378
Self-compacting high performance
concrete
H Okamura* and M Ouchit
*University of Tokyo, Japan
Kochi University of Technology,Japan
Summary
Self-compactingconcrete was first developed in
I988 in order to achieve durable concrete
structures. Since then, various investigations have
been carried out and the concrete has been used in
practical structures, mainly by large construction
Progress in Structural Engineeringand Materials I998 Vol I(4): 378-383
Development of self-compacting concrete
PURPOSE
OF DEVELOPMENT
For several years beginning in 1983, the problem of the
durability of concrete structures was a major topic of
interest in Japan. Sufficient compaction by skilled
workers is required in order to realize durable
concrete structures. However, the gradual reduction
in the number of skilled workers in Japan’s
construction industry has led to a similar reduction in
the quality of construction work. One solution for the
achievement of durable concrete structures
independent of the quality of construction work is the
employment of self-compacting concrete, which can
be compacted into every corner of a formwork, purely
by means of its own weight and without the need for
vibrating compaction. The necessity for this type of
concrete was proposed by the author, Hajime
Okamura, in 1986. Studies to develop self-compacting
concrete, including a fundamental study on the
workability of concrete, have been carried out by
Ozawa & Maekawa at the University of Tokyor7**1.
The prototype of self-compacting concrete was first
completed in 1988using materials already on the
market. The prototype performed satisfactorily with
regard to drying and hardening shrinkage, heat of
hydration, denseness after hardening, and other
propertiesrii. This concrete was named high
pe@rmance concrefeand was defined as follows at the
three stages of concrete.
0 Fresh: self-compactable
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companies. Investigations for establishinga rational
mix-designmethod and self-compactabilitytesting
methods have been carried out from the viewpoint
of making it a standard concrete.
0 Early age: avoidance of initial defects
0 Hardened: protection against external factors
At almost the same time, high pelformance concrete was
defined as a concrete with high durability due to low
water-cement ratio by Aitcin et a l ~Since
. then, the
term high performance concrete has been used around
the world to refer to high durability concrete.
Therefore, we have changed the term for our proposed
concrete to self-compacfinghigh pe@rmance concrete.
METHODS
FOR ACHIEVING SELF-COMPACTABILITY
The method for achieving self-compactability
involves not only high deformability of paste or
mortar, but also resistance to segregation between
coarse aggregate and mortar when the concrete flows
through the confined zone of reinforcing bars.
Okamura & Ozawa have employed the following
methods to achieve self-compactabilityr41:
0 limited aggregate content,
0 low water-powder ratio,
0 use of superplasticizer.
The frequency of collision and contact between
aggregate particles can increase as the relative
distance between the particles decreases and then
internal stress can increase when concrete is
deformed, particularly near obstacles. It has been
revealed that the energy required for flowing is
consumed by the increased internal stress, resulting in
blockage of aggregate particles. Limiting the coarse
aggregate content, whose energy consumption is

particularly intense, to a level lower than normal
proportions is effective in avoiding this kind of
blockage.
Highly viscous paste is also required to avoid the
blockage of coarse aggregate when concrete flows
through obstacles. When concrete is deformed, paste
with a high viscosity also prevents localized increases
in the internal stress due to the approach of coarse
aggregate particles. High deformability can be
achieved only by the employment of a
superplasticizer, that keeps the water-powder ratio to
a very low value.
Spread of the concept of self-compacting
concrete
The first paper on self-compactingconcrete was
presented by Ozawa at the 2nd East-Asia and PacFc
Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction
(EASEC-2)in January 1989L14.The presentation by
Ozawa at the CANMET &ACI International Conference,
Istanbul, in May 1992accelerated the spread of the
concept of self-compactingconcrete round the
worldrsl.
After the ACI Workshop, Bangkok, in November
1994, on high-performance concrete hosted by
Professor Paul Zia, self-compactingconcrete became a
common point of interest for researchers and
engineers worldwide who were interested in the
durability of concrete and in rational construction
systems141. In addition, the author’s (Hajime
Okamura) 1996Ferguson Lecture at the ACI Fall
Convention, New Orleans, made self-compacting
concrete a focus for researchers and engineers in
North Americar7**1. As a result, worldwide research
activities have started; as an example, investigations
in Canada are now being carried out by Aictin et al. In
January 1997, RILEM’s committee on self-compacting
concrete was founded. Looking to the future, the first
workshop on self-compacting concrete is to be held in
Kochi, Japan, in August 19981311.
Application by large construction
companies
After the development of the prototype of self-
compacting concrete, intensive research was begun in
many places, especially in the research institutes of
large construction companies. As a result, self-
compacting concrete has been used in many practical
structures. The first application of self-compacting
concrete was in the towers of a prestressed concrete
cable-stayed bridge in 19911~*1.Lightweight self-
compacting concrete was then used in the main girder
of a cable-stayed bridge in 1992~91. Since then, the use
of self-compactingconcrete in actual structures has
gradually increased. Currently, the main reasons for
the employment of self-compacting concrete can be
summarized as follows:
SELF-COMPACTINGHIGH PERFORMANCECONCRETE 379
0 to shorten the construction period,
0 to ensure compaction in the structure, especially in
confined zones where compaction by vibration is
difficult,
0 to eliminate noise due to vibration, effective
especially at concrete products plants.
LARGE-SCALECONSTRUCTION
Self-compactingconcrete is currently being employed
in a variety of practical structures in order to shorten
the construction period of large-scale structures.
The Akashi-Kaikyo (Straits) Bridge, Kobe, Japan,
opened in April 1998, a suspension bridge with the
longest suspension in the world (1991m), is a typical
examplers,io*i.Self-compactingconcrete was used in
the construction of the two anchorages of the bridge.
A new construction system, which makes full use of
the performance of self-compacting concrete, was
introduced for this construction.
The concrete was mixed at the batcher plant beside
the site, and was then pumped out of the plant. It was
transported 200 m through pipes to the actual casting
site. At the casting site, the pipes were arranged in
rows, 3-5 m apart. The concrete was cast from gate
valves located at regular 5 m intervals along the pipes.
These valves were controlled automatically so that a
level surface of the cast concrete could be maintained.
The maximum size of the coarse aggregate in the self-
compacting concrete used at this site was 40 mm.
Although the concrete fell as much as 3 m, segregation
did not occur, despite the large size of the coarse
aggregate. In the final analysis, the use of self-
compacting concrete shortened the anchorage
construction period by 20%, from 2.5 to 2 years.
Self-compactinghigh-performance concrete was
also used for the wall of a large LNG tank belonging to
the Osaka Gas Companyo**,ii*i. Here, adoption of self-
compacting concrete means that:
0 the number of castings decreased from 14 to 10, as
the height of each concrete pour could be increased,
0 the number of concrete workers could be reduced
from 150 to 50,
0 the construction period for the structure will
decreased from 22 months to 18 months.
In addition, a rational method for acceptance testing
for self-compactability at the job-site was developed.
Casting of the concrete was completed in June 1998.
NEW
CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM
By employing self-compacting concrete, the cost of
vibration can be saved and compaction of the concrete
in the structure can be assured. However, the total cost
for the construction cannot always be reduced, except
for large-scale structures. This is because the
conventional construction systems assume that
vibration is necessary in order to compact concrete.
Self-compactingconcrete can greatly improve
construction systems previously based on
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conventional concrete requiring vibration. This sort of
compaction, which can easily cause segregation, has
been an obstacle to the quality of construction work.
Once this obstacle has been removed, the quality of
concrete construction can be improved and a new
construction system, including formwork,
reinforcement, support and structural design, can be
developed. One example of such a system is the so-
called sandwich-structure, where concrete is placed
inside a steel shell. This sort of structure, part of which
has already been completed in Kobe, could not have
been achieved without the development of self-
compacting concrete17**1.
SEGREGATION-INHIBITING
AGENT
It has been found that it is possible to manufacture
self-compactingconcrete with constant quality,
especially self-compactability. However, any slight
variation in material characteristics can affect the self-
compactability. The most influential variant is the
water content of the fine aggregate for which
variations result in variations in the water content of
the concrete itself. To solve this problem, some general
construction companies employ a segregation-
inhibiting agent. This type of agent is effective in
making self-compactabilityless sensitive to variations
in the water content of the concrete. Various agents
have been proposed and are available in
Japanw-211.
Current research activities:
self-compacting concrete as a
standard concrete
CURRENT STATUS OF SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE
Currently, self-compactingconcrete is used as a
'special concrete' only by large general construction
companies in Japan. The reasons for this can be
summarized as follows.
0 Self-compactability is a completely new concept
and a rational method for evaluation of this
property has not been established.
0 Self-compactability can be affected significantly by
the characteristics of the materials and a rational
mix-design method has not yet been established.
0 Variations in material characteristics, especially in
the water content of the fine aggregate, can affect
self-compactability,and may cause instability of
self-compactabilityduring manufacture.
0 More labor is required than for conventional
concretes for checking self-compactabilitybefore
casting. Further self-compactabilitymust be
checked for all the concretebecause compensation
for insufficient self-compactabilitycannot be
achieved during construction.
0 Savings from eliminating the costs of vibration
cannot always compensate for rises in material
costs and thus the total cost of construction cannot
always be reduced except for large-scale structures.
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In order for self-compactingconcrete to be used as a
standard concrete, rather than a special one, new
systems for the design, manufacturing and
construction of self-compactingconcrete need to be
established. Among them, a system by which the
ready-mix concrete industry can produce self-
compacting concrete as a normal concretewould seem
the most effective since, in Japan, as much as 70% of
concrete is produced by the ready-mix concrete
industry. Assuming general supply from ready-mix
concrete plants, investigations to establish the
following items have been carried out mainly at the
University of Tokyo since the development of the
prototype (Fig. 1):
(1) self-compactability testing method,
(2) mix-design method,
(3) acceptance testing method at job site.
The national ready-mix concrete industry association
of Japan established in 1997a committee to prepare a
manual on the production and use of self-compacting
concrete, under the chairmanship of Kazumasa
Ozawa. The results of the investigations described in
the foregoing have been incorporated into the manual,
which was issued in 1998~11.
SELF-COMPACTABILITY TESTING METHODS
Among the many testing methods proposed for
evaluating self-compactability, the U-type test
proposed by the Taisei group seems, at this stage, to be
the most appropriate (Fig. 2)[23**1.In this test, the
degree of compactability can be indicated by the
height that the concrete reaches after flowing through
an obstacle. Concrete with a height of over 300 mm
can be judged as self-compacting.
This test is effective only in judging whether or not
the concrete has sufficient self-compactability.If the
concrete does not have sufficient self-compactability,
the cause has to be detected quantitatively so that mix-
proportions can be adjusted. Slump-flow and funnel
Manufacturing Construction
Simple specifications New construction
testing method (I)
self-compacting
Mix-design method
facility (2)
By construalon
By mady-mix
concreteIndustry
Acceptance testing method (3)
Fig. I New systems for manufacturingand construction of
self-compactingconcrete

center gate
Fig. 2 U-test
tests have been proposed for testing the deformability
and viscosity, respectivelyt24*1.
MIX-DESIGN
METHOD
Self-compactabilitycan be affected significantly by
the characteristics of the materials and the mix-
proportions. A rational mix-design method for self-
compacting concrete using a variety of materials is
necessary. Okamura & Ozawa have proposed a simple
mix-proportioning system for the general supply of
the concrete from ready-mix concrete plantsas**i(see
box, below). The coarse and fine aggregate contents
are fixed so that self-compactabilitycan be achieved
easily by adjusting the water-powder ratio and
superplasticizer dosage only.
In the mix-proportioning of conventional concrete,
the water-powder ratio is fixed first with the objective
of obtaining the required strength. With self-
compacting concrete, however, the water-powder
ratio has to be fixed by taking into account self-
compactability because self-compactabilityis very
sensitive to the powder character. This consideration
can result in a variable water-powder ratio. In most
cases, strength does not have to be taken into account
when the water-powder ratio is fixed because the
water-cement ratio itself is too small (around 30%by
weight) and self-compacting concrete has sufficient
strength for ordinary structures1261.The mortar or
paste in self-compacting concrete requires high
viscosity as well as high deformability. This result can
A simple mix-proportioningsystem for self-compacting
concrete supplied by ready-mix concrete plant[zs]
Coarse aggregate content in the concrete is fixed at 50%
ofthe solid volume.
Fine aggregate content i s fixed at 40% of the mortar
volume.
Water-powder ratio by volume is assumed to be
between 0.9 and I .O, depending on the properties of the
powder.
Superplasticizer dosage and the final water-powder
ratio are determined so as to ensure self-
compactability.
SELF-COMPACTING
HIGH PERFORMANCECONCRETE 38 I
be achieved by the employment of a superplasticizer,
which results in a low water-powder ratio and high
deformability.
ADJUSTMENT
OF WATER-POWDER RATIO AND
SUPERPLASTICIZER DOSAGE
The powder and superplasticizer characteristics
significantly affect the properties of the mortar.
Consequently, the proper water-powder ratio and
superplasticizer dosage cannot be fixed without trial
mixing at this stage. Therefore, once the mix-
proportions are fixed, self-compactabilityhas to be
tested by U-test, slump-flow and funnel tests.
Methods are necessary for judging whether the
water-powder ratio or superplasticizer dosage are
larger or smaller than the proper values by using test
results or by estimating the proper values. The
relationships between the properties of the mortar in
self-compacting concrete and the mix-proportions
have been investigated and then formulated by
Okamura & Ouchii27*,281.These formulas can be used
to establish a rational method for adjusting the
water-powder ratio and superplasticizer dosage in
order to achieve appropriate deformability and
viscosity.
ACCEPTANCE
TEST AT JOB SITE
Since the degree of compaction in a structure mainly
depends on the self-compactability of the concrete
and compensation for poor self-compactabilitycannot
be made during the construction work, self-
compactability must be checked for all concrete
immediately before casting at the job site. However,
conventional test methods for self-compactability
require sampling and this can be extremely laborious
if a self-compactability acceptance test is to be made
for all the concrete. A suitable acceptance test method
for self-compactabilityhas been developed by
Ouchi et a l p ] :
0 The testing apparatus is installed between agitator
truck and pump at the job site. All the concrete is
poured into the apparatus.
0 If the concrete flows through the apparatus, the
concrete is considered as self-compactable for the
structure. If the concrete is stopped by the
apparatus, the concrete is considered as having
insufficient self-compactability and the mix-
proportions have to be adjusted.
This apparatus was successfu~lyused at the
construction site of the Osaka Gas LNG tank, and
saved a considerable amount of acceptance test work
(Fig. 3).
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Fig. 3 A suitable acceptance test method for self-compactability:
installedbetweenagitator truck (right) and pump (left)
Conclusions
Since both a rational mix-designmethod and an
appropriate test method for acceptanceat the job site
have effectively been established for self-compacting
concrete, the main obstacles to making self-
compacting concrete widely available for use have
been solved. When self-compactingconcretebecomes
so widely used that it will be seen as the ‘standard
concrete’rather than as a ’specialconcrete’,then the
concrete industry will have succeeded in creating
durable and reliable concretestructuresthat require
very little maintenancework.
References and recommended reading
Papers of particular Interest have been marked
* Special Interest
** Exceptional interest
History ofdevelopment ond mechanism ofself<ompactability
* [I] Ozawa K, Maekawa K, Kunlshlma M & Okamura H. Development
of high performanceconcrete based on the durability design of concrete structures.
Proceedings 2nd Eost-Asioond PocificConference on Structurol Engineeringond
Construction(EASEC-2), Chiang-Mai. Thailand, January 1989. Vol I . 445-450.
The first paper on self-compactingconcrete.
[Z] Gagne R, Pigeon M & Altcln PC. Deicer salt scaling resistance of high
performanceconcrete. Paul Klieger Symposium on Performance of Concrete,
November 1989.ACI Report SP-122. Detroit, MI: American Concrete Institute.
[3] Ozawa K, Tagtermslrlkul S & Maekawa K. Role of materialson the
filling capacity of fresh concrete. Proceedings4th CANMET& ACI lnternotionol
Conference on Fly Ash, Silico Fume, Slog ond Notuml hzzobns in Concrete, Istanbul, May
1992.121-137.
[4] Okamura H & Orawa K. Self-compactablehigh-performance concrete
in Japan, November 1994. ACI Report SP-169. Detroit, MI: American Concrete
institute. 3 1-44.
[S] Okamura H, Ozawa K & Ouch1 M. Self-compactinghigh performance
concrete. Proceedings 5th Eost-Asioond Pocific Conference on StrucwrolEngineeringond
Construction(EASEC-5).July 1995. Vol3.238 1-2388.
[6] Okamura H & Orawa K. Self-compactinghigh performanceconcrete.
Structuml Engineeringlnternotionol I 9 9 6 6(4): 269- 170.
** [7] Okamura H. Ferguson lecture for I996 self-compacting high-
performanceconcrete. Concretelnternotionol 1997 I9(7): 50-54.
History of development, current condition and future of self-compactlng
concrete.
@CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH COnMUNlCATlONSLIMITED I998 lSN 1365-0556
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Applications to procticalstructures
* [El SakamotoJ, MatsuokaY, Shlndoh T & Tangtermrlrikul S. An
application of super workable concrete to construction of actual structures.
Tmnsoctionsofthefopon Concrete Institute I99 I : 13: 4 1-48.
The first report on appllcatlon of self-compactingconcrete to a practical
structure.
[9] Ohno H, Kawall, KurodaY & Ozawa K. Developmentofvibration-
free high strength lightweightconcrete and its application. Proceedings FIP
Symposium, Kyoto, 1993. Vol I. 297-304.
* [101 Tanaka K, Sato K, Watanabe S e t al. Developmentand utilization of
high performanceconcrete employed in the Akashl Kalkyo Bridge.ACI Report SP-
140. Detroit, MI: American Concrete Institute. 1993.25-5 I .
The first application of self-compactingconcrete to a large-scale
construction.
* [I I] Kltamura H. Ukall K & Okamura H. improvementof ductility and
liquid-tightness of prestressed concrete for LNG containment In: Concrete for
infmstructure ondutilities. London: E & FN Spon. 1996.469-479.
Application of self-compactingconcrete to LNG tank
[I 23 NakajlmaY. Maklno H, Ozawa K & Ono Y. Practical experiment of
high performanceconcrete with two bindingcomponents. lntemotionol Conference
on the Concreteofthe Future, Kuala Lumpur, 1992.
[131 TangtermslrlkulS, Sakamoto J, Shlndoh T & MatsuokaY.
Developmentof superworkableconcrete. 4th CANMETIACIlntemotionolConfi.rrnce
on Fly Ash, Silico Fume, Slog ond Noturolmzzolonsin Conme, Istanbul, May 1992.
[141 Kumlwa S, Matsuoka Y, Hayakawa M & Shlndoh T. Application of
super workable concrete to construction of a 20-story building.ACI Report SP-140.
Detroit, MI: American Concrete Institute. 1993.
[I 51 Mlura N. Akeda N. Chlkamatsu R & Sogo S. Application of super
workable concrete to reinforced concrete structures with difficult construction
conditions.ACI Report SP-140. Detroit, MI: American Concrete Institute. 1993.
[IS] Hayakawa M. MatsuokaY & Yokota K. Application of superworkable
concrete in the construction of 70-story buildingin Japan.ACI Report SP-154.
Detroit, MI: American Concrete Institute. 1995.
Segregotian-inhibithg agent and ocher materiok
[171 Kawal T & Okada 1.Effect of superplasticizer and viscosity-Increasing
admixture on properties of lightweightaggregateconcrete. 3rd CANMETIACI
lnternotionolConferenceon Superplosticizersand other ChemicolAdmixturein Concrete.
ACl Report SP-119. Detroit, MI: American Concrete Institute. 1989.583604.
[In] Shlndoh T, MatsuokaY, Angtermslrlkul S & Sakamoto J. Effect of
variation of material quallty on properties of super workable concrete. Tronsoa’om
ofthelopon ConcreteInstitute I 9 9 2 14.
[191 Kawal T. Chemlcal admixture for highly flowable concretes. In: lntegroted
design ondenvironmentalissuesin concretetechnology. London: E & FN Spon. 1996.
29 1-302.
[20] Sakata N, Maruyama K & Mlnaml M. Basic properties and effects of
welan gum on self-consolidationconcrete. In: Productionmethods and workobilifyof
concrete. London: E & FN Spon. 1996.
[2 I] MatsuokaY, Shlndoh T, Yokota K & Kurul S. Property of beta- I ,3-
gurcan (curdlan) as a viscosity agent for super-workable concrete.ACI Report SP-
173. Detroit, MI: American Concrete Institute. 1997.
[22] Fujlwara H, NagataklS. Otsukl N & Endo H. Study on reducing unit
powder content of high-fluidity concrete by controlling powder particlessize
distributlon. ConcreteUbmry lnternotionolofJopon Society ofEngineering. 1996.
Selftompactability test methods
** [23] Hayakawa M, MatsuokaY & Shlndoh T. Developmentand
application of super workable concrete. R I M lnternotionolWorkshop on Speciol
Concretes: Mrkobility ond Mixing, Paisley, 1993.
Description of the U-test.
* [24] Ozawa K, Sakata N & Okamura H. Evaluationof self-compactability
of fresh concrete using the funnel test Concrete libmry lnternotionoloflopon Society of
Civil Engineering, No 25. 1995.59-75.
Description of the funnel test.
Mixdesign methods
** [25] Okamura H & Ozawa K. Mix-designfor self-compactingconcrete.
ConcreteLibrory offopon SocietyofCivii Engineering, No 25,June I995.107- I20.
Concept of a rational mix-design method.

[26] Ouch1 M, Hibino M & O k a m u r a W. Effect of superplasticizeron self-
compactabilityof fresh concrete. TRB Record, No 1574. : Transportation Research
Board. 1997.37-40.
* [27] Ouchi M, HibinoM, Ozawa K & O k a m u r a H. A rational mix-design
method for mortar in self-compacting concrete. Proceedings6th East-AsioPocific
Conferenceon Structural Engineeringond Construction (EASECd), January 1998. Vol2.
1307-13 12.
A rational method for adjustingwater-powder ratio and superplasticizer
dosage.
SELF-COMPACTING
HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE 383
[29] Edamatsu Y, Shirnokawa K & Okamura H. Effect of powder
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[30] Zia P (ed). High performance concrete. ACI Report SP-169. Detroit, MI:
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[28] Shirnornura T & Uno Y. Study on properties of hardened high-

performanceconcrete stripped a t an early age. ConcreteLibmry bternotionoloflopon
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Hajime Okamura Dr of Eng

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo,
Tokyo, I 13-8656Japan
Masahiro Ouchi Dr of Eng
Assistant Professor, Department of infrastructureSystems
Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi,
782-8502japan
E-mail: m-ouchi@infra.kochi-tech.ac.jp

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