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The influence of pumping on the rheological properties of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is widely recognized, but there is still limited understanding of its behavior within the pipeline. In this study, we propose a novel approach using equilibrium distances to investigate the evolution of rheological properties along the pipeline. Full-scale horizontal pumping circuits spanning 328 m were established to assess the axial development of SCC's rheological properties. Thirteen mixtures, with water-to-cement (w/c) ratios ranging from 0.22 to 0.27, were pumped at discharge rates varying from 5.77 to 12.69 L/s. Our findings show that for pumping setups and material studied, both the w/c ratio of SCC and the discharge rate significantly affected the influence of rheological equilibrium distances on pressure loss gradient changes. In all tested samples, viscosity values required the entire length of the pipeline to reach post-pumping levels, while yield stress values rapidly achieved their fully developed state upon entering the pipeline. Importantly, the predicted pressure loss displayed a strong correlation with experimental measurements, with an accuracy of 89.42% across all tested mixtures. Our predictive model showed an average improvement of 4.6% in accuracy compared to the linear approach, with the most significant enhancement observed in samples with higher w/c ratios. This research sheds new light on the behavior of SCC during pumping and provides valuable insights for optimizing the pumping process. • The equilibrium distance of rheology is introduced to describe SCC flow behavior along the pipeline. • Horizontal pumping circuits spanning 328 m is used. • Factors affecting the equilibrium distance of rheology are discussed. • The prediction accuracy of the model is validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]