Bond and cracking properties of self-consolidating concrete

The experimental program is aimed at investigating the possible differences between bond and cracking properties of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and vibrated concrete (VC). Four different mechanical tests were performed: splitting test, direct axial tension test, tension member test and beam test in flexure. Moreover specific additional tests were carried out in order to study the effect of the concrete skin (i.e. the surface layer of concrete which do not have the same mechanical and physical properties as bulk concrete mostly due to the wall effect and the evaporation of water) on cracking.Tension member tests did not show any significant difference between SCC and VC in terms of transfer length irrespective of the compressive strength of the concrete. Then, bond properties of both types of concrete are similar. No significant difference between SCC and VC tensile strength was observed by using the splitting test, the direct axial tension test and the beam test. Results obtained on not sawn tension members have shown that SCC cracking load can be significantly lower (up to 40%) than VC one. This reduction in cracking load can be attributed to a lower quality of the SCC skin. If the concrete skin is removed by sawing the specimens or if the concrete skin proportion in the tension cross-section is low (as in beam tests), the cracking loads and then the tensile strength deduced are similar for SCC or VC. The structural performance of the beams cast with SCC or VC can be considered similar under service loading (deflection) or at ultimate state.