Investigation of the Efficiency of Ultra High Range Water Reducing Admixture in Roller Compacted Concrete Production

In this study, roller compacted concretes were produced by using polycarboxylate-based third generation high-performance mortar and concrete admixture, which provides ultra-high range water reduction and long workability time. In roller compacted concrete production, the chemical admixture dosage was 1%, which was the maximum dosage recommended by the manufacturer, and the amount of water used was reduced by 10, 20, 30 and 40% compared to the concrete produced without the use of concrete admixture. The physical and mechanical properties of the roller compacted concrete specimens were investigated. When the ultra-high range water reducer was used as 1% of the cement weight in the production of roller compacted concrete, optimum values in terms of unit weight, compressive strength, water absorption, ultrasonic pulse velocity and dynamic modulus of elasticity were obtained by reducing the mixing water by 10%. Although the water/cement ratio decreased, further reduction in water amount resulted in a decrease in compressive strength and affected the concrete quality negatively.