Structural behavior of self-consolidating concrete slabs

Abstract EN

This research work investigates the behavior of self-consolidating concrete (SC) when used in slabs and compares with the structural performance of ordinary concrete slabs (OC).

Six slabs of dimensions 1200 x 1200 x 160 mm and 1200 x 1200 x 120 mm were cast using ordinary concrete and self consolidating concrete.

The 160 mm thick slabs had bottom and top steel meshes of 7 bars in each direction of diameter 10 mm while the 120 mm slabs had only a bottom reinforcement mesh of 7 bars in each direction of diameter 10 mm.

The standard cube (150 * 150 * 150 mm) compressive strengths of the SC and OC ranged between 41 and 58 MPa.

The in-situ compressive strength of each slab was determined using a calibrated Schmidt hammer.

The compressive strength of the SC slabs as determined by the rebound hammer was in average equal to 0.87 of the standard cube strength while the same for the OC slabs was in average equal to 0.93 of the standard cube compressive strength.

The slabs were then tested under central line loads to determine their structural behavior.

The load carrying capacity and the initial load deflection response of the slabs cast with SC and OC were approximately similar.

The deflections at both the maximum load and failure load of self-consolidating slabs were lesser than those of the ordinary concrete slabs.