Concreting Underwater - Compressed PDF

Concreting
Underwater
Introduction...
Concrete is the premier construction material across the world and the most
widely used in all types of civil engineering works.
During the construction of bridges , dams or any other structure where the
foundation part of the structure is lie underwater, we have to opt for
underwater construction.
When concrete is placed under water, it induces concrete to deteriorate
uniformity.
Therefore we should follow proper mix design, concrete production ,
placement and quality control.
Types of materials used
Coarse aggregates Admixtures
The coarse aggregate for intruded in Anything that improves
concrete shall conform to the following workability should be
gradation: considered.
Maximum Size - 1.5-2 inch (100% shall Slump approximately 7in .
pass a 75 mm sieve ) 
MSA(Maximum Aggregate Size)
Minimum Size - material passing a 19 mm
sieve shall not exceed 5% by mass of the
should be 45% of total
coarse aggregate. aggregate.
Use air-entraining admixture.
Cement Fine aggregates

Requires the use of an
antiwashout , Some of these
admixtures are formulated from
1. Ordinary Portland Cement The sand for the intruded grout shall be either Cellulose ether or Whelan
(OPC) well graded, preferably of round grains gum, and they work simply by
and shall conform to the following increasing the cohesion and
2. Sulphate Resisting -
gradation:
Portland Cement ( SRPC ) viscosity of the concrete.
Passing 1.18 mm sieve 95 - 100% 
3. Low Heat - Portland Passing 600 mm sieve 60 - 85% 5
Cement ( LHPC )
Placement Methods
It is a process in which the prepared concrete is poured below the water surface by
using suitable methods.
Tremie method
Methods Pump method
Bagwork
1) Tremie method
Tremie is a water tight pipe.
Generally 250mm in diameter.
Funnel shaped hopper at its upper end and a loose plug at
the bottom.
It is supported on a working platform above water level.
Tremie Concrete is done by using a formwork/pipe which
will have one end of the formwork/pipe above water and
other bottom end immersed under the water and with the
help of gravity.
Before concreting air and water must be excluded
keeping the pipe full of concrete all the time.
For this the funnel and the pipe should have equal
capacity.
Firstly plug is inserted in the pipe with pressure of fresh
concrete so that the air is displaced.
Tremie method
Specifications of concrete to be used in Tremie method :

Coarse Aggregate: Gravel of 3/4” (20mm) max. size. Use 50-55 % of the total aggregate by weight.
Sand :45-50% of the total aggregate by weight.
Cement: Type II ASTM (moderate heat of hydration), 600 lbs./yd3
Water/Cement Ratio: 0.42 (0.45 Maximum).
Water-Reducing Admixture (preferably it is also plasticizer): Do not use super plasticizers. 
Air-Entrainment Admixtures: To give 6% total air.
Retarding Admixture: To increase setting time to 4-24 hours, as required.
Slump: 6 1/2" ± 1"  This mix will develop compressive strength in the range of 5,600 – 7,000 psi at 28 days. 13
2) Pump method
Pumping concrete directly into its final
position, involving both horizontal and
vertical delivery of concrete.
Pumping concrete has the advantage of
operational efficiency with potential savings
of time and labour.
For massive underwater concrete
construction of navigation structures, the
pump method should be prohibited.
3) Bagwork
Bags are made of open weave material
Diver-handled bags are usually of 10 to 20
litres capacity but 1cub.m bags can be
placed using a crane.
(Used only in special cases like repair works, etc.)
Construction Techniques
1) Caissons
Used to work on foundation of bridge pier, construction of
concrete dam or for the repair of ships.
Watertight retaining structure.
Constructed in such a manner so that the water can be pumped
out.
Keeps working environment dry.
1. Box Caissons
Pre fabricated concrete box, it is set down on the prepared
bases.
Once in place it is filled with concrete as part of placement
work.
Must be ballasted or anchored to prevent this phenomenon
the floating of hollow concrete structures.
2. Open Caissons
Similar to a box caisson but does not have bottom face.
Used in soft clays not having large obstructions beneath.
During sinking it may get filled with water.
Advantages of Caissons:
Economic
Slightly less noise and reduced vibrations.
Easily adaptable to site conditions.
High axial and lateral loading capacity.
Minimal handling equipment is required for placement of reinforcing cage.

2) Cofferdam
Temporary enclosure.
Built within or in piers across a body of water.
Allows the enclosed space to be pumped out,
creating a dry work environment.
Cofferdams are usually welded steel structures.
For dam construction, two cofferdams are usually
built, one upstream and one downstream
Advantages of Cofferdam:
Allow excavation and construction of structures in otherwise poor environment.
Provides safe environment to work.
Contractors have design responsibility.
Steel sheet piles are easily installed and removed.
Materials usually reused on other projects.
Production of Underwater Concrete
Proper mix design
Proportioning underwater concrete Mix design influence certain
are same as conventional concrete. workability characteristics such as c) water content is the
According to its performance there a)Flowability  important factor affecting
are two classes of concrete mixture b)Self-consolidation  the rheology of concrete
a) standard mixture c)Cohesion d)water content in a
b)high-performance mixture Mix design also influence by mixture can be classified
Concrete placed underwater is rheology. into two categories
susceptible to a)It describes flow and -water absorbed in the
a) Cement washout deformation of materials. aggregate
b) Laitance  b)The behaviour of fresh concrete -free water
c)Segregation can be described by two
parameters- yield stress and plastic
viscosity
Quality control
Five critical items should be observed throughout concrete placement
Rate of concrete placement.
Depth of concrete in different locations.
Size of concrete produced opposite volume of in- place concrete measured by
sounding.
Concrete delivery system.
Specific recommendations for quality control

The workers should have been properly trained.
Contractor should conduct frequent testing of concrete.
The concrete placement rate should be carefully monitored and controlled.
checking of concrete delivery and placement equipment.
Cost
Considered underwater concrete is high cost compared to plain concrete, due to the high cost of equipment and
maintenance in addition to the cost of the caring.
In United Kingdom also it estimated the cost of repairing the bridges as a result of corrosion in rebar at about
616 million pounds and is only 10% of the total bridges in the United Kingdom.
Damages and Maintenance

Damage and Problems
Rebar Corrosion Spalling Concrete Scour Scaling and Cracks
It is very common for concrete to
Scour is the removal of
Happen when chloride ions The concrete that has broken have cracks, scaling.
sediments from around bridge
migrate to material like up or flaked. Concrete expands and shrinks
foundations or piers.
steel bars. This happened because of poor with changes in humidity and
It caused by swiftly moving
That is type of corrosion installation and environmental temperature.
water, can scoop out scour
that happen in most factors . Irregular cracks are ugly and
holes.
highway bridges. It can also result in structural difficult to maintain but
It is one of the three main
damage generally do not affect the safety
causes of bridge failure.
of concrete.
Maintenance
Maintenance procedure consists of initial inspection, deterioration prediction, inspection,
evaluation.
During construction the engineering as well as social and economical aspects should be required.
Adequate protection from corrosion can be achieved by using anticorrosion or protective products.
Conclusion
If it is not carried out properly, with the proper concrete mixture and placement, it can result in a
major overrun in construction cost and schedule.
The essential difference between underwater concrete and conventional concrete is in the
workability requirements.
Underwater concrete must flow horizontally and compact itself under its own weight, while
conventional concrete is compacted with mechanical vibration.

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Concreting

Cement Fine aggregates

Methods Pump method

Specifications of concrete to be used in Tremie method :

Specific recommendations for quality control

Damages and Maintenance

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