Effects of mineral additions on the rheological properties of self-compacting concrete: a review

The rheological study of concrete is crucial for the construction sector because of its influences on the casting process and hardened properties. This is even more important when designing and producing self-compacting concrete (SCC). By controlling yield stress and plastic viscosity, it is possible to predict and optimise the flowability of SCC. Understanding the rheological behaviour of SCC is a major step in achieving adequate flow behaviour to fill the formwork without any sign of segregation or blockage and hence yielding satisfactory performance of hardened concrete. This paper provides a critical and detailed review on rheological properties of SCC based on studies published in recent years. The rheological models for characterising the flow behaviour of fresh concrete are briefly assessed. The influence of water to cementitious materials ratio on SCC properties is also discussed. A comprehensive review on the influence of fine additions (i.e. fly ash, ground blast furnace slag, silica fume, metakaolin and limestone powder) on SCC rheology has also been presented in this review.