Pilot Study on Vibrated Rock-filled Concrete

Abstract

This exploratory study investigated a new type of rock-filled concrete (RFC) named vibrated rock-filled concrete (VRFC). Different from the self-compacting concrete (SCC) used in traditional type of RFC, VRFC was built with ordinary pumping concrete (OPC) with the help of external vibration. The application of OPC further reduced the cement dosage and hydration heat of RFC, making it more widely applicable and environment-friendly without cost increase. It was proved that the fluidity of OPC could be significantly improved by external vibration, and the relationship between the flowing process and the mix proportion of OPC was also analyzed in the laboratory experiment. After verifying the feasibility of filling the rock voids with OPC in the laboratory, more than 700 m³ VRFC was constructed in the on-site experiment with roller compactors as the vibration source. Panoramic borehole color TV system and ultrasonic testing method were used to evaluate the quality of VRFC, and the influences of different parameters on the compactness as well as mechanical performance of VRFC were also analyzed.