Thixotropic Properties of Self-consolidating Concrete

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) has gained §increased acceptance in the construction industry §due to its high fluidity. It has thus become §essential to better understand the lateral pressure §that can be developed on vertical formworks. The §approach based on assuming that the plastic concrete §exerts full hydrostatic pressure until setting time §results in increased construction costs and limits §the rate of rise of the concrete in the formwork.§This book presents the various parameters affecting §SCC lateral pressure. Variations in pressure are §found to be highly affected by the development of §shear strength properties, namely the internal §friction and cohesion. Higher degree of internal §friction limits the maximum initial pressure §measured right after casting. On the other hand, the §development of cohesion with time was found to §directly affect the rate of pressure drop following §casting. The SCC formwork pressure can well be §estimated by §the magnitude of thixotropy. The higher the degree §of thixotropy, the less the concrete develops §pressure right after casting and the faster is the §rate of pressure drop over time.