Materials and Structures/Mat6riaux et Constructions, Vol.
33, July2000, pp 391-397
Testing and performance of fiber-reinforced, self-
consolidating concrete
K. H. Khayat and Y. Roussel
Universit~ de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada,J1K 2R 1
Paper received:June 9, 1999; Paperaccepted:December 7, 1999
A B S T R A C T
The casting of fiber-reinforced concrete presents
greater handling difficulty and requires more deliberate
planning and workmanship than conventional concrete
without fibers. The feasibility of producing fiber-rein-
forced, self-consolidating concrete (FR-SCC) that can
be cast into place with minimum or no consolidation
was investigated. Sixteen mixtures made with steel
fibers measuring 38 m m in length used at dosages of 0,
0.5, and 1%, by volume, were investigated. The mix-
tures were prepared with various types of binary and
ternary cementitious materials and W/CM of 0.37 to
0.45. The higher W/CM mixtures incorporated a vis-
cosity-enhancing agent to reduce the risk of segregation.
Concrete mixtures with slump flow consistencies of 650
and 530 m m were prepared, with the latter representing
a highly flowable concrete that would require some con-
solidation. The characteristics of these mixtures were
compared to those of a conventional fiber-reinforced
concrete with a targeted slump consistency of 200 mm.
The mixtures were tested for rheological parameters
using a concrete viscometer, for restricted deformability
using the filling capacity and V-funnel flow tests, as well
as for compressive strength and flexural toughness. The
paper evaluates the suitability of using the above worka-
bility tests to assess restricted deformability of FR-SCC
and discusses the effect of fiber volume, mixture propor-
tioning, and consistency on concrete properties.
1. INTRODUCTION
The incorporation of steel fibers improves engineer-
ing performance of structural and non-structural con-
crete, including better crack resistance, ductility, and
toughness, as well as greater tensile strength, resistance
to fatigue, impact, blast loading, and abrasion. The
incorporation of metallic fibers enhances the structural
performance of reinforced concrete, including the
1359-5997/00 9 RILEM
R I~ S U M I~
L'utilisation de fibres m(talliques dans le bSton am(liore
plusieurs de ses caract&istiques. Cependant, les b&ons avec
fibres sont plus difficiles a mettre en place et requi&ent donc
une plan~'cation et une main-d'oeuvre plus importante. La
possibilit~ de produire des b~tons autopla;ants renforc& de
fibres m~talliques qui peuvent dtre mis en place avec peu ou
pas de consolidation a (t( &alu&. Seize m(langes de b&on,
fairs avec des fibres d'acier de 38 mm de longueur a des
dosages de O, 0,5 et 1,0% en volume, out (t( confectionn&.
Les m(langes out (t( pr(pare's avec diff&ents types de liant
binaire et ternaire et un rapport ElL de 0,37 a 0,45. Les
b&ons want un plus haut rapport E / C contenaient un agent
de viscosit8 pour assurer la stabilit( du m(lange. Des b(tons
autoplafants avec un (talement de 650 et 530 mm out (t~
fabriqu&. Les m(langes de b(ton de 530 mm d'&alement,
tout en &ant tr}sAquides, requi~rent une &ergie de consolida-
tion limit&. Les caract&istiques de ces m(langes out (t~ com-
par&s a un b&on conventionnel avec fibres de 200 mm
d' affaissement. La mesure des param&res rh&logiques a l' aide
d'un rh&m~tre a b~ton a ~tS faite, ainsi que la mesure de la
dSformabilit( restreinte a l'aide de la capacit( de remplissage et
du test de l'entonnoir. De plus, la r&istance a la compression
ainsi que la t&acit( h la flexion out (t( d&ermin&s. Cet
article &alue la pertinet~ce de l'utilisation de ces essais pour
obtenir la d(formabilit( restreinte des b&ons autoplafants avec
fibres et discute de l'effet du volume de fibre, des proportions
du m(lange et de la consistance sur les propri(te's du m~lange.
i{{i!{iiiii
reduction of spalling of the cover over reinforcement in
column elements, the increase in shear strength of
beams, as well a.s the enhancement of ductility of beam-
column connections. The use of fiber-reinforced con-
crete (FRC) is also of special interest for retrofit and seis-
mic design.
The incorporation of metallic fibers can be problem-
atic in some situations, especially when the fiber volume
is high and the FRC is cast in sections with moderate to
391
Materials and Structures/Mat6riaux et Constructions,Vol.33, July2000

Table 1 - Mixture proportioning of the 16 tested mixtures (kg/m 3)

Series Mixtures Fiber Binder Water Sand Coarse W/CM HRWR VEA
content aggregate (I/m3) (% water)
A CONV-O 0 401 (1) 171 906 968 0.43 4.0 0
CONV-O.5 38 393 (1) 170 886 947 0.43 4.0 0
CONV-1 77 396 (1) 170 893 955 0.43 7.5 0
B SCC-650-VEA-O 0 554 (2) 231 694 867 0.42 4.1 0.18
SCC-650-VEA-O.5 39 564 (2) 235 782 761 0.42 4.4 0.18
SCC-650-VEA-1 81 579 (2) 257 791 764 0.45 6.3 0.02
C SCC-650-0 0 529 (1) 199 867 816 0.38 6.0 0
SCC-650-0.5 38 533 (1) 196 906 762 0.37 7.0 0
SCC-650-1 73 502 (1) 189 991 705 0.38 7.0 0
D SCC-530-0 0 530 (1) 199 869 818 0.37 4.3 0
SCC-530-0.5 36 504 (1) 190 910 764 0.38 6.8 0
SCC-530-1 77 528 (1) 198 889 762 0.37 7.0 0
E 2-SCC-650-VEA-O 0 549 (2) 227 689 860 0.42 5.2 0.18
2-SCC-650-VEA-O.5 39 564 (2) 233 783 762 0.42 7.1 0.11
F 3-SCC-600-VEA-O 0 542 (3) 194 755 893 0.39 25.1 0.31
3-SCC-650-VEA-0.5 39 523 (3) 192 890 762 0.38 10.2 0.12

(1) Type 10 + 8% SF (2) Type 10 + 3% SF + 40% BFS (3) Type 10 + 8% SF + 20% BFS.

high degree of reinforcement. The fiber content,
length, aspect ratio, and shape play an important role in
controlling workability of FRC [1]. Such concrete pre-
sents greater difficulty in handling and requires more
deliberate planning and workmanship than established
concrete construction procedures [2]. The additional
consolidation effort required for such concrete con-
tributes to the increase in construction cost. In order to
provide sufficient consolidation, improve fiber disper-
sion, and reduce the risk of entrapping voids, the FRC is
often proportioned to be fluid enough to reduce the
need for vibration consolidation and facilitate placement.
An extension of this approach can involve the use of self-
consolidating concrete (SCC) to eliminate, or greatly
reduce, the need for vibration and further facilitate
placement. A truly fiber-reinforced SCC (FR-SCC)
should spread into place under its own weight and
achieve consolidation without internal or external vibra-
tion, ensure proper dispersion of fibers, and undergo
minimum entrapment of air voids and loss of homo-
geneity until hardening. Lack of proper self-consolida-
tion or intentional vibration and compaction can result
in macro- and micro-structural defects that can affect
mechanical performance and durability.
The incorporation of fibers can significantly modify
rheological properties as fibers, by their geometrical forms,
interact with the aggregate, hence increasing the internal
resistance to flow. Such interference should be reduced,
and a proper suspension of solids particles is necessary to
prevent segregation in the vicinity of restricted areas that
can result in blockage of the flow. Typically, the reduction
in fiber length and decrease in the nomina! size of aggre-
gate and aggregate volume reduce such internal resistance
to flow and increase workability.
Providing proper resistance to bleeding and segrega-
tion is essential for the successful production and casting
of SCC, especially when relatively heavy metallic fibers
are incorporated. A lack of stability can lead to non-uni-
form flow of the FR-SCC among closely spaced obsta-
cles, increasing interparticle collision among aggregate
particles and fibers. Ensuring adequate stability can be
secured by reducing the free water content and/or incor-
porating a viscosity-enhancing agent (VEA). The latter
choice enables the increase in water and paste contents,
permitting the lowering of aggregate volume and flow
interference through closely spaced obstacles.
The incorporation of fibers in SCC is feasible [3, 4];
however, limited data are available concerning the test-
ing, proportioning, and performance of such concrete.
Research is required to determine the adequacy of using
test methods employed for regular SCC to evaluate the
restricted deformability of FR-SCC. Furthermore, it is
important to evaluate the influence of different aspects
of mixture proportion on fresh and hardened properties
of such concrete.
The objectives of the study reported in this paper are
to further establish the feasibility of producing and test-
ing FR-SCC and evaluate the suitability of testing the
restricted deformability of FR-SCC using workability
test methods proven for non-fibrous SCC. The study
evaluates the effect of fiber volume and mixture propor-
tioning on flow characteristics and properties of the
hardened concrete.
2. EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION
2.1 Materials and mixture proportioning
The proportioning of the 16 concrete mixtures eval-
uated in this project are given in Table 1, The mixtures
were prepared with a well-graded river-bed sand with a

392
Khayat,Roussel

specific gravity of 2.69, an absorption value of 1.2%, and

a fineness modulus of 2.36. A crushed limestone aggre-
gate with a nominal size of 10 mm was used. Its specific
gravity measured 2.79, and its absorption rate was 0.77%.
A continuously deformed shape stainless steel fiber with a
minimum tensile strength of 830 MPa was used. The
fiber length of 38 mm was selected to be on the same
order as the narrowest spacing between the tubes of the
filling capacity test, described below, to evaluate the
interference of such spacing on flow properties of the
FR-SCC. Furthermore, such length was favored to
enhance anchorage of the cover over reinforcement in
FRC sections which is necessary to delay the spalling of
the cover and enhance structural performance.
A naphthalene-based high-range water reducer
(HRWR) with a specific gravity of 1.21 and a solid con-
tent of 42% was used, along with a set retarding water
reducing agent, to enhance fluidity retention. Kelco-
Crete VEA was incorporated in some mixtures to pro-
vide better stability. Three types of binder systems were
used, as shown in Table 1. A blended silica fume cement
containing approximately 8% silica fume, by mass, and
two cements made with 3% silica fume and 40% blast
furnace slag (BFS) and 8% silica fume and 20% BFS
replacements were used. The Blaine fineness values of
the Canadian CSA Type 10 cement and BFS are 375 and
445 m2/kg, respectively. The Type 10 cement is similar
to an ASTM C150 Type I cement, except for the use of
a maximum of 5% limestone filler.
A concrete drum mixer with a capacity of 45 L was
used. The batching sequence consisted in mixing the
sand and binder for 30 seconds. Half of the mixing
water was then added along with 50% of the HRWR.
After 30 seconds of mixing, the coarse aggregate and
remaining water were introduced. The set-retarding
agent and leftover H1KWR were then incorporated. The
fibers were introduced gradually to the fluid concrete
followed by the VEA that was premixed with 1% of the
mixing water. The concrete was then mixed for two
minutes. No additional mixing was needed for the Fl%
SCC to ensure fiber dispersion.
For the 16 mixtures given in Table 1, the contents of
coarse aggregate and sand, binder, and H R W R were
adjusted to obtain slump-flow values of 530 mm + 15 mm
or 650 mm + 15 mm. The evaluated mixtures were
divided into six series (A through F) with each containing
mixtures with various fiber volumes. Series A consists of
conventional (CONV) mixtures with a targeted slump of
200 mm. This was not the case for the CONV concrete
with 1% fiber that had a slump of 140 mm. The SCC-
650 mixtures in series B and C have slump flow values of
650 + 15 mm with the B mixtures incorporating VEA
and moderate W/CM compared to those in series C
made with lower W / C M and no VEA. The lower
W/CM was necessary to maintain a high stability of the
fresh concrete which is necessary to prevent segregation
and blockage of the SCC. Such SCC had high binder
content to limit aggregate volume and interference with
the steel fibers. The mixtures in series D are similar to
those of series C, except for lower H1KWR content.
..~ 500 mm
75 m m
Fig. 1 - V-Funnel test used to evaluate flowabifity through
restricted section.
Such concrete had a slump flow of 530 + 15 mm (SCC-
530), resulting in a highly flowable mixture, yet not
SCC. The SCC mixtures in series E and F are prepared
with VEA and various W/CM and binder combinations
to secure a high slump flow consistency of 650 mm. The
various types of binders indicated in Table I were chosen
to secure mixtures of high workability and stability but of
different levels of compressive strength (45 to 85 MPa).
The fresh air content varied between 0.5 and 3.5% with
the lower values associated with the more fluid concrete.
2.2 Testing methods
The slump-flow test was chosen to study the free
deformability of the SCC, while the V-funnel flow and
filling capacity tests were used to evaluate the restricted
deformability. The V-funnel test was employed to assess
the facility of aggregate particles and mortar to change their
flow paths and spread through a restricted area without
blockage (Fig. 1). This test is similar to that suggested by
Ozawa et al. [5]. The flow of concrete is noted as the time
between the removal of the outlet and seizure of flow.
The filling capacity test (Fig. 2) was used to determine the
facility of the concrete to deform readily among closely
spaced obstacles [6]. The center-to-center spacing
between smooth copper tubes is 50 mm in two directions,
resulting in a clear spacing of 34 mm. The test involves the
casting of concrete in the non-reinforced section at a con-
stant rate up to a height of 220 mm and observing the ease
with which the concrete flows in the restricted region.
The rheological parameters were determined using
the IBB concrete rheometer [7]. The test involves
recording the torque required to maintain a given
impeller angular velocity that was varied between 0 and
1.2 rpm. A two-finger impeller system shears the con-

393
Ma terials and Structures/Ma tdriaux et Constructions, Vol.33, July2000

65oq o/ 9 0~.....- ~ %

55
} 45
olume

_~ o 9 9
IP
250 I , , , , , , , , , , ,

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Box filling capacity (%)

Fig. 3 - Relation between slump flow and filling capacity.

Fig. 2 - S c h e m a t i c o f t h e filling capacity apparatus.

30-
- 9 Fiber volume
!5-- ~ 0 % 0.5% 1%
crete as it moves in a planetary motion. The test para-
- CONV [ x x 9
meters involving the duration of the test, maximum
!0 - SCC Lx 9 x
imposed velocity, and number of measured data points
were adjusted to avoid segregation during the test. The o so2:Po . .
- X = out of range
descending curve was used for the linear regression
.0 -- SCC-600-VEA-0
analysis to derive the relative yield value (g) and torque - 9 9
viscosity (h) parameters to fit the Bingham flow model. 5-- a 9 '~0o
The compressive strength was determined in compli-
ance with ASTM C 39 standard [8] on 100 m m x 200 m m 0 I ' I ' I ' I ' I I ' I ' t I ' I

cylinders. Similarly, 100 m m x 100 m m x 350 mm prisms 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

were used to evaluate the flexural toughness indices I5
through I30 for the FRC in compliance with ASTM C
1018. The SCC specimens were cast in two lifts with each
lightly consolidated with five strokes using a standard steel
rod. This was found to reduce the variability of strength
results of the SCC [9]. The specimens were demolded one
day after casting and stored in lime-saturated water until
the age of testing. It is important to note that the estimated
errors, with 95% confidence limit, for the slump flow, fill-
ing capacity, V-funnel flow time, g and h parameters, and
28-day compressive strength of highly flowable SCC are
on the ord& of + 20 m m , 6%, 0.5 sec, 0.24 N m ,
1.1 Nm.s, and 1.6 MPa, respectively [10].
3. TESTING RESTRICTED DEFORMABILITY
OF FR-SCC
In general, the F1K-SCC was easy to handle and fin-
ish, and the fibers appeared to be uniformly dispersed in
the matrix following casting and testing. The restricted
deformability of the concrete evaluated using the filling
capacity is compared with the slump, flow in Fig. 3, and
to the V-funnel test in Fig. 4. The results clearly indi-
cate that the FR-SCC follows the general trend found
for SCC, whereby the restricted workability is enhanced
with the increase in slump flow. However, the relation-
ship between the restricted flow capacity and slump flow
is dependent on the fiber volume. The results in Fig. 4
show that for mixtures that do not exhibit segregation
and flow blockage, there is a relation between the V-
funnel and filling capacity values where the reduction of
Box filling c a p a c i t y (%)
Fig. 4 - Comparison of restricted flow determined by V-funnel
and filling capacity tests.
flow time due to the increase in slump flow corresponds
to an increase in filling capacity. Again such a relation-
ship is fiber dependent. For example, SCC with a slump
flow of 650 + 15 m m and 0.5% fiber can exhibit a flow
time and filling capacity values of 6 sec and 57%, respec-
tively, compared to 7 sec and 34% when 1% fiber is
incorporated.
The effect of fibers, measured by the slump-flow
test, is clearly shown to be dependent on the fluidity of
the concrete. The degree of workability reduction due
to fiber addition is lower in the case of the SCC-530
concrete than the SCC-650 mixture. In reality, this
shows the limitation of the slump-flow test to assess the
workability of FR-SCC. On the other hand, for a given
slump flow, the increase in fiber volume resulted in a net
reduction in filling capacity and an increase in V-funnel
flow time. This was especially significant for the highly
flowable SCC. The dispersion of the data shows that for
the same slump-flow of 650 + 15 mm, the filling capac-
ity and flow time values can vary from approximately 30
to 85% and 4 to 13 sec, respectively.
The filling capacity of non-fibrous SCC with a
slump flow of 650 m m was approximately 85% versus
5% for the conventional concrete that had a slump of
200 ram. When the fiber volume was increased to 1%,
a significant drop in deformability was obtained for both
mixture types. This is because a high volume of steel

394
Khayat,Roussel
i00~
'01"
'~ 60 9 Lx O" zx 9
, ~ 40 ' -- 4 0
20~
I D
0 ' I I I I , I~ I ' I
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 10
g (Nm) h (Nm.s)
Fig. 5 - Comparison o f fdling capacity Values to the g and h rheological parameters.
fibers increases internal resistance to flow and intrinsic
viscosity as well as the degree of fiber interference with
the flow through the restricted spacing of the box test.
Despite this; the filling capacity of the SCC-650-1 mix-
ture was significantly greater than that of the CONV-1
concrete of a limited slump of 140 mm. The SCC-530
mixtures with 0.5 and 1% fibers had slightly lower fill-
ing capacity values than the corresponding SCC-650
mixtures.
The filling capacity results obtained for mixtures in
series A through D are compared in Fig. 5 to the g and h
rheologicaI parameters. Again, the filling capacity
increases with the reduction in g that is associated with
the increase in slump flow consistency. However, for a
given g value, the fiber content affects the value of the
filling capacity. Such capacity decreases with the
increase in torque viscosity (h). The increase in fiber
volume results in a sharp increase in h without any
change in slump flow. The h parameter seems to have a
better correlation with the filling capacity of the SCC
and FR-SCC than the g value.
4. EFFECTOF PROPORTIONING AND CON-
SISTENCY ON FR-SCC PERFORMANCE
The effects offibervolume, incorporation of VEA to
secure proper stability versus lowering the W/CM, and
.slump flow consistency on the performance of SCC are
discussed. Star plots [11] in Fig. 6 are used to represent
the test data of six response types determined for the 12
mixtures of series A through D. Each branch (or radius)
of the star plot represents a response with the test value
indicated at the extremity. The scale of each branch
varies from the minimum result obtained for the set of
12 mixtures noted at the center of the star, to the maxi-
mum value indicated at the extremity. For the V-funnel
test, g and h rheological parameters, the values are
expressed in the opposite direction where a small and
favorable value is shown to have a large radius. This is
done to maintain a representation whereby a broader star
representation corresponds to more favorable flesh and
hardened concrete characteristics.
Fiber v o l u m e
4.1 Effect of fiber volume
NV~0% 0.5% 1% As discussed earlier, the increase in
co ~-~
8CC-5301 a
J A9 99
SCC-650[ o
fiber volume had a significant impact on
restricted flow properties desp?te the
equivalent slump ~lov~ consisten@ within
each mix series. The fibrous concrete
with the least hindrance to flow was the
SCC-650-VEA mixture with 0,5% fibers
that had almost identical filling capacity
-- 20 and V-funnel flow values as those deter-
m i n e d for the n o n - f i b r o u s S C C .
However, a 1% fiber addition resulted in
I i I '-- 0 considerable limitation of the restricted
20 30 40 50 flow. As expected, the relatively rigid
SCC-530 mixture had the lowest residual
deformability after fiber addition with the
use of fibers resulting in considerable
increase in theg and h values.
With the increase in fiber volume from
0 to 0.5%, the H R W R demand was slightly increased to
maintain slump or slump flow consistency within each
series (Table 1). Further increase in fiber volume to 1%
resulted in considerably greater demand of H R W R for
the CONV and SCC-650-VEA mixtures. The slump of
the CONV-1 mixture was limited to 140 m m that was
obtained even after approximately doubling the H R W R
content compared to that of the 0.5% fibrous mixture.
For mixtures of similar consistency levels within each
series, the increase in fiber volume had limited effect on g
but resulted in considerable increase in h (torque viscos-
ity). For example, for mixtures in series C (SCC-650),
the addition of 0.5 and 1% fiber volumes increased the h
values from 8.5 to 12.2 and 21.3 Nm.s, respectively,
whereas the g values remained low at 0.4 to 1.4 Nm.
From a mechanical point of view, the addition of
fibers had mixed effect on the 45-day compressive
strength. With the incorporation of 0.5% fiber, a signif-
icant increase in strength was obtained in mixtures with
W/CM of 0.38-0.37 (series C and D) resulting in a 10 to
14 MPa gain, or 15 to 20% relative strength. On the
other hand, the strength gain of mixes in series A and B
with 0.42 W/CM had 0 to 3 MPa strength gain with the
addition of 0.5% fibers. The increase in fiber content to
1% resulted in lower strength (1 to 14%) than the 0.5%
fibrous concrete. In the case of the SCC-650-VEA-1
mixture, the strength was lower because of the higher
W/CM (0.45 compared to 0.42). Regardless of the mix
type, the increase in fiber volume had a significant influ-
ence on the I30 toughness index.
4.2 Reducing W/CM vs. incorporating VEA to
enhance stability of FR-SCC
Ensuring uniform flow of the SCC through restricted
areas and uniform suspension of constituents is essential
to provide good quality construction. The increase in
stability can be obtained either by reducing the free water
content by lowering the W/CM, or by using a VEA to
increase viscosity of the SCC. The SCC mixtures of
series B in Table 1 are proportioned with a VEA and
W/CM of 0.42 to 0.45, whereas those in series C are pre-
395
Materials and Structures/Mat~riaux et Constructions,Vol.33, July2000

compressive strength values. Such strength

Series A Series B Series C Series D was lower for the SCC-650-VEA mixture
CONV-O SCC-650-VEA SCC-650 SCC-530 because of the replacement of 40% of
8% SF 8% SF + 40% BFS 8% SF 8% SF cement mass by BFS, lower silica fume con-
W/CM = 0.43 W/CM= 0.42 - 0.45 W/CM = 0.38 W/CM = 0.37 tent, and higher W/CM. Otherwise, the
4.4 5 1.5 77 1.4 83 1.8 58 performance of both SCC types is fairly sim-
20.5% Blk* 6 . ! ~ , 4 8.5~, 4 8.1~ 4 ilar. The torque viscosity of the SCC-650-
VEA concrete made without any fibers was
70 53 72 70 6.1 Nm.s compared to 8.2 Nm.s for the
4.9 0 0.8 77 0.4 57 1.5 38 SCC-650 mixture that contained a lower
t~ 4 6 . 9 - - ~ volume of paste and greater aggregate vol-
~5 Blk* 9 . 8 ~ 5 12.2~ 6 1 8 . 0 - - - - ~ 28 ume. This difference was maintained for the
70 18 56 23 82 20 84 20 FR-SCC mixtures.
In general, the S C C - 6 5 0 - V E A and
NA 0 1.5 28 1.0 34 1.6 19 SCC-650 mixtures made with 0.5% fiber
N A - ) ~ I ~ 17 1 8 , 2 - - - ~ 13 2 1 . 3 - - ~ 7 20.3-~ 46 exhibited the best overall performance
65 22 46 29 81 29 73 21 among the 12 mixtures presented in Fig. 6.
This is reflected by the size of the star
* Blockingof flow through V-funnel
Legend plots. For mixtures made with 1% fiber,
g Filling capacity the SCC-650 concrete had the best overall
performance. The filling capacity of this
h ~ V-funnel
concrete remains however low because of
45-d fe I30 the high viscosity and fiber length.
The flexural load-deflection curves of
Fig. 6 - Summary ofresuhs of mixtures of series A through D. Higher open areas SCC-650-VEA and SCC-650 mixtures
o f polygons indicate generally better performance o f FR.-SCC. T h e g, h, V - f u n - made with 0.5% fiber volume are pre-
nel axes are reversed with minimum value corresponding to tips of the branch. sented in Fig. 7 along with the results
obtained with the conventional concrete.
The data correspond to the results of a sin-
30 7 gle flexural beam for each concrete; how-
Vf- 0 5% ] SCC-650-VEA-0.5 ever, the toughness indices are reported as
25 "1
1 Age ='45 daysI / 3% SF + 40% slag CM=560 kg/m3 the average of two test samples. The SCC-
~, / fe=56 MPa WlCM=0.45 650-VEA concrete had a considerably
20"
. . . . scc. o.o lower compressive strength than the
' / 8% SF CM=530 kg/m3 C O N V and SCC-650 mixtures (56 MPa
15"
compared to 70 and 82 MPa), and had a
10" similar flexural strength as the C O N V
scc-~a0-0.s "--,,__ -,,, ~ - _~
mixture but a lower strength than the
5 "
S C C - 6 5 0 mixture. In generall the
fc = 70 MPa W/CM = 0.43 , CONV-0.5 and SCC mixtures developed
0 I l 1

0.5 1 1.5 2 similar flexural strengths with the C O N V

Deformation (mm)
Fig. 7 - Flexural load-deflection curves of mixtures w i t h 0.5% fiber.
pared without any VEA but with a lower W/CM of 0.37.
The former method enables the reduction of aggregate
volume that can limit interference with fibers. Unlike
the SCC-650-VEA, the SCC-650 mixtures exhibited
some separation of paste at the outer edges of the spread
out concrete during the slump flow test.
HP,,WR demand in the SCC-650-VEA mixtures were
lower than those for the SCC-650 concrete made without
any VEA because of the higher water content of the for-
mer mixtures. The demand of the H R W R was approxi-
mately 50% higher for the SCC-650 mixture without
fiber, but only 10% higher when 1% fiber was employed.
The major difference between the results shown in Fig. 6
for the SCC-650-VEA and SCC-650 mixtures lies in the
concrete exhibiting slightly larger mean
strength. Both SCC mixtures developed
greater toughness than the C O N V con-
crete that can be due to the lower stiffness
of the load-deformation curve of the SCC
concrete given its lower coarse aggregate content. The
mean I5 and I30 toughness indices of the CONV-0.5
concrete were 4.7 and 22.2, respectively. These values
were 4.8 and 29.1 for the SCC-650-VEA-0.5 mixture
and 4.9 and 29.2 for the SCC-650-1 mixture.
4.3 Performance of SCC-650 vs. SCC-530
The data of series C and D of Fig. 6 compare the
characteristics of the SCC-530 and SCC-650 mixtures
made without any VEA with the former concrete being
not truly self-consolidating but rather a highly flowable
concrete requiring minimal vibration for placement and

396
Khayat,Roussel
consolidation. These mixtures differ only in the HR.WR
concentration required to ensure the targetted slump
flow consistency. The g values of the SCC-530 mixtures
were consistently higher than those of the more flowable
SCC-650. However, both sets of mixtures developed
similar torque viscosity values. In the case of the non-
fibrous SCC, both mixtures had similar V-funnel flow
times despite the difference in slump-flow values, indi-
cating different filling capacity levels. With the incorpo-
ration of fibers, the SCC-530 mixture exhibited a limited
filling capacity compared to the SCC-650 mixture. The
toughness indices of the SCC-530 mixtures made with
0.5 and 1% fiber were slightly lower than the SCC-650
mixtures despite the consolidation of the specimens pre-
pared with the SCC-530 mixtures.
5. CONCLUSION
Based on the results presented above, the following
conclusions are warranted:
1. Highly flowable, yet cohesive, FR-SCC capable of
speading into place without blockage can greatly facili-
tate constructibility of FRC. Such concrete with high
slump flow of 650 m m can develop compressive
strengths and flexural toughness similar to those of con-
ventional FR.C that is vibrated into place.
2. As in the case of non-fibrous SCC, the slump flow
test and rheological parameters are not sufficient to eval-
uate the restricted deformability of FR-SCC. The fill-
ing capacity or V-funnel test should be used to assess
workability and blockage resistance. This is especially
important when the fiber volume increases causing
greater hindrance of spreading. For mixtures with a fill-
ing capacity greater than 30%, the filling capacity test
becomes more suitable to assess the restricted deforma-
bility than the V-funnel test.
3. For a given slump flow and 2 value, the increase in
fiber content reduces the filling capacity and increases h.
The relationship between filling capacity on the one
hand and g and slump flow on the other hand is depen-
dant on fiber volume.
4. Despite the 38-mm long fibers which are similar in size
to the minimum clear spacing between obstacles of the fill-
ing capacity test, high deformability was obtained when
the fiber volume was limited to 0.5%. At 1% fiber, the
fdling capacity was low but still considerably greater than
397
that of the CONV mixture. With the decrease in fiber
length to ensure compatibility with the narrowest dimen-
sion between the various obstacles, the filling capacity of
the FP,.-SCC with 1% fibers should increase.
5. Both the SCC-650 mixtures made with 0.37 W/CM
and no VEA, and 0.42 W/CM and VEA developed simi-
lar fresh properties and toughness indices that were con-
siderably greater than conventional concrete that
received internal vibration. The former mixture type
exhibited higher strength because of its lower W/CM
and more favorable binder type.
6. As in the case of CONV mixture with 200 mm slump,
the increase of fiber volume of the FP,.-SCC from 0.5 to
t % resulted in a significant increase in ductility.
7. Proportioning SCC with limited slump flow of 530
mm cannot ensure self-consolidation but can be useful
for casting plain or lightly reinforced sections with lim-
ited need for consolidation.
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