Published Paper Details:

Concrete is a versatile widely used construction material. Ever since concrete has been accepted as a material for construction, researchers have been trying to improve its quality and enhance its performance. Recent changes in construction industry demand improved durability of structures. There is a methodological shift in the concrete design from a strength based concept to a performance based design. At present there is a large emphasis on performance aspect of concrete. One such thought has lead to the development of Self Compacting Concrete (SCC). It is considered as "the most revolutionary development in concrete construction". SCC is a new kind of High Performance Concrete (HPC) with excellent deformability and segregation resistance. It can flow through and fill the gaps of reinforcement and corners of moulds without any need for vibration and compaction during the placing process. The guiding principle behind self-compaction is that "the sedimentation velocity of a particle is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the floating medium in which the particle exists". The other features of mix proportion of SCC include low water to cementitious material ratio, high volume of powder, high paste to aggregate ratio and less amount of coarse aggregate. One of the popularly employed techniques to produce Self Compacting Concrete is to use fine materials like Fly Ash, GGBFS etc; in concrete, besides cement, the idea being to increase powder content or fines in concrete. The European Federation of Producers and Applicators of Specialist Products for Structures (EFNARC) [2005] have also laid down certain guidelines for fresh properties of SCC. The present investigation is aimed at developing high strength Self Compacting Concrete. The parameters of study include grade of concrete and effect of size of aggregate. The existing IS [10262-1989] method of mix design was based the basis of experimental investigation. SCC characteristics such as flowability, passing ability and segregation resistance have been verified using slump flow, L box and V funnel tests.