CE 308 – PRC I - LECTURE 4

ADMIXTURES

MILITARY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

RISALPUR
 OUTLINE
Ø Introduction
Ø Definition
Ø Significance and advantages
Ø Precaution in use
Ø Types of Admixtures
Ø Chemical Admixture
Ø Air Entraining Admixture and its effects
Ø Water Reducing Admixture and its effects
Ø Super Plasticizers
Ø Accelerators and its types
Ø Retarder and its impact
Ø Mineral Admixture
Ø Pozzolanic Materials
 PREVIEW
• The recognition that properties of concrete, in both the
fresh and hardened states, can be modified by adding
certain materials to concrete mixtures has been
responsible for the large growth of the concrete
admixtures industry during the last 50 years.

• Hundreds of products are being marketed today. In some

countries it is not uncommon that 70 to 80 percent of all
concrete produced contains one or more admixtures.

• Therefore, construction engineers should have some

knowledge of the advantages and limitations of
commonly used admixtures.
 DEFINITION
Often, instead of using a special cement, it is possible to
change some of the properties of the more commonly used
cements by incorporating a suitable additive or an
admixture.
 SIGNIFICANCE
ACI Committee 212, lists 20 important purposes for which
admixtures are used, for example;
v To increase the plasticity of concrete without increasing the water
content. (Water Reducer)
v To reduce bleeding and segregation, to retard or accelerate the
time of set.(Retarders and Accelerators)
v To accelerate the rates of strength development at early ages.
v To reduce the rate of heat evolution, and to increase the durability
of concrete to specific exposure conditions.
Within 20 years after the beginning of development of the industry
in the 1940s, nearly 275 different products were marketed in
England and 340 in Germany.
Precautions in use
 TYPES OF ADMIXTURES

ØChemical admixtures
ØMineral admixtures

ØChemical admixtures are surface active chemicals i.e. essentially

air entraining, water reducers (plasticizers and super plasticizers),
set controlling (retarders and accelerators).

ØMineral Admixtures are supplementary cementing materials.

Main use is to reduce cost as it is replacing cement, improve
workability and durability and to reduce heat of hydration

ØClassified as pozzolanic materials (fly ash and silica fume) and

cementations materials (slag)
 CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES

ØChemical admixtures have

§ Formulated chemical composition
§ Special chemical action
§ Used to modify certain properties of concrete

ØPrimarily used to
• Reduce the cost of concrete construction;
• To modify the performance of fresh and hardened concrete;
• To ensure the quality of concrete during mixing, transportation,
placing, compacting and curing;
• To overcome certain emergencies during concreting operations.
 CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES
ØProperties commonly modified are
• the rate of hydration
• setting times,
• workability,
• dispersion
• and air entrainment

ØGenerally added in a relatively small quantity.

ØEnsure proper quantity of an admixture, as an excess quantity

may be detrimental to the properties of concrete.

ØMost admixtures are supplied in ready-to-use liquid form and

are added to the concrete.
 CHEMICAL ADMIXTURES

ASTM C494

Type A (Water Reducing Admixture)

Type B (Retardars)
Type C (Accelerators)
Type D (Water Reducing + Retardars)
Type E (Water Reducing + Accelerators)
Type F (Water Reducing High range)
Type G (Water Reducers HR + Retardars)
 SURFACE ACTIVE
CHEMICALS
vSurface-active chemicals, also known as surfactants, cover
admixtures generally used for air entrainment or reduction of water in
concrete mixtures.
vAn air-entraining admixture is defined as a material that is used as an
ingredient of concrete for the purpose of entraining air. Surfactants
used as air-entraining admixtures generally consist of salts of wood
resins, proteinaceous materials and petroleum acids, and some synthetic
detergents.
vA water-reducing admixture is an admixture that reduces the quantity
of mixing water required to produce concrete of a given consistency
(also known as plasticizing agents). Surfactants used as plasticizing
admixtures usually are salts and modifications, and derivatives of
lignosulfonic acid, hydroxylated carboxylic acids, and polysaccharides
or any combinations of the foregoing three, with or without other
subsidiary constituents
AIR-ENTRAINING
ADMIXTURES
 AIR-ENTRAINING
ADMIXTURES
vThe most important application of air-entraining admixtures is for
concrete mixtures designed to resist freezing and thawing cycles.
vAnother effect from entrained air is the improved workability of
concrete mixtures, particularly those containing less cement and
water, rough-textured aggregates, or lightweight aggregates.
vAir entrainment is, therefore, commonly used in making mass
concrete and lightweight concrete mixtures.
vAs air-entraining surfactants render the cement particles
hydrophobic, any overdose of the admixture would cause an
excessive delay in cement hydration.
vAlso, air-entrained mixtures depending on the amount of entrained
air suffer a corresponding strength loss.
 AIR-ENTRAINING
ADMIXTURES
ØAir-entraining admixtures help to incorporate a controlled
amount of air, in the form of millions of minute bubbles
distributed throughout the body of concrete, during mixing,
without significantly altering the setting or the rate of hardening
of concrete.
ØA proper amount of entrained air results in improved properties
of plastic concrete like workability, easier placing and finishing,
increased durability, better resistance to frost action and
reduction in bleeding and segregation.
ØThe entrained air bubbles, ranging approximately from 0.05 to
0.25 mm diameter and spaced 0.003 mm apart reduce the
capillary voids connectivity in concrete.
 AIR-ENTRAINING
ADMIXTURES
Increasing the amount of air in concrete
ØThe volume of air required to produce optimum
resistance to frost action is 9% by volume of the
mortar and 2 to 8 % by volume of concrete
depending on the size of coarse aggregates used

ØThe natural air content is about 1 to 3 % by volume

of concrete with naturally entrapped air (bigger pore
size, irregularly distributed)

ØThe air content increased by 3 to 4 % by entrained

air (smaller pore size, uniformly distributed)
 AIR-ENTRAINING
ADMIXTURES
Mechanism of Action
ØThe chemical formula of a typical air-entraining
surfactant, which consists of a nonpolar
hydrocarbon chain with an anionic polar group.

Anionic Polar group (Hydrophlic)

Non- Polar
(Hydrophobic)
 AIR-ENTRAINING
ADMIXTURES
Mechanism of Action
 AIR-ENTRAINING
ADMIXTURES
Mechanism of Action
Ø At the air-water interface the polar groups are
oriented toward the water phase, lowering the
surface tension, promoting bubble formation, and
counteracting the tendency for the dispersed
bubbles to form one mass.
Ø At the solid-water interface where directive forces
exist in the cement surface, the polar groups
become bound to the solid with the nonpolar
groups oriented toward the water, making the
cement surface hydrophobic so that air can
displace water and remain attached to the solid
particles as bubbles.
 EFFECTS OF AIR
ENTRAINMENT
Fresh concrete
ØEnhanced workability
ØAir entraining agents help to produce more uniform
and well compacted concrete
ØReduced amount of water required at a desired
slump
Hardened Concrete
ØReduction in compressive strength (1 % of
entrained air, 5 % reduction in strength)
ØOptimum durability (weathering resistance, freeze
thaw resistance) at air entrainment of 7 to 8 %
EFFECTS OF AIR
ENTRAINMENT
 WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT

Water reducing admixtures are ASTM C 494,C

1017
ØChemical admixtures used for lowering the water
required to attain a given slump. Lowering the water
content means the reduction in cement content for
same w/c ratio (at a given strength)
ØEconomical concrete by cutting the amount of
cement used (expensive ingredient)
ØFacilitates difficult placements by increasing slump
without increasing w/c ratio
 WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT
ØMost fine ingredients of concrete tend to flocculate or clump
together.
ØFlocculated fines cause an increase in viscosity by entrapping a
part of the water and by physically resisEng the flow – in turn
effect workability.
ØMore water is required to achieve desired slump - Water can be
added up to a certain point, beyond which the intended plasEc
and hardened physical properEes of concrete are compromised.
ØWater reducers are oJen used the soluEon.
ØThe organic or combinaEons of organic and inorganic
substances to achieve these objecEves are termed as water
reducers or plasEcizing admixtures.
 WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT
Mechanism of Action

Green is
admixture
WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT
WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT
 WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT
• Series A, had a 300 kg/m3 cement content and a 0.62 water-
cement ratio; the fresh concrete showed 50-mm slump, and the
hardened concrete gave 25- and 37-MPa compressive strength at
7 and 28 days, respectively.
• With Test Series B, the purpose was to increase the consistency
of the reference concrete mixture without adding more cement
and water. This was easily achieved by incorporating a small
dosage of the water-reducing admixture. Such an approach is
useful when concrete is to be placed in heavily reinforced
sections by pumping. (only slump increased as an effect of
plasticizer, by dispersing the flocculated cement particles)
 WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT
• With Test Series C, the object was to achieve higher
compressive strengths without increasing the cement content or
reducing the consistency of the reference concrete mixture.
Incorporating the same amount of the water-reducing admixture
as used with Series B made it possible to reduce the water
content by 10 percent (from 186 to 168 kg/m3) while
maintaining the 50-mm slump. As a result of reduction in the
water-cement ratio, the 7-day compressive strength increased
from 25 to 34 MPa and the 28-day strength from 37 to 46 MPa.
This approach may be needed when job specifications limit the
maximum water cement ratio but require high early strength to
develop.
 WATERREDUCING
SURFACTANT
• Test Series D demonstrates how the addition of the water-
reducing admixture made it possible to affect a 10 percent
cement saving without compromising either the consistency or
the strength of the reference concrete. Besides cost economy,
such cement savings may be important when reduction of the
temperature rise in mass concrete is the primary goal.
 SUPERPLASTICIZERS
Superplasticizers - a relatively new category and improved version
of plasticizers, the use of which was developed in Japan and
Germany during 1960 and 1970 respectively.
ØThey are chemically different from normal plasticizers.
ØUse of superplasticizers permit the reduction of water to the
extent up to 30 % without reducing workability.
ØThe use of superplasticizer is practiced for production of
flowing, self leveling, self compacting and for the production of
high strength and high performance concrete.
ØThe mechanism of action of superplasticizers is more or less
same as in case of ordinary plasticizer. Only thing is that the
superplasticizers are more powerful as dispersing agents.
ØThey are called High Range Water Reducers in American
literature.
 SUPERPLASTICIZERS
ØSuperplasticizer made it possible to have a w/c ratio as low as
0.25 or even lower and yet make flowing concrete to obtain
strength of 120 MPa (17,400 psi) or more.
ØSuperplasticizer made it possible to use fly ash, slag and
particularly silica fume to make high performance concrete.
ØThe superplasticizers also produce a homogeneous, cohesive
concrete generally without any tendency for segregation and
bleeding.
ØCompared to normal water-reducing admixtures, relatively large
amounts of superplasticizers, up to 1 percent by weight of cement,
can be incorporated into concrete mixtures without causing
excessive bleeding and set retardation, in spite of a consistency on
the order of 200- to 250-mm slump.
 ACCELERATING
ADMIXTURES
ØThe benefits of reduced time of setting may include:
ØEarly finishing of surface; and
ØReduction of pressure on forms or of period of
time during which the forms are subjected to
hydraulic pressure.
ØWith the availability of powerful accelerators, the under water
concreting, the basement waterproofing operations, the repair
work of the waterfront structures in the tidal zones have
become easy.
ØWith proper proportion these admixtures partly compensate
for the retardation of strength development due to low
temperatures in cold weather concreting.
TYPES OF ACCELERATORS
 RETARDING ADMIXTURES
High temperatures, low humidity, and wind cause rapid
evaporation of water from the mix during summer. This drying of
concrete leads to the cracking of the surface.

Mechanism of Action
Retarders delay setting of cement either by forming a thin
coating on the cement particles and thus slowing down their
dissolution in and reaction with water or by increasing the intra-
molecular distance of reacting silicates and aluminates from
water molecules.
Set-retarding admixtures
IMPACT ON HEAT
EVOLUTION
 Impact on compressive
strength
By delaying the initial
setting, retarders allow
for more complete
hydration of the cement,
better curing practices,
and reduced shrinkage or
cracking, all of which
contribute to higher
strength at later stages.
While retarders slow
down early strength gain,
they improve the quality
of the concrete matrix,
resulting in better long-
term performance.
MINERAL ADMIXTURES
 Pozzolanic material
Ø Fly Ash
v The most extensively uses and widely
available material
v By product of coal after burning in power
plants
v Economical
 Pozzolanic material
ØUse of FA
v Fly ash is often used to replace a portion of
Portland cement in concrete, typically ranging
from 15% to 40% of the total cement content.
v Fly ash particles are spherical and fine, which
enhances the workability of fresh concrete.
v Fly ash reduces the heat of hydration
 Pozzolanic material

ØComposition of C-S-H produced by FA pozzolanic

reaction is similar to that formed in regular hydration
Ø In terms of reaction heat, addition of FA leads to
lowering the amount of early heat evolution and
reduced early strength but not long term strength
ØAddition of FA leads to an overall increase in solid
volume and eventually a decrease in porosity of the
paste, resulting in higher strength and durability
compared with plain paste
 Pozzolanic material
ØSilica Fume
v It is a highly reactive pozzolanic material that
is a byproduct of producing silicon metal or
ferrosilicon alloys in electric arc furnaces
v It is composed of extremely fine spherical
particles of amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO₂),
with a particle size about 100 times smaller
than cement particles
v Expensive
 Pozzolanic material
ØUse of SF
v It to act as an efficient filler and react rapidly in
concrete.
v The primary strength-giving compound in concrete.
v The addition of silica fume significantly increases
the compressive strength of concrete, making it ideal
for high-strength concrete.
v Silica fume reduces the permeability of concrete,
making it more resistant to water penetration, chloride
ingress, and chemical attacks
v Silica fume helps mitigate alkali-silica reaction
v Silica fume is typically added to concrete in amounts
ranging from 5% to 15% by weight of cement,
depending on the desired properties.
Pozzolanic material

Rice Hush Ash

Palm Oil Fuel Ash

Class Activity 02
Time : 5 mins
Q1: What type of admixtures would you recommend for
concreting in:
(i) hot weather, (MKS 02)
(ii) cold weather. (MKS 02)

Q2:State several important reasons why it is desirable to

use pozzolanic admixtures in concrete? (MKS 03)

Q3: Why are clays and shales heat treated to make them
suitable for use as a pozzolan? (MKS 03)

Q4: Which properties of Concrete are commonly

modifies by using admixtures? (MKS 03)