Technical Guidance
The EFFC/DFI Tremie Guide – Planned Release of Third Edition And Sponsorship Offer
After publication of the Second Edition in 2018, the EFFC/DFI Concrete Task Group (CTG) is currently finalising the Third Edition of the ‘Guide to Tremie Concrete for Deep Foundations’ (Tremie Guide). It is planned that the Third Edition will be released in the last quarter of 2024.
The Third Edition will broadly follow the scope and structure of the Second Edition. In addition to this general update, users have requested clarification on a number of matters which will now be covered in the Third Edition. These include:
- options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- strengthening the recommendations regarding acceptance criteria for testing
- interesting new findings from numerical modelling
Work has also commenced on the Fourth Edition which will require another two years of hard work by the CTG. The major additions to the Fourth Edition will include:
- harmonising the Tremie Guide with the new EN 206 Part 3 which will specifically include additional requirements for concrete in geotechnical works. This will replace the current Annex D in EN 206-1. This inclusion is very significant and most of the new requirements are based on the recommendations in the EFFC/DFI Tremie Guide.
- harmonising the Guide with ACI 336. This is a huge step forward in applying the most suitable test methods and acceptance criteria to modern tremie concrete.
- further detailed numerical modelling studies to understand concrete flow mechanisms, especially in the design of concrete for challenging geotechnical works.
- The CTG has been working closely with a number of academic groups who are doing this work. Further time is required for the results to be evaluated and checked and collated.
Numerical modelling is complex and costly. The CTG believes that the Simulation of Concrete Flow is critical to improve our understanding which will allow better detailing of both the element and the reinforcement cage. This is of significant interest for very large pours (>600 m3) or for deep elements (> 80 m).
The CTG is therefore requesting additional funding from Sponsors to finance these Numerical Modelling Simulations:
- 1,000 Euro/US$ from each of the current Sponsors
- 5,000 Euro/US$ from new Sponsors who wish to support our work
The new Sponsor Group will have their logos at the start of the new Editions (both Third and Fourth) and their logos will be shown in all presentations of the Guide made by CTG Members.
It is also planned to invite all Sponsors to a joint EFFC/DFI meeting and dinner where the Third Edition will be presented in detail.
Please find the Agreement form here: Amended Agreement
Your support is vital to ensuring the continued development and impact of the Tremie Guide. Please contact us for further information, and we look forward to your positive response.
EFFC-DFI Guide to Support Fluids for Deep Foundations, Edition 1
The guide represents the state of the art of support fluid practice and aims to improve existing design, testing and practices for deep foundation elements – bored piles (drilled shafts), barrettes (LBEs) and diaphragm wall panels. It represents the first time that knowledge of good practice from around the world has been brought together into a single authoritative publication.
The guide is a collaboration between DFI and EFFC, building on the success of the EFFC/DFI Guide to Tremie Concrete for Deep Foundations, which advances the understanding of tremie concrete performance and is the industry authority on the subject. The Guide to Support Fluids for Deep Foundations follows the same model, with the first edition detailing accepted industry good practice followed by a second edition based on a comprehensive R&D program.
The guide is the work of a dedicated 47-strong task group that has brought together contractors, suppliers, consultants and leading academics who have worked for the past 24 months to deliver the guide to the geotechnical industry.
The next phase of the project is to carry out a series of field research studies. The studies will collect data from active project sites and develop and conduct non-standard tests in order to establish what testing methods have substantial value and to better understand the validity of the compliance values in use. The task group will then produce a second edition of the guide that promises to be the best authority on the use of support fluids in the industry. This is expected to be published in 2021.
Please download the guide here EFFC_Support_Fluids_Guide_FINAL
EFFC/DFI Guide to Tremie Concrete for Deep Foundations 2nd Edition
This is the 2nd edition guide for June 2018 providing authoritative guidance on the placement and testing of tremie concrete in deep foundations.
It is intended that the guide is used by contractors and concrete suppliers to improve the quality of concrete used in deep foundations. Historically there has been limited research and understanding about how concrete behaves in the ground, which has led to problems onsite as concrete mixes became more complex with the addition of admixtures, additives, aggregates etc.
The new edition incorporates field studies of concrete taken from construction sites in Europe and the US to provide an empirical testing criteria for the acceptability of fresh concrete. The guide’s data has been collected by the Technical University of Munich and the Missouri University, using an agreed methodology that includes a range of onsite and laboratory testing.
The guide now has recommendations on which tests should be used to determine the workability of the concrete. This is particularly useful on site, where construction teams can determine with a high degree of accuracy whether the concrete will work as intended within the pile or diaphragm wall.
In addition, the Guide incorporates work that numerically models the behavior of concrete when it is poured into an excavation. This is a new area of research which provides new insight into what is occurring during the tremie operation.
The Guide is a collaboration between the DFI in the US and the EFFC, and is a piece of work that is intended to benefit the global deep foundations industry.
To download the guide, please click one of the translated versions below:
You can also download the Technical University of Munich’s accompanying technical report that is also referenced in the Guide. R_D_Report_draft 2018
Also, please find attached the final report from the MST on the US tests: DFI_R&D Report_MST_Final