Roller Compacted Concrete Mixtures Research Articles

Laboratory investigation of the impact of water-cement ratio on the mechanical properties and durability of roller-compacted concrete mixtures containing polypropylene fibers

Laboratory investigation of the impact of water-cement ratio on the mechanical properties and durability of roller-compacted concrete mixtures containing polypropylene fibers

Research to evaluate the possibility of using sea sand to make roller compacted concrete as a surface layer for rural roads

In this period of very scarce river sand resources for construction activities, the use of sea sand and salt-contaminated sand to replace river sand in roller-compacted concrete is necessary and suitable to the needs of actual demand. This article presents some research results on the possibility of using the sea sand of "Can Gio" to produce roller-compacted concrete for rural road surface layers. The roller-compacted concrete mix composition is designed according to ACI 211.3R standards with a fly ash-to-cement ratio by volume of 0.3. The required compressive strength value of the roller-compacted concrete sample is 27 MPa at the age of 28 days. The technical requirements of roller-compacted concrete using sea sand have been evaluated including the hardness of the concrete mixture, compressive strength, and abrasion resistance of tested concrete, using the ratio of sea sand- aggregate by volume ranges from 0.41 to 0.50. The study also compared the physical properties of "Can Gio" sea sand according to the technical requirements of standard TCVN 13754:2023 to provide recommendations when using salt-contaminated sand and sea sand for roller compacted concrete mixture.

Compaction Delay and Temperature Effects on Early-Age Properties of Roller-Compacted Concrete

The lower water content of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) coupled with climatic conditions (e.g., higher air temperature, increased wind speed, and lower relative humidity) and compaction delay factors (e.g., traffic delay, plant location, and paving speed) can significantly affect the in situ density and hardened properties of RCC pavements. In this study, a control RCC mix was batched and maintained at standard (21°C) and elevated (35°C) temperatures and then compacted at increasing delay times for up to 180 min. The elevated mix temperature and compaction delay times greater than 90 min prevented the RCC mix from achieving 98% of the initial wet density from the modified Proctor test. Two additional RCC mixes were batched to determine if they could maintain a longer compaction window, one containing a rheology-modifying and retarding admixture and the other incorporating saturated fine lightweight aggregates. The RCC with admixture was the most effective at maintaining moisture content, density, compressive strength, and fracture properties at all compaction delay times. For example, at 180 min of delay, the RCC mixture with admixture still maintained 98.2% of the initial wet density, 81% of the compressive strength, and approximately the same fracture toughness and energy. The addition of fine lightweight aggregates did not extend the compaction window relative to standard RCC mix. The gyratory compacted specimens were more sensitive to the effects of temperature and compaction delay on RCC mixes than the vibratory hammer prepared specimens.

Mechanical properties and microstructure of roller compacted concrete incorporating brick powder, glass powder, and steel slag

Abstract The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of developing environmentally friendly green roller-compacted concrete (RCC) by utilizing locally available materials. The research investigates the behavior of RCC properties when different amounts of solid waste materials (brick powder, glass powder, and steel slag) are added as substitutes for cement content. To accomplish this, four laboratory tests were conducted: compressive strength, flexural strength, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscope imaging. These tests aimed to identify the changes in concrete properties resulting from the inclusion of waste construction materials as cement replacements. The study employed an approach that involved adding waste materials to the concrete mixture, with replacement percentages ranging from 10.0 to 40.0% in increments of 10.0%. Consequently, 12 concrete mixtures were prepared to examine the effects of adding waste materials (10.0–40.0%) as substitutes for cement content. In addition, one reference mixture was designed without any inclusion of waste materials for comparison purposes. In general, the results indicate that as the percentage of waste construction materials increases in the mixtures, there is a corresponding decrease in compressive strength. However, it is noteworthy that the strength activity index (SAI) exceeded 75% according to ASTM C618 standards. This indicates that the waste construction materials possess pozzolanic properties, making them suitable for use as cement replacements in RCC mixtures.

Disposal of demolished waste as partial fine aggregate replacement in roller-compacted concrete

Abstract Making environmentally friendly, long-lasting roller compacted concrete (RCC) was the primary focus of the laboratory experiments using disposed waste material (demolished buildings) and lowering the amount of fine aggregate adopting the ACI 327. The best way to dispose waste materials of demolished buildings such as ceramic tiles, clay bricks, and thermostone hollow blocks without using a sanitary landfill was to collect them, crush them with a crushing machine, and grade them by sieving to a fine aggregate. Reference mixture (RM) and six other environmentally friendly, long-lasting RCC mixtures were produced with partial fine aggregate volume replacements of 10 and 20% waste material. Following the production of the mixtures, the strength (compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural), porosity, absorption of water, and dry density were all tested. The results in accordance with the study’s conclusions are the RCC containing (20%) by ceramic tiles as fine aggregate increases RCC’s durability up to (5.76%) (2.96%) (2.83%) of strength (compressive, splitting tensile and flexural) at 28 days of testing, in opposition to the typical blend, then the blend that includes (10%) of ceramic tiles as fine aggregate with % growth up to (3.39%) (1.64%) (1.42%). While the clay bricks with 10% can be adopted, the results were slightly lower than the RM but still in the specification range (minimum recommendation of ACI 327 = 28 MPa). For the mixtures with 10 and 20% thermostone blocks fine aggregate, the results showed reduction in strength compared to the RM.

Constructing a Sustainable Roller Compacted Concrete Using Waste Demolished Material as Replacement of Cement: A Review

Roller Compacted Concrete is a type of concrete that is environmentally friendly and more economical than traditional concrete. Roller Compacted Concrete is typically used for heavy-duty and specialist constructions, such as hydraulic structures and pavements, because of its coarse surface. The main difference between RCC and conventional concrete mixtures is that RCC has a more significant proportion of fine aggregates that allow compaction and tight packing. In recent years, it has been estimated that several million tons of waste demolished material (WDM) produced each year are directed to landfills worldwide without being recycled for disposal. This review aimed to study the literature about creating a Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) mix with modified engineering properties with favorable environmental impact, so it was focused on investigating using different proportions of waste (Glass, Brick, and Marble), which are the most waste-demolished materials (WDM) widely in the world, as a partial substitute of cement. Then, study the influence on the durability and mechanical strength of (RCC) produced with and without these waste powders.

Enhancing Compressive strength prediction of Roller Compacted concrete using Machine learning techniques

Roller compacted concrete (RCC) is a widely adopted material in pavement engineering and irrigation dam due to its fast, simple construction process and excellent cost-effectiveness compared to conventional concrete. However, accurately determining its compressive strength (CS) and optimizing its composition presents a challenge that conventional methods have not effectively addressed. This work proposes a machine learning approach to predict the CS of RCC with high speed and accuracy. The models considered are CatBoost, Artificial Neural Networks, Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Linear Regression. After fine-tuning the hyperparameters and conducting evaluations, the CatBoost model emerged as the best performer with a coefficient of determination of 0.983. Additionally, the proposed model can highlight the impact of input parameters on RCC's CS, providing valuable insights for CS measurement and RCC design in material engineering, thanks to Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) analysis. Specifically, the findings highlight the effects of cement content and age on the CS, which can help material engineers optimize the RCC composition for improved performance. Additionally, a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed to facilitate the use of the proposed ML model and streamline the optimization process of RCC mixtures.

Recycled Concrete Aggregated for the use in Roller Compacted Concrete: A Literature Review

The using of recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste (CDW) can preserve natural aggregate resources, reduce the demand for landfill, and contribute to a sustainable built environment. Concrete demolition waste has been proven to be an excellent source of aggregates for new concrete production. At a technical, economic, and environmental level, roller compacted concrete (RCC) applications benefit various civil construction projects. Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a homogenous mixture that is best described as a zero-slump concrete placed with compacting equipment, uses in storage areas, dams, and most often as a basis for rigid pavements. The mix must be sufficiently dry to support the weight of vibratory machinery while still being sufficiently moist to enough paste binder dispersion throughout the mass for efficient compaction. Limited studies into the use of RCC with fine recycled aggregate not from pavements are figured. This study aims to see how well-recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) perform in RCC mixtures. Also how well waste concrete could be used as a fine and coarse aggregate substitute in roller-compacted concrete pavement mixes, to create a good concrete mix in both wet and firm phases. The test results of mechanical properties showed 10% RCA is similar to those in the reference mix in the compressive strength, a 100% RCA ratio reduces compressive strength by almost 30%. Comparing Reference mix and Recycled concrete by 30% replacement, the compressive strength drops by just 6% when the RCA ratio is 30%.

Estimating the compressive strength of roller compacted concrete using a novel swarm-optimised light gradient boosting machine

ABSTRACT This study proposes a data-driven method for predicting the compressive strength (CS) of roller-compacted concrete (RCC). The new method is an integration of light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The former is used to generalize the mapping relationship between the CS and its influencing factors. The latter is employed to optimize the learning phase of LightGBM. A dataset, consisting of 408 laboratory tests and eight predictor variables, has been collected from the literature to train and verify the proposed data-driven method. Experimental results, supported by statistical hypothesis tests, point out that the proposed approach achieves outstanding performance with a root mean squared error of 4.53 and a mean absolute percentage error of 13.2%. The new model, named PSO-LightGBM, is capable of explaining roughly 90% of the variation in the CS of RCC mixes. In addition, an asymmetric loss function is applied in the training phase of LightGBM to reduce the proportion of overestimated CS values from 53% to 32%. This reduction in overestimations can help enhance the reliability of the data-driven method. Therefore, the newly developed model can serve as a decision-supporting tool in designing RCC mixtures.

ПОРІВНЯЛЬНА ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ УЛАШТУВАННЯ ШАРІВ ЖОРСТКОГО ДОРОЖНЬОГО ОДЯГУ ІЗ СУМІШЕЙ ЦЕМЕНТОБЕТОННИХ УКОЧУВАНИХ ДОРОЖНІХ І ТРАДИЦІЙНИХ СУМІШЕЙ ЦЕМЕНТОБЕТОННИХ ДОРОЖНІХ

Introduction. Paving roller-compacted concrete is a multi-component, artificially obtained stone-like material that is obtained from a paving roller-compacted concrete mixture, which is characterized by increased requirements for tensile strength at bending, waterproofing, water absorption, abrasion and frost resistance. Applying the technology of arrangement of pavement layers from paving roller-compacted concrete, allows to achieve significant savings in energy consumption when using machines and equipment, to ensure less shrinkage of concrete during curing due to low water-cement ratio. Problem statement. To compare the characteristics and arrangement of traditional cement concrete and paving roller-compacted concrete, to find out whether roller-compacted concrete is an alternative to traditional concrete. Since Ukraine currently lacks, with the exception of certain areas, practical experience in the construction and maintenance of roads with a surface of rolled-compacted concrete, to establish its advantages and disadvantages. Purpose. Perform an analysis of the technology of arrangement of roller-compacted concrete. Compare the physical and mechanical characteristics of roller-compacted concrete and traditional cement concrete. Materials and methods. In the work, the analysis of domestic and foreign sources by topic was carried out, laboratory research was carried out. An experimental study of paving roller-compacted concrete was performed, literary sources of Ukrainian and foreign origins were analyzed. Results. The physical and mechanical characteristics of hardened cement concrete were determined and compared with traditional cement concrete.

Setting time in Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC)

The principal differences of RCC from conventional concrete pavements are workability, rheology, paste content, and compactive effort. RCC pavements obtain significant strength during compaction and, therefore, can be opened to traffic in less time than conventional concrete pavements. For both types of concrete, there are methods to evaluate workability in the fresh state, e.g., slump and Vebe test. However, no standard method is available for either concrete pavement type for evaluating setting time in-situ. Construction activities such as tining/texturing, curing membrane, and sawing of contraction joints are related to the concrete setting time. A recently developed technique for setting time of conventional mortar and concrete with fully contactless ultrasound has shown promising results with higher paste content mixtures. This recently proposed method monitors the initiation time of leaky Rayleigh waves (LR-wave) signals in time and space over the conventional concrete surface. The objective of this study is to determine the setting time in RCC pavements which has significantly lower paste volume and higher aggregate content. Preliminary results have shown that the setting time of an RCC mixture with overfilled paste can be successfully determined. Additional tests on a wider range of RCC mixture constituents and proportions, e.g., lower aggregate void and paste contents, are being conducted to evaluate the limitations of this contactless sensing method and necessary adjustments. Reliable set time determination in RCC pavements can improve QC/QA practices and indicate repeatable triggers for other construction activities like sawing contraction joints.

Effect of delayed placement of layers on permeability and durability of roller-compacted concrete containing fly ash

ABSTRACT Interlayer cold joint formation in roller compacted concrete (RCC) structures is inevitable because of typically applied in layers. In this study, the effect of interlayer cold joint formation on the water absorption and freeze–thaw resistance of RCC with fly ash was investigated. After the first layer of specimens is placed and compacted, the second layer was cast with a delay of 0, 60, 120 and 180 min in order to investigate the cold joint effects. In addition, RCC specimens were produced by applying the mortar between the layers to prevent interlayer cold joint formation. Water absorption and freeze–thaw experiments were performed on RCCs. According to the test results, cold joint formation arising from prolongation of delay increased the water absorption of RCCs and reduced freeze–thaw resistance. However, the application of mortar is an effective method to overcome the interlayer cold joint. Besides, partial substitution of aggregate with fly ash in mixtures improved the workability, impermeability, strength and freeze–thaw resistance of RCC. However, although partial replacement of the cement with fly ash improved the workability and freeze–thaw resistance of some of RCC mixtures, it increased the water absorption and decreased the compressive strength.

Physical and mechanical properties of high volume fly ash roller compacted concrete pavement (A laboratory and case study)

The soil compaction method is widely used in the design of roller compacted concrete (RCC) pavements. The tools used in the compaction of laboratory specimens do not fully reflect the field compaction performance. Therefore, the mixture designed according to the soil compaction method in the laboratory may not be the ideal mixture for field application. In this study, interlayer cold joint formation and its treatment method, strength, and permeability of high volume fly ash RCC mixtures produced in the laboratory and field were compared. For this purpose, in addition to the control mixture, 60% (by weight of cement) of either cement or aggregate was replaced with fly ash (FA). In the laboratory, the specimens with and without 1 cm interlayer mortar were prepared in two layers and compacted by a vibrating hammer. As the preliminary field study, platforms 100 cm long, 80 cm wide, and around 40 cm (compacted) depth were produced from each mixture. The platforms were cast in open-air conditions and were compacted in two layers by using a 70x50 cm steel pressure plate with the same laboratory vibratory hammer. As a result of laboratory and preliminary field study the mixture where aggregate was partially replaced with fly ash was selected for the construction of a single layer (about 0.20 m compacted thickness), 7 m width, and 100 m length RCC road. The placement of the RCC in two layers, even without any delay in placement and compaction of the top layer, caused interlayer cold joint and subsequent reduction in the strength. Furthermore, Laboratory specimens with and without interlayer bedding mortar showed higher strength than the similar field (core) specimens. The fact seems to be arisen from the differences in the compaction, curing, and the nature of the cold joint between the laboratory and field specimens, as well as from the damaged caused during core drilling.

Laboratory Approach to Determine Roller Compacted Concrete Mixture Electrical Characteristics Using a New Time-Domain Reflectometry Interpretation Method

This work deals with using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) to measure the electrical properties of roller compacted concrete (RCC). It is well known that TDR provides a non-destructive method to measure the dielectric constant toward an estimation of moisture content for soil materials. However, few studies have used TDR to determine the moisture content in concrete because of the inability to obtain TDR traces after the concrete hardens. To obtain TDR traces, a transmission circuit is initiated where a wave signal moves through the medium and reflects back in accordance with transmission line theory. In the literature, the TDR waveform has been interpreted empirically to estimate the relative permittivity (or dielectric constant) and electrical conductivity in a given material relative to the determination of associated water content. However, empirical models tend to ignore certain aspects related to the electrical properties of a medium, which has made interpretation of TDR measurements prone to systematic errors. In this paper, a new approach of test configuration and TDR response interpretation has been developed. For the test setup, the approach uses disposable metal probes that can be embedded into the concrete at different depths to obtain the TDR traces. The approach also employs the transmission line equation to estimate the dielectric constant, electrical conductivity, and reflectivity of an instrumented RCC mixture. These properties will affect the understanding of the RCC pavement behavior, especially curling and warping behavior, placement density, and development of long-term distresses.

Mechanical properties of roller compacted concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate

The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, pulse velocity, and drop weight impact resistance of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) mixtures containing recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) were investigated. The cement contents of the RCC mixtures were chosen as 150, 200 and 250 kg/m3. In addition to the control mixtures containing no RCA, 25, 50, 75, and 100 wt% of the crushed limestone aggregate was replaced with RCA. In this way, 15 RCC mixtures were prepared. The water content of RCC mixtures was determined by the maximum density method. The results showed that increasing the amount of recycled aggregate decreased the mechanical properties of the concrete. However, up to 25% replacement level, recycled aggregate had not a significant detrimental effect on the properties of RCC. Besides, the detrimental effect of RCA substitution was more pronounced in leaner mixtures and reduced by increasing the cement content of the RCC.

Correlating the Durability Properties of Roller Compacted Concrete

Roller compacted concrete is the zero-slump concrete mixture, usually prepared at low cement content and low workability, and subjected to compaction by rollers to increase the density and improve the aggregate particles interlock. It is recommended for heavy duty pavement and can withstand harsh environment. Modeling the physical behavior of roller compacted concrete exhibits a quick and easy start to predict the future behavior of the material. In the present assessment, roller compacted concrete mixtures have been prepared in the laboratory using three percentages of Portland cement (10, 12, and 16) % to simulate low, medium, and high cement content from roller compacted concrete point of view. The mixtures were poured into the cylinder mold of 101.6 mm diameter and 116.4 mm height in five successive layers. Each layer had practiced 25 blows of the modified Proctor hammer with 4.5 kg weight, falling from 450 mm height. Specimens were withdrawn from the mold after 24 hours and cured for 28 days in a water bath at 20°C. Specimens were subjected to bulk density, absorption, and porosity determination. Test results were analyzed and modeled. It can be observed that the gradation of aggregates (dense or gap)does not exhibit a significant issue in the absorption-density relationship. However, Dense gradation exhibits lower porosity than gap gradation. It can be concluded that the obtained mathematical models may be implemented to predict the relationship between the durability parameters of roller compacted concrete in terms of porosity, absorption, and density with high coefficients of determination.

Assessing the Influence of Aggregates and Cement Types on Fresh Roller Compacted Concrete Mixture

Roller compacted concrete mixture RCC is considered as a sustainable pavement construction material, it is a heavy-duty concrete mixture with zero slump. An attempt has been made in the present investigation to design the fresh RCC mixture using two types of coarse aggregates (crushed and rounded), two types of fine aggregates (silica and river sand) and two types of cement (ordinary Portland and sulphate resistance). Concrete mixtures with dense gradation were prepared and compacted according to modified proctor design procedure. A moisture-density test was used to determine the maximum density and optimum moisture content and of RCC mixtures for each mix. Five different percentages of cement (10-18) % are implemented and six different percentages of moisture (4 – 8) %) % are used to determine the dry density-moisture content relationships. It was observed that the maximum dry density of rounded aggregates mixture is higher than that of crushed aggregate mixture by (4.2, 8.3, 4.2, 4.2, and 5.1) % and (4.1, 1.4, 4.1, 2.0, and 2.7) % for (18, 16, 14, 12, and 10) % cement content respectively for mixtures constructed with silica and river sands respectively with ordinary Portland cement. However, the maximum dry density of rounded aggregate mixture is higher than that of crushed aggregate mixture by (3.5, 4, 7.1, 5.5, and 4.4) % and (2.7, 4.8, 2.3, 4.4, and 4.2) % for (18, 16, 14, 12, and 10) % cement content respectively for mixtures constructed with silica and river sands respectively with sulphate resistance cement. It was concluded that 12 % of Portland cement and (6 to 7) % of moisture are proper combination when silica or river sand were implemented, while (12 and 14) % of sulphate resistance cement and (6 to 7) % of moisture are proper combination when silica or river sand were implemented. abstract must be a precise and reflection of what is in your article.

Effect of white cement bypass dust on the degradation of roller compacted concrete subjected to sulphate attack

ABSTRACT Large amounts of waste white cement bypass dust (WCBPD) are generated in huge heaps near white cement factories in Jordan, posing growing environmental concerns related to potential hazardous impact and additional disposal cost. This research evaluates possible and suitable recycling of WCBPD as a partial replacement of Portland cement in the production of the rapidly expanding roller compacted concrete (RCC). This experimental work aims to test the influence of using different proportions (10, 20, 30, and 40%) of WCBPD on the mechanical performance and durability of RCC subjected to sulphate attack. The investigation included compressive strength, a non-destructive test (ultrasonic pulse velocity), water absorption coefficient, and the sulphate linear expansion test. The experimental results were promising for recycling WCBPD as fractions of Portland cement in RCC mixtures at small amounts. Compared to reference cylinders, the reduction in compression strength was about 10, 28, 32 and 39% for 10, 20, 30 and 40% WCBPD replacement ratios, respectively. All RCC mixtures showed satisfactory sulphate resistance since no significant loss in compressive strength nor a significant increase in expansion ratio occurred due to sulphate exposure. The reductions in compressive strength at 180 days of sulphate exposure were 12.8, 15.6, 15.9, 16.1 and 16.6% for RCC cylinders prepared with WCBPD partial replacements of 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%, respectively.

A new evaluation of the fatigue design criteria of roller compacted concrete (RCC) pavements

Although mechanical fatigue loading can generally cause critical stresses in pavement systems, there have been few studies that specifically investigate fatigue behavior of roller-compacted concrete (RCC). Possible reasons for this lack include the complexity and time-consuming nature of fatigue tests as well as difficulties in producing RCC prismatic specimens because of stiff consistency in their fresh state. In this experimental study, to simulate actual field-compaction procedures, three RCC mixes of different performance categories were compacted in a plate mold by first applying a vibratory plate compactor, followed by a small-scale vibratory hand roller. Fatigue behavior of RCC mixtures was investigated by applying fatigue loads at five different stress ratios on beam specimens taken from the compacted plates. The average fatigue strength of RCC corresponding to 2 million loading cycles was found to be about 62.5% of the ultimate static strength, showing that RCC performs better than conventional concrete under fatigue. Using a Weibull distribution, the failure probabilities of these mixtures were also determined and expressed as an S-N-P curve. The relationships between RCC fatigue life and mixture design parameters showed that the degree of compaction of a specimen significantly affects the fatigue performance of RCC. A fatigue-life model considering the mixture parameters was also developed, providing a more realistic and novel solution than other RCC fatigue life-estimation models found in the literature that consider only stress ratios. This model is less conservative than those currently used in pavement design.

Predicted responses of fatigue cracking and rutting on Roller Compacted Concrete base composite pavements

This study evaluated the effects of pavement design variables (type and thickness of asphalt concrete layer, base layer material properties, sub-base layer, and traffic volume) on fatigue cracking and rutting resistance of asphalt pavements using Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) with Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA) and employing it as a base layer. The RCC mixtures were developed by partially replacing natural coarse aggregate with RCA in ratios of 0%, 5%, 15%, and 30%. The 25 Design of Experiments (DoE) was adopted as a screening experiment to identify the variables of pavement design that were vital to reducing the fatigue cracking and rutting on pavement sections. It was observed that the surface thickness, type of RCC-base, and volume of traffic were the most important variables to reduce damages. It was performed a 33 DoE with these variables to identify the best combination on the design of RCC-base pavements. It is evident from Response Surface Methodology that 10 cm surface thickness is recommended for preventing over 30% of fatigue cracking for RCC-base composed with RCC mixed with RCA ratios ranging from 10% to 30%. Rutting isn’t the significant damage on an RCC-base composite pavements. The RCC mixed with RCA could be considered as a good material for the base layer submitted to the high traffic volume of vehicles.