APPRAISAL OF SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS IN SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE

Abstract

Concrete is regarded as the most widely used construction material worldwide. The drawbacks of conventional concrete, such as poor flow and subsequent segregation concerns that result to poor finishing and extended construction periods, prompted the development of self-flowing or self-compacting concrete (SCC). SCC is an improvement over traditional concrete since it may be compacted without the need of vibrators. A thorough review was done on both fresh and hardened parameters of SCC in this work, also, suitability of pozzolans as cement partial in SCC technology was thoroughly investigated. Achieving a balance between sufficient fluidity to ensure proper casting and sufficient consistency to prevent phase separation issues (segregation or bleeding) is crucial when formulating SCCs. A mix proportion for SCC in which the water/powder ratio is to be adjusted, the aggregate and fine aggregate contents are to be fixed, and self-compatibility is achieved by dosing in plasticizer. From the findings of the research, SCC can be adopted in almost every normal concrete is been used. The most important characteristic of SCC mixes is that it must be able to flow under its own weight to fully fill complex and intricate forms. SCC must be able to pass through and bond with congested reinforcement, and it must have a high segregation resistance to aggregate. Use of chemical additives and appropriate material   selection enhanced both fresh and hardened properties of SCC. Also, use of pozzolans like rice husk ash, bagasse ash, fly ash, silica fume, etc. as partial replacement for cement can also be adopted for SCC to reduce carbon footprints and minimize construction cost. In summary, much time is saved with SCC as it eliminates the need for compaction. However, there is lack of a well-established mix design methodology for SCC.