Admixtures for Concrete

CIVE 401- 19/02/10

Dept Civil Engineering
University of Liverpool

John Dransfield

Cement Admixtures Association

www.admixtures.org.uk

Cement Admixtures Association

 Admixtures

• Admixtures are Chemicals typically consisting of

– 1 or 2 major constituents
– + 2 or 3 minor constituents

• Added to the concrete during mixing

– Usually as an aqueous solution, < 40% active chemical

• Quantity is very small

– 0.2 to 5.0% Admixture by weight on cement
– Active chemical usually less than 0.15% on the concrete

• European Standard – (BS) EN 934 parts 1 to 6 & BS 8443

• Admixtures modify the properties of the concrete in the

Plastic and / or Hardened state

Cement Admixtures Association

Cement Admixtures Association
 Why use Admixtures?
• Economic - Producer
– Optimised mix design

• Placing - Contractor
– appropriate workability (consistence), compactability, cohesion,
setting and strength development

• Problem Solving – Designer / Engineer

– concrete that will meet special needs for placing or performance

• Durability - Owner
– Ensuring that concrete fulfils its design requirements for the
intended life of the structure

• Sustainability - Everyone
– helping to reduce the health and safety aspects of concrete during
placing and environmental impact during its life cycle
– www.sustainableconcrete.org.uk

Cement Admixtures Association

 Current Admixture Use
• Admixtures are currently used in over 80% of all Ready Mixed and
Precast Concrete
– Admixtures are normal ingredient of concrete, together with Cement,
Aggregate, Additions and Water

• Admixture sales by type for 2006

Plasticisers
Superplasticisers
Acc / Ret
Air Ent
Water Resistant
Other Admixtures
Mortars

Cement Admixtures Association

 Admixture Types to EN 934
Normal Plasticisers (Water reducers) EN 934-2 T2

Superplasticisers (High Range WR) EN 934-2 T3

Air Entraining EN 934-2 T4

Accelerating EN 934-2 T6 & 7

Retarding EN 934-2 T8

Water Resisting (Waterproofing) EN 934-2 T9

Mortar Admixtures EN 934-3

Grout Admixtures EN 934-4

Sprayed Concrete Admixtures EN 934-5

Cement Admixtures Association

 Other Admixture Types
Corrosion Inhibiting Admixtures BS 8443 T4
Foamed Concrete Admixtures BS 8443 T7
Polymer Dispersion Admixtures
Pumping Admixtures BS 8443 T5
Viscosity Modifying (Segregation Reducing) BS 8443 T6
Admixtures
Semi-Dry concrete Admixtures BS 8443
Shrinkage Reducing Admixtures BS 8443 T3
Washwater Recycling Admixtures
Anti-Washout Underwater Concrete BS 8443 T2
Admixtures

Cement Admixtures Association

 Plasticisers & Superplasticisers

• 80% of all Concrete Admixture Sales

• Both types are essentially Particle Dispersants

• The difference is in the dispersing power

– But also in the secondary effects:
• Retardation
• Air entrainment

• Also known as Water Reducers / High Range

Water Reducers

Cement Admixtures Association

 Particle Dispersants
• Dispersants are Polymers that adsorb onto the particle
surface by electrostatic attraction

• The polymer then repels other particles, either by

electrostatic repulsion or by steric repulsion

• This repulsion prevents particles from flocculating into

clumps which would trap water and by their size, reduce
mobility

• In a cementitious mix the effect of the dispersant is to

increase the consistance or fluidity of the mix for a given
W/C ratio

Cement Admixtures Association

 Particle Dispersion

• Dispersing Effect of Plasticisers & Superplasticisers

cement flocs cement is uniformly dispersed

reduce fluidity increasing fluidity

add a plasticising
admixture

• This Can be demonstrated with a simple grout mix

Cement Admixtures Association

 Dispersant Uses

• Plasticise at = Cement content & W/C

– Increased Consistence

• Water Reduce to = Consistance

– Increased Strength,
– Reduced Permeability

• Cement & Water Reduce to = W/C & Consistence

– Lower £, lower water use, lower cementitous
– Improved sustainability, lower embedded CO2

Cement Admixtures Association

 Slump Test

Cement Admixtures Association

 Plasticisers vs Superplasticisers
Plasticiser Superplasticiser

Main constituent Lignosulphonate Melamine Polymers SMFC

Selected Carbohydrates Naphthalene Polymers SNFC
Polycarboxylate Ethers PCE
Typical dose (40% 0.3 to 0.5% 0.6 to 1.5%
Solution)
Cost Plasticiser x 2
Not economic for cement cost
savings
Overdose Retardation Little effect till x 2 overdose
Air Entrainment Without water reduction, mix
may segregate
Water reduction 8 to 12% 16 to 30% +

Blends of superplasticiser with lignosulphonate give cost effective mid range

products with beneficial properties.

Cement Admixtures Association

 Increased Consistence 1
• Add the plasticiser / superplasticiser to the concrete.
– W/C does not change so strength and durability are
unchanged, only consistence increases

• 50 to 120 mm slump for site use

– Normal Plasticiser

• 180 to 220 mm slump for flowing concrete and congested

reinforcement
– Mid range or Superplasticiser
– Pump mix

• Self Compacting Concrete for self levelling concrete, very

congested reinforcement, high quality surfaces, difficult
shapes, H&S – vibration free (reduces noise), no vibration
white finger and back problems.
– PCE Superplasticiser needed

Cement Admixtures Association

 Photo 1

Cement Admixtures Association

High Flow but not quite self- compacting

Cement Admixtures Association

 Water Reduction
• Normal Plasticiser – Water Reducer
– Typically 8 to 10%
– Benefit for this application limited:
• Help offset strength loss in air entrained concrete
• Reduce permeability for water resistant concrete
– Main use is to reduce cement & water to reduce cost
• May also provide some increased consistence

• Superplasticisers – High Range WR

– Typically 16 to 20% can go to over 30% with PCE
– Large strength increase, especially at early age
– Permeability reduced by an order of magnitude
– Finds extensive use for:
• Precast – early age strength, reduced need for heating
• Durability – reduced chloride penetration, carbonation etc
• Early strength on site – road & airfield repair

Cement Admixtures Association

Water Reduction and Strength
Superplasticiser
Water Reduction

Control – w/c = 0.6

30 MPa @ 28d

- 20% w/c = 0.48

42 MPa @ 28d
+ 40%

- 30% w/c = 0.42

50 MPa @ 28d
+ 67%

Cement Admixtures Association

 Water Reduction on Porosity

1m3 Cement Water W/C Agg Hydration Void/Pore

Water Water
Wt 350 200 0.57 1850

Vol 110 200 700 80 120

Wt

Vol

Wt

Vol

Cement Admixtures Association

 Water Reduction on Porosity

1m3 Cement Water W/C Agg Hydration Void/Pore

Water Water
Wt 350 200 0.57 1850

Vol 110 200 700 80 120

Wt 350 160 0.46 1895

(-20%)

Vol 110 160 730 80 80 (-35%)

Wt

Vol

Cement Admixtures Association

Water Reduction on Permeability

40

35
Powers
Permeability X 10-14 m/s

30
Admixtures
25

20

15

10

0
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6
W/C

Cement Admixtures Association

 Water Reduction and Chloride
Diffusion
• Water Cement ratio plays a major part in reducing
the ingress of aggressive chemicals including
chloride ions due to the use of de-icing salts or
exposure to a marine environment
Mix Cement W/C 28d Strength Chloride Diff
Mpa X 10-12 m2/sec
Control 305 PC 0.61 31.5 51.0
HRWR 305 PC 0.51 45.0 22.0
Control 375 PC 0.51 44.5 28.0
HRWR 360 PC 0.41 58.0 8.1
HRWR 450 PC 0.34 72.0 5.4

Cement Admixtures Association

Self-Compacting Concrete

Cement Admixtures Association

 Self-Compacting Concrete

• SCC resulted from the development of PolyCarboxylate

Ether (PCE) Superplasticisers.

• SCC requires a combination of:

– High fluidity
– Resistance to segregation
– Resistance to blocking in congested reinforcement

• Earlier Superplasticisers could not consistently produce

concrete that exhibited all these properties.

• SCC requires greater control on constituent quality and on

production control so is not appropriate for all concrete.

Cement Admixtures Association

 Use of high consistence concrete
• Pre 1970 – most concrete 50 to 120mm slump, occasionally 180mm

• 1970 – 1995 up to 220mm slump

– Based on SMF or SNF Superplasticisers
– required little vibration or compaction

• 1990 – Japan introduces SCC

• 1995 – Europe experiments with SCC

• 2003 to date – SCC use increasing

– Widely used in Precast
• Low noise
• Early strength
• Excellent surface finish
– Used on site mainly for special applications:
• Difficult access
• Difficult shapes
• Improved surface finish

Cement Admixtures Association

High Flow but not Self-Compacting

Cement Admixtures Association

 SCC mix design
• High powder content
– PC + ggbs, pfa, limestone fines etc 450 to 600 kg/m3
– PCE Superplasticiser
– Sand 45 to 55% of aggregate
– Coarse aggregate normally <16mm
– Viscosity Modifying Admixture may be needed

• Mix design must 100% consistently achieve:

– Good flow
– No segregation
– Good passing ability through reinforcement /no blocking
– Appropriate viscosity / speed of flow

• SCC mix design requires an in depth knowledge of concrete mix

design and materials as well as consistently good constituents
– SCC should only be purchased from companies with a proven track
record for consistent and high quality supply of this type of concrete.

Cement Admixtures Association

 Consistence by Slump Flow
• Most SCC will have a slump
flow of 660 – 750 mm

• A J-Ring or L-Box should not

significantly reduce the flow
and there should be no
height step from inside to
outside the bars.

• Coarse aggregate should be

visible at the surface and
right up to the outer edges

• There should be no
indication of bleed or grout
separation even if left to
stand.

Cement Admixtures Association

Precast – High flow & No Vibration

Cement Admixtures Association

Site – High flow & No Compaction

Cement Admixtures Association

High flow and good passing ability

Cement Admixtures Association

Cement Admixtures Association
Precast – Surface Detail

Cement Admixtures Association

 Surface Quality

Cement Admixtures Association

 Air Entrainment
• 1% Air reduces strength by
about 5%

• Air entrainment:
– Provides Freeze Thaw
resistance. Is a
requirement for highway
pavements

– Air increases the

apparent paste volume,
increasing cohesion,
reducing settlement and
can significantly reduce
bleed

– In low fines mixes and

semi dry concrete it
lubricates the mix,
improving compaction

Cement Admixtures Association

 Freeze-Thaw

Cement Admixtures Association

Cohesion/Bleed reduction

Cement Admixtures Association

 Freeze Thaw Resistance
• Occurs when saturated concrete is subjected to Freeze
Thaw action.
– Water in the capillaries freezes, generating pressure and
causing the surface to spall

• Aggravated if de-icing salts are used

– De-icing salts can increase the rate of freezing within the
concrete
– Can result in osmotic pressure due to concentration gradients

• Entrained Air:
– Does not fill with water in saturated concrete due to capillary
action
– Relieves the pressure if water in the capillaries start to freeze
– Bubble spacing needs to be small (< 0.2 mm spacing factor)
– Bubble size typically less than 0.3 mm

Cement Admixtures Association

 Air Entrained Concrete

N/mm2 W/C Air

Control 58 0.50 1.3

HRWR 74 0.40 1.0

AEA 53 0.47 3.5

120
Dynamic Modulus %

100
80
60
40 Control
20 HRWR
AEA
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 800 1000
Freeze thaw Cycles

Cement Admixtures Association

 Accelerating Admixtures
• Acceleration of Set or Strength?
– Most types do one or other not both.

• Sprayed Concrete accelerators

– very fast set, not covered in this talk.

• Calcium Chloride
– accelerates both set and strength.
– very cost effective
– enhances corrosion of embedded steel

• Other Accelerators
– Less effective than Calcium chloride
– Usually accelerate Set or Strength but not both

Cement Admixtures Association

 Use of Accelerating Admixtures

• Superplasticisers have generally replaced strength

accelerators

• Accelerators are most effective at low temperatures

• Use accelerators for very early strength, < 12 hours

• > 12 hours strength, better to use HRWR

– 24 hour strength can be more than 200% of a control mix
– HRWR can be used with a set accelerator
– Accelerating HRWR admixtures are also available

• Use set acceleration for:

– Early finishing of floors
– Early strength for access (Pavement repairs - Roads/Airports)

Cement Admixtures Association

 Retarding Admixtures
• Most retarders do not maintain the workability at the initial
level
– Some special workability retention admixtures are available
but usually need a special accelerator to initiate setting.

• Retarders delay the setting

• Setting equates to the time when two layers of concrete can

no longer be vibrated to fully remove a joint between
concrete pours.

• Retarders are often incorperated in plasticisers or

superplasticisers to give higher initial workability and
hence longer workability = Retarding Plasticisers etc

Cement Admixtures Association

Workability retention and Set retardation 1

Workability
retention

Retardation

Cement Admixtures Association

 Slump Retention Normal Plasticiser

200
Control
150
Slump mm

Water
Reduced
100
Plasticised

50

0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210
Time after mixing, min

Cement Admixtures Association

Slump Retention Retarding Plasticiser

200
Control
150
Slump mm

Retarded
100
Plasticised
50

0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240
Time after mixing, min

Cement Admixtures Association

Workability retention and Set retardation 2

Slump

80 mm
0 slump but not set 0 mm
0 slump & setting
NO cold Joint
Cold Joint Formed

Set

Cement Admixtures Association

 Water Resisting (waterproofing)

• Function:
– Reduce water absorption into the concrete surface
and / or
– Reduce passage of water through the concrete

• Action:
– Reduce number and continuity of the capillary pore
structure with a water reducer
– AND:
– Block the capillary pores
– OR:
– Line capillaries with hydrophobic material to prevent
capillary suction into the concrete

Cement Admixtures Association

Water Resisting Admixture Selection

• Hydrophobic types line

the capillary wall but are
only effective against
rain and low water
pressure

• Capillary blockers are

needed if there is water
pressure

• Many waterproofing
admixture also contain a
water reducer to reduce
the capillary continuity

Cement Admixtures Association

 Corrosion Inhibiting Admixtures
• Act on embedded steel
– Increases the passivation state of the steel
– Raises Corrosion threshold potential
– Coat surface with resistant organic mono
molecular layer

• Migratory, surface applied corrosion inhibitors

are not admixtures.

Cement Admixtures Association

 Corrosion Inhibitor Use
• Corrosion Inhibitors are not a substitute for good concrete

• They do provide additional protection at the end of the

structures working life.
• They work by increasing the time for corrosion to start,
after the time when chloride or carbonation reaches the
embedded steel surface

• Durable concrete design should prevent chloride or carbon

dioxide from reaching the steel within the design life of the
concrete

Cement Admixtures Association

 Corrosion Inhibitor principle

• Concrete Spec
– PC 350kg/m3, W/C 0.40
– Reinforcement at 40 mm
– Chloride Diffusion Coeff 9x10-12 m2/s

• No Corrosion Inhibitor
– Chloride corrosion threshold 0.4% on cement
– Threshold reached after 30 years

• Corrosion Inhibitor added at 10 lit/m3 (30% soln)

– Chloride corrosion threshold raised to 0.8% on cement
– Threshold reached after 60 years

Cement Admixtures Association

 Other Admixture Types
Corrosion Inhibiting Admixtures BS 8443 T4
Foamed Concrete Admixtures BS 8443 T7
Polymer Dispersion Admixtures
Pumping Admixtures BS 8443 T5
Viscosity Modifying (Segregation Reducing) BS 8443 T6
Admixtures
Semi-Dry concrete Admixtures BS 8443
Shrinkage Reducing Admixtures BS 8443 T3
Washwater Recycling Admixtures
Anti-Washout Underwater Concrete BS 8443 T2
Admixtures

Cement Admixtures Association

 Further Information on Admixtures
• As a condition of membership CAA members all provide a
high level of Technical Support as well as supplying high
quality products

• CAA web site: www.admixtures.org.uk

– Details on CAA member companies
– Free download publications:
• ATS = 17 Admixture Technical Sheets
• AIS = 15 Admixture Information Sheets
• AES = 12 Admixture Environmental Sheets
• Guideline documents on SCC, VMA and Special Purpose
Admixtures

• Concrete Society Technical Reports:

– TR 18 Guide to admixture selection
– TR 62 Self-Compacting Concrete

Cement Admixtures Association