PART THREE: RCC MIX DESIGN AND TEST PANEL

Sources: Francisco Rodrigues Andriolo

Sika Roller Compacted Dams Handbook

Val Dam Test Fill Document.

Proceedings of RCC symposium in Santander, Spain.

AGGREGATE PROPERTIES
The aggregate grading composition curve used in RCC works has been the cubical

parabola type of Fuller Equation: P=100 ×

√
3 d
D
, P is the percentage of the
material finer than the mesh with d opening and D is the maximum aggregate
size.
As the D is reduced, the quantity of sand (below 5 mm) and quantity of rock flour
below 75 microns will increase. This is beneficial for producing a closed grading,
reducing the air voids and increasing the density and lowering the permeability.
Also, the segregation risk will be lower. On the other hand, with smaller maximum
aggregate size, the specific surface of aggregates increases, needing more binder
materials, more hydration heat release, and higher creep of RCC structure. A
nominal Dmax of 60 or 50mm is currently used. The grading curve shown is based
on Dmax= 50 mm.

The rock from quarry should be hard, durable, high unit weight, with low modulus
of elasticity and low coefficient of thermal expansion aggregates are desirable.

In the lack of laboratory measured data, based on the technical literature, the
properties of andesite rock are as follows:

 Hardness 7
 Grain size very fine grain
 Porosity low
 Compressive strength 225 N/mm2
 Density 2.11-2.36 t/m3
 Specific heat capacity 2.39 kJ/kg °C
 Coefficient of thermal expansion 7 x 10-6
 Specific gravity 2.5-2.8
 Young modulus 20-40 GPa

Physical and mechanical properties of the quarry rock should be measured in a

laboratory before the trial mix tests.

COARSE AGGREGATE
The larger maximum size of aggregate can have a significant effect on segregation.
In many projects maximum aggregate size of 75 mm have been used. Now the
tendency is the use of Dmax towards 60 or 50 mm.
FINE AGGREGATE
Fine aggregates produced from the quarry rock do not need washing. The fine
material below 20 mm should be separated from the blasted rock. This fraction
may contain deleterious materials from the weathered rock and faults in the
quarry.

The limits of grading for fine aggregates is given in the following Table.

Fine aggregate grading limits

Cumulative percent
Sieve size
passing
9.5 mm (3/8 in.) 100
4.75 mm (No. 4) 95-100
2.36 mm (No. 8) 75-95
1.18 mm (No. 16) 55-80
0.6 mm (No. 30) 35-60
0.3 mm (No.50) 24-40
0.15 mm (No. 100) 12-28
75 μm (No. 200) 6-18
Fineness Modulus 2.1-2.75

CEMENT
According to the internet site of Indonesian Cement Factory, the heat of hydration
of slag cement with composition 70% slag and 30% type I cement is about 200
KJ/Kg, equal to 47 KCAL/Kg. the adiabatic temperature rise of concrete will be:
hg × w
H=
ρ ×C p

In which H= Adiabatic Temperature Rise in degree Celsius,

h g=¿ Heat of hydration of cementitious Materials in KCAL/Kg.

w = weight of cementitious materials in m3 concrete (RCC)

ρ=¿ Density of concrete in Kg/m3 and,

C p =¿ specific heat of concrete in KCAL/Kg-°C
With 160 kg of cementitious materials, heat of hydration 47 KCAL/Kg, concrete
density of 2500 kg/m3 and specific heat of 0.22 KCAL/Kg-°C, the adiabatic rise of
temperature will be 13.6°C which remains in the threshold of USBR “Control of
Cracking in Mass Concrete Structures” (13.9°C). natural cooling of the dams is
acceptable.

CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES
Use of chemical admixtures to control the setting time and reducing water
content is common in RCC dams. The dosage should be worked out in Laboratory.

RCC MIX DESIGN

RCC mix design is carried out by Absolute Volume Method

The following Table is an example of this method. Before designing RCC mix, tests
should determine the necessary data.

Raw Material Kg for 1m3

Specific
used for (according to Yield liters
Dosage % Density
design of RCC the mix for 1m3
(kg/L)
mix design)
Cementitious 2.8 (check in
160 kg 57
materials Lab)
Included in
admixtures 1.5 3.3 kg
water
Expected Air
2% 20
Content
Mixing water 90 kg 1.0 90
Total volume in liters without aggregates 167
Aggregate in 1000L-167=
2207 kg 2.65
dry state 833
Total RCC 2460 kg/m3

SITE LABORATORY AND TRIAL MIXES

The Site laboratory will be type C (USBR, Concrete Handbook) with a covered area
of 200 to 250 m2.

In the site Laboratory, different mixes should be fabricated and tested. The first
test on any mix is its consistency by surcharged VEBE test. If the result is not
satisfactory (vebe time between 15 to 25 seconds), the mix is already rejected and
further tests will not be performed for that mix. The following tests of the vebe
accepted mixes are:

 Determine the density of RCC. In accordance with ASTM C 1170.

 Determine the air content and unit weight of fresh RCC with a pressure
meter Type B according to ASTM C 231
 Measure the temperature of fresh concrete by an immersion thermometer
10 minutes after mixing. (to reach heat equilibrium of coarse gravel
particles)

Once the basic mixes are determined by fresh RCC tests, the following specimen
should be prepared for each potential mix:

 Preparing specimen for hardened concrete tests. The cylindrical mold has
dimensions 152 x 305 mm for compressive strength determination at 1, 3,
7, 28, 56, 90, 180 and 365 days. For each date 3 cylinders are prepared.
 3 x 2 cylinders for splitting (Brasilian) test according to ASTM C 496/C 496M
for the ages 28 and 90 days.
 3 cylinders for the determination of Young Modulus and Poisson’s ratio.
 3 cylinders or cubes for freeze and thaw test according to ASTM C 666.
 3 cylinders or cubes for Permeability test according to US Army Corps of
Engineers CRD-C 163.

The trial mix will start from a basic composition: for example, slag cement = 140
kg; 160 kg; 180 kg and 200 kg/m 3; water/binder ratio of 0.42, 0.45 and 0.50.

The following mixes should be prepared:

1. Slag cement= 140 kg/m3 water/binder = 0.42

water/binder = 0.45
water/binder = 0.50
2. Slag cement = 160 kg/m3 water/binder = 0.42
water/binder = 0.45
water/binder = 0.50
3. Slag cement = 180 kg/m3 water/binder = 0.42
water/binder = 0.45
water/binder = 0.50
the above tests should be repeated with the addition of chemical additives with
minimum and maximum dosages recommended by the supplier and the average
of these limits.

By preparing the above mixes, the Materials Engineer can decide to reduce the
number of mixes or make change to the proposed compositions. When the most
suitable mixes are known, the tests on fresh concrete consistency, initial and final
setting, and preparing specimen for further qualification of RCC will be. The basic
additives for RCC are set retarder and superplasticizer which should be supplied to
the Laboratory (and to the site) as one compound. The GERCC should contain air
entrained additive as well.

TEST FILL
By scrutinizing the final mixes of RCC in the Laboratory, and knowing the
mechanical results of RCC at early ages up to 56 days, the trend of compressive
strength development in later time can be extrapolated. Other pre-condition for
the Test Fill is the acceptance tests and calibration of the plants of production of
aggregates and RCC.

The test fill is performed by the anticipated manpower and equipment for
production, placing, spreading, compaction and curing the dam’s RCC. This will
reveal the capacities, workmanship and weak points for execution of the first dam
which should be solved during the execution of the Test Fill.

Normally, the test fill should be constructed on rock foundation. This location
should be close to the Upper Dam or along the access road rock cuts nearby.
Same mixes foreseen for the dam will be placed for the Test Fill (rock cover,
GERCC, bedding mortar and different types of RCC).

Test fill has the planar dimensions of 60m length by 10 or 12 m width at the top.
the height is normally 4.5 m (15 RCC layers).

The upstream of the test fill will have inclined formwork with slope of 1:0.2, the
downstream will be stepped. Dam formworks will be used.
VEBE consistency of each mix used in construction of test panel will be measured.
Mixes with and without chemical additives will be used in different parts of the
test panel to compare the effectiveness and the activity of the additives.

Grout enriched vibratable RCC will be tested on the faces of the test fill.
Immersion vibrators with minimum 80 mm diameter will be used.

After the removal of formwork, the surface of formed RCC will be checked for
honeycomb.

During execution of test fill, different conditions that may be prevailed when
placing RCC on dams such as cold joints, rain showers (artificial rain on part of the
layer under construction) and the use of protection devices intended to be used
on the prototype, hot and warm joints, joint treatment by green cut, bedding
mortar and by bedding grout, etc. should be planed and experienced.

Partial joint by formwork and complete contraction joint by joint cutting will be
tested. PVC and copper waterstops will be placed on contraction joints and tested.
A weld of the copper waterstop and the PVC will be included in the program. A
hole with diameter 1m will be formed at the downstream of one upstream
contraction joint and after the completion of RCC placement of the test fill, will be
filled with water to check the impermeability of the joint and waterstops as well
as RCC lifts. After taking RCC samples by coring, the reduced pressure, long term
Lugeon test will be carried out to evaluate the watertightness of lift joints at
different locations and types of joints (hot, warm or cold joint with or without
bedding mortar).

Compaction of RCC by vibrating Rollers, measurement of lift thickness after

compaction and in-situ and laboratory density measurement will be carried out.

To evaluate the development of compressive strength of RCC, Maturity sensors

will be embedded in the test fill. A series of tests will be done in the site
laboratory according to the ASTM C1074-11.

To measure the temperature rise in the RCC, thermocouples will be embedded in

designated points of the fill.
Laboratory specimen will be prepared from different mixes used for construction
of test panel for compressive and tensile strength at ages of 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56 and
90 days. One week after the completion of construction of RCC test panel, 150
mm diameter coring will be extracted and cut in lengths of more than 300 mm
and will be cured in the humid curing room in the Laboratory for same tests
mentioned above for the ages 28, 56 and 90 days to compare with specimen
made from the fresh RCC.

A comprehensive report with results of construction and tests and photographs of

all events will be prepared.