Less manpower
•Quality
•Safety factor
•Aesthetically pleasing surface
•Better pumpability
•Time saving