Admixtures

Concrete Admixtures

Learning Objectives
ƒ Provide an introduction of chemical
admixtures for use in concrete
ƒ Discuss definitions, uses, benefits, and
cautionary measures
Introduction 3

Definition (ACI 116 R-00)

A material other than water, aggregates,
hydraulic cement, and fibre reinforcement,
used as an ingredient of a cementitious
mixture to modify its freshly mixed, setting, or
hardened properties and that is added to the
batch before or during its mixing
 4

Introduction
• A modern concrete is more than a
mixture of cement, aggregate and
water
• ADMIXTURES and MINERAL
COMPONENTS are becoming as
ESSENTIAL as PORTLAND
CEMENT when making modern
concrete

Today Concrete
without mineral
components or
admixtures is found
in museums
 5
Introduction
• Major reasons for using admixtures are:
ƒ To reduce the cost of concrete construction
ƒ To achieve certain properties in concrete more
effectively than by other means
ƒ To maintain the quality of concrete during the
stages of mixing, transporting, placing, and
curing in adverse weather conditions
ƒ To overcome certain emergencies during
concreting operations
• It should be borne in mind that no
admixture of any type or amount can be
considered a substitute for good concrete
practice
 Introduction
Admixtures can be used to modify
various fresh and hardened concrete
properties:
Fresh state Hardened state
ƒ decrease water content
ƒ increase workability ƒ improve frost resistance
ƒ reduce segregation ƒ improve impact & abrasion
resistance
ƒ reduce the rate of slump
loss ƒ inhibit expansion due to ASR
ƒ improve pumpability ƒ inhibit corrosion
ƒ improve placeability & ƒ reduce shrinkage cracking
finishability ƒ reduce permeability
ƒ modify the rate of bleeding ƒ produce colored concrete
ƒ retard or accelerate ƒ produce cellular concrete
setting time
 7

Chemical Admixture Types

• Water-reducing admixtures
(plasticizers)
• Retarding admixtures
• Accelerators
• Corrosion inhibitors
• Air-entraining admixtures
• Lubricants and densifiers
• Self Consolidating Concrete (SCC)
• ASTM Specification
 8
Water Reducers and
Superplasticizers
 9

Water Reducing Admixtures

• Overview
ƒ Can be used to reduce water content, improve
slump or both
ƒ Three groups: low-, medium- and high-range
• How it works
ƒ Changes surface charges of particles, reducing
flocculation and water adsorption
• Effects on Concrete
ƒ Increased strength
ƒ Increased slump and workability
Water Reducer and 10

Superplasticizers
Definition (ACI 116)
Admixtures that either increase slump of freshly-
mixed mortar or concrete without increasing
water content OR maintain slump with a
reduced amount of water, the effect being due
to factors other than air entrainment
Water Reducer and 11

Superplasticizers
How they work

Without admixture With admixture

 Effect of Water Reducer
Water Reducer
(disperses materials
for better flowability)

No Water Reducer
(Materials are clinging
together)
 13

Why Water Reduction?

• Provides dispersion of cement
• Strength
ƒ reduces water demand while maintaining slump
(workability) thus increases concrete strength

• Benefit
ƒ lower concrete permability
ƒ Can reduce concrete costs with less cementitious
material if used correctly
 14

Classification
• Normal water reducer (decreases the water
requirements by about 5 – 10%)
ƒ Ca or Na salts of lignosulfonic acid
ƒ salts of hydroxycarboxylic acids
ƒ Carbohydrate
• Mid-range water-reducing (decreases the water
requirements by about 6 – 12%) …. no ASTM
ƒ Complex aqueous solution of lignosulfonates with
accelerating admixtures
ƒ Polycarboxylate ether with set and strength enhancing
ingredients

• Superplasticizer (decreases the water requirements by

about 12 - 30%)
ƒ Sulfonated melamine formaldehyde
ƒ Sulfonated naphtalene formaldehyde
ƒ Polycarboxylates
Effects on Properties of Fresh 15

Concrete
• The use of water reducer /
superplasticer:
ƒ Increases slump
ƒ Improves flow
ƒ Improves placing
ƒ Improves pumpability
ƒ Improves finishability
ƒ Improves formed surfaces
ƒ Effect on air content and setting
Effects on Properties of 16

Hardened Concrete
• When using water reducer /
superplasticizer
ƒ Compressive strength increases
ƒ Permeability decreases
ƒ Chloride resistance increases
ƒ Frost resistance improves
ƒ Increases sulfate resistance
ƒ Increases resistance to abrasion
 17

Retarding Admixtures

How it works
ƒ Decreases the rate of cement hydration
(C3S)
ƒ Admixture absorbs into calcium
hydroxide atoms and temporarily inhibit
their growth into larger crystals
Effects on Concrete
ƒ Delays Initial set
 18

Accelerators
• How they work
ƒ Increases rate of cement hydration (C3S)
• Why accelerate concrete?
ƒ Shorten the setting time
ƒ Quicker early strength
ƒ Reduce bleeding
ƒ Earlier finishing
ƒ Improved protection against freezing / thawing
ƒ Earlier use of structure
ƒ Reduction of protection time to achieve a
given quality
 19

Calcium Chloride

• Very effective & economical accelerator

• Cautions when using chloride-bearing
admixture
ƒ do not use in prestressed concrete
ƒ high potential to cause corrosion
ƒ calcium chloride should not exceed 2% in non
reinforced concrete
ƒ calcium chloride should not exceed 1% when
concrete contains uncoated aluminum conduit
ƒ can cause discoloration issues (dark and light
gray spots, especially on hard trowled
finishes)
Time of Set Control Retarding vs
Accelerating

Always a
compromise
 21

Corrosion Inhibitors

• How it works
ƒ Passive film protects reinforcing steel
from corrosion in the high pH
environment of concrete
ƒ Chloride screening
• Effects on Concrete
ƒ May accelerate initial set
 22

Corrosion Inhibitors

• Control Corrosion of Steel

Reinforcement
• Dosage dependent on
anticipated chloride level
 23

Air Entraining Admixtures

• Overview
ƒ Create stable system of microscopic air
bubbles
• How it works
ƒ Microscopic air bubbles gives water a place to
expand during freezing conditions
• Effects on Concrete
ƒ Increased resistance to freeze-thaw damage
ƒ Improved workability of fresh concrete
 24

Lubricants & Densifiers

• How it works
ƒ Helps ‘stiff’ mixes become more workable
• Effects on Concrete
ƒ Achieve benefits of proper consolidation,
including strength, watertightness, etc.
 25

Self-Consolidating Concrete

• How it works
ƒ Superplasticizers make more ‘fluid’
ƒ Viscosity Modifiers prevent aggregate and paste
segregation during flow
• Effects on Concrete
ƒ Increased strength
ƒ Increased slump and workability
ƒ Better appearance
 26

Current Admixture Standards

ƒ ASTM C 494 ƒ Chemical Admixtures

ƒ ASTM C 260 ƒ Air-entraining Admixtures

ƒ ASTM D 98 ƒ Calcium Chloride

ƒ ASTM C 869 ƒ Foaming Agents

ƒ ASTM C 1141 ƒ Admixture for Shotcrete

ƒ ASTM C 1017 ƒ Flowing Concrete

ƒ ASTM C 937 ƒ Grout Fluidifier

ƒ ASTM C 979 ƒ Pigments

Questions?