Computational fluid dynamics calibration of Tattersall MK-II type rheometer for concrete

Currently more and more researches have been performing concerning the numerical simulation of the behavior of fresh concrete during pumping or formwork filling. Adequate implementation of the rheology properties of fresh concrete is a determinant key to obtain realistic simulations. However, in many cases, the rheological parameters of the fresh concrete as determined by rheometers are not sufficiently accurate. The common principle of all the rheometers is not to measure directly the rheological parameters of concrete but to measure some basic physical parameters (torque, velocity, pressure, ...) that that in some cases allow the calculation of the rheological parameter in terms of fundamental physical quantities. Errors can be caused by undesired flow phenomena which are not taken into the prediction formulas and by the inaccurate prediction formulas themselves. This is directly related to the poor calibration of the rheometer that cannot cover all ranges of materials. This paper investigates the calibration of the Tattersall MK-II rheometer by performing the numerical simulation for a tremendous range of concrete flowing in the rheometer, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This allows to quickly and accurately obtain the rheological properties of fresh concrete, which can then be used consistently for further flow simulations. This method can be applied for all types of rheometer.