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3R-92
.
Guide to Consolidation of
Concrete in Congested Areas (Reapproved 1997)
Reported by ACI Committee 309
*Subcommittee chairman.
Originating committee chairman.
*Subcommittee members.
Steven A. Ragan actively contributed to the development of this document
and served as chairman of the editorial committee.
This guide is primarily directed toward architects/engineers and con- 3.4-Mix proportioning
structors. It describes various situations where design requirements 3.5-Concrete placing methods
result in highly congested forms that impede consolidation of con- 3.6-Construction considerations
crete. Techniques to overcome these difficulties are presented. The 3.7-Tunnel linings
guide also identifies for constructors various difficult placing and
consolidation conditions and proposes solutions such as special pro-
cedures and mix proportions. In addition, the guide alerts construc- Chapter 4-Consequences of congested areas in concrete
tors to review design drawings closely where congested areas are ex- construction, pg. 309.3R-4
pected to insure that appropriate allowances have been included in 4. l-Honeycombed concrete
their bids. 4.2-Reduced density
4.3-Increased cleaning costs
Keywords: admixtures; concrete construction; consolidation; embedment; 4.4--Increased formwork costs
formwork (construction); mix proportioning; parting agents: placing; pre- 4.5-Increased placing costs
placed aggregate concrete; reinforced concrete; reinforcing steel; splicing;
structural design; surface defects; tunnel linings.
Chapter 5-Recommended practices, pg. 309.3R-6
CONTENTS 5.1 -Design considerations
Chapter l-Introduction, pg. 309.3R-1 5.2-Construction considerations
5.3-Summary
Chapter 2-Criteria for designation as a congested area,
pg. 3093R-2
2.l-Reinforcing steel Chapter 6-References, pg. 309.3R-9
2.2-Embedments and boxouts 6.1 -Specified and/or recommended references
2.3-Formwork 6.2-Cited reference
2.4-Definitions
CHAPTER 1--INTRODUCTION
Chapter 3-Factors contributing to congestion problems, Many concrete structures such as those with seismic
pg. 309.3R-3 provisions, post-tensioning, and high-strength concrete
3.l-Reinforcing steel arrangement are difficult to consolidate because of congested areas
3.2-Embedded parts/boxouts within the formwork. This congestion can result in
3.3-Formwork
309.3R-1
ACI COMMlTTEE REPORT
2.1-Reinforcing steel
Congestion causes problems when the clear spacing
between reinforcing bars or between a bar and the form
is less than 1 l1/3 times the maximum size of coarse ag-
gregate used in the concrete mixture. This condition is
more likely to occur at splices and bends in reinforce-
ment and at beam-column connections. Sometimes,
congestion is caused by multiple layers of reinforce-
ment in which the bars in the lower layers are not di-
rectly below those in the upper layers, as shown in Fig.
1 and 2. See A CI 117 for tolerances for concrete con-
struction and materials.
Fig. 2-Dense reinforcing steel
2.2-Embedments and boxouts
structural inadequacy and time-consuming and expen- Embedments consist of items such as plumbing,
sive remedial work. prestress hardware, ducts, connection inserts, and an-
Various techniques have been employed to alleviate chorages for handling devices that are cast into the
this type of problem. This document presents an over- concrete (see Fig. 3). Boxouts are used to form open-
view of the factors contributing to the problem, the ings, keyways, or pockets in the concrete. When these
consequences of inappropriate concrete procedures in items restrict the placement and consolidation of the
these areas, and recommended practices to minimize concrete, they cause congestion. The spacing between
the problem. embedments, boxouts, and the form must be at least
As a prerequisite to successful concreting in con- 1% times the nominal maximum size of the coarse ag-
gested areas or difficult placing conditions, it is impor- gregate to avoid this problem. Frequently, these items
tant that architects/engineers become more aware of cause congestion because the concrete cannot be placed
how their designs will be constructed, and that con- and consolidated easily underneath them (see Fig. 4).
structors become more aware of special procedures and The architect/engineer must be alert to such condi-
necessary precautions. Most importantly, communica- tions, and construction procedures must provide for
tion between the architect/engineer and constructor is proper placement and consolidation of concrete on the
essential to insure that the design details, construction undersides of these embedments.
materials, and procedures are compatible. 2.2.1 Embedments may be anchors, weld plates, me-
GUIDE TO CONSOLIDATION OF CONCRETE
of splicing reinforcing bars, as discussed in Section ered in selecting the best method for getting the con-
5.1.1.1, need to be considered by the architect/engi- crete to its final consolidated state (see ACI 304R).
neer .
3.6-Construction considerations
3.2-Embedded parts/boxouts
Design considerations should include construction
There is increasing use of embedments and boxouts
to incorporate piping and electrical and mechanical methods and should not be solely limited to the re-
systems into placements. The use of embedments and quirements in the design code and specifications. The
design of heavily congested areas can have serious im-
boxouts, in conjunction with dense reinforcement, of-
ten results in congestion that inhibits acceptable plac- pact on quality, construction costs, and constructabil-
ity.
ing and consolidation practices.
3.2.1 Tolerances for placement of concrete around Best results are achieved when the architect/engineer
embedments and boxouts should be considered at the works closely with the constructor to insure that the in-
tent of the design can be met under field conditions.
design stage. Frequently, mechanical and electrical em-
bedments are located adjacent to doors and windows.
These areas usually require additional reinforcing due 3.7-Tunnel linings
to stress concentrations around the boxout. The core The concrete lining of tunnels is a difficult operation
area in buildings is another example where additional due to the logistics of concrete transportation and lim-
reinforcement, embedments, and boxouts cause con- ited access for concrete placement and consolidation.
gestion. Congestion can be caused by temporary support mem-
bers, reinforcing steel requirements, and grouting pipes.
3.3- Formwork Heavily reinforced concrete tunnel linings have become
The design of formwork can contribute significantly more common in the 1980s.
to congestion in placements if the design does not take Best results are obtained with a plastic concrete mix-
into account other factors, e.g., location of embed- ture that has been proportioned to flow readily along
ments and boxouts, reinforcing steel arrangements, form sidewalls, yet remain cohesive. Ample openings of
placing equipment, and form-tie spacing. sufficient size must be provided in the formwork for
The design should consider the number, location, access by workers to consolidate concrete with immer-
and size of form-tie rods; location of embedments and sion-type vibrators and for inspection as the work pro-
blockouts; location of trunks or concrete hose; height gresses. Larger reinforcing bars at increased spacing is
of forms; and possible use of side ports. In narrow, preferred to smaller, more closely spaced bars to pro-
congested walls, external form-tie rods should be con- vide maximum access. Where heavily reinforced sec-
sidered. Reduced spacing of wales leads to an increased tions are essential, the concrete lining thickness should
number of form ties, resulting in added congestion. In- be increased to allow room behind the form for work-
creased spacing of load-bearing members with higher ers. The cost of the additional concrete volume due to
capacity ties and form sheathing can ease congestion. increased thickness often can be offset by a higher
3.3.1 More concentrated vibration may be needed in quality lining. In general, 14 to 16 in. (356 to 406 mm)
congested areas. Since this may result in increased hy- clear distance is required between the reinforcement
drostatic head during placement, this should be taken and ground excavation lines.
into account in the formwork design. Allowance must be made for temporary steel sup-
ports that may interfere with access. The placement of
3.4-Mix proportioning concrete in heavily reinforced sections can also be im-
The advantages of a large maximum size aggregate proved by bundling reinforcing bars into groups of two
concrete can quickly be lost if the mix proportioning or three bars to increase spacing. When encasing per-
does not take into account the congestion existing in the manent steel plate liners in underground work, it is es-
proposed placement. sential to provide adequate concrete thickness for ac-
The use of modified mix proportions with smaller cess by workers during concreting.
maximum size aggregate is becoming a necessary tool to
achieve proper consolidation in certain congested areas
of a placement. The modified mixture may also include CHAPTER 4-CONSEQUENCES OF
admixtures, increased cement content, and fly ash. CONGESTED AREAS IN CONCRETE
The modified mixture need only replace the original CONSTRUCTION
mix proportions in the zones of extreme congestion, 4.1 -Honeycombed concrete
e.g., around multiple embedments, boxouts, or dense Honeycombed concrete can occur in congested areas
reinforcement configurations. due to the inability of vibrators to consolidate the con-
crete around and through the congestion and out to the
3.5-Concrete placing methods form face. There are several primary reasons for hon-
The constructor must assess whether traditional con- eycombed concrete.
crete placing methods will be adequate in congested ar- l The nominal maximum size aggregate may be too
eas. The conditions of the placement must be consid- large to pass through the clearances provided, result-
GUIDE TO CONSOLIDATION OF CONCRETE 309.3%5
Fig. 5-Side ports in wall form Fig. 6-Lie-flat hose viewed through side port
ACI 309.3R-92 was submitted to letter ballot of the committee and processed
in accordance with ACI standardization procedures.