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Workability, testing, and performance of self-consolidating concrete

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 ACI MATERIALS JOURNAL
Title no. 96-M43
Workability, Testing, and Performance of Self-Consolidating
Concrete
by K. H. Khayat
Self-consolidating concrete is a new category of high-performance
concrete that exhibits a low resistance to flow to insure high flow-
ability, and a moderate viscosity to maintain a homogeneous
deformation through restricted sections, such as closely spaced
reinforcement. Self-consolidating concrete is used to improve the
productivity of casting congested sections and to insure the proper
filling of restricted areas with minimum or no consolidation. Such
concrete can improve the homogeneity of highly flowable concrete
that is necessary to insure good bond development with reinforcing
steel, adequate structural performance, and proper durability.
This paper reviews the benefits of using self-consolidating
concrete to facilitate the casting of densely reinforced sections and
improve productivity and on-site working conditions. Workability
requirements necessary to secure self-consolidation and the princi-
ples involved in proportioning such highly flowable concrete are
discussed. Field-oriented tests useful in evaluating the deform-
ability, filling capacity, and stability of self-consolidating concrete
are presented. The performance of concrete mixes proportioned
according to two main approaches needed to insure high deform-
ability, low risk of blockage during flow, and proper stability are
compared. Such approaches involved the proportioning of concrete
with a moderate water-to-cementitious material ratio (w/cm) of
0.41 and using a viscosity-enhancing admixture to increase
stability, as well as mixes without any viscosity-enhancing admix-
ture, but with lower w/cm of 0.35 to 0.38 to reduce free water
content and provide stability. Mixes with both moderate and high
contents of ternary cementitious materials were evaluated. The
performance of each concrete was compared to that of a flowable
concrete with 250-mm slump.
Keywords: bleeding (concrete); consolidation; high-performance con-
crete; rheological properties; segregation; stability; viscosity; workability.
INTRODUCTION
The required workability for casting concrete depends on
the type of construction, selected placement and consolidation
methods, the complex shape of the formwork, and structural
design details that affect the degree of congestion of the
reinforcement. With the increasing use of congested rein-
forced concrete members to enhance structural performance,
such as in mat foundations and moment-resisting frames,
there is a growing need to use highly flowable concrete to
insure proper filling of the formwork. Providing adequate
consolidation of such congested elements can be difficult,
given the restricted access to the poker vibrators and the high
compaction energy required to insure proper filling of the
section. Because of the highly fluid nature of such concrete,
excessive vibration can lead to segregation, bleeding, and
blockage of the concrete deformation when flowing across
narrow spaces between reinforcement. Skilled labor and strict
quality control are required to insure sufficient compaction
and adequate homogeneity of the cast concrete. Such charac-
teristics are essential to insure proper bond to the reinforcing
steel and adequate mechanical performance and durability.
346
TECHNICAL PAPER
Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is a highly flowable
concrete that can spread into place under its own weight and
achieve good consolidation in the absence of vibration
without exhibiting defects due to segregation and bleeding.
Self-consolidating concrete is a product of technological
advancements in the area of underwater concrete technology
where the mix is proportioned to insure high fluidity as well
as high resistance to water dilution and segregation. The use
of SCC has gained wide acceptance in Japan since the late
1980s for casting congested members, as well as the place-
ment of concrete in restricted areas where consolidation may
not be practical.1-12 For example, the repair of the bottom
sides of beams, girders, and slabs often necessitates filling
narrow and difficult to access areas. Other areas where SCC
can be employed to facilitate concrete placement and assure
durability can involve the filling of complex formwork and
the casting of tunnel lining sections with restricted access to
consolidation. Self-consolidating concrete can also be used in
casting noncongested structures where limitation of concrete
consolidation or the required duration of intervention can
reduce construction costs as well as noise, which can be
important in some urban areas. This can contribute to an
improvement in working conditions and overall productivity
of the construction site. Because of the highly stable nature of
SCC, its use can enable the casting of deep sections in fewer
lifts without greater risk of settlement, segregation, or
bleeding. This can reduce the number of lifts in deep sections,
hence decreasing construction time and labor requirements.
Self-consolidating concrete can also be used for filling
noncongested sections to accelerate the progress of construc-
tion without mitigating mechanical properties and durability
that can result from segregation and bleeding. For example,
relatively lean concrete is sometimes used to construct base-
ment walls in residential construction. The lack of strict
performance criteria for basement construction and the need
for speedy construction often result in the placement of
highly fluid concrete so that the discharge of concrete can
proceed quickly with minimum need for consolidation.
Often, such concrete is proportioned with a high water
content to be self-leveling and self-consolidating. However,
such structures often exhibit low in situ impermeability and
resistance to cracking. As a result, basements can be damp and
have poor visual quality to be used as permanent surfaces. The
use of properly designed SCC can maintain the high work-
ability necessary for the ease of placement (constructibility
ACI Materials Journal, V. 96, No. 3, May-June 1999.
Received September 27, 1997, and reviewed under Institute publication policies.
Copyright © 1999, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved, including the
making of copies unless permission is obtained from the copyright proprietors. Perti-
nent discussion will be published in the March-April 2000 ACI Materials Journal if
received by December 1, 1999.
ACI Materials Journal/May-June 1999

ACI member K. H. Khayat is a professor of civil engineering at the Université de
Sherbrooke, QC, Canada. His research interests include self-consolidating concrete,
rheology, and concrete repair.
criteria) while insuring adequate stability and homogeneous
distribution of in situ engineering properties and durability.
The objective of this paper is to highlight the workability
requirements needed to secure self-consolidation and present
some field-oriented tests that can be used to evaluate
deformability, filling capacity, and stability of SCC. The
paper also reviews the principals involved in proportioning
SCC that consist of reducing the coarse aggregate volume
and providing excellent deformability and adequate
viscosity. Such viscosity can be provided either by incorpo-
rating a viscosity-enhancing admixture (VEA) or by
reducing the water-to-cementitious material ratio (w/cm) to
limit free water content. Fresh concrete characteristics of
seven SCC mixes made with either low w/cm and no VEA, or
higher w/cm and VEA are compared for mixes made with rela-
tively medium and high contents of cementitious materials.
RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
Self-consolidating concrete is a new class of high-perfor-
mance concrete used to facilitate and accelerate concrete
placement without mitigating in situ properties and durability.
With the increasing use of SCC, it is important to provide
guidelines for the proportioning and characterization of such
concrete. Discussion provided in this paper concerning mix
proportioning alternatives, simple test methods to assess
deformability, stability, and filling capacity, as well as perfor-
mance of various SCC mixes prepared with different contents
of cementitious materials, w/cm, and VEA, should be useful to
engineers considering the use of SCC.
WORKABILITY REQUIREMENTS OF
SELF-CONSOLIDATING CONCRETE
The successful use of SCC to fill congested structural
sections and restricted elements requires that the concrete
can flow readily under its own weight around various
obstructions without exhibiting segregation and blockage of
the flow. The cast concrete should self-consolidate and meet
Fig. 1—Basic workability requirements for successful casting of SCC.
ACI Materials Journal/May-June 1999
strength and durability criteria. Basic workability require-
ments for successful casting of SCC are summarized in Fig.
1. They consist of tailoring the concrete mix to insure good
balance between deformability and stability and preventing
the blockage of concrete flow. Deformability of concrete is
defined as the ability of the concrete to undergo a change in
its shape under its own weight, even in the vicinity of obsta-
cles that can interfere with its flow. Maximum deformability
refers to the maximum flow value, while speed of deform-
ability takes into account the rate of deformation. For
example, a highly viscous concrete designed for underwater
placement can attain a slump flow of 570 mm (high deform-
ability) after 15 sec, compared with an SCC proportioned
with a higher water content to fill a restricted section that can
attain the same deformability after only 5 sec (high deform-
ability speed). These flow notions are, of course, related to
the yield value and the viscosity of the concrete.
As shown in Fig. 1, it is important to insure both high
flowability (low-yield value) and a high resistance to segre-
gation (moderate viscosity) to secure an SCC that can flow
readily around various obstacles and achieve good filling
capacity. The deformability of concrete is closely related to
that of the cement paste that increases with the incorporation
of high-range water reducer (HRWR). Unlike water addition
that reduces both the yield value and viscosity, the incorpora-
tion of HRWR lowers mostly the yield value (better flow-
ability), but results in a limited drop in viscosity. Therefore, a
highly flowable concrete can be obtained without significant
reduction in cohesiveness.
The reduction of the water-to-powder ratio (w/p) can limit
the deformability of the cement paste. Powder materials
include cementitious materials and various fillers, such as
limestone filler. Therefore, an increase in w/p can secure high
deformability; however, it can also reduce the cohesiveness of
the paste and mortar and lead to segregation of fine and coarse
aggregate particles, hence causing blockage of the flow.
Therefore, a balance is needed to increase the w/p to enhance
deformability without a substantial reduction in cohesiveness.
Another important parameter that affects deformability is
the interparticle friction between the various solids (coarse
aggregate, sand, and powder materials). Such solid-to-solid
friction increases the internal resistance to flow, thus
347

Fig. 2—Trade-off between fluidity and stability of concrete.
limiting the deformability and speed of flow of the fresh
concrete. The extent of interparticle friction increases when
the concrete spreads through restricted spacing because of
the greater collision between the various solids. This
increases viscosity, thus requiring greater shear stresses to
maintain a given capacity and speed of deformation. The use
of HRWR can disperse cement grains and reduce interpar-
ticle friction and enable the reduction in water content while
maintaining the required levels of flowability and viscosity.
It is also essential to reduce the coarse aggregate and sand
volumes, and increase the paste volume to enhance deform-
ability. The incorporation of continuously graded cementi-
tious materials and fillers can also reduce interparticle friction.
It is important to note that the selection of proper combina-
tions of binary or ternary binder should take into account the
effect of such powder on the adsorption of water and admix-
tures, on workability loss and temperature rise, as well as on
the development of engineering properties and durability. It is
important to minimize fluidity loss until the end of casting
since loss in deformability can substantially limit the filling
capacity and self-consolidation of the concrete.
Another primary parameter necessary to provide self-
consolidating properties is the stability of the concrete. It is
important to note that a highly flowable concrete that
exhibits adequate stability once cast in place may undergo
some segregation during the pumping or spread into place.
This is because the apparent viscosity at such shear rates can
be significantly lower than that at rest because of the pseudo-
plastic nature of the concrete. Such shear rates can be high
locally as the concrete flows around various obstacles. There-
fore, when the concrete flows through restricted areas, such
as between closely spaced reinforcement, it is important to
insure that it has sufficient viscosity to maintain uniform
suspension of solid particles. Concrete with low cohesive-
ness can segregate since it cannot maintain proper suspen-
sion of aggregate to insure uniform deformation around
obstacles. As concrete deforms around a restricted section, a
portion of the coarse aggregate can begin to segregate, which
can result in an increase in aggregate density leading to coag-
ulation and arching of the aggregate, and hence, blockage of
the flow.13-15 As shown in Fig. 1, enhancement of stability
involves the reduction in coarse aggregate content and the
lowering of the maximum size aggregate (MSA). It is also
important to increase cohesion of the mix to enhance bond
between the mortar and coarse aggregate, hence providing
enough cohesion to insure uniform flow of both phases.
348
The third property essential to enhancing self-consolida-
tion is a reduction in the risk of blockage resulting from the
flow in narrow spaces. The risk of blockage is reduced by
providing adequate viscosity, thus insuring good suspension
of solid particles during flow. This can then reduce interpar-
ticle friction and limit deformability and the ability to prop-
erly fill the formwork. To prevent blockage of concrete flow
among closely spaced obstacles, concrete should have
adequate cohesiveness by reducing the w/p and/or incorpo-
rating an adequate dosage of a VEA. As the clear spacing
between the obstacles in the congested section decreases, the
coarse aggregate volume and MSA should be reduced to
limit interparticle collision in the vicinity of reinforcement
and hence the risk of blockage.
The previously described workability requirements necessary
to secure adequate filling capacity of the congested and
restricted sections are illustrated in Fig. 2 using the V-funnel
test presented later in this paper. A short flow out of concrete
under its own weight from the funnel outlet reflects high
deformability and good stability and resistance to blockage.
When the concrete is proportioned with a low w/cm and a
fixed dosage of HRWR, it can exhibit a relatively low slump
and high viscosity, which results in a high flow time (Point
A1). With the increase in w/cm, the viscosity and segregation
resistance decrease and the deformability increases,
resulting in a net reduction in flow time. Further increase in
deformability does not necessarily secure constant reduction
in flow time, since highly flowable concrete may not possess
enough cohesion between the mortar and coarse aggregate to
insure uniform deformation through the tapered outlet.
Therefore, because of the local coagulation of coarse aggre-
gate that can cause blockage, the flow time can increase
despite the higher nonrestrained deformability. An optimum
point (A2) exists where a balance between the deformability
and stability can lead to the lowest flow time out for a partic-
ular mix. An increase in mortar viscosity, through the use of
fine powder or a VEA, can maintain good suspension of
coarse aggregate, and reduce interparticle collision and
coagulation of coarse aggregate. As a result, higher stability
can be assured for a given slump flow, hence securing low
flow times at higher slump flow values (Point B2).
In addition to providing adequate stability during place-
ment, the concrete should have proper stability, once in a
stationary state, until it hardens to minimize any migration of
free water and segregation of suspended solid particles. This
is important to secure homogeneous properties of the hard-
ened concrete. The lack of stability can weaken the interface
between the aggregate and cement paste, and increase the
tendency to develop local microcracking that can increase
permeability and reduce mechanical properties. Bleeding can
also result in some accumulation of porous cement paste
under the lower half of horizontally embedded reinforcement
and under the ribs of vertically positioned bars. The surface
settlement of fresh concrete, which is related to the segrega-
tion of concrete, can reduce the effective projection of
concrete lugs and further contribute to the reduction in bond
strength.16 Insuring adequate stability is especially critical in
deep structural elements where highly flowable concrete can
exhibit segregation, bleeding, and surface settlement that
reduce strength, stiffness, bond to reinforcing steel, and dura-
bility. The decrease of bleeding can involve the reduction of
water content through the reduction of w/p and incorporation
of HRWR, and use of VEA and/or high volume of cementi-
tious materials and fillers to bind some of the free water.
ACI Materials Journal/May-June 1999

Fig. 3—Variations between slump and slump flow measurements.
ASSESSMENT OF SELF-COMPACTABILITY
A number of tests can be used to evaluate the self-
compactability of concrete, including deformability (consis-
tency), filling capacity, and stability. The tests presented
herein include the slump flow test to evaluate free deform-
ability in the absence of obstructions. Flow time and filling
capacity tests are used to assess the flowability through
restricted areas that combines deformability and resistance to
blockage during the flow. Monitoring the surface settlement
can be used to evaluate stability of the concrete after the
casting and until the onset of hardening.
Slump flow is determined by measuring the mean of two
orthogonal diameters of the concrete base following the
removal of the slump cone. In addition to assessing the deform-
ability capacity under low shear rate (self weight), segregation
of aggregate near the edges of the spread-out concrete can be
observed. However, the lack of material separation does not
guarantee good stability during and after casting. It is important
to note that the slump measurement is not as sensitive as that of
the slump flow value in reflecting small changes in the consis-
tency of SCC, as shown in Fig. 3, for mixes with slump values
greater than 250 mm for stable mixes.
The facility of aggregate and mortar to change their flowing
paths and spread through a restricted area without blockage
can be evaluated using the V-funnel flow test shown in Fig. 4,
which is similar to that suggested in Reference 17. The funnel
is filled completely with concrete and the bottom outlet is
opened, allowing the concrete to flow out. The flow of the
concrete is noted as the lapse of time between the removal of
the outlet and the seizure of the flow. An alternative way to
perform this test is to observe the flow from the top side of
the funnel and report the flow time as the time between the
removal of the outlet gate and the time when the light
becomes visible from the bottom. A high flow time can be
associated with either a low deformability due to a high paste
viscosity, a high interparticle friction, or a blockage of the
flow. In the case of a highly flowable concrete (slump flow
of 630 mm), a slow flow time (for example, 20 sec) indicates
that the concrete does not possess enough stability to insure
uniform deformation of coarse aggregate along with the
mortar. The lack of cohesion of the mortar can cause coagula-
tion of coarse aggregate particles in the tapered outlet. This
can lead to arching of aggregate that interferes with the rate
deformability. When the concrete is both fluid and cohesive, a
high flow time indicates that the volume of coarse aggregate
or MSA should be reduced to decrease the risk of blockage.
ACI Materials Journal/May-June 1999
Fig. 4—V-funnel test used to evaluate flowability through
restricted section.
Fig. 5—Schematic of filling capacity apparatus.18
Another test that can be used to determine the facility of
concrete to deform readily among closely spaced reinforce-
ment is the filling capacity test shown in Fig. 5.18 The test
consists of casting concrete in a box with dimensions of 300 x
500 x 300 mm. A number of closely spaced smooth hori-
zontal bars are used to evaluate the filling capacity of the
concrete through the restricted section. The concrete is intro-
duced from a tremie pipe equipped with a hopper at a constant
rate until the concrete reaches a height of 220 mm in the
nonreinforced section. The concrete flows under its own
weight among the closely spaced bars. The concrete is poured
at a constant rate of approximately 0.7 l/sec. This is
continued until the concrete height reaches 220 mm in the
nonreinforced section following proper flow among the
obstacles, or until an abrupt backup takes place in the nonre-
inforced section. The latter case occurs when the concrete is
either too viscous to spread readily into place under its own
weight, or when it is highly flowable but not stable, leading
to aggregate collision and blockage. The filling capacity is
calculated as the ratio of A/(A + B), where A is the area of the
region filled by concrete in the reinforced section, and B is
equal to 300 x 50 mm. The maximum theoretical filling
capacity is approximately 73 percent. It is important to point
out that B can be taken as the area corresponding to a height
of 220 mm, or that where the concrete reaches a stable state
after some settlement where the maximum filling capacity
can reach 100 percent.
A low filling capacity value (for example, 20 percent) of a
concrete that exhibits excellent deformability (for example,
slump flow of 650 mm) indicates the need to reduce the
volume of coarse aggregate or the MSA, change the aggregate
349

Fig. 6—Setup to measure surface settlement of concrete.19,20
shape, or enhance the viscosity of the mix to reduce the risk
of segregation and blockage.
A simple test that can be used to evaluate the stability of
concrete and its ability to insure proper suspension of aggre-
gate and fines is shown in Fig. 6.19,20 An 800-mm-high PVC
column measuring 200 mm in diameter and 800 mm in height
is filled with approximately 700 mm of concrete to monitor
surface settlement. A linear deflectomer, or LVDT, fixed on
top of an acrylic transparent thin plate positioned at the top
surface of the concrete column is used to monitor surface
settlement. The plate is anchored to the concrete through three
75-mm-long screws cast into the concrete. Surface settlement
measurements carried out on fluid and SCC mixes show that
surface settlement is closely related to segregation.21
TYPICAL SELF-CONSOLIDATING CONCRETE MIXES
As previously discussed, the design of an SCC involves
tailoring the selection of materials and mix proportioning to
secure excellent deformability and adequate resistance to
segregation to insure high filling capacity and flow around
obstructions without blockage. Such contradicting proper-
ties involve various measures, including the reduction in
coarse aggregate volume, free water content, etc. These prin-
cipals needed to limit the interparticle friction among coarse
aggregate, sand, and powder materials are taken into consid-
eration in proportioning SCC. For example, one general mix
proportioning method recommends limiting the coarse
aggregate volume to 50 percent of the bulk unit weight of
coarse aggregate and the sand volume to 40 percent of the
mortar volume. Depending on the cement properties, the w/p
can be initially taken as 0.90 to 1.0, by volume.12 The dosage
of the HRWR and final w/p can then be determined by trial
batches to insure high fluidity (slump flow) and deform-
ability through restricted area (V-funnel test or others).
Given the required fluidity and mechanical properties, the
final w/p can be specified.
The reduction in aggregate content necessitates the use of
a higher volume of cement that increases cost and tempera-
ture. Therefore, an SCC often contains high-volume replace-
ments of fly ash, blast furnace slag, limestone filler, or stone
dust to enhance fluidity and cohesiveness and limit heat
generation. Such materials are generally less reactive than
cement and can reduce problems resulting from fluidity loss
of the rich concrete. The incorporation of one or more
powder materials having different morphology and grain-
size distribution can improve particle packing density and
reduce interparticle friction and viscosity, hence improving
deformability, self-compactability, and stability.19,20,22,23
350
One approach to enhance cohesiveness of the paste is to
lower the free water content by reducing the w/cm (i.e, 0.33).
This may require a relatively high content of HRWR to
obtain the required deformability. An alternative approach is
to maintain the w/cm needed to secure strength and dura-
bility (i.e., 0.45) and to incorporate a VEA to enhance the
rheological parameters. The use of a VEA along with an
HRWR can insure both high deformability and adequate
stability that can insure high filling capacity and uniformity
of in situ mechanical properties and bond to reinforce-
ment.16,24 The VEA increases both the yield value and
viscosity, while the HRWR primarily reduces the yield
value. The resulting combination can then secure a mix with
relatively low yield value and moderate viscosity necessary
for the successful casting of SCC.
Commonly used VEA in concrete include cellulose deriv-
atives and polysaccharides of microbial sources—in partic-
ular, welan gum. The incorporation of VEA affects the
aqueous phase of the cement paste where chains of the
water-soluble polymer can imbibe some of the free water in
the system, thus enhancing viscosity of the paste.25 This can
improve the capacity of the paste to suspend solid particles
that can lower the risk of flow blockage. Higher resistance to
segregation over a wide range of fluidity levels can be
obtained when a suitable dosage of VEA is incorporated.26,27
Mixes containing VEA exhibit shear thinning behavior
whereby the apparent viscosity decreases with the increase in
shear rate. This can facilitate the deformability of the concrete
during placement. Once in place, the shear rate decreases, and
the apparent viscosity increases, resulting in greater stability at
rest and better capability to retain water and suspend solid
particles. It is important to note that the VEA type and content
can be selected to provide higher thixotropy to increase
viscosity build-up after casting and further enhance stability.
The incorporation of a VEA at small dosages can improve
the robustness of the SCC and make it less sensitive to changes
in material properties and placement conditions. For example,
compared to an SCC made without any VEA, the use of low
dosage of welan gum was reported to reduce the degree of vari-
ability in slump flow due to variations of Blaine fineness of the
cement (318 to 342 m2/kg), fineness modulus of the sand (2.08
to 3.06), and concrete temperature (10 to 30 C).22
In general, the coarse aggregate volume of SCC, which
affects stability and blockage, is kept low, especially when the
MSA is high or when the aggregate incorporates some elon-
gated and flat particles. The reduction in coarse aggregate
volume decreases with the increase in w/cm and content of
fines. This is accompanied by an increase in the paste volume
and a reduction in the sand-to-paste volume ratio (S/Pt).
The two main approaches for enhancing stability of SCC
are evaluated here. Three SCC mixes made with low w/cm
and no VEA and three others incorporating moderate
contents of welan gum VEA and higher w/cm were prepared
(Table 1). Two SCC mixes made with high content of cementi-
tious materials (555 kg/m3), a low w/cm of 0.35, and no VEA,
are compared to two other mixes containing similar cementi-
tious material contents but a higher w/cm of 0.41 and
moderate VEA content. Because of the partial replacements
of cement by supplementary cementitious materials, the
cement contents of the optimized rich mixes were approxi-
mately 310 and 410 kg/m3. Mixes made with lower cementi-
tious materials of 425 kg/m3 and w/cm of 0.38 (compared to
0.50 w/cm and VEA) are also evaluated. This was carried out
to determine the effect of cementitious material content, and
ACI Materials Journal/May-June 1999
Fig. 7—Comparison of relative flow resistance values of Fig. 8—Comparison of relative viscosity of SCC and
tested mixes. conventional concrete mixes.

Table 1—Mix proportions of seven evaluated concretes

650 ± 10 440
Slump flow, mm, CM content, 560 SF-SG 555 SF-FA 425 SF-FA 340 SF-FA
combination w/cm, VEA 0.41/WG 560 SF-SG 0.35 0.41/WG 555 SF-FA 0.35 0.50/WG 425 SF-FA 0.38 0.50-CONV
Cement, kg/m3 307 307 417 417 327 327 262
Silica fume, kg/m3 18 18 18 18 13 13 10
Fly ash, kg/m3 0 0 118 118 85 85 68
Slag, kg/m3 235 235 0 0 0 0 —
Total CM, kg/m3 560 560 553 553 425 425 340
w/cm 0.41 0.35 0.41 0.35 0.50 0.38 0.50
Total water, kg/m3 230 196 227 194 213 162 170
Sand, kg/m3 690 700 690 700 690 730 960
5 to 14 mm CA, kg/m3 570 629 568 629 714 771 634
5 to 20 mm CA, kg/m3 247 269 247 269 306 330 272
Total CA, kg/m3 817 898 815 898 1020 1102 906
HRWR, L/m3 5.9 3.7 4.8 4.1 3.1 5 2.1
Welan gum VEA, kg/m3 0.42 0 0.41 0 0.32 0 0
Percent of water 0.17 0 0.17 0 0.16 0 0
Total CM, L/m3 186 186 186 186 143 143 115
Sand volume, L/m3 257 260 257 260 257 271 357
CA volume, L/m3 300 330 300 330 375 405 333
Paste volume, L/m3 432 396 428 394 369 320 297
Mortar volume, L/m3 689 656 685 654 626 591 654
CA/solid volume 0.40 0.43 0.40 0.43 0.48 0.49 0.41
Sand/mortar volume 0.37 0.40 0.38 0.40 0.41 0.46 0.55
Sand/aggregate volume 0.46 0.44 0.46 0.44 0.41 0.40 0.52
Sand/paste volume 0.60 0.66 0.60 0.66 0.70 0.85 1.20
w/cm by volume 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.0 1.5 1.1 1.5
Note: SF-SG = silica fume-slag; SF-FA = silica fume-fly ash; WG = welan gum; CM = cementitious materials; and CA = coarse aggregate.

hence, paste and aggregate volumes, on filling capacity of
the highly flowable SCC. A fluid conventional concrete
made with 340 kg/m3 of cementitious materials and 0.50 w/cm
was also prepared. The slump flow values of the SCC and
conventional mixes were approximately 650 and 440 mm,
respectively. All concretes were prepared with ternary
cementitious materials made with Type 10 cement and either
3 percent silica fume and 20 percent Class F fly ash or 3
percent silica fume and 40 percent blast furnace slag replace-
ments, by mass of cementitious materials. Previous studies
prove that such combinations provide high flowability and
stability of SCC.19,20 All mixes were made with crushed
limestone aggregate with an MSA of 20 mm.
As shown in Table 1, for each SCC type with a fixed content
of cementitious materials, the increase in w/cm enables the
increase in water content and reduction of coarse aggregate
volume and S/Pt. The initial flow resistance g and relative
plastic viscosity h values are compared in Fig. 7 and 8, respec-
tively. These rheological parameters were determined using a
IBB rheometer (modified two-point workability rheometer) that
measures torque values required to maintain a given speed of a
four-finger impeller rotating in planetary motion. The g and h
parameters were derived by linear regression of the torque
speed data to fit a Bingham flow model. Except for the 425
silica fume-fly ash (SF-FA) 0.38 mix, the g value of the conven-
tional concrete was higher than those of the SCC, 1.59 Nm.
Unlike the other SCC mixes, the 425 SF-FA 0.38 concrete had
a high g value of 1.35 Nm that can be due to the low water
content of the mix and the high interparticle friction resulting
from a relatively high coarse aggregate volume of 455 L/m3.
For SF-FA mixes, the g value decreased with the increase in
cementitious material content (555 versus 425 kg/m3) despite
the similar slump flow values. Slightly higher values were
obtained with SCC made with silica fume and slag (SF-SG).

ACI Materials Journal/May-June 1999 351

Fig. 9—Comparison of filling capacity values of SCC and
conventional concrete mixes.
Fig. 10—Comparison of flow time values of SCC and
conventional concrete mixes.
The h values, which reflect internal resistance to flow, are
shown to be relatively high, considering the highly flowable
nature of the SCC mixes. These values were similar to the h
value obtained with the conventional concrete with a slump of
250 mm (slump flow of 440 mm). The higher torque viscosity
is due to the low w/cm in some mixes and moderate concentra-
tion of VEA in others. The h value decreases with the increase
in paste volume because of the reduction in coarse aggregate
content that reduces internal friction among aggregate particles.
The filling capacity values are compared in Fig. 9 and show
striking differences between values obtained for the various
mixes. The filling capacity of the conventional concrete,
which had a high g value and a relatively high coarse aggre-
gate content of 333 L/m3, was limited to 30 percent. The
highest values of 63 percent were obtained with the rich SCC
mixes containing 0.41 w/cm and low contents of coarse
aggregate (300 L/m3). Slightly lower values of 56 and 58
percent were obtained with the rich SCC mixes made with
lower w/cm and no VEA. This is mainly due to the slightly
higher volume of coarse aggregate that was 330 L/m3
compared to 300 L/m3 for the 0.41 w/cm mixes. The filling
capacity considerably decreased in the case of SCC mixes
containing 425 kg/m3 of cementitious materials, despite the
high deformability of the concrete. This was especially the
case for the 425 SF-FA 0.38 concrete that had a filling
capacity of 19 percent. This mix had the highest g value, high
coarse aggregate volume of 405 L/m3, and S/Pt value of 0.85.
The filling capacity of the 425 SF-FA 0.50/WG improved to
42 percent. Such mix had a lower g value than the 425 SF-FA
0.38 concrete and a coarse aggregate content and S/Pt value
of 375 L/m3 and 0.70, respectively.
352
Fig. 11—Comparison of surface settlement values of SCC
and conventional concrete mixes.
As was the case for the filling capacity test, the resistance
to blockage and ease of flow through restricted spacing were
evaluated using the V-funnel test. The results presented in
Fig. 10 show that the flow time of the conventional concrete
was 7 sec and varied between 2.7 and 6.4 sec for the SCC
mixes containing 555 and 560 kg/m3 of cementitious mate-
rials. On the other hand, the two SCC mixes made with 425
kg/m3 of cementitious materials had relatively high flow
times, especially in the case of the lower w/cm mix made
without any VEA. Such SCC contained 405 L/m3 of coarse
aggregate compared to 375 L/m3 for the mix made with 0.50
w/cm. The 425 SF-FA 0.38 mix had a flow time of 15.5 sec
and exhibited the highest h value among the other SCC
mixes, 12.5 Nm-sec. The 425 SF-FA 0.50/WG mix had
lower volume of coarse aggregate and higher water content.
Its h value of 10.1 Nm-sec and flow time of 10.9 sec were
lower than those of the 425 SF-FA 0.38 mix.
The maximum surface settlement values are compared in
Fig. 11. A low settlement value reflects the high stability of the
concrete while in a plastic state that is essential to secure
homogeneous properties of the hardened concrete. The settle-
ment of the conventional concrete was 10 mm, which corre-
sponds to 1.4 percent of the 700-mm-high sample. The 425
SF-FA 0.38 concrete exhibited high settlement that can be due
to a lack of cohesiveness of the mix and the high coarse aggre-
gate volume that can increase the extent of segregation.
Despite the increase in w/cm from 0.38 to 0.50, the settlement
sharply decreased from 19 to 3.1 mm (2.7 to 0.44 percent)
with the use of a moderate dosage of a VEA. The settlement
values of the four SCC mixes with 555 and 560 kg/m3 of
cementitious material contents were low, except for the 560
SF-SG 0.35 mix that had a settlement value of 10 mm. Again,
with the decrease in aggregate content and incorporation of
VEA, and despite the higher w/cm, the concrete exhibited high
stability with a settlement value of 3.2 mm.
DICUSSION
The previously described results demonstrated that the
reduction of cementitious material content and increase in
coarse aggregate volume can cause some interference with
concrete deformability in narrow areas, as was the case for the
deformability between closely spaced reinforcement (filling
capacity test) and in the restricted tapered outlet (V-funnel
flow test). In both SCC systems made with 555 and 425 kg/
m3 of binder, the incorporation of a VEA at a moderate
dosage was shown to enhance deformability and stability,
despite the greater w/cm. This was especially beneficial in
ACI Materials Journal/May-June 1999
 the moderate cement factor concrete made with 425 kg/m3 of
cementitious materials. The increase of w/cm from 0.38 to
0.50 and the incorporation of a moderate concentration of
VEA resulted in a net decrease of settlement from 19 to 3.1
mm, increase in filling capacity from 19 to 42 percent, and
decrease in flow time from 15.5 to 10.9 sec. The g and h
values decreased from 1.35 to 0.29 Nm and from 12.5 to 10.1
Nm.s, respectively. Such improvement in performance is
attributed, in part, to the reduction in coarse aggregate
volume (405 to 375 l/m3) and S/Pt value (0.85 to 0.70). Such
reduction in aggregate volume can decrease the extent of colli-
sion of coarse aggregate and sand particles in the vicinity of
various obstruction that can increase internal resistance to
flow (increase in g and h values and flow-out time) and lead to
interference with the flow of the concrete (higher flow time
and lower filling capacity). The incorporation of a VEA,
despite the higher w/cm, can increase cohesion and reduce
the interparticle collision and friction, hence providing
more uniform flow of concrete through restricted sections.
CONCLUSION
The workability requirements for successful placement of
SCC necessitate that the concrete exhibits excellent deform-
ability and proper stability to flow under its own weight
through closely spaced reinforcement without segregation and
blockage. Insuring high stability is important to limit bleeding,
segregation, and surface settlement of concrete after place-
ment and secure uniform properties of the hardened concrete,
including bond to embedded reinforcement. In general, the
SCC exhibits low yield value and adequate cohesiveness
(moderate viscosity). In addition to the slump flow test used to
evaluate deformability, the filling capacity or V-funnel flow
test should be used to evaluate the ability to achieve smooth
flow through restricted spacing without blockage.
An SCC with a slump flow of 650 mm containing 300 to
330 l/m3 of 20-mm MSA, 555 kg/m3 of cementitious mate-
rials, and 0.60 to 0.66 S/Pt volumes, can be more suitable for
casting highly congested structural sections than a mix
containing 375 to 400 l/m3 of coarse aggregate, 425 kg/m3 of
cementitious materials and 0.70 to 0.85 S/Pt volumes. Binary
or ternary binders containing high volumes of pozzolanic or
nonpozzolanic fillers, such as limestone powder, can be used
to reduce the cement content, heat of hydration, and shrinkage.
One approach to enhance viscosity is to lower the w/cm to
maintain adequate cohesion friction between the mortar and
coarse aggregate and insure uniform flow of SCC through
restricted sections. Another way is to incorporate a low to
moderate dosage of a VEA without lowering the w/cm. This
can enable the reduction of coarse aggregate volume and
reduce the risk of blockage, which is especially useful in
mixtures containing moderate content of cementitious
materials and fine fillers.
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