Underwater Concreting

Underwater Concreting
The underwater concreting involves mixing the concrete on the surface in the conventional
manner and then placing this underwater by various methods. A properly mixed concrete is a
stable material that when dried gains twice the density of water and remains unaffected by water.
During the process, the concrete is immersed and allowed to set by providing it a drying
environment.
What is the objective of underwater concrete?
Underwater concrete was specially designed to enhance constructability and performance in

water environments. It can be characterized by the concrete resistance to washout, segregation,
and bleeding and is affected by the mix proportioning, aggregate shape and gradation,
admixtures, vibration, and placement conditions
Materials For Underwater Concreting
1. Coarse aggregates - The use of rounded aggregates is preferred as it increases the

cohesion and reduces the tendency of segregation and bleeding for a given sand friction and
cement content. Rounded aggregates achieves more dense packing and have reduced water
demand for a given degree of workability. However, sometimes strength and abrasion resistance
are particularly significant parameters in some underwater applications, and because of this
reason, we need to select crushed rock aggregates. If this is the case, then care must be taken in
the overall grading of the aggregate.
2. Fine aggregates (sand) - This is necessary to enhance the cohesive properties of concrete placed
underwater. When suitable sands are unavailable, it is essential to increase the cement content of
mixes significantly, or add pulverized fuel ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag.
3. Grading - The aggregate grading requirements are very similar to those needed for concrete
pump mixes as underwater concrete needs good flow and self-compacting properties, and
sufficient cohesion to resist segregation and bleeding. Pump mix requirements include the above
properties plus the need for the cement paste and / or mortar phase to form a lubricating film on
the pipe walls. While this latter requirement is not essential for underwater concrete
mixes, it is common practice to have relatively high cement contents to improve cohesion,
compensate for segregation effects, and allow for the inevitable losses of cement due to 'washout'.
Various findings show continuous grading curves have to give the best results. Generally, 20 mm
maximum size aggregate is most satisfactory with a sand content of at least 40% of the
total aggregate. To achieve a cohesive mix, the relative proportions of coarse aggregate and sand
need to be adjusted to minimize the total voids in the mix. This will in turn depend on the shape
of the various particles.
4. Cement - The presence of sulfates in groundwater can pose several major threats as the
cement content is high in the design to counteract this sulfate resisting portland cement can be
used. However, concrete in the splash zone and above is furthermore vulnerable as not only does
sulfate attack occur, but also pressure is exerted by salt crystals formed in the pores of the concrete
at locations where evaporation has taken place. The use of cement replacement materials such as
fly ash and/or the addition of silica fume can considerably reduce the porosity of concrete and
thus its susceptibility to sulfate attack and chloride crystallization. These Cement replacement
materials also act as an alternative method of reducing thermal effects and provides additional
benefits. ACI committee 201.2R recommends that W/C ratios should not exceed 0.45 in
conditions of severe and very severe exposure to sulfates.
5. Anti-washout admixtures - Anti-washout admixtures are used to reduce the risk of washout
and segregation with the tremie methods of placement, improves self-compaction/ flow
properties, and enable methods of placement that are faster and less sensitive to operational
difficulties.
Methods of underwater concreting
1. Tremie method - A tremie is used to pour concrete underwater in a way that avoids washout
of cement from the mix due to turbulent water contact with the concrete while it is flowing. This
produces a more reliable strength of the product.
2. Underwater Concreting using Pumping Technique - Underwater concreting using

pumping technique is a developed version of Tremie pipe and it is quicker method for concreting
in areas that is difficult to access such as under piers. Pumping provide several advantages that
Tremie pipe is lacking for example, pouring concrete from mixer to formworks directly, solve
blockages in the pipe because concreting is through pumping instead of using gravitational force,
and risk of segregation is decreased.
3. Cofferdams - are temporary enclosures that allow water to be pumped out, creating a dry
environment for construction. As the name suggests, cofferdams work similarly to dams,
preventing the flow of water from a particular area. A fully-constructed cofferdam looks like a
large, walled pit with water surrounding it.
4. Driven Piles - When building foundational elements underwater, driven piles enable crews
to create sturdy structures without having to remove any water at all. Piles, which look like long,
vertical columns, can be driven into the ground using a powerful hammer, creating a stable
foundation for underwater or overwater structures. You can imagine piles as similar to nails being
driven into a piece of wood, except in the case of underwater construction, the piles are being
driven into layers of soil or rock.
Vacuum concrete
- is the one from which water is removed by vacuum pressure after placement of concrete
structural member. Vacuum concrete has high strength and durability than normal concrete.
Water-cement ratio is detrimental for concrete. Vacuum concrete is the effective technique
used to overcome this contradiction of opposite requirements of workability and high
strength. With this technique both these are possible at the same time. In this technique, the
excess water after placement and compaction of concrete is sucked out with the help of
vacuum pumps. This technique is effectively used in industrial floors, parking lots and
deck slabs of bridges etc. The magnitude of applied vacuum is usually about 0.08 MPa and
the water content is reduced by upto 20-25%. The reduction is effective upto a depth of
about 100 to 150 mm only.
The main aim of the technique is to extract extra water from concrete surface using vacuum
dewatering. As a result of dewatering, there is a marked reduction in effective water-cement
ratio and the performance of concrete improves drastically. The improvement is more on the
surface where it is required the most. Mainly, four components are required in vacuum
dewatering of concrete, which are given below:
1. Vacuum pump
2. Water separator
3. Filtering pad
4. Screed board vibrator
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
Step 1: Concrete Pouring
-concrete mixture is poured and leveled to create a smooth and even surface.
Step 2: Floating and Troweling
-After pouring concrete, worker use floats and trowels to finish the surface and remove any
imperfections.
Step 3: Placing vacuum mats

-Vacuum dewatering mats, typically made of rubber or plastic, are placed on top of the
concrete surface.
Step 4: Applying a vacuum

-A vacuum pumps is connected to the mats, and it creates a suction force. This suction draws
out excess water and air from the concrete through the pores and capillaries, leaving behind
a denser and more solid material.
Step 5: Curing
-After dewatering process, the concrete is allowed to cure properly, which enhances its
strength and durability.
Benefits of vacuum dewatering

-increased strength
-reduced cracking
-improved abrasion resistance
-smooth finish
Applications
-industrial floors
-warehouses
-parking garage
-high-traffic areas
Advantages
-denser concrete
-better durability
-vissual appeal

Underwater Concreting

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Underwater Concreting

What is the objective of underwater concrete?

Underwater concrete was specially designed to enhance constructability and performance in

1. Coarse aggregates - The use of rounded aggregates is preferred as it increases the

Methods of underwater concreting

2. Underwater Concreting using Pumping Technique - Underwater concreting using

Step 3: Placing vacuum mats

Step 4: Applying a vacuum

Benefits of vacuum dewatering

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