Materials of Construction

(805261)
Chapter 8: Admixtures

 Introduction
 Classifications by Function
Introduction

 Admixtures are ingredients added to the concrete

other than Portland cement, water, and aggregate.

 They can be added before or during the concrete

mixing.
Classification by Function:

 Admixtures can be classified by function as:

A. Air entraining
B. Water content (water reducing) (Plasticizers)
C. Retarding
D. Accelerating
E. Pozzolan
F. Workability agents inducing super plasticizers
G. Miscellaneous agents as bonding, permeability
reducing
A. Air Entraining

 Entrained air in concrete is defined as air

intentionally incorporated using a suitable agent.
 Air entraining admixtures are used to purposely
entrain microscopic air bubbles in concrete
 Advantages:
1. Entrained air bubbles dramatically improve the
durability of concrete exposed to moisture and
freezing and thawing cycles
2. Durability of concrete freshly mixed is also
improved significantly and segregation and
bleeding are reduced or eliminated
A. Air Entraining

 The tiny air bubbles are distributed uniformly

throughout the cement paste

 Entrained air can be produced by use of air

entraining cement, or by introduction of an air
entraining admixtures, or a combination of both
methods

 Primary active ingredient used in air entraining

admixture is alkybenzene sulforiate or polythene
oxide, detergents, salts, or fatty acids
B. Water-reducing Admixtures:
(Plasticizers)
 These admixtures are used for three purposes:
1. To achieve higher strength by reducing the W/C
ratio at the same workability as an admixture-
free mix

2. Achieve the same workability by decreasing the

cement content so as to reduce the heat of
hydration in mass concrete
B. Water-reducing Admixtures:
(Plasticizers)
 These admixtures are used for three purposes:
3. Increase workability so as to ease placing in
inaccessible locations (a mix containing this
admixture and another normal mix with same
W/C ratio will vary in workability at which the
first mix with the admixture will be more
workable)
B. Water-reducing Admixtures:
(Plasticizers)
 Many water-reducing admixtures can also retard
the setting time of the concrete
 The reduction in the mixing water, which is
possible due to the use of the admixture, varies
between 5-15%
 The actual decrease in mixing water depends on
the:
1. Cement contents
2. Aggregate type
3. Pozzolan
4. Type of air entraining agent present
B. Water-reducing Admixtures:
(Plasticizers)
 Types of water reducing admixture:
a) Hydroxylated carboxylic acids, disadvantages
are:
- it can increase bleeding in high workability
concrete
- it tends to retard setting time (as an accelerator
is added)
b) Lignosulphonic Acid: improves cohesiveness
because they contain air
C. Retarding Admixtures:

 They are used in hot weather in order to retard the

rate of setting time in order not to harden so fast
(slow the chemical reaction), the higher the
temperature the faster the hydration

 The retarding admixture is a material used to

retard the setting of the concrete

 High temperature of 30-32C and higher are often

the cause of an increase rate of hardening that
makes placing and finishing difficult
C. Retarding Admixtures:

 Retarders are sometimes used to:

1. Offset (balance) the accelerating effect of hot
weather on the concrete setting
2. Delay the initial set of concrete when difficult or
unusually conditions of placement occur, such
as making concrete in large piers or foundations

 Most retarders are also water reducing agents;

they are frequently called water‑reducing-retarders
C. Retarding Admixtures:

 Types of retarders are:

 Sugar,
 carbohydrate derivatives,
 soluble zinc salts,
 soluble borates

 About 0.05% of sugar by mass of cement will delay

the setting time by 4 hours
C. Retarding Admixtures:

 Disadvantages:
1. In general, some reduction in strength at early
ages (1-3 days) accompanies the use of retarders
2. The effect of these materials on other properties
of concrete, such as plastic shrinkage may not
be
predictable

 Performance of sugar or any other retarder should

be determined by trial mixes with the actual job
material under anticipated job conditions
D. Accelerating Admixtures:

 Other ways that the strength development can be

accelerated are:
1. Type III of cement, high early strength Portland
cement (PC)
2. Curing at higher temperature (steam curing)
3. Lowering water cement ratio by increasing the
cement content
D. Accelerating Admixtures:

 An over dose can result in:

1. Placement problems
2. Rapid stiffening
3. Increasing drying shrinkage
4. Corrode reinforcement
5. Cause loss in strength at later ages

 The use of calcium chloride reduces the resistance

of cement to sulfate attack.
D. Accelerating Admixtures:

 They are used to accelerate the strength

development of concrete in early age; under most
conditions the accelerators cause an increase in
the drying shrink age of concrete

 Calcium chloride is the agent or the active material

that is most commonly used, CaCl2 should be
added in solution form as part of the mixing water.
CaCl2 should not exceed more than 2% of the
weight of cement
D. Accelerating Admixtures:

 Use of CaCl2 or accelerating admixtures containing

CaCl2 is not recommended under the following
conditions:
1) Pre-stressed concrete because of possible
corrosion hazards
2) Concrete containing embedded alumina
3) In concrete subjected to alkali aggregate
reaction or exposed to soils or water containing
sulfates
4) Nuclear shielding concrete
5) Hot weather
E. Pozzolans:

 Pozzolans are sometimes used in concrete to help

reducing the internal temperature (used in dams).
These temperatures can also be lowered (reduced)
by:
1. Using Type II, IV, and V cement
2. Lowering temperature of water or aggregate
3. Using Pozzolanic admixtures

 Some Pozzolan improves the sulfate resistance of

concrete
F. Superplasticizer:

 More recent and more effective types of water

reducing admixture and known as high-range
water reducers.

 Advantages:
The possible undesirable effects are considerably
lower than those of the conventional water
reducers
F. Superplasticizer:

 The main situation where we would use

superplasticizers:
1. Following concrete produced at normal W/C
ratio but so workable that it can be placed with
little or no vibration or compaction and still be
free of excessive bleeding water or segregation
2. High strength concrete: produced at a very low
W/C ratio and with workability in the normal
range
F. Superplasticizer:

 Two types of superplasticizers:

1. Sulphonated melamine
2. Sulphonated naphthalene

 When the aim is to achieve high strength at a given

workability, the use of superplasticizers can result
in a water reduction of 25-35%
F. Superplasticizer:

 The improved workability produced by

superplasticizers is of short duration (30-90 min.)
and is followed by a rapid loss in workability. For
this reason, superplasticizers should be added to
the mix immediately prior to placing and it should
be mixed very well

 The only disadvantage of the superplasticizers is

cost (very expensive)
G. Bonding Admixture:

 These are polymer emulsions (Latexes) such as

rubber, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, and
acrylics
 These are added to Portland cement mixtures or
applied to the surface of old concrete to increase
the bond strength between old and new concrete
 They are usually added in proportions equivalent
to 5%-20% to the weight of cement, depending on:
a) Job condition
b) Type of bonding material used