Admixtures

Presented By
Engr. Malik Hammad Naseer
Registration Number : 14PWCIV4193

Presented To
Dr. Muhammad Rizwan

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology

Peshawar, Pakistan
 Contents of Presentation
❖ Introduction to Admixtures
❖ History
❖ Purpose of Using Admixtures
❖ Effects of Admixtures on Concrete
❖ Types of Admixtures
 Introduction
Admixtures is defined as a material other than, cement, water and aggregates,
that is used as an ingredient of concrete and is added to the batch before or
during mixing of concrete.
 History
History of admixtures is as old as the history of concrete.

It holds a very vast field, but a few type of admixtures called Water Reducers or
High Range Water Reducers have been developed recently.

They are developed in Japan and Germany around 1970.

Later on they found use in U.S.A., Europe, Middle East and Far East etc. However
in Asia they became popular around 1985.
 Introduction
Purpose of using Admixture
Now a days concrete is used for wide variety of purposes to make it suitable for
different conditions such as, hot weather and cold weather or the regions which are
prone to Sulphate attack or chloride attack etc.

In these conditions, ordinary concrete may fail to exhibit the required quality
performance or durability.

In such cases, admixtures is used to modify the properties of ordinary

concrete so as to make it suitable for any condition.
 Introduction
Effects on Admixtures on Properties on Fresh Concrete
To increase workability without increasing the water cement ratio.
To retard or accelerate time of initial and final setting
To modify the rate of bleeding
To retard segregation
To increase cohesion between aggregate particles of concrete mix
To improve pumpability
To reduce the rate of loss of workability
 Introduction
Effects on Admixtures on Properties on Hardened Concrete
The accelerate the ratio of strength development specially at early stage
To increase strength
To increase durability
To decrease permeability
To control expansion by alkali aggregate reaction
To improve bond with reinforcement
 Types of Admixtures
There are two main types of Admixture

1. Chemical Admixtures

2. Mineral Admixtures
 Types of Admixtures
Types of Chemical Admixture:

1. Air-entrained Admixture
2. Water-reducing/ Plasticizers
3. Super Plasticizers
4. Set-retarding Admixture
5. Accelerating Admixture
 Chemical Admixtures
1. Air Entrained Admixtures
They are used whenever concrete is exposed to freezing and thawing.
Air entraining agents entrain microscopic air bubbles in the concrete.
When the hardened concrete freezes, the frozen water inside the concrete expands
into these air bubbles instead of damaging the concrete.
Air entrained concrete is made by mixing small quantity of air entraining agent or
by using air entraining cement.
These air entraining agents incorporate millions of minute air bubbles in concrete.
 Chemical Admixtures
1. Air Entrained Admixtures
The air voids present in concrete can be brought into two groups
a) Entrained air
b) Entrapped air
 Chemical Admixtures
a) Entrained Air
Entrained air is intentionally incorporated, minute spherical bubbles of size range
from 5 micron to 80 micron is distributed evenly in entire mass of concrete.
b) Entrapped Air
These are the voids present in concrete due to insufficient compaction. And their
size range from 10 micron to 1000 micron but these are not distributed in entire
mass of the concrete

Example of Air Entrained Admixture:

▪ Natural wood resin (vinsol and dadex)
▪ Water soluble soap of resin acids, and animal
and vegetable fatty acids.
Chemical Admixtures
 Chemical Admixtures
Factors affecting amount of air entrainment
The manufacture of air entrained concrete is complicated by the fact that the
amount of air entrainment in a mix is affected by many factors, the important
ones are.
a) Type and quantity of air entraining agent used
b) Water/cement ratio of mix
c) Type and grading of aggregate
d) Mixing time
e) Temperature
f) Compaction
g) Use of admixture (fly ash or silica fume)
 Chemical Admixtures
Effect of Air Entrainment on Properties of Concrete
It Reduces,
Tendency of segregation
Reduce bleeding effect
Decrease permeability
It permits reduction in sand content
It reduce cement content, cost and heat of hydration
Reduce unit weight
Reduce alkali aggregate reaction
 Chemical Admixtures
Effect of Air Entrainment on Properties of Concrete

Resistance to chemical attack

Improves place ability and early finishing

Improves workability

And resistance to freezing and thawing

 Chemical Admixtures
2) Water reducing/Plasticizers
Water-reducing admixtures are added to obtain certain workability (slump) at
a lower water-cement ratio (w/c).
The slump can be increased by about 1 to 2 inches without the addition of
water. These admixtures can reduce the amount of water required by 20% to
30%.”
According to ASTM C494, it reduce water content at least 5%.
Example: chemplast P-200

3) Super-plasticizers
These are more recent and more effective type of water reducing admixtures
also known as high range water reducer (HRWR)
According to ASTM C 494, it reduce water content (minimum) up to 12%.
Examples:
Chemrite AG 200, Chemrite NN, Ultra super Plast 437.
 Chemical Admixtures
Effects of Plasticizers and Super Plasticizers on Fresh Concrete
• By nominal dosages of plasticizers or super plasticizers the improvement in the
workability of very stiff or zero slump concrete has not been observed.

• A mix having 20 mm to 30 mm initial slump can only be fluidify by the use of

plasticizers or super plasticizers.

• To fluidify a no slump concrete a high dosage of plasticizers or super plasticizers are

required.

• An improvement in slump may be obtained up to the extent of 250 mm depending

upon the initial slump of the mix, dosage and cement content.

• It has been observed that slump increases with the dosage, but after a certain limit of
the dosage, slump starts decreasing.
• After about 1.0% dosage by weight of cement, slump starts decreasing.
 Chemical Admixtures
Effects of Plasticizers and Super Plasticizers on fresh concrete
A typical curve showing the effect of dosage of super plasticizer on slump is
shown in Figure

NOTE:
The workability developed due to plasticizers and super plasticizers is from 90
to 120 mins and then concrete becomes normal. So the plasticizers should be
added at the time prior to placing.
Chemical Admixtures
 Chemical Admixtures
Effects of Plasticizers and Super Plasticizers on Hardened Concrete
• In order to study the effects of superplasticizer dosages on the properties of hardened
concrete, compressive strength tests at 7 and 28 days were conducted for concrete
mixes with different dosage of superplasticizers. Table shows the results of
compressive strength tests at different dosages of superplasticizer[1].
 Chemical Admixtures
5) Accelerating Admixtures
Accelerating admixtures are added to concrete to shorten the setting time and
accelerate the early strength development of concrete. These are used in cold
weather conditions (below 5°C or 41°F).
Examples
CaCl2 ,Ca(NO3)2 (calcium Nitrate), Ca(NO2)2 etc.

Effects on concrete
Permits early removal of framework
Reduce required period of curing
Partially compensate for retarding effect of low temperature during cold
weather concreting.
 Chemical Admixtures
6) Set Retarders
Retarding admixtures delay hydration of cement.
They are used to offset high temperature effects, which delay setting times.
Set retarders are used where delay in setting time is required to ensure
sufficient placement, vibration or compaction time
Examples: Sugar, borax, boric acid, magnesium oxide etc.
 Mineral Admixtures
Definition
“Mineral admixtures are finely divided siliceous materials (Siliceous rocks are
sedimentary rocks that have silica (SiO2) as the principal constituent) which are
added to concrete relatively in large amount,. 20 to 70% by mass of total
Cementitious material.”

Classification
Natural material have been processed for the sole purpose of producing a
Pozzolans. Processing usually involves crushing, grinding, size separation and
thermal activation.
By product are not the primary product of the industry producing them. It may
or may not involve any processing
 Mineral Admixtures
Types of mineral admixtures
Mineral admixtures reduce cost, reduce permeability, increase strength and
change other concrete properties.

There are some of main mineral admixtures.

• Fly ash
• Silica fume
• Blast furnace slag
• Rice husk ash
• Volcanic ash
 Mineral Admixtures
1) Fly Ash:
“Finely divided residue resulting from combustion of ground or powdered coal,
which is transported from the firebox through the boiler by the flue gases”
Fly ash is a by-product of coal in fire electric generating plants, it is greyish in color
Properties:
Reduces bleeding,
Increase time of setting,
Improve workability,
Reduces segregation,
Increases ultimate strength,
Reduces shrinkage,
Lowers the heat of hydration, and Reduces creep.
 Mineral Admixtures
2) Silica Fume
“Silica fume (also known as micro silica) is a fine powder collected as a
by-product of silicon and ferrosilicon alloy production and use as pozzolanic
material for high performance concrete.”

Properties
Reduced permeability,
Improves bonding within the concrete,
Improves resistance to corrosion,
Can reduce alkali-silica reactivity (ASR),
Increased compressive strengths, and
Increased durability
 Mineral Admixtures
3) Blast Furnace Slag
“Blast Furnace Slag is formed when iron ore or iron pellets, coke and a flux
(limestone or dolomite) are melted together in a blast furnace.”

Properties
Usually improves workability and decreases water demand,
Increases setting times,
Reduces bleeding,
Increases the air-entrainment required,
Usually improves flexural strength,
Reduces permeability, and
Prevent damage due to ASR
 Mineral Admixtures
4) Rice Husk Ash
“Rice milling generates a by product known as husk. This surrounds the paddy
grain. During milling of paddy about 78 % of weight is received as rice. Rest 22 %
of the weight of paddy is received as husk”

Properties
Enhance the workability , strength of concrete mixes.
Make the concrete durable to chemical attacks ,
abrasion and corrosion
Has excellent water resistance properties.
Reduce the chloride ion penetration into the structure.
Lowers the heat of hydration and prevents formation of cracks during casting.
Acts as a very good insulator
 Mineral Admixtures
5) Volcanic Ash
Volcanic ash consists of pulverized rock minerals and volcanic glass, created during
volcanic eruptions. Sometimes, it is formed during explosion of gases which
solidifies in the atmosphere. Ash is also produced when magma comes in contact
with water.
Properties
Mixing finely ground volcanic pumice or ash with quicklime
makes pozzolanic cement.
Makes concrete water resistant.
Increases concrete strength
It was this substance that allowed the Romans to
build fantastic buildings, water works, roads,
harbors, underwater structures, and lighthouses.
 References
1. Effects od superplasticizers on fresh and hardened Portland cement concrete
characteristics by Faddy M.A Hassouna
2. Concrete Technology - M.S.Shetty
3. www.aboutcivil.com
4. www.concrete.org