No-slump Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) for use in mass concrete construction

The use of no-slump, roller-compacted concrete (RCC) in mass concrete construction was investigated. RCC is concrete having no slump but containing the minimum amount of water necessary to achieve consolidation with a vibrating roller. Tests were conducted to: (1) optimize mixtures for application of no-slump techniques, (2) develop a consistency and quality control technique, (3) determine methods of improving hardened lifts joints, (4) determine the relative frost resistance of RCC, (5) evaluate the erosion susceptibility, and (6) discover economical methods of obtaining void-free vertical surfaces. Indications are that: (1) the curb concrete is viable method of forming and containing RCC; (2) the degree of compaction achieved is dependent on the stiffness and the paste content of the mixture, the lift thickness, and the individual roller; (3) the tensile strength of the untreated joints increased with paste content and quality from approximately 25 percent for relatively lean RCC to approximately 50 percent for richer RCC; (4) erosion resistance at 35-ft/sec fluid velocity of RCC is good; (5) resistance to freezing and thawing of the RCC is poor, apparently due to a poor air void system; and (6) surface treatment with a mortar gun (shotcrete) appears to be a practical method to achieve smooth vertical surfaces.