Admixtures

 Admixture is one of the ingredient of concrete mix.The reason for the large growth in the
use of admixtures is that they are capable of importing considerable physical and
economical benefits with respect to concrete.
 Admixtures have been designed to improve concrete construction, not as a simple solution
for poor mix design or sloppy concrete practice.
 It should be stressed that,while properly used admixtures are beneficial to concrete,they are
no remedy for poor quality mix ingredients,for use of incorrect mix proportions,or for poor
workmanship in transporting,placing and compaction.

Admixtures

An addition is “a material that is interground or blended in limited amounts into a hydraulic

cement during manufacture” ASTM C 219
An admixture (additive) is “a material other than water, aggregates, hydraulic cement and fiber
reinforcement that is used as an ingredient of cement or mortar and is added to the batch
immediately before or during its mixing.” ASTM C 125

Precautions Concerning the Choice and Usage of Admixtures

1. Require admixtures to conform to ASTM specifications (performance based).

2. Follow manufacturer’s instructions regarding dosage but check results.

3. Ensure reliable procedures are established for accurate batching of the admixture.

4. Take into account effects on other concrete properties.

Two Broad Categories

1. Chemical admixtures – water soluble additions

2. Mineral admixtures – finely ground solid materials

Chemical Admixtures

There are three primary categories of chemical admixtures

- Air-entraining agents (ASTM C 260)
- Set-controlling admixtures (ASTM C 260)
- Plasticizing admixtures (ASTM C 494 and C 1017)
There are also a number of other miscellaneous chemical admixtures(Viscosity
modifiers,antifreezing admixture,Gas forming admixture, Damp-Proofing admixture etc.) primarily
used in special applications.

Air-Entraining Admixtures

 Increases the amount of air that is incorporated into concrete during mixing. Primarily used
to provide freeze-thaw resistance.

Effect on Concrete Properties – Fresh

 Workability and cohesiveness are improved at all slump levels.

 Beneficial in mixes with low cement contents, poor aggregate grading, or harsh aggregate .
 Bleeding and segregation are reduced during handling and transportation.

Effect on Concrete Properties – Hardened

 Additional void space directly affects concrete strength.

 Strength drops 5% for each percent of air added.
 Primary benefit is improved F/T resistance.
 Excessive air contents will drastically lower strength and resistance to F/T.

 There is an optimum air content for good durable concrete.

Water-Reducing Admixtures(WRAs)

 Water reducing admixtures lower the water required to attain a given slump (i.e. reduces
water demand of the concrete).

WRAs can be Used in Several Ways

1. Achieve desired slump with less water but same cement content (lower W/C ratio - improved
strength, permeability and durability).
2. Achieve desired slump with same W/C by reducing water and cement (economic reasons, lower
heat production).
3. Increase slump without changing water and cement contents (improves workability, eases
placement)
An admixture can be classified as water-reducing if it reduces water requirements by at least
5%.

Effects on Concrete Properties – Fresh

 Flowing Concrete - concretes with very high slumps are useful in difficult placements
(congested rebar), placements where proper vibration is not feasible (underwater), or to
improve ease of placement (pumping, self-leveling). WRA is added after initial mixing to
bring the slump up to the desired level. Overdosing can lead to segregation but this can be
corrected by continuing mixing until concrete stiffens enough to regain cohesive
properties.

 Bleeding & Air Entrainment – though WRAs improve workability, they may not
improve cohesiveness. Overdosing can cause excessive bleeding and segregation.
 Set Retardation - Many regular (and some mid range) WRAs will also act as set retarding
admixtures.

Effects on Concrete Properties – Hardened

Compressive Strength - When used to lowerW/C ratios an given increase in compressive

strength can be expected.
High Strength Concretes - Very high strengths (80 MPa +) can be achieved when lowering the
W/C ratio below 0.40, without excessive heat generation. Steam curing can produce even larger
gains.
Permeability and durability are typically improved.

Demerits
Often increase the rate and total amount of drying shrinkage. Creep can also be affected by WRAs,
in either direction.

Set-Retarding Admixtures

 Set-retarding admixtures delay the time required for a given concrete to begin hardening.
 Can be used to offset the effects of high temperatures that decrease setting times.
 Can help avoid complications due to unavoidable delays between mixing and placing.
 Can be used to resist cracking due to form deflection when horizontal slabs are placed in
sections.

Set-Accelerating Admixtures

Effects on Concrete Properties

 One day strengths are typically higher but long term values will be lower (proportional to
degree of acceleration).
 Rates of drying shrinkage and creep are increased, though not the ultimate values.
 However, early shrinkage leads to increased cracking if restrained.
The most common accelerator used in concrete is calcium chloride. Increases rate of corrosion of
reinforcing steel and other metals in contact with concrete. ACI Building Code places limits to use
calcium chloride in prestressed or reinforced concrete. Chloride-free accelerators are available but
more expensive.

Mineral Admixtures

 Supplementary Cementing Materials(Fly ash F, Silica fume, Fly ash C,Limestone powder,
silica flour)

 Finely ground solid materials added to the concrete, either as a separate ingredient or
blended with the cement.

Three Primary Reasons

 Replace cement
 Improve workability
 Enhance durability

Mineral Admixtures Can be Used in Two Ways:

 As an addition to concrete
 As a cement replacement
Addition is used to improve workability when minimum cement contents are specified
(affects sand content).
Replacement is used to reduce the heat of hydration or to improve durability (affects
cement and sand content)

Effect of Mineral Admixtures on Concrete

Heat of Hydration
Mineral admixtures reduce the overall heat of hydration.Also reduces the rate of heat
liberation, which controls temperature rise.

Workability
Fly ash and silica fume lead to an increase in workability.
The spherical nature of the particles make them act as small ball bearings, reducing
interparticle friction.
Silica fume is more effective due to its ability to pack between the cement grains and act as
a very effective lubricant.
Silica fume requires a water reducer to overcome higher water demand.

Air Entrainment
Concretes containing mineral admixtures must be air entrained for frost resistance

Strength Development
Concretes containing mineral admixtures will develop superior strength than similar
concretes without them … over time. The extent to which early strength is lowered depends
upon the reactivity of the mineral admixture.