Influence of pumping on the resistivity evolution of high-strength concrete and its relation to the rheology

Abstract

The pumping process exerts high pressure and strong shearing on fresh concrete, which may affect the hydration process and rheological behavior of concrete. In this paper, full-scale pumping circuits with lengths of 348-, 600-, and 924-m were established to evaluate the effect of pumping on hydration and rheology of concrete. Electrical resistivity measurement was employed to indirectly evaluate the hydration process of concrete. Ten high-strength concrete (HSC) mixtures with slump flow of 680 ± 50 mm and strength grades of C60-C100 were pumped, and HSC mixtures were sampled before and after pumping for rheological properties and electrical resistivity measurements. Findings indicated that the hydration process, determined by the electrical resistivity evolution, was accelerated after pumping. The end of the dormant period of fresh concrete was decreased by 10.3%-27.3%, and the end of the setting period was shortened by 15.6%-28.4% after pumping. The reduction in the dormant period can be well correlated with the drop in slump flow or increase in dynamic yield stress after pumping.