Concrete Admixtures

Guided by : Prepared by:

Annu Balhar Chandan Kumar
Rahul Grover sir B.Tech (civil)
2313112
Admixtures
Admixtures are those
ingredients in concrete other
than Portland cement, water,
and aggregates that are
added to the mixture
immediately before or during
mixing . Admixtures can be
classified by function as follows:
1. Air-entraining admixtures
2. Water-reducing admixtures
3. Plasticizers
4. Accelerating admixtures
5. Retarding admixtures
6. Hydration-control admixtures
7. Corrosion inhibitors
8. Shrinkage reducers
9. Alkali-silica reactivity inhibitors
10. Colouring admixtures
11. Miscellaneous admixtures such
workability, bonding, damp
proofing, permeability reducing,
grouting, gas-forming, and pumping
admixtures
The major reasons for using
admixtures are:
1. To reduce the cost of concrete
construction
2. To achieve certain properties in
concrete more effectively than by other
means
3. To maintain the quality of concrete
during the stages of mixing,
transporting, placing, and curing in
adverse weather conditions
4. To overcome certain emergencies
during concreting operations
Air-Entraining Admixtures

 used to purposely introduce and stabilize

microscopic air bubbles in concrete. Air-
entrainment will dramatically improve the
durability of concrete exposed to cycles of
freezing and thawing (Fig. 6-2). Entrained air
greatly improves concrete's resistance to surface
scaling caused by chemical
de-icers
Frost damage at joints of a
pavement
Frost induced cracking
near joints
Scaled concrete surface
resulting from lack of air
entrainment, use of deicers,
and poor finishing and
curing practices
 The primary ingredients used in air-entraining
admixtures are salts of wood resin (Vinsol resin),
synthetic detergents, salts of petroleum acids, etc.

See Table 6-1 p.106 in the text for more details.

Water-Reducing
Admixtures
 used to reduce the quantity of mixing water
required to produce concrete of a certain slump,
reduce water-cementing materials ratio, reduce
cement content, or increase slump.
 Typical water reducers reduce the water content
by approximately 5% to 10%.
Water-Reducing
Admixtures
 Materials:
 Lignosulfonates.
 Carbohydrates.
 Hydroxylated carboxylic acids.
Water-Reducing
Admixtures
 The effectiveness of water reducers on concrete is
a function of their chemical composition,
concrete temperature, cement composition and
fineness, cement content, and the presence of
other admixtures.
Superplasticizers (High-
Range Water Reducers)
 These admixtures are added to concrete with a
low-to-normal slump and water-cementing
materials ratio to make high-slump flowing
concrete.
 Flowing concrete is a highly fluid but workable
concrete that can be placed with little or no
vibration or compaction while still remaining
essentially free of excessive bleeding or
segregation.
Superplasticizers (High-
Range Water Reducers)
 Applications where flowing concrete
is used:
1. thin-section placements,
2. areas of closely spaced and congested
reinforcing steel,
3. pumped concrete to reduce pump
pressure, thereby increasing lift and
distance capacity,
4. areas where conventional consolidation
methods are impractical or can not be
used, and
5. for reducing handling costs.
Flowable concrete with
high slump
Is easily placed
Even in areas of heavy
reinforcing steel congestion
 Low water to
cement ratio
concrete with low
chloride
permeability---
easily made with
high-range water
reducers- is ideal for
bridge decks
 Plasticized, flowing
concrete is easily
placed in thin
sections
Superplasticizers (High-
Range Water Reducers)
 Typical superplasticizers include:
 Sulfonated melamine formaldehyde condensates.
 Sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde
condensate.
 Lignosulfonates.
 Polycarboxylates.
Superplasticizers (High-
Range Water Reducers)
 bleed significantly less than control
concretes of equally high slump and
higher water content.
 High-slump, low-water-content,
plasticized concrete has less drying
shrinkage than a high-slump, high-
water-content conventional
concrete.
 has similar or higher drying shrinkage
than conventional low-slump, low-
water-content concrete.
 The effectiveness of the plasticizer is
increased with an increasing amount
of cement and fines in the concrete.
Retarding Admixtures

 used to retard the rate of setting of

concrete at high temperatures of
fresh concrete (30°C or more).
 One of the most practical methods of
counteracting this effect is to reduce
the temperature of the concrete by
cooling the mixing water or the
aggregates.
 Retarders do not decrease the initial
temperature of concrete.
 The bleeding rate and capacity of
plastic concrete is increased with
retarders.
Retarding Admixtures

 The typical materials used as retarders are:

 Lignin,
 Borax,
 Sugars,
 Tartaric acid and salts.
Retarding Admixtures

 Retarders are used to:

1. offset the accelerating effect of hot weather on
the setting of concrete,
2. delay the initial set of concrete when difficult or
unusual conditions of placement occur,
3. delay the set for special finishing processes such
as an exposed aggregate surface.
Retarding Admixtures

 some reduction in strength at early

ages (one to three days)
accompanies the use of retarders.
 The effects of these materials on the
other properties of concrete, such as
shrinkage, may not be predictable.

Therefore, acceptance tests of retarders

should be made with actual job
materials under anticipated job
conditions.
Accelerating Admixtures

 used to accelerate strength development of

concrete at an early age.
 Typical Materials are:
 Calcium chloride: most commonly used for plain
concrete.
 Triethanolamine.
 Calcium formate.
 Calcium nitrate.
 Calcium nitrite.
Corrosion Inhibitors
Corrosion Inhibitors

 The chlorides can cause corrosion of steel

reinforcement in concrete.
 Ferrous oxide and ferric oxide form on the surface
of reinforcing steel in concrete.
 Ferrous oxide reacts with chlorides to form
complexes that move away from the steel to form
rust. The chloride ions continue to attack the steel
until the passivating oxide layer is destroyed.
Corrosion Inhibitors

 Corrosion-inhibiting admixtures
chemically arrest the corrosion
reaction.
 Commercially available corrosion
inhibitors include:
 calcium nitrite,
 sodium nitrite,
 dimethyl ethanolamine,
 amines,
 phosphates,
 ester amines.
Shrinkage-Reducing
Admixtures
 Shrinkage cracks,
such as shown on
this bridge deck,
can be reduced
with the use of
good concreting
practices and
shrinkage reducing
admixtures.
Chemical Admixtures to reduce Alkali-
aggregate Reactivity
(ASR Inhibitors)

 Expansion of
specimens made
with lithium
carbonate
admixture
Coloring admixtures (Pigments)

 Red and blue

pigments were used
to color this floor
Thank You!