Pumping super high slump, self-consolidating concrete:

Pouring high-end, architectural concrete walls with self-consolidating ready mix.

[@youtubeconnollyfamily]

Great video

[@Heavytruckphotos]

i was batching for like 5 years, most of our mixes were high strength 23 inch spreads, very cool stuff. highest we ever did was 16,000 psi for a supertall in Manhattan. We had to shoot in nitrogen to keep it cool even in the winter!

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

It’s amazing stuff for sure. I remember the early days of it in our region (20-ish years ago now) when everyone was still getting it dialled in. A few years, and many segregated boom pipes later, it has become a very reliable and efficient option for many applications. I believe most of our stuff is 60-ish mpa, but o believe they can make it even stronger (somewhere in the 80 mpa range).

[@mikeklein318]

Nice to work with a contractor that know the mix that he's working with .

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

This particular forming contractor has extensive experience in working with this stuff. The pump/place/finish crew just rolls in and takes all the glory 😂😂😂. 98% of the end results here are dependant on the work of the forming carpenters and the ready mix supplier. Both absolutely nailed it on this one.

[@newrealm9187]

It is unusual for me. I like showing up to system job and seeing their surprise when I asked if they ordered grout.

[@JFirn86Q]

Really neat seeing that unique mix. Thanks

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

It’s definitely some very cool stuff.

[@helium5912]

You should bring Ryan from Victory Outdoor Services to a job site one day. He would love it.

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

Love that channel!!!!

[@staglione79]

We used a scc mix for a "strong wall" . Penn State engineering project, I will say when properly placed it turns out super nice. Those are some super nice walls....Great job boys👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

Forming guys as well as ready mix supplier nailed it. We just put it in the hole 😂😂😂

[@ManuelMello-ej3lq]

Shotcrete is always a strong and faster process as well.

[@budprine1591]

As a retired civil engineer I think I would like to see some cores of the insitu (sp?) concrete. They would show just how much large aggregate segregation in those "tight" corners. Surface appearance doesn't do it for me. I rather imagine there was much research on segregation using mixes like this, I hope.

[@jerrywatren4360]

Great video, as usual. One question - you mentioned that you water washed and pulled back a sponge because of the lack of large rocks in the mix. Is there any reason not to do this with larger rocks? Water washing is pretty much the standard from what I understand here, but after a failed one I started taking back a sponge afterwards, without issue (so far). Thanks for the videos, have learned so much from them!

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

As it was explained to me by a seasoned water-washer, sometimes with mixes using mostly fines (eg: grout) the water can actually pass by/through the material and leave residue in the pipes. Also, this stuff doesn’t have the same self-cleaning/scrubbing effect as it’s being pumped through the pipes. Lots of fines and LOTS of chemical. It’s notorious for causing buildup in the pipes/elbows. Also, because it’s super high strength material, that buildup takes forever to “burn” out of the pipeline.

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

Thanks guys 🙏🙏🙏

[@jaquigreenlees]

the guys lost their vibrators, that's why they want high slump, self consolidating concrete.

[@mongoose09]

that came out money.. kinda makes me wanna try it out. just got to convince the boss...

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

It’s amazing stuff, but man oh man does the formwork need to be TIGHT!!!! No lie, I’ve seen 3 yards of concrete drain out from a wall through a hole no bigger than the size of a bottle cap.

[@mongoose09]

@@canadianconcretepumper1979 tighter than a nun our stuff is... usually lol.. we just spent a few months doing a shit load of board form walls among other things out that way.. gotta wonder if itll get you that last little bit of perfection.

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

@@mongoose09 my only concern with board form could be inconsistency in the surface colour. I feel like the texture of the board could possibly trap the fly-ash (an issue with this type of mix) and cause inconstancies. I’ll ask the guys whom built these walls in the video.

[@travspumplife]

Scott what’s the point of the plywood cap if you can screed the top and finish nicely by hand or the stuff take awhile to set up?

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

This stuff typically takes quite some time to setup. The plywood caps were necessary to achieve to desired slope on the wall tips as well as to be able to hold the mud at the walls at the locations in which there were step-downs. To my understanding, because it is such I high cement ratio mix (65 mpa) they use retarder in the mix to slow down the curing process to reduce potential for cracking.

[@joelmcdonald4297]

Man i would love to use this stuff on a slab wouldnt even need a hose guy but unfortunately the crew wouldnt like it, they would be finishing it until the next morning 😅

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

A similar mix is used for pouring topping floors in our area. They just jig it out with a round bar and call it finished. When we pour those trellis features which I was showing in the video, it’s not uncommon for the guys to be there 12+ hours before they are able to put a finish on it.

[@user-bu2mn8do6v]

@@canadianconcretepumper1979 Here in the netherlands for smaller floors we sometimes use a mix looking a bit like this, 16mm aggregate usually, combined with superplasticizer/waterreducer and when its a floor we need to finish we add a percentage(10% to 50% when its cold) of a different cement(we call it Portland-C). Stuff makes it set off way faster(also generates a decent amout of heat, you dont want 50% in a 300mm floor) Ive been on floors with a walkbehind after 4 hours, finish didnt turned out good, concrete went too fast. Pouring a floor with a mix like this we usually do with 3 people and the (line)pump operator. Pump operator on the hose, usually aint a problem for them as we help him as much as we can from arrival to cleanout, ordering the right mix etc. one guy behind operator, one dipping with the round bar you mentioned and me with the laser in one hand and a vibrator in the other. pour a cm or 2 to high and i lightly vibe it to level. Sometimes bouncing on the mesh is enough.

[@veselyzachary946]

How many yards an hour can you get with a thick concrete I poured a ramp 700 yards and 150 for crash wall 14 hours and the service was still very good

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

There’s just far too many variables for a “blanket answer”. We have pumped high-chemical mix 57 stories with this same pump. I believe we were getting at least 45-50 cubic meters per hour onto the slab.

[@Njayz038]

I’m getting ready to pour 12’ H x 4” W wall with an SCC mix. What slump do you recommend and do you think I can drop it down 12’ if I can’t fit a hose? #4 rebar in the walls so it’s going to be real tight. Might be able to fit a Tremmy but not sure. Also, do you think we need external vibrators?

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

So we poured an entire house in SCC. We found it critical to get the hose all the way down into the wall, otherwise the concrete would splatter up onto the paper face plywood and leave a “scabbing” effect once it was stripped. 100% you’ll want to use external vibrators. I would also recommend following behind then with a bush-hammer to minimize any “pin holes” in he face of the revealed wall. Also, minimize pouring in n multiple lifts as doing so often leaves behind “load lines” at each lift.

[@Njayz038]

@@canadianconcretepumper1979 thanks for the info. These walls are 4” thick so I don’t think I’m going to get a hose down there. I’ll just have to vibrate it real good. The concrete is getting waterproofed and painted so I’m not really concerned as long as it doesn’t have big air pockets

[@Pedro-wz2kw]

Le beton est d'une excellente consistance

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

Definitely was a key element in the success of this particular pour. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@soeren72]

Isn't there a high risk of segregation when vibrating high fluidity concrete ?

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

That is the reason for using the external vibrators versus more conventional internal vibration. The mix use formulated with small aggregate as well chemical to keep everything in suspension. It’s definitely a bit of a fine art to achieve a flowable slump without segregating the material. Having a top notch quality control guy is critical with using this stuff.

[@soeren72]

@@canadianconcretepumper1979 It didn't look separated 👍I just remember that even rolling it in a wheelbarrow has a risk of seperation 🙂

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

@@soeren72 it’s definitely a mix that’s best placed with a pump, IMO. I’ve seen guys place it by crane and bucket at it seems to be a challenge (especially getting the door on the bucket to seal up).

[@newrealm9187]

When is it not raining or snowing in bc?

[@canadianconcretepumper1979]

Doesn’t snow too much here in the lower mainland (maybe a couple weeks per year), but it sure does rain!!! Which is actually much more miserable than snow, IMO.

[@newrealm9187]

@@canadianconcretepumper1979 agreed