Roller Compacted Concrete

Introduction
Roller compacted concrete (RCC) is concrete compacted by roller compacted
machine
Used for construction of concrete dams and roads
The fresh concrete must support roller compacted machine
For effective compaction, The fresh concrete must be
 Dry enough to prevent sinking of roller machine
 Wet enough to permit adequate distribution of binder mortar in concrete
during mixing and compaction
Introduction

Compaction
 Characteristics
Cost: Depends on structure, RCC costs 25 to 50% Less (Avg 37% Less)
Rapid construction: For large projects, RCC dams can be finished 1 to 2
years earlier compared to NC.
Spillways: RCC dams offer attractive and cost-effective spillway in the
main structure of the dam
 Embankment dams  spillway constructed in abutment
 Cost
Cement: Lower, lean concrete is used
Formwork : Lower, layer placement method.
Pipe cooling: No need, low temperature rise
Transporting, placement, and compaction: Lower, dump trucks; spread
by bulldozers and compacted by vibratory rollers
Rate of equipment and labor: High, higher speeds of concrete placement
 Materials and mix proportions
Cement: No special cements, when used in mass concrete, use Type II or
IV Low heat cement
Admixtures: Use of large amount of mineral admixture to reduce both the
temperature and cost of concrete, and improve durability.
Fly ash most common used in dams. Slag and natural pozzolan are used
Air-entraining and water-reducer admixture are used in RCC that contain
higher volume of paste.
Set-retarder may used to extend time and reduce risk of cold joint
 RCC shows limited effect of chemical admixtures
 Materials and mix proportions
Aggregate: Usually Dmax  38 mm (1.5 in) may use up to 3 in = 75 mm
Size of CA affect degree of compaction in small layers
Effect is less in thick layers (when large vibratory rollers used)
Sand finer than 75 μm (No. 200)  more cohesive mix (reduce voids)
In many RCC dams, stress level is low 
 May use low quality aggregate in interior of dam 
 Assess long-term durability especially in cold climate
 Concrete Mix Proportion
Two main approach
First approach use principle of soil compaction to produce lean RCC,
optimum water content of concrete  maximum dry density.
Best compaction give the best strength, occur at most wet mix that support
the operating vibrating roller.
Protective impermeable face panels used upstream made from mass
concrete or precast
Second approach: normal concrete mix design with high-paste
 No protective, impermeable face is used upstream
 Concrete Mixture Proportion
Soil Compaction Normal Concrete
Mix proportion basis Optimum water content Good compaction
Maximum dry density Low w/c
Voids Not all voids, paste filled All voids, paste filled
Vebe time  45 s  45 s
Cement+Pozzolan < 120 kg/m3 > 120 kg/m3
Cohesion < 1.4 MPa > 1.4 MPa
 Laboratory Testing
RCC = zero-slump concrete with properties depend on mixture proportions
and quality of compaction
Concrete compacted in field using vibrating rollers
Casting dry concrete in lab need impact (dynamic) compaction, may use
modified Proctor test equipment
Select adequate compacting energy Too low sample may develop layers,
if too high aggregate may crushed
For RCC contain high amount of paste, test sample may prepared with
Vebe vibrating table
 Properties of RCC
Strength: RCC made according to NC approach, cement paste exceed
voids between aggregate, compressive strength follow w/c ratio by Abram’s
rule

RCC made according to soil compaction approach, cement paste does not
fill all voids between aggregate, Abram’s rule does not apply,
 Strength is function of moisture content
 Properties of RCC
Creep: Long-term deformation of RCC depend on amount and type of
aggregate, w/c ratio, age of loading, and duration of loading.
RCC with lower compressive strength and lower elastic modulus show high
creep,
Lean concrete with large amount of fines also shows high creep
RCC show higher creep than NC
 Properties of RCC
Thermal properties: Temperature rise of RCC similar to normal mass
concrete and depend on amount and type of cement used.
The specific heat, conductivity, and coefficient of thermal expansion are
function of type and amount of aggregate used in the mix
Specific heat: amount of heat per unit mass required to raise temperature
by one degree Celsius