Can ordinary vibrated concrete and self-consolidating concrete be treated in the same way concerning pumpability?

Pumping of concrete is one of the most applied construction methods, due to its easiness of application and the high construction rate. For ordinary vibrated concrete (OVC), a set of theoretical and practical studies has been performed and provides guidelines to improve the concrete pumping performance. With the introduction of Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC) on the market, the pumping process did not change, but can the same rules for OVC be applied on SCC? This paper compares the results of full-scale pumping tests on SCC with literature results for OVC. It is shown that the velocity profiles are different for OVC and SCC, as SCC is also sheared in the pipes. Bends cause additional pressure losses which appear to be higher in case of SCC, but no final conclusion can be drawn due to the large scatter on the results. The air content increases and the air bubbles size decreases in case of SCC, which is completely opposite compared to OVC. The physical causes, pressure and shearing, causing this difference are explained and their consequences on the rheological properties of SCC are demonstrated