Comparison of the accuracy of regulation models for self-compacting concrete creep evaluation

Abstract

The present work predicts the creep of self-compacting concrete (SCC) beams, subjected to a loading maintained under four-point bending stress. Various parameters were studied, such as the fineness of the limestone addition, the filler/binder ratio (F/B), and the loading rate. Three SCC mixtures were chosen to study the creep of beams of dimensions 10 × 10 × 120 cm3, with two finenesses of the limestone fillers (UF 05 and UF 20), as well as two F/B ratios (0.1 and 0.2). For the study of beam creep, the loading time is greater than 80 days for most tests. Two loading rates were applied (20% and 40% of the bending failure load), and the deflection values measured as a function of time were compared for each concrete mix. In order to verify the ability of some regulatory models to predict the experimental deformations obtained, we compared the latter to the theoretical deformations calculated from four predictive models: ACI 209, B3, EC02, and CEB MC90. The study of the creep of the formulations studied showed that: (i) the increase in the fineness of the limestone addition increases the mechanical performance in bending and thus reduces the delayed deformations; and (ii) the American models (ACI and B3) are the most efficient for the prediction of these deformations.