MEYCO Underground Construction Sprayed Concrete - Basics June 3" 2010 - Budapest, Hungary Lars Hage Technical Manager — Sprayed Concrete MEYCO Global Underground Construction= Sprayed concrete was invented in 1907, and is today widely used for rock support world wide, both in mining and tunneling. = For a long time dry mix application was the only way of applying sprayed concrete, but in the late seventies the wet mix method was introduced. = The development in sprayed concrete has a long way since 1907, both in terms of equipment and concrete technology. Especially since the wet mix method started to get implemented, large technology steps have taken place.The rotor princi dry-spraying mac! = In the dry mix method, a premix of sand and cement is fed into the hopper of a machine that with the help of compressed air Feeding hopper convey the mix through the hose to the nozzle where water is added. Compressed air —> Rotor: Rotor Outlet Zz« For the wet mix method, aggregate, cement, water and admixture are premixed in a concrete plant. ® Application of wet mix Sprayed Concrete is mainly performed by the use of piston pumps, that convey the concrete through the hosing system, and at the nozzle a set accelerator and air is added. = The main benefit with the wet mix method versus the dry is; improved quality, less dust/improved working environment, less rebound, higher capacity and improved safety. ‘Accelerator ——» Compressed air| Wetmix Cement CEM | 480 kg/m?| Cement CEMIIA-LL 450 kg/m? Sand 0/4mm_ 1'200 kg/m’ Sand 0/4mm_ 1'200 kg/m 600 kg/m? Water added at the nozzle | Water 200 kg/m$ Plasticizer 6 kg/m? Retarder 2 kg/m$ Aggregates 4/8mm 600kg/m$ Aggregates 4/8 mmEN 197 EN 206 EN 1008 EN 934-2 EN 934-6 Cement Composition, specifications and conformity criteria Concrete Performance, production, placing and compliance criteria Mixing water for concrete Admixtures for concrete, mortars and grouts Part 2: Concrete admixtures Admixtures for concrete, mortars and grouts Part 6: Sampling, quality control, evaluation of conformity and marking and labeling MEYCO.EN 934-5 EN 14487- 1 EN 14487- 2 EN 14488- 1 EN 14488- 2 Admixtures for concrete, mortars and grouts Part 5: Sprayed concrete admixtures Sprayed concrete Part 1: Definitions, specifications and conformity Sprayed concrete Part 2: Execution Testing sprayed concrete Part 1: Sampling fresh and hardened concrete Testing sprayed concrete Part 2: Compressive strength of young sprayed concrete MEYCO.EN 14488- 3 EN 14487- 4 EN 14487-5 EN 14487-6 Testing sprayed concrete Part 3: Flexural strength (first peak, ultimate and residual) of fibre reinforced beam specimens Testing sprayed concrete Part 4: Bond strength of cores by direct tension Testing sprayed concrete Part 5: Determination of energy absorption capacity of fibre reinforced slab specimens Testing sprayed concrete Part 6: Thickness of concrete on a substrate MEYCO.EN 14487-7 Testing sprayed concrete Part 7: Fibre content of fibre reinforced concrete EN 14889-1 Fibers for concrete Part 1: Steel fibers EN 14889-2 Fibers for concrete Part 2: Polymer fibers= CEM | is hard to find while a few years ago it was quite common. = CEM II and ||| are most popular now but they are not as reactive. = The replacement of cement with limestone, fly ash, silica fume and slag do not react with set accelerators and plasticizers. = It's more difficult to achieve the required high early strengths for the accelerator and plasticizer. MEYCO= Water demand = Workability = Rebound = Durability = Shrinkage= w/c — ratio is critical to: = Early setting and strength development = Long term strength = Long term durability — resistance to chemical attack. «w/c — ratio should be less then 0.50, preferably be around 0.45 = The use of high performance super plasticizers is recommended. a8 toa Fnal Set (Mn) loti Final Set Min} Pease | + ow 0 08= Low water - cement ratio > 0.45 «= High early and long term sprayed concrete strengths = Pump able concrete mixes = Durability enhancement = Low dosage - cost effective« Are usually added to sprayed concrete in order to maintain workability and extend the open time during transportation and application without reducing concrete quality. = They can maintain workability, without influencing the hydration, from a few hours to three days depending on dosage rate . = To reactivate and neutralize the hydration control effect, a sprayed concrete set accelerator is added during spraying. = Hydration control admixtures have no negative influence on the accelerator dosage = The concrete mix can be reactivated at any time with the same accelerator dosage rate and with the same setting time, early and final strength developmentMEYCO® SA accelerators accelerate the process DELVO® CRETE Stabilisator MEYCO® SA accelerators controls hydration accelerate the process. ‘Manufacturing Delivery Intermediate storage Consumption. 3-72 hours= Are added to the concrete during the spraying to increase the stiffening rate, to produce a fast ser and get sufficient early strength development. « A fast setting concrete may be necessary to build up the lining at the required thickness and to ensure overhead security. = Four different types of accelerator are available: « Alkali-free accelerators = Aluminates = Waterglass (Silicates) = Modified silicates0 4 = Aluminates: high pH > 12 require particular care including personal protection against eye burns, skin burns and inhalation. = Waterglass: pH > 12, the alkali content (Na,O,qui) between 10 & 18%. " Modified silicates: pH < 11.5 and a low Na,O, 4, < 8.5% * Alkali-free: pH value between 2.5 and 8. The maximum Na,O, yi, of the accelerator is limited to 1.0% by mass. MEYCOSilicates = Faster setting = Faster strength developments = Reduced loss of final strength = Reduced permeability = Better durability = Reduced risk for AAR = Better working environment and improved safety (less dust) = Environment friendly Aluminates = Less sensitive to cements = Dramatic reduction in loss of final strength = Better durability = Reduced risk for AAR = Better working environment and improved safety = Reduced permeability = Environment friendlyAlkali-free accelerators Human and structure friendly :‘Cement Phase Hydration Product Reaction Rate Contribution to Set Contribution to Strength [' 26,8 + 7H CiSiH, + CH slow low Low nitaly igh later CAS,Hyy +2004 > 3C,ASH,, CAF +20H<14H CAAFIMs + (AFH, moderate Moderate _Low ‘1H. F.W. Taylor. Cement Chemistry London: Academic Press (1897), 113 The mechanism by which set accelerators achieve their effect is main fold : : ‘The increased dissolution of the clinker phases by the addition of set accelerators (pH < 3) benefits the quick setting. : ‘The components of these accelerators promote the pret early stage. : ‘A rapid but non usual precipitation of C-S-H around the cement grains which enhances the early cohesion among the grains and other hydrates occurs. However, it has the strongly drawback to slow down the further dissolution of the anhydrous phases. tation of ettringite prisms at a veryThe fast setting caused by the addition ofthe set accelerator is related to a strengthened need ‘on calcium ions in order to form a large amount of hydration products like ettringite, C-S-H.... It has been found that in the systems where the [Ca] in the pore solution is low the growth of C- $-His slowed down resulting ina poor strength development = _ ° " ‘The Ca ion concentration at times <3 his the key factor to contral the strength 431 conte 8H MONE Dow an onnton development in accelerated systems because = = the anisotropic growth rates of C-S-H are == controlled by the Ca ion concentration. o F432 Conta ct ae pi. Caan anemia on sone ‘Al,0,/SO, ratio as well as the total amount of Al,O, in the set accelerators influence the [Ca’*] with respect to the precipitation of secondary gypsum which can redeliver Ca into the pore solution (in the case of MEYCO® SA160), and with respect to the formation of ettringite (in the case of MEYCO® A180) which fixes CaNozzle techniques have a marked effect on durability Nozzle BIC Ulery* Air and accelerator introduction * Air volume * Air pressure Air and accelerator hose Concrete hose Air hose Air and accelerator hose Accelerator hose= Pulsation is mainly caused be either one or a combination of the following two factors: = Low workability (low slump) of the concrete to be sprayed. = The design/functionality of the equipment. = Some misunderstandings have led people to believe that: = A low workability (low slump) concrete will require less accelerator = Have a positive effect in application of large total layer thickness = |s positive for setting, hardening and strength development MEYCO.This is not correct for the following reasons: = To have an accelerator homogeneously mixed into the concrete stream is very important but extremely difficult in a low workability concrete (slump < 16 cm). The lower the workability is, the harder it is to have the accelerator homogeneously distributed into the concrete stream. = Low workability leads to a reduced filling ratio of the concrete cylinders of the concrete pump. This creates pulsation in the concrete stream. = Standard concrete pumps are designed to pump conventional concrete. Generally they give significantly higher pulsation than pumps designed specifically for Sprayed Concrete. Low workability concrete dramatically reinforces this effect.| bow workability | (eceleraey Concrete Concrete output versus accelerator dosage SSN Meerator ConcretePulsation will result in = Sagging and slip off/drop outs of concrete during application. = Layering effect in the applied sprayed concrete. = Reduced durability due to the negative effect of the Sprayed Concrete from over-dosage of accelerator. = Reduced strength and safety, due to the entire thickness not acting as one uniform layer.= Slump below 15cm is hard to pump = Poor mixing efficiency of accelerator into stiff material = Overdosing of accelerator due to poor piston filling efficiency = High pulsation — layering effect = Viscosity of accelerator = The accelerator at the right temperature helps. Therefore the accelerator can heated a little but not boiled.« The terminology, early strength is mostly used for the strength developed from time of application until the first hour is reached. = This early strength is critical for the application, in terms of being able to build a Sprayed Concrete layer without sagging and drop outs >3 & 6 minutes. = But, there is a link between very early strength and strength development. = Too high early strength very often results in a lower strength development.= The early strength is most essential as mentioned for the application = Safe application without drop outs at an effective speed of application to the required thickness must be ensured = Temperature of concrete, ambient temperature as well as the temperature of the strata, and the applied thickness is a very important factor for initial and final set, as well as further strength development100 Special cases Excavation protection Slopes 100 1000Sprayed concrete Strength development = Continue with strength measurement > Hilti Equipment= The accelerators initially act as a slump killer, and immediately reduce the workability of the Sprayed Concrete to a zero slump. = The sprayed concrete is still in a plastic state at the time it reaches the substrate.= Mid term strength is mostly meant for the 7 days, but often civil projects can have a requirement for 3 days strength. = Final strength is mostly used for 28 days strength. = But with some of the alkali-free accelerators, one can see a continuous strength development also after 28 days, in comparison to a decrease in strength over time, as has been the fact with traditional accelerators like Silicate and Aluminate based accelerators.* WIC ratio to be controlled = No retarding admixtures = Good workability of the concrete to ensure a homogeneous mix of the accelerator into the concrete stream = Minimize pulsation with choose of correct engineered equipment, and good workable concrete that allow for a high filling ratio = Initial and final set to be balanced = Temperatures and applied thicknesses influence strength development = Control of strength development = Curing conditions/after treatment of the concrete is essential for strength development and durability MEYCO.