Impact of Vibrations on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Concrete: Case Study of Constructions in the City of Douala Cameroon

Abstract

In the field of construction, concrete is the most consumed material. Despite the arrival on the market of fluid concretes such as self-compacting concretes, ordinary concretes still represent the most used on construction sites today. In order to finalize the filling of the formwork and achieve the expected performance, these concretes are vibrated occasionally using a vibrating needle. In this work, the impact of vibrations on the physical and mechanical properties of concrete in the city of Douala Cameroon is investigated, taking into account the recent progress in the field of use and improvement of concrete material. Firstly, the concrete material is analyzed by looking at its use, its formulations, its physical-mechanical characteristics and its behavior with regard to the environment. Then the mechanical characteristics representative of available vibration equipment is identified. Using the formulations obtained, the fluidity and consistency ranges over which vibration of the material is necessary is identified. A simple analytical model to predict the action diameter of the vibrator is then developed and compared to the experimental results found. Finally, a minimum vibration time value necessary for compaction of the material is quantified as well as a minimum vibration time value necessary for improving the physical and mechanical quality of the facing after vibration and setting of the concrete.