2nd International Engineering Mechanics and Materials Specialty Conference

è
le 2 Congrès international de mécanique et des matériaux

Ottawa, Ontario
June 14-17, 2011 / 14 au 17 juin 2011

A 2-D Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Slump Flow and

L-Box Test on SCC Using ANSYS/FLUENT

1 2 3 3
M.H. Baluch , M.K. Rahman , F. Mukhtar and M.A. Malik
1
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
2
Research Engineer (Associate Professor), Research Institute
3
Research Assistant, Department of Civil Engineering,
King Fahd Univ. of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: A robust self compacting concrete (SCC) is characterized by its flowability, passing ability and
stability. Numerical simulation of SCC is a valuable tool, which can be used as a means to model and
predict concrete workability and to tailor its rheological properties. The simulation of SCC flow could be
used for obtaining optimum rheology of the mix to ensure its mobility and segregation resistance during
placement. This paper presents the results of numerical simulation of SCC flow using a 2-D
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework. The commercial CFD software ANSYS/FLUENT was
used to perform 2-D simulation of slump flow and L-box tests. The Herschel-Bulkley viscosity model is
used for modeling the behavior of fresh concrete. SCC mixes with silica fume as mineral additives was
simulated. A good correlation between the numerical simulation and the experimental results is obtained.

1. Introduction

1.1 General

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) or Self-Consolidating Concrete is characterized by high flow-ability,

resistance to segregation, ability to fill the formwork and can pass through restricted reinforcement
sections without requiring any mechanical vibration for compaction (Lange et al. 2008). These attributes
can be measured by a combination of tests that give an indication of the quality of the SCC. The filling
ability (flow-ability) of SCC is generally measured in terms of spread using the slump test (Figure 1),
whose value ranges from 455 to 810 mm depending on the requirements for its application. Another
parameter obtainable from slump test is T500 which gives a measure of the rate at which the SCC flows,
i.e. the time it takes the slump flow paste to reach 500 mm. It provides a relative measure of the plastic
viscosity of the SCC. Higher T500 values indicate greater viscosity and better stability.

L-box test is also used in practice to measure the filling and passing ability as well as blocking resistance
of SCC (Thrane et al. 2004). It consists of an L-shaped apparatus (Figure 2), in which the vertical column
is filled with SCC while the gate is closed. The test starts by lifting the gate and the SCC flow through the
rebar obstructions into the horizontal portion of the apparatus. The filling ability is described by the ratio of
the concrete height at the end of the horizontal section (h2) to the height at the beginning of the horizontal
section (h1). The blocking ratio in the range of 0.8-1.0 indicates a better passing ability of the SCC
(Ahmed, 2003). Obvious blocking of coarse aggregate behind the reinforcing bars can be detected
visually (Lange et al. 2008).

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 Figure 1: Slump flow test Figure 2: L-box test

The above mentioned tests in conjunction with many others such as V-funnel, J-Ring, U-Box and Visual
Stability Index tests, etc. are used to study, in details, the likely behaviour of SCC and hence its suitability
to the proposed application. However, for more effective usage of SCC when planning the casting of
concrete, rheological properties of SCC are of prime importance. The rheological properties can be
measured using any of the various types of Rheometers. From rheological perspectives, concept of shear
stress and shear rate are used in describing the flow of this fluid-like material (the SCC). Concrete as a
fluid is most often modeled as a Bingham fluid in which the flow is described by the two parameters, yield
stress and plastic viscosity. Increasing the stress applied to the material slowly will enable the shear rate
to be measured. Upon the build-up of the stress to a certain level, the concrete will start flowing. This
threshold value (the point at which the material starts to flow) is the yield stress and the slope of the
Stress-Shear rate curve is the plastic viscosity. The yield stress is a consequence of the interparticular
forces Well established formulae enable shear stress and shear rate to be calculated from the torque and
rotational speeds respectively of the rheometer used.

Numerical simulation has proven to be an invaluable tool in the construction and formwork design in
addition to determining the desired rheological parameters for proper mix design of SCC (De Schutter,
2009). Optimization of the casting process can be ensured by predicting the flow in the formwork and
linking the required rheological parameters to flow tests such as the ones considered in this study. A
Lagrangian particle-based method, smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH), was used to model the flow of
SCC with or without short steel fibres (Kulasegaram et al. 2010). Their results demonstrated the capability
of SPH and a proper rheological model to predict SCC flow and mould-filling behavior. The computational
fluid mechanics code Flow 3D® was used to perform 3D simulations of different slump test methods
(Roussel 2004). The fluid behaviour of concrete with varying values of yield stresses was described by an
elasto-viscoplastic model, assuming an incompressible and elastic solid up to the yield stress and a
Bingham fluid beyond that together with no slip condition at the base (Roussel 2004 and Roussel et al.
2007a). Simulation of SCC flow during L-box test based on the Galerkin FEM formulation of the Navier-
Stokes’ equation including moving boundaries was undertaken using the FE code FIDAP (Thrane et al.
2004). (Roussel et al. 2007b) simulated the casting of a VHPC-precambered composite beam. By varying
the yield stress of the concrete, they were able to identify a critical yield stress above which the concrete
was not able to reach the other side of the steel girder under its own weight. Combined simulations and
experiments indicated that the flow in an L-box with reinforcement can be simulated assuming an ideal
Bingham behavior and rheological properties measured in a BML rheometer.

This paper presents simulations of the slump flow and L-box tests for SCC based on computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) principles using commercial software FLUENT/ANSYS. It aims at validating the use of
continuum approach for simulating the flow of SCC by solving Navier-Stoke’s equations for
incompressible flow. The results obtained from an experimental program conducted by the authors
(Baluch et al. 2010) are used for validating the model.

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1.2 Simulation Using Navier-Stoke’s Equations for Incompressible Fuild Flow

The fundamental laws of mechanics (Navier-Stoke’s laws) give the governing equations for a fluid flow as
follows (Bhaskaran and Collins, 2002).
The conservation of mass equation is

∂ρ ur
[1] + ∇ ⋅ ( ρV ) = 0
∂t

and the conservation of momentum equation is

r
∂V r r r
[2] ρ + ρ (V ⋅∇)V = −∇p + ρ g + ∇.τ ij
∂t

These equations along with the conservation of energy equation form a set of coupled, nonlinear partial
differential equations. It is not possible to solve these equations analytically for most engineering
problems. However, it is possible to obtain approximate computer-based solutions to the governing
equations for a variety of engineering problems. A CFD approach was utilized to simulate the two
laboratory tests as part of this work. However, since a continuum (single fluid) approach has been used,
the simulation does not provide the means to assess the possibility of blocking of particles. In addition, a
2D model was utilized to achieve the stated objectives of this study.

For simulation of flow in SCC the fresh concrete was considered as a homogeneous and incompressible
fluid. The Bingham behavior of the material was modeled in the software package FLUENT by means of
a Herschel-Bulkley viscosity model given by the following relation:

[3] γ = 0, if τ < τ 0
n
[4] τ = τ 0 + K γ& , if τ ≥ τ 0

Where, τ = the shear stress (Pa )

τ0 = static yield stress (Pa)
γ& = the shear strain rate (1/s)
K = Consistency index (Pa s), and
n = index (if n=1 the Herschel-Bulkley model is reduced to the Bingham model).

Evidence from some researchers (De Schutter, 2009 and Nguyen et al. 2006) have shown the capability
of FLUENT to model fresh concrete flow behaviour. In the present work, the simulation was achieved
using the Volume of fluid (VOF) model. This model is a surface-tracking technique applied to a fixed
Eulerian mesh. It is designed for two or more immiscible fluids where the position of the interface between
the fluids is of interest. In the case of this study, the two fluids are SCC and air. The surface is
reconstructed based on the volume fraction of concrete already filling a calculation cell. In the VOF
model, a single set of momentum equations is shared by the fluids, and the volume fraction of each of the
fluids in each computational cell is tracked throughout the domain (Fluent Inc., 2003). The testing process
was investigated and a validation of the hydrodynamic modeling was made based on the position of the
free surface, and of the volume fractions within the test apparatus. Figure 3 shows the mesh used in the
two tests simulations as created using GAMBIT software.

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 Inlet (p = 0 pa) Inlet (p = 0 pa)

Wall (No slip)

Number of nodes: 3890 Number of nodes: 9850

Number of faces: 7908 Number of faces: 2102
(a) (b)

Figure 3: Grids for the 2D simulations of (a) L-box test (b) Slump test

2. Experiment

An ICAR rheometer (Figure 4) was used to measure static yield stress τ0 and viscosity η for the
paste/mortar (Baluch et al. 2010) for various types of SCC. This was done by performing stress growth
and flow curve tests in the rheometer. In the stress growth test (Figure 5a), the vane is rotated at a
constant speed. The torque build up is measured as a function of time. The maximum torque measured
during the test is used to calculate the static yield stress. The flow curve test is used to determine the
dynamic yield stress and the plastic viscosity. It begins with a “breakdown” period in which the vane is
rotated at maximum speed. This is done to breakdown any thixotropic structure that may exist and to
provide a consistent shearing history before measuring the Bingham parameters. The vane speed is then
reduced in a specified number of steps. During each step the speed is held constant and the average
speed and torque is recorded. The plot of torque versus speed of vane rotation is the flow curve (Figure
5b). The ICAR Rheometer software performs all the necessary functions: operates the drivers, records
the torque, computes test results, and stores data geometry and provides the test parameters to run the
flow curve test.

Figure 4: ICAR Rheometer

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 (a) (b)

Figure 5: Typical plot of (a) Stress growth test (b) Flow curve test

3. Results and Discussion

The simulation of slump flow and L-box test was carried out in FLUENT for SCC mixes with varying
percentages of silica fume. Figure 6 shows the simulation results for SCC mix with 2.5% silica fume at
various time intervals. The slump flow or the final spread from simulation was 675 mm compared to 690
mm obtained in the experiment. The T500 values obtained from the simulation was 5.5 sec as compared to
6 sec obtained in the experimental investigations. Figure 7 shows the simulation results for the L-box test.
The height of SCC in the vertical column and its horizontal movement at various time intervals, as
obtained from numerical simulation in FLUENT are shown in the figure. At 6.2 sec. the SCC has paased
out of the vertical column into the horizontal. The L-box ratio (h2/h1) obtained from both numerical
simulation was1.0 for SCC with 2.5% silica fume.

0 Sec 0.5 Sec 0.6 Sec 0.7 Sec

0.9 Sec 2.8 Sec Final Spread

Figure 6: Typical progressive flow of SCC during the simulation of Slump test for 2.5% Silica fume.

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 0 Sec 2 Sec 3.54 Sec

6.0 Sec 6.2 Sec End of flow

Figure 7: Typical progressive flow of SCC during the simulation of L-box test for 2.5% Silica fume.

The numerical simulation was repeated for SCC with 5% and 7.5% silica fume. It would be expedient to
mention that it is not the intent of this paper to assess the influence of silica fume on the test results
presented herein. Therefore, no attempt is made to go further into that. Rather, for the model validation,
comparison is made (Table 1) between experimental slump flow and L-box tests and the numerical
simulations.

Table 1: Rheological properties*, Experimental* and Simulation Results for Slump and L-box Tests
2.5% Silica fume 5.0% Silica fume 7.5% Silica fume

τ0 (Pascal) 65.1 65.5 58.4

µ (Pa s) 52.5 54.9 71.2

Slump flow D Experiment 690 675 700

(mm) Simulation 675 650 690

T500 (s) Experiment 6.0 4.5 5.4

Simulation 5.5 4.1 5.1

L-box ratio (h2/h1) Experiment 1 1 0.96

Simulation 1 0.94 0.92

* Baluch et al. 2010

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As can be seen from table 1, the experimental and numerical simulation give fairly close results. In all the
tests, the results indicate slightly smaller values in the case of simulation as compared to those obtained
from the experiments. However, bearing in mind, the closeness of these simulation results to the
experimental ones and that the solution of Navier stoke’s equations using numerical means are always
approximate, it can be stated that the results so obtained reflect a successful computational simulation. In
numerical simulation the self-weight of the virtual material (SCC) initially makes it flow relatively faster
thereby resulting into smaller T500 values after which the flow subsequently decelerates to give lower final
spread values mainly due to decrease in the rate of shear from the material self-weight.

3-D simulation of the Slump flow and L-box test is also being conducted using FLUENT. A typical finite
element model of L-box test is shown in Figure 8. Preliminary results show that the in 3-D simulation the
flow of SCC is slower than the 2-D simulation results. Further work in 3-D simulation is in progress.

(a) (b)
Figure 8: 3D Finite Element Model of the L-box test (a) Grid (b) Contours of volume fraction at the end of
simulation.

4. Conclusion

Slump Flow and L-box tests, were numerically simulated in an FLUENT environment in order to
substantiate the validation of this modeling process. Using volume of fluid (VOF) approach and Herschel-
Bulkley viscosity model an excellent agreement between the experiment and the simulation results was
obtained. Hence, it can be concluded that the approach contained in this paper can be used to study the
filling and passing behaviour of SCC using commercial software such as FLUENT. The simulation of SCC
provides a useful tool for ensuring a robust SCC mix for construction and formwork design.

5. Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) for providing
financial support under research grant FT-090019. In addition, the support of Civil Engineering
department and Research Institute at KFUPM is acknowledged. We also thank Mr. Redwan Hameed and
Dr. Narasimhulu Gari of Saudi Ready mix concrete company for their valuable technical advice and co-
operation.

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6. References

Ahmed S. A., 2003. Review Article on Self-Compacting Concrete. Department of Civil Engineering,
Altahadi University, Libya.
Baluch M. H., Rahman M. K., and Gadhib, A. H. 2010. First Progress Report for Study on Segregation
and Rheology of Self Compacting Concrete (Project No. FT090019). Deanship of Scientific Research,
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia.
Bhaskaran, R. and Collins, L. 2002. Introduction to CFD Basics. Cornell University - Sibley School of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Ithaca, USA.
De Schutter, G. 2009. Hydrondynamic Modeling of the Flow of Self-Compacting Concrete in Complex-
Shaped Formworks. Research Proposal for Chinese Students with CSC-Scholarship, Department of
Structural Engineering, Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, Ghent University Belgium. 1-3.
Fluent Inc., 2003. Fluent 6.1 User’s Guide, Lebanon, NH, USA.
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Lange, D.A., Struble, L.J., D’Ambrosia., M.D., Shen, L., Tejeda-Dominguez, F., Birch, B.F., and Brinks,
A.J. 2008. Performance and Acceptance of Self Consolidating Concrete. Research Report FHWA-ICI-
08-020, Illinois Center for Transportation, USA.
Nguyen, V.H., Remond, S., Gallias, J.L., Bigas, J.P., and Muller, P. 2006. Flow of Herschel-Bulkley
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Roussel, N., Staquet, S., D’Aloia Schwarzentruber, L., Le Roy., and Toutlemonde, F. 2007b. SCC
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