Effect of coarse aggregate size and grouting process on properties of preplaced aggregate concrete

Abstract

Preplaced aggregate concrete (PAC) is produced by first pre-placing the coarse aggregates and then injecting a grout to fill in the voids between the aggregates. This study aims to investigate the effects of coarse aggregate size and grouting process on PAC through experimental study. The effect of flowability and compressive strength of grout is explored. A suitable grout mix is then selected to investigate the effect of different coarse aggregate sizes i.e. 14 mm, 20 mm, 37 mm and 45 mm on the properties of PAC. Effect on PAC using two different grouting processes, namely pumping process and gravity process is investigated. Pumping the grout into preplaced aggregates resulted in lesser void ratio and higher compressive strength. Using 20 mm size aggregates for production of PAC is recommended to achieve higher compressive strength and better resistance to chloride ion penetration.