Shape factors of self-compacting concrete specimens subjected to uniaxial loading

One of the problems encountered when comparing the mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) is the use of different specimen sizes all over the world. For vibrated concrete (VC), conversion factors are defined to convert the obtained compressive strength on one specimen type to another. In order to investigate the applicability of these factors for SCC, a total of 2 VC and 10 SCC mixtures were selected varying in cement type, cement content, water-to-cement ratio and water-to-powder ratio. Beside cubes with sides of 100 mm, 150 mm and 200 mm, cylinders with a diameter of 100 mm and diameter 150 mm were cast and cores with a diameter of 100 mm, 80 mm and 50 mm were drilled. A significant difference of about 10% in the shape factors between SCC and VC has been found. Mix design parameters, such as the fraction of powder, the cement-to-powder ratio and the water-to-cement ratio, seem to have little influence on the obtained shape factors.