SEMINAR ON

SELF COMPACTING CONCRETE

Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Chemistry behind workability
Mix Design
Tests on fresh concrete
Field considerations
Applications
Advantages
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
References

ABSTRACT

Target Strength: - Characteristic Compressive Strength At

28 Days 30mpa
Applications/use:It is used in high compressive strength concrete where
mainly in slabs g+10 buildings
In bridges where compressive strength more than 40mpa.
It is also used in prestressed, precast t-girders for viaduct.
It is used in where difficult to compact by vibrate and high
demand aesthetics, for example in concrete lining,
underground installation structures, rock tunnel entrances
and retention walls with negative inclination and relief
structures.

Filling ability tests are 1) slump flow test

2) v-funnel test
Desired slump flow diameter: - 500-700mm.
Desired v-funnel value: - 6-12 sec.
Passing ability test mainly L-box test
Desired L-box value: - More than or equal to 0.8.
Setting time of Cement: - Initial setting it will be
more than or equal to 30min
Final setting time will be less than 600min
Water cement ratio: - In the range of 0.8 to 1.12

INTRODUCTION

Self Compacting Concrete has left his early stage of laboratory

studies and has now become an industrial product. Several
building applications, many in high volumes, show it can be
prescribed and used as a reliable product in mass applications
with confidence in supply and casting. High strength self
compacting concrete has been used in many projects and
structures in a beneficial way, which proved that self compacting
concrete can be adopted in day to day constructions.
Even though the initial cost of construction may increase up to
30% due to usage of admixtures like superpalsticizers, viscosity
modifying agents etc, the final bid of the product is found to be
about 12% lower because of decreased labour, decreased
finishing cost and further more there is no need for vibration and
additional repair of the surface (as the surface finish obtained to
very smooth)

WHY SELF COMPACTING CONCRETE

Compacting procedures applied to the concrete placed in a

structure plays a major role in gaining the initial as well as the
ultimate strength of the structure. It may not be always possible to
compact concrete exactly, where as if vibration is not properly
done; the strength of structure obviously crushes to the
considerable extent. In some cases even though extreme care is
taken, if was found to be difficult to make concrete spread evenly
thought the structure and where a dense reinforcement is
unavoidable it literally a tough task to make concrete spread
homogeneously. Casting monolithic structures has been a though
task using normal concretes, whose flow ability is very less. So an
urge for development of a concrete which is flow able, pump able,
self levelling and homogeneous when spread out rose. S.C.C is
found to be more users friendly and producing much positive results
in construction of Buildings columns, foundations and walls, Pre cast
structures, Piers, Piles and Pile caps and all kinds of repair works.

CHEMISTRY BEHIND WORKABILITY

The most important principle for flowing and unsegregable concretes

like S.C.C is the usage of superplasticizer combined with a relatively
high content of powder materials in terms of Portland cement, mineral
fillers, fine aggregates etc. A partial replacement of Portland cement
(sometimes up to 70% of cement) with inert materials like GGBS
(Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag) was found to be producing
positive results in terms of physical properties, resistance to
segregation, strength level, particularly in mass concrete structures
exposed to restrained thermal stress produced by cement heat
hydration. The admixtures like superplasticizer, viscosity modifying
agents, air entraining agents are necessary to make S.C.C. Super
plasticizers or water (high range water reducers) are low molecular
weight, negatively charged organic molecules that primarily adsorb at
solid water interface and finally result in neutralising the opposite
surface charges on solid particles and cause all particles to carry
uniform charge of like sign (-ve), which makes the concrete a workable
mix with a desired slump even at water cement ratios below0.4.

These admixtures also result in variation of

strength (concretes of compressive strength >
50Mpa can be manufactured by using
admixtures and even tensile strength of self
compacting concrete at 7 days is found to be
grater than that of the normal concrete at 28
days) and other properties of concrete.

Therefore choice of good

admixtures and all other ingredients like
cement, sand, gravel etc is to be made
according to the purpose to achieve, required
slump and strength without segregation.

MIX DESIGN

There are certain basic thumb rules, which should be followed

during the mix design of S.C.C
Maximum aggregate should never be grater than 25 mm
Paste content should be about 400 litre/ M3
Water fines ratio (water/fines) should be around 0.31 to 0.36
Fines content of about 500 to 600 kg/M3 (this could be any fine
material, which is puzzolonic or inert in nature)
Coarse aggregate to sand ratio (coarse aggregate/sand ratio)
should be roughly equal to one i.e., we have almost equal volumes
of coarse aggregate and sand ratio in the equal volumes, in
contrast with the conventional concrete, where we use 60% of the
aggregate is coarse and 40% goes to fine aggregate
Superplasticizer can be used to obtain fluidity
Viscosity modifier nay be used or stability and robustness
(strength)

A) OPTIMISATION OF THE PASTE COMPOSITION

OPTIMUM SUPER PLASTICIZER DOSE
OPTIMUM FILLER DOSE
B) OPTIMISATION OF AGGREGATE SKELETON

A) OPTIMISATION OF THE PASTE COMPOSITION:

Here paste refers to the system composed of cement, water
super plasticizer and filler
I.e. paste = cement + water + superplasticizer + filler.
In self compacting concrete, we never use the water cement
ratio grater than 0.4
i.e. water/cement 0.4
Therefore to reach the paste composition we need two things
How much of super plasticizer to be used
How much of fines to be used

TESTS ON FRESH S.C.C

The properties that are examined for a mix of known paste and
aggregate volumes are
Filling ability 2.passing ability 3.Segregation

Tests on filling ability
Tests on passing ability
Tests on segregation
Slump flow test
L-box test
Wet sieving test
V- Funnel test
J-ring test
Penetration test
Speaking practically, the testes on segregation are not generally
performed because if the mix segregates, it can be found out
while performing the other tests like slump fellow test etc. But if
we need to calculate the segregation, the need to tests on
segregation is unavoidable.

FIELD CONSIDERATIONS

MIXING
There is no requirement for any specific mixer type. Forced action mixers, including
paddle mixers, free fall mixers, including truck mixers, and other types can all be
used. The mixing time necessary should be determined by practical trials.
Generally, mixing times need to be longer than for conventional mixes.
PLACING
Though it is easier to place SCC than ordinary concrete, the following rules are
advised to minimise the risk of segregation:
~>Limit the vertical free fall distance to 5 m
~>Limit the permissible distance of horizontal flow from point of discharge to10 M.
FORMWORK
Generally the wooden formwork can be used for S.C.C, but the external
reinforcement needs to be very close and wall height and length. Form work of
S.C.C needs no difference than a good sealing formwork used for normal concrete.
But S.C.C will find way out of the formwork if formwork is weak in sealing.
CURING
SCC tends to dry faster than conventional concrete because there is little or no
bleed water at the surface. Initial curing should therefore be commenced as soon
as practicable after placing in order to minimise the risk of shrinkage cracking

APPLICATIONS
S.C.C can be used in any kind of constructions, because
of its unique properties like flowability and also as it is
very easy to obtain the high range of strength values.
Some of the pioneering applications are
Bridges (anchorage blocks and piers)
Liquefied gas storage tanks
Tunnel linings
Building components like columns, foundations and
walls
Sandwich structures (steel concrete structures)
Repair works (girders, tunnel linings)
Prefabricated elements (panels, furniture, beams etc)
Piles and pile caps
Monolithic structures

ADVANTAGES IN USING OF SELF COMPACTING

CONCRETE:
Reduction of time of construction.
Improved quality.
Improved working environment.
Over all cost reduction.
It is very economical as the final bid of the structure reduces
to 10% by use of S.C.C
Waste materials like fly ash can be used in a beneficial way to
obtain a better product.
A range of high quality of surface finishes can be obtained.
Uniform spacing of aggregate on the surface can be achieved
without any kind of vibration.
Some other materials like white marble powder crushed black
granite aggregates can be used to produce an aesthetic look.
Tensile strength of reinforced Self compacting concrete is more
than that of normal concrete

CONCLUSION

Self compacting concrete can be used in any type of

construction as the placement of concrete mix is not
delayed and a smooth aesthetic finish of surface can
be obtained by using no vibration techniques and is
very good when considered in environment point of
view as we are using fly ash, and other puzzolonic
material like blast furnace slag etc, which may cause
pollution when dumped or left out to atmosphere
(there are cases where 70% of the cement in SCC is
replaced with fly ash). Moving one step forward, small
pieces steel fibres can be added to the self compacting
concrete mix, which acts as a concrete with self
reinforcement.

REFERANCES

A seminar on Self compacted concrete by Dr.Ravindra

Gettu, IIT, Chennai, The concrete website, several ebooks and journals downloaded from various websites
A text book on properties of concrete by A.M.Neville
A text book on concrete technology by R.N.Swami,
Concrete technology test book by A.M.Neville and
J.J.Brooks.
Information provided by several civil engineers in
Concrete technology community (Orkut)