Vibration & Re-vibration

By

[Amr Mohamed Ismail]

[Benha Higher Institute of Technology]
[3rd Civil Engineering DEP]
 Benha Higher Institute of Technology – Quality Control

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1""VIBRATION"" #

1.1- INTRODUCTION 2
1.2- THE EFFECT OF VIBRATION 3
1.3- HOW DO VIBRATORS WORK 4
1.4- FACTORS TO CONSIDER SELECTING METHOD OF VIBRATING 4
1.5- METHODS OF COMPACTION 4
1.5.1- HAND COMPACTION 5
1.5.2- COMAPCTION BY VIBRATION 6
1.5.3- INTERNAL VIBRATOR 7
1.5.4- TABLE VIBRATOR 11
1.5.5- PLARFORM VIBRATOR 13
1.5.6- SURFACE VIBRATOR 13

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1.5.7- COMPACTION BY PRESSURE AND JOLTING 13
1.5.8- COMPACTION BY SPINNING 14

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1.6- CONDITIONS OF VIBRATIONS 14
1.6.1- EFFECT OF TIME AND TEMPERATURE 14
1.6.2- EFFECT OF DELAY IN PLACING
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1.6.3- HIGH CONCRETE LAYER 17
1.6.4- DURATION OF VIBRATION 17
1.6.5- VIBRATING CONCRETE ANT JUNCTIONS WITH HARDENED CONCRETE 18
1.6.6- VIBRATING WITH THE REINFORCED CONCRETE 18
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1.6.7- VIBRATING NEAR THE FORM WORK 18
1.6.8- VIBRATING HIGH WALLS AND COLUMNS 19
1.6.9- UNDER-VIBRATIONS AND OVER-VIBRATIONS 19
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CHAPTER 2"" RE-VIBRATION"" #

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2.1- INTRODUCTION 20
2.2- MECHANISM OF RE-VIBRATION OF CONCRETE 21
2.3- RE-VIBRATION BENFITS 21
2.4- RE-VIBRATION FACTORS 22
2.4.1- RE-VIBRATION IN DIFFERENT W/C 22
2.4.2- RE-VIBRATION IN DIFFERENT CONCRETE TYPES 26
2.4.3- RE-VIBRATION IN DIFFERENT CONCRETE AGES 29
2.5-ECONOMY OF PROBLEM 30

REFERNCES 31

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1.1-INTRODUCTION
Compaction is the process which expels entrapped air from freshly placed concrete
and packs the aggregate particles together so as to increase the density of concrete. It
increases significantly the ultimate strength of concrete and enhances the bond with
reinforcement. It also increases the abrasion resistance and general durability of the
concrete, decreases the permeability and helps to minimize its shrinkage-and-creep
characteristics. Proper compaction also ensures that the formwork is completely filled -
ie there are no pockets of Honeycombed material – and that the required finish is
obtained on vertical surfaces. When first placed in the form, normal concretes,
excluding those with very low or very high slumps will contain between 5% and 20% by
volume of entrapped air. The amount varies according to the type of mix and its slump,
the placement method, form size, and the amount of reinforcing steel used. . The
aggregate particles, although coated with mortar, tend to arch against one another and
are prevented from slumping or consolidating by internal friction.

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Compaction of concrete is, therefore, a two-stage process Figure 1. First the aggregate

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particles are set in motion and slump to fill the form giving a level top surface. In the
second stage, entrapped air is expelled. It is important to recognize the two stages in the
compaction process because, with vibration, initial consolidation of the concrete can
often be achieved relatively quickly. The concrete liquefies and the surface levels, giving
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the impression that the concrete is compacted. Entrapped air takes a little longer to rise
to the surface. Compaction must therefore be prolonged until this is accomplished, ie
until air bubbles no longer appear on the surface
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1.2-THE EFFECT OF VIBRATION

As may be seen from Figure2, the effect of compaction on compressive strength is
dramatic. For example, the strength of concrete containing 10% of entrapped air (air
voids) may be as little as 50% that of the concrete when fully compacted. Concrete
vibration can improve the compressive strength of concrete by about 3% to 5% for
each percent of air removed. Permeability may be similarly affected since
compaction, in addition to expelling entrapped air, promotes a more even distribution
of pores within the concrete, causing them to become discontinuous. This reduces
the permeability of the concrete and hence improves its durability. The abrasion
resistance of concrete surfaces is normally improved by adequate compaction.
However, excessive vibration, or excessive working of the surface, can cause an
excessive amount of mortar (and moisture) to collect at the surface, thereby reducing
its potential abrasion resistance. In flatwork therefore, a
careful balance is required to expel entrapped air
without bringing excessive amounts of mortar to the
surface of the concrete.

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Fig. 6-12 relationship between loss of

strength and –void space

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1.3-HOW DO VIBRATORS WORK?

Vibrators impart a vibratory force into the concrete through a combination of frequency
and amplitude. Frequency is the number of vibration cycles per minute, and is
expressed as "rpm" or "vpm." It is noisier than amplitude and more effective with lighter
mass. It moves the sand and slurry around the rock, and governs liquefaction.

Vibration of fresh concrete reduces its internal shear strength and enables the concrete
to temporarily liquefy, facilitating the consolidation process. Once the vibration stops, its
liquid flow subsides.

Amplitude is more effective with a heavier mass of concrete. It moves the rocks and
determines the radius of action. It may be simpler to think of frequency as the number of
times that the vibratory forces occur, while amplitude is the distance that the force is
"thrown." A light, thin section, for example, would be vibrated at high frequency and low

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amplitude, because high amplitude would throw the concrete out of the form. Heavier,

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thicker sections, on the other hand, are more effectively vibrated with higher amplitude
and lower frequency .

1.4-FACTORS TO CONSIDER SELECTING METHOD OF VIBRATIING

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 product configuration
 reinforcement configuration
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 mix design
 aggregate size
 size and rate of concrete placement
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 desired finish
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1.5-METHODS OF COMPACTION
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(A)Hand Compaction
(i) Rodding (ii) Ramming (iii) Tamping

(6) Compaction by Vibration

(i) Internal vibrator (Needle vibrator)

(ii) Formwork vibrator (External vibrator)

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(iii) Table vibrator

(iv) Platform vibrator

(v) Surface vibrator (Screed vibrator)

(c) Compaction by Pressure and Jolting

(d) Compaction by Spinning

1.5.1-Hand Compaction

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Hand compaction of concrete is adopted in case of unimportant concrete work of small
magnitude. Sometimes, this method is also applied in such situation, where a large

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quantity of reinforcement is used, which cannot be normally compacted by mechanical
means. Hand compaction consists of rodding, ramming or tamping. When hand
compaction is adopted, the consistency of concrete is maintained at a higher level. The
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thickness of the layer of concrete is limited to about 15 to 20 cm. Rodding is nothing but
poking the concrete with about 2 metre long, 16 mm diameter rod to pack the concrete
between the reinforcement and sharp corners and edges. Rodding is done continuously
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over the complete area to effectively pack the concrete and drive away entrapped air.
Sometimes, instead of iron rod, bamboos or cane is also used for rodding purpose.
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Ramming should be done with care. Light ramming can be permitted in unreinforced
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foundation concrete or in ground floor construction. Ramming should not be permitted in

case of reinforced concrete or in the upper floor construction, where concrete is placed
in the formwork supported on struts. If ramming is adopted in the above case the
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position of the reinforcement may be disturbed or the formwork may fail, particularly, if
steel rammer is used.

Tamping is one of the usual methods adopted in compacting roof or floor slab or road
pavements where the thickness of concrete is comparatively less and the surface to be
finished smooth and level. Tamping consists of beating the top surface by wooden cross
beam of section about 10 cm x 10 cm. Since the tamping bar is sufficiently long it not
only compacts, but also levels the top surface across the entire length.

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1.5.2-Compaction by Vibration

It is pointed out that the compaction by hand, if properly carried out on concrete with
sufficient workability, gives satisfactory results, but the strength of the hand compacted
concrete will be necessarily low because of higher water cement ratio required for full
compaction. Where high strength is required, it is necessary that stiff concrete, with low
water/cement ratio be used. To compact such concrete, mechanically operated vibratory
equipment, must be used. The vibrated concrete with low water/cement ratio will have
many advantages over the hand compacted concrete with higher water/cement ratio.

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The modern high frequency vibrators make it possible to place economically concrete
which is impracticable to place by hand. A concrete with about 4 cm slump can be
placed and compacted fully in a closely spaced reinforced concrete work, whereas, with
hand compaction, much higher consistency say about 12 cm slump may be required.
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The action of vibration is to set the particles of fresh concrete in motion, reducing the
friction between them and affecting a temporary liquefaction of concrete which enables
easy settlement.
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While vibration itself does not affect the strength of concrete which is controlled by the
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water/cement ratio, it permits the use of less water. Concrete of higher strength and
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better quality can therefore be made with a given cement factor with less mixing water.
Where only a given strength is required, it can be obtained with leaner mixes than
possible with hand compaction, making the process economical. Vibration therefore,
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permits improvement in the quality of concrete or in economy.

Compaction of concrete by vibration has almost completely revolutionised the concept of

concrete technology, making possible the use of low slump stiff mixes for production of
high quality concrete with required strength and impermeability. The use of vibration
may be essential for the production of good concrete where the congestion of the
reinforcement or the inaccessibility of the concrete in the formwork is such that hand
compaction methods are not practicable. Vibration may also be necessary if the
available aggregates are of such poor shape and texture which would produce a
concrete of poor workability unless large amount of water and cement is used. In normal
circumstances, vibration is often adopted to improve the compaction and consequently
the structure of concrete. In tins way, vibration can, undei suitable conditions, produce
better quality concrete than by hand compaction. Lower cement content and lower water

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cement ratio can produce equally strong concrete more economically than by hand com-
paction.

Although vibration properly applied is a great step forward in the production of quality
concrete, it is more often employed as a method of placing ordinary concrete easily than
as a method of obtaining high grade concrete at an economical cost. Ail the potential
advantages of vibration can be fully realised only if proper control is exercised in the
design and manufacture of concrete and certain rules are observed regarding the proper
use of different types of vibrators.

1.5.3-Internal Vibrator

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1- General points on using stinger vibration

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 Vibration time depends on frequency - the higher the frequency, the less
vibration time needed.
 Frequency will be reduced by about 20-25 percent, when the stinger is immersed
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in the concrete.
 The diameter of the stick should be the wall thickness of the product being
poured, divided by four.
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 Overlap the "field of action" (vibrating radius) throughout the pour. Doing this will
bond the batches and lifts of concrete together into a monolithic pour.
 Completely immerse the stinger into the concrete.

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Immerse vertically and quickly (about one foot per second), but withdraw slowly
(about three seconds per foot.)
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 Put the stinger into each area of concrete, only once.

 When concrete is poured in layers, place the stinger about six inches into the
previous layer.
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 Start vibration when the stinger is completely submerged into the Concrete.
 Stop vibration when the surface becomes shiny and there are no more breaking
air bubbles

Of all the vibrators, the internal vibrator is most commonly used. This is also called,
"Needle Vibrator", "Immersion Vibrator", or "Poker Vibrator". This essentially consists of
a power unit, a flexible shaft and a needle. The power unit may be electrically driven or
operated by petrol engine or air compressor. The vibrations are caused by eccentric
weights attached to the shaft or the motor or to the rotor of a vibrating element.
Electromagnet, pulsating equipment is also available. The frequency of vibration varies
up to 12,000 cycles of vibration per minute. An average frequency of 3500 to 5000 has
been normally used. The needle diameter varies from 20 mm to 75 mm and its length
varies from 25 cm to 90 cm.

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The bigger needle is used in the construction of mass concrete dam. Sometimes,
arrangements are available such that the needle can be replaced by a blade of
approximately the same size. This blade facilitates vibration of members, where, due to
the congested reinforcement, the needle would not go in, this blade can effectively
vibrate. They are portable and can be shifted from place to place very easily during con-
creting operation. They can also be used in difficult positions and situations.

Formwork Vibrator (External Vibrator)

Formwork vibrators are used for concreting columns, thin walls or in the casting of
precast units. The machine is clamped on to the external wall surface of the formwork.
The vibration is given to the formwork so that the concrete in the vicinity of the shutter

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gets vibrated. This method of vibrating concrete is particularly useful and adopted where

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reinforcement, lateral ties and spacers interfere too much with the internal vibrator. Use
of surface vibrator will produce a good finish to the concrete surface. Since the vibration
is given to the concrete indirectly through the formwork, they consume more power and
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the efficiency of external vibrator is lower than the efficiency of internal vibrator.

Table 1 summarises the characteristics and applications of immersion vibrators. as a

general rule, the radius of action of a given vibrator not only increases with the
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workability of the concrete (higher slump), but also with the diameter of the head. a good
general rule is to use as large a diameter head as practicable, bearing in mind that
vibrators with diameters in excess of 100 mm will probably require two men to handle
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them. Below this diameter, the appropriate head size will be dependent on the width of
the formwork, the spacing of the reinforcement and the cover to it.
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Immersion vibrators should be inserted vertically into concrete, as quickly as possible,

and then held stationary until air bubbles cease to rise to the surface, usually in about
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15–20 seconds Figure 3. The vibrator should then be slowly withdrawn and reinserted
vertically in a fresh position adjacent to the first. These movements should be repeated
in a regular pattern until all the concrete has been compacted Figure 4. Random
insertions are likely to leave areas of the concrete uncompacted. The vibrator should not
be used to cause concrete to flow horizontally in the forms, as

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1.4.5-Table Vibrator

1- General points on using form vibration

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 Don't fasten the vibrators directly onto the form. Mounting brackets should be

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welded onto a form stiffener with the vibrator attached to the mounting bracket.
 Vibrator location is critical. They must be mounted on the form at locations where
their potential will be maximized (confirm with vibration supplier.
 Check with your vibrator supplier to determine the size of vibrator required for
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your product. The vibratory force required can vary from the total weight of the
form and concrete divided by two; for walls, to as much as two or three times the
total form and concrete weight to achieve zero-slump concrete.
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 Start vibration when the concrete is about six inches above the vibrator.
 Stop vibration when the concrete has a level, glossy surface and there are no
more breaking air bubbles.
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 Fully tie rebar cages to ensure that their positions are maintained during the
consolidation effort and to reduce the potential for adverse vibrations that could
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compromise the concrete-rebar bond

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Vibration tables, external-form vibrators, drop tables, and other specialized equipment is
unique to the precast industry and are commonly used. Vibration tables are rigid decks
mounted on flexible supports which operate at 3,000 to 6,000 vibrations per minute
(vpm). Specialized equipment can offer product-specific benefits, offering more uniform
control and greater overall economy.

External-form vibrators should be mounted just below poured concrete surfaces and
have frequencies ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 vpm. All consolidation equipment should
be adequately secured, and the formwork should be sufficiently sturdy to resist the
repeated vibration and/or shock loads. Locking mechanisms are recommended on
connectors (i.e., bolts), as needed.

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Table vibrators vary from eccentric shaft to shaker tables for Wet-cast concrete to
tables that utilize rotary or linear vibrators. The vibrators used for table vibration of dry-
cast concrete impart what is referred to as unidirectional vibration forces. That is, all of
the vibration forces are vertical (up and down), while the horizontal vibration is zero.

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Unidirectional vibration is effective for tall products such as manholes, catch basins,
vaults, septic tanks, and box culverts, as well as for smaller products such as meter
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boxes and grade rings. The vibratory forces required for the larger products would be
generated by using high amplitude and low frequency, where the smaller products would
be vibrated with lower amplitude and higher frequency settings.
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As a general rule, for dry-cast concrete, the vibrator should be sized with an impact
force that is 1.5-2 times larger than the total weight of the concrete and the form, but
specific supplier recommendations should be followed. If you correctly inform your
vibrating table supplier about the weight and dimensions of the product, they will size a
system to meet your requirement, for wet- or dry-cast concrete

1.5.5-Platform Vibrator

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Platform vibrator is nothing but a table vibrator, but it is larger in size. This is used in the

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manufacture of large prefabricated concrete elements such as electric poles, railway
sleepers, prefabricated roofing elements etc. Sometimes, the platform vibrator is also
coupled with jerking or shock giving arrangements such that a thorough compaction is
given to the concrete.
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1.5.6-Surface vibrator
Surface vibrators are sometimes known as, "Screed Board Vibrators". A small vibrator
placed on the screed board gives an effective method of compacting and leveling of thin
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concrete members, such as floor slabs, roof slabs and road surface. Mostly, floor slabs
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and roof slabs are so thin that internal vibrator or any other type of vibrator cannot be
easily employed. In such cases, the surface vibrator can be effectively used. In general,
surface vibrators are not effective beyond about 15 cm. sometimes; the concrete is
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vibrated by using vibratory roller moved on the surface. Vibrating roller is used for
compaction of thin road slabs.

1.5.7-Compaction by Pressure and Jolting

This is one of the effective methods of compacting very dry concrete. This method is
often used for compacting hollow blocks, cavity blocks and solid concrete blocks. The
stiff concrete is vibrated, pressed and also given jolts. With the combined action of the
jolts vibrations and pressure, the stiff concrete gets compacted to dense form to give
good strength and volume stability. By employing great pressure, a concrete of very low
water cement ratio could be compacted to yield very high strength. This method is
mostly practiced in the laboratory.

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1.5.8-Compaction by Spinning
Spinning is one of the recent methods of compaction of concrete. This method of
compaction is adopted for the fabrication of concrete pipes. The plastic concrete when
spun at a very high speed, gets well compacted by centrifugal force. This method is
generally used for compacting concrete pipes.

1.6-CONDITIONS OF VIBRATIONS

1.6.1-Effect of Time and Temperature on Workability

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Freshly mixed concrete stiffens with time. This should not be confused with tins of

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cement. It is simply that some water from the mix is absorbed by the aggregate; some is
lost by evaporation, particularly if the concrete is exposed to sun or wind, and some is
removed by the initial chemical reactions. The compacting factor decreases by up to
about 0-1 during a period of one hour from mixing; the exact value of the loss in
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workability varies with the richness of the mix, the type of cement, the temperature of the
concrete, and the initial workability. An example of a slump-time curve, obtained by
Evans,425 is given in Fig. 4.12. The change in
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Fig, 4 12 D • relation between slump and time since completion of mixing for a 1:2:4concrete with a water/cement
ratio of 0.775

Workability with time depends also on the moisture condition of aggregate at a given
total water content the loss is greater with dry aggregate owing to the absorption of
water by aggregate, as of course would be expected because the change of the
apparent consistence and also because we are really interested in the workability at the
time of placing , i.e some time after mixing , it is preferred to delay the appropriate test
until ,say,15 minutes after mixing .

The workability of a mix is also affected by the ambient temperature, although, strictly speaking, we are
concerned with the temperature concrete itself .Fig. 4.13 gives an example of the effect of temperature

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Fig. 4.13. Influence of temperature on slump of concretes with different maximum aggregate size4-7

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Slump of laboratory-mixed concrete: it is apparent that on a hot day the water content of
the mix would have to be increased for a constant workability to be maintained. Fig. 4.14
shows that as the concrete

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Fig. 4.14. Influence of temperature on amount of water required to change slump

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1.6.2-Effect of Delay in Placing

It is now generally recognized that there is a gain in compressive strength with delay in
placing provide the concrete can still be adequately compacted. the limits imposed by
the latter requirement varies with the type of mix only a short delay can be allowed for a
dry mix in hot weather , a delay of several hours is possible with very wet mix in a cold
weather . According to the current specifications in general the delay between the mix
and the final placing is limited to between half and one hour .brook has suggested a
sliding scale of half an hour for ambient temperature exceeding 20 c, three –quarters of
one hour for temperature between 15 and 20 c, and one hour for temperature below15c.

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The effect of delay in placement of concrete varies with the richness of the mix and the
initial slump. A low slump concrete could be compacted satisfactorily for only up to one
and a half hours , but high slump concrete could be compacted satisfactorily even after
five hours in agitation.

1.6.3-Height of Concrete Layer

Concrete is placed in thin layers consistent with the method being used to place and
vibrate the concrete. Usually concrete shall be placed in a thickness not more than 60
cm and on initial placing in thickness not more than 15 cm. The superimposed load
increasing with the height of the layer will favor the action of the vibrator, but as it is also
the path of air forced upwards, it may trap air rising up by vibration. Very deep layers
(say more than 60 cm) should, therefore, be avoided although the height of layer can

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also be one meter provided the vibrator used is sufficiently powerful.

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1.6.4-Duration of Vibration m
New filling shall be vibrated while the concrete is plastic, preferably within one hour. The
duration of vibration in each position of insertion is dependent upon the height of the
layer, the size and characteristics of the vibrator and the workability of the concrete mix.
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It is better to insert the vibrating head at a number of places than to leave it for a long
time in one place, as in the latter case, there is a tendency for formation of mortar pocket
at the point of insertion of the vibrator.
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The vibrator head shall be kept in one position till the concrete within its influence is
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completely consolidated which will be indicated by formation of circular shaped cement

grout en Bie surface of concrete, appearance of flattened glistening surface and
cessation of the rise of entrapped air. Vibration shall be continued until the coarse
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aggregate particles have blended into the surface but have not disappeared.

The time required to effect complete consolidation is readily judged by the experienced
vibrator operator through the feel of the vibrator, resumption of frequency of vibration
after the short period of dropping off of frequency when the vibrator is first inserted.
Doubt about the adequacy of vibration should always be resolved by further vibration;
well proportioned concrete of the correct consistency is not readily susceptible to over-
vibration.

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1.6.5-Vibrating Concrete at Junctions with Hardened Concrete

In cases where concrete has to be joined with rock or hardened concrete, defects can
occur owing to the layers nearest to the hardened concrete not being sufficiently
vibrated. In such cases the procedure given below should be adopted:

The hardened concrete surface should be prepared by hacking or roughening and

removing laitance, greasy matter and loose particles. The cleaned surface shall be
wetted. A cement sand grout of proportion 1:1 and of creamy consistency is then applied
to the wet surface of the old concrete, and the fresh concrete vibrated against it.

1.6.6-Vibrating the Reinforced Concrete

The reinforcement should be designed to leave sufficient space for the vibrating head.

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Where possible, the reinforcement may be grouped so that the width of groups of bars

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does not exceed 25 cm and a space of 7'5 cm exists between the groups of bars to
allow the vibrator to pass freely; the space between the bars in any group may be
reduced to two-thirds of the nominal size of coarse aggregate.
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When the reinforcements lie very close to each other, greater care is taken in vibrating
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so that no pockets or collections of grout are formed. Except where some of the
concrete has already set and provided that the reinforcement is adequately supported
and secured, the vibrator may be pressed against the reinforcement.
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1.6.7-Vibrating near the Formwork

For obtaining a smooth close textured external surface, concrete should have a
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sufficient content of matrix. The vibrator head shall not be brought very near the
formwork as this may cause formation of water whirls (stagnations), especially if the
concrete contains too little of fine aggregate.

On the other hand, a close textured surface may not be obtained, if the positions of
insertion are too far away from the formwork. The most suitable distance of the vibrator
from the formwork is 10 to 20 cm. With the vibration done at the correct depth and with
sufficient grout rising up at the formwork, the outside surface will generally have a close
textured appearance. In the positions of formwork difficult to reach and in concrete walls
less than 30 cm thick it is preferable to use vibrators of small size which can be brought
to the required place and which will not excessively strain the formwork.

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1.6.8-Vibrating High Walls and Columns

While designing the formwork, reinforcement, as well as the division of layers for high
walls and columns, it should be kept in mind that with the usual driving shaft lengths it is
not possible to penetrate the vibrating head more than three meters in the formwork. In
the case of higher walls and columns it is recommended to introduce the shaft driven
vibrating needle through a side opening into the formwork For use .with high walls and
columns, the flexible driving shaft can be brought to a length of six to eight meters or
even more by using adopter nieces The motor-in-head type vibrators arc more useful for
the purpose in cases where a very long current cable can be used for sinking the
vibrator to a greater depth.

1.6.9-Under-vibration and Over-vibration

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There is a possibility of over-vibration while trying to achieve thorough vibration, but it is
exceedingly unlikely in well proportioned mixes containing normal weight aggregates.
Generally, with properly designed mixes, extended vibration will be only a waste of effort
without any particular harm to the concrete.
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However, where the concrete is too workable for the conditions of placing, or where the
quantity of mortars excess of its volume of voids in the coarse aggregate, or where the
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grading of the aggregate is unsatisfactory, over-vibration will encourage the segregation,
causing migration of the lighter and smaller constituents of the mix to the surface, and
leakage of mortar through the defective joints in the formwork. This may produce
concrete with poor resistance to abrasion and attack by various agencies, such as frost,
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or may result in planes of weakness where successive lifts are being placed. If over
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vibration occurs, it will be immediately evident to an experienced vibrator operator or

supervisor by a frothy appearance due to the accumulation of many small air bubbles
and the settlement of coarse aggregates beneath the surface. These results are more
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liable to occur when the concrete is too wet and the proper correction will be to reduce
the workability (not the vibration), until the evidence of over-vibration disappears during
the amount of vibration judged necessary to consolidate the concrete and to eliminate
air-bubble blemishes.

Under-vibration is far more common than over-vibration and, when it occurs, can
cause serious defects. Invariably, the concrete is incompletely compacted which
reduces its strength (see Effect on Hardened Properties above), its durability and will
possibly affect its surface finish.

Despite this, many specifications contain a caution against the over-vibration – and even
lay down a maximum length of time for vibration – whilst neglecting totally the question
of under-vibration.

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Chapter 2 " Revibration"

2.1-INTRODUCTION

Insufficient vibration of concrete may result in defects, such as honey combing and voids
leading to reduction in strength and performance. Since early days many civil engineers
are of the opinion that partially set concrete should not be disturbed. Strong belief has
been there that any disturbance to concrete, like re-vibration in the initial hardening
stage makes the concrete deteriorate and loose its strength. The opinion is reflected in
such standard requirements as the limited period of time permissible between the mixing
and placing of concrete and by the limiting of time between pouring of successive
batches. Although this opinion still prevails throughout the profession, there are few
dissenting views on the subject which forms the nucleus of an entirely new school of
thought. Yet for years, some engineers have, upon occasion, found it necessary to

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disturb the hardening process, often with no apparent detrimental effects upon the

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properties of the finished job. This has happened when the delivery of concrete to a
partially complete pouring has been somehow delayed, thus presenting the problem of
avoiding cold joints. In many such instances, the problem has been overcome by having
workmen tamp and agitate the surface of the concrete, often for several hours, until the
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fresh concrete has arrived. The practice has often been quite successful, in direct
contradiction to the traditional opinion concerning the hardening process. Re-vibration
technique has advantages in obtaining water tight concrete in the building of concrete
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tankers and dry docks. The technique was adopted in order to release the water which is
generally trapped beneath horizontal reinforcing bars; and not only was this achieved by
the disturbance of the hydration process, but also many of the properties of the concrete
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appear to be actually improved by the re-vibration. The Bureau of Reclamation, in the

6th edition of its concrete manual stated that Re-vibration is beneficial rather than
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detrimental, provided that the concrete is again brought to a plastic condition. The
manual further stated that the Revibration may be accomplished by immersion- type
vibrators, by form vibration, or by transmission of vibration through the reinforcement
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system. In the light of the apparent contradiction between general traditional opinion
researchers, Sawyer and Lee [1], Vollick [2], Sheshadri and Rama Rao [3] and
Everard.and Bhagat [4] conducted some experimental investigations. These research
works agreed with one another in showing an increase in the compressive strength with
re-vibration.

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2.2- MECHANISM OF RE-VIBRATION OF CONCRETE

Re-vibration of concrete is the process of again vibrating the placed concrete

intentionally and systematically, sometime after its consolidation is completed. A
properly executed re-vibration results in improved concrete quality, i.e., increased
strengths and bond, better impermeability, reduction in shrinkage and creep, reduction in
surface and other voids as well as cracks in the fresh concrete and so on. Re–vibration
can be done usually at any time as long as the running internal vibrator can sink by its
own weight in to the concrete or when the external vibrator or vibrating table can liquefy
the concrete momentarily. The usually accepted stiffness limit for re-vibration is when
the penetration resistance of the standard steel needle specified in ASTM C 403 , Ref.
[5] reaches the value of 3.5 N/mm2. Re-vibrating concrete momentarily liquefies the
concrete again. The primary chemical process that occurs in the first two hours after
concrete is placed is the formation of calcium hydroxide which typically makes to 15% to

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25% of Ordinary Portland Cement concrete. The other major product of hydration is
calcium silicate hydrate, which usually makes up about 50% of OPC concrete and gives

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the concrete its hardness and durability. When re-vibration occurs after the initial set, it
breaks down some of the calcium hydroxide that has already been formed, which allows
freshly placed concrete adjacent to the re-vibrated concrete to join with it, rather than
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introducing a construction joint and it again becomes a monolithic concrete structure.
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2.3- RE-VIBRATION BENFITS

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 Better watertightness, when important for the sake of appearance or to meet test
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requirements
 Also it is suspected that revibration would eliminate dark areas that sometimes
appear along the top of lift faces in structural walls and detract from an otherwise
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good appearance.
 Increase the bond between the reinforcing bars and the concrete as much as
one third.
 To close plastic shrinkage and settlement cracks.
 To improve the wear resistance of floors.
 To improve the surface finish at the tops of columns and walls.
 To bond layers of concrete into those preceding them.
 Increase the strength of the concrete of some 10 to 15 percentage at 28 days

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2.4- RE-VIBRATION FACOTRS

1- The effect of re-vibration on the compressive strength with different time lags
and different W/C
2- The effect of re-vibration on the compressive strength with different types of
concrete
3- The effect of re-vibration on the compressive strength in different ages

2.4.1-The effect of re-vibration on the compressive strength with different

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time lags and different W/C

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Abstract

The present work is aimed at studying the effect of re-vibration on the

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compressive strength of concrete using 53 grades Ordinary Portland Cement,
with wide range of w/c ratios varying from 0.35 to 0.7 and with more number of
re-vibration time lag intervals ranging from ½ hour to four hours. The effect of re-
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vibration on the density of concrete is also studied. The results have shown that
the compressive strength of the concrete with various w/c ratios have increased
up to certain time lag interval i.e. within the initial setting time (IST) and
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decreased thereafter. The percentage increase in the compressive strength also

nearly followed the above trend
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Experimental Program
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It was proposed to study the effect of re -vibration with a time lag on compressive
strength of concrete for different w/c ratios. Concrete of five different strengths
based on five different w/c ratios (0.35, 0.5, 0.55, 0.6, 0.7) were used to cover
the rich and lean mixes. The time lag used for the study was 4 hours (with ½
hourly intervals). Thus for each w/c ratio, 27 numbers of 15 cm cubes were cast
representing 3 cubes for each test for 9 time lag intervals namely, 0 hr, ½ hr, 1
hr, 1½ hr, 2 hr, 2½ hr, 3 hr, 3½ hr and 4 hr. In all a total of 135 cube specimens
were cast and tested.

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Results and Discussions

The compressive strengths of concrete for different time lag intervals of re-vibration for
different w/c ratios are given in Table 5. A comparative study of compressive strength
for different w/c ratios is also shown in the same table and plotted in Figure.3. A
comparative study of maximum percentage increase in compressive strength for various
time lag intervals for different w/c ratios can be obtained from Table 5. The percentage
increase in compressive strength thus obtained is plotted against time lag interval for
different w/c ratios as shown in Figure. 4. From the Figure it can be noticed that the
percentage increase in compressive strength increases with the time lag interval of re-
vibration up to a certain time lag interval i.e. before the initial setting time (IST) of cement
and decreases their after. The maximum percentage increase in compressive strength
varies from 27% to 31.4% and the optimum time lag interval varies from 1 hour to 2½

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hours depending on the w/c ratios as shown in Table 6. It can be observed from the

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Table that the optimum time lag interval of re–vibration for different w/c ratios is lower
than the initial setting time (i.e. 160 minutes) of the cement used. From Table 6 the
average value of maximum percentage increase in compressive strength for lean mixes
with higher water cement ratios 0.6 and 0.7 is 30% and that for the rich mixes with low
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and medium water cement ratios 0.35, 0.5, 0.55 is about 27.8%. It can be observed from
Table 5 and Figure.3 that the compressive strength of the concrete with w/c ratios from
0.35 to 0.6 at the time lag intervals up to 4 hours is higher than the compressive
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Strength of concrete without re-vibration. Whereas, the compressive strength of
concrete with w/c ratio of 0.7 is higher than that without re-vibration only up to a time lag
interval of 2½ hours, after which it is falling below the value of non-re-vibrated concrete.
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The density of concrete for different time lag intervals of re-vibration, for different w/c
ratios are given in Table 7 and plotted against time lag interval for different w/c ratios is
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shown in Figure 5. From the Figure it may be observed that there is an increase in
density of concrete on re-vibration. The nature of the plots is the same as that of %
increase in compressive strength versus time lag interval. Even though there is a
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decrease in density after a certain time lag the density was never less than 2400kg/m3
in any case.

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2.4.2-The effect of re-vibration on the compressive strength with different
types of concrete
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Experimental Program
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The investigation included tests of plain, air- entrained, and retarded concrete, and
also included tests of mixtures containing both air- entraining and retarding admixtures.
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The concretes were given an initial vibration of 20 seconds and were revibrated an
additional 20 seconds after delays of 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours. Results obtained with the
revibrated concrete were compared with similar concrete vibrated 40 seconds initially,
but not revibrated. Tests of hardened concrete were performed on blocks measuring 1
by 1 by 2 feet as well as on 6-by 12-inch cylinders.

Results and Discussions

The tests indicated that revibration produces higher compressive strength than the same
amount of initial vibration. Maximum strength increase of 6-by 12-inch cylinders varied
from 8.5 percent to 17.1 percent and averaged 14.0 percent for the mixes containing
41⁄2 sacks of cement per cubic yard. Maximum strength increase of the 51⁄2- s a c k
mixes varied from 6.9 percent to 18.7 percent and averaged 13.7 percent. Indicated
strength of the 1-by 1by 2-foot blocks was determined with the impact hammer when the

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blocks were 28 days old. Maximum increase in strength resulting from revibration varied
from 8.9 to 22.5 percent and averaged 13.9 percent. The tests also showed that
revibration improves the appearance of concrete surfaces. Initial vibration consolidated
the concrete and removed many of the water and air voids appearing against the
surface. After the vibrator was removed, water again began to collect in the voids
remaining against the surface. Revibration 1 hour later remove d some of the entrapped
water and improved the appearance of the concrete. Additional revibration after 2 and 3
hours improved the appearance of the concrete even more. Hardening time was not
significantly influenced by revibration. The concrete became more plastic immediately
after revibration, but the time required to reach final set was the same for revibrated
concrete and concrete vibrated only once initially. Additional bleed water was released
by revibration. Increase in bleeding appeared to be accompanied by increase in
compressive strength. In general, delay in re-vibration that resulted in maximum
bleeding also resulted in maximum increase in compressive strength. Retarded concrete
remained plastic much longer than plain or air-entrained concrete and delay between
placement and revibration could be increased. Maximum strength of plain and air-

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entrained concrete was obtained when the concrete was revibrated approximately 2
hours after placing.

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2.4.3-The effect of re-vibration on the compressive strength in

different ages

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2.5- ECONOMY OF THE PROBLEM

The technique of re-vibration, if applied in the field will ensure comparatively higher
strength, thus ensuring higher partial safety factors for the materials. On the other hand
leaner mix, if re-vibrated will have the same strength as that of the richer mix without re-
vibration, thus ensuring economy in construction. From Table 5, it can be observed that
a concrete mix with w/c ratio of 0.5, without re–vibration attained a 28 days compressive
strength of 44.2 N/mm2. A concrete mix with w/c ratio of 0.6, with re-vibration at time lag
interval of 1½ hours, attained maximum 28 days compressive strength of 46.9 N/mm2. A
typical example to explain the cost economics is worked out below (Tables 8 and 9).

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REFERENCES

1- "Concrete Technology Theory and practice" by M.S Sheity collage of

military engineering
2- "Properties of Concrete " by A.M.Neville
3- "Concrete Technology second edition " by M.L.Gambhir
4- "Revibration reexamined" by Lewis H.Tuthill –Sacramento, California
5- "Revibration Produces better concrete " by C.A.Vollick
6- "Concrete vibration handbook" MULTIQUIP
7- "Understanding effective concrete compaction" Pearce, Chris
8- " Too late to revibrate"
9- " Consolidation and Vibration"
10- "Consolidation " American Concrete Pipe Association
11- "Compaction of Concrete " Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia
12- " Effect of Re-Vibration on Compressive Strength of Concrete

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