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What is Self-Consolidating Concrete?

1/7/2015

Self-consolidating concrete is highly flowable, non-segregating concrete with a slump flow of 20 to 30 inches that can spread into place, fill the formwork, and encapsulate the reinforcement without any mechanical consolidation. Its advantages are:

• Reduced labor and equipment
• Better consolidation in congested areas
• Reduced noise
• Safer working environment
• More detailing flexibility
• Smooth surfaces
• Self-leveling
• Better hardened properties

According to ACI 237R-07, Self-Consolidating Concrete, properly proportioned and placed self-consolidating concrete can result in both economic and technological benefits for the end user. The in-place cost savings, performance enhancements, or both, are the driving forces behind the use of self-consolidating concrete.

It is often used where reinforcement is highly congested or in areas of complex formwork. It has also found application in architectural concrete because of its ability to create smooth surfaces free of honeycombing when used with high-quality formwork. Applications of self-consolidating concrete also include columns and beams, pumped concrete, foundations, and other applications where a flowing concrete will be beneficial to concrete placement.

ACI’s Committee 237 – Self-Consolidating Concrete continues collaborative work with other ACI committees to ensure that all committee documents are in agreement with respect to the application of self-consolidating concrete. The committee also sponsors technical sessions on various aspects of self-consolidating concrete technology during ACI Conventions, and collaborates with other technical international organizations that are developing guidelines/state-of-the-art reports on self-consolidating concrete, including RILEM, fib and CSA.

The ACI Foundation’s Strategic Development Council has identified self-consolidating concrete as an Industry Critical Technology.  SDC works to identify obstacles to industry adoption of self-consolidating concrete, formulates strategies to address obstacles, and determines specific tasks to execute strategies.

SDC is supporting a 2015 World of Concrete Forum on self-consolidating concrete, sharing best practices and success stories by concrete industry experts - engineers, contractors and owners. ACI is also co-sponsoring the 6th North American Conference on Design and Use of Self-Consolidating Concrete.  The conference is designed to bring researchers and practitioners together to exchange the latest ideas, knowledge, and tools to build the future of concrete construction as it relates to design, construction and manufacturing of self-consolidating concrete. The conference will take place May 15-18, 2016, in Washington D.C.

Stay up-to-date on self-consolidating concrete information available from ACI:

Publications

Free Web Sessions

Webinars

Concrete International magazine articles:

Flowing or Self-Consolidating Concrete
Field Investigation of Formwork Pressures Using Self-Consolidating Concrete
Comparison of Three Methods to Measure Formwork Pressure When Using SCC
Pressure of Self-Consolidating Concrete on Formwork
From Rheology of Fresh Concrete to Casting Processes

ACI is committed to leading the way in disseminating research knowledge to benefit all participants in the concrete industry, with the vision to provide everyone with the knowledge needed to use concrete effectively to meet the demands of a changing world.