The concrete structures are strong and capable of withstanding heavy loads. On the other hand, these structures are also deteriorating faster due to some factors affecting the concreting process; improper concrete vibration is one of them.
As we know, vibrating is an essential part of the concreting process. The concrete is vibrated using the vibrators to expel the entrapped air and the voids in the wet concrete. Vibration reduces the hollowness in the concrete due to the empty spaces present.
Rebar Shaker Vibrator
Various types of vibrators are available in the market for concrete vibration. Rebar shaker is one of them. It is one of the latest pieces of equipment used for vibrating concrete.
A rebar shaker is attached to a reinforcement bar, and it produces vibrations of a specific frequency, enough for the removal of the voids in the concrete. Let’s explore the rebar shakers more in detail below.
A rebar shaker is a type of concrete vibrator used for the compaction of concrete while concreting. The vibratory device is fixed to one of the reinforcement bars.
After pouring the concrete into the formwork, the device is switched on. The vibrator causes vibrations through vibratory motion and allows the concrete to compact, removing the entrapped air and voids.
The rebar shaker is usually used when the space is compact, and it is not possible to use needle vibrators or any other type of vibrator. Practically, it uses less space facilitating the vibration of concrete in areas that are usually inaccessible.
It allows the workers to complete concreting without any hassle easily. The rebar shakers are available in different sizes to fit according to the sizes of the reinforcement bars.
Significance Of Rebar Shakers In Concrete Compaction
Sometimes, a few components on a construction site are too narrow, and the space between the two forms is very small. It usually becomes difficult and tedious to carry out concreting in those components.
The limited space does not allow the internal vibrator to perform the vibrating operations with the required efficiency. Due to inefficient vibrating, the voids are not removed completely.
Rebar shakers are a solution to the effective vibrating operations for congested concrete components on construction sites. They are attached to the steel bars in the concrete component. When connected to the steel bars, the steel bars act as vibrators.
The steel bars vibrate at a controlled frequency and consolidate the concrete by removing the entrapped air and voids from the freshly laid concrete. The rebar shakers are usually attached to the top of the reinforcement steel bars for achieving effectiveness during the vibrating operations.
Using the rebar shakers for concrete compaction saves time and facilitates the construction site owners with cost efficacy. It also requires relatively less manpower, reducing a cost-efficient concreting process in lesser duration.
Merits & Demerits Of Rebar Shaker For Concrete Compaction
Using the latest technologies such as rebar shakers for enhancing the construction processes facilitates the construction stakeholders with numerous benefits and a few demerits. Let us explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of rebar shakers.
Advantages Of Rebar Shakers
The advantages of rebar shakers are as follows:
1. The cost of rebar shakers is approximately equivalent to the needle vibrators. So no high costs are incurred.
2. The rebar shakers are easy to install on the reinforcement bars and require no special training.
3. It is a user-friendly technology, and it does not require any special training.
4. It saves time for other concrete activities such as filling the concrete block cells and cleaning.
5. Rebar shaking is an automated type of technology. So it eliminates human errors and delivers high-quality compaction with almost no voids in the concrete component.
Disadvantages Of Rebar Shakers
The disadvantages of rebar shakers are as follows:
1. Different rebar shakers are required for different concrete grades, densities, and/or different sizes of the reinforcement bars. It eventually refrains from the cost-effectiveness of the construction project. On the other hand, a needle vibrator can prove to be a cost- effective option in that case.
2. If the rebar shakers are not fitted or attached correctly to the steel reinforcement bars, they can loosen the lateral ties due to the vibrating effect.
3. The operator or the supervisor handling the rebar shaker should be aware of the basics of the instrument. A vibrator with heavy power attached to a lower grade of concrete can over-vibrate the concrete, causing ill-effects such as bleeding and honeycombing.
Wrapping Up
Various types of concrete vibrators and compactors are available in the market that is used according to their relevant applications and conditions. One of them is the rebar shaker.
A rebar shaker is an automatic instrument used for the compaction of freshly laid concrete by its vibrating action to remove all the entrapped air and voids from the concrete.
The controlled vibratory action produces a vibratory motion in the concrete, and as a result, the concrete starts settling down as the voids are removed gradually.
The vibratory rebar shaker is attached to the top part of the reinforcement steel bar, and the steel bar acts as a concrete vibrator. The reinforcement bar shaker is operated for around 5 to 7 seconds at a stretch for effective results.
The rebar shaker is usually incorporated where it is not possible to incorporate other types of vibrators. It is helpful for locations where the space is narrow and highly congested. It proves to be an effective option for concrete compaction, eliminating human efforts and errors.