Underwater Anti-Wash Concrete

Although underwater concreting has been in usewashing action of water, and rarely separates
for a long time, development of the technique haseven when dropped under water
mainly proceeded in the areas of concrete placing* Its yield value is small and viscosity high, so the
method and improvements to the constructionconcrete components never segregate and it
machinery. The prepacked concrete method,displays high fluidity.
tremie method, concrete pump method, and* As a result of the high fluidity, filling property
others are now the representative underwaterand self-leveling ability are improved.
concreting methods. With all these concreting* Almost no bleeding occurs.
methods, the essential aim of technologicalThese qualities are taken full advantage of in
development has been to improve how thework which would be difficult to handle using
concrete is placed and to minimize contactconventional underwater concrete. This includes
between the water and mortar so as to preventwork where high reliability is required, work in
the concrete from segregating under water.flowing water, work where water turbidity is
On the other hand, anti-washout underwaterrestricted due to environmental considerations,
concrete is quite different in concept from theand work where construction stretches over a
methods mentioned above; the development inconsiderable area and good flatness is necessary.
this case was improved performance of the freshOn the other hand, however, handling is more
concrete. That is, the viscosity of the concretedifficult than with ordinary concrete, and in order
was increased and its resistance to segregationto produce concrete of the required quality and a
under the washing action of water was enhancedstructure of the required performance, careful
by mixing an anti-washout admixture with theconsideration of mix proportion, mixing, transport,
concrete. The effect of this is not only to greatlyand placing, etc. is necessary when anti-washout
improve the reliability of Concrete placedunderwater concrete is used.
underwater, but it also has remarkable effects onIn particular, when producing the underwater
environmental preservation in the constructionanti-wash concrete it is necessary to mix it for
area. In addition, the earlier tremie and concretelonger than ordinary concrete in a mixer large
pump placing methods can be adopted forenough to uniformly disperse the anti-washout
construction.admixture. Also, when using concrete pumps for
The specific advantages of anti-washoutplacement, it is necessary to design a pumping
underwater concrete include the following:plan with care as regards pumping equipment,
* Compared with ordinary concrete, anti-washoutpumping distance, etc., because the pumping
underwater concrete is highly resistant to theresistance is increased by the higher viscosity.