Eight planar 6-in.-thick × 6-ft-deep × 6-ft-wide (150 mm × 1.8 m × 1.8 m) wall sections and eight 13-ft- long (4.0 m) bulb-tee (BT-72) beam sections, all with highly congested reinforcement, were fabricated in two precast concrete plants using self-consolidating concrete (SCC). The compressive strengths of cores, taken at different locations on each of the walls and beams, were compared to determine whether proper- ties varied with location. Also, the specimens were cut vertically at different locations to assess segregation of the SCC throughout the depth and length of the elements. Analysis included the use of digital image analysis. While conventional SCC testing by slump flow, U-flow, and L-box methods suggested that most of the mixtures were of good quality, this research showed that such test methods were not sufficient for predicting a mixture’s performance in congested sections. Only construction of mock-up sections showed the true self-consolidating performance in congested sections.
