nAccelerators

nRetarders
nWater Reducers
nSuperplasticizers (HRWR)
nAir Entrainers

Construction Materials
M1K221884 & M1K225125
 Admixtures and Additives
Admixtures are ingredients
other than Portland cement,
water and aggregates that are
added to the mixture
immediately before or during
mixing

Additives are added to the

cement during its production
(example: gypsum)

VIP !!!
Very Important
Point
Accelerators

— Early Strength & Faster Rate

— Increase strength gain rate

— Reduce time before finishing
operations begin
— Reduce required curing time
— Final strength not affected

— Cold weather placement - Most efficient accelerators:

Calcium Chloride - CaCl2
— in low temperatures hydration Novel accelerators:
and strength gain is very slow Calcium Sulphoaluminate - CSA
 Retarders
— Delay Initial Set
— Offset Effects of Hot Weather
— Long Hauls

— May also reduce time between

initial and final set
— Reduce early strength
— Special Finishes (i.e. exposed aggregate)
— Also entrain air and improve
workability in some cases

Two types
Organic: Lignosulphonates, Sugars…
Inorganic: Phosphonates, Borates….
Water Reducing Admixtures (WRA)
— Plasticisers

— Minimize amount of water

required for workability
— Improve Workability
— Increase Strength at the same
Fresh concrete
workability
— Reduce Cement Content (cost)
at the same strength Commonly used:
Calcium, sodium and
ammonium lignosulphonates
Superplasticizers
(High Range Water Reducers (HRWR) Used For High Strength Concrete)
n Responsible for neutralizing the surface charges on the cement particles and
causing dispersion, thus releasing the water tied up in the cement particle
agglomerations and thereafter reducing the viscosity of the paste and
concrete

— Low w/c ratio

— Thin Sections
— Minimal Clearance at Forms and
Reinforcement
— Pumping
— Underwater Placement
— Difficult Consolidation
— Rapid loss of workability (added at
jobsite)
Mindess and Young, 1981
 VIP !!!
The Effects of WRA Very Important
Point

Strength > A
Workability = B

+ cement

Strength = A IN BOTH CASES WE NEED TO ADD MORE CEMENT !

Workability = B

+ cement
+ water

Strength = A
Workability > B
 VIP !!!
The Effects of WRA Very Important
Point

Strength > A
Workability = B

+ cement

Strength = A
Workability = B

+ cement
+ water
+ WRA

Strength = A
Strength = A Workability > B
Workability > B
 VIP !!!
The Effects of WRA Very Important
Point

Strength > A Strength >A

Workability = B - water Workability = B
+ WRA

+ cement

Strength = A
Workability = B

+ cement
+ water + WRA

Strength = A
Strength = A Workability > B
Workability > B
 VIP !!!
The Effects of WRA Very Important
Point

Strength > A Strength > A

Workability = B - water Workability = B
+ WRA

+ cement
+ WRA Strength = A
Strength = A Workability = B
Workability = B - cement
- water

+ cement
+ water + WRA

Strength = A
Workability > B
Strength = A
Workability > B
 Traditional Design Design with WRA

Strength > A - water Strength > A

Workability = B + WRA Workability = B

+ cement
+ WRA Strength = A
Strength = A Workability = B
Workability = B
- cement
- water

+ cement
+ water
+ WRA

Strength = A
Workability > B
Strength = A
Workability > B
 VIP !!!
Very Important
Workability aids / plasticisers Point

— It is possible to produce concrete at the extremes of performance

using the admixture which could not be made conventionally.
Attempts to produce high strength concrete with high workability using
conventional mixes can fail because richness of the mix can cause
problems with shrinkage, segregation of aggregates and excessive heat
during hydration.

— The mix containing plasticisers will always contain less cement and
water then the equivalent mix made without admixture.

— Because of lower cement content, there is a financial saving for a mix

with given properties which can be set against the additional cost of
admixture.
 Air Entrainers
— Produce a network of air bubbles in Water on freezing
cement paste matrix
increases volume by 9%
— Provide space for water to expand upon
freezing

— Air in Concrete:

— Entrapped air:
Air in concrete which is not purposely
entrained
— Entrained air :
Microscopic air bubbles
intentionally incorporated in Frost damaged concrete
mortar or concrete

— Entrapped: 1mm or larger

— Entrained: 0.01 to 1mm
Air-Entraining Agents
WATER IN CONCRETE:
• CHEMICALLY BOUND FORM - NON-EVAPORABLE
• GEL AND CAPILLARY WATER – EVAPORABLE

EXPANSIVE FORCES CREATED WITHIN THE CAPILLARY STRUCTURE

Water Ice

Before freezing After freezing

THE MINUTE AIR BUBBLES ACT AS RESERVOIRS FOR ICE EXPANSION

14
 VIP !!!
REQUIREMENT

THE BUBBLE NEED TO BE EMPTY AND NOT FULL OF WATER

Allowance for expansion is ensured by orientation of the

molecules of air-entraining agent
Hydrophobic “tails” of molecules prevent wetting

High pressure during ice expansion easily overcome this effect

During thawing of ice water is pushed away from air bubbles

Freezing water

Hydrophobic
tails

15
 Air Entrainers
— Advantages of Air Entrained Concrete
— Fresh Concrete
— Improved Workability
— reduced segregation
— earlier finishing
— less sand
— less water
— Hardened Concrete
— improved freeze thaw resistance
— improved scaling resistance to de-icers
— improved resistance to sulphate attack

— Disadvantage of Air Entrained Concrete

— Reduced Strength
— for every 1 percent increase in air, the compressive
strength will be reduced by 2-6%
Mineral Admixtures
— Cementitious
— Cementitious materials are substances that alone have hydraulic
cementing properties (set and harden in the presence of water).
— Pozzolanic
— Pozzolan is a material which, when combined with calcium
hydroxide, exhibits cementitious properties.
— Pozzolanic-Cementitious
— Nominally Inert (Marble, dolomite and granite)
— Improve workability
— Filler

n to enhance the workability of fresh concrete;

n to improve resistance of concrete to thermal cracking, alkali-
aggregate expansion, and sulphate attack; and
n to enable a reduction in cement content
Mineral Admixtures

— Cementitious Mineral Admixtures

— Blast Furnace Slag
— Natural Cement
— Hydrated Lime

— Pozzolans
— Siliceous & Aluminous material having little or no
cementitious value by itself
Mineral Admixtures

— Pulverised Fuel Ash (pfa) - Fly ash

— Used as partial cement replacement
— Fly ashes exhibit both pozzolanic and cementitious properties
— Advantages of Fly ash
— Improve workability
— Reduce permeability
— Reduce bleeding
— Increase ultimate strength
— Reduced heat of hydration
— Possible reduction in alkali silica reaction

— Disadvantages of Fly ash

— Slower strength gain
— Seasonal limitation
 Mineral Admixtures
— Granulated Blast Furnace Slag
— Advantages
— possible improved sulphate
resistance
— Reduced permeability
— Possible reduction in alkali
silica reaction
— Disadvantages
— Lower early strength
Special Admixtures
— Workability Agents
— Corrosion Inhibitors : affect and alter the corrosion process
— Damp Proofing Agents
— Permeability Reducing Agents
— Fungicidal, Germicidal, & Insecticidal Admixtures
— Pumping Aids
— Bonding Agents
— Grouting Agents
— Gas Forming Agents
— Colouring Agents
Final comments
— Remember that admixtures interact with one another and
can produce unexpected results when used in combination.

— Temperature and humidity can significantly affect admixture

performance on site.

— If possible, trial batches should be produced at anticipated field

conditions to establish the optimum admixture dosage.

— The best concrete mix is usually the simplest, with the fewest
ingredients (keep it simple !)