DEPARTMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF

CIVIL ENGINEERING

(21CET-620) Advanced Concrete Technology

(ME Structures)

Concrete Admixtures
Accelerator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDZJzOvqWs
 Course Objectives
• To understanding the variability of concrete properties
by using admixtures.
• Will understand the accelerating time of initial setting.
• To enhance the properties of concrete.
 What is concrete admixtures
Admixtures are the material, other than
 Cement
 Water
 Aggregates
These are used as an ingredient of concrete and is
added to batch immediately before or during mixing.
Admixtures are normally provided as water based
solutions and can be added to the concrete upto
5% on cement weight.
 WHY ADMIXTURES?
Admixtures are used in concrete to
 Produce the desired effect.
 To make a poor concrete better.
 When properties cannot be improved by varying the
composition of basic material.
 To overcome certain emergencies during concreting
operation.
 Quiz 1
1. Admixtures are used to improve the properties of
concrete
a) Yes
b) No
2. Admixtures improves the properties of concrete
when it cannot be improved by .
a)Varying the proportion of different materials.
b) By changing w/c ratio.
c) All the above.
 IMPORTANT CHEMICAL
ADMIXTURES
• Air entraining admixtures
• Plasticizers
• Super plasticizers
• Retarders and Retarding Plasticizers
• Accelerators and Accelerating Plasticizers
• Coloring admixtures
• Damp-proofing and Waterproofing Admixtures
• Fungicidal, Germicidal, Insecticidal Admixtures
Accelerators
 Accelerators
 Admixtures used to accelerate the rate of setting
and hardening of concrete.
 As they increase the rate of early strength
development.
 They are useful for: quick repairs, where early
removal of form work required for use and for
concreting in cold weather.
 Types of Accelerators
 calcium chloride

 sodium carbonate

 aluminum chloride

 potassium carbonate

 ferric salts
 Quiz 2
1. Admixtures are added in concrete to enhance the
properties of concrete
a) Yes
b) No
2. Accelerators in concrete .
a) Chloride based
b) Non-chloride based
c) All the above.
 Quiz 3
1. Admixtures are added in concrete is less than
a) 5% by weight of cement
b) 10% by weight of cement
c) 20% by weight of cement
d) 50% by weight of cement
2. There are number of admixtures based on
improvement in the properties of concrete.
a) Yes
b) No
 Quiz 4
1. Admixtures are added in concrete is less than
a) sodium carbonate
b) aluminum chloride
c) potassium carbonate
d) ferric salts
2. Using accelerators, in conjunction with good curing
procedures, helps to protect the concrete from
freezing.
a) Yes
b) No
 Accelerators
 Chloride accelerators: CaCl2 (most popular)
NaCl

 Non-chloride accelerators

Organic Accelerators: Inorganic Accelerators:

Amines (triethanol amine – Nitrates and nitrites of Ca and
TEA, diethanol amine – Na, thiocyanates,
DEA), carboxylic acids (Ca thiosulphates, and
salts of formic and acetic carbonates of Ca and Na.
acid), formaldehyde.
 Calcium Chloride Accelerators vs
Non-Calcium Chloride
Accelerators
 The main difference between the two types of
accelerators is the presence of water soluble chloride
ions.
 These ions can hurt and corrode the steel reinforcement
that has been embedded in some concrete structures.
 The chloride ions will stimulate the corrosion process
within the steel and may eventually lead to a failure.
 Which type of accelerators and when
should they be used?
 Accelerators should be used when ambient temperature
approaches freezing conditions, and when an increase
in concrete strength is required at an early age.
 However, the main reason concrete contractors use
accelerators is to reduce the set time of the concrete.
 During cold weather, it takes longer for concrete to
reach initial set.
 Which type of accelerators and
when should they be used? Cont..
 The cold temperature delays the hydration process of
the cement thus taking longer to gain strength or
harden.
 Waiting on the concrete to set, increases the cost for the
contractor to place the concrete and can increase
frustration levels for the finishers.
 Using accelerators, in conjunction with good curing
procedures, helps to protect the concrete from freezing.
Studies have also shown that concrete strengths are
often higher when accelerators have been used during
placements.
 Which type of accelerators and
when should they be used Cont...
 Calcium chloride accelerators are inexpensive and
relatively easy to use.
 However, the bags of calcium flakes are usually mixed
up in a bucket at the job site, and then poured into the
concrete mixer and allowed to mix in the drum for a
few minutes.
 The consistency of the calcium accelerator throughout
the load may not be homogenous and the concrete may
have “spongy” areas during finishing operations.
 How these accelerators are mixed in
concrete...
 Ready mix concrete producer can offer a simple
solution for using accelerators.
 Either admixture can be introduced into your concrete
during mixing procedures at the plant and in the mixer.
 This will save you time and reduce the risk of injury for
all employees.
 How these accelerators are mixed in
concrete...
 The job specifications dictate which admixtures have
been approved by the engineer of in charge.
 the ready mix producer would recommend using non-
calcium chloride accelerators placed in each load
during the batching process.
 This practice would save all parties time and money,
reduce the risk of injury and produce a quality product.
 Quiz
1. Quality control is important to achieve good
strength
a) Yes
b) No
2. What are the factors causing variation in the
quality of concrete are_________.
a)Personnel
b) Material, Equipment and Workmanship
c) Admixtures
d) All the above.
 Some of the Accelerators
commonly used in concrete
 Sodium thiocyanates and other thiocyanate salts
 Triethanolamine and other alkanolamines
 Products based on sulfates, nitrates and formates
 Calcium chloride (Not used now)
 Some of the soluble carbonates
 Silicates fluosilicates (Expensive)
 Some of the organic compounds such as
triethenolamine (Expensive)
 Accelerators

Application Material
• Permit early removal of • Calcium chloride- not
formwork. more than 0.4 %
• Reduced the required
• Soluble carbonates,
period of curing.
silicates, fluosilicates and
• Advanced the time in
some of the organic
which structure can be
placed in service. compounds.
• Cold weather concreting
• In emergency repair work
• Under water concreting
 Advantages of using calcium
chloride(CaCl₂):
 Early strength development.
 Used when concrete placed at low temperatures.
 When urgent repair work is required.
 It acts as a catalyst in the hydration of C₂S and C₃S.
 Increase the resistance of concrete to erosion and
abrasion.
 Calcium chloride may be added
to rapid-hardening(type III) and
to ordinary portland (type I)
cement
 Calcium chloride must not be used with high alumina
cement. Calcium chloride addition intensifies the
hydration of the calcium magnesium aluminate
cement and halts the cement hydration.

 Long-term strength of concrete is unaffected.

 Effect of quantity of CaCl₂ on
the mix:
 It accelerates setting,
 however overdose can cause flash set.
 To calculate the quantity required it can be assumed that
the addition of 1% of calcium chloride ( as a fraction of
the mass of cement) affects the rate of hardening as much
as a rise in temperature of 6° C.
 A calcium chloride content of 1 to 2 percent is generally
sufficient.
 Calcium chloride should be uniformly distributed
throughout the mix by dissolving the admixture in mixing
water then adding it to the concrete mix
 Disadvantages of calcium
chloride:
 It reduces the resistance of cement to sulphate attack.
 Increases the risk of alkali aggregate reaction.
 Increases shrinkage and creep of concrete.
 Lowers the resistance of air-entrained concrete to
freezing and thawing at later ages.
 Increase the plastic shrinkage because the plastic stage
is extended.
 It has been found to cause corrosion to reinforcement
in certain cases.
 Quiz 4
• 1. What is accelerator?
a) Which speed up the initial set of concrete
b) Which delays the initial set of concrete
c) Which speed up the final set of concrete
d) Which delays the final set of concrete
• Answer: a
Explanation: An admixture used to speed up the initial
set of concrete is called accelerator.
 What students have learnt
from the topic
 The students have learned how to improve the
properties of concrete using accelerator in concrete
while maintaining the desired engineering
properties.
 After this study students will gain the deep
knowledge about the accelerator in making good
concrete and apply it when they work at site.
 Assignment :-

 Explain how the concrete accelerator work in

concrete the mix.

Enumerate some of the accelerators used in

construction industry with their specific applications.
 Reference
Books

Concrete Technology (R. P. Rethaliya)

Concrete Technology (M. S. Shetty)

Web Sites
www.concretenetwork.com
www.constructionlearning.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WZbX8hTe_s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDZJzOvqWs
THANK YOU