Effects of specimen shape and size on the compressive strength of self-consolidating concrete (SCC)

The paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical study that examined the effect of specimen shape and size on the compressive strength of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). The study included casting specimens, cubes and cylinders, from three different SCC mixture proportions. Specimen size ranged between 50 and 150 mm for the cubes. The slenderness ratio for the cylinders ranged from 0.5 to 2.0. Slump flow, V-funnel, and L-box tests were used to characterize the fresh properties of the SCC. All specimens were tested in compression at 28 days. The results showed that the effect of specimen size became more of a factor as the slenderness ratio decreased. Specimens with a slenderness ratio of 2.0 or a lateral dimension of 100 mm were independent of concrete mixture proportion. There was little influence on compressive strength from the specimens’ cross sectional shape. A correlation study was conducted and models for predicting compressive strength based on specimen geometry were proposed.