Tremie concrete for bridge piers and other massive underwater placements

The placement of mass concrete under water using a tremie was studied. Areas investigated include: (1) mixture design of tremie concrete including the use of pozzolanic replacement of portions of the cement; (2) flow patterns and flow related characteristics of tremie placed concrete; (3) heat development and associated cracking problems for tremie concrete; (4) prediction of temperatures in massive tremie concrete placements; and (5) quality of tremie placed concrete. The tremie placement of a massive cofferdam seal for a pier of a major bridge and the tremie placement of a deep cutoff wall through an existing earthfill dam are examined. A recommended practice and a guide specification for massive tremie placements are provided. Basic principles of tremie placement, concrete materials and mixture design, temperature considerations, placement equipment, preplacement planning, placement procedures, and postplacement evaluation are outlined.