What is self-compacting concrete?

Scc can be defined as a highly flowable, non segregating concrete

that can spread into place, fill the formwork, and encapsulate the
reinforcement without any mechanical consolidation according to
ACI.

What are the different fresh properties are to be assessed before
declaring the concrete as a scc?
The fresh properties are to be assessed as follows:
(1) Filling Ability- describes the ability of concrete to flow under its
own mass and completely fill formwork.
(2) Passing Ability- describes the ability of concrete to flow through
confined conditions, such as the narrow openings between
reinforcement bars.
(3) Segregation Resistance- describes the ability of concrete to
remain uniform in terms of composition during placement and until
setting.

What are the different tests on scc?
Slump flow test:-
This test is done to assess the horizontal flow of concrete in the
absence of obstructions.
Instrument- (1)slump cone,(2)base plate,
(3)trowel,(4)scoop,(5)measuring tape,(6)stop watch
The concrete placed into the mould is not rodded. when the slump
cone has been lifted and the diameter of the concrete in two
perpendicular directions are measured. Now the average of the two is
calculated. This is the slump flow in mm.
The higher the flow value, the greater its ability to fill formwork under
its own weight.


J-ring test:-
This test denotes the passing ability of the concrete.

Instrument-(1)slump cone without foot pieces,(2)base plate at least 700
mm square(3)trowel,(4)scoop,(5)tape,(6)J-ring rectangular section.
Place the j-ring centrally on the base plate and the slump cone centrally
inside the j-ring. Fill the slump cone with scoop. Do not tamp. Raise the
cone vertically and allow the concrete to flow out through j-ring.
Measure the difference in height between the concrete just inside the
j-ring bars and just outside the j-ring bars. The acceptable difference in
height should be between 0 and 10 mm.
V-Funnel test:-
In this method segregation resistance of scc is being evaluated using a
funnel as shown in fig. The funnel is filled with concrete and the efflux
time of scc with coarse aggregate having the maximum size of less than
25 mm is measured. This test gives account of the filling
capacity(flowability). The inverted cone shape shows any possibility of
the concrete to block is reflected in the result.


T
500
test:-
This is also a test method for evaluating the material segregation
resistance of SCC, where the 500-mm flow reach time is measured in
the slump flow test. SCC should give
500
= 2 - 5 seconds.


U-Type and Box-Type Tests:-
In this method, flowability of SCC with coarse aggregates having the
maximum size of less than 25 mm is measured by passing it through an
obstacle. Time is measured to pass SCC through the obstacle for self-
compactability.


Discuss the rheology of scc with a flow chart.
The cements and powdered inorganic additives which form
constituents of the concrete are all counted as ultra fines. In aqueous
suspension, the individual grains exhibit different surface charges
depending on their chemically differing compositions. Opposite charges
attract one another, so the mineral constituents of the suspension tend
to agglomerate as shown in Fig. and this is regardless of whether,
involves a pure cement suspension or cement fly ash silica fume
suspension, or a pure fly ash suspension is involved. It is observed that
the rheological behaviour of all these suspensions is substantially that
of a Bingham solid. The characteristic features of this are a pronounced
yield value and a shear resistance which increases with shear rate and
can be assumed to be approximately linear with decreasing shear rate.
The gradient of the straight line is a measure of dynamic viscosity. At
high water/solids ratios in the suspension the yield value approaches
zero because of the large average distance between the particles, and
the dynamic viscosity approaches that of water. At low water/solids
ratios the yield value increases sharply because of the high tendency to
agglomeration, and so does the dynamic viscosity. Investigations
demonstrated in detail that the action of super-plasticizers is essentially
to equalize the surface charges (zeta potential) on all solid particles in
the dispersion and in this way to disagglomerate the particles.


Flow chart:-