Vacuum Mixed Concrete

Vacuum mixing concrete results through the creation of a vacuum chamber by removing the air to introduce a vacuum medium through which concrete will be mixed. Mechanical and economic advantages as well as maintaining the well-being of the workers are amongst the advantages that can be expected from such concrete. In addition, this technique may reduce the mechanical effort needed to remove excessive bubbles within the concrete during the compaction stage. This may help in reducing resources and minimizing costs. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of producing vacuum mixed concrete by assessing its properties, and the environmental impact of its use in construction. To meet this objective, different concrete mixtures were produced using two w/c ratios: 0.40 and 0.55 while adjusting key parameters including the mixing time and the suction capacity. Fresh and hardened concrete tests as well as durability tests were introduced to evaluate the properties of the vacuum mixed concrete produced. Results reveal that vacuum mixed concrete can be produced using an adequate suction pump while adjusting parameters such as the pressure as well as the vacuum mixing time. Promising results in terms of enhancement of quality of such concrete are obtained which paves the floor for wider scale introduction for such concrete in concrete mixing plants and projects upon further validation and evaluation of these results.