Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-023-02173-1 (0123456789().,-volV)
( 01234567
89().,-volV)

RILEM TC 266-MRP - ROUND-ROBIN RHEOLOGICAL TESTS

RILEM TC 266-MRP: round-robin rheological tests on high

performance mortar and concrete with adapted rheology—
rheometers, mixtures and procedures
Dimitri Feys . Mohammed Sonebi . Sofiane Amziane . Chafika Djelal .
Khadija El-Cheikh . Shirin Fataei . Markus Greim . Irina Ivanova .
Helena Keller . Kamal Khayat . Laurent Libessart . Viktor Mechtcherine .
Ivan Navarrete . Arnaud Perrot . Egor Secrieru . Yannick Vanhove

Received: 17 November 2022 / Accepted: 15 April 2023 / Published online: 10 May 2023
 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to RILEM 2023

Abstract Recent developments in understanding the structural build-up at rest, as well as additional
rheology of mortar and concrete as well as applying measurement procedures and data interpretation tech-
this understanding in the practice of construction niques, a new comparison campaign was carried out in
necessitate an accurate assessment of materials’ 2018 at the Université d’Artois, in Bethune, France.
rheological properties. It is well known that different This new campaign focused on measuring workability
rheometers for mortar and concrete deliver different characteristics, flow curves, static yield stress values,
results, as this was shown over 15 years ago in two interface properties and tribological data. A total of 14
measuring campaigns comparing concrete rheome- different devices capable of measuring one or more of
ters. Considering newly developed rheometers, the above-mentioned characteristics were employed.
including those to evaluate interface rheology and These devices included four ICAR rheometers, the
Viskomat XL, the eBT-V, the RheoCAD (two geome-
tries), the 4SCC rheometer (two geometries), the plate
This document is the result of an experimental campaign
supported by and carried out by a taskgroup of RILEM TC test, the sliding pipe rheometer, a tribometer and an
266-MRP. All members of the taskgroup are listed as authors interface tool for the ICAR rheometer. This paper
for this paper, except for Faber Fabbris from EQIOM concrete. describes the mixture design and rationale of the five
The following individuals are the members of RILEM TC investigated concrete and three investigated mortar
266-MRP who were not involved in the taskgroup: Rolands
Cepuritis, Geert De Schutter, Siamak Fakhraei, Steffen mixtures, design and analysis of the experiments, and
Grunewald, Michael Haist, Stefan Jacobsen, Karel Lesage, comparison of test results. The findings confirmed
Julian Link, Dirk Lowke, Tilo Proske, Nicolas Roussel, some of the conclusions from two previous testing
Wolfram Schmidt, Jon E. Wallevik, Ammar Yahia, and Jiang campaigns and expanded the findings to more modern
Zhu. This paper was reviewed and approved by all members of
the committee. concrete mixtures and more diversified sets of

D. Feys (&)  K. Khayat S. Amziane

Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, SIGMA
Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Clermont, Institut Pascal, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand,
Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA France
e-mail: [email protected]
C. Djelal  L. Libessart  Y. Vanhove
M. Sonebi University Artois, IMT Lille Douai, Junia, University
School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s Lille, ULR 4515, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et
University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK géoEnvironnement (LGCgE), 62400 Béthune, France
90 Page 2 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

rheological devices. The investigated rheometers • Differences in assessment of torque and rotational
yielded different absolute values for material param- velocity values, assuming most rheometers work
eters, but they all were able to similarly distinguish based on the same principle; and
between mixtures qualitatively. For static yield stress • Imperfect flow in the rheometer, compared to the
and interface rheology measurements, similar conclu- ideal conditions required by the transformation
sions were obtained as for flow curves. equations, which also includes measurement
artefacts.
Keywords Rheometer  Concrete  Mortar  Yield
Most rheometers for mortar and concrete are
stress  Viscosity  Thixotropy  Interface rheometry 
rotational rheometers, and raw data are determined
Tribology
from a component measuring values related to the
torque, and a component measuring values related to
the angular displacement or rotational velocity. Dif-
ferences in assessment techniques and methodologies
1 Introduction
could lead to spreads in registered values, even if the
geometry of the rheometer remained unchanged [11].
The application of rheology in the field of cement-
Knowing the sensitivity and capacity limits of sensors
based materials has evolved tremendously in the last
on maximum and minimum values are the key to
20 years. This has been made possible through a better
successful use of a rheometer [12, 13]. Another
understanding of the effect of mixture design on
important factor affecting the results is the calibration
rheological properties [1, 2], better measurement
of the rheometer and how that is carried out or what it
tools, a more profound grasp of fluid dynamics
is based on. Are the torque and rotational velocity
concepts applied on concrete materials [3], and the
values uniquely based on the calibrated sensors, or is
use of numerical simulations [4–7]. However, mea-
there a modification factor used in the software or
suring rheological properties on cement-based mate-
hardware making the data fit the expected properties of
rials remains a challenging task [8], and it is known
a reference fluid? Another factor affecting the results
from previous studies that different rheometers may
involves the magnitude of the drift of the sensors over
deliver varying rheological values for the same
time.
mixtures [9, 10]. Two major rheometer comparison
The second cause for differences between concrete
campaigns were held in Nantes (France) in 2000 [9]
rheometers is the imperfect flow of the material inside
and in Cleveland (USA) in 2003 [10]. These cam-
the rheometer container. Most transformation equa-
paigns showed that, in general, the rheometers could
tions to deduct fundamental rheological properties
distinguish similar trends in (dynamic) yield stress and
from torque and rotational velocity values assume,
plastic viscosity; however, differences were system-
inter alia, a homogeneous material, a uniform one-
atically observed in absolute values.
dimensional flow, a perfectly cylindrical geometry,
Although not discussed in detail, the authors
no-slip conditions between the rheometer walls and
reported that differences between concrete rheometers
the material, and no secondary flow [14]. These
can be attributed to two main causes:
conditions are not ideally fulfilled when dealing with

K. El-Cheikh I. Navarrete
Department of Structural Engineering and Building Facultad de Ingenierı́a y Ciencias, Escuela de Ingenierı́a
Materials, Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory, Civil en Obras Civiles, Universidad Diego Portales, Av.
Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 60, 9052 Ghent, Belgium Ejercito 441, Santiago, Chile

S. Fataei  I. Ivanova  V. Mechtcherine A. Perrot

Institute for Construction Materials, TU Dresden, University of Bretagne-Sud, UMR CNRS 6027, IRDL,
01062 Dresden, Germany 56100 Lorient, France
M. Greim  H. Keller E. Secrieru
Schleibinger Geräte Teubert u. Greim GmbH, Engineering and Innovation, HeidelbergCement AG,
84428 Buchbach, Germany 69181 Leimen, Germany
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 3 of 19 90

mortar or concrete. First, the presence of large structural build-up and the interface resistance. Recent
particles contradicts the homogeneity assumption. research has demonstrated the positive and negative
The rheometers should have sufficiently large dimen- effects of structural build-up on the casting process of
sions to reduce the effect of singular particle interac- self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and more recently
tions within the sheared region [15]. Furthermore, in 3D-printing of cement-based materials [23–26].
particles near a smooth wall surface cause the The structural build-up is caused by the flocculation
geometrical wall effect, leading to a non-uniform and hydration of cementitious materials and can result
particle distribution over the volume under consider- in the increase of the static yield stress with rest time.
ation. As such, roughness on the rheometer surfaces is As such, the testing campaign included an assessment
needed to reduce the slip and wall effect [16], which is of the development of the structural build-up of the
typically implemented by adding ribs or using a vane investigated mortar and concrete mixtures using
geometry, which in their turn could cause secondary devices capable of executing such measurements.
effects. Shear-induced and gravity-induced particle Another parameter under investigation was the inter-
migration can render the material non-homogeneous face resistance between a smooth wall and concrete, to
during the rheological measurement [17–19]. The either identify the friction between the wall and the
presence of ribs or a vane could further cause a material under pressure or to predict pressure when
deviation from the perfect cylindrical geometry, with concrete is being pumped [27–29].
the assumption that the circumscribing polygon is In total, 14 different devices capable of measuring
sufficiently close to a circle [20, 21]. Lastly, almost one or more of the above-mentioned characteristics
every rheometer uses a container, which induces were employed in the testing program. The test
secondary flows at the bottom (and potentially the top) devices are briefly described in this paper and included
of the flow domain [14, 22]. four ICAR rheometers, the Viskomat XL, the eBT-V,
Due to these concerns, an initiative was launched the RheoCAD (two geometries), the 4SCC rheometer
within RILEM TC 266-MRP, the technical committee (two geometries), the plate test, the sliding pipe
dealing with measuring rheological properties of rheometer (SLIPER), a tribometer and an interface
cement-based materials. A subgroup of this committee tool for the ICAR rheometer. The paper at hand also
has agreed to perform a comprehensive round-robin includes a brief description of the rheological testing
testing campaign to compare concrete rheometers. The devices employed during the testing campaign, the
3-day testing program was organized by Drs. Yannick designs of the concrete and mortar mixtures, the
Vanhove and Chafika Djelal at the Universite d’Artois rationale behind the modifications of the mixture
in Bethune, France in May 2018. The campaign designs, as well as the testing and analysis procedures
assembled collaborators from 10 different companies for the flow curve, structural build-up and interface
and research institutes from Belgium, Chile, France, rheometry measurements. The detailed interpretations
Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. of the test results can be found in three upcoming
While technically this campaign does not fully qualify contributions from the team that compare the different
as a round-robin test, as no material was shipped devices to evaluate flow curve, structural build-up and
between laboratories, it is the authors’ opinion that interface rheometry data.
bringing all equipment to one location is the only
correct way of performing such tests. The rheological
properties of cement-based materials are sensitive to 2 Rheometers
constituent materials, mixing energy and environmen-
tal conditions. Therefore, all teams assembled in one In total, nine different rheometer types were employed
laboratory with each team using their own devices on in the testing campaign, including two devices with
the same batch of concrete delivered by the ready-mix different geometries for the inner cylinder. However,
company. not all devices were suitable to measure flow curves,
The rheological testing campaign did not only focus structural build-up and interface properties. Table 1
on measuring flow curves, leading to the determina- summarizes the technical capabilities of each rheome-
tion of (dynamic) yield stress and plastic viscosity but ter to execute a certain measurement and Fig. 1 shows
two other parameters were also investigated: the each of the devices. Figure 2 shows a comparison
90 Page 4 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

between the different dimensions of each rheometer fundamental units. For the calculation of dynamic
capable of measuring flow curves. The sections below yield stress and plastic viscosity, the software uses a
provide a brief description of each device. For some methodology to consider plug flow. However, for the
rheometers, the flow curve could only be determined analysis in this testing campaign, the raw data were
in relative units, as the geometry was too complex to used to calculate all of the parameters manually. Four
allow for an analytical calculation of the fundamental ICAR rheometers were used during this campaign.
rheological properties. Specific calibrations or numer-
ical simulations could be performed for those devices 2.2 Viskomat XL rheometer
to obtain fundamental values; however, this was out of
the scope of this testing campaign. The Viskomat XL is a stationary mortar and concrete
rheometer capable of determining the rheological
2.1 ICAR rheometer properties of concrete with a maximum particle size of
16 mm. The rheometer is based on the principle of
The ICAR rheometer is a portable concrete rheometer, concentric cylinders, and the inner cylinder geometry
based on the principle of the concentric cylinders can be selected from a series of probes. A six-bladed
system. The inner cylinder is a four-bladed vane, with vane with a radius of 34.5 mm and a height of 69 mm
an inner radius of 63.5 mm and a height of 127 mm. was used for the measurements. The outer radius is
The outer radius, measured up to the tips of the ribs, is 82.5 mm providing a gap between the inner and outer
143 mm. This results in a gap between the inner and cylinder of 48 mm. The required concrete volume is
outer cylinders of 80 mm, which is four times the approximately 3 L. This rheometer allows for flexible
recommended maximum aggregate size of 20 mm. step-like or ramp-like rheometry profiles, including
The distance between the bottom of the vane and the stress-control and oscillatory modes. The load cell has
bottom of the bucket is also 80 mm. The concrete a maximum capacity of 10 Nm, while the rotational
volume required is approximately 16 L. The ICAR velocity can be varied freely between nearly 0 and
software allows imposing a constant pre-shear, fol- 1.33 rps.
lowed by either an increasing or decreasing flow
curve, with a maximum rotational velocity of 0.6 rps. 2.3 eBT-V rheometer
The maximum torque is 25 Nm. The device is also
capable of imposing a constant rotational velocity to The eBT-V rheometer is a portable device able to
determine the static yield stress values. The duration measure the rheological properties of mortar and
of any of the constant shear rate steps can also be concrete with a maximum particle size of 32 mm. This
programmed. Data registration is at an approximate device can be operated in two different modes: a
frequency of 20 Hz. The software automatically P-mode (probe-mode), more suitable for conventional
calculates flow curve and static yield stress values in vibrated concrete or very stiff concrete, and a V-mode

Table 1 Test types Flow curve Thixotropy Interface properties

performed by each
rheometer ICAR with vane Yes Yes
ICAR with interface tool Yes
Viskomat XL Yes Yes
eBT-V Yes Yes
RheoCAD with vane Yes Yes
RheoCAD with helix Yes, but relative units
4SCC with mixer Yes, but relative units
4SCC with Mk-II yes, but relative units
Plate test Yes
SLIPER Yes
Plane/plane tribometer Yes
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 5 of 19 90

Fig. 1 Rheometers employed in the round-robin test

(vane-mode) for more flowable mixtures. The mea- slippage. The outer radius for the V-mode modus is
surement profiles can be adjusted according to the 122 mm providing a gap of 70.5 mm. This mobile
measurement mode and the mixture type evaluated. rheometer allows to perform rheometric measure-
For the measurement campaign, the V-mode was ments following flexible step-like or ramp-like mea-
consistently used. The vane has six blades with a surement profiles with a maximum rotational velocity
radius of 51.5 mm and a height of 103 mm. A concrete of 0.67 rps and a maximum torque measurement of
volume of 15 L is required. A device holder with rods 10 Nm. The operation of the rheometer and the data
is inserted in the containing bowl to prevent wall acquisition take place by means of a Bluetooth
90 Page 6 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

Fig. 2 Comparison of dimensions of rheometers. All units are expressed in mm. The difference between the solid black line (Ri) and the
solid gray line (Ro) indicates the gap between the two radii

connection with a smartphone and enables direct 2.5 ConTec 4SCCRheometer

display of the measurement results. For the analysis in
this testing campaign, the raw data were exported as an This concrete rheometer is developed as a portable ver-
excel file for manual calculation of rheological sion of the ConTec series, suitable to measure the
parameters. rheological properties of flowable mixtures with yield
stress values up to 120 Pa and plastic viscosity values
2.4 RheoCAD rheometer up to 120 Pa s. The maximum aggregate size allowed
is 22 mm and the required concrete volume is 7 L.
The RheoCAD500 rheometer is a stationary concen- Two geometries are available to use for the inner
tric cylinder rheometer. The inner cylinder is either a cylinder: a mixer-type device and an interrupted
four-bladed vane with a radius of 60 mm and a height helical screw, inspired by the Tattersall Mk-II
of 250 mm, or a helical screw with a radius of 80 mm rheometer. The largest distance between the tips of
and a height of 255 mm. The outer cylinder is the the blades for the interrupted helical screw was
concrete bucket with an outer radius of 150 mm and a 152 mm in horizontal direction (leading to an ‘‘inner
height of 350 mm. A cage is inserted at the outer edge radius’’ of 76 mm) and 140 mm in vertical direction.
of the rheometer to avoid slippage. The maximum The radius of the bucket was 118.5 mm. Due to the
capacity of the load cell is 10 Nm, and the rheometer complex shape of either geometry, no fundamental
has a maximum rotational velocity of 4.1 rps. The rheological units for this device were obtained.
required material volume is approximately 30 L. Due
to the complex geometry of the helix, no fundamental 2.6 Plate test method
parameters are calculated for this geometry.
The plate test method was developed as a simple
measurement for structural build-up over time. The
measurement is based on the determination of the
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 7 of 19 90

mass change of a tool submerged in mortar and ICAR rheometer, a similar quantity of concrete is
concrete, which reflects the change in static yield required as for the rheometer tests: around 16 L.
stress with time. A total of 12 measurements per Similar to the SLIPER, the smooth cylinder allows for
minute are used for this test. The tool is submerged in the formation of the lubrication layer. Based on the
concrete in a 1.5 m high and 200 mm diameter rheological properties of the concrete, the lubrication
column, requiring 45 L of mortar or concrete. A layer properties can be calculated and Kaplan’s
ribbed steel rebar with a diameter of 15 mm and a equations can be employed to predict pumping
length of 130 mm was selected for the concrete pressures [28, 29].
mixtures, while a screw with a diameter of 14 mm and
a length of 80 mm was employed for the mortar 2.9 Plane/plane tribometer
mixtures. This enabled the adjustment of the rough-
ness of the submerged tool to the particle size of the The tribometer measures the friction between concrete
test sample. This device is only capable of measuring and a material representative for formwork [31, 32].
static yield stress variations with time and was only An interchangeable plate can be moved at variable
used for the structural build-up measurements. speeds up to 300 mm/s. The concrete sample is placed
in two 120 mm-diameter cylindrical sample holders,
2.7 SLIPER resulting in a sample volume of around 2 L. The
pressure (P) of the concrete against the plate can be
The sliding pipe rheometer, or SLIPER, was devel- varied between 30 and 1000 kPa. A tension sensor
oped by Kasten as a portable assessment tool for (load capacity of 17 kN) measures the frictional stress
pumping characteristics of concrete [30]. It consists of executed during the sliding of the plate. For this
a plexiglass pipe with 126 mm diameter and 500 mm campaign, the frictional stress and the coefficient of
operational height, which can slide down vertically friction between the mixtures and a steel plate
based on weights added to the system. To operate the obtained in a formwork face with a roughness value
SLIPER, 7 L of concrete are required. This device Ra of 1.07 lm were measured. The motor coupled to a
enables a reliable estimation of the flow rate and worm allows the sliding of the metal plate against the
resulting pumping pressure. While the pipe slides, the fresh concrete. The displacement rate was 0.84 mm/s,
concrete is held stationary on top of a pressure sensor. corresponding to a formwork filling rate of 3 m/h. The
By determining the pressure and velocity at which the applied pressure on the concrete varied between 50
pipe slides downwards, a relationship between pump- and 150 kPa, simulating a concrete height of 2–6 m.
ing pressure and flow rate can be determined. The
concrete inside the pipe is pre-conditioned by sliding 2.10 Workability test methods
the pipe several times to create the so-called lubrica-
tion layer prior to the actual measurement. For the During the execution of the flow curve tests (see
analysis in this testing campaign, the measured further for timeline), several fresh concrete tests were
pressure and corresponding velocity values were carried out. This included the slump or slump flow,
exported and analyzed according to the Bingham T50, V-funnel flow time, L-box and J-Ring passing
model providing rheological parameters for the ability values, as well as density, air content, and
interface. temperature.

2.8 Interface tool for ICAR rheometer

3 Mixture designs
Following the initiatives of Kaplan et al. to develop an
interface tool to measure the lubrication layer prop- Tables 2 and 3 display the selected mixture designs for
erties, a smooth aluminum cylinder extension was five evaluated concrete and three mortar mixtures,
built for the ICAR rheometer [28, 29]. The cylindrical respectively, that were employed in this testing
section is 200 mm high and measures 125 mm in campaign. It was decided to evaluate a number of
diameter. The bottom is conical in shape to allow easy mortar mixtures for a couple of reasons. Reducing the
insertion into the concrete. As the rheometer is the aggregate size, while maintaining the same gap size,
90 Page 8 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

Table 2 Concrete mix Concrete 1 Concrete 2 Concrete 3 Concrete 4 Concrete 5

designs (all units are in kg/
m3) CEM III/A 42.5N 330 330 385 385 385
Limestone filler 170 170 65 25 25
Water 195 195 145 170 170
Coarse aggregate 10/20 650
Coarse aggregate 6/12 755 755 280 930 930
Crushed sand 0/4 430 430 245 265 265
Natural sand 0/4 430 430 600 615 615
PCP—HRWRA 1 3.3 3.79
PCP—HRWRA 2 4.62 2.69 2.69
Set retarder 0.39 0.39
VMA 0.77

(HRWRA) for mixture 2. As such, a mixture with

Table 3 Mortar mix designs (all units are in kg/m3)
similar viscosity values, but lower dynamic yield
Mortar 1 Mortar 2 Mortar 3 stress was anticipated. Concrete 3 contained consid-
CEM I 52.5 N 280 280 280 erably less water, and a part of the limestone filler was
Limestone filler 370 370 370 replaced by cement, creating a more viscous mixture.
Water 240 240 240 Concrete mixtures 4 and 5 are based on mixtures
Crushed sand 0/4 383 383 383 suitable for foundation construction, with a decrease in
Natural sand 0/4 899 899 899
paste volume and an increase in coarse aggregate
PCP—HRWRA 1 4.2 4.2 3.78
content compared to the previous concrete mixtures.
The 5th concrete mixture had greater rheological
Set retarder 0.64 0.64 0.64
properties in terms of yield stress and viscosity values
VMA 0.84 1.68
by adding a viscosity-modifying agent (VMA) that is
Shrinkage-reducer 6.5 6.5 6.5
used to enhance stability. No conventional vibrated
Air-entrainer 0.56 0.56 0.56
concrete mixtures were investigated, given issues
Microfibers 0.3 0.3 0.3
related to plug flow. If the plug zone in a concentric
rheometer is too large, it could lead to an invalid
measurement of a flow curve.
The mortar mixtures, which were evaluated on the
can decrease the fluctuation in torque data, which can second day of the campaign, were based on a typical
lead to more stable rheological measurements. Verti- mortar used to create low-thickness flooring. The
cal segregation risk can increase proportionally to the mortars incorporated a shrinkage-reducing admixture
maximum particle size, all other parameters remaining and a low volume of microfibers to reduce the risk of
constant, and shear-induced particle migration cracking. The imposed changes from mortar 1 to the
increases with the particle size squared. Selecting other two mortars were to create a mixture with a
mortars as part of the evaluation allows the compar- higher viscosity achieved in mortar 2, or a higher yield
ison of the devices while minimizing certain risks stress for mortar 3.
affecting or invalidating the measurements. The concrete mixtures were prepared with a
Concretes 1, 2 and 3 were designed as SCC blended Portland-slag cement (CEM III/A) and lime-
mixtures. The target slump flows for concretes 1 and stone powder as a mineral filler. All concrete mixtures
3 were between 550 and 650 mm, while 650–750 mm contained a combination of crushed and natural sands
slump flow was desired for concrete mixture 2. As can and a crushed coarse aggregate with a nominal
be seen in Table 2, the mixture proportioning for maximum aggregate size (NMS) of 12 mm, except
concrete mixtures 1 and 2 are identical, apart from the for concrete 3 that had a NMS of 20 mm. Combina-
increase in high range water reducer admixture tions of HRWRA, set retarder and VMA were
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 9 of 19 90

employed to achieve the targeted rheological proper- • 0 min: Initial flow curve test. The start of the initial
ties. The mortar mixtures were made with similar flow curve test is taken as the reference time for
materials, except that the binder was replaced by an each mixture.
ordinary Portland cement (CEM I) without any slag or • 10 min: Static yield stress measurement 1, served
filler. An air-entraining admixture, a shrinkage-reduc- for determining the thixotropic properties.
ing admixture and microfibers were employed, given • 20 min: Interface rheometry test.
the intended application of the delivered mixture • 40 min: Static yield stress measurement 2, after a
design. The mortar mixtures had a NMS of 4 mm. 30 min rest time on the same, unaltered sample as
All mixtures were provided by a commercial ready- static yield stress measurement 1.
mix plant (RMX Production unit of Béthune). Once • 50 min: Second flow curve test.
the mixer arrived at the laboratory, the slump/slump • 60 min: Second interface rheometry test.
flow, T-50 (if applicable), and visual stability of the • 80 min: Third flow curve test.
mixtures were verified, and adjustments through
Table 4 shows the rheometers used for various tests
chemical admixtures were performed, if necessary.
at different times. Fresh concrete tests were executed
in parallel with each flow curve test. In between
successive tests, the concrete was removed from the
4 Testing sequence
rheometer, and the device was cleaned, and a new
sample was inserted before the next measurement. In
For each concrete and mortar mixture, a fixed testing
between two static yield stress tests, the concrete was
sequence was followed. After arrival of the mixture to
kept inside each rheometer employed for thixotropy
the laboratory, and any adjustments with admixtures if
evaluation.
necessary, several wheelbarrows of concrete were
sampled for testing. The full testing sequence, includ-
ing flow curve, structural build-up and interface
rheometry tests was as follows:

Table 4 Testing sequence for each rheometer

0 min 10 min 20 min 40 min 50 min 60 min 80 min

ICAR 1—Vane FC YS YS FC FC
ICAR 2—Vane FC FC FC
ICAR 2—Cylinder IF IF
ICAR 3—Vane FC FC FC
ICAR 4—Vane FC YS YS FC FC
eBT-V FC YS YS FC FC
Viskomat XL FC YS YS FC FC
SLIPER IF IF
RheoCAD—Vane FC YS YS FC
RheoCAD—Helix FC
4SCC—Mixer FC FC
4SCC—Mod. MK-II FC
Tribometer IF
Plate test Continuous measurement
FC flow curve; YS static yield stress; IF interface properties
90 Page 10 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

5 Flow curve testing and analysis procedure As was mentioned before, in each rheometer, the
material should undergo the same shear rate profile.
5.1 Testing procedure However, this is hard to achieve as the spatial
distribution of shear rate in the gap depends strongly
It is commonly accepted that Bingham law (Eq. 1) on the inner and outer radius of the rheometer [14]. An
applies to mortar and concrete, with some more attempt was made to ensure a constant average shear
exceptional cases showing shear-thinning or shear- rate in each rheometer by means of a theoretical
thickening. The Bingham law identifies a yield stress calculation. A virtual concrete mixture with fixed
(s0) and plastic viscosity (lp). The yield stress is the rheological properties (s0 = 50 Pa, lp = 20 Pa s) was
stress which needs to be exceeded to ensure flow, assumed for this calculation. Based on the Reiner–
while the viscosity is the resistance to an increase in Riwlin equation, one can calculate G and H param-
flow rate. eters, the intercept of the line with the T-axis and the
slope of the line in a T-N diagram, respectively:
s ¼ s0 þ lp c_ ð1Þ
 
R
With s = shear stress (Pa), s0 = yield stress (Pa), 4phx ln Ro;x
i;x
Gx ¼   s0 ð2Þ
lp = plastic viscosity (Pa s), c_ = shear rate (s-1). 1 1
Some best practices for concrete rheology were R2
 R2
i;x o;x

considered to determine the flow curves. First, the flow

curve should be determined when the concrete mate- 8p2 hx
Hx ¼   lp ð3Þ
rial is in the reference state corresponding to the 1
highest shear rate applied [33]. As such, a sufficiently R2i;x
 R12
o;x

long pre-shearing time at the highest rotational

velocity is required [8]. This also means that each With Ri = inner radius (m), Ro = outer radius (m),
rheometer should subject the material to approxi- h = height (m), G = intercept with T-axis (Nm),
mately the same shear rate, which will be discussed H = slope in T-N diagram (Nm s), index x denotes
further in this section. Second, the extrapolation rheometer x
towards zero rotational velocity should be kept Starting from the most limiting rheometer in terms
sufficiently small, but plug flow needs to be consid- of rotational velocity, a maximum rotational velocity
ered. Third, the measurement time should be kept of 0.5 rps was imposed for the ICAR rheometer. Based
sufficiently short to minimize the negative effect of on the ICAR’s geometry, G and H can be calculated
gravity-induced and shear-induced particle migration. with the chosen rheological properties, and the
Therefore, the adopted flow curve procedure started expected torque value at 0.5 rps can be evaluated as
with a 20 s pre-shear period at maximum rotational Tmax,ICAR = G ? 0.5 H. Inverting the equation above
velocity. This was followed by a stepwise decreasing transforms yield stress into G; replacing G by
curve, containing eight steps of 5 s duration each. It is Tmax,ICAR, one can obtain the expected maximum
worth to note that in one case (ICAR 4), the pre-shear stress smax in the rheometer. The resulting magnitude
period was extended to 60 s and the duration of any is an average stress value over the gap, and cannot be
shear rate step was set to 15 s, rather than 5 s (as by associated to a certain location in the rheometer. Based
default setting of the machine). on smax and the known rheological properties, the
For the 4SCC rheometer, this procedure was maximum shear rate in the ICAR rheometer for the
reduced to six steps due to limitations of the software. assumed virtual concrete can be calculated.
For the mortar mixtures, the pre-shear period was For the Viskomat XL, eBT-V and RheoCAD-vane
extended to 30 s. It should also be noted that an empty rheometers, the previous procedure was followed in
measurement with the same procedure was performed the opposite direction. From the shear rate, and thus
before each flow curve, to correct for any residual the shear stress determined above, one can calculate
torque in the system or an offset was carried out Tmax,x for each rheometer separately. With the altered
automatically. G and H values—dependent on the geometry—the
Nmax,x value for each rheometer can be calculated
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 11 of 19 90

which would lead to the same shear rate as in any other step in the curve, the registered values corresponding
rheometer. to the last 4 s were averaged if no large fluctuations
This procedure was performed to determine the were recorded. Based on those averages, an empty
maximum rotational velocity for each rheometer. The T-N plot was established. If an automatic offset was
minimum rotational velocity in the ICAR rheometer performed by the rheometer, no empty measurement
was specified to be 0.025 rps, to reduce the size of was needed.
extrapolation to determine the yield stress. The For the flow curves measured on mortar and
minimum rotational velocity for the other rheometers concrete, the torque was plotted versus time, and for
was determined by taking the same ratio as for the each step, it was verified whether no extreme fluctu-
maximum rotational velocities. The potential for plug ations in signal occurred, and the trend of the torque
flow was not considered in this analysis. Table 5 versus time was evaluated: constant, increasing or
shows the Nmax and Nmin for each rheometer. decreasing. An increasing trend indicates rapid
For the RheoCAD with the helix tool, the same rebuilding of internal structure, and decreasing trend
profile as for the vane tool was imposed, as no signifies a breakdown of internal structure, meaning
analytical equations are available. For the 4SCC the reference state has not yet been reached [8]. It
rheometer, for the same reasons, the maximum could also be indicative of some kind of particle
rotational and minimum rotational velocities were migration, but this is much more difficult to establish.
set at 0.21 and 0.01 rps, respectively. These values are Points that showed extreme fluctuations or decreasing
arbitrary, as no calculation of fundamental properties trends were eliminated from the data set. For the
was available. remaining points, the average value of the last 4 s for
As indicated before, for one of the ICAR rheome- each step was calculated, leading to eight different
ters (ICAR 4), a different procedure was imposed, T-N points, with an additional point determined at the
consisting of a pre-shear period of 60 s, and six steps end of the pre-shear period. It is worth mentioning that
decreasing the rotational velocity from 0.6 to 0.1 rps, there is minimal variation between the average
with steps of 15 s each. However, this relatively long rotational velocities during preceding the empty
procedure can increase the risk of shear-induced measurement and during the corresponding concrete
particle migration and segregation. The value of 15 s or mortar measurement. Accordingly, for each rota-
has been set based on measurement experience, as a tional velocity the torque was corrected by subtracting
practical compromise between a closer appreciation of the zero-torque measurement at each corresponding
steady-state properties and short measurement (in rotational velocity, if non-zero torque values were
order to prevent segregation). observed.
From the corrected torque-rotational (T-N) velocity
5.2 Analysis procedure data, the G and H values were extracted, which
correspond to the intercept and slope of the torque-
The analysis of the flow curves starts with the rotational velocity relationship, respectively. Initial
interpretation or verification of the zero measurement, values of yield stress and plastic viscosity were
which was performed before each flow curve. For each calculated by inverting Eqs. 2 and 3. This procedure
is the standard Reiner–Riwlin procedure for Bingham
Table 5 Nmax and Nmin for each rheometer (in rotations per materials. Based on the evaluation of the T-N curves, a
second) large majority of the measured mixtures can be
Nmax Nmin approximated by the Bingham law. Following the
determination of initial rheological parameters, the
ICAR 1-3 0.500 0.025 shear stress at the outer radius of the rheometer, at the
Viskomat XL 0.540 0.027 lowest average torque value was calculated as follows:
eBT-V 0.529 0.026
T mincorr
Rheocad 0.570 0.028 sR o ¼ ð4Þ
4SCC Rheometer 0.210 0.010 2pR2o h
90 Page 12 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

change between each iteration. These are the

where sRo = stress at outer radius (Pa), Tmin-corr = av-
corrected rheological properties.
erage torque value at lowest rotational velocity,
corrected for the zero measurement (Nm). As a final step in the analysis procedure, the
The stress at the outer radius was compared to the thickness of the flow domain is calculated. It can be
initial value of the dynamic yield stress. If sRo was easily derived from the final Rs values in the iterative
higher than the dynamic yield stress, the entire flow process above. If Rs - Ri becomes too small, the
domain was sheared for the full duration of the homogeneity of the material can be questioned. As a
measurement, and the obtained rheological properties criterion for this campaign, the measurement was
were final. In the other case, there is an indication that deemed invalid if Rs - Ri became smaller than dmax.
at least a part of the measurement is in plug flow, and If the measurement is invalid, it is not included in the
the rheological properties need to be corrected. This measurements database.
can be done through an iterative procedure:
• For each rotational velocity, the stress at the inner
6 Thixotropy testing and analysis
cylinder is calculated. This stress remains
unchanged during the entire calculation procedure:
The testing procedure for structural build-up consisted
T of executing two static yield stress measurements with
s¼ ð5Þ
2pR2i h a 30 min waiting interval in between. Before the first
static yield stress measurement, an empty measure-
• For each rotational velocity, the plug radius (Rp) is
ment was performed to eliminate any residual torque
re-calculated based on the previous (or initial)
from the sensor. The average of this measurement,
dynamic yield stress value. This value is variable
which delivered, approximately, a constant torque
with each iteration.
value, was subtracted from the final torque readings.
rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
T As the concrete or mortar was kept inside the container
Rp ¼ ð6Þ in between two measurements, no zero measurement
2pso h
was performed prior to the second static yield stress
• Each Rp value is compared to Ro and the smaller of determination.
the two is retained as the outer boundary of the flow A low rotational velocity was imposed on all
domain, denoted as Rs. rheometers to determine the static yield stress, and the
• The shear rate at the inner cylinder can be torque was registered. Excessive peaks were elimi-
calculated by combining the Bingham parameters nated from the measurement if necessary. The max-
from the previous iteration and modifying the imum torque value was registered if the overall curve
Reiner–Riwlin equation [5]: showed a peak value. If not, the average of the
   ! measured constant torque was calculated. These
2 1 1 1 s0 Rs
c_Ri ¼ 2  2pN þ ln measurements were corrected for the zero measure-
Ri R2i R2s lp Ri
s0 ment. To calculate static yield stress, the maximum
 torque was divided by 2pRi2h to obtain the static yield
lp
stress.
ð7Þ Concerning the static yield stress, the flow history
• At each iteration, a series of shear stress—shear of the materials is crucial for the estimation of
rate couples are available, allowing for the calcu- structural build-up indexes of cementitious materials.
lation of new values of dynamic yield stress and It is important to stress that each measurement of static
plastic viscosity. These new values are used in the yield stress must be coupled to a corresponding resting
next iteration to calculate plug radius and shear rate time.
values at each rotational velocity. For the plate test, the early surface settlement of the
• The iteration stops when both dynamic yield stress material must be sufficient to make the sample reach
and plastic viscosity do no longer significantly its critical strain and induce shearing at the interface. If
the last condition is fulfilled, the friction stress at the
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 13 of 19 90

interface between the tool and the test material can be of the pumping pressure and flow rate for various pipe
equal to the static yield stress of the material. By lengths. The pressure prediction was done for a pipe
writing the force balance equation on the immersed length of 100 m and a pipe diameter of 0.125 m.
tool, it is possible to compute the evolution of the static The interface measurements in the ICAR rheometer
yield stress s0,s with time at rest [34]: with smooth cylinder followed a testing procedure
  identical to the flow curves: a pre-shear period of 20 s
g Dmplate ðtÞ þ qconcrete Vplate
s0;s ðtÞ ¼ ð8Þ at 0.5 rps was imposed to create the lubrication layer,
Splate followed by a stepwise decrease in rotational velocity
where Dmplate is the mass variation of the plate, from 0.5 to 0.025 rps, in eight steps of 5 s each.
qconcrete is the concrete density, Vplate and Splate are the Torque data were averaged for each step if equilibrium
volume and the surface of the immersed part of the was observed, and the torque values were corrected
plate respectively. with a zero measurement. The reported values are the
The mass variation of the sample or of the tool is slope of the T-N line based on the raw data. One can
recorded i.e. the apparent mass of the immersed tool or also calculate the lubrication layer properties (yield
the apparent mass of the sample is continuously stress and viscous constant) according to the procedure
monitored versus time by recording the balance output described in [29]. This aspect will be discussed in
with a computer. This test is close to the moving plate another contribution from this team.
test developed in NIST [35]. The computation of the For the tribometer, the displacement of the plate at
initial static yield stress is not easy because of the the concrete/plate interface created a tangential fric-
initial state of the concrete (and the moment when tion force that is opposed to the force of displacement.
sufficient settlement is achieved at the interface). For each test, the tangential (or frictional) force Fmes
However, it is important to note here that only the that resists the transverse movement of the plate was
variation of static yield stress was computed using this measured with a load cell and is the sum of two friction
device because of uncertainty on the initial value. In components: a friction force generated by the sealing
this case, the structural build-up was computed using system of the sample holders (Fv) and a friction force
the following equation [36]: induced by the fresh concrete in contact with each of
the two faces of the plate (2.Fb) considering the
gDðDmplate ðtÞÞ symmetry of the system. Fv is measured by displacing
Athix ¼ ð9Þ
Splate Dtrest the plane plate without concrete prior to each test.
F mes ¼ F v þ 2:F b ð10Þ
The frictional stress sb of the concrete is calculated by
7 Interface rheometry testing and analysis
dividing the friction force Fb with the concrete surface
For the interface rheometry test, no uniform procedure Sc according to:
was imposed as each device had its specific testing Fb 2ðFmes  Fv Þ
protocol. s ¼ ¼ ð11Þ
Sc pd2
Different numbers of slide cycles at different
sliding speeds were carried out with the SLIPER. where d is the sample-holder diameter of 120 mm.
These were 7–10 slides for concrete and 8–16 slides The coefficient of friction value (l) describes the
for mortar. The invalid slides were excluded. The ratio of the concrete friction stress and the contact
direct outputs from SLIPER are pressure (P) and flow pressure P of the concrete against the metallic plate.
rate (Q) results which can be represented in a P- s ¼ lP ð12Þ
Q diagram. The linear regression of the P-Q diagram
provides the intercept point and the slope of P-
Q curve. This is accomplished with the yield stress
parameter a [mbar] and viscosity parameter b [mbar
h/m], which are independent from the geometry of the
SLIPER [30] and thus can be used for the calculation
90 Page 14 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

8 Results At first sight, the data in Figs. 3 and 4 show a

relatively large scatter, but some of that scatter,
Table 6 shows the fresh concrete results, executed especially for concrete viscosity, can be attributed to
simultaneously with all flow curves. the results from the RheoCAD—Helix and the 4SCC
Figures 3 and 4 show the results of the obtained with the mixer tool. While focusing on the other
yield stress and plastic viscosity values for all valid employed devices in the graphs shows that most
flow curve tests. It should be noted though that all rheometers are able to distinguish between different
results from the ICAR rheometers, eBT-V, Viskomat levels of yield stress and viscosity, but that there are
XL and RheoCAD—Vane were determined according differences between the devices. The larger the
to the procedure described in Sect. 5, and the results absolute value of yield stress or viscosity, the larger
are calculated in Pa and Pa s, and plotted on the left the scatter appears to be. In general, these results are in
axes in Figs. 3 and 4. For the RheoCAD—Helix, there line with the results obtained two decades ago in the
are no transformation equations available. As such, the two testing campaigns on concrete rheometers [9, 10].
intercept G and slope H of the torque-rotational Figure 5 shows the static yield stress values
velocity curve were extracted, and plotted on the right obtained according to the procedure described in
axes in Figs. 3 and 4. Similarly for the 4SCC Sect. 6, for all valid tests. Similar to Figs. 3 and 4,
Rheometer, results were in relative units (in A for Fig. 5 shows that, in most cases, the rheometers are
G and A s for H), also plotted on the right side of able to distinguish between different levels of static
Figs. 3 and 4. yield stress, and a higher static yield stress value seems
to generate more scatter in the data.

Table 6 Fresh concrete test Mixture—elapsed time SF/slump T500 VF L-box JR Air Dens FT
results
C1—0 min 600 2.3 22 0.33 545 1.8 2455
C1—50 min 480 7.2 47
C1—80 min 425 – 39
C2—0 min 705 1.2 5 0.81 655 1.2 2470
C2—50 min 655 1.6 18
C2—80 min 595 2.8 11
C3—0 min 545 5.7 – 0.51 505 1.7 2514 640
C3—50 min 555 5.7 22 325
C3—80 min 490 14.0 53 600
C4—0 min 610 2.1 19 0.24 600 1.5 2459
C4—50 min 595 2.9 9
C4—80 min 540 4.5 12
C5—0 min 405 / 230 – – 0.21 – 2.0 2434 575
C5—50 min 430 / 240 – –
C5—80 min 410 – –
M1—0 min 735 1.4 3.1 3.5 2235
M1—50 min 735 2.1 4.0
M1—80 min 710 2.2 3.8
SF slump flow (in mm), T50 M2—0 min 660 2.2 4.4 3.5 2220
(in s), VF V-funnel flow M2—50 min 640 2.3 5.1
time (in s), L-box filling
M2—80 min 635 2.7 3.6
ratio (–), JR J-Ring final
diameter (in mm), air M3—0 min 565 1.6 3.3 4.0 2170
content (%), density (in kg/ M3—50 min 615 1.6 4.0
m3) and the DIN FT flow M3—80 min 560 2.0 4.4
table (in mm)
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 15 of 19 90

Fig. 3 Dynamic yield stress or G for all rheometers and for all valid flow curve tests performed

Fig. 4 Plastic viscosity or H for all rheometers and all valid flow curve tests performed

Figure 6 shows the results of the SLIPER and ICAR the data. For the ICAR with interface device, intercept,
interface rheometer, following the procedures in in Nm, and slope, in Nm s, are determined from the
Sect. 7. For the SLIPER, the obtained intercept ‘‘a’’, T-N graph. From Fig. 6, it can be seen that the slope
in mbar, and slope ‘‘b’’ in mbar h/m are derived from values, representing an increase in flow resistance with
90 Page 16 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

Fig. 5 Static yield stress values obtained with the different rheometers, for all valid static yield stress tests

an increase in flow rate during pumping, distinguish 9 Conclusions

between mixtures in similar ways, although some
deviations can be observed. These could, however, be After a hiatus of 15 years, a concrete rheometer
attributed to the large differences in intercept values comparison campaign was carried out at the Univer-
between both devices. site d’Artois, in Bethune, France in May of 2018. It
The stress values related to different contact consisted of evaluating the performance of 14 testing
pressures at 10 and 20 min are shown in Fig. 7. Linear devices: 4 ICAR rheometers, the eBT-V, the Viskomat
regression is obtained for each concrete mixture based XL, the RheoCAD with vane and helix geometry, the
on Coulomb’s law (Eq. 12) with a high correlation 4SCC rheometer with Mk-II cylinder and mixer, the
coefficient (R2) of 0.88–0.95. As shown in Figure 7, plate test, the SLIPER, an interface rheometry cylinder
tests realized on a short time at 10 and 20 min do not mounted on an ICAR rheometer and a plane/plane
change the slope values which represent the coeffi- tribometer for friction. The comparison was per-
cient of friction determined from Eq. 12. The maxi- formed with five concrete and three mortar mixtures.
mum friction coefficient of 0.19 was obtained for the All compositions were sufficiently flowable to
mixture C5 which has the lowest concrete slump flow enhance the validity of the obtained data. The mixture
value of 405 m. Conversely, the C2 mixture has the designs were varied to obtain significant differences in
lowest coefficient of friction for a concrete slump rheological properties between the mixtures corre-
value of 705 mm. These results show that the concrete sponding to modern concretes.
workability can be related to the friction. In contrast to previous campaigns, this comparison
For any of the data sets on flow curves, thixotropy has included measurements other than flow curves.
and interface rheometry tests, the research team has Thixotropy and interface rheology were also deter-
prepared additional contributions with more in-depth mined with different suitable devices. For each
comparisons and analyses on the sensitivity and measurement type: flow curves, thixotropy and inter-
performance of the various testing devices. face rheometry, a special testing and analysis proce-
dure was developed to facilitate comparing devices
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 17 of 19 90

Fig. 6 Interface rheometry data for SLIPER (? symbols) and ICAR rheometer with interface tool (circular symbols). The results are
divided into slope (black—left axis) and intercept (gray—right axis)

Fig. 7 Friction stress and friction coefficient values at 10 and 20 min (v = 0.84 mm/s)

and to eliminate any potential errors in assessment and obtained in previous campaigns: most rheometers are
interpretation of the data. found to be able to determine the distinct levels of
With the new devices developed in the last rheological properties, but differences between abso-
15 years, the results strengthen the main outcomes lute values remain observable. This observation was
90 Page 18 of 19 Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90

found for the flow curves, static yield stress and 5. Wallevik J (2003) Rheology of particle suspensions: fresh
interface rheometry measurements. The sources for concrete, mortar and cement paste with various types of
lignosulfonates. PhD dissertation, The Norwegian Univer-
the differences in values are assumed to stem from sity of Science and Technology (NTNU)
errors in calibration and data assessment, which 6. Vasilic K, Gram A, Wallevik JE (2019) Numerical simu-
should induce a difference between the devices lation of fresh concrete flow: insight and challenges.
independent of the mixtures, and the imperfect flow RILEM Tech Lett 4:57–66
7. Wallevik JE, Wallevik OH (2017) Analysis of shear rate
behavior inside the rheometer, providing inaccuracies inside a concrete truck mixer. Cem Concr Res 95:9–17
in the transformation into fundamental units. This 8. Wallevik O, Feys D, Wallevik J, Khayat K (2015) Avoiding
latter source of difference should to some extent be inaccurate interpretations of rheological measurements for
dependent on the mixture composition and properties. cement-based materials. Cem Concr Res 78:100–109
9. Banfill P, Beaupré D, Chapdelaine F, de Larrard F, Domone
More details on analysis and interpretation of flow P, Nachbaur L, Sedran T, Wallevik O, Wallevik JE (2000)
curves, structural build-up and interface rheometry Comparison of concrete rheometers: international tests at
can be found, separately, in different contributions LCPC, Nantes. NISTIR 6819
from the research team. 10. Ferraris CF, Brower LE, Beaupré D, Chapdelaine F, Struble
L, Domone P, Koehler E, Lin S, Sonebi M, Struble L, Tepke
D, Wallevik O, Wallevik JE (2003) Comparison of concrete
Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge rheometers: international tests at MB, Cleveland OH, USA.
EQIOM Concrete for the donation, delivery and adjustment of NISTIR 7154
the investigated mixtures. The technical support of the mix 11. Haist M, Link J, Nicia D, Leinitz S, Baumert C, von Bronk
design team of EQIOM Concrete in changing the rheological T, Cotardo D, Eslami Pirharati M, Fataei S, Garrecht H,
properties of the mixtures to suit the testing program is greatly Gehlen C, Hauschildt I, Ivanova I, Jesinghausen S, Klein C,
appreciated. The authors wish to express their gratitude and Krauss H-W, Lohaus L, Lowke D, Mazanec O, Pawelczyk
sincere appreciation to the French Group of Rheology (GFR), S, Pott U, Radebe NW, Riedmiller JJ, Schmid H-J, Schmidt
the agglomeration community Artois Com, the French National W, Secrieru E, Stephan D, Thiedeitz M, Wilhelm M,
Federation of Public Works (FNTP), the Mechtcherine V (2020) Interlaboratory study on rheological
Structure&Réhabilitation company, The Université d’Artois properties of cement pastes and reference substances:
and the Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement comparability of measurements performed with different
(LGCgE) for giving financial support to perform this study. The rheometers and measurement geometries. Mater Struct
authors acknowledge the support of the Civil Engineering 53:92
Department of the Université d’Artois for making their facilities 12. Ferraris CF, Martys NS (2012) Concrete rheometers. In:
available to the research team, as well as Francis Thibaut Roussel N (ed) Understanding rheology concrete, 1st edn.
(technical staff), Sacha Crepelle, Apolline Dilly, Agnaou Woodhead Publishing Limited, pp 63–82
Elhachemi, Salim Hammoumi, Issam Laiymani and Edouard 13. Greim M (2019) Rheometers for paste, mortar and concrete:
Morel (students) for their help during three intensive days of measurement technology—possibilities, challenges and
testing. limits, in one-day feedback—round robin test: comparison
of concrete rheometers: international tests at the Artois
Declarations University, Paris
14. Macosko C (1994) Rheology, principles, measurements,
Conflict of interest None of the authors declare a conflict of and applications, Poughkeepsie. Wiley, New Jersey
interest. 15. Coussot P (2005) Rheometry of pastes, suspensions, and
granular materials. Application in industry and environ-
ment. Wiley, New Jersey
References 16. Ferraris C (1999) Measurement of the rheological properties
of cement paste: a new approach, In: International RILEM
Conference on the Role of Admixtures in High Performance
1. Tattersall G, Banfill P (1983) The rheology of fresh con- Concrete
crete. Pitman, London 17. Hafid H, Ovarlez G, Toussaint F, Jezequel P, Roussel N
2. Ovarlez G (2012) Introduction of the rheometry of complex (2015) Assessment of potential concrete and mortar
suspensions. In: Roussel N (ed) Understanding the rheology rheometry artifacts using magnetic resonance imaging. Cem
of concrete. Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, Concr Res 71:29–35
pp 23–62 18. Spangenberg J, Roussel N, Hattel J, Sarmiento E, Zirgulis
3. Mechtcherine V, Gram A, Krenzer K, Schwabe J-H, G, Geiker M (2012) Patterns of gravity induced aggregate
Shyshko S, Roussel N (2014) Simulation of fresh concrete migration during casting of fluid concretes. Cem Concr Res
flow using discrete element method (DEM): theory and 42(12):1571–1578
applications. Mater Struct 47:615–630 19. Feys D, Khayat K (2017) Particle migration during concrete
4. Roussel N, Geiker M, Dufour F, Thrane L, Szabo P (2007) rheometry: how bad is it? Mater Struct 50(2):122
Computational modeling of concrete flow: general over- 20. Zhu H, Martys N, Ferraris C, De Kee D (2010) A numerical
view. Cem Concr Res 37(9):1298–1307 study of the flow of Bingham-like fluids in two-dimensional
Materials and Structures (2023) 56:90 Page 19 of 19 90

vane and cylinder rheometers using a smoothed particle Rohrleitungen. PhD dissertation, Technische Universität
hydrodynamics (SPH) based method. J Non-Newton Fluid Dresden (in German)
Mech 165(7–8):362–375 31. Djelal C, Vanhove Y, Magnin A (2004) Tribological
21. Wallevik J (2014) Effect of the hydrodynamic pressure on behaviour of self compacting concrete. Cem Concr Res
shaft torque for a 4-blades vane rheometer. Int J Heat Fluid 34(5):821–828
Flow 50:95–102 32. Vanhove Y, Djelal C, Magnin A (2004) Prediction of the
22. Wallevik J (2008) Minimizing end-effects in the coaxial lateral pressure exerted by self-compacting concrete on
cylinders viscometer: viscoplastic flow inside the ConTec formwork. Mag Concr Res 56(1):55–62
BML viscometer 3. J Non-Newton Fluid Mech 33. Roussel N (2006) A thixotropy model for fresh fluid con-
155(3):116–123 cretes: theory, validation and applications. Cem Concr Res
23. Billberg P, Roussel N, Amziane S, Beitzel M, Charitou G, 36(10):1797–1806
Freund B, Gardner J, Grampeix G, Graubner C, Keller L, 34. Amziane S, Perrot A (2017) The plate test carried out on
Khayat K (2014) Field validation of models for predicting fresh cement-based materials: how and why? Cem Concr
lateral form pressure exerted by SCC. Cem Concr Compos Res 93:1–7
54:70–79 35. Zhang M, Ferraris C, Zhu H, Picandet V, Peltz M, Stutzman
24. Roussel N, Cussigh F (2008) Distinct-layer casting of SCC: P, De Kee D (2010) Measurement of yield stress for con-
the mechanical consequences of thixotropy. Cem Concr Res centrated suspensions using a plate device. Mater Struct
38(5):624–632 43(1):47–62
25. Perrot A, Rangeard D, Pierre A (2016) Structural built-up of 36. Amziane S, Perrot A, Lecompte T (2008) A novel settling
cement-based materials used for 3D-printing extrusion and structural build-up measurement method. Meas Sci
techniques. Mater Struct 49(4):1213–1220 Technol 19(10):105702
26. Roussel N (2018) Rheological requirements for print-
able concretes. Cem Concr Res 112:76–85
Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with
27. Mechtcherine V, Nerella V, Kasten K (2014) Testing
regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and
pumpability of concrete using sliding pipe rheometer.
institutional affiliations.
Constr Build Mater 53:312–323
28. Kaplan D (2000) Pumping of concrete. PhD dissertation,
École des Ponts ParisTech (in French) Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner)
29. Feys D, Khayat K, Perez-Schell A, Khatib R (2014) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing
Development of a tribometer to characterize lubrication agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author
layer properties of self-consolidating concrete. Cem Concr self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article
Compos 54:40–52 is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement
30. Kasten K (2010) Gleitrohr-Rheometer—Ein Verfahren zur and applicable law.
Bestimmung der Fließeigenschaften von Dickstoffen in