Correlation between the pumping and the rheological properties of self-compacting concrete: a practical study

For self-compacting concrete, the arrival of new admixtures, but also of the colloidal agent and of various cementitious additions have remarkably changed rheology compared with standard concrete. In order to exploit the potentials of concretes characterized by a superior performance in the fresh state, such as Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC), procedures for predicting its flow behavior are needed in order to properly design casting, in particular pumping. This paper presents a study based on pumping parameters proposed in the literature to quantify the plastic viscosity and yield stress of fresh concrete. The experimental data reported in this article were used to evaluate the possibility of predicting these parameters in order to choose the most appropriate formulation for any particular site and subsequently to develop pumping pressure prediction equations suitable for any given pumping circuit geometry and any given concrete from our experimental results.