A new method to estimate rheological properties of lubricating layer for prediction of concrete pumping

The most crucial factor determining the pumping performance of concrete is the characteristics of the lubricating layer formed between the pipe wall and the inner concrete. Thus, it is important to accurately identify the rheological properties of the lubricating layer to predict the pumping of concrete. In this study, a new method is proposed for measuring the rheological properties of the lubricating layer with improved convenience. To verify the new method, a pumping test was conducted with 337 m-long horizontal piping. The rheological properties of the lubricating layer were assessed by a previously verified method and the new method proposed in this study for a total of four concrete mixtures with design strength ranging from 27 MPa to 60 MPa. The correlation between the existing method and the new method in relation to the viscosity of the lubricating layer was determined, and it was possible to predict the pumping performance with an accuracy of about 88.5% using the viscosity of the lubricating layer obtained from this correlation.